We first brought you the news of a new offering for Disney Vacation Club Members at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and now we have more information for you, as well as ways to add this to your vacation. While workshops are available to all Members, the food-and-beverage inclusive lounge, will only be available for Members staying at Boulder Ridge Villas or Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
Beginning April 4, reservations for workshops and private lounge access at Reunion Station for Disney Vacation Club Members will open for the new gathering space for Disney Vacation Club Members at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge as part of Membership Magic. Opening April 30th, this “Membership Extra” for eligible members is located in what appears to be a repurposed railroad station at the edge of Bay Lake. Reunion Station is designed to serve as a private lounge with food and drink during morning and evening, a place for paid workshops midday, and a complimentary relaxing retreat for Members by night.
Reunion Station’s roster of workshops at this time include “Disney Vacation Club Beverage Tasting Series,” “Phone Photography,” and “Animation 101.”
The “Disney Vacation Club Beverage Tasting Series,” will take place on Mondays from 1:30-3p.m. beginning on May 7th. It is an interactive series of beverage tasting seminars, focusing on a different beverage each week, including “Speak Easy Craft Cocktails” to “New World Wines.” Each session will include small-plate food pairings to compliment the beverages served. For those under 21, other arrangements should be made.
“Phone Photography,” will be on Tuesdays from 1:30-3 p.m. beginning May 8th. Here, participants learn to expertly capture their vacation photos right from their phones. This includes techniques such as photographing fireworks, characters, family poses and more.
During “Animation 101,” Disney animator, Todd Bright, will explore Disney animation history and focus on a different animation topic, with participants learning how to apply basic animation principles to creating their own flip book, learning to draw action poses through a study of basic gesture drawing or learning the art of character design. Bright has worked on The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear. This class will be offered on Thursdays from 1:30-3 p.m. beginning May 10th.
These workshops are individually priced and begin at $40 per person, including tax and gratuity and limits party sizes to a maximum of four people, including the member. Participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by a paying, participating parent or guardian.
Other than workshops, Reunion Station will serve as a food-and-beverage inclusive lounge, available as an add-on for Members staying in any Disney Vacation Club accommodation type at Boulder Ridge Villas or Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Members who add this option to their vacation will enjoy pastries, fruits, cereals, juice and more from 7-10 a.m. daily, and wine, beer, cheeses, salads, soups, desserts, and more from 4-6 p.m. This option is available only for the entire length of stay and for every member of the traveling party. This is priced at $50 a night for adults and $33 a night for kids ages 3-9.
From 7-10 p.m. daily, Reunion Station will open its doors to all eligible Members (including those not staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge) for some quality mix and mingle time. A lounge host will be on hand during these nightly hours to answer any questions or offer assistance.
Call Member Services beginning April 4 to add Reunion Station workshops or food-and-beverage lounge access to your vacation plans. While the food-and-beverage-inclusive lounge-access option is available to only Members staying at Boulder Ridge Villas or Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Reunion Station workshops are open to all eligible Members!
You mean to tell me that Disney expects me to PAY for something extra that is 100% optional??!! We’ll…I won’t be going any more. Walt must be rollin’ in his grave!!
For $50 per day I better be able to leave with a gallon Ziploc of croissants.
Why does Disney keep adding upcharge experiences for DVC members? It’s like they think they can trick people into spending more money by slapping the word “exclusive” on there.
Remember when Disney was focused on inclusion vs exclusion?
Going to a Disney Park or staying at a Disney Resort was an amazing experience for every guest. Now it seems they are creating an unequal experience based on how much money guests have. It has created a new sense of entitlement and resentment among guests which is making the parks less enjoyable for the majority. It is starting to feel less magical and more like a tourist trap with all these extra fees and special access VIP nonsense. It seems like a lazy unoriginal cheap way to get people to pay for something that they used to be able to get for free or included in DVC membership or a Resort stay or park admission. My family has been part of DVC since the early days. It is upsetting to see DVC rooms “unavailable” for DVC members to use their points but many “reserved” for anyone willing to pay full price for a stay. Availability changes based on how you log in to book rooms. Try booking a room as a registered DVC member or a registered account then as a Florida Resident or an out of State resident or a Cast Member or Travel Agent and you will see completely different options depending on what they decide to allow you to have access to.