I do not have a Wii U, yet.
I currently have an original Wii, with GameCube compatibility.

This is my 2nd Wii since my first one got stolen in 2011.

I'm not sure if I want to transfer my Wii data to the Wii U or not when I get it.

I'm kinda worried about some things. For one, I just got Animal Crossing: City Folk (AWESOME game, BTW), and online, I heard that Wii Connect 24 doesn't work. Is this true? AC:CF relies quite a bit on Wii Connect 24 for extra items, such as DLC.

2nd, does the Wii U support online multiplayer and friend codes for online games, like SSBB & AC:CF? I'd imagine this is a no-brainer, but I just want to be 100% sure before I do a transfer.

3rd, can I do things like Everybody Votes Channel, Photo Channel and Check Mii Out Channel on the Wii U?

And 2 more things:

Do you have to be connected to the internet to do the transfer (other than downloading the app onto the Wii)?

And does the app format anything else left on the Wii that doesn't get transfered?

I hope someone can help me figure this all out.

the wiiu will run everything for the wii in wii mode, that includes everything that the wii done, from friend codes and wii points... when you go to wii mode on the wiiu, the wiiu esentially reboots and boots back up acting like a Wii

I am keeping everything on my Wii, I don't see any reason to transfer since I have room for both consoles.

I did my system transfer because I wanted to play through Skyward Sword Hero quest on my Wii U. Also I wanted to transfer my entire VC collection in the hope that if they do patch existing VC titles to be compatible with the Wii U Gamepad they will let those that have already purchased the titles to downloaded the updated versions for free...................I can dream.

Yeah, I know about "Wii Mode", but I also know that Message Board is deactivated as well.

All I would like is for someone who owns a Wii U to please help me out, and answer my questions.

Numbered your questions for organization purposes

1. WiiConnect24 will not work on Wii U
2. Wii U runs in Wii mode so yes, FCs will work in Wii mode
3. No, those will not work
4. Yes you do. Both consoles have to be connected
5. I do not think it formats everything that doesn't get transferred, but keep in mind ALL save data, ALL games (aside from a few) and most channels will be transferred.

Thanks! You helped me out a lot.
I will not be transfering my data.

Thanks again!

Also worth pointing out that through the Wii U Wii games look slightly clearer. Not game changing but worth considering. Ontop of that, and this might just be because I had an old launch Wii, I noticed that the Wii U loaded Wii games a fair bit quicker. It is also a bit quieter than the Wii was while playing Wii games.

So unless Wii Connect 24 is massively important to you I would saying transferring your stuff is the best option.

When I get my Wii U I probably won't transfer anything over from my Wii. Unless of course Nintendo comes up with a way to play your old VC games from the Wii U and not Wii Mode. As for Wii games looking better on the Wii U, I wouldn't mind playing them on the Wii U, I just wouldn't bother with transferring saves over from the Wii.

The only Channel that can be transferred from Wii to Wii U is the Skyward Sword Save Data fix channel. Everything that is non-transferable will stay on the Wii. The only things that are formatted are things that transfer over to the Wii U. The Wii U's Wii Menu itself only has the Mii Channel and Wii Shop built in, so no Photo Channel or News and Weather Channels. Wii Connect 24 doesn't work as mentioned already. You have to be connected to the internet while transferring because it has to transfer your Wii Shop account with purchase history and Wii points over to the Wii U's Wii Shop. Which brings up an annoying point about the process: anything that you can't fit onto the Wii's internal memory has to be re-downloaded from the Wii Shop after the transfer. And seeing as how the Wii has very little memory and the Wii Shop is extremely annoying to use, this can be quite a hassle. But, if you just want to enjoy your Wii/VC/WiiWare games without having 2 consoles hooked up and with the added bonus of going through a HDMI connection, then the transfer is worth it.

I know the DKC games transfer, but can anyone confirm that other removed games like TMNT or R-Type transfer over? I'm honestly waiting to hear any news about Wii U's VC before even considering buying the Wii U, but it would be nice to know that all of my games will indeed transfer over. The only game I've heard that doesn't is Lost Winds, which I don't have anyway.

I don't personally have those games (although I should've got the DKC games) but I know that they will transfer over as they were never really "removed" from the Wii Shop, just hidden so only those who bought them could still download them. As you said, Lost Winds is the only game that doesn't transfer, but Nintendo are working on a solution for that I've heard. I'm not sure why people are holding off buying the Wii U because of the lack of news surrounding the Wii U VC, I thought people would be buying it because of Wii U games and the GamePad!

They all transfer, I happen to have DKC 1,2,3, TMNT and Super R-Type.

At the moment, I don't feel there is anything involving the GamePad or any Wii U games that are worth spending $350 (plus an external hard drive). The VC is the whole reason I bought a Wii, and I've downloaded tons of games on it. So having them hidden away in a Wii Mode is just another reason in my opinion to not buy a Wii U just yet. Maybe they will change it to where your VC games can be played right on the Wii U interface, maybe they won't. Maybe they will try and re-sell you the same game. I don't know. Nobody knows because Nintendo is being hush hush about it. So until they announce something, I am perfectly happy playing VC games on my Wii.

Glad to hear, thanks for the info.

Few things to consider. The system does not boot itself into Wii mode simply by inserting a Wii disc, you have to go through the Wii U menu every time. The process could take anywhere from 30-45 seconds depending on passwords and whatnot. Finally when the Wii app is loaded, you'll notice the layout appears similar to the Wii with a few major exceptions: No Hulu/Youtube/Everybody votes etc. It is a dummied down version of the wii with the shopping channel and a basic Mii channel. You cannot save or transfer Mii's to/from your wiimotes like you could on a standard Wii system. Also I did notice a slight improvement in the picture quality of the Wii games on Wii U, but it was essentially the same as if you had a Wii component cable. There's no gamecube ports (obviously) so any gamecube controllers are rendered useless.

Honestly, I would only recommend this transfer to people who need the extra shelf space or ppl who plan on selling their Wiis.

Usually I transfer over all my stuff to have everything in one spot sorted nicely. But this time Nintendo really screwed up.
The transfer is more work than anything. All Virtual Console and WiiWare games stripped from their Gamecube Controller and WiiConnect24 features. And in exchange you still have the same old limitations. I still haven't transfered (because of the LostWinds issue too) Nintendo answered I should wait with the transfer until further announcement. The further announcement should be an update to get our Virtual Console and WiiWare games into Wii U Mode and not Wii Mode.

So just a quick question here considering transferring. I will be hooking up my Wii U on Christmas morning but I am still on the fence of transferring stuff. Honestly I dont care about my game saves on the Wii so it wont bother me having to start over on games if I want to play them on the Wii U. My only concern is my VC games now if I dont transfer them off of my Wii can I still go into the Wii mode on the Wii U and download the games that I previously bought or would I have to buy them again?

How can you download something thats not there?

When you transfer your stuff from Wii, you transfer all the licenses for VC games. So if the games themselves don't get transferred, then you can redownload them from the Wii Shop without purchasing them again.

Keep in mind you will not be able to play them on Wii anymore without purchasing them again once the transfer is done.