(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS Information Thread ~2012~

[goofy4prez]

So we are checked in! We didn't have any pixie dust this time but we are on the 5 th floor so we can see wishes at night. I did inquire about the cost of upgrading and I just feel like I would rather by a bunch of goodies than upgrade . I do however have one complaint.... What happened to the smiles when checking in????? The first CM that helped us was just not happy to be here. She didn't ask us any questions and when she gave us our packet she didn't even show us our room number (I understand they can't say the number out loud). She gave us no directions on which side of the resort we were on. She just said here you go and that was it. We came up to the room and on our way down to our ressie, we stopped at the front desk to inquire about the cost of the upgrade. I was the only person in line and there was one available CM but he was too busy texting on his cell phone to notice I was standing there. I don't think I have ever seen a CM on their cell phone. I walked up to his. Punter and asked if he was available and he looked um and said "well what did you need". Am I being unreasonable???? I still love the lodge but wondered if it we do any good to let a manager know about my experiences today.

Sorry to hear about this episode, I have always been greeted and taken care of by a cm who was friendly and helpful. With that said, absolutely I would let a manager know your concerns. By staying silent the manager will not have an idea there is a potential problem that needs to be addressed. I hope the rest of your visit is magical for you!

 

[Deb & Bill]

...I still love the lodge but wondered if it we do any good to let a manager know about my experiences today.

I'd give the CM the benefit of the doubt this time. But if you see the same CM doing it a second time, then I'd mention it to a manager. Maybe the CM had an issue at home that they are trying to resolve. Just like guests sometimes get out of sorts when they are distracted.

 

[Minnie&Nana]

wondered if it we do any good to let a manager know about my experiences today.

I would ask for a front desk manager and then speak with them privately...off to the side, not in front of the other CM's. I'd nicely, but still a concerned guest, explain what happened. If it had been one or the other, I'd let it go, but you had two encounters with different CM's, both at the front desk. This gives the manager an opportunity to keep a closer watch on the happenings and/or it might be time for a little brush up on guest service.

Hope any other dealings with the front desk are magical!

 

[mizscarlett]

So excited for our first stay at WL! Our family chose this location for a group Christmas celebration. We will be there 12/20-26 occupying 5 rooms! Hopefully our rooms are somewhat close together.

Guess who has been in charge of coordinating ADR for 15 people? sure would be nice to have grand gatherings right about now! We really did luck out with great ADR though.

This trip will be very special to us. We are all Disney crazies with one 55yo newbie in tow. We are trying to make this a trip of firsts for all of us though. With the crowds we are expecting to take our time and enjoy the sights and sounds without running from fastpass to fastpass.

We are doing mvmcp, candlelight processional, and hopefully we will get tickets for the tomorrowland terrace dessert party. Wish us luck!

 

[WDWKOOK]

So excited for our first stay at WL! Our family chose this location for a group Christmas celebration. We will be there 12/20-26 occupying 5 rooms! Hopefully our rooms are somewhat close together.

Guess who has been in charge of coordinating ADR for 15 people? sure would be nice to have grand gatherings right about now! We really did luck out with great ADR though.

This trip will be very special to us. We are all Disney crazies with one 55yo newbie in tow. We are trying to make this a trip of firsts for all of us though. With the crowds we are expecting to take our time and enjoy the sights and sounds without running from fastpass to fastpass.

We are doing mvmcp, candlelight processional, and hopefully we will get tickets for the tomorrowland terrace dessert party. Wish us luck!

Five rooms?! You have your hands full - but really, what fun! I like that you've already decided not to try and see and do everything during Christmas. But, try and take advantage of the lower crowds the first 2-3 days you're there. You will notice a big increase in the crowds around the 23rd, but prior to that, try and see and do all the important stuff. From the 23-26, make sure you arrive early to the parks and grab at least one FP for the day. ADRs are a must and I would suggest heading back to WL after lunch. The parks are really going to fill up fast, but you can still get some rides in during the parades

While the parks are packed near and after Christmas, the Deluxe resorts aren't due to the limited (if any) availability of discounts. Take some time out at WL and FW, too. Happy planning. Would you like your stay noted in the Lodgers' Log on the first page?

 

[mizscarlett]

Five rooms?! You have your hands full - but really, what fun! I like that you've already decided not to try and see and do everything during Christmas. But, try and take advantage of the lower crowds the first 2-3 days you're there. You will notice a big increase in the crowds around the 23rd, but prior to that, try and see and do all the important stuff. From the 23-26, make sure you arrive early to the parks and grab at least one FP for the day. ADRs are a must and I would suggest heading back to WL after lunch. The parks are really going to fill up fast, but you can still get some rides in during the parades

While the parks are packed near and after Christmas, the Deluxe resorts aren't due to the limited (if any) availability of discounts. Take some time out at WL and FW, too. Happy planning. Would you like your stay noted in the Lodgers' Log on the first page?

Yes that would be great! I appreciate the tips.

We are doing MVMCP on the 20th. What a MAGICAL first visit to the MK!!! I can't wait.

I also just called to try and book the Christmas lights sleigh ride at Fort Wilderness. There was only one sleigh left on the last sleigh on Christmas Day. Guess who will get it? We aren't telling the kids.... if I can stand the excitement!

I found a great blog that analyzes which park to go to on which day. Of course it suggests staying far far away from MK & Epcot on Christmas Eve & Day! We plan to follow those suggestions and only go to Akershus for breakfast on Christmas Day before taking a boat to DHS. Christmas Eve will be spent at AK with lunch at Tusker House. We plan to enjoy WL that evening with whatever festivities they have planned at WL. Hopefully Smores and Santa will be on the agenda!

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to speak to a manager in the morning.

 

[chimommy]

Hello Fans of WL... Thinking about staying at WL next year. My husband and I will be traveling with our kids (2&4).

For those of you who have stayed there with little ones... Is there enough room for a pack N' play in the room? I was also thinking about getting a bunk bed room and using the guard rails for my youngest on the bottom bunk.

how is the transportation to the parks? Can you take the ferry to connect to the monorail? I really like the look of wl... but was thinking it might be nice to be at a monorail resort. Im also a little worried that rain (we will probably go in sept) might shut down the ferry... and we will be forced to take the bus everywhere. ( I hate taking strollers on the busses so I wanted to avoid it as much as we can)

Any other advice you want to offer about WL would be great. My husband really wants to stay here. I think it looks great especially since the rooms have been renovated. We are also thinking about the poly or beach club. (but we plan on spending most of our time a mk on the next trip so I think a mk resort would be best). THis will be our 5th trip to disney. We usually stay at swan and dolphin... our last trip we stayed off site (although it was a nice hotel its just not the same as being on site) So this will be our first time staying at a disney resort... I'm pretty excited about it =)

 

[hbr03]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to speak to a manager in the morning.

How was your first full day at MK? Are the crowd levels still kinda low? Called the WDTC today to be sure our room requests are on our res. And have started packing.

 

[Sparrow624]

Making our reservations today for our first trip to the WL next summer!

Question: Has anyone had success requestion a "woods view" room with a castle/wishes view early on? We could request courtyard, but would prefer to try to get a woods view with a possible castle/wishes view. I know this is a long shot, but has anyone ha success doing this?

 

[PamelaKay]

Making our reservations today for our first trip to the WL next summer!

Question: Has anyone had success requestion a "woods view" room with a castle/wishes view early on? We could request courtyard, but would prefer to try to get a woods view with a possible castle/wishes view. I know this is a long shot, but has anyone ha success doing this?

I have had success. Request woods view, North wing overlooking otter pond, high floor.

 

[Sparrow624]

I have had success. Request woods view, North wing overlooking otter pond, high floor.

Pamela, thank you.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Hello Fans of WL... Thinking about staying at WL next year. My husband and I will be traveling with our kids (2&4).

For those of you who have stayed there with little ones... Is there enough room for a pack N' play in the room? I was also thinking about getting a bunk bed room and using the guard rails for my youngest on the bottom bunk.

how is the transportation to the parks? Can you take the ferry to connect to the monorail? I really like the look of wl... but was thinking it might be nice to be at a monorail resort. Im also a little worried that rain (we will probably go in sept) might shut down the ferry... and we will be forced to take the bus everywhere. ( I hate taking strollers on the busses so I wanted to avoid it as much as we can)

Any other advice you want to offer about WL would be great. My husband really wants to stay here. I think it looks great especially since the rooms have been renovated. We are also thinking about the poly or beach club. (but we plan on spending most of our time a mk on the next trip so I think a mk resort would be best). THis will be our 5th trip to disney. We usually stay at swan and dolphin... our last trip we stayed off site (although it was a nice hotel its just not the same as being on site) So this will be our first time staying at a disney resort... I'm pretty excited about it =)

We spent 10 days at WL with our 2 year old in September. She slept in one of the Queen beds (and we didn't even request bed rails, although we understand they are available). There would be room for a pack and play though, most likely next to the armoire. It might also fit between one of the beds and the wall, but it could be pretty tight. Our rolling suitcases would fit in there, , but without much extra room so it would depend on the size of the pack and play. The bunk beds would be really nice for you guys, but that's an extra cost option. It would work in a regular two queen room.

As for transportation, we enjoyed the boats. The larger boats work great with strollers, and you usually don't have to fold them, depending on the crowd. The smaller boats do require folding the stroller, but are still probably easier than a bus since there are some seats with more room for stroller space. Also the larger boats are less likely to be affected by rain. We rode a smaller boat while it was raining and the seats were wet, but it was still running and we stayed fairly dry.

As for boating to the Monorail, we did this fairly often by boating to the Contemporary and hopping on the monorail there. It is a very short boat ride. Another alternative is to ride a boat to MK (which is a longer ride but still nice), then get on either monorail there; the express one to the TTC or the regular resort monorail that will take you to the Contemporary, TTC, Poly, and GF.

Overall we LOVE WL, and it really felt like home to us. Being very close to MK was nice, but we particularly enjoyed its secluded feel. We enjoyed visiting Fort Wilderness, which is a 15-20 minute walk or short boat ride away. Bay Lake is beautiful, and we enjoyed it from the transportation boats and on a Pontoon boat we rented one afternoon. We also really appreciated that everything at WL is under one roof, so it does very well in the rain. Another benefit that helped us make the initial decision to stay at WL is that it is less expensive than any of the Monorail resorts while in our opinion does not give up too much convenience.

Enjoy your stay, being immersed in Disney for the entire trip will make it wonderful.

 

[heather13]

We're staying at VWL in a few weeks for six nights. Please remind me what to do about our trash. We'll want to dispose of pull-ups each morning - is there a place on each hall where we can take trash bags? And will enough bags be provided for us, or should I bring a couple of plastic grocery bags?

Also, just saw the suggestion to take the boat to the Contemporary instead of MK to grab the monorail. Great idea! But how long of a walk is it to the monorail then? We'll be renting a wheelchair for my mom in the parks. She's okay for short distances, but can't walk fast. We can go directly to MK when we're visiting that park, but I'm wondering if we're better off going via Contemporary for our Epcot mornings if we want to be there before 9am.

 

[WDWKOOK]

We're staying at VWL in a few weeks for six nights. Please remind me what to do about our trash. We'll want to dispose of pull-ups each morning - is there a place on each hall where we can take trash bags? And will enough bags be provided for us, or should I bring a couple of plastic grocery bags?

Also, just saw the suggestion to take the boat to the Contemporary instead of MK to grab the monorail. Great idea! But how long of a walk is it to the monorail then? We'll be renting a wheelchair for my mom in the parks. She's okay for short distances, but can't walk fast. We can go directly to MK when we're visiting that park, but I'm wondering if we're better off going via Contemporary for our Epcot mornings if we want to be there before 9am.

If you're staying at VWL on cash and not points, then you'll have daily housekeeping. If you're not, then hopefully someone else can answer your question regarding the trash.

The walk from the CR boat dock to the monorail is less than 10 minutes at a slow pace. But, if you are with someone with any mobility issues (or even if you aren't), I would instead take the bus to Epcot. There is much less walking involved and it would probably be faster than taking the boat to the CR, then walking to the monorail, waiting for the monorail, getting off the resort monorail to transfer to the Epcot monorail at the TTC then walking down from the monorail to security. Also, just in case you aren't aware, the monorail is no longer operating during PM EMH.

I hope you have a great stay at VWL and BTW, I grew up just south of you

 

[Broncobilly83]

The room assignor will block your room about 3 days prior to arrival. You have plenty of time to get your request into your reservation. When staying club level, the easiest way to do that is to simply email the IPO for WL at:

Wilderness.Lodge.Itinerary.Planning@disneyworld.com

You could ask for "A Wishes view" and then ask upon check-in if you in fact have a Wishes view.

Thanks for the help. I just sent them an e-mail with our new flight times (JetBlue changed both incoming and outgoing) and I added this with it

I just wanted to double check that we had a request in for a "Wishes" view if possible. I understand room requests are if rooms are available. I had a friend who recently stayed with you tell me I am asking for North Wing Woods View rooms which are even-numbered 7044 - 7066, but I am sure you get a lot of those requests, LOL

 

[babyberger]

Could anyone there now (or going soon) post what time the campfire/marshmallow roast is? And also what the movie line up is for October?

Thank you, thank you!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[TinkPirateMom]

I called WDTC and tried to request a Wishes view. She said she could not put that in but could put in facing the theme park. Does that seem right or should I call back? We booked a Woods View Bunk Bed Room.

 

[heather13]

Thanks WDWKOOK! (and you're not missing the weather in IN - it's COLD right now!)

If you're staying at VWL on cash and not points, then you'll have daily housekeeping. If you're not, then hopefully someone else can answer your question regarding the trash.

The walk from the CR boat dock to the monorail is less than 10 minutes at a slow pace. But, if you are with someone with any mobility issues (or even if you aren't), I would instead take the bus to Epcot. There is much less walking involved and it would probably be faster than taking the boat to the CR, then walking to the monorail, waiting for the monorail, getting off the resort monorail to transfer to the Epcot monorail at the TTC then walking down from the monorail to security. Also, just in case you aren't aware, the monorail is no longer operating during PM EMH.

I hope you have a great stay at VWL and BTW, I grew up just south of you

We've rented points, so no daily mousekeeping. Anyone who knows about trash - please let me know!

Taking the bus to Epcot is something we really want to avoid if possible. We'll have to ride them enough for other parks & DTD. A perk of WL is the boat. Will we be cutting it too close to take the boat to MK, then catch the monorail from there? I only vaguely remember this, but it seemed like the boat docked pretty close to the station.

 

[tardin1964]

Thanks WDWKOOK! (and you're not missing the weather in IN - it's COLD right now!)

We've rented points, so no daily mousekeeping. Anyone who knows about trash - please let me know!

Taking the bus to Epcot is something we really want to avoid if possible. We'll have to ride them enough for other parks & DTD. A perk of WL is the boat. Will we be cutting it too close to take the boat to MK, then catch the monorail from there? I only vaguely remember this, but it seemed like the boat docked pretty close to the station.

To me it doesn't make much sense to take the boat to MK to catch the monorail to Epoct. I don't love taking the bus either and in my 3 stays at WL we have taken the boat/monorail route to get to Epoct. But it takes at least an hour to do this route. And if you have some bad luck and miss connections its going to take a good deal longer. With having to make three connections there is more opportunities for something to go wrong too. In the morning when I want to get to a park for rope drop I want to get there as fast as possible which is by bus. My suggestion is to take the bus in the morning when you need to be at Epcot at a certain time. Take the monorail/boat route on your way back to WL when you won't have the same time constraints.