Share your best VWL tips

[tjkraz]

OK VWL fans, you're up!

Part of our companion website is a section for each resort entitled "Overlooked Gems." This is a place to share any tips, tricks or just plain common sense information with other folks who will be staying at that particular resort.

To those who have stayed at VWL: what would you like to share with your fellow DVC members?

[KNWVIKING]

We enjoy sitting by the fireplaces on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the main lodge. I don't think many people realize they are there.

Another "sometimes" thing we like to do is take an early morning walk over to FW.

[JimC]

Another vote for the upper floor fireplaces.

The walk along the lake that then crosses over to the paved pathway to Fort Wilderness. The entire walk can be taken along the paved pathway if you want to rent a bike and ride or if you have a wheelchair.

If you have a wheelchair most boats to MK are accessible, but can be a bit of a challenge if windy and/or crowded. We drive instead.

Artist Point's portabello soup then plank salmon and ending with the cobbler is a must meal! They have a nice selection of Northwest wines. After dinner a nice long walk is recommended.

[Lisa]

I've never stayed at VWL but I've always been interesting in the different floor plan of the corner rooms that overlook the pool. I came across this floor plan of the corner room the other day and thought I'd add it to the thread....

http://tinypic.com/jv0ra8.jpg

[KNWVIKING]

Oh, forgot to mention this in my first post:

Next time you're on the boat coming to WL from FW, take carefull notice of the Lodge, specifically the area that would be the rear of the main lobby. Look at the two triangle'd windows near the top: they are the eyes. Look thru the glass about midway-center. See the hanging light ? That is the nose. Look down a little further at the outside balcony, take note of the posts. That is the mouth and teeth. You are looking at the face of a bear.

Also, take the free Wonders of the Lodge Tour.

[jaysue]

Hanging out in the main floor area playing dominos with the kids

Racing your kids to the elevator around the rotunda

cheers
jaysue

[mssparrrow]

Hi,

Sitting in the lobby! Having dinner in Artist Point! Yum!

[keishashadow]

We were initially assigned a ground floor room in the Villlas, asked for & received a 4th floor room - last room down the hall (got to peek @ the lake thru the trees!) Not sure why, but we got a "kick" out of the long, isolated & quiet walk to the room. Decided that it reminded us of the hallway in the movie "The Shining"...w/o the axe.;)

[jiggerj]

Take time to really check out the Iron Spike room. Great photos of Walt with the trains ect...Look around and see the beautiful carvings on the ceiling. When I was there so many people were in such a rush to get somewhere they never slowed down enough to admire.

Love the chairs at the entrance to the Villas at night....the flickering lights with sounds of the wilderness....oooh....I could just sit there for hours! :)

Hidden Springs pool....was never busy.

If you have children the Cubs Den was a hit with my 6 yr old. Not huge in size but great video games :)

[PolyColleen]

One of the support poles in the Villas lobby has a very cool hidden Mickey. He is unique in that he is 3-dimensional. To find him, turn right as you enter the room from the front of the building, and then look up along the pole that is back toward the front of the building. He is up over your head, carved into the pole, kind of in a little niche. He is hard to see but clearly a 3-D mouse! We look for him every time we visit the Lodge.

[KNWVIKING]

Is that like, to the right of left center ?

[PolyColleen]

Sorry, I tried to make sense but did not! Here goes again. Walk into the middle of the room that is the atrium. You are now in the center of the room, facing the back of the building toward the lake. Do a complete turnaround so you are facing the "front" of the building, out toward the walkway and front drive. The pole with the Mickey is up front toward your left. I think he is hidden around on the left side of the pole. If I had to guess, I would say he faces the direction of the campground.

Better?

[KNWVIKING]

Yes, better, but....

Are you in the going in as far as the BIG room where they place the Christmas tree, or are you only going in just past the auto sliding doors ?

[PolyColleen]

Sorry! I forgot about the "entryway." I am definitely talking in the big room, where the ceiling looks up to the 4th floor with the balconies, because it is that room that has the "totem pole-like" supports around its circumference. I guess you enter that room sort of from the side, right -- near the elevators? Even though you enter off-kilter, the pole is on your left if you re-orient yourself to face straight out toward the front of the building. Up where the "totem" pole meets the first floor -- where the critters are carved as you look up -- the nook with the little mouse is up there. So you go in the automatic doors, veer left, scoot past the elevators, turn toward the right to enter the room I call the "atrium" and do a not-quite-180-degree turn to face the front of the Villas building. On one the of the support poles -- the one to your close left if you are facing front -- is the carving of little Mickey, near where the pole attaches to the 2nd story right above.

OK? Better? For what it is worth, my family argued a bit... I saw Mickey, they thought it might just be "any old mouse" -- not a cartoon mouse. I argued "Why would they carve a non-Mickey Mouse at WDW?"