Why Wilderness Lodge

[Goofy4TheWorld]

I'm planning a June 2010 trip, and while I have likely settled on Pop or Movies, I am still considering other options. I have always wondered why anyone would pay for the Wilderness Lodge's deluxe price without the benefit of the Mororail or much of a MK fireworks view. So why do you stay?

I have recently started considering a stay (or at least a split stay) here even though I'm not sure why. Things most important to me are 1) Closeness of my room to the bus stop (or boat ramp) as well as the food court 2) ease of transportation in general (ie I disliked sharing buses at Movies b/c we always had to stand) 3) I like some kid-friendly theming and 4) money.

What I most want to know is this. From looking at the WL on the Web, it looks like it has taller buildings but is spread out over a smaller area, which would limit walking distances from the room to the main building & bus stop. Is this true, that the WL campus is more compact? I stayed at POR and hated it b/c it was such a long walk to the bus. Our stay at Movies was in the building immediately adjacent to the main building, and we LOVED that convenience. My other deluxe option would be the Contemporary, but it seems more spread out (we will be staying Standard view at any deluxe we choose.)

I don't mind using the buses (or a boat) I just hate having to walk a long way to get to the bus stop. Your thought are always appreciated!

[Dragongirlx]

We have stayed once at the Wilderness lodge and once at the Poly. The reasons we are going back to the Wilderness Lodge this year are as follows.

Although there is no monorail the boat to the Magic Kingdom is excellent and from their it is only a short monorail ride to Epcot. We never had any problem with buses either.

All the rooms are in the one building so their is no walk between buildings to get to the lobby.

We actually preferred roaring forks to the poly counter service place (can't remeber the name).

The grounds of the Lodge are beautiful (not that the Polys aren't, just like the forest theme better) and their is a beach to sit on as well.

Finally all the rooms have balconies and double sinks (essential for 2 girls sharing). We didn't get a balcony at the Poly and it was a bit of a dissapointment.

Finally we just liked the feel of the Wilderness Lodge better - felt more homey to us
so that is why we stay there

[VWL Mom]

Our first trip to WL was the year it opened, we fell in love with the theming. It just seems peaceful to us no matter how crowded it gets.

We like the closeness of everything, too, even the villas are attached via a covered walkway. No endless journeys to the bus or boat.

Another thing we enjoy is watching the water parade. We take some wine, sit on the beach, relax & enjoy.:cloud9:

[BigRedDad]

I stayed at WL back in November. It was beautiful, well laid out, and the theming was great. However, we only slept there. It was too cold to swim so that left little benefit.

After getting home and seeing that it cost me $2000 more than if I stayed at Pop Century, the convenience is negligible. I could have had a limo service to and from parks when I wanted and still saved money.

The way I view the resorts is based on how much time I will spend there. If I was on 14-day trip and was going to spend significant time at the resort, then splurging would be great. If not, save the money and stay at a Moderate/Value.

[RBrooksC]

I loved it due to the theming. The Pacific Northwest motif is well-executed. Also, it feels far away when it is almost spitting distance from the Contemporary Resort and the MK. The pools was nice and that theming was also well-executed with the river "flowing" from the lobby to the pool. The boat to the resorts or the MK was a wonderful way to travel. It is very relaxing to get on the boat and make way to the destination.

[Tygger7]

For us, there are multiple reasons why we choose to pay more to stay at WL. We've stayed at Pop, POFQ, ASMU, so we do have experience with all the levels of the resorts. Some key points for us:

1. Indoor hallways to rooms. (Just a personal preference...I hate the outside walkways because they just seem noiser...people forget to use their "inside" voices when walking by.)
2. The beds. Yes, the beds are WONDERFUL in WL...much, much softer & better than Pop. We stayed 1 night in Pop, then moved to WL. The difference was extremely noticeable.
3. Location, location, location. It's only a 10 minute boat ride to MK. It's my favorite way to get to/from WL...so relaxing being on the lake, even for a few minutes. Plus, we're closest to MK and can easily transfer to the monorail to get to Epcot.
4. Theming. Nuff said. Absolutely love it and I'm able to indulge in my fantasy of living in a log cabin. The grounds are pool are georgeous.
5. Convenience. Bus stop is close & easy to get to, Roaring Forks is one of our favorite places to eat, and the transportation in general is much better than the value & moderate resorts.
6. Did I mention the beds? When you're staying for 10+ nights, trust me...you'll REALLY appreciate them even more.
7. For us, it's also just part of the Disney experience. The resort is a destination in and of itself. We only get to go to WDW about every two years, so I want to make the most of my visit. I love sitting on the balcony in the morning with a cup of coffee & reading the paper. I love coming back at night and the feeling that I've escaped to the woods.

And yes, I'm going back...in 310 days! :D

[KronkHere]

On our most recent visit, we had dinner at the Whispering Canyon, specifically, so we could visit the WL and check it out. I must say, I was quite impressed. We usually stay at a moderate, mainly for the cost savings. For our next trip, DW and I have decided to stay Thanksgiving week at the WL when it is all dressed up for Christmas. I can hardly wait.

:pirate:

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Thanks for your posts, and I have a few questions to expand on if you don't mind....

Since all rooms are under one building, I am assuming that the far-out rooms of WL are still much closer to the food court and bus stop than the far-out rooms of the Contemporary. For someone who has stayed at both, would this be correct? If this is absolutely true, it makes me lean heavily against the Contemporary since any stay at any Deluxe would be at the cheapest price level for us. I really like the indoor corridors aspect.

Does the boat have a cover on it, or is it exposed to the weather. Does it run during rain? Also, do you have to fold strollers up on it?

As for the beds, is it correct that unlike at Values or Moderates, you can request a king bed in a room that has 2 adults and one 2-year old.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

I have just read somewhere that WL shares a bus with the Poly & the GF. Is this true? :(

[like2workout]

I just returned from a stay at wilderness lodge and sometimes it did share a bus with the grand floridian and polynesian, and sometimes we shared with just fort wilderness. it was about half and half. neither one seemed to take long at all or add big crowds to the bus - and this was at a time when the parks were very crowded.

[c&d]

If I remember they share it when they are heading out to Animal Kingdom. They also share their bus with Ft. Wilderness when going to the other parks

We've stayed at both and the walk from the Contemporary seemed much longer. We own at the Villas and the walk from the furthest condo out (yep we were lucky one year) seemed to be about as far as the outer buildings from the Contemporary.

The boat is covered from the MK, you can also take a bus back to the resort if you don't want to take the boat.

[ibrowse17]

I guess the main reason I really like the WL is because of it's theme and location. I say that because on all of the trips we took when I was younger, we stayed at Fort Wilderness. For me, the WL is an extention of that. Taking the boats, being close to the MK, the water parade and the outdoors feel all remind me of those trips as a child. Those reasons may not be valid for you, but are why we have stayed at the WL in the past, and why we would stay there again.:thumbsup:

[diz_girl]

You do have to fold up the stroller on the boat, since you need to step down to get into it. But you'd have to do that getting on a bus from a Value or a Mod.

Also, WL does NOT have a food court, so prepare yourself for that. I've read many posts where people who normally stay in values or mods move up to the WL and are disappointed in the food court. That's because it's not a food court, just a small counter-service restaurant. WL does have two TS restaurants, so it doesn't need a food court to serve everyone staying at the resort, which is the same at any other Deluxe. One bonus at the WL, food-wise, is that you are just a quick boat ride away from the TS restaurants at FW (Trail's End) and the CR (Chef Mickey's, the Wave, and California Grill), in addition to their CS restaurants. Also, once you take the boat to the CR, you can take a quick monorail ride to the Poly or GF (and even the MK) and enjoy their many resturants. So staying at the WL can really open up your dining choices at locations close to your resort.

[Figment78]

Actually, you do not need to fold your stroller (or take your child out of it), on the "big" boats between MK and WL. Only on the smaller ones. (we just did this in March)

WL rooms do seem much closer to the bus stops than many other resorts, so you would be happy on that note. As for sharing busses, yes, sometimes it shares with Grand Floridian. Sometimes with Fort Wilderness. Neither of these stops ever caused the trip to seem that long (except to Animal Kingdom which is just a long ride anyway) or very crowded. We always seemed to get a seat, especially in the morning.

The theming at WL is fantastic. It's serene (even in the chaos of WDW), beautiful, and the music in the grand lobby.... sigh... wish I was there right now!

[diz_girl]

Actually, you do not need to fold your stroller (or take your child out of it), on the "big" boats between MK and WL. Only on the smaller ones. (we just did this in March)

I remember having to fold up ours. I wish I had known that I didn't have to. Oh, well.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

:number1:
Also, WL does NOT have a food court, so prepare yourself for that. I've read many posts where people who normally stay in values or mods move up to the WL and are disappointed in the food court. That's because it's not a food court, just a small counter-service restaurant.

OH NO, we have a winner :(

Given the unpredictability we are planning on having with our then 2 1/2 year old, we have no desire to plan our upcoming trip around daily ADRs, so the absence of a great food court would be a deal breaker for this trip. Thank you very much for pointing this out! Is it true that all Deluxe resorts lack a food court comparable to the one at AS Movies?

There will be trips in the future, when our child(ren) are older, where daily ADRs might be made, but that will not likely be within the next decade for us. Oh well, I just saved over twelve-hundreds bucks, where should I spend it now? ;)

Oh yea, I just remembered that I was also considering a split-stay, so since an ADR for Whispering Canyon was on our really-should-do list, maybe I should split-stay at WL a few days and schedule my two or three likely ADR dinner days during that time??? :doh:

As always, thanks to everyone for lending your ear. I look back at previous trips and see so many regrets that would not have been if I had been on Intercot back then, and tips like these really will make our next trip extra special (and extra smooth).

I'm still listening if anyone wants to chime in!

[Pally]

When we stayed at Wilderness Lodge we thought Roaring Forks served us well. We had very large breakfasts that we could share. The muffins are great. They do have an area to sit down at.

Remember this resort itself is smaller than the values. Therefore the counter service does not need to be huge.

We liked the resort. :mickey:

[Tinkerbellfan]

Hello,

The WL doesn't have a "food court" but it does have a counter service area that we found very suitable. It has good breakfast offerings, nice snack offerings and almost anything a 2 1/2 year would need/want to eat. It doesn't has as many food stages as the moderates but it had plenty offerings.

We LOVE the Wilderness Lodge. We tried switching resorts once since our first stay at WL and decided we would never do that again. We love the theming. We have had several rooms in which we could see the fireworks from our room each night. I also loved seeing the electrical parade each night.

I love the various food options at WL - a sit down signature restaurant, a family friendly restaurant and a great counter service restaurant.

The theming is truly wonderful. It is so cozy - we love getting a glass of wine or hot cocoa and heading to a hidden fireplace at the end of the night - especially after a long soak in the hot tub!

Good luck deciding.

[Figment78]

We didn't have any problems with Roarking Fork (Counter service at WL). Having not been to Pop or All stars, I'm not sure ho much difference there really is other than size. I did a quick search on another site to compare the two menus and didn't see how Pop's or Allstar's were that significantly better from what is listed for WL. Maybe try looking at the menu's and see what you think.

[LarryBoy]

We haven't been to WL yet, but have stayed at the CR. The CS restaurants at the Deluxe resorts have very similar items to the food courts, they're just smaller. But they don't need to be as big because there aren't as many people. For me, if I had a toddler with me, it would be much more important to be close to the MK. That's where you'll spend most of your time, and you want it to be easy to come back to the hotel for naps and breaks.

[Sneaky Pete]

We love the theming and location and enjoy the boat rides to and from MK. We're going back in December. WL is especially beautiful during Christmas.

Poly would be my 2nd choice.

[WorldTraveler]

Have stayed at POP, all of the Moderates and most of the Delux. Each has advantages and different offerings.
For me, POP food court was like being in one of the theme parks because of all the people.
WL is so peaceful and we also find Roaring Fork to have everything we need.
Hint: At night when returning from eating at any of the resorts on the monorail loop, stop at the Contemporary and go down to the boat landing and take the shuttle boat. First stop will be WL. Easy way to get back home.

[garymacd]

We also love the theming. It is a great resort and the theming just speaks to us on a visceral level. I can't explain it better than that. We love the Mission-style furniture and the large fireplace in the lobby. I think I could sit there for hours - if there wasn't so much else to do.

The quick service restaurant worked well for us. The selection was fine and service was fast.

I believe WL is the cheapest of the deluxe resorts with all the amenities of the other deluxe resorts - no monorail, but there is a boat to MK, Contemporary and FW. The boat ride takes you right to the monorail station at MK or even Contemporary, so no real big deal there.

There is only one bus stop and it is located just outside the main building. Use the side entrance by the Trading Post to access it.