Copper Creek Villas DVC Update
The Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge are one step closer to being sold by Disney Vacation Club, as Walt Disney World has filed the master declaration for the condo association. In addition to that, we have some new construction photos of the waterfront cabins.
While this master declaration does not include a precise point chart with nightly rates for every season, what it does is contain a maximum reallocation, which is a normalized number for the average nightly cost of each room category. That allocation is identical to the existing villas at Wilderness Lodge, so existing point charts for the Boulder Ridge Villas should be a good proxy for Copper Creek Villas (don’t be surprised to see nightly rates shifted slightly here and there–but the total maximum will be the same).
If past precedent is any indication, this filing of the master declaration means we’re about a week to a month away from the start of sales for the Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge. Now, for some analysis and construction photos taken last week…
Perhaps most surprising is that the maximum allocation numbers for the studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom units are identical to the existing numbers for Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This reverses a trend of “point inflation” that has occurred with the Poly and Grand Floridian additions (and in looking at points relative to rack rates at those resorts versus the Crescent Lake ones, this is apparent).
However, the difference at the Poly and Grand Floridian was that those resorts did not have Disney Vacation Club to start, so there was no easily calculable baseline. By contrast, the Boulder Ridge point allocations provide for an easy comparison, and it would’ve been hard to Disney to bump up the point charts without justification. (Although in its “defense,” Disney has made an art of the concocted justification…)
There are a lot of interesting tidbits in the master declaration (so you should look at it yourself), but one thing that jumped out to me was the “Alternate Studio.” I haven’t read the filing in sufficient depth to tell how large this is (or how many there are), but it looks like a quasi 1-bedroom, at studio rates. (The conversion of some of Wilderness Lodge’s hotel rooms led to some interesting arrangements like this, I guess.)
Also telling is the numbers for the cabins, which is 32 points per night less than a bungalow at the Polynesian. A surprising (if you’re Disney, not if you’re someone who has looked at the point charts or prices) number of these bungalows sit empty on a regular basis, so reeling in the prices makes sense here (even if you’re still looking at an equivalent cost of ~$1,500/night). It also could be argued that Wilderness Lodge is a lower-caliber Deluxe, so the cost difference is consistent. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see occupancy numbers for these cabins a couple of years from now.
I’m not sure what impact these numbers will have on the existing resale market for Boulder Ridge at Wilderness Lodge. If I had to guess, I would think prices will fall slightly.
With no point inflation at Copper Creek, buying a new contract there–with its later expiration–becomes more attractive, even if it does cost more. (On the other hand, money talks; people could have sticker shock from the per point cost of Copper Creek and turn to Boulder Ridge, expiration year be damned.)
These cabins, and the whole Copper Creek development remain a contentious issue among Disney Vacation Club members. Some are justifiably upset that the rustic and serene nature of Wilderness Lodge is forever changing. Others are excited by the new slate of amenities and expansion of their favorite resort.
I fall somewhere in between. My biggest concern, right now, is the number of tress that were removed along the shoreline for the construction of these cabins. I think it’s still too early to tell the extent to which trees will be replanted, and the secluded vibe restored. If not at all, that’s a definite problem.
(Another thing I don’t like is the contrived backstory. At first I thought tying it to a railroad was cool–as railroads and National Park lodges go hand in hand, but then an additional few layers of pointless fluff were added. Ugh. I don’t see why Disney is so obsessed with backstories that are unnecessarily convoluted.)
The cabins themselves don’t bother me in the least. I’ve been to numerous National Park lodges that have satellite buildings and cabins outside of the main hall (although, ironically, these cabins are usually the rustic/cheaper options).
In fact, the expansion at Wilderness Lodge reminds me a lot of Lake MacDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park, which is one of my favorite National Park lodges. For me, the jury is still out as to whether Disney handles the expansion at Wilderness Lodge gracefully, enhancing the resort while maintaining its beloved atmosphere in the process, or if this is a ham-fisted addition for the sake of selling more DVC units.
For comprehensive advice about purchasing DVC, including whether to buy direct or via resale, choosing a home resort, how many points to buy, and much more, consult our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide.
Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our take on the Copper Creek Villas? Are you excited about this DVC addition, or worried that it’ll irreparably harm the atmosphere at your favorite resort? Any thoughts on the master declaration or points allocation? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
As of right now I have a courtyard view room booked at Wilderness Lodge for early December. Do I understand correctly that Copper Creek Villas will be in the lodge? Should I get a studio in Copper Creek instead of the room at WL? Wondering if one would have a significantly better view or set of amenities. The price is about the same. This is confusing!
As a long-time owner of VWL (which is shall always be to me), I was and continue to be bothered by the fact that what initially led me to love the Lodge–serenity and intimacy–is disappearing. As others have noted, Disney is “simply” attempting to provide more resort space for its guests, and whether that is greed or good business is a complex debate. What is almost certain, however, is as the author stated: “If not at all (restoring the serene vibe), that’s a definite problem.” My wife and I met at VWL, on the beach–gone. We took walks down the nature trail–currently closed and when open will obviously not be the same due to cabins. We loved the quaint, bubbly Hidden Springs pool–gone and replaced by a bigger and likely noisier version. The trees added an actual wilderness aspect to the resort–most of them gone. While the new Geyser Point and landscaping around it look very nice, I’m reminded of that old song, “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” While it’s not quite that severe, they do run the risk of crowding what was originally–by design–a place that offered peace and quiet. Wide sidewalks, an open bar and grill, a new large pool, and over two dozen cabins (14 on the VWL side alone) do not speak to a laid-back, peaceful resort. If that’s the case, then Disney has lost yet another small piece of its wonderment.
I hate to even bring this up but when I saw how close these are to the water…the first thing I thought was “alligators”. It seems like an alligator could very easily swim up to these and crawl onto land. I wonder what precautions, if any, Disney has taken to prevent this situation.
That thought did cross my mind as well. I’m thinking the standard rock barrier. But a cabin by the water seems to suggest “come hang by the water.”
I personally don’t like the look and I’m not interested in staying there or the poly bungalows. It just doesn’t do anything for me and It reminds me of kelllermans mountain on dirty dancing every time I see them.
Dirty dancing, that’s spot on!
We hope that these cabins will not have the same issue as they have at the Poly. Loud boat horns from early morning through the evening.
Aloha!
Anyone have any idea how long the construction will take? I’d like to plan a trip to WDW the first week of December, and was wondering if we thought the construction at the Wilderness Lodge might be wrapped up?
I’m disgusted with Disney’s greed in changing a lovely vacation setting with great ambiance into a crowded and less than lovely place to stay.
When you have as many guests as Disney does, you have to expand hotels in order to fit them all. This isn’t even that bad of an expansion. There was plenty of room around Wilderness lodge to add some more rooms. Don’t call Disney greedy just because they’re adding new locations for you to stay in that are close to Magic Kingdom.
They bought all of this land decades ago so they would be able to provide lodging near their parks. They didn’t do that in Anaheim and the area is so congested that you have to stay miles away and be stuck in traffic. What a lovely time! Don’t criticize them for excellent planning and investing for the future. Just go and enjoy the resorts and park, lady.
I have a family of five and we usually stay in a DVC Studio room (the ones that accommodate 5) by renting DVC points. I was really hoping for two showers in the new Studio rooms- like in The Grand Floridian Villas Studio or The Polynesian Villas Studios. Or at least two bathroom sinks. It really makes a difference. The Alternate Studio w/ two bathrooms would have been perfect! We love the Wilderness Lodge though, its gorgeous. I hope Disney will preserve the serene North Pacific setting. Thanks for the update & pictures.
The only reason the Poly got that setup is because they converted extremely large hotel rooms, and that was easy to add. Wilderness Lodge’s rooms weren’t nearly as large to begin with.
I wouldn’t get too excited about the Alternate Studio. We don’t know how many of those rooms there are, and my guess is “not many” (as in under 10 in the entire resort).
side query: I used to be able to click on the photos and zoom into all the details which was delightful. This is no longer the case. Am I missing something? I’m a zoomer (actually, a baby boomer zoomer). Answers from anyone will be appreciated.
This is part of a larger issue created when I first made the site that I don’t completely know how to fix. As a ‘temporary’ solution, I’m trying to keep file sizes smaller, and that means smaller photos. At some point, I’m going to have to go back and address the actual problem, but I’m dreading that day.
For what it’s worth, I hate the smaller photo size, too. What’s the point in taking nice photos if they’re all so small?!
Out of curiosity, how do you know how vacant the Polynesian bungalows are? Is disney publishing that information somewhere or do you have insider knowledge?
I went and visited the bungalows during my trip last Fall as part of a DVC tour. I was told that it would be the last day the bungalows would be part of the tour because of high demand and they wanted all of them available.
I wonder if that’s true, or part of the sales pitch.
My info on occupancy is from last August, so things very well could’ve changed since then, but given the rate at that time, I highly doubt they are above 90% now.
When I saw those alternate studio plans, I was instantly intrigued. I’m with you, I’m going to need to wait and see what the square footage, plus the final layout with furniture, looks like but for our family of 5, this might be a nice alternative to a pricier 1 bedroom. Especially if they have the under the TV bunk like the studios have now with the hideaway in the couch. Heck, I’ll travel with a tension rod & some nice curtains if it gets hubster & I a bit of privacy from our kids (whom we love and adore, but just don’t want to have to stare at for 24 hours a day during a weeklong vacation LOL)
I’m guessing the alternate studios will be highly desired & not easy to secure at all. I’ve already seen several comments on other web sites where people are also “intrigued”.