Wilderness Lodge question

[dizneydeb22]

Hi fellow Intercoters!

My husband and I are upgrading our current ASSp ressie to a deluxe! (Feb '12) My husband has always wanted to stay at the WL. While most of the reviews I have read are positive, I read some pretty disturbing ones as well. Complaints of awful cast members, filthy rooms, etc.
Has anyone gone more recently that can give me some feedback. Our second choice is BC.

Ok intercoters... Please HELP!!

[green ranger]

We have been fortunate and have stayed at WL 5 times. 4/5 times were great! The last, most recent in 2009, there were ants all over our room. We didn't notice them until the second day there. I noticed some the first night after coming back from the parks, but by morning, they were all over our stuff! We went down to the front desk and they said an exterminator will be there some time that day to spray our room. Um, no, we want a new room! They did accommodate us. That's the only complaint I could say that I have about WL.

[dizneydeb22]

We have been fortunate and have stayed at WL 5 times. 4/5 times were great! The last, most recent in 2009, there were ants all over our room. We didn't notice them until the second day there. I noticed some the first night after coming back from the parks, but by morning, they were all over our stuff! We went down to the front desk and they said an exterminator will be there some time that day to spray our room. Um, no, we want a new room! They did accommodate us. That's the only complaint I could say that I have about WL.

Thank you for your response. I giggled a little at your only issue..the ants..my husband is an exterminator...LOL!

[Dragongirlx]

I have stayed in Wilderness lodge a few times now and I have never had a problem with the rooms. I love this place.
This is my fave resort

[brivers222]

ants in a wilderness lodge seems pretty spot on to me... bugs are our friends!

[Mousemates]

our last stay at the wilderness lodge was about 12 months ago and was wonderful...we had a honeymoon suite (it was our 25th anniversary) and our room was clean, the service we received was excellent and we had no transportation issues at all. The WL is my all around favorite resort.

So while there is always the chance you might get a mousekeeper or staff member who has had a bad day, I would take the few bad reviews with the proverbial grain of salt. Its a great resort with a good track record of guests leaving very happy.

[Stickey]

We last stayed at the WL in September, 2011.

Pros:
1) Theming
2) Close to MK
3) Great housekeeping
4) Greatly improved options at RF- waffle bar.
5) Boat service to MK
6) Watch water pageant from WL beach
7) Walk, or boat to Ft. Wilderness
8) Artist point was excellent.

Cons:
1) Bus service was often slow and crowded. On some days there would be 3 buses for other parks before 1 appeared to the park you were going to.
2) Boat service to MK was slower and more crowded than previous September trips.
3) Shared buses with GF. This creates a very long trip to AK. In contrast, AK is a quick drive if you have a car.
4) Room assignment for courtyard view rooms is questionable. Some rooms are clearly woods view and should not be utilized as courtyard view.
5) Seating at RF is very limited.

[buzznwoodysmom]

We have stayed at WL 4 times with our most recent being June of 2010 and March 2011. We had no major complaints on either of our most recent trips. The lodge appeared to be in great shape and we had no transportation issues. The only transportation "problem" was that the bus stop was being renovated so the temp. bus stop was located in the parking lot, not really a problem, but not as convenient as past visits. However the referb of the bus stops should be complete so no worries for you. In June of 2010 we did get a room in which the carpets had just been cleaned and were still wet, but we were moved to another room, with an upgraded view, within minutes. The only time we had issues with a clean room and really bad housekeeping at WL was back in 2007.

We are headed back to WL for Christmas this year and I have no worries about the room or lodge at all. Enjoy!

[waymickey]

NO Worries!! We have stayed at the WL 3-4 times and have always had a magical stay. Buses do not always share with other resorts infact our last 2 trips there was no sharing at all. The boat ride is great and if you time it right you can see the firworks from the lake, our boat captian always stops to watch.

[BeccaO]

We stayed at the WL a couple times over the past 2 years and I have nothing but good things to say about everything!! Previous to these stays we had always stayed at the GF, so the bar was set pretty high from the beginning. The room was clean, mousekeeping did an excellent job and the view was fantastic!! Both times we requested a courtyard view, the first time we had a ground floor room and our patio opened right onto the stream in the courtyard right outside the main lobby. The 2nd visit was the same exact room except up on the 3rd floor, again fantastic and quiet!!! The only complaint I have is the lack of seating at RF for such a large resort. You would look think for a resort of that size they would have a larger counter service restaurant. I have recommended WL to many people, it is a deluxe resort but without the price tag of the other deluxe resorts on Disney property.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Happy to hear this as we will be there for a 1st visit in December

[mydisneygirls]

We were there last month and LOVED it. The one very small problem we had was on arriving in our room, I the fridge didn't work. On our way out to the MK, I stopped at the front desk to let them know. They were extremely helpful and friendly and when we got back to the room that night, a new fridge was there. Our room was always clean as was all areas in the resort. Can't wait to stay there again as it has become my second favorite resort (Poly #1). You won't be dissapointed with your stay there.

[wdwaggie]

We stayed recently (9/19-9/23) for the first time and both my Wife and myself are convinced that this is the only place on property we will ever stay at again. I fell in love with the beauty and warm feel of this resort from the moment we checked in until the time we left. We were fortunate to be upgraded to the Club level and although the rooms were probably the same, the feel was different. WL is my favorite. RF was a little small, but very manageable. WCC was fun and the food was good. We also ate at AP and were blown away by the food selections.

[WDW&MK]

We were just there for the first time 9/6 thru 9/17. Loved it! Service was exceptional. Mousekeeping was really fantastic (DH was sick one day so we had our "do not disturb" sign out all day and they left a message offering housekeeping if needed and then left a huge bag of clean towels on our door without us even requesting it). RF was manageable. Smaller selection than at POR but food was excellent. Bus service and boat service were very good. I never had any wait longer than 15 - 20 minutes and they only promise bus service like every 20 minutes. WL is first on/first off of transportation though so even if you share with GF or the campgrounds - you get first option of seats.
Go and enjoy!! We will most definitely go back

[buddie]

Overall bus service is good and buses are hardly ever over crowded.
Bus ride to MK is 5 minutes and is never crowded.
Buses to all parks come at the same frequency as at all other resorts.

[dizneydeb22]

Thank you all for your wonderful advice. I knew I could count on you all to make our decision easier!

[steph436]

My family and I have stayed at the WL and we LOVE it! I have never had a bad experience there and encourage you to try it!

[alaMode]

We'll checking in at WL in 10 days! This will be our third stay in under a year...

We've never had an issue-check in has been great (we've been upgraded to a courtyard view each time!), our room has always been ready at check-in, everything is clean and in good condition, and the resort itself is beautiful and fairly compact, which makes getting around so easy!

The bus transportation can be on the slow side, but the boat service is wonderful! MK is our favorite park, so we use the boat a lot.

Enjoy your trip-you are going to love WL!

[joonyer]

Don't judge any resort by a few bad reviews. Look at the ones with high overall averaged ratings. as big as the WDW resorts are, and as many guests as go trough them, there is no way that any resorts will have 100% perfect reviews from every guests. Many of us just can't be pleased! Lot's of people are so picky they'd find problems and complain about a free stay in Cindy's Castle!

But I think you'll find that WL is rated very good overall. Look at reviews from independent rating sites as well. It's possible to have something go wrong or be unsatisfactory at any resort, no matter how much you pay, but those experiences are going to be the exception and not the rule at WDW resorts. We've always had a great experience at every resort stay at WDW, even though I couldn't say any of them were perfect.

[Disney Doll]

We just got back yesterday and loved it! The themeing is great, the resort grounds are very pretty, and the extras like the campfire marshmallow roast and movies on the beach each night really put it over the edge. We like renting bikes and taking the trail to the campgrounds...saw deer on two seperate occasions which was pretty neat. We stayed in the villas so we didn't have daily housekeeping, but the midweek trash/towel service was fine and every housekeeper we passed in the hallway was extra friendly.

The only negatives I can see would be:
1. We did share buses with GF on nearly every trip which meant the bus rides were long. We normally rent a car so that wasn't a deal breaker for us, but it certainly was less convenient than experiences I have had with Disney buses at other resorts.

2. Roaring Forks seemed to have less selection than some of the counter service locations at other resorts and it was overly crowded with not enough seating during peak meal times.

Overall though I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.