VWL Groupies & Lovers Thread (Special Collectors Edition 2.0) updated 21 June 2023

[DiznyDi]

Great information Bing Showei! I wasn't aware that we could modify an existing reservation online - I'm always calling member services. Using the above information, can a current reservation made at 11 months be changed/modified at the 7 mo booking window?

Too bad about Reunion Station. Perhaps if the cost/hours had been different it could have worked out. A community has would be nice. I've never been inside the building, is it large enough to house a nice restaurant now that there is no more Artists Point?

Any Groupies in the path of the snow storm, stay safe and warm!

 

[Mflaherty]

was able to add one night to the beginning of my trip to try out WL for first time. Going with my 7and 9 year old girls. We never stayed at VWL at all! So excited to check it out. We get there around 5pm so not alot of time. Any suggestions what we should do or not miss??? Pool, the new character dinner, boat to MK? Marshmallow roasting? Can we watch the fireworks or electric parade from WL????? Help!!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Hello Groupies! I am back from a lovely stay at the WL. We had booked our home resort, BRV, but ended up in a Copper Creek studio. While nice, it did not feel like home. I have to admit that the rooms are nicer and warmer in person than what they look like in the pictures. However, it does more feel like a room at a modern day Hilton that happens to be in a mountainous area. Nothing special about them. We did talk to some people and emphasized how much we love the more rustic atmosphere at BRV and how much we hope that the refurb there will maintain that charm. Supposedly the design has not been decided yet, so I would encourage everyone to voice your concerns to DVC about those refurbs. There were features that I really liked: the two nightstands, the amount of drawer space, the sliding door at the sinks. I went on the architecture tour and the backstory I got for Copper Creek was that those rooms are themed after the add ons to the National Park Lodges that were done in the 1960s and 1970s. Who thinks that that's a theme????

We were lucky to watch the end of operation "Christmas Tree Takedown": What an amazing operation. They were there with multiple people and within a few hours all Christmas had disappeared from the WL. As lovely as Christmas is, I loved seeing both versions of the lobby and it was great to have the original soundtrack back!

We had a lot of meals at Roaring Forks and I love that they have gone over to re-usable plates and real metal baskets. They also use paper with the Roaring Fork Logo in the baskets. If they were to go with real cutlery, this would be a great improvement! I spoke to a CM there and she said that it's an issue of RF not having its own dishwasher. But they hope to get an upgrade and their own dishwasher. If you ask me, if Disney is truly serious about minimizing waste, it is not about avoiding straws, but plastic utensils! The food was really good as well! They have the option of a soup instead of the fries/chips that are the usually sides and one night we got the grilled cheese with a side of soup and an extra soup and that was perfect dinner on a slightly chilly evening! All the other food we had from there was really good, too.

Artist Point is just sad. I had a peek inside there one late evening and it looks like they just added some branches to the walls. The good news is that it has not taken over the Lodge. The Snow White merchandise in the shop is a bit silly, but the Territory Lounge has not become a toddler waiting room, instead it still continues to serve some of the AP classics (mushroom soup, salmon and cobbler).

I loved the new pool area. I was shocked about this. They did a great job with the landscaping and I feel that in another 5-10 years it will start to look even better. I also have the advantage that I never knew the old quiet pool, so my opinion might be different if I had. I liked the "cabanas" that are actually free to use by everyone (at least at the moment) and the large hot tub, even if it has very little bubbling going on.

So, all in all a great stay. I will post some pictures soon!

 

[pmaurer74]

Great information Bing Showei! I wasn't aware that we could modify an existing reservation online - I'm always calling member services. Using the above information, can a current reservation made at 11 months be changed/modified at the 7 mo booking window?

Too bad about Reunion Station. Perhaps if the cost/hours had been different it could have worked out. A community has would be nice. I've never been inside the building, is it large enough to house a nice restaurant now that there is no more Artists Point?

Any Groupies in the path of the snow storm, stay safe and warm!

Yes, I did this a few months ago when I changed to Poly for our June trip. I also rebooked my December trip this morning with different dates using the online system... very easy.

 

[Bing Showei]

Using the above information, can a current reservation made at 11 months be changed/modified at the 7 mo booking window?

Absolutely. Gone are the days of two window bookings so you don't lose a reservation, or waiting for MS to open at 9am. At 8am, 7 months out, just login and modify the reservation to check for availability at the resort you want to stay at instead. The process will keep your current reservation from being released until the new one is booked to replace it.

If the new room is fewer points (e.g., switching from VGF to BCV/BWV), it will use your banked/borrowed points first and return your current UY points so you can bank/spend them. If the new room is more points, it will prompt you to select which contract you would like to borrow from.

Disney IT got one right with this one.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I somehow ended up with 12 2017 UY points. They were banked to 2018, and must be used by the end of November, 2019. I honestly don’t know how this is possible, since they always take the “older” points first when booking a reservation. I have looked at the history online, and I still cannot understand how it happened. I’m normally borrowing points! We have trips planned in May and December. The only option I have (besides forfeiting) is to book an additional night in May. I know in the scheme of things, not a huge deal, but the resort we want isn’t available, plus we’d have to borrow additional points to book the additional night.

If you have an existing reservation that is using current, bankable points then you can reallocate the banked points to it. As mentioned it can be done online but if you are uncomfortable doing that call MS and they can take care of it. It does have to fit within the normal booking timeframes - ie, if your existing reservation was booked during the home resort priority then the banked points will also have to be from that home resort. If it was booked 7 months or less then it doesn't matter what home the points are from.

 

[DVC Jen]

Mostly it just seems further! There is a CM area between the elevators and the laundry room but nothing else in between:

I also took a look on the 5th floor condo drawings and could not find anything past the elevators - maybe it's a 4th floor room you were remembering? The outside pictures also just show 4 floors in that wing from the lakeside. I thought I had one from the otherside but haven't located it yet.

I believe it about the laundry room. We were definitely on the 5th floor - but I may not be remembering the location perfectly. I know we were in a studio and made a few turns to get to it.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Great information Bing Showei! I wasn't aware that we could modify an existing reservation online - I'm always calling member services. Using the above information, can a current reservation made at 11 months be changed/modified at the 7 mo booking window?

Yes - and you can change what contracts are used for the booking all while holding your existing room until you finalize.

Disney IT got one right with this one.

I agree - it is the highlight of the new changes.

One also can bank during booking although I don't know if it really is that big of a deal but can eliminate one step.

was able to add one night to the beginning of my trip to try out WL for first time. Going with my 7and 9 year old girls. We never stayed at VWL at all! So excited to check it out. We get there around 5pm so not alot of time. Any suggestions what we should do or not miss??? Pool, the new character dinner, boat to MK? Marshmallow roasting? Can we watch the fireworks or electric parade from WL????? Help!!!

You can see the high fireworks from the walkway outside of Geyser point next to Bay Lake. And yes, you can watch the electric parade from there or even walk out on the boat transportation dock. Enjoy your stay!

 

[crvetter]

If you have an existing reservation that is using current, bankable points then you can reallocate the banked points to it. As mentioned it can be done online but if you are uncomfortable doing that call MS and they can take care of it. It does have to fit within the normal booking timeframes - ie, if your existing reservation was booked during the home resort priority then the banked points will also have to be from that home resort. If it was booked 7 months or less then it doesn't matter what home the points are from.

An interesting thing to note, bankable points can be applied to reservations at your home resort only (if you bank after the reservation is made). This was what Member Services has told me. Is this opposite of your experience?

Essentially I was told if I make a reservation at 6 months out for 100 points in 2019 use year at another resort that isn't the home of your points. Then I were to decide 2 months later to bank 2018 use year points I could only apply those to the reservation by cancelling the reservation. However, they did say if the points were banked prior to making the reservation but weren't allocated there (because another reservation using them was cancelled) they could be applied.

Just curious on your experience since I haven't run into the non-home resort issue yet and wouldn't want to.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I believe it about the laundry room. We were definitely on the 5th floor - but I may not be remembering the location perfectly. I know we were in a studio and made a few turns to get to it.

We had one of the 5th floor 1BR's - 5524 so the one closest to the elevators and it seemed like more turns to get there than the map implies. It's a little strange up on the 5th floor! The atrium does not run up that high so it has more walls. I'd always swear we were about to head down the long hallway getting to the room we had but that was still around another turn or two.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

An interesting thing to note, bankable points can be applied to reservations at your home resort only (if you bank after the reservation is made). This was what Member Services has told me. Is this opposite of your experience?

Essentially I was told if I make a reservation at 6 months out for 100 points in 2019 use year at another resort that isn't the home of your points. Then I were to decide 2 months later to bank 2018 use year points I could only apply those to the reservation by cancelling the reservation. However, they did say if the points were banked prior to making the reservation but weren't allocated there (because another reservation using them was cancelled) they could be applied.

Just curious on your experience since I haven't run into the non-home resort issue yet and wouldn't want to.

Nope - that is not my experience. However, the system will appear that it is the way it is going to handle it and will not show it's going to take the banked points. But I forged forward and discovered it does not do what it tells you it is going to do and follows the rules of using borrowed, banked then current points as it is supposed to.

Someone else had started a thread indicating more or less what you were told by MS and I outlined for them what to do. They had the same experience I did and it used their banked points.

 

[crvetter]

Nope - that is not my experience. However, the system will appear that it is the way it is going to handle it and will not show it's going to take the banked points. But I forged forward and discovered it does not do what it tells you it is going to do and follows the rules of using borrowed, banked then current points as it is supposed to.

Someone else had started a thread indicating more or less what you were told by MS and I outlined for them what to do. They had the same experience I did and it used their banked points.

Awesome I was able to do it with Home Resorts (exactly as you described) just hadn't done it with non Home Resort Reservations. So I was curious would hate to have a hard to get reservation then want to allocate banked points post reserving. Only to find out I couldn't.

 

[sleepydog25]

Just read a report that Reunion Station is cancelling paid events due to poor performance. If the concierge offerings are also being eliminated (not sure if these are being stopped too), does this mean the VWL (BR & CC) may get that community hall after all?

I believe that only the concierge part of RS is being eliminated--big surprise, eh? They still plan on having wine tastings, photo classes, etc. While I don't advocate razing the entire place--nor would they--I surely wish they'd put up a Signature on the water. In fact, that should have been the original purpose of GP and RS. A little forward thinking and a few more dollars could have produced a real gem of a restaurant. Now, we have an all-you-can-eat joint, a bar cum QS cum TS, a reduced menu QS, and a character meal place. Sigh.

 

[Dean Marino]

.

 

[bluecastle]

Hello Groupies! I am back from a lovely stay at the WL. We had booked our home resort, BRV, but ended up in a Copper Creek studio. While nice, it did not feel like home. I have to admit that the rooms are nicer and warmer in person than what they look like in the pictures. However, it does more feel like a room at a modern day Hilton that happens to be in a mountainous area. Nothing special about them. We did talk to some people and emphasized how much we love the more rustic atmosphere at BRV and how much we hope that the refurb there will maintain that charm. Supposedly the design has not been decided yet, so I would encourage everyone to voice your concerns to DVC about those refurbs. There were features that I really liked: the two nightstands, the amount of drawer space, the sliding door at the sinks. I went on the architecture tour and the backstory I got for Copper Creek was that those rooms are themed after the add ons to the National Park Lodges that were done in the 1960s and 1970s. Who thinks that that's a theme????

We were lucky to watch the end of operation "Christmas Tree Takedown": What an amazing operation. They were there with multiple people and within a few hours all Christmas had disappeared from the WL. As lovely as Christmas is, I loved seeing both versions of the lobby and it was great to have the original soundtrack back!

We had a lot of meals at Roaring Forks and I love that they have gone over to re-usable plates and real metal baskets. They also use paper with the Roaring Fork Logo in the baskets. If they were to go with real cutlery, this would be a great improvement! I spoke to a CM there and she said that it's an issue of RF not having its own dishwasher. But they hope to get an upgrade and their own dishwasher. If you ask me, if Disney is truly serious about minimizing waste, it is not about avoiding straws, but plastic utensils! The food was really good as well! They have the option of a soup instead of the fries/chips that are the usually sides and one night we got the grilled cheese with a side of soup and an extra soup and that was perfect dinner on a slightly chilly evening! All the other food we had from there was really good, too.

Artist Point is just sad. I had a peek inside there one late evening and it looks like they just added some branches to the walls. The good news is that it has not taken over the Lodge. The Snow White merchandise in the shop is a bit silly, but the Territory Lounge has not become a toddler waiting room, instead it still continues to serve some of the AP classics (mushroom soup, salmon and cobbler).

I loved the new pool area. I was shocked about this. They did a great job with the landscaping and I feel that in another 5-10 years it will start to look even better. I also have the advantage that I never knew the old quiet pool, so my opinion might be different if I had. I liked the "cabanas" that are actually free to use by everyone (at least at the moment) and the large hot tub, even if it has very little bubbling going on.

So, all in all a great stay. I will post some pictures soon!

Thanks for your very detailed review! I know what you mean about the music. We stayed there once during Christmas week, and as much as I love Christmas music, after hearing it at the parks all day, I really wanted to come back to the WL and hear some Copland and movie music!
I am very relieved to hear that TL has not become some kind of character meal waiting area. We love spending our last night there, enjoying soup, appetizers, and drinks.
I am torn between trying for CC, just to try something new, or trying for our familiar BR. (we are a cash res family)
I've looked at pictures of CC and the decor doesn't appeal to me, the newness does, but the layout, being long and narrow, doesn't feel like a home away from home to me either. It will probably not be available anyhow, plus our next trip won't be for 3 years, so I have lots of time to hang out here and find out what they plan for the BR refurb! The other attraction of CC is to be back in the main building, which we haven't done since we started staying in 2BR villas. Anyhow, thanks again for your report!!

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for your very detailed review! I know what you mean about the music. We stayed there once during Christmas week, and as much as I love Christmas music, after hearing it at the parks all day, I really wanted to come back to the WL and hear some Copland and movie music!
I am very relieved to hear that TL has not become some kind of character meal waiting area. We love spending our last night there, enjoying soup, appetizers, and drinks.
I am torn between trying for CC, just to try something new, or trying for our familiar BR. (we are a cash res family)
I've looked at pictures of CC and the decor doesn't appeal to me, the newness does, but the layout, being long and narrow, doesn't feel like a home away from home to me either. It will probably not be available anyhow, plus our next trip won't be for 3 years, so I have lots of time to hang out here and find out what they plan for the BR refurb! The other attraction of CC is to be back in the main building, which we haven't done since we started staying in 2BR villas. Anyhow, thanks again for your report!!

We only stayed in a studio and it did feel smaller than other DVC studios. We were looking at it and thinking that the one bedroom living room would feel really odd because of the narrowness of the room. So, I totally get your concerns!

One thing that really bothered us was the difference in the hallways between the old WL side and the CCV side. The CCV have a strange rock pattern carpet, very generic looking white lights. It’s not at all the warm feeling of those WL hallways with the cute lamps and fake rugs as the carpet. So, if your main motivation is to be back in the main lodge, it’s not exactly the same anymore. I was surprised how much I missed the BRV lobby and actually went there a few times to sit and read by the fire place.

 

[Granny]

Okay, I've worked on the VWL Room Map some more and I think these floor maps agree with the ones I was referred to. I stayed with the color scheme except for the Dedicated 2BR which I used yellow instead of grey. I find the color scheme I used to have enough contrast to be easy to follow.























As always, I appreciate any feedback/corrections.



.

 

[Lakegirl]

Just bought our MNSSHP tickets for our first night. It’s also the first night of the parties. We have never done it so I’m excited. Also changed to OKW HH to save points on a 2bedroom. Getting excited. It will not be The Lodge but the sacrifices we make so the kids can bring friends I am hoping we will like it.

 

[bluecastle]

We only stayed in a studio and it did feel smaller than other DVC studios. We were looking at it and thinking that the one bedroom living room would feel really odd because of the narrowness of the room. So, I totally get your concerns!

One thing that really bothered us was the difference in the hallways between the old WL side and the CCV side. The CCV have a strange rock pattern carpet, very generic looking white lights. It’s not at all the warm feeling of those WL hallways with the cute lamps and fake rugs as the carpet. So, if your main motivation is to be back in the main lodge, it’s not exactly the same anymore. I was surprised how much I missed the BRV lobby and actually went there a few times to sit and read by the fire place.

You've convinced me! I just hope they don't mess things up with the refurb!! My DD and I visited BR when we were on our Mom Daughter Trip in November, and she said she'd rather go back to BR anyhow. She loves the pathway there and the lobby. We took so many pictures. It really felt like home.

 

[Granny]

Just bought our MNSSHP tickets for our first night. It’s also the first night of the parties. We have never done it so I’m excited. Also changed to OKW HH to save points on a 2bedroom. Getting excited. It will not be The Lodge but the sacrifices we make so the kids can bring friends I am hoping we will like it.

OKW is a beautiful resort, and you will enjoy the size of the 2BR villas. And the HH villas have an easy walk to the resort amenities. I'm sure you will enjoy it, as well as MNSSHP!