diamondjenn2005dvc
Registered: August 2009
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Fri August 7, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Location, theming, service
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Cons:
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Can't think of a darn one
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The Wilderness Lodge is stunning. Beautifully themed and maintained...the waterfall that originates in the Lobby of the Lodge is a favorite of my 1-year-old niece who loves to run over the bridge. The Villas seamlessly transition from the Lodge itself. Walks to the bus stop are short (and I never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus the week of July 19). The boat dock for a ride to the Magic Kingdom is close and the walk itself is thru a pleasant combination of pool areas and woods. The quiet pool by the Villas is relaxing, but my family much preferred the larger pool with the water slide. The room theming is strongly "rustic"; if that's not what you're looking for, then you'd be wise to consider a different resort. The room itself was clean and comfortable. We were only scheduled to have mouse-keeping once, but were happily surprised when they came a second time. The dining options in the Lodge were delicious...and ask for ketchup at Whispering Canyon, even if you don't need it. It's a hoot!
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keithm9563
Registered: July 2009
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Wed July 29, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Theme, Friendliness, Helpfulness, Comfort
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Cons:
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Typhoon Lagoon bus
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This is our first time staying at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. We were pleasantly surprised! Everyone from the front desk to concierge to housekeeping was extremely polite and helpful. Compared to the Contemporary (several visits there), this resort is in a totally different class! It is excellent! We will be definitely staying there again next year.
The only downside is the Typhoon Lagoon bus (which is coupled with the Downtown Disney bus). Plan on at least 1 hour to get to Typhoon Lagoon from this resort.
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evilqueen
Registered: July 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed July 1, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Relaxing, Beautiful, Friendly Staff, Takes my breath away
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Cons:
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None!!!
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We are DVC members, this is our home resort. My family and some friends of ours stayed in a two-bedroom villa from 4/4/09-4/11/09. We were on the 4th floor and had a fabulous room!! We checked in late and had no problems getting our room or our groceries. We used both pools and had cocktails at the bar by the pool. The kids used the water mice. I grew up spending vacations at the Fort Wilderness Cabins. This is an amazing upgrade!!!
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peete728
Registered: June 2009
Posts: 11
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Review Date: Fri June 26, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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Nothing Really
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Cons:
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Too Many to List
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Compared to other resorts this one is by far the worse, the pool is not kid friendly there is no shallow part for small kids. The room was small and dark, no friendly staff, and to top it off check out is at 11am so my husband took the luggage and walked the long walk to the parking lot to load up this was around 10:20am. I followed with somethings and left my purse and cellphone in the room as we still had plenty of time before check out. Well to my surprise we returned to the room at around 10:40 to get my purse and cellphone, and found housekeeping already in the room, and they were cooking in the kitchen, yes that is correct cooking in the kitchen. This lady had brought food from home, a electric skillet, and had the place smoking.The other lady was in the bedroom she had moved my purse and put my cellphone in my purse, yes she went in my purse. After storming down to guest services and getting Brenda the housekeeping supervisor on the phone, she headed down to the room. I'm not sure what happend I'm sure that they were caught in the act. But they will never see me staying there again, worse experience ever.
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disneymike93
Registered: February 2009
Location: Florida
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Wed February 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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location, luxury, coziness, feels like home, Disney charm
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Cons:
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none
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We stayed at this resort as Vacation Club members on 12/3-12/7 and enjoyed every minute of it. We stayed in a one bedroom villa on the 4th floor and were honored with our request for a pool view which was superb! It was also nice to stay here for the holidays! Very cool. This is usually our holiday resort.
The staff at checkin was very friendly and courteous. The atrium was very nice and spacious. It complimented the Wilderness Lodge very well. The Carolwood Pacific Room was also very nice to sit and relax at night.
Since it was December, we didnt really get a chance to use the pool, but we have been it the pool before and it is just fine if you dont want to use the main pool.
Our room was very nice. The only thing that I find weird is the green cabinets in the kitchen. It made the appliances look sort of drabby, but I easily overlooked it. Other than than, the room was clean, spacious, and cozy.
We will definitely return next year. Our next trip is the Saratoga Springs to use our incentive points since we just joined at Bay Lake Tower in addition to already being owners at BoardWalk. We are so excited for it to open!
OUR NEXT TRIP IS OUR 75TH TRIP!!!!
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ccal70
Registered: December 2008
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Thu January 22, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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2 bdr very spacious, it is a gorgeous resort
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Cons:
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boats to Magic Kingdom not very handicap accessable
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We visited December 6 thru 11, 2008. We had 3 adults (one in a wheelchair) and 2 kids (7 and 10) in a 2BDR villa. It was very spacious and very nice accommodations. The resort itself was beautiful! Especially at Christmastime.
The 2 downfalls we encountered were that the concierge workers sometimes had conflicting information. We were told that all boats to the Magic Kingdom were handicapped accessible, but some actually were not, making a longer wait for one that was. Even the one that was, was not easy to maneuver. Knowing this, we took the bus to the Magic Kingdom after, but overall it was a great place!
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happygrumpy
Registered: January 2009
Location: Chesapeake
Posts: 24
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Review Date: Wed January 14, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Atmosphere and Beauty
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Cons:
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Celebrated our 9 year wedding anniversary with Land and Sea package. Last year we did POFQ decided to go deluxe this year. We came down a day before our package started to try this resort and get all of our xmas shopping done at DTD. WE LOVED IT! My husband and I actually wished we had stayed here the whole time over the Poly. Don't get me wrong Poly is great and we loved the monorail however WL does a great job decorating for the season and the second we walked in the lobby I felt like I was home. Breathtaking! We love log cabins to boot and thought well if we like that much then we know where we will stay the following year. I just had no idea it was going to as beautiful as it was. The Xmas Tree was awesome!
I can totally see why a family of 4 would b e cramped in the hotel side of the resort, rooms are not huge by any means. I would highly recommend a villa with a crew that size. The staff was great and our sleigh ride will be an annual event at this resort. Nothing beats Christmas at Disney!
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ED HORN
Registered: January 2006
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Thu January 1, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 4
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Pros:
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close to parks & everything else
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Cons:
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house keeping & dirty room
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We stayed 11/29-12/12/08 there were 4 of us myself, my wife and my children ages 1 1/2 & 3 1/2. We had problems from the start. Guest relations never entered my modified reservation in their system so they were trying to tell me I had to check in & out 3 different times. After 90 minutes of arguing, 6 phone calls & a fax, that problem was finally resolved. Then we get to our room and it was dirty. The floors were dirty, kitchen area was dirty and the bathroom was disgusting. There were hairs on the floor and a broken finger nail. I went to the desk the next morning and they did nothing. On Wednesday, our kids fell asleep in the afternoon and this made the house keeper mad because she goes home at 3:45. When she was finally able to get in our room at 3:30, all she did was make the bed and change the towels. The floors were still dirty & the bathroom still had the hairs on the floor and the broken finger nail. The bathroom was finally cleaned a few days later by the night house keeper, who came into to clean after I said something for the third time. After all that, we used the dining plan & I highly recommend it. We were there during the cheerleading championships. This is the last time we go at this time as we encountered many annoying misbehaved teenagers.
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jdzwilewski
Registered: August 2008
Location: nj
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Sat December 20, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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rooms, the main lodge, pool
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Cons:
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none
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We stayed at this resort at the end of november 2008 and we had a wonderful experience. I like this resort because the villas are close to the main building which includes the main pool, and places to eat. Anyone staying here is within walking distance from all the major aspets of the resort including the boat launch to the Magic Kingdom.
The resort is also themed to a great story of the pacific northwest, and it is especially beautiful during the christmas season.
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mcrabeck
Registered: November 2008
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Sat November 15, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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peaceful atmosphere,cleanliness
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Cons:
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Roaring Forks gets really crowded
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We just returned from our first stay at VWL in a Studio. We were a group of 9 who had 3 studios. We thought the resort was beautiful, very clean and never had a problem with transportation. We never waited more than 10 minutes for either a bus or boat.
My only minor complaint would be how busy Roaring Forks gets at main meal times, the dining area seemed big enough but the actual area where you got your food and paid can get really congested.
Overall,though had an awesome trip and will definitely be back!
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lenfoy
Registered: October 2008
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue October 14, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Transportation NEVER an issue, Cozy, Kids love it
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Cons:
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Check in staff at front desk needs to be replaced, housekeeping
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We stayed at this resort 10/4 - 10/10/2008. The kids loved the pool, one bedroom Villa, and boat ride to Contemporary and Magic Kingdom. This is a small resort and everything is in walking distance. We really enjoyed the food at Whispering Canyon and the bottomless milk shake. The check in desk was not friendly. I asked to be the flag family because my son (10 years old) and nephew (11 years old) both made straight A's to earn the Disney trip. She didn't even put that in the computer or acknowledge my request. Other Vacation Club resorts like Saratoga, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Beach Club all have stuff for the kids at check in and plenty of vacation club information as well. Not here!!!!!!!! Also, we did not receive the trash service vacation club members get after the 4th night. I just took it out myself. Overall, this is a great place to stay. My wife and I really enjoyed walking down to the beach at night to watch the MK fireworks and electric water parade.
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jjcscanlon
Registered: September 2006
Posts: 16
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Review Date: Tue September 9, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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location, theme
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Cons:
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We stayed in a studio at WL in late August. We checked in early and were glad to hear that our room was immediately available, but as it turns out it was adjacent to the vending machine/ice room. We requested a move and it was quickly accomodated. The resort is very nice with easy access to MK and monorail (connecting through contemporary) and Ft. Wilderness for the Hoop De Doo. Pool was nice, but my kids have have been spoiled by better slides at the other DVC properties; they thought this one was small and boring. Restaurant and food court options were all good and the cast members were all very friendly. The sofa bed was not as comfortable as ones in the Beach Club and OKW.
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Susan
Registered: July 2006
Location: Clearwater, FL
Posts: 33
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Review Date: Fri August 8, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Beautiful, unique resort
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Cons:
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none
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We stayed at Wilderness Lodge from Aug 3rd to Aug 6th. It was our 15th stay at this DVC resort. Boardwalk is our home resort, but this is our favorite. Our room was ready when we arrived, about 12 noon. It was spotless, as usual. The housekeeping at Wilderness lodge is always impeccable.(unlike Animal Kingdom) When I wiped up water off the bathroom floor the paper towel was clean.
This is a great resort because the atmosphere is of a lodge in the west. For us Floridians it's a world away!!
The cast members are friendly and polite from the front desk to the restaurants to housekeeping.
We did not go into the parks at all except to see Blue Man Group at Citywalk. This was strictly a pool vacation.
The pool tends to get crowded around one o'clock. The vacation club pool is a little less crowded.
To see the fireworks, take the boat over to the campground dock. You have a magnificent view, plus a fun boat ride. We were lucky, we saw the Electric Water Parade from the boat on the way to the campground.
They had plenty of kids activities while we were there. Giant Jenga, pool games, and crafts in the clubhouse.
We use the DVC about 14 nights a year, staying at the various vacation club hotels. Wilderness Lodge far exceeds the standards of the others.
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hmholway
Registered: May 2008
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu May 8, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Quiet, beautiful surroundings, rooms are great.
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Cons:
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Too far from parks, not good for small children, mousekeeping
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This was our first trip to DW and our party was 3 adults and one child. We stayed in the 1 bedroom villa which is beautiful. There was plenty of room for everyone and everything was provided. The kitchen was very handy for snacks and quick breakfasts. Our daughter has food allergies and while the restaurants in the hotel were not as accommodating as the parks, they did try to work with us.
Due to transportation issues, I do not recommend this hotel for people with small children. The little ones get very impatient waiting for the transportation to arrive. The buses are very crowded and they stop at Fort Wilderness as well, which makes for a longer bus ride. There are two boats. One to the Contemporary Hotel and then another to the Magic Kingdom. Do not rely on the times posted. We had a character breakfast early one morning and the boat was arrived over 20 minutes past the posted time. The boat ride is only about 10 minutes but leaving the Magic Kingdom is a long wait for a boat.
Our mousekeeping was fair. Despite leaving a tip for the mousekeeper everyday, they never left any character towels, so my daughter was a little disappointed. We had to ask to have the coffee packets, soap and shampoo refilled every time, it was not done automatically.
All in all, the resort is beautiful. The staff was friendly and a lot of fun. We had a small error with our reservation and they corrected it right away and apologized for the error. The pool area is great, a little crowded but not too bad.
I would definitely recommend this resort to a family with older kids.
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ReaderReviews
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 73
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Review Date: Wed May 7, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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great atmosphere, quiet, clean, relaxing
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Cons:
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bell services was having a bad week
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Review submitted by mel90210:
Mom and I stayed in a studio villa for my annual 3-day birthday celebration. We thought we were off to a good start when they told us our room was ready (it was only 2:30pm). However, we had troubles with the bell services people almost from the get-go, in terms of getting our luggage to our room:
a)in a timely manner (received at least a half hour after we'd checked in), and
b)completely intact (meaning all of our stuff we brought with us plus the oxygen tank that was delivered and couldn't be located). After multiple phone calls to & from bell services, we were successfully reunited.
Continuing the comedy of errors, five minutes after getting to our room, housekeeping stopped by to give us the fresh linens that we "requested." It took a lot of convincing on my part to let the housekeeper know that we'd only just checked in and I didn't request fresh linens. However, I did appreciate her diligence!
Our room was on the 4th floor and overlooked the forest, but we had a peek-a-boo view through the trees at the lake. At night we were able to go out on the balcony and watch most of the water parade. The Villas are much more quiet than the main lodge, but are close enough to wander over to the lobby to people-watch. There were also several bunny and duck sightings, as well as birds of many species.
Even with the keg-size oxygen tank and my mom's ECV, the room was a comfortable size and suited us well. And despite the rocky start to the vacation, we had a lovely time! I would definitely stay here again!
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