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

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Thanks for the trip report. I love reading these summaries. :)

We've stayed at the BCV's three times and I think that villas in general are great. I've always loved the luxury of the whirlpool bathtub and the separate master bedroom. The kitchen comes in handy, too, especially at breakfast time. I would take a villa over club level every time. :goodvibes

We loved being on the lake, too. Why is water so relaxing? We are going back in December and plan to spend more time at the lodge, enjoying the things that make it special. :)
 
There is a special event photographer you can book. It has nothing to do with WL though. It's a WDW thing, not resort specific. I've got a link someplace. I recall there are 2 options, one longer, with more shooting options and expensive the other shorter, less options and less money. I can't even remember right now what it was called. But I'll work on it.

I saved the link, thank goodness
http://www.disneyeventphotography.com/portraits/

Response from IPO....

Howdy!

Yes you can have an "Enhanced Portrait Session" at the Wilderness Lodge, however as you can see from the Disney Fine Art web site below the current price is $350.00.
http://www.disneyeventphotography.com/
They do have a mini photo session priced at $150.00 - however this is only available at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Beach Club Resorts.
If you would like to book one of these packages please let us know so that we can assist you with your reservation..
Happy Trails,
XXXXXX
Walt Disney World Itinerary Planning Office

Thank you both for the info!! Looks like I have some options to choose from.
 
Hello Lodgers!!

It has taken me about three weeks to read all of this thread but I want to say Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I never would have learned all this information on my own. This time next week we will be eating breakfast at the Castle! Wahoo!!

KOOK - you are an amazing moderator. Thanks for taking the time to answer everyone's questions so thoroughly and patiently. Also,hello from NOVA!!

So my question is, what room request should I make..LOL just kidding :)

But seriously...we have an early flight in and should arrive at the resort around 10. We are just planning on relaxing at the resort on this day,swimming, and then dinner at TE. I know our rooms won't be ready this early but should we informally check in at the front desk before heading to the pool?

Thanks!
 
We have now stayed at WL for our last 2 visits and having stayed at a number of resorts over the years have decided this is the one for us. Our next visit will be the last week of May first week of June 2014. Coming from Scotland we stay for at least 14 nights. Would love to try Concierge level but 14 nights CL is a little excessive. After booking a 14 night vacation would it be possible to perhaps upgrade for a couple of nights to CL during my stay, perhaps for a weekend ? Not looking to change rooms just pay the extra to use the CL facilities. Would there be scope to do this ?

Also, for work reasons our vacation had always been the first 2 weeks in October so how will the crowds at WL and the parks compare to the end of May start of June.

Thanks folks
:welcome:
Unfortunately, club level access is not available as a booking or paid check-in upgrade. You have to book a CL room, which is a suite or a STD CL room, that will be on the 7th floor. Deluxe rooms are the only CL rooms not located on the CL floor which have CL privileges, they are located on floors 1-6. If you absolutely do not want to move to the 7th floor and you book a split non-CL/CL stay, there is the possibility after you book of contacting the IPO, explaining that you have a non-CL/CL split booked and that you'd like to remain in the same room and not move to the 7th floor. They will be able to tell you if they are likely to be able to accommodate your request. I would think it would be possible, but the IPO can best answer this.

Put in my request to IPO today and the person who answered my email didn't know what they were talking about. I asked if they could book the "Her Royal Highness" birthday celebration at CRT but she told me "CRT doesn't do makeovers that is at the BBB and you can reach them at......" She also told me that they don't have bottled water. Does anyone know I that is true? I asked about booking a golf tee time and pricing for club rental and she gave me the info to book it myself. I am going to try again and hope for a more helpful IPO CM.

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:sad2::headache:That just isn't good customer service. What happened when you tried again?

Mmmm...cupcakes! We have reservations at Chef Mickey's so I'm sure there will be some monorail riding and watching while we're there! But now I might have to squeeze in cupcakes at the Contempo too! I am really hoping to do the Pirates and Pals Fireworks cruise from the Contemporary too on a down day, or our arrival day at the moment. I really need to add an extra day for everything we want to do! Too bad I can't extend enough for a meet up with the great WDWKOOK! :sad:
I have some P&P info. and CC cupcake photos on the first page of the CR/BLT thread;). Do you need to do a CR/WL split to better squeeze in those cupcakes:confused3

Hi, we have never stayed at the wildnerness lodge before and are planning on staying there in august. We have stayed at moderates and values. We are a family of 4, kids are 18 and 16. We will be using the buses. Can anyone please tell me what room/area I can request?
Any information regarding this hotel will be greatly appreciated.
thank you
:welcome:

Once you stay at a Deluxe, you're going to find it hard to go back to a Moderate. There are three bookable views at WL:

~Standard
~Woods
~Courtyard

When booking club level rooms, views cannot be booked, but they can be requested, but not guaranteed.

What requests you make, depend on what view you book. As dansdad posted, specific info. about these views is on the first page. Personally, we love the (Inner or WL) Courtyard View that looks out to Bay Lake and the geyser and you can watch the EWP at 9:35. Some like a Woods View room and request North Wing so they might be able to see some of Wishes from the higher floors. Let us know what view you want to book and we can help you from there:)

Check out post #2 of this thread for very detailed descriptions, and pictures, of the different room types, views and locations.

Posts 1-10 are loaded with awesome, detailed information.:thumbsup2
:goodvibes

I just wanted to take a second after looking at these pictures to comment on how much I loved the WL. I stayed in the delux room with my young family of 5 back in 2009 and those are my happiest family memories to date. I loved the hotel, the grounds, the pool, the lobby....everything. I will always cherish those memories :-)
:welcome:
What a sweet post. Do you have any plans to return?

DH just asked how likely upgrades are upon check in. I told him that the general rule of thumb is, if you really want an upgrade to pay for it. Then he asked how much it would be to upgrade us to the deluxe room (it would be something like $3000 more)! We stayed in a deluxe room after getting some pixie dust for our honeymoon a few years ago and I think he got spoiled pixiedust:
And, unfortunately, I've never seen a general public/AP/military discount applicable to the Deluxe rooms, so that doesn't make the additional cost any easier to swallow.

Response from IPO....

Howdy!

Yes you can have an "Enhanced Portrait Session" at the Wilderness Lodge, however as you can see from the Disney Fine Art web site below the current price is $350.00.
http://www.disneyeventphotography.com/
They do have a mini photo session priced at $150.00 - however this is only available at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian and Beach Club Resorts.
If you would like to book one of these packages please let us know so that we can assist you with your reservation..
Happy Trails,
XXXXXX
Walt Disney World Itinerary Planning Office
Thank you for posting that for everyone. I will have to put a link on the first page to your information.

Back home and really missing the lodge this morning. Such great memories we have. I usually pop off the DIS for the next few months as it is my busy time at work. So I thought I would give a few comments about the lodge and our recent stay before I become scarce. We were is a one bedroom villa from 3/29-4/6. The accommodations were wonderful. I am sad that some seem to be calling for villa rooms at WL to be updated. Our room was in great shape and fit the theme perfectly. The appliances were older models but still were in great condition. Carpet and furnishings were also in good condition...the only visible wear was on the woodwork in the room. I think it would be a tremendous waste to rip out perfectly good carpet and appliances. We loved the location of the villa room we had. It was close to the elevator and thus close to Sturdy Branches, the lobby, transportation, the main building, and the path to the lake and main pool.

We had stopped to visit the kids club in January when I was at WDW for work and we were worried it was so small. But our almost 6 year old loved it a d kept requesting to go back. The staff was so nice and they had lots to do. I think he would have gone every night if we let him and it was similar to what we pay sitters at home so the expense did not bother us. We had two great adult only meals and he had a blast meeting other kids and playing.

We ate at Artist Point and it was fantastic. My DD got the scallop dish and my DH and I had the fillet. DS had the noodle dish on the kids menu. We all loved our meals. Service was a bit slow but we would have been fine with the pace if it had just been adults.

We were not fond of Roaring Forks but our kids liked the selections there. We enjoyed the breakfast selections but found the lunch and dinner options boring. We had drinks and appetizers at the Territory Lounge. We liked the drinks and would not do the appetizers there again. Service here was also slow. Service at the pool bar was steady and friendly.

At first we missed our favorite pool at the Coronado but we grew to love the pool area at WL. It was a very busy week at WDW and the pool never felt too crowded. At times it was challenging to find chairs if we arrived after 1 pm and before 5 pm but with patience we always eventually found a spot. The slide was a huge hit with our kids despite being small in comparison to the one at Coronado. We liked being on the lake and used the marina to rent water sprites and one of the 4 person bikes.

Things we loved that will lead us back also include the boat ride to MK. This is so much better than taking a bus! Being close to FW as we enjoyed our first Hoop De Doo, the beautiful lobby, the covered walkway when it was raining, and the ability to get massages on site.

Wireless Internet was great here....much better than at Coronado or Port Orleans.

Things we did not like are few and minimal: sharing busses with other resorts and Roaring Fork as mentioned above.

It is quite possible we will be back to the lodge next spring break since we all loved it. We also might explore Boardwalk Villas or Beach Club villas as being within walking distance of World Showcase is appealing and now that we have stayed in a villa we are intrigued and may try another. We will also explore getting a suite or two connecting rooms at Coronado since we like it there so much. One thing is for sure we will never do a Disney vacation without two separate sleeping areas again. Even though we are only a family of four and could fit in a standard room, having our own bedroom makes it much more of a vacation. Kids and parents were very happy.
Thank you for posting a VWL/TR. You answered so many questions people often have about VWL. I'm going to post a link to your TR in the VWL section. Will you be posting any room photos?

Hello Lodgers!!

It has taken me about three weeks to read all of this thread but I want to say Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I never would have learned all this information on my own. This time next week we will be eating breakfast at the Castle! Wahoo!!

KOOK - you are an amazing moderator. Thanks for taking the time to answer everyone's questions so thoroughly and patiently. Also,hello from NOVA!!

So my question is, what room request should I make..LOL just kidding :)

But seriously...we have an early flight in and should arrive at the resort around 10. We are just planning on relaxing at the resort on this day,swimming, and then dinner at TE. I know our rooms won't be ready this early but should we informally check in at the front desk before heading to the pool?

Thanks!
:welcome:, NoVA - spring is finally here:) and thank you so much for your kind remarks.

I did this :laughing: when I read your room request comment. Actually, your room may be ready. A former WL GM once told me that WL tries to get all guests into their rooms ASAP. Always check-in as soon as you arrive at a resort even if you don't need the room or your tickets. If your room isn't ready, there is a locker room in Sturdy Branches at the VWL where you can change.
 


I have been MIA since my trip is so far away and I've actually been busy at work (crazy I know). But after reading danceteachermom's TR it made me miss the lodge so much! Some of the things she pointed out are some of our favorite things about the lodge, and most of all it's the transportation. Even though I didn't love doing a split stay, we did VWL and BWV just to avoid the buses! It was fantastic.

I think when people say the villas need updating it's after staying in some of the newer DVCs. This happened to me. We had stayed in AKL just before our VWL trip and at first I was a little disappointed. The villas definitely looked and felt dated in comparison. I think some updating will help it. But you really can't beat the boats or the feel.

Not to say that there won't be some AKL points in my future! :rotfl:
 
1) We were on page 2?!?!?! We can't have that!:rolleyes:

2) No new post in over 25 hours?!?!?!?! We can't have that either!
:rolleyes:

So....

Happy Monday everyone! :dance3:


:hug:
 
I have been MIA since my trip is so far away and I've actually been busy at work (crazy I know). But after reading danceteachermom's TR it made me miss the lodge so much! Some of the things she pointed out are some of our favorite things about the lodge, and most of all it's the transportation. Even though I didn't love doing a split stay, we did VWL and BWV just to avoid the buses! It was fantastic.

I think when people say the villas need updating it's after staying in some of the newer DVCs. This happened to me. We had stayed in AKL just before our VWL trip and at first I was a little disappointed. The villas definitely looked and felt dated in comparison. I think some updating will help it. But you really can't beat the boats or the feel.

Not to say that there won't be some AKL points in my future! :rotfl:
Indeed - it's time to rid the resorts of all those bedspreads:eek:

1) We were on page 2?!?!?! We can't have that!:rolleyes:

2) No new post in over 25 hours?!?!?!?! We can't have that either!
:rolleyes:

So....

Happy Monday everyone! :dance3:


:hug:
You saved us from the bowels of page two - you're Lodge Hero of the Day!
 


I would like to see the villas get a little refurb. The carpet and green trim does not appeal to me.

Does anyone know if they are planning to change the carpet in the villas?
 
:sad2::headache:That just isn't good customer service. What happened when you tried again?


Well, I got more bad news..... They still had no idea about the Her Royal Highness package, so I booked it myself through Disney Catering.

I haven't heard back about booking tee times and I emailed them over 24 hrs ago. So I will probably call tomorrow. I read they can be booked at the 180 mark on 1 place and my husband said its 90 days :confused3.

I asked about bottled water and was informed they do not provide it in CL. They provide carafes that you can fill with their filtation system and take back to your room, which is fine it gives me an excuse to buy a new water bottle when I get there ;)

Maybe you can help me WDWkook, Do you know what types of wine are provided in the CL lounge? I love White Zinfandel and its cheap so I was hoping they had it there:hyper:

Truly, it feels like whomever I got these couple times was just couldn't be bothered or they are new. I had such a good experience with the AKL IPO that I'm not discouraged, yet. I'm just really glad that I know a vast amount about WDW and I have everyone on the boards to help increase that knowledge. :upsidedow. I also am reminded, that these are not the same people who I will meet when I get there so I'm just staying positive. It helps that so many people have raved on her about how accommodating the CM are in CL :cheer2:
 
Oh, 1 more question....My daughter loves rice crispy treats at Disney. Do they have them in the CL? If not can they get them? I know several other CL offer them.

Thanks
 
Oh, 1 more question....My daughter loves rice crispy treats at Disney. Do they have them in the CL? If not can they get them? I know several other CL offer them.

Thanks

They did not have them when we were there. Which is probably really good as DGD would have eaten nothing else.
 
How long is the bus trip from VWL to Downtown Disney? We'll have our car with us, but I'm just wondering if it'd be worth it to just take a bus.
 
How long is the bus trip from VWL to Downtown Disney? We'll have our car with us, but I'm just wondering if it'd be worth it to just take a bus.

The bus ride ride to DTD is one of the longer ones, but was probably less than 20 minutes once the bus arrived. Waiting for the bus took us quite a while, but that is just luck of timing.

We don't have a car during our trips and enjoy using the Disney transportation, but if we did have a car DTD is probably one of the few places we would choose to drive to.
 
How long is the bus trip from VWL to Downtown Disney? We'll have our car with us, but I'm just wondering if it'd be worth it to just take a bus.

The parking in DTD is horrible. This really comes down to a personal preference though. Waiting for a bus with tired children can be tough. I swore after the last trip I would never take the bus there again but we will be this trip :)

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This may not be where I ask this but I figured sombody would know... I have always used the extra magic hours but have heard that it is better to avoid the parks with EMH that the other parks was less crowded. What is everyones take on this?:confused:
 
We always get park hoppers, so if we can manage to make it to the park that has EMH's at rope drop, then we will head there, hang around until it starts to get crowded, then move to another park or back to the resort. We are more likely to go to the park that has the evening hours than we are to go to the morning hours parks. But in general I agree that the park with the early morning hours gets more crowded than a park that opens at regular time.
 
Sitting in the lobby of WL right now looking out the spectacular windows and wishing we could stay longer. We have just two hours left and it has been a fabulous vacation. We will definitely be back. Highlights of the lodge for us have included enjoying our first villa style room, Artist Point, the boat ride to MK, and enjoying being on the lake. We used the boats and bikes at the marina, the arcade, the Cub's Den, and the walking path to Fort Wilderness. I am so sad to be leaving.

How long does it take to get to Fort Wildreness? We are arriving at VWL on Saturday & I signed up for archery at the campground! Can't wait
 
There is a boat to FW that takes about 15 minutes. There is also a bus to FW. And some of the park buses, especially the bus to Epcot, go from WL to FW before they go to the park. The bus ride would be less than ten minutes. I'm not sure where the archery is at FW. You might have to take an internal bus to get to the archery range from either the boat dock area or the bus stop area.
 
You can also walk to FW. My son does it all the time to fish. I don't know the exact distance but I would say about 20 min. Where the archery range is I do not know.
 
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