My VGF Mini-Review

[stlrod]

Just got back from 5 night stay at VGF (12/18-23.) Stayed in standard view 2BR (room 1407--4th floor with great view of monorail, water feature, main building, pool/beach and part of fireworks.) We were a family of 5, with kids in very early 20s. We own at HHI, SSR and Aulani.

Pros
Beautiful 2 BR unit with generally very good layout.
Nice bedding and linens.
Loved the shower.
Ample drawer and closet space.
Quiet (good for us since our kids are older.)
Convenient parking.
Our room was ready at 3:45pm.
Food at pool bars surprisingly good.

Cons
Disconnected from rest of resort (feel a little like a stepchild.) My Disney Experience location services brings up the Polynesian (which is a convenient walk for Tonga Toast.) No services at resort itself. A bit of a walk to everything (especially Gasparilla Grill-would not buy refillable mugs--felt sorry for those walking back and forth.)

Appliances nothing special. Coffee pot basic Mr. Coffee. Ice was a big block of ice you had to chip at to get ice cubes. Dishwasher did not clean well. Had to call about disposal and TVs in mirrors not working (both of which never worked.)

Not enough furniture in living area (can be solved by moving master bedroom chair into living room.)

Huge Con
Transportation is a mess!!! Yes, you are the first stop for the MK on the Monorail but for everything else connections/extra stops are required. For the price/points paid, there should be direct service to all parks (or at least only combined with the Polynesian.) Now that both the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian have DVC units, they need to be separated for transportation purposes. We got so tired of waiting for a bus at the Studios, we ended up taking a cab back (turned out to be a 10 minute ride instead of the 30-35 minutes it takes to stop at the Contemporary and the Polynesian.) Today, our Magical Express bus was full so they put my family in a cab to the airport. Driver made sure to mention that Disney does not cover gratuity after playing loud foreign language music the entire way and going on some back roads I have never been to in over a dozen trips to Orlando--I tipped generously even though he was probably not being honest because at this point, it was drop in the bucket compared to the cost of a Disney vacation.

Don't get me wrong, we had a very nice stay in a beautiful resort but it wasn't anything special, especially compared to non-Disney resorts at which we've stayed (Ritz in Orlando is still king in my book.) I probably won't return to VGF just because there are options, both DVC and non-DVC, which offer a better value and make you feel as if you are a truly special guest. (and by the way, why are we hearing "Welcome Home" wherever you are now?)

One final note: Mousekeeping left a slab of American cheese stuck to the back of the refrigerator from the previous guests and there were some other areas we noted should have been cleaner (items left behind in dryer as well.)

 

[disneynutz]

A couple of thoughts, the refrigerator ice should have been dumped and made fresh by the housekeeper and there are ice machines on each floor close to the elevators. Maybe the freezer temp needs to be lowered?

I am pretty sure that there is a drink refill station at the pool next to the building.

You should share your stay with DVC:
dvcmembersatisfactionteam@disneyvacationclub.com

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I tend to agree with you about the transportation for VGF (and BLT for everything except the MK). We've found that it works well to stay at BLT for our MK time, which is usually only 1 or 2 days of our 7 night trips. We like walking to the MK and don't mind taking the express monorail over to the Poly or GF for evening meals, and the boat to WL is also enjoyable if we plan a dinner there. Wew just take a cab to the BWV when it's time to move.

We'd rather stay at the BWV for everything other than the MK. Walking to EPCOT and DHS combined with all the restaurant options is an important perk! That leaves the bus for AK & DD. We only hit DD once every 2nd or 3rd trip due to the long bus trip and generally grab a bus from AK to another park.

Anyway, as nice as the VGF are, the transportation is a great big negative, IMO. I'd like to stay 2 nights sometime, just to confirm (or not, LOL) my bias.

 

[NoleFan]

We'd rather stay at the BWV for everything other than the MK. Walking to EPCOT and DHS combined with all the restaurant options is an important perk! That leaves the bus for AK & DD. We only hit DD once every 2nd or 3rd trip due to the long bus trip and generally grab a bus from AK to another park.

Totally agree. A monorail resort is great for MK time which for us is usually 1 day. We love our BWV stays. The BW views are awesome and just being on the BW is paradise. My DS 7 loves the community hall. For our summer stays, we love BCV and it is only a short walk from the BW !