Is WL worth it?

[LarryBoy]

As you may have read in another post the CSR is full for the week we are going this summer, and we didn't really want to stay in POR or CBR (the two moderates that were available). It will have been two years since our last trip and we really wanted to stay somewhere new and special, with an awesome pool. So for little more than $300 extra we have booked a room at the WL. I'm hoping some extra discounts will come out before then, but if not is the WL worth the extra $$? Tell me all about the WL. The pictures look awesome. How long does the boat ride take to the MK? Is there bus service to the other parks, and how is it? How's the pool, does it have a good slide? Are bunk beds available in basic standard view rooms, or is that an extra charge? Our DS and niece will both be 8. Is this a good resort for kids? I want to be excited, I just want to make sure I've made the right decision.

[Tygger7]

Well, you can tell from my signature that I LOVE the WL. Absolutely a fantastic resort and worth every penny. The pool is beautiful and there's a great slide for the kids. Very relaxing place to kick back..and its so much fun watching the ducks, bunnies, & squirrels. The boat ride (which is our favorite way to get to MK) takes about 10-15 minutes and is very relaxing, yet fun for the kids. There is bus service to all the parks, including MK. If I'm remembering correctly, it takes about 5-10 mins to MK, 15-20 mins to Epcot & DHS, and about 20-25 mins to AK. Bunk beds are available, but at an extra charge. Oh, let me add that the beds are EXTREMELY comfortable. They are noticeabley softer & better than the value resorts. (We stayed at Pop our first night, then transferred to WL and REALLY noticed the difference.) It's a great resort for everyone, even kids. Be sure you ask about being the flag family for one day during your stay. And definitely be excited...you won't be disappointed! I wish I was going with you!! :D

[vicster]

Ditto on WL! The past two years we tried a couple of moderates and this year we're going back to WL. Spoiled I guess. You will not be disappointed - the extra $ is definitely worth it.

[WRWDisney]

Also love WL. To answer your bunk bed question, they are a separate booking category and cost more. Can't tell you how much, but they definitely cost more.

Hope you enjoy it:thumbsup:

[mouseketeer mom]

I do not think you'll be disappointed. It is our second fave resort on Disney property. There is just something so very relaxing and soothing about staying at WL. Its a wonderful escape from the parks, yet its just a quick boat ride across the water to the MK. Warning!!! Once you stay there, you might just have a hard time going back to the moderates. You will love it!

[vicster]

Warning!!! Once you stay there, you might just have a hard time going back to the moderates. You will love it!

You are so correct! I did have a hard time with the moderates!

[MOJoe]

I will take a deluxe over a mod for $300 extra every time.

[LarryBoy]

I'm starting to feel good about our decision, but please tell me more. Is there a food court/counter service type of dining area? We always do food court breakfasts.

[Mousemates]

We love the lodges...so unless your money is exceptionally tight (and for some folks it is right now), I'd pay the extra $300 for the week and never look back. Beyond the beds, and the theming, and the super pool, and wonderfully fun restaurant...you have the added benefit of taking a boat launch over to the MK, a great way to start the day.

[VWL Mom]

Roaring Forks is the CS at WL. They have the best blueberry muffins! There is an area to sit inside or if you prefer there are a few tables outside.

[LarryBoy]

Are the beds queen size?

[RocknBev]

Yes, the beds are queen size and they are :cloud9: I spent one night this last trip at ALL STAR babystitting my granddaughter for the marathon and there is a definite difference and couldn't wait to get back to my bed at WL!
WE LOVE WL and will never stay anywhere else.
You and your kids will love the atmosphere...inside and out! Be sure to schedule a meal at the Whispering Canyon while you are there....it is a lot of fun as well and the food is great!

[NODUDE]

Our favorite resort. Would be staying there next trip but went with POP over free off-site. Pool is great in summer and very cool slide. We've always enjoyed the boat access to MK don't remember time but much more pleasant than the buses. Bus service is OK (not a fan of the buses period).

[junedis]

We stayed at the WL last year and LOVED it! It was great for the kids. The theming is awesome and the pool is great. My kids enjoyed the Lincoln Log table outside the Whispering Canyon restaurant--kids loved the restaurant also. Mousekeeping was fabulous as well. The boat was very convenient and pretty quick to MK and to the Contemporary. We liked that all rooms were housed in one building. Lobby is beautiful. Staff very friendly! Artist Pointe was fabulous. I would definately stay there again. Enjoy and have a wonderful vacation!-:mickey:

[Aggie97]

We stayed at WL for the first time in October, and we loved it. We were so pleased with the resort: the gorgeous lobby and grounds, immersive theming, convenient location, nice rooms with queen beds, and cool pool area. Roaring Forks, the CS option, was good for a quick meal, and we enjoyed our evening visits to the Territory Lounge for drinks. The boat to MK was great, and we really liked the boat to the Contemporary, which made it easy to dine and shop at the monorail resorts.

I feel the WL is worth the extra $300. We definitely will stay there again. Have a great time! :mickey:

[Dragongirlx]

We stayed at Wilderness lodge two years ago and really liked it. Loved the boat to MK and we never had a problem with buses. We found it convient that it was all in the one building.
Roaring forks is really nice and my sister and I ate breakfast there most days.
I also loved seeing the bunnies and squirrels and ducks.
This year we stayed at the Poly and while it was very nice we felt it just didn't compare to the Wilderness Lodge which is why we are going back there in September

[playdead88]

in a word YES - its an awesome place to stay - great pool and great transportation options - you can go by boat, bus, and take a boat to get to a monorail! you'll love it

[LarryBoy]

Is there a certain wing, building, or floor that I should request? We are staying in a standard view room.

[LilOrmstonViolet38]

i know my opinion is going to greatly differ.... but i stayed at WL on my honeymoon for three nights... other than that i have never stayed at a deluxe, and i have only ever spent 2 nights at POP, so most of my trip have been moderates, which sounds similar to you. I enjoyed WL, i loved the boat ride to MK, i loved the theme. I totally agree that it is a great place... but i didn't feel it was worth the money. My family has always been food court people (money saver!) and Roaring Forks just doesn't cut it. Yes, it is a counter service, but it doesn't have the quality of a moderate food court. None of the deluxes have anything that compares to a moderate food court... RF has fewer options and if you go at what happens to be a busy time it is extremely crowded. Now, if you eat more at sit downs then it won't really matter. But if a CS is a daily thing at your resort it is something to think about. As for the quality of everything else- it pretty much is exactly like a moderate with a big price tag. I would take a moderate over WL everytime unless it were only like $15 more a night. there are not any quiet pools either (which you may or may not use) and that is another reason we choose moderates. now, if your choice is a value or WL i would definitely go with WL. and if the food court and quiet pools are not an issue, then totally go for WL. but they are things to think about if you use them alot. the rooms to me were pretty much the same as a mod, the service is the same pretty much at all resorts, but it all depends on what amenities you enjoy. I hope that helps you out. BTW Roaring Forks has mainly just burgers, mini pizza, chicken fingers, soups and sandwiches. not the bigger meal stuff like mod. food courts...

[d_m_n_n]

My family has always been food court people (money saver!) and Roaring Forks just doesn't cut it. Yes, it is a counter service, but it doesn't have the quality of a moderate food court. None of the deluxes have anything that compares to a moderate food court... RF has fewer options and if you go at what happens to be a busy time it is extremely crowded.

I completely agree with you on Roaring Forks. It just doesn't compare to the mods food court! That is our only complaint (ok, not "complaint" but makes us feel "eh") with the Wilderness Lodge, but it is one we will overlook...we just find other locations to eat.

However, for $300 more, I would definitely go for the Wilderness Lodge! It really is a beautiful resort! :thumbsup:

[LarryBoy]

We normally just do a quick breakfast at the food court. Just a pastry, some fruit, braekfast sandwich, grits, bacon, sausage, or something like that. Not all of those things, just one or two each morning. How's the breakfast selection? We've stayed at the CR so I figures it would be similar. Other than breakfast we primarily use the food court for mug refills and maybe a snack here or there.

[LarryBoy]

What about a room request? We have a standard view room, two 8 year-olds, it will be July, plenty of pool time, and we will probably use the boat to MK a lot, but the buses will get used plenty also. Is there a particular wing or floor that we should request?

[mkymouse0206]

You are going to have an amazing time!!! As you can see, we are Wilderenss Lodge junkies. We have stayed on both sides of the resort and both rooms had benefits. Both stays we booked a standard view room, and both times were upgraded to a woods view room. The view really isn't that big of a deal to us, we are never in the room long enough to enjoy it. We only really use RF for drink refills, or grab a quick breakfast. They have a great cream cheese danish. :cloud9: My kids would go down at night and grab a snack from there too, but we are always on the dining plan so we eat in the parks. It is a magical resort. When you walk through those giant doors into that enormous lobby for the first time it will bring tears to your eyes. Do not pay extra for a bunk bed room, not worth it. You will have two queens in your room. We take the boat to MK or to the CR and take the monorail whenever we can. The kids really look forward to the boat ride, it's a great break from buses. Be sure to catch the electric water parade. Go down to the beach to view it, it stops at the lodge around 9:35 every night. Also ask the front desk for a list of hidden mickey's, it is a great way to explore the lodge.:mickey: Trust me, you will find that it was sooo worth your extra $300 to stay there. Have a great vacation!!!:pixie:

[M Riddle]

Hi everyone. I also would like to know if there is a certain wing, building, or floor that I should request? We are staying in a standard view room too. WL is FABULOUS. :minnie:

[LarryBoy]

Are their any room request suggestions for a standard view room?

[KylesMom]

Booking a standard view, we've never felt the need to request any certain location. The pool and boat dock are easily accessible from all locations, and we've never had a room we didn't like. Some of the standard rooms overlook the back dock area and smokehouse, which might be a bit bothersome with trucks coming and going, but the bonus with this type of room is that you can see Wishes from your room at night if you're on one of the upper floors.

Kind of a trade-off. I remember our first stay, being overwhelmed with the grandness of it all, and then coming back to our room the first night and watching Wishes. Very magical! :mickey:

[murphy1]

We love WL, too! I don't mind Roaring Forks, I have always been able to get stuff there or the shop. We also tend to get stuff either on the way down or wherever we were at in Florida on the way over (ie Publix or other store) since we are either in Clermont or Tampa a lot. Sometimes in the mornings, taking the bus is definitely faster to get to MK than the boats. Your niece might like the hair wraps at the pool, I let my dd get one. I also like the pool bar there. We were there in August and there was some construction banging going on, but they didn't do it at night.