Honest opinions on Wilderness Lodge

[maggie1020]

I am about to book a trip for DH and my boys 5 and 2 next july at the Wilderness and I just wanted some feedback on the hotel, buses and food . Thanks everyone. Im sooooo excited already:mickey:

maggie

[mrp4352]

Hi!

My soon-to-be 4 niece loves the "lodge home"! We really enjoyed the boat transportation (we'd even take the boat to the Contemporary to catch the monorail to Epcot, rather than take the bus because it was so pleasant). The bus transportation was good.

Food options - food court was a little small, but the food tasted good. We'd end up grabbing and going rather than getting comfy in the dining area. We enjoyed Whispering Canyon - remember, you go for the atmosphere, not necessarily for the food (although breakfast was wonderful!). ;)

Have a lovely trip! I'm jealous!

[benny]

I hope you have a wonderful trip! I will watch this thread with interest as I'm wondering about booking the same accommodation.

Jenny

[mickey&missy]

Honestly?

It's fantastic! We stayed there this past October and loved it! We'll definitely stay there again, probably many times.

All off the CM's where great, from the people at the concierge desk to the people in the Merchantile to the lifeguards!

Roaring Forks is a little small but, its great to get breakfast or lunch. If you can sit outside its very nice and relaxing, just watch out for the birds. We loved Whispering Canyons! We had lunch there and thought the food was great. Its so much fun!

We never had a problem with the bus service and never waited long. Having the boat to MK is great!! Its so easy and very relaxing!

You'll have a wonderful time!

[maggie1020]

Thanks....We were there last October for a shorter visit (MNSSHP) and stayed at the POP which in all honesty I loved but the only thing that irratated me was being able to hear everything from up above and rooms next door. It didnt bother the little ones at all at night. This time we thought we try something different. Considering my kids are still young I think the boat is a great idea. :thumbsup:

[luv_cinderella]

We stayed there in October 2006, and maybe we caught a bad 8 day time-frame, but the bus transportation was absolutely horrible! They were quick to arrive at the resort in the morning, but once you got to a park or DTD... I hope you weren't in a hurry (as in you have an hour to kill) to get back to the resort. We attempted to return directly to WL from DTD, AK and EPCOT and all had terrible service. Literally saw at least two buses for every other resort go through (and some of them had three) before a WL bus showed up. Ok, I'm done. :soapbox:

Other than that, we did enjoy WL. It was not a relaxing resort to be at due to the extremely high level of commotion and the noise throughout the lobby and food court area with the wood and tile floors... but we did think it was beautiful and the service was fantastic. We ate at all three "restaurants" (including Roaring Fork) and food was good at all.

We'd like to chalk up the bad bus service to a fluke... we'll probably try WL again in the future.

[sassafras]

We've stayed at the WL Villas in May of this year and July of last. Our only complaint about the whole trip was the bus service. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere. We were forwarned about this by a couple two or three years ago, but tried it anyway. I personally love the atmosphere, but the bus service definitely needs improvement!:goodbad:

[DizneyRox]

WL is not one of my favorites. I like the look of the resort and the restaurants are great.

My problem is with transportation. With a deluxe I would expect better service. It seemed the busses were always going someplace else first, and then my destination. The only good transportation was the boat to MK, but we spend very little time there, so it didn't make up for the rest.

I did seem to wait longer than others for a ride back home.

But, the resort was clean, great to walk around, the room were clean and the CMs seemed friendly enough. It would be a third or fourth choice for future stays. Definitely ahead of the value resorts, no question there, but AKL is so much better IMHO.

[wdw_bound]

We fell in love with WL when we first went to WCC two trips ago. We stayed there for the first time last year for a week and fell even more deeply in love. We are going back this December :cloud9:

The lobby was amazing - we loved sitting in the rockers by the fireplace, and the kids thought the indoor stream and bridge was really cool! They enjoyed crafts in the afternoon and the Cub's den. I loved being able to go out on the balcony with a cup of coffee before everyone else woke up (I'm the only super-early riser, and in other rooms, I usually have to stay in bed so as not to disturb the others).

Mousekeeping was wonderful, and I can't say enough good things about the front desk staff. We were celebrating DD's birthday, and they sent up a cake and a card signed by Cinderella, but DD's favorite part was the WL card signed by the front desk staff. The CM who checked us in even called out to her as we walked through the lobby to wish her a Happy Birthday!

The pool is great, and the kids thought the geyser was neat. We enjoyed sitting on the beach at night to see the EWP.

We had no transportation issues whatsoever, but you have to keep in mind that the boats may not be at the dock just when you are ready to leave. For example, we were going to CM for dinner and got to the dock right after a boat left and had to wait about 20 minutes for the next one (it's around 5 minutes once you are on board).

I have a theory that everyone who goes to WDW has a resort that makes them feel that they are in the perfect place - it just takes some people a few stays to find the right resort. We will look no further - WL is us :)

[SgtTigger]

I have stayed several time as you can see from my signature....

I love the resort.

With that said yes I have had issues in the past with the buses..... In he last couple of years they have been pretty good with the bus service.


A huge plus with Wilderness Lodge is...
You never have to walk outside to get anywhere except the boat dock.
The walk to the bus is covered you are inside from the lobby to your room. How many hotels at Disney can you say that about. This is a big plus in my opinion with kids......

The food is a lot better from Roaring Fork that it has been in the past. Not that it was bad before but it was even better the last trip than before.

Whispering Canyon has good food to if you like BBQ and such. Yes, it is loud and they have plenty of things for kids to do but as long as you know going into that you will be OK.

The lobby is such a great place to hang out at.

The pool is very nice for the kids to.

Remember you can also walk over to the villas right next door for a more quiet pool.

Speaking of the villas don't forget to walk over and check out the Iron Spike room and they have games and 2 of Walt's backyard railroad cars in that room.

Yes I could go on and on but I will stop for now...





:cop: :tigger:

[mttafire]

We love it!!! I think its Disneys best themed resort hands down. We drive to the parks so no help on the buss question. W.L. and the C.R. are our two favorite resorts at Disney..If we could afford to we would stay at one of them EVERY trip. You will absolutely love it!:thumbsup: Also, Yes the lobby is a great place to sit and take it all in.

[2Epcot]

I got to "sample" the Wilderness Lodge on my last visit. I only stayed there on my final day /night, but I enjoyed it so much I look forward to staying there again soon. I do remember waiting for the bus, on the couple of times I used it while I was there, but I loved the look of the resort. I had a view looking at the springs and the pool. The whole resort has a great feel to it.

[katzctkpt]

We ate at Whispering Canyon in the WL this past June. Food was ok imo. The resort is beautiful. We did have to wait for the bus a little longer than I thought. Not sure what your kids like but, we stay at the POR Riverside Alligator Bayou and absolutely love it. There is fishing, pools, boat rentals, horse & carriage rides, bikes etc... the cost would be less than the deluxe more $$ for souveniers etc..check it out. With all bus trans. every resort has a wait time and crowds. Goodluck in making a decision.

[anewvision]

We've stayed at the WL Villas in May of this year and July of last. Our only complaint about the whole trip was the bus service. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere. We were forwarned about this by a couple two or three years ago, but tried it anyway. I personally love the atmosphere, but the bus service definitely needs improvement!:goodbad:


Thank you the buses are forever getting to
anywhere. At least 20 minutes is the shortest
ride. By contrast the longest from ASMu is
15 minutes (to MK).. The ride from WL to
EPCOT goes to GF first look at that on a
map. It can take up to 30 minutes.

But it is a very nice resort.

[wjrhw]

I have to agree about the bad bus service. We stayed there last January and the bus service was terrible. The visit before we stayed at POP and never waited more than a few minutes. We waited over 40 minutes on multiple occasions throughout the week.

It also took almost 40 minutes to get to Downtown Disney? I don't know where the bus driver was going because it only took 9 minutes on the return trip. By the way, I had just bought a new Mickey watch with a stopwatch built in so the times are not exaggerated.

It is kind of embarrassing to admit, but as soon as we got back, we booked the POP for our next trip. Just got back from the POP a couple of weeks ago and the food/service/buses were top of the line.

Trying POFQ this January and hoping we don't miss POP.

[Mickey'sGirl]

It's all a matter of personal preferences -- but our stay at the Wilderness Lodge last New Years Eve is our least favourite Disney resort stay ever (and we've tried a lot of them). We found the rooms small, dark and not very clean. It is a beautiful resort, but not one we are keen to go back to.

[iheartdisney]

-I'd like to 'second' all of the rave reviews of this resort. The themeing is beautiful, the atmosphere so relaxing after a day at the parks, pool is refreshing, CM's are excellent.

-I'd like to 'second' all of the complaints about the transportation. Our last visit there was 2 yrs. ago (so they may have improved things since then but judging from the above posts, maybe not) and we were traveling with an infant and a toddler. After two days of our 10 day stay we got so tired of waiting for bus service (the boat service to MK was never much of a problem) we ended up using our car to get to EPCOT, MGM or AK. When babies are cranky the last thing we wanted to do was wait and subject others (and ourselves!) to excessive crying and whining.

[RBrooksC]

-I'd like to 'second' all of the complaints about the transportation. Our last visit there was 2 yrs. ago (so they may have improved things since then but judging from the above posts, maybe not) and we were traveling with an infant and a toddler. After two days of our 10 day stay we got so tired of waiting for bus service (the boat service to MK was never much of a problem) we ended up using our car to get to EPCOT, MGM or AK. When babies are cranky the last thing we wanted to do was wait and subject others (and ourselves!) to excessive crying and whining.

This is the reason I always rent a car when I go to Disney. When my wife, son and I have our first stay the WL, we will use Disney transportation to the MK and most likely to Epcot (boat to CR and then monorail), the rest of the time, I will drive to get to places.

This way, when we want to leave to go to the hotel for a rest, we can go right to the car and then right to the hotel. The idea of just missing a bus and having to stand around and wait for the next one with a tired toddler isn't my idea of a relaxing trip.

[Tygger7]

We stayed at the WL last May, during Star Wars Weekends, and had absolutely no problem with transportation. Buses were 1000% better than Port Orleans, where we stayed the last time we were at WDW. We took the boat whenever possible and only used the bus for Animal Kingdom. We had no problems catching buses from any of the parks and never waited more than 10-15 minutes anywhere. Times could be worse during busy seasons, but we've never had any issues.

As for the resort, it's my "hands down" favorite...we've walked through all the other deluxe resorts, but just can't bring ourselves to stay anywhere else. The pool is georgous, and everything is easily accessible...bus stops, boat launch, restaurants, etc. We're heading down to WL next May for 10 days, and wouldn't think of staying anywhere else.

[pox24]

We have visited there more than any other resort. Its still fabulous!:thumbsup:

[#1donaldfan]

Never stayed there but we've eaten there. What a beautiful place......we normally stay at POR, but if I were to "cheat" on POR, that's the one I would substitue for......

[floridamom]

We loved it during our stay there last December---living in Florida, it was nice to have a more "Christmas-y" feeling thanks to the theming.

WL also had the best Mousekeeping that we have encountered throughout our stays at various resorts. Very friendly, efficient, and lots of little extras (balloons, towel animals, etc.) for our girls.

As far as transportation, I can understand the frustration with the bus system. We had been warned about this, so we used the boat to get to MK and Epcot (via CR monorail), and drove our car to DTD, DS and AK. If you're able to do that, then the slow bus service shouldn't be a major issue.

Good luck and have a great trip!:mickey:

[Crow]

its my fav and i will b back there in a few wks
Ambiance 5:mickey:
food at AP 5:mickey:
room 4:mickey:
transportation 4:mickey: (bus & boat)
i had a pool view & a villa/bus stop view.
ive eaten at WC twice...ok but probly not again. AP on the other hand is great
i had 1 bad trip on the bus to DD..1 hr. otherwise not too bad but it does share w some other resorts. you can take the boat to MK, walk or bike to FW.

[Alpha Jeanie]

The Wilderness Lodge is awesome. When you walk thru the front doors to the hotel take time to look up and take in the grandeur of the lobby. The feeling I got when I walked into the lobby for the first time is one of my favorite memoires of Wilderness Lodge. Check out the fireplace. The rock work of the chimney represents the layers of the rock of the grand canyon.
There is a hot spring that flows right from the hotel lobby out to the pool.

All the CM's there were very helpful and friendly. Mousekeeping would leave us cute washcloth animals daily...the kids loved it.
The rooms were clean and nicely decorated and had plenty of room for our family of 4.

We loved eating at Whispering Canyon. The food and fun atmosphere were both great. That was our first meal upon arrival at Disney and left a great impression on us. We will definately dine there on every trip. We only ate at Roaring Forks for breakfast items and to refill our mugs. We thought that the food and service was good.

The transporation from the Lodge was excellent. We loved taking the boat to the Magic Kingdom and also used the boat to get to Epcot. To get to Epcot, we took the boat to the Contemporary hotel, then the monorail to the Transportation center and then swithed monorails to get to Epcot.
The buses were also easy to use from the Wilderness Lodge. I don't think that we ever waited more than 10 minutes for a bus to arrive. (we were there late May and plan to be back to the Wilderness Lodge next May).

We did not spend any time at the pools during the day, but took a cool dip every night when we got back to our hotel. The pool area was very nice.

Every night at 9:45, check the current schedule when you go, you can go to the dock at the hotel where you catch the boat to the Magic kingdom, you can stand there and watch the Electric Water Parade that passes right by the Lodge. It was pretty neat to watch!!

You can also take a tour of the hotel. Just check at the front desk for tour times. We were not able to fit it into our schedule on the last trip, but it would be nice to see on our next visit.

On our last day of our vacation we were chosen as the Flag Family at the Lodge. When you check into the hotel, ask to get on a list to be chosen as the Flag Family. Every day they pick one family from the list to raise all the flags that fly on top of the Lodge. A wonderfully sweet older man named Stan, is in charge of the flags. He took us on top of the roof of the hotel and each of us got to raise a flag. (Fl. state flag, Disney flag, Wilderness Lodge Flag, American Flag, and one more...I don't remember). There was a beautiful view of Disney World from on top of the hotel. We also received a certificate that stated we were the Flag Family. It was definately an experience we will never forget.

As you can tell, I loved the Wilderness Lodge and will always put it on the top of my list of favorite places to stay. We will be back at the Lodge at May with the kids.

Enjoy your stay, and take time to look at all the wonderful details that Disney put into this awesome hotel.

[FalconeNJ]

My wife and I have stayed at the Widerness Lodge 4 times and we are going back early December. Our favorite place to stay by a long shot just from the atmosphere. :number1:

[Mickie the Pooh]

Quick question, don't the boats go to the Trans and Ticket center too?

[DizneyRox]

Quick question, don't the boats go to the Trans and Ticket center too?
No, stops are MK, Contemporary, and Ft Wilderness. Not all on the same boat however.

[4277]

Stayed here a few years ago. Loved the atmosphere but the transportation was terrible. We don't plan on returning to this resort.