I’m not Granny (lol), but we stayed at CCV for one night prior to our stay at VWL. I am sure I’ve mentioned this before (hopefully Sleepy is not reading this
)....but we really loved the rooms at CCV. We were in a 1BR and found it to be appointed very well. I’ll be honest, when we checked into VWL we were a little let down. I think CCV feels more modern and I just like the way they added things like the larger TV’s, lighted makeup mirrors and the overall feel is brighter. We had such a fantastic (courtyard) view at CCV, once checked into VWL, let’s just say, the view was not as nice. More importantly, we found the rooms just felt really tired, despite the fact they’ve been “updated”. The update consisted of the original brown cabinetry pained white and it just felt like the original rooms from 20 years ago. The refurbishments at BWV and BCV seem to be more in line with my taste. The room felt dark and there did not seem to be a lot of attention to detail.
Of course, none of this has deterred us from going back in December! It is still the WL after all!
Yeah, you thought you could sneak this one by me,
Corinne! Actually, I mostly agree with you on your observations of room differences. We stayed in a studio for four nights back in March, so although I'm also not
Granny, here are my thoughts. The rooms are definitely nice and newer, and in some instances, that's a good thing. Certainly, the cleaner look is appealing. My primary issue is that this "cleaner lines" look sacrifices that overall lodge-y feeling. There are some minor touches, but without the view off your balcony, I could wake up in this studio or most any other of the newly finished/refurbished studios and not be totally sure where I was. At VWL, the rooms are a bit dated and tired to use
Corinne's term. They could definitely use a freshening--the last refurb four years ago (?) was mostly a slap-dash affair, and it probably won't get much better in future redos since VWL's contracts run out in 23 years. That being said, there is a homey feel to VWL that CC simply can't give you. CC certainly puts you closer to the "action," too. You're steps from the main lobby, shopping, eating, and closer to the boat dock. If you like to be near the center of attention at a resort, then CC is the way to go vs. VWL. Conversely, we enjoy the stand alone VWL vibe, as well as the ability to get to Sturdy Branches much more easily. We also felt the main lobby was much noisier than in the past, likely due to the increased crowds waiting to get into the Snow White character meal from 4 to 9 p.m. While it didn't bother us in the room, to be fair, once outside the room, it just had more of a clamor to it. Obviously, hanging around the VWL lobby is much quieter, though anyone can use that lobby. Finally, and this is a criticism I've read a few times, the hot water at CC was annoying. I timed it each morning, and it would take between 8-10 minutes to get warm water for a shower. While that's not a deal breaker, it was disappointing. And for a corporation who prides itself on conserving resources and the environment, that's a huge waste of water if repeated numerous times in numerous rooms over the course of a year.
Overall, CC is going to feel like a new car, albeit one with not as much character as one you might love but is getting older. We'll gladly stay in CC again, but VWL is still our sentimental favorite.
Edited to add: Oh, yes, I'm not a fan of galley kitchens (see pics below)--just a personal preference.
Luv is fine with them. And storage is a bit tight, though far better than VGF since you can actually slide your suitcases under the bed. But, given the existing "bones" that the designers had to us, then the rooms at CC generally are smaller; however, it wasn't terribly noticeable since we are just a couple.