Back in 2021, I did a Mashup between Jambo House and Kidani Village to hash out the differences between two beloved Wilderness Lodge DVC resorts that share so much in common. Today, I thought it might be useful to look at two DVC resorts that also share a lot of the same, but are still so very unique in their own ways. Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek have many of the same amenities, so either is a great choice. I’ve created what I hope to be a helpful list of important details for each of these Disney Vacation Club resorts so that next time you’re asking yourself which one to stay or even buy, you’ll be well-equipped to make an informed decision.
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Location:
We’ll start with the original Wilderness Lodge DVC property, formerly named The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and later changed to Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Boulder Ridge is an outer building located on the southeast side of the resort. It is easy to get to by walking out the doors in the main lobby, past the Wilderness Lodge Mercantile, and down the covered walkway. These villas are close to the resort bus stop and Boulder Ridge Cove Pool. The building itself is known for being a smaller and quiet version of Wilderness Lodge, with its own small lobby and sitting area with a fireplace.
Rooms:
Boulder Ridge offers four room categories: Deluxe Studios, One Bedroom Villas, Two Bedroom Dedicated Villas, and Two Bedroom Lock-Off Villas. Deluxe Studios sleep up to five adults. One-Bedrooms technically only sleep four adults, but on the DVC website it also says for members booking with points, a fifth person can be accommodated with no additional bedding supplied. In other words, you would want to bring an air mattress and bedding if taking advantage of this option.
The Dedicated Two Bedroom is similar, sleeping eight with members on points allowed to bring nine without additional bedding provided. The Lock-Off Two Bedroom sleeps nine. Similar to Beach Club, Two Bedroom Villas are the largest booking category at Boulder Ridge. The rooms have recently been refurbished while still maintaining the rustic feel with cute Disney touches. There are no view designations at Boulder Ridge, but most views are of the resort, woods, and sometimes the pool.
Buying & Using:
In July of 2023, the average sale price of Boulder Ridge on the resale market was $108 per point. Although the deeds have an earlier expiration of 2042, Boulder Ridge remains a good value for the resort, especially for the location. The point charts at Boulder Ridge are also very reasonable with studio rooms as low as 13 points a night, one bedrooms as low as 27 points, and two bedroom villas as low as 36 points a night. Annual dues for Boulder Ridge in 2023 are $8.5110 per point.
Overall:
Boulder Ridge is a great option to choose for your Disney Vacation Club Membership or even just to use your points. It’s a quiet resort located at Wilderness Lodge, with all the great amenities of the main lodge a few steps away. The price per point and point charts are favorable, and the refurbishment has left it looking great. It will always be the original Wilderness Lodge DVC!
Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Location:
Different from Boulder Ridge, all of the Copper Creek Villas (except the cabins) are located inside the main lodge. Copper Creek occupies the southeast wing of Wilderness Lodge, closest to Boulder Ridge. This puts it in a great location to most amenities, including both pools, the bus stop, and Geyser Point. Because it’s inside the main building, you also have easy assess to the Whispering Canyon Café, Roaring Fork, Artist Point, Territory Lounge, Wilderness Lodge Mercantile, and more without having to go outside. This is why Copper Creek is one of our top choices of DVC resorts to choose if you’re stuck during a hurricane.
Rooms:
Compared to Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek has more variety of room options. There are Deluxe Studios and Deluxe Studios with Walk in Shower, the difference here being having a tub/shower combination vs a walk-in shower. Two Bedroom Lock offs also have this choice. In addition, there are One Bedroom Villas, Dedicated Two Bedroom Villas, Three Bedroom Grand Villas, and Cabins. The Cabins are individual outer buildings along the lake shore and have two bedrooms. It’s important to note that unlike Boulder Ridge, Studios and One Bedroom Villas here can only sleep four adults. Two Bedroom Villas and Cabins can sleep eight, and Three Bedroom Villas sleep twelve. There are no view designations, and most views are of the resort grounds, pool, or woods. Having opened in 2017, Copper Creek is still among one of the newer resorts, and the rooms still feel fresh with beautiful Pacific Northwest theming.
Buying & Using:
Copper Creek does elicit a higher price on the resale market than Boulder Ridge at $153 per point last month (July 2023). This is due to the newness of the resort as well as longer expiration date of 2068. Annual Dues are also lower here at $7.9203 for 2023. Point charts are very similar to Boulder Ridge with slight differences. Both resorts start as low as 13 points per night. The Cabins and Three Bedroom Grand Villas add a lot of points to Copper Creek’s association. This is one complaint amongst owners that the cabins allowed DVC to sell more points here which has made studios (the most popular booking category) more of a challenge to book. Cabins range from 84-196 points a night and Grand Villas range from 91-206 points a night.
Overall:
Copper Creek is a fantastic resort for those looking to be in the action at Wilderness Lodge. It has a long deed expiration, a great point chart, and lower annual dues than most resorts. The rooms are beautiful, and theming is perfect. Best of all, you are so close to great places to eat, recreational activities, and just a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom.
We’d love to know your opinions on which of these Wilderness Lodge DVC resorts is your favorite! Join us on DVCFan.com for news and information on all things Disney Vacation Club, and join in the conversation in the DVC Fan Facebook Group.
Excellent detailed and concise comparison! Wilderness Lodge has always been a favourite destination for dining and I would like to stay here some day. There is a typo in the BRV section, however, “Although the deeds have an earlier expiration of 2024”
Great catch! Thank you for that!
Nice article. We are trying both out before/after the cruise. Was confused with the first sentence referencing Wilderness Lodge instead of Animal Kingdom Lodge though.