Thoughts on Wilderness Lodge

[clausjo]

I just booked a trip for January at the Wilderness Lodge. We've never stayed at a Deluxe resort before and I'm very excited. Can anyone let me know of any "must not miss" things at the resort? Also, I gave my kids a choice between Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge and, much to my surprise, they picked Wilderness. Any thoughts?

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

We're staying there for our 1st time in October, although we've visited and ate there on different occasions.

WL has very nice fine dining - if it's in your budget, Artist Point makes for a nice evening meal.

Electrical Waterpagent makes a stop at the Wilderness Lodge in the evenings as it makes its rounds around the 7 seas lagoon and Bay lake - make sure to see that (lasts about 10 minutes or so).

Make use of the water taxi - to the Magic Kingdom.

I'm sure others will come up with a lot more. It's a beautiful hotel.

[Scott C]

Absolutely loved it. Be sure to take the tour. I am sure that someone will have the details. Roaring forks was not bad -- filled most of our needs. Great pool. Bunk Bed room worked out well for us. Be sure to look around the resort -- there are many nooks and crannies to explore and enjoy. You will love it.

Thanks
Scott C

[Carolanne]

Haven't stayed there yet but it looks gorgeous. Enjoy!

WL seems like something my DH would love. We're already booked at POFQ for November & I gave him the option of upgrading to WL, and to my surprise he wants to stay with POFQ. I guess I did too good of a job selling him on POFQ :mickey:

[jnfr2424]

Have a great time! We went to this resort when it first opened and have been back 4 times since!
My sister and I love to talk and catch up late @ night in front of the big fireplace sitting in the rocking chairs!
Every 15 mins (I think) go outside and catch the geyser!
If you have time rent boats or bikes WL has some of the best trails to go around.
Hopefully it will be warm enough for you to swim in the pool and also notice where it begins
The ferry ride to MK is relaxing
Just like Scott C mentioned there are so many nooks and crannies to find especially if you are looking for a quiet spot mine is right when you enter the Lodge take the first staircase you see and there are sitting areas that are perfect for reading or people watch below!

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

[TheRustyScupper]

WARNING -- BIASED OPINION -- WARNING

1) I think you made a wise choice with WL.
2) You should truly enjoy your visit.
. . . take the tour (Sun-Wed, 9:00am)
. . . visit the Iron Spike Room and see Walt trains
. . . sit and wonder at the lobby & listen to the music
. . . stroll the grounds
. . . rent a boat and sail the lakes
. . . play in the beach sand
. . . walk (or ferry) to Fort Wilderness
. . . take in the nightly campfire
. . . see the geyser (on the hour)
. . . try to be Flag Family *

* First-come-first-served to be the ones to raise the flags. GREAT experience and views from the top of WL.

[Tigger&Stitch]

You will love it! My husband and I stayed there for the first time on our honeymoon 3 years ago, and just had to go back again last year. We loved it so much, we bought into DVC (Wilderness Lodge as our home resort). :mickey:

As others have mentioned, there is a Lodge tour (most weekday mornings at 9am), a beach where you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant, a top notch restaurant, and a fantastic snack place (Roaring Forks) - they have a breakfast croissant sandwich that we dream about when we aren't there.

You can also rent boats and bikes, and bike or walk to Fort Wildnerness. Fort Wilderness has a petting zoo and a Disney movie/bonfire (where you can get s'mores) most nights.

Oh! And definitely take the boat to Magic Kingdom (instead of a bus). The boat also goes to the Contemporary, and a different boat goes to Ft Wilderness.

Finally, you can get a set of clues from the front desk for hidden Mickey's all over the resort. The resort is just beautiful - check out the main lobby (and all the different levels of the lobby - lots of educational stuff regarding the fireplace and the many layers of rock), as
well as the Villas lobby.

Enjoy! :D

[Mousemates]

we loved our stay at the WL...had a courtyard view and could hear the water in the "mountain stream" from our balcony...looking out towards bay lake with all the pine trees it felt very much (without mountains) like some of the lodges we've stayed at in Montana/wyoming. The lobby is pure magic, the pool is great and the water taxi service makes for a relaxing trip to the MK and back.

Also remember that you can ride the boat to the CR...catch the monorail there...and use monorail service to Epcot...hope you have an A+ stay.

[TheVBs]

If we ever stay at a deluxe, this would be our first choice. I hope you have a wonderful time, can't wait to hear about it! :mickey:

[TinaAndGlenn]

We also LOVE WL! I am curious what 'view' room you booked? Last trip we overlooked the pool & lake area. It was spectacular! Although next time I am considering a woods view.
I enjoyed getting a dessert bar (YUMMY) & a cup of coffee (refillable mugs) in the evening and eating on the outdoor patio. The coffee is Necafe-not good for an avid coffee drinker, but the atmosphere more than makes up for its shortcomings!

[It'sWDW4me]

As Rusty said, request to be the Flag Family of the Day. I've heard it's a fabulous experience.

[clausjo]

Thank you to everyone that has replied; I'm so excited! Because of cost, we're booked in a standard view right now, but I'm hoping that there will be some type of passholder rate for this time and I'll be able to change to a better view. :thumbsup:

Does anyone know if there is a charge for the Lodge tour?

[Kate In Wonderland]

I agree with what everyone has said here! I've stayed at both the WL and the AKL. You can't beat WL for location! Definitely take the boat to MK, it's a much nicer experience.

Don't forget to ask for ketchup if you eat at Whispering Canyon (trust me...even if you don't use ketchup - ask for it anyway). :thumbsup:

Have a wonderful time!!!

[Scott C]

Thank you to everyone that has replied; I'm so excited! Because of cost, we're booked in a standard view right now, but I'm hoping that there will be some type of passholder rate for this time and I'll be able to change to a better view. :thumbsup:

Does anyone know if there is a charge for the Lodge tour?

Lodge tour is free -- Hopefully Stan is still there is is quite knowledgeable.

Thanks
Scott C

[prprincess]

So far, the WL is my favorite resort of them all. It's just a beautiful, peaceful, relaxing place. I loved all of the food options, the pool is great, and then the building and the grounds are just gorgeous. Enjoy!! I'm sure you will love it.

[wildernesslady]

The lodge tour is great. Stan was there for ours this past March. He was wonderful.We call him the ambassador for the lodge. He truly loves his job and the lodge. It is very relaxing there. You made a great choice. We had every DVC option available for our upcoming Oct. trip and still choose to return to our home resort. It is magical there.

[Princess'Mom]

Stan was there in late May/early June. I saw him in the lobby! :D

[darthmacho]

Though it has been 11 years since our stay in 1998, it continues to be our favorite resort. We visited in 1999 and 2003, and we plan on visiting again in 2010 no matter where we stay.
My wife and I love the theme and the decor, and the dining can't be beat. Artist Point is our favorite restaurant in the World, though next time we plan to take our young kids to Whispering Canyon for a wonderful lunch or dinner. I can't wait to go, I'm getting so inspired here on these boards again!

Have a great time at WL! Take time to explore the resort, and try both restaurants.:pine:

[jrpersinger]

Stan is still there. I talked to him last week by the geyser and again at the 4th floor sitting area above the lobby.

I am going to probably be the odd person out on this thread, but I was not overly impressed with the WL. I liked it, but not enough for a return visit. I thought the rooms were to small for us, the bedding was outdated and rough. And our general experience with the staff and overall service was plan BAD! To the point we were given 2 free nights.

The Lodge itself is beautiful. The pool was nice, but small and got REALLY crowded. We were also in a Courtyard View (rooms 4055 and 4057) right by the stream and it was really nice to sit out on the balcony at night and listen to it. I loved the boat transportation. The girls loved the pool parties. I also liked that its all under one roof.

[Septbride2002]

If we ever take a resort only trip I think either Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge would be my resort choice. I love the music they play in teh lobby of the Wilderness lodge - it is like salve on your soul. The Courtyard is beautiful and I love the view out onto the lake.

I have alwyas wanted to spend more time at Fort Wilderness w/o actually staying there (I'm not big on camping) so I think if we stayed a WL we would do some exploring over there.

You can sign up for the camp fire movie - where the kids roast marshmellows and then you watch a Disney movie on a big screen. Always seemed like a lot of fun.

~Amanda

[our happy place]

we will be staying for the first time next week, so I will let you know how we liked it when we get home. We are very excited and I have a feeling we won't want to stay anywhere else after this trip!

[LudwigVonDrake]

I just booked the Wilderness Lodge for the first time for next July. Can't wait! :wave:

[RocknBev]

You have been given great advice....
We love WL and will be there in January for the marathon weekend. Of course after I kill myself in the half-marathon I may not leave the room..if I make it to the elevator...if not I will be the one passed out in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace :blush:
Definitely take your kids to the Whispering Canyon Cafe! It's a hoot!

[mickeefan]

We are seriously considering the WL or WLV for our Spring trip. It seems like everyone loves it there. It would save us considerable $$.
Only concern is the big boats and the ECV's, but it appears that will not be a problem.

[Ropachs]

Little update - my in-laws stayed at VWL last week and got to be the flag family. They were very fortunate to have Stan, because he is retiring on 10/30/09, sad we won't get to meet him next year...

[KylesMom]

They were very fortunate to have Stan, because he is retiring on 10/30/09, sad we won't get to meet him next year...
:sad: DH and I were discussing this very thing a few weekends ago and we both had a gut feeling that Stan would soon be stepping down. He's truly a great man (and spokesperson for Disney), and celebrating the flag with him during each of our stays the past several years has been a HUGE highlight of staying at WL.

Notwithstanding the sad news of Ranger Stan's departure, WL has become our favorite Disney resort - and one that we continue to come back to each year. While we did have some bumps with the front counter staff this past June, I'm confident this was more of an exception than the rule. The other staff members around the hotel were spectacular, and the activities around the lodge can't be beat.

[like2workout]

i think you will love the wilderness lodge! i stayed there for the first time in june, and i'm staying again next week. some of my tips will be repeats, but here are some things i enjoy about it:
-a nice walk through the woods over to fort wilderness. it's either 1 or 2 miles one way, but it's a nice relaxing walk
-movies are shown at night on the beach there. we watched wall-e one night. beach chairs are out for everyone to sit in
-if you have family members who like pin trading, they have a small pin booth with a pin trading book you can look through each day and trade if you want to
-whispering canyon restaurant is alot of fun and good food! it's not a quiet place by any means, but i you like liveliness while you eat, you'll love it. plenty of activities for kids during the meals too.
-rocking chairs and fireplaces are everywhere!!

enjoy!

[BigBaloo]

Not sure if they still do it, but they used to have a Hidden Mickey search. The front desk had a sheet w/ clues on it & we spent about an hour searching for them all. It was really fun & a good way to look around the resort

[KylesMom]

Not sure if they still do it, but they used to have a Hidden Mickey search. The front desk had a sheet w/ clues on it & we spent about an hour searching for them all. It was really fun & a good way to look around the resort Yep, they still have the Hidden Mickey Search page! If it's not included in your welcome packet upon check-in, don't hesitate to ask for one. :mickey:

This was an ideal activity for us one night when it was pouring out & we just wanted to stay in. We ordered a pizza, then wandered the rest of the night, trying to find those elusive Mickeys!

[kemps@wdw]

LOVE the WL! :cloud9: Couple of things you could look into...
1. Guided tour of the resort (ask @ front desk)
2. Flag Family of the Day (see Ranger Stan)
3. Elec. light parade on the beach @ night
4. Water taxis to CR, MK and FW (@ dock)
5. Walking path to FW
6. WCC (ask for ketchup)
7. Real geyser (every 30 min)
8. Arcade
9. Marina (mouse racer boats)
10. Great pool/hot tubs (yes...tubS)


The resort itself is a real jewel. If your're an early riser, the sunrise @ the dock is truly stunning!

[KH]

You have been given great advice....
We love WL and will be there in January for the marathon weekend. Of course after I kill myself in the half-marathon I may not leave the room..if I make it to the elevator...if not I will be the one passed out in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace :blush:
Definitely take your kids to the Whispering Canyon Cafe! It's a hoot!

Hey Bev,

My brother in law and I are running the Half Marathon and staying at WL too! Enjoy your chair by the fireplace. We'll probably end up recuperating in one of the hot tubs at the pool on Saturday night . Have a great race!

[clausjo]

Thanks to everyone for all of the great advice. A little update . . . hubby was laid off a couple of months ago :( and we cancelled the trip. Then, he decided to start his own business so things are looking up a bit (a little, little bit, but it's something). He felt badly that that we wouldn't be going because I went back to school a couple of years ago and I'm finally graduating at the end of this month! :thumbsup: The original trip was what I wanted for graduation. So, me and the kids are going to go in February, but we had to downgrade to Pop. I'm happy to still be going and I really enjoy Pop, but I was looking forward for all of us to have a really nice stay at the WL.

We've made our ADR for Whispering Canyon so we can at least get over to the resort and have a fun meal and look around while we're there. It's not the same, but I'm sure we'll enjoy it very much. Does anyone know if we'll be able to get a hidden Mickey list while we're over there for our dinner?

Thanks again for everyone's wonderful advice. Hopefully we'll be able to put it to good use sooner rather than later!

[KylesMom]

Does anyone know if we'll be able to get a hidden Mickey list while we're over there for our dinner? Absolutely - just ask at the front desk. While I'm sorry your plans to WL had to be cancelled for now, at least you're making the trip to POP in February and can still enjoy Disney's magic. WL will be there when you're ready for your first stay!

Congrats on your graduation, by the way! :mickey:

[jonahbear2006]

your kids have great taste! the pool is uber cool in comparison, I think. The grounds are much more tranquil and, of course, location location location. You can always go to fort wilderness for the smore singalong and movie; chip and dale are there. There is a scavenger hunt you can get from your lobby at wilderness lodge, and I agree Artist Point is a fantastic place to eat. Whispering Canyon is not our forte, I have learned to despise disney restaurants that are loud. I need to take it back when I eat in a theme park setting not kick it up 10 notches. Their counter service there at WL is really good, too. And fort wilderness has the cheapest buffet on property for dinner if you are looking for a smorgasboard.

[jonahbear2006]

Thanks to everyone for all of the great advice. A little update . . . hubby was laid off a couple of months ago :( and we cancelled the trip. Then, he decided to start his own business so things are looking up a bit (a little, little bit, but it's something). He felt badly that that we wouldn't be going because I went back to school a couple of years ago and I'm finally graduating at the end of this month! :thumbsup: The original trip was what I wanted for graduation. So, me and the kids are going to go in February, but we had to downgrade to Pop. I'm happy to still be going and I really enjoy Pop, but I was looking forward for all of us to have a really nice stay at the WL.

We've made our ADR for Whispering Canyon so we can at least get over to the resort and have a fun meal and look around while we're there. It's not the same, but I'm sure we'll enjoy it very much. Does anyone know if we'll be able to get a hidden Mickey list while we're over there for our dinner?

Thanks again for everyone's wonderful advice. Hopefully we'll be able to put it to good use sooner rather than later!

dont feel bad. we are going through the same thing and my husband is, as well, trying to do independent contracting. We love deluxe and had to stay moderate; it was the cheapest thing to do for 5 people and we were so homesick for beach club the entire trip. I think we would've been happier at pop, personally. At least it's whimsical and fun. Look at it that way, and just be lucky to be there. We are going in December bc we have annual passholders but we are only going with enough chump change for gas, so I feel like we are really pushing it. Things will get better and disney will be waiting! goodluck.

[Maleficent's Dad]

One of, if not the best Disney themed resort. The attention to detail here is second to none.

The resort is comfortable. It's really well done and it's just plain nice to stay there.

I could list a few flaws, but these are minor, nit-picky details.

Great place. :mickey:

[Roland]

If you go to the Whispering Canyons, don't forget to ask for ketchup! :D:secret::thedolls: