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

[jimmytammy]

I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!

Happy Mothers Day to all the great Moms amongst our groupie family!! You make the world go round

 

[Granny]

Anyhow, when I looked up the cost difference between VWL and BCV for the equivalent week this year, I was shocked to see that BCV was cheaper?! Not changing my mind, of course, but when did that happen? I remember VWL always being less than the other villas.

Hey Blue...great to see you again!

BWV (non-standard views), VWL and BCV all used to have the same point schedules. In the past couple of years, it seems that Disney is actually doing their job and have adjusted the weekly point schedules for most resorts to reflect demand. Of course, the total points required to book villas at a resort cannot go up, but they did take away some of the "cheaper" point times. There are now fewer seasons and we will just have to see how much impact it has on using our points and booking reservations.

So BCV, not surprisingly, is not in as high of a demand in November as VWL. I would imagine BCV demand is much higher in the warmer months which would make enjoying Stormalong Bay pool much better than November.

Good luck with your trip planning. I hear you on the "clock ticking" aspect of planning trips as we age.

 

[Granny]

Well, I'm even later than Jimmy. But a very Happy Mothers Day to all the Groupie Moms, Grandmothers, Aunts and other women who assume an influential role in our childrens' lives. You all are amazing!

 

[ChipNdale8887]

We are staying at Boulder Ridge for the first time this summer. A few years ago we stayed at Copper Creek for 3 nights. We are big refillable mug people, is there any place outside of Roaring fork to get coffee in the morning? What about the drink station next to Geyser Point, Does anyone know if that opened earlier than the geyser point restaurant, my wife usually gets her caffeine at Disney from a Coke in the mornings since she hates coffee. Is roaring fork out only option at 7-8am?

 

[Granny]

We are staying at Boulder Ridge for the first time this summer. A few years ago we stayed at Copper Creek for 3 nights. We are big refillable mug people, is there any place outside of Roaring fork to get coffee in the morning? What about the drink station next to Geyser Point, Does anyone know if that opened earlier than the geyser point restaurant, my wife usually gets her caffeine at Disney from a Coke in the mornings since she hates coffee. Is roaring fork out only option at 7-8am?

Chip (or Dale)...we were at VWL (Boulder Ridge) a couple of weeks ago and I went down to the Geyser Point counter service about 9:30 in the morning. It was not open, and I am pretty sure that it opens at the same time as Geyser Point (around 11:00 am I think). So no joy on getting mugs refilled there in the morning. And Territory Lounge doesn't open until sometime in the afternoon, so I think your only option is Roaring Fork in the morning.

 

[ChipNdale8887]

Chip (or Dale)...we were at VWL (Boulder Ridge) a couple of weeks ago and I went down to the Geyser Point counter service about 9:30 in the morning. It was not open, and I am pretty sure that it opens at the same time as Geyser Point (around 11:00 am I think). So no joy on getting mugs refilled there in the morning. And Territory Lounge doesn't open until sometime in the afternoon, so I think your only option is Roaring Fork in the morning.

Thanks I figured! Appreciate you confirming your experience

 

[ChipNdale8887]

Chip (or Dale)...we were at VWL (Boulder Ridge) a couple of weeks ago and I went down to the Geyser Point counter service about 9:30 in the morning. It was not open, and I am pretty sure that it opens at the same time as Geyser Point (around 11:00 am I think). So no joy on getting mugs refilled there in the morning. And Territory Lounge doesn't open until sometime in the afternoon, so I think your only option is Roaring Fork in the morning.

On the bright side at least now, the studios have Keurig's so I can bring my own coffee We usually fill our refillable mugs the night before so at least my wife can have a cold coke that we put in the fridge that way

 

[twinklebug]

On the bright side at least now, the studios have Keurig's so I can bring my own coffee We usually fill our refillable mugs the night before so at least my wife can have a cold coke that we put in the fridge that way

Yes, those who depend on Keurigs are happy. I've always brought my own coffee and made it in room with the 12 cup machine, happy that isn't going away.

 

[Granny]

Yes, those who depend on Keurigs are happy. I've always brought my own coffee and made it in room with the 12 cup machine, happy that isn't going away.

I agree. I think Disney was really smart to put in double feature coffee makers so everyone can make their coffee with Keurig pods or the traditional drip method by the pot.

 

[bluecastle]

Yes, those who depend on Keurigs are happy. I've always brought my own coffee and made it in room with the 12 cup machine, happy that isn't going away.

So , even though they are Keurigs, there is also the option to make drip coffee? I have always brought my own coffee and basket filters. I hope I can still do that. I know people love Keurigs because of the convenience, but I like making my own!

 

[twinklebug]

So , even though they are Keurigs, there is also the option to make drip coffee? I have always brought my own coffee and basket filters. I hope I can still do that. I know people love Keurigs because of the convenience, but I like making my own!

Yes, I posted a pic of the style a few pages back- the two coffee makers are attached at the hip

 

[jimmytammy]

So , even though they are Keurigs, there is also the option to make drip coffee? I have always brought my own coffee and basket filters. I hope I can still do that. I know people love Keurigs because of the convenience, but I like making my own!

We like making our own too. To the point Tammy has her own coffee maker in our owners locker, with coffee and baskets ready to go

 

[MsChristy12]

So , even though they are Keurigs, there is also the option to make drip coffee? I have always brought my own coffee and basket filters. I hope I can still do that. I know people love Keurigs because of the convenience, but I like making my own!

If the villa has one of those duo Keurigs, yes you can make coffee in a regular pot and with single pods. I think only some of the newer refurb has the duo. From the pics I've seen before, BCV and BRV both have the duo.

https://dvcfan.com/2023/02/07/first-look-beach-club-dvc-room-refurbishment/

https://wdwnt.com/2023/03/photos-vi...wilderness-lodge-disney-vacation-club-resort/

 

[MsChristy12]

I will admit that I am a coffee snob so I always bring my own coffee. I need to start my day with a decent cuppa joe, otherwise my day just doesn't feel quite right! Joffrey is alright, but when we stayed in SSR couple months ago, the amount of water the package says to use seemed too much for a small bag of coffee, so we put about half the water it suggests, and it still tasted too weak!
Personally, I prefer single serving pour over coffee when we travel. I can usually find pretty decent ones locally.

 

[MsChristy12]

Our beautiful Bay Lake this morning at sunrise…


View attachment 756934

Hello @Granny!! I may have missed it if you did post it...but what type of villa is this one and what's the villa #?

 

[yaksack]

Looking forward to our arrival 6/25/23! If we are feeling ambitious, can we rent bikes and drive them to other resorts? Are there pathways?

 

[bluecastle]

I will admit that I am a coffee snob so I always bring my own coffee. I need to start my day with a decent cuppa joe, otherwise my day just doesn't feel quite right! Joffrey is alright, but when we stayed in SSR couple months ago, the amount of water the package says to use seemed too much for a small bag of coffee, so we put about half the water it suggests, and it still tasted too weak!
Personally, I prefer single serving pour over coffee when we travel. I can usually find pretty decent ones locally.

I am too! We have been using single cup Melitta filters for years. Used to be a Starbucks snob, but now I’m a Peet’s snob.
Thanks for the link! I’m hoping I can do what we’ve always done, bring basket filters and our own bag of coffee.

 

[jimmytammy]

Looking forward to our arrival 6/25/23! If we are feeling ambitious, can we rent bikes and drive them to other resorts? Are there pathways?

Hey yak sack and Welcome to the Groupies!
I’m not sure about renting bikes anymore around WL as things have changed a lot around there in the past few years. There used to be a path going to Fort Wilderness but it’s been closed a few years. And riding a bike to other resorts I think would be frowned upon by WDW from WL. It’s not in a remote spot but the main traffic around this area leads to MK and I feel they wouldn’t want bicyclists out there.
It may pay to call the resort directly to get official word on this.
Another thought if you are wanting to check out other resorts nearby, catch the boat to MK then transfer to the monorail which will take you to CR, Poly and GF

 

[sleepydog25]

Looking forward to our arrival 6/25/23! If we are feeling ambitious, can we rent bikes and drive them to other resorts? Are there pathways?

Welcome! I agree with jimmytammy: you can no longer rent bikes at WL as the walking/biking path to FW is permanently closed. You could technically ride them around the resort on the paths there, I suppose, but they'll be crowded with guests and people and cars (if you were to head out to the parking lot). Fairly certain Disney would frown upon biking on the roadways, as they are not set up for cyclists or pedestrians. Over the years, Disney has done a poor job of building or promoting walkable areas and bike paths--essentially, they've done nothing except open the pathway from GF to MK, but that's just to take pressure off the monorail and boats.

 

[McMonsters]

We are 100 days out until our trip! We were dazzled a few years back by a quick 3 night stay and always said we wanted a full week at Boulder Ridge. We were lucky enough to snag a studio to celebrate my husbands retirement from the army For our upcoming stay. This trip will be kicking off a ton of changes in our life and we can’t wait! We will be moving to our land in Tennessee to start building our forever home after this trip so I’m sure we will have tons of inspiration from our stay.