Boulder Ridge Resort Report: Buy Low?
This Walt Disney World resort report covers our recent experience staying in the Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge. We share photos & video of our room, decorations, lobby, Electrical Water Pageant, and commentary on why it might be a good option for “buying low” into DVC.
It’s no secret that Wilderness Lodge is my favorite place at Walt Disney World during the Christmas season, in large part because it’s the only place that’s fully transportive and feels like a “real” Christmas. Since we couldn’t head home to the Midwest for the holidays this year, Wilderness Lodge for Christmas Eve was a must. It didn’t have the snow or our families, but it was a close as we could get to slice of Michigan in Florida.
We had planned on forgoing a report for our stay at Boulder Ridge given that 95% of my photos are of decorations that are now “stale,” but a few of you mentioned wanting to hear about it. That was literally all it took to give me an excuse to revisit the holidays and edit some photos (less than a month later, and I already miss Christmas!) for this post. It doesn’t hurt that a new angle for the report came to mind…
While doing research to revise and update our Disney Vacation Club Buying Guide, I discovered that Boulder Ridge is now the lowest priced Disney Vacation Club resort at Walt Disney World on the secondary market, with both Old Key West and Saratoga Springs passing it.
Not only is Boulder Ridge the lowest-priced DVC resort at Walt Disney World (Hilton Head, Vero Beach, and Aulani are all cheaper–but also less desirable for most buyers), but its average resale price offers the biggest percentage savings over buying direct, at 44% off. Moreover, the per point difference between Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek is a massive $43.
In the past, my assumption has been that the price difference between Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek is largely attributable to the former expiring in 2042 and the latter ending in 2068.
It would make sense that the properties nearing the end of their contract duration would start declining in value. However, that’s simply not happening with many other older resorts–at least to this great of a degree.
While I still think that’s part of the calculus for some or many prospective buyers debating which “side” of Wilderness Lodge to purchase, it would also seem that other factors are at play.
Copper Creek is likely more attractive because it’s in the main building, offers the allure of the Cascade Cabins, and still has that “new resort” smell. On that note, the rooms are probably a pretty big consideration for many potential buyers.
The good news there is that at last year’s DVC Condo Association Meeting, Disney announced plans for a top to bottom hard goods refurbishment of the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This was originally slated to begin last year, but has been delayed until 2022.
Disney Vacation Club has not shared concept art for the new rooms at Boulder Ridge. Our guess is that they’ll be stylistically similar to Copper Creek, but with the functionality of the new rooms at Saratoga Springs and Riviera Resort.
Emulating the approach of the Saratoga and Riviera rooms would be a huge win for Boulder Ridge. Those designs make significant strides in space-saving design, while adding innovative features like the pull-down Murphy sleeper that is somehow both a comfortable couch and a comfortable bed.
These new rooms seem like the culmination of a lot of lessons learned by DVC over the last decade–iterating on past successes and disregarding past failures–into something that coalesces perfectly. To that point, Disney Vacation Club has indicated that guest satisfaction scores have increased 20% among guests who have stayed in new rooms at Saratoga Springs.
It’s thus probably not a coincidence that Saratoga Springs Resort also saw the largest year over year gain in value, increasing by $8 per point last year. That’s a huge leap in normal times, but is even more impressive against the backdrop of last year and also that 2054 expiration.
We’ve been fairly bullish on Saratoga Springs Resort recently, but I wouldn’t have guessed the significantly better rooms would already move the needle on pricing by that much given that the overhaul isn’t even close to complete. Saratoga’s rise will likely continue as the refurbishment wraps up and Disney Springs continues to improve.
You can probably guess by now where we’re going with this. If not, it’s that Boulder Ridge could follow a similar trajectory, seeing its price “outpace” other Disney Vacation Club resorts at Walt Disney World as its new rooms start to debut.
Whether this means the price of Boulder Ridge increases between now and ~2023 or just decreases by less than the other resorts remains to be seen. In general, we’re still bearish about buying into Disney Vacation Club right now–we ourselves would not purchase this year given the economic uncertainty and looming DVC point pool problem.
However, if you’ve already decided you’re going to take the plunge in the next year or two, Boulder Ridge seems like one of the savvier options. You’re likely better off buying low at Boulder Ridge than buying high at Bay Lake Tower or Beach Club Villas.
Of course, that only makes sense if you like Wilderness Lodge. But we’re giving our readers the benefit of the doubt and assuming that you have good taste. 😉
Joking aside, Wilderness Lodge is not for everyone and you should definitely stay at Boulder Ridge–or literally any resort–before buying there. The location, transportation, atmosphere, layout, or other elements may not appeal to you.
You also might want to check out the rooms at Copper Creek, as they’re probably a better window into what the new rooms will look like than the current Boulder Ridge rooms. (Below is a video of the current rooms shot by Sarah to give you a better idea of how they look right now.)
Personally, I think the current rooms at Boulder Ridge are fine. They’re older, a bit tired, and lacking the usability improvements of their newer counterparts, but they have thematic integrity. There are obvious improvements that could be made, but they’re better than many resorts.
I’m almost certainly in the extreme minority with this view, but I’d take the current rooms at Boulder Ridge over those at Copper Creek. The latter are superior from the perspective of functionality, but feature an aesthetic that is trying a bit too hard to be chic and trendy. With that said, I’d hazard a guess that most Walt Disney World guests favor Copper Creek’s rooms by a wide margin. To each their own.
In my view, Wilderness Lodge should lean into its National Park lodge character and rustic roots. Guests who don’t like that should buy and stay elsewhere. Making everything modern and “on trend” also makes everything bland and less distinct.
If you’re a big fan of the current Boulder Ridge rooms and the current style is important to you, waiting to see concept art or a model room before buying might be smart. My view is that the inevitable thematic erosion of the rooms will likely be offset by functionality improvements.
Also a matter of personal preference, but I’m a huge fan of Boulder Ridge as a whole. Some might argue that it’s not as convenient as the main building, but it’s also not that much of a walk. Our room for this stay was at the far end of the Boulder Ridge building, and we didn’t find it to be even remotely inconvenient.
To the contrary, we specifically requested this location because it’s much quieter and more tranquil. I sat out on our balcony listening to the leaves rustle and watching squirrels–it was delightful. Really put the wilderness into the lodge, and made for a significantly better experience for me than a view of the pool.
The common areas of Boulder Ridge also deserve their due. While understandably overshadowed by the grandiose main atrium, there’s a ton of detail and charm in the lobby of Boulder Ridge.
In particular, the Carolwood Pacific Railroad Room is one of the hidden gems in all of Walt Disney World. This area pays great homage to the American West and the golden age of railroad travel–and is a lovely tribute to Walt Disney himself.
When not squirrel spotting from our balcony, I spent a lot of time in the Boulder Ridge lobby.
Although I love the main building (especially late at night and early in the morning), it’s a tad too raucous and loud during peak hours. That’s seldom the case at Boulder Ridge. There’s almost always a secluded spot by a fireplace or an overstuffed chair where you can relax with a book or laptop to do some work.
Although somewhat beside the point, I’d challenge anyone who thinks that Disney’s Riviera Resort is well-themed or designed to visit Wilderness Lodge and the Boulder Ridge Villas and pore over the attention to detail and quality of finishing.
I’ve fixated on the shortcomings of Riviera Resort a lot, but the difference is quite stark when visiting both in quick succession.
Walking around Riviera Resort, it’s easy to see where corners were cut and details were glossed over–it’s literally plainly visible inside and out.
By contrast, every inch of Wilderness Lodge is meticulously and thoughtfully designed. It may not be to your personal tastes, but there’s no denying that it’s a high water mark for Imagineering.
That’s my pitch for Boulder Ridge and Wilderness Lodge in general (and against Disney’s Riviera Resort, I guess). None of that is particularly new, save for the forward-looking prospects of the Boulder Ridge Villas.
Let’s cover a couple other random tidbits from this stay…
Electrical Water Pageant is back, and it’s…more popular than ever?!
We watched from the seating area behind Geyser Point, and despite really cold weather, this area was packed. We had literally never seen this many people watching it before. Additionally, we saw an armadillo–only a few feet from us in the waterfront brush–which I suspect was the highlight of the entire stay for Sarah.
It’s a few months old now, but we never highlighted this awesome mug featuring the Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald, and Humphrey Bear totem pole that’s outside Wilderness Lodge Mercantile. There’s a similar mug at the Grand Californian featuring that hotel’s iconic craftsman stained glass doors.
We absolutely love to see merchandise like this that is not only resort-specific, but in a style befitting of Wilderness Lodge.
That’s it for this Boulder Ridge Villas resort report slash sales pitch. It was another great stay at Walt Disney World, but that’s pretty much a given for Christmas at Wilderness Lodge.
Even if you aren’t interested in buying into Disney Vacation Club (it doesn’t make sense for a lot of people!) hopefully this has at least convinced you to do a Christmas-time stay at Wilderness Lodge. It’s truly my “happy place” during the holiday season–I could sit beside a fireplace for hours, simply soaking up the ambiance, listening to the background music, pretending I’m up north and it’s snowing outside on a cold winter day.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts on Wilderness Lodge? Have you stayed at both Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek? Which do you prefer? What do you think of the rooms, both currently and the likely outcome of the refurbishment? How would your review differ from mine? Want to stay at Wilderness Lodge during the Christmas season? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Other thoughts or concerns? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I love WL. Although Poly is my preferred resort, WL is my favorite themed resort. I especially love Christmas at WL. I bought one of those Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald, and Humphrey Bear totem pole mugs and its my go to mug for drinking beer at home. I have stayed at both BR and CC. I agree with your preference of BR over CC even though CC is newer. Carolwood Pacific Railroad Room is my favorite place to relax.
Tom, really curious about your take on the eventual diminishing value of the 2042 expiration contracts, and what you think DIsney will do with those DVC properties once the contracts are expired. My wife and I have been keeping an eye on the resale market as we eventually want to get in, but when comparing the long term value of the 2042 resorts vs. the other options, it is tough to justify the initial cost if we only get 21 years of usage. Especially compared to the 2057 expiration (or longer) contracts. We are in our early 30s so this will definitely affect us once the ownerships expire. However, our favorite resort area is Crescent Lake, so it is a tough decision.
This is probably a super-stupid question, but when I go to the DVC website, the only resorts listed as available to buy are Copper Creek, Aulani and Riviera, so doesn’t that mean you could only buy Boulder Ridge as resale? Or is there a way to buy it directly from Disney?
Older resorts that are technically sold out are not really sold out and you can purchase them directly from DVC. But the price you pay will be a lot more than the resale price. You just tell the DVC salesperson that you are interested in a different resort and they will give you information on that resort. Some have wait lists, others are readily available.
And that would still come with the “perks” of direct ownership?
Any time you buy directly from DVC and not a resale from another owner, you get the “perks”. But sometimes the “perks” aren’t quite worth the difference you pay. Being able to buy a Gold Pass instead of a Platinum pass could be worth it. But if you don’t make at least two trips in 12 months, it may be cheaper to just buy a length of stay pass. Shopping discounts are the same as the AP shopping discounts (and the same for food discounts).
Thank you! 🙂
Completely agree with your fondness of wilderness lodge and boulder ridge in particular. Stayed in CC and BR back to back recently and greatly prefer the latter rooms. Also in agreement on the separate lobby and the quiet comfort it provides.
The electric water pageant. We have a stay at Baylake tower next week. Would we be able to see it before the 945 posted time? a little late to keep our little ones up. Thanks!
Can anyone tell me which Disney films you can find Humphrey the bear in?
Hi Jennifer. He was mainly in Donald Duck shorts from the 1950s.
I think Saratoga Springs is also getting a boost due to its convenience to Disney Springs. A nice walk or a quick boat ride sure beats any other transport to DS.
There’s no denying that Saratoga Springs has aged like a fine wine, and proximity to Disney Springs is a HUGE component of that. However, that wouldn’t explain the big 2019->2020 jump, given that little changed between the two years at Disney Springs.
I guess it’s possible Gideon’s Bakehouse had a huge impact in its one week of operations. In my experience, Saratoga Springs owners love cookies!
I get you on missing Christmas. I still have my outside lights on almost 4 weeks after Christmas, and I’m not the only one by far, as I could see on my drive home tonight. I think of it as a yuletide middle finger raised against Covid.
We took ours down the first week of January, but put them up earlier than normal for that same reason. Our neighbor took theirs down today, which was actually a bit disappointing. It was a bit of cheer (and light!) when I let the dog out at night.
I agree! Our tree is still up because looking at the Christmas ornaments of memories of family vacations and get togethers makes January a little brighter. I love seeing my castle ornament, my Pandora ornaments, the ornament for my first trip to Disney as a family, and all my other special ornaments. there’s something to be said about keeping emotional things around right now that make you feel peaceful and happy. If Christmas lights are still up in April – then we know why.
You know it is bad luck to keep your Christmas decorations on past Jan 6, the Twelfth day of Christmas, Twelfth Night, etc. Be careful now. 😉
We actually have a split stay booked at Poly and BRV in march to test the waters on maybe buying dvc resale. This past year has taught us we can live without housekeeping, and sleep on sofa beds, so long as we are at Disney!
Your review validates my thinking exactly; it’s a wonderful resort, and priced very attractively (both in terms of cost to buy resale and points per night to stay there). We are hopeful the refurb will result in a murphy bed. But the Poly may be worth the extra cost to us simply because the contract is so much longer. That and dole whips and lapu lapus.
I actually love Riviera but the resale restriction and high price is a nonstarter.
When you do that stay, keep in mind that the Poly is also receiving an early refurbishment. It was moved forward undoubtedly in part to coincide with the rest of the resort’s renovations, but those rooms were showing a lot of premature wear and tear. So your room might look a bit rough around the edges this trip, but that should be remedied soon.
Thanks–that’s helpful to know. though I guess I was assuming that the Poly refurb would be more of a “Moana touch up” than a full refurb with possible new furniture. For us, the real question is whether the extended contract term of the Poly makes it worth the additional up front cost. I think it might because it means we could potentially get some of that initial cost back (and maybe even a return on investment) if we resell Poly DVC 20 years from now, whereas if we buy BRV, we’ll be using the contract through the end of its remaining term. Then again, if the DVC resale market tanks as Disney continues to cut back on on-site benefits, we’d probably rather buy BRV than be locked into a contract on the Poly for the next 40 years.
Hi MomOfTwins. I was deciding between poly, brv, and Ccv on resale contracts. I ultimately chose poly because the studio rooms are bigger and have 2 showers, prefer monorail to MK or short walk to TTC for another transportation option if monorail down or long wait, longer contract (since I’m in my 30s and I’m not looking at this as a investment), and brv/ccr rooms book up fast even prior to 7 month mark since less inventory than poly.
You have got to stop promoting Boulder ridge!! Only joking, we are members and love it, can’t imagine staying anywhere else. The new pool and bar have really taken it up a notch, albeit the concrete is a bit overbearing. Our trip got cancelled and I can’t wait to get back in (hopefully) 9 months.
“…albeit the concrete is a bit overbearing.”
Totally agree. I ranted about that a bit in my Cascade Cabins review, and subsequently received a message that it was required by Reedy Creek to allow access for emergency vehicles. So it was not a poor design choice by Imagineering, but rather a code requirement. Don’t know if that’ll make you feel any better, but it did for me.
I love Wilderness Lodge and enjoy Boulder Ridge but agree the rooms need a big refresh. With a refresh coming I’d be tempted to buy low. That said, the 2042 expiration isn’t my favorite and is part of why we bought SSR (for 2054 expiration). At this point I don’t know that I’d buy any 2042 expirations. What’s your take on that? Is that irrational of me?
What does the expiration mean? That after that date you’ll know longer “own” your DVC property?
Yep, that’s what it means. It means that resort closes down, you no longer have any points to convert to lodging. You don’t pay any more annual fees. You don’t get DVC discounts and free parking. Many of the older resorts will shut down on Jan 31, 2042. OKW is a hybrid with some owners with Jan 31, 2042 expiration and some with Jan 31, 2057 expiration. DVC will have to figure out how they plan to handle that problem on Jan 31, 2042.
We visited Wilderness Lodge in December by taking a bus to MK and immediately hopping on a boat to WL. We walked through the resort before lunch at Geyser Point (amazing…thanks to you for suggesting in your posts). While walking the grounds there were two different DVC tours being given so that became was a topic we discussed during lunch. I halfheartedly looked into DVC last year but seeing Wilderness Lodge at Christmas (when we typically visit) almost sealed the deal for us. We loved it so much that we strolled around after lunch and didn’t rush over to Magic Kingdom. That being said, I did some research when I returned home and, while I can afford it, I’m still unsure if it’s the right choice for me so I shelved the idea again. Our last 2 trips and our recently booked trip for Dec 2021 were made using a friend’s DVC points at a very reasonable price so it just doesn’t seem like its necessary. We booked Polynesian for December 2021 as a sort of redo from our 2020 reservation (we switched to Boardwalk for 2020 so we could lessen our time on busses) but have Wilderness Lodge on our minds for our 2022 trip.
How much better would the Copper Creek style be if they replaced that silly dresser with one more on theme and less ridiculous? (I like the woodiness of the table, the headboard and the night stands.)
I’m not a fan of the galley kitchen at CCV. You have to walk right through the center of the kitchen to get to the living room. We bought Villas at Wilderness Lodge pre-opening because we used to live in Montana and went to Yellowstone fairly often. The first major renovation around 2014 wasn’t my favorite. I liked the original lumberjack plaid and dark colors. Now it looks more like Grand Canyon instead of Yellowstone. I’m curious as to what they plan to do to water down the interior even more to match the trend to make them all more like Hampton Inns. It should look different from CCV since the three locations at WL are supposed to be different ages/themes. Hoping for a non-IKEA look at BRV in 2022.
Have to say that I do not fully understand the DVC points thing! I am local but occasionally stay on property when relatives come to visit. I enjoyed this post and pictures as I am/was not too familiar with Wilderness so thanks for posting !!
Quick Change Tom strikes again!
I do always enjoy the room tour videos.
I think it could be a good play with the reduced pricing and a room refresh coming.
In my opinion I would also consider waiting till a down turn to buy. If you have cash in the bank you can pick up some great deals if the economy slows and people decide to sell.
I Bought Saratoga this way and only bought 50 point contracts as they are the easiest to resell even though the smaller contracts command a little premium. I doubled my money I paid for the contracts I bought in a 4 year run and cashed out in 2016. So 4 years of free vacations and made money! If I do remember Disney Is not letting you get the small add on contracts any longer for the newer resorts so no more 25 or 50 point contracts on the brand new resorts. But the older Resorts its defiantly an option and you can buy a smaller contract and more contracts later rather than buying 150-160 points at one time which can be hard for a lot of people. I am sure you would know more about the points restrictions for new resorts Tom.
Unless something changes I will probably do the same thing I did in 2010 if we get another down turn as long as we don’t have some crazy Disney monkey wrench thrown into Disney World!!!!!!
“In my opinion I would also consider waiting till a down turn to buy.”
This is also my personal view and strategy, but I’ve been waiting for that to happen, and it has not. I thought for sure it would happen last year given the closure and uncertainty, but it did not.
I still think there’s a decent chance of a downturn occurring this year or next–between the economy and disgruntled owners having issues finding availability–but I’m not holding my breath. Prices could keep rising, unabated.
I need to understand this better, I don’t know why, but DVC confuses the heck out of me! In basic terms, are you saying you “bought low and sold high”? So you bought points not to use, but to resell at a higher price, then used the profits to pay for another vacay, whether it was disney or somewhere else?
Jolie: you could do that. We bought our first points direct from DVC in 1997 for $50 a point. Our next set of points were about $70 a point direct from Disney. We sold two of our contracts, one for $90 a point and the other for $80 a point when we decided we had too many points and were paying far too much in annual fees. You could also buy a contract resale to rent out the points to pay for the contracts you use. You cannot currently use resale points to stay at Riviera, but you could make a reservation for a prime time and sell that reservation at another resort. Before covid hit, some people were renting out prime time reservations for $15 – 25 a point. With annual fees running about $8 a point, that means they made a bit of cash on those rentals. They should be paying taxes on income from rentals though. You could also buy a resort when the price was low or negotiate a lower price on a resale and then sell it when the market was hot.
Ahhhh you listened! Christmas photos are heavenly It is exactly why we will split our stay there this December
I agree wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of the Wilderness Lodge ? copper Creek decorations. We were one of the first if not the first to buy into Copper Creek. We have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge since a year after it opened. My daughter has never stayed anywhere else. I was excited to finally get into a DVC having gotten over Boulder Ridge DVC invading MY HOTEL. I miss the room aesthetics of the Lodge versus the DVC side.
This push to be “Chic” feels pushed and looses the integrity of the lodge. We absolutely hate the Gem glass from the bath to the bedroom as the light in the dead of night wakes everyone up
I agree completely. We have stayed in the Wilderness Lodge 24 times since our first stay in 1994. (We even have Wilderness Lodge forever mugs-which it turns our aren’t forever mugs–but that is another story.) We stayed in the refurbished rooms for the first time last August and hated them The wallpaper is awful and we also hated the glowing plastic “gem” panel. What a waste of money. We stayed at Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge and now have a contract pending at Boulder Ridge. The 2042 expiration date isn’t an issue for us because we are in our middle 60’s.
Personally, I can’t stand the aesthetics of the Copper Creek rooms. The Boulder Ridge rooms are a little kitschy, but in a fun and on-theme way. I hope that they aren’t completely changed.