Everything you know -WL

[EmmMOM2]

Please tell me everything you know about the wilderness lodge...and any experiences good or bad that you've had their. I've never been. :mickey:

[Jenemmy]

Ahhhhhhh......Wilderness Lodge :paw::pine:

I adore Wilderness Lodge. Just walking in the lobby takes your breath away. The sights, sounds and smells are wonderful and instantly relaxing. For me personally, I feel more swept to a different place here than at any other resort on property. You sort of feel like you are in a cozy little nook of the world.

I have not stayed there since they have renovated the rooms, but the pictures look nice. The rooms are a bit smaller than some of the other deluxes, but still a nice size. We had a courtyard view on the top floor and really enjoyed that. The boat to the MK is very convenient.

You might want to inquire about being a flag family. We were just walking through the lobby one morning (our last morning there) and a cast member stopped us and said "Hey -- do you all have a few extra minutes?" He then took us up to the roof of the lodge while he raised the flags for the day. The experience and views were incredible.

Look for the little details --- the carvings on top of the poles in the lobby, the layers of rock on the fireplace, the hot spring that starts in the lobby and seems to flow through into a creek down to the pool, the little critter pawprints in the pavement around the grounds........ENJOY!!!!

[pox24]

Its the best deluxe hotel for the price. One of our favorites. Great food, convenient boat rides to CR, MK, FW, GF, Poly. Not to mention the villas and the lobby. We are DVC members and prefer the villas for the privacy and quietness, and quiet pool. :thumbsup:

[Catzle]

We stayed there this past May and really enjoyed it a lot. We had always stayed at the Poly and were very worried about going but we would actually stay there again over the Poly because the Poly is so expensive. The grounds are really nice. The pools are great including the quiet pool which is great. The geiser that goes off is fun to watch. We had great transportion with the buses and the boats. We really just liked everything about the WL. The only downfall we saw was we thought Whispering Canyon, the food place, was too small for the amount of people that stay there.

[kim1st]

We really loved WL. When we go back, I'm struggling with whether or not to stick with the "tried and true" or try something new. I liked how it felt really secluded, but it was just a quick boat ride to MK and a reasonable bus ride to the other parks. The boat also stopped at the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness, which made evening ADRs for any of the MK resorts reasonably convenient.

The theming was very well done and it was a really relaxing place to come home to after a long day in the parks.

[KylesMom]

Our two 15-day stays at WL have been wonderful - hence why we are returning for a third time in 2008.

The staff have always been great, rooms & balconies are comfortable, Mousekeeping has always taken good care of us and the resort itself is truly beautiful. The pool has always been maintained wonderfully during our stay, and the MK is just a short boat ride away from the resort.

I must admit that we were a bit apprehensive in moving from CR to WL (budget reasons) since we had many bad experiences with transportation when we stayed at FtW a few years earlier, but we have never had an extreme wait in either direction utilizing boat transportation. We rent a car to travel to locations other than MK, and there is ample parking for guests returning late in the evening.

The electric water pageant passes by WL every evening, and it's a short boat ride away (or 1-mile walk) from FtW if you want to participate in the activities over there. We have been privileged to participate in the Flag Family festivities once each year, and it truly adds something special to our vacation. We really enjoy the food & antics at Whispering Canyon for dinner, and the Mercantile has some great merchandise in their store.

The only thing that I would like to see differently at WL is a bit better situation at Roaring Fork, their CS eatery. They utilize hot plates for their grill items, and soggy/lukewarm food just doesn't cut it. Roarking Fork does have a great selection of beverages for the refillable mug program, however.

Everything else about WL is wonderful! :mickey:

[diz_girl]

WL is definitely a wonderful place to stay. I could sit in the lobby for hours. You may find yourself doing the same. Another great feature of the WL is the path to FW. You can rent bikes (if you don't bring your own) and bike to FW and back. The path is about a mile long.

[RBrooksC]

The first thing I noticed before even the lobby is the music. The music they use there is, I think, the best music played in a resort in Disney.

The rooms aren't large but they are good sized.

The themeing includes a hot spring flowing inot a stream to a waterfall to another stream to the pool and then into Bay Lake.

The boat ride to MK and the CR is very relaxing and some of the best transportation in WDW.

Oh, and the Character Totem is wonderful and whimsical. It adds that last Disney touch to the lobby which really makes you feel you have stepped into the Pacific NW.

[Jenemmy]

Oh, and the Character Totem is wonderful and whimsical. It adds that last Disney touch to the lobby which really makes you feel you have stepped into the Pacific NW.


oooooo -- I LOVE that totem. I have a replica sitting here on my desk looking at me!:mickey:

[Eeyore's Pal]

oooooo -- I LOVE that totem. I have a replica sitting here on my desk looking at me!:mickey:

Did you get it at the Mercantile? I want one, I want one.

[Jenemmy]

Did you get it at the Mercantile? I want one, I want one.

Yep, at the mercantile -- it is one of my all time favorite souveniers :D I actually have two of them because someone gave one to my DH's grandma and she gave it to me, saying "what am I suppose to do with this thing???" LOL. If ya ask me, she found the PERFECT thing to do with it.

[Eeyore's Pal]

Thanks. I'll definitely be looking for one in 49 days. The totem pole was one of things I'm excited to see there. I love Humphrey Bear and you never see him anywhere.

[mickey&missy]

:cloud9::cloud9::cloud9:

We LOVE WL!!!!

We stayed there last year and it was fantastic! I truely can't say enough about it. We stayed at AKL in 2005 and loved it, WL was that much better!! IMHO, you'll love it! The entire atmosphere is just wonderful! I remember pulling into the drive and noticing the animal topieries (sp??), there was a moose and a bear, I thought they werejust beautiful! Then you get your first view of the building and it's just breathtaking! Getting out of the limo to the bellmen in there uniform and hearing the wilderness sounds, walking into the lobby and hearing the music and seeing the absolutely stunning sights, OMG! It's wonderful!! We stayed there during the refurb, so haven't seen the rooms since. But our room was on the 3rd floor 2 doors from the far end of the hallway. If we went on the balcony and looked left we could see Bay Lake and the electric water pagnent! I really enjoyed going to Roaring Forks early in the morning to get coffee and then sitting on the balcony and watching the sunrise :cloud9:

We are staying at the Poly in March. We decided to stay there because we'll have our then nine month old with us. We thought staying in a monorail resort would great so we could go back and forth easier from MK and Epcot.

Now I keep getting this feeling that I should have reserved WL! UGH! The boat ride from WL to MK is just as convenient and so relaxing! I keep promisng myself I'm not going to change, I really want to try the Poly. But, I just love WL so much! I know we'll stay there many, many times in the future!!

Hope my raving helped ;) happy planning!!

[wdw_bound]

For us, it was love at first sight. We were at FtW on Thanksgiving Day 2 years ago (Mickey's BBQ) with no real plans after the mid-afternoon show when a CM in the gift shop suggested that the boatride to WL was a good idea, and that we would like the Christmas decorations at WL. We were intrigued as we pulled in to the boat dock and the geyser was going off. We liked the look of the pool/courtyard area. But when we walked into the lobby, DH and I looked at one another and said "This is us. We HAVE to stay here." Of course, we didn't think we could because of budget. Then along came free dining last year, so we jumped at the chance. Now DH, who is nowhere near the disney junkie I am, isn't willing to consider another resort. The level of customer service is extraordinary. The resort itself is a wonderful place to spend a vacation, especially with our two kids. Two more months!!!

[Tigger&Stitch]

I have to admit my husband is the bigger Disney fanatic, but after two trips with him (one being our honeymoon), I'm in love with not only Disney World, but Wilderness Lodge specifically!

Our first trip was at AKL which was pretty cool (giraffe outside the window!) but not spectacular.

The Wilderness Lodge though- just gorgeous. From the minute you step inside you feel right at home. We loved the food from all of the cafes/restaurants - esp the snacks a Roaring Forks! We had a lovely view of the WL Villas which was also on the quiet side of the building.

The boat ride to MK the first day though is truly magical! We even had a free view of the water parade as we headed home on the ferry one evening.

Reception has a list of hidden Mickeys clues around the resort. In addition, we bought the Passporter's Treasure Hunts at Walt Disney World, which has a page for each resort. We had a great time our first night running around WL looking for answers to the clues.

The walk to the buses isn't too bad, and the bike rental is a nice activity for an evening or morning before it gets too hot. There is also a beach with plenty of lounge chairs that doesn't seem to be too crowded - esp at night.

Oh! And there are heaps of little nooks all around the lodge to sit and relax in solitude or with your sweetie.

As long as we can afford it, we'll never stay anywhere else. :mickey: