VWL Groupies...yes, we love the Lodge!!

[Disney loving Iowan]

Originally Posted by Granny

I know I missed some birthdays...but I hope they were all excellent! And in case I don't get back here tomorrow...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DLI!!!

Originally Posted by jimmytammy

Happy Birthday Disney Loving Iowan!!!!

Originally Posted by eliza61

Whew, just in time for this one though.

Happy B-day DLI, have a magic filled day!!

Here's hoping all your wishes come true today

Thanks so much!!! Love all my groupie family.

[Muushka]

Happy Birthday Disney Loving Iowan!

Lunch or dinner??? Your pick of any place you want to go!

Originally Posted by rusafee1183

I just got back from a stay at VWL for the first time and let me just say,

I GET IT



We only stayed for one night, but if I could have switched my stay and stuck around all week I would have.

My DH and I have been to the WL before a few years ago when we had an ADR at Artists Point, so I knew how beautiful it was - but staying there (even for such a short time) was such an awesome experience.

We arrived at 5:00ish in the evening, and when we walked into the lobby my sister's (who had never been there before) mouth dropped open in amazement. We walked down the path to the Villas, and through the lobby with a little fireplace and to our room. The view was nothing special, but it was so peaceful and beautiful that we fell in love. We walked to the boat dock past the beach where they were roasting marshmallows and crickets were singing.

Ahh.

I am desperate to buy more points now, and never stay anyewhere else as long as I live

Welcome to the land of those who get it!!! A fine bunch, if I do say so myself.

Good luck on the point hunt!

[rusafee1183]

Originally Posted by Kathymford

The points add on thing happened to us after only a 5 minute walk through the lobby!!! It has quite an effect!

Yes it does! I was on the busses to the parks scanning all the resale sites!

Originally Posted by Muushka

Welcome to the land of those who get it!!! A fine bunch, if I do say so myself.

Good luck on the point hunt!

Thanks! I probably won't be able to add on until next year, but that doesn't mean I won't be driving myself crazy scouring for a contract

[Muushka]

Originally Posted by rusafee1183

Yes it does! I was on the busses to the parks scanning all the resale sites!



Thanks! I probably won't be able to add on until next year, but that doesn't mean I won't be driving myself crazy scouring for a contract

In the meantime, grab yourself a rocking chair and sit with us and dream about our 'happy place'.

[Disney loving Iowan]

Originally Posted by Muushka

Happy Birthday Disney Loving Iowan!

Lunch or dinner??? Your pick of any place you want to go!

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Thanks! Oh there are so many places I would love to go but right now I have a real hankering for a cheeseburger and a brownie sundae from Beaches and Cream.

[sleepydog25]

Originally Posted by csharpwv

Hello Groupies!

DW and I Honeymooned at the Lodge in 2006, took my parents to the lodge in 2008, and have sent countless other seeking the best place at WDW to the lodge! (One stay booked club level, the other upgraded at check in...free upgrade....made my year! HAHA)

We had a one night stay in a studio before a cruise in 2009 and....

I'm excited to announce that we are returning to VWL in a studio this summer for 7-8 nights!!!!!!

We were so excited to find that the week we wanted to go was available!

We have never visited 'the lodge' as we like to call it in the summer, any advice for the best time to be back to spend an afternoon at the pool? What time to avoid Roaring Forks? Bus advice?

We have only stayed at the lodge during off peak seasons - the favorite being around the Christmas holidays!

Can't wait for a summer getaway - I think I may ride the boat just for fun! HAHA

Any location request better than another? We stayed in a first floor room on the front of the building and saw several rabbits and squirrels - but I don't know if I want a patio again, or a balcony.

Are there any good lake views on the top floor on the back side of the building?

Any and all advice appreciated!

Thanks!

Roaring Forks is busiest from about 6-7 p.m. or about 8-9 a.m. in the morning in my experience. Even so, it's never been horrible. As for the buses, I've never had an issue with them--they may not be the best-scheduled buses, but they certainly aren't terrible. In fact, I'd give them a B+. However, for a lovely experience, take the boat over to MK, or if you have a meal scheduled at the Contemporary, take a boat there, too. As others have mentioned, the views are all mostly trees, but if you want a slightly better view, ask for a pool view and floors 2-4. Since you indicate you enjoy viewing nature, take a walk over to FW along either the paved path or the nature trail. The former leads out from the bus stop while the latter starts behind the bike rental building. After a quarter mile or so, the nature trail heads off to the right to connect with the paved path, or you can continue along the nature path (it follows the shore of Bay Lake) until it runs into the CM parking lot of FW. The paved path is right at a mile (one way), while the nature trail to the parking lot is about 3/4 of a mile. As for the pools, Hidden Springs is rarely as crowded as the main Lodge pool, but the hot tub can get a little crowded after 9 p.m. Have a great time, and welcome to our Groupies!

And a big, hearty welcome to rusafee1183, as well! Pull up a rocker, grab a drink, and sit a spell. All it took for most of us was one trip to VWL to know it was home.

[sleepydog25]

Come to think of it, how did folks on here come to make VWL their home? Perhaps you've all mentioned your experience before, so I apologize if this has been asked before. I'll start off to help things along.

Several years ago I went to visit my oldest daughter in Melbourne, FL. I stayed at the Holiday Inn on the beach there, and it wasn't in the best of shape. The room was in serious need of a renovation: the carpet was dirty and full of sand at the doorway; the "suite" was comprised of a small fridge and microwave behind a tacky little bar and a ratty pull-out couch to go with the small bedroom. The air-conditioning wasn't working well (it was mid-summer), and whatever they had used to clean the room was very pungent. Two nights there was torture, and I was so ready to leave for my first trip to WDW. I had secured a 1BR suite in the Villas (I was married and my youngest daughter was five), and the afternoon we arrived it was hot. We were awed by the main lobby, then when we went over to the Villas and entered our room, it was love at first sight.

The room was clean. It was cool. It was gorgeous. It was quiet. Manna, I'm telling you. It was the best advertisement for DVC possible. Though I bought SSR later, VWL was where we always stayed. Fast forward a few year, and the opportunity to purchase VWL arose, so I jumped at it. Now, I can't wait for luv and I to spend time there every year. Absolutely love it there!

[KAT4DISNEY]

Happy Birthday DLI!

[Kathymford]

Originally Posted by sleepydog25

Come to think of it, how did folks on here come to make VWL their home? Perhaps you've all mentioned your experience before, so I apologize if this has been asked before. I'll start off to help things along.

I like this game!

Our 2nd trip (ever) to the World and our first full day was at Animal Kingdom, but I had booked the Dessert Party for that evening. My plan was to go back to our room (AKL) and relax and freshen up before heading to MK for Wishes. We were leaving AK and saw a bus sitting there that said AKL on the bus....not looking at the stop it was sitting in (NEWBIES, right?).

We were so excited to get the bus that quickly. Next thing I know, the bus is driving for way too long, so we figured out we were going somewhere else. That somewhere else was the Lodge and we fell in love. We walked around the lobby, then decided to go take take the boat to MK for our reservations.

I bought my add-on a few months later.

[KAT4DISNEY]

Originally Posted by Kathymford

I like this game!

Our 2nd trip (ever) to the World and our first full day was at Animal Kingdom, but I had booked the Dessert Party for that evening. My plan was to go back to our room (AKL) and relax and freshen up before heading to MK for Wishes. We were leaving AK and saw a bus sitting there that said AKL on the bus....not looking at the stop it was sitting in (NEWBIES, right?).

We were so excited to get the bus that quickly. Next thing I know, the bus is driving for way too long, so we figured out we were going somewhere else. That somewhere else was the Lodge and we fell in love. We walked around the lobby, then decided to go take take the boat to MK for our reservations.

I bought my add-on a few months later.

That story defines serendipity!

[jimmytammy]

Welcome to the groupies rusafee1183!!!!

Glad you found us and discovered what we know to be the best resort at WDW(Shhh, its our little secret)

[jimmytammy]

Eliza
You are fine on the Bday wishes

[jimmytammy]

I know I have shared this here before, but T and my story on how we bought was so backwards of how it should be done

We made 2 trips to WDW before looking into buying, realizing we are def. returning every year at that point. On the 2nd trip, we are staying at All Star Sports and I decide to ask the fellow sitting at the DVC desk at the resort about DVC. He says we should take the tour, but my family would be a no go as we needed to be at the parks pronto everyday

So we take the idea home, call DVC, get some info, ponder it and much to my dismay(and not getting T to agree to sign at the palm trees)we dont buy. This is late 2000. So the next trip is Oct 2001, we look into it again, not at WDW, but after we get back home, again

This time, reluctantly, T is in
So we ask if we can get BWV, no doing, its sold out, but our guide asks if we would like VWL. I answer I dont know, never seen it except the roof from the monorail. She asks when do we usually like to visit, so far our fave time was in Dec. She tells me we will love it as WL is decorated so nice for Christmas. Boy was she right!!

So the rest is history(with a few more contracts to boot)

[DiznyDi]

I almost missed this:

Happy Birthday DLI!!

I hope you've enjoyed a most serendipitous day!

[twokats]

Originally Posted by sleepydog25

Come to think of it, how did folks on here come to make VWL their home? Perhaps you've all mentioned your experience before, so I apologize if this has been asked before.

Our first on site trip to the world when we actually stayed on site was at Dixie Landing. We looked at the sign advertising DVC, but we had a mortgage and a small child and all the usual excuses for not buying so we just dismissed it.

The next trip we upgraded and stayed at WL and DD Kati fell in love with the place. The next trip AKL had been built and we asked Kati where we were going to stay and we expected her to go for AKL, but she was adamant about staying at WL. We did not argue with her since we loved it also. That trip, DH m ade a big point of saying we were going to talk to the DVC people. We did, even though our main home is SSR, we always stayed at VWL for the most part. We always had to do a split stay for Dec until this coming Dec since we finally got our own VWL contract in 2011. So our reason is DD Kati and her love of the boats and everything else VWL.