Upgrading to Wilderness Lodge

[princess0511]

We are thinking of upgrading to the wilderness lodge. We are currently staying at tht Pop Century. It would be our first deluxe. Do u think it is worth the upgrade. I am trying to talk my husband into the 1200.00 upgrade. Any suggestions? We are traveling with a 2 1/2 year old and I will be 5 1/2 months pregnant. I like the idea of the boat to Mk. How is the food? We are used to the food courts at the value and moderate resorts. Also how is the parking? We are renting a car and like to drive it to some parks. Thanks!

[Scott C]

For me it all comes down to how much time are you going to spend in the room -- 1200 is some substantial money. We stayed at WL in Feb 03 -- park hours were short and we spent significant time at the WL. We did get a great post 9/11 deal -- $129 If I recall. Food was good -- no food court like the values or mods -- But roaring forks served us well. They serve the typical burgers pizza and such. Whispering canyon was good also -- but not an every meal thing for us. Parking was fine -- but a bit of a hike to the lot.

Thanks
Scott C

[biodtl]

"Worth it" is so subjective. I mean, you're paying a lot more for the same basics - a place to sleep, food options, a pool. So if money is a serious consideration, the it might not be worth it.

But if money isn't a huge issue, then you'll be getting larger rooms, less craziness, beautiful theming, a TS restaurant, and added transportation & recreation - plus opportunities like Hidden mickey hunting and Family of the Day (all things that would be nice for a child/pregnant woman). So if you can afford to upgrade, then it is by far worth it.

Or you can meet in the middle and try a moderate.

[Figment104]

For us it's totally worth it. Here are some things to consider that might help. With a 2 1/2 year old you'll probably be spending a lot of time at MK. The boat service is great, very relaxing and they have both the smaller boats and the larger boats (easier with a larger stroller) that take you directly to MK. Another consideration as a PP stated is how much time you'll be spending in the room. For naps and rests for yourself this could again be a benefit especially if you'll be spending a lot of time at MK.

We really enjoy the food at roarking forks. It has your typical burgers, fries, pizzas, but it also has some great sandwich selections, salads, fresh fruit, make your own oatmeal in the morning, really just a nice variety. Plus you also have the option of Whispering Canyon which is a lot of fun for the family.

Another thing is that you're close to Ft. Wilderness where they do the marshmallow roast (with chip and dale I think), and you have the beach to play, the water pagent goes by at night too which is a lot of fun.

It's really going to come down to what your family is going to want and need from a hotel. For us, it's our home away from home now. I can't really comment on the parking since we always do magical express.

Hope this helps some! :mickey:

[AndrewJackson]

We have stayed at Wilderness Lodge on a few occasions. We choose it because of location. My parents usually join us at WDW, and camp at Fort Wilderness, so it is nice to be right next door. We have decided this year to stay at Port Orleans Riverside instead.

In my opinion, Wilderness Lodge is more of a "Moderate +" than a deluxe. I know Disney categorizes it as a deluxe, but it is the cheapest of all of them. The boat ride to MK is nice, but I don't feel it is worth an extra 1200. The pool is average compared to the other deluxe resorts. Most of them have zero entry pools, Wilderness Lodge does not. I also feel the food courts at most of the value and moderate resorts is better than the counter choices at Wilderness Lodge. There is only one snack bar. All the other choices are sit down restaurants. If you are trying to eat cheap - since you just spent an extra 1200 for the room - I think you might get sick of the Roaring Fork.

I would suggest staying at a moderate if you wanted to upgrade from a value.

[princess0511]

Thanks everyone, looks like we will be sticking with the Pop. I just got sent a pin for free dining. So we will save more by staying at the value. Looks like we will have to try the Wilderness lodge next trip!

[Giselle]

The boat ride to MK is very nice and usually quick. The bus rides to the other parks can be long though. Very nice atmosphere. I didn't like Artist Pointe too well. The other diners and staff treated us as though our (very well behaved) 4 yo DD was unwelcome. QS food was okay. Pool is okay. I think the more expensive the resort the less kid friendly they are. Some rooms can have a long walk to transportation and food also. Have fun!

[BigThunderFan]

We did this exact thing in January, we were booked at Pop and decided to upgrade to WL. Of course it was about half of the cost you are looking at due to the 4+3 deal. I'm not sure I would have made the same decision back then had it been that much.
That being said, if I hadn't chosen to upgrade I think it would have been the worst choice ever! We LOVED the WL. Everything about it, from the ambiance, the pool, the grounds, food, and even the transportation. The boat was awesome and a great way to relax on the way home from MK. There was so much to do there we could have spent a week just at the resort and been happy. It really is an amazing place. Don't get me wrong, we loved Pop and would stay there again for sure, but WL was 100X better.