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

[Granny]

Actually, now that I think of it, @DVC Jen must have been on our other side because we were the first villa coming down that hallway. DVC Jen, I guess you were on the other side of our living room lock-off door! Where I have the arrow for DVC Jen was a maintenance only room. But we were still all together which is very cool!

 

[Lakegirl]

That really is neat!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Great meeting you as well!

And now I think we can re-name that section of VWL as "Groupie Corner". As near as I can tell, we had Groupies very close together per this picture from my balcony:

View attachment 289312


No wonder we were getting such awesome vibes during our trip!

So THAT's what things look like on that side of the building.......

 

[Granny]

So THAT's what things look like on that side of the building.......

Sorry Kathy. I know you've had terrible luck at VWL with room requests. I'm hoping that your next trip you get exactly what you'd like! You should have some serious karma stored up there for you!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Sorry Kathy. I know you've had terrible luck at VWL with room requests. I'm hoping that your next trip you get exactly what you'd like! You should have some serious karma stored up there for you!

Someday I'll get to do more than peer out the hallway window towards the pool and lake! Someday.....

 

[DVC Jen]

Great meeting you as well!

And now I think we can re-name that section of VWL as "Groupie Corner". As near as I can tell, we had Groupies very close together per this picture from my balcony:

View attachment 289312


No wonder we were getting such awesome vibes during our trip!

It was the first time we have ever been in that area. Usually we are down the "long" hallway. It was an amazing view. Just bummed it was too chilly to enjoy the balcony much.

 

[DVC Jen]

Actually, now that I think of it, @DVC Jen must have been on our other side because we were the first villa coming down that hallway. DVC Jen, I guess you were on the other side of our living room lock-off door! Where I have the arrow for DVC Jen was a maintenance only room. But we were still all together which is very cool!

Yes we were in a studio lockoff. Last time we were in one our neighbors were horribly loud. I swear their kids much have been knocking on the walls it was so loud. Thank you for being nice quiet neighbors.

 

[Firepath]

Thank you all for sharing the groupie meet photos. It sounds like everyone had a great time. We had planned to go to the first one at TOTWL but DH was in our room giving "birth" to a kidney stone! I think the rumor about BTMR and kidney stones is true. Glad everyone had fun!

 

[jimmytammy]

Why does 50 something degrees in Florida feel so much colder than 50 something degrees in Dallas? Humidity/dampness maybe? We were freezing every night.

We have experienced the gamut of temps in Dec, from very warm, to very cold, and sometimes in the same trip! I can only compare to NC weather, but what I think is a combo of weather things in relation to home. The couple of warm days we had at start of trip this time, we had some humidity. That seemed to hang around after it turned cold, plus breezes off both coasts seem to make FL colder than home feeling anyway. Thats my best weather guess
Im sorry we missed you at the meet on Sun, sounds like we barely missed you and Corinne both

 

[jimmytammy]

Great meeting you as well!

And now I think we can re-name that section of VWL as "Groupie Corner". As near as I can tell, we had Groupies very close together per this picture from my balcony:

View attachment 289312


No wonder we were getting such awesome vibes during our trip!

That corner will never be the same again!!

 

[horselover]

So I know there has some been some talk about how the crowds were higher last week than anticipated. They were certainly larger than I was expecting. So I'm starting to think about next year's trip. I'm planning early Dec. next year too. I'm wondering if I should push the week back to the first week of Dec. or even the week after Thanksgiving. Anyone have experience with crowd levels that week? I think my preference would be early Dec. vs. last week of Nov.

 

[Granny]

So I know there has some been some talk about how the crowds were higher last week than anticipated. They were certainly larger than I was expecting. So I'm starting to think about next year's trip. I'm planning early Dec. next year too. I'm wondering if I should push the week back to the first week of Dec. or even the week after Thanksgiving. Anyone have experience with crowd levels that week? I think my preference would be early Dec. vs. last week of Nov.

I was thinking the same thing. I think I've read that the week after Thanksgiving is still pretty light, and it seems the crowds build every week from there. I wanted to move our 2018 trip to early December but we will be buying annual passes so we will want to get two December trips out of the passes. So we really can't move up to early December for next year. But 2019, we definitely will so we can use the pass.

One word of caution...I think they do the television recording of the Christmas parade at Magic Kingdom in the first week of December. So you may want to take that into account in the planning if you want to avoid that day, which I understand is crazy at MK.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

So I know there has some been some talk about how the crowds were higher last week than anticipated. They were certainly larger than I was expecting. So I'm starting to think about next year's trip. I'm planning early Dec. next year too. I'm wondering if I should push the week back to the first week of Dec. or even the week after Thanksgiving. Anyone have experience with crowd levels that week? I think my preference would be early Dec. vs. last week of Nov.

I wasn't there that week so I would really know how it compared but the first week was also busy IMO.

In thinking about this what really made it seem more busy? I think FP+ adding longer standby lines at attractions that didn't used to have them has made things feel busier. I can't say that I've had a trip to WDW that has felt slow since that change. And in that same time they've generally reduced park hours during the times we go and decreased evening Magic hours. It would be interesting to see the actual attendance numbers and see if the increases are real or just feel that way due to shifts in the way things now operate.

 

[horselover]

I was thinking the same thing. I think I've read that the week after Thanksgiving is still pretty light, and it seems the crowds build every week from there. I wanted to move our 2018 trip to early December but we will be buying annual passes so we will want to get two December trips out of the passes. So we really can't move up to early December for next year. But 2019, we definitely will so we can use the pass.

One word of caution...I think they do the television recording of the Christmas parade at Magic Kingdom in the first week of December. So you may want to take that into account in the planning if you want to avoid that day, which I understand is crazy at MK.

And the member meeting first week of Dec. too. That could add to the crowds. The parade doesn't bother me so much as I tend to avoid the parks on Sat. for sure. Not sure what to do. I'm leaning towards the first week of Dec. only because I booked 10/27-11/3 for F&W next year. Maybe I should have the trips in separate months. I'm so spoiled!

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

So I know there has some been some talk about how the crowds were higher last week than anticipated. They were certainly larger than I was expecting. So I'm starting to think about next year's trip. I'm planning early Dec. next year too. I'm wondering if I should push the week back to the first week of Dec. or even the week after Thanksgiving. Anyone have experience with crowd levels that week? I think my preference would be early Dec. vs. last week of Nov.

We were there the 4th-10th this year and crowds were manageable but not light by any means. The weekend was definitely worse but I also think all the closures at Hollywood Studios were putting a strain on the other parks (just opinion, not based on any facts).

 

[DenLo]

I think Pandora opened the box and caused extra crowds in December. Plus all the guests that had to reschedule vacations after the hurricane cancellations affected the December attendance. Add in the usual December conventions of Pop Warner and Cheerleading and the Brazilian young people coming in droves it adds up. I cannot even imagine what it will be like when Star Wars opens.

 

[DenLo]

DH and I talked about this a lot during our 2 week stay at BLT this December. Why are the lines at CR's monorail so much longer than at the Poly and VGF? It often took 2 or 3 monorails going by before you could get on in the afternoons and evenings at the Contemporary. I find it hard to believe that the restaurants at CR attract more crowds than the other two resorts

Although there was a point that I was wishing they would not let guests at MK that were only going to the TTC onto the resort monorails. I know that it is impractical, but couldn't they save a few cars for resort guests?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

DH and I talked about this a lot during our 2 week stay at BLT this December. Why are the lines at CR's monorail so much longer than at the Poly and VGF? It often took 2 or 3 monorails going by before you could get on in the afternoons and evenings at the Contemporary. I find it hard to believe that the restaurants at CR attract more crowds than the other two resorts

Although there was a point that I was wishing they would not let guests at MK that were only going to the TTC onto the resort monorails. I know that it is impractical, but couldn't they save a few cars for resort guests?

People leaving the MK will take whichever monorail to the TTC that has the shortest line. Plus it's the line the any resort guests have to take to get to CR/PVB/VGF. We also caught the monorail at CR the first week after the fireworks and have experienced the same thing in the past. It clears out a lot at TTC. It would be nice to have a few reserved cars but then others would get mad at that and I'd guess Disney just wants to move people as quickly as they can.

 

[Granny]

I think Pandora opened the box ...

Denise...I see what you did there!

 

[jimmytammy]

1st week of Dec historically has been one of the "slower" times at WDW, if we can really call it that anymore. Our experience over the years has been when we are there 2 weeks early Dec, 1st week is less crowded than 2nd week. Our rule of thumb is this...go on Sun. right after Thanksgiving, thats a perfect time. Then as the weekend approaches it starts to fill up again.
Granny, you are correct about the parade recording taking place 1st week of Dec., but as of last year, that changed and they now record it before Thanksgiving. So that helps with the crowds at MK.