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

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How long does it take to get to Epcot from WL?

I know the pool is not a zero entry at WL, but how deep is the shallow end? Would a 3 year old be able to stand?
Thanks so much!

We were there in February with a 5 and 3 year old. The three year year loved the slide. We just put a life vest on her and she had a great time. There is a wide area of steps at the end of the pool, closest to the two hot tubs, but she spent all her time on the slide. The shallow end was a few feet deep, I believe. Most of the pool was about five feet deep.

The bus to Epcot always stopped at Fort Wilderness first when we were there, so I would say it was about fifteen minutes or so to get there. On the way back at night, the WL is the first stop.

The WL is a great resort because everything is under one roof. The bus to MK is a short five minute ride. The boat to MK was very nice. We almost always took the boat. There is also a boat the travels between the WL, Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. We would take the boat to CR to catch the monorail for ADR's at the Poly and GF. There is a great playground right by the boat dock at FW, something WDW needs a whole lot more of for children.

The Polynesian is a beautiful resort and the rooms are much bigger than the rooms at the WL. The monorail is great for access to MK. And you can walk to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. The rooms are in need in refurbishment, which I believe they have started to do now. The rooms at the WL have recently been refurbished.
 
marshall4539 said:
I am trying to decide if I should stay at the poly for 6 nights, or stay at WL and stay an extra night (7 nights).... I am mainly thinking of staying at the poly because of the transportation options (we have a 3 year old), but really like the WL too...
Has anyone ever stayed at both Poly and WL? What is your favorite?

How long does it take to get to Epcot from WL?

I know the pool is not a zero entry at WL, but how deep is the shallow end? Would a 3 year old be able to stand?
Thanks so much!

We would do the WL, and we did with our almost three year old in September. While having the monorail stop is nice and a big advantage of the Poly, WL has good options too, and it is hard to argue with an extra day. We really enjoy that everything is under one roof at WL which was nice with the stroller in rainy weather.

The quickest way to get to or from Epcot from WL is the bus, which the monorail resorts don't have. The travel time was about 15-20 minutes on the bus after it arrived for us when crowds were low. Another fun option that we enjoyed was riding the boat to the CR (which only took about 5 minutes) and then walking through the CR to the monorail, then riding it to the TTC to switch to the Epcot monorail. While this definitely takes longer than the bus, it is more fun. We tended to take the monorail to Epcot and ride the bus home.

Our 2 year old enjoyed the big pol, but could barely stand. The kiddie pool is neat too though. Either way, enjoy your trip, that is such a fun age to take to WDW.
 
We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge 11th-25th July. On previous holidays we have stayed at The Yacht Club and The Swan. It was a hard decision to change from the Epcot area but so many of you seem to love the Wilderness. I'm loving the info on this thread. :wave2:
 


We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge 11th-25th July. On previous holidays we have stayed at The Yacht Club and The Swan. It was a hard decision to change from the Epcot area but so many of you seem to love the Wilderness. I'm loving the info on this thread. :wave2:

The WL is an awesome resort :thumbsup2. We've stayed at the BC and while we loved being so close to Epcot and DHS, the MK area is our favorite. It's great taking the boat from the WL to MK and the buses have always been great during our stays. The WL is also very convenient to the monorail resorts for a variety of shopping and dining. I'm sure you are going to love the WL :goodvibes.
 
The WL is an awesome resort :thumbsup2. We've stayed at the BC and while we loved being so close to Epcot and DHS, the MK area is our favorite. It's great taking the boat from the WL to MK and the buses have always been great during our stays. The WL is also very convenient to the monorail resorts for a variety of shopping and dining. I'm sure you are going to love the WL :goodvibes.

Thanks. I'm sure we will love it. I always love the Magic Kingdom. This is our 4th trip in recent years so I'm hoping we can slow the pace down a bit.
 
We belong to DVC and get to WDW two to three times a year and have very different vacations each stay. We usually try to figure out what we want to do, because we can't do it all in one trip. We pick the resort to fit the reason for the trip. If it is the flower show, we try to get BC. When the children were small, they loved the sand pool and didn't care for all day at the parks so it was BC.

In February, we brought my husband's 80+ year old parents to WL. They loved it. Sometimes we book a CL at the beginning or end of the stay and pay cash, except at AKL where we can book with points.

I try to book a trip at WL every year when the Christmas decorations go up, but before Christmas. Often I come on this trip by myself. It is my favorite resort at Christmas.

If MK is the focus, then Bay Lake is where we try to stay. We are booked there for the Fourth of July and hope to watch the fireworks from the Top of the World Club.

We also love AKL. If our mission is Downtown Disney, then SSR.

We usually have our own "Must Do" list like going to get Dole Whip at the Poly, Wilderness Salad at Roaring Forks, drinks at Territory Lounge, and a Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream. Even if we don't stay at WL we make a point to visit once or twice.

We still have many things we want to do like rent a pontoon boat, eat at Victoria and Albert's, enjoy the Richard Petty Driving experience and............

The joy is in planning the next trip. So if you don't get everything in one trip, there is always next time, and next time and next time.....Enjoy your trip and family and don't try to do it all.
 


Will return later to multi-quote, but for now...

Free entry to Blizzard Beach on 2 days in May!

On May 9 and May 16, Annual Passholders will get complimentary admission to Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park after 2:00 pm. Complimentary refreshments and giveaways will take place at Lottawatta Lodge.

No reservations are needed, just show your Annual Pass at the gate.

From the DIS.
 
We are trying to decide about 1 or 2 nights at WL in July.

We will be staying at Marriott Grande Vista with friends they check out on Sunday and we can stay an extra day or 2!

Would you pick WL all they have left is a woods view.
We will not be doing any parks. Just enjoying some good restaurants and relaxing....Room rates are 310 for lodge and 302 for villa's kids are 13 and 17

thanks we just stayed Riverside 4/12

contemporary is all sold out
we will be eating at Poly dinner
 
We are trying to decide about 1 or 2 nights at WL in July.

We will be staying at Marriott Grande Vista with friends they check out on Sunday and we can stay an extra day or 2!

Would you pick WL all they have left is a woods view.
We will not be doing any parks. Just enjoying some good restaurants and relaxing....Room rates are 310 for lodge and 302 for villa's kids are 13 and 17

thanks we just stayed Riverside 4/12

contemporary is all sold out
we will be eating at Poly dinner
We really like woods view. We could see the castle and the fireworks from our room. The lodge rooms have two queen beds. The studio at the villas has one queen bed and one sleeper sofa that sleeps two. The 1 br villa has a master bedroom with a king bed and a sofa sleeper in the living room. From the prices you listed I'm guessing your choice is the studio and not the 1 br villa.

There is a lot to do at the WL. There is a very nice boat that will take you to both the Contemporary, where you can catch the monorail to go to the Polynesian, and to Fort Wilderness. There are a lot of activities over there to enjoy.
 
thanks that does help!
my kids would prefer not to sleep in a sofa

we have stayed at all of the moderates and we do not like value's

my husband missed a balcony last year but we all love POR
thinking for such a short visit maybe WL Just wish their discount was 30%

but I am thinking that is a great price for a woods view with 20%
 
Hello Wilderness Lodge fans:goodvibes
I'm spending my morning looking at pictures and reading through this thread. We've booked a studio for the week before Christmas. This will be our first trip to Disney during the holiday season, a surprise trip for the kids, and our first stay at Wilderness Lodge.:banana:

We've rented points and stayed at OKW, BWV and AKV before in studios. The amount of room works out fine for us. The kids don't mind sharing the sofa bed and we enjoy having the kitchenette for breakfasts and snacks.

Sometimes we do end up bringing a twin air mattress if the kids don't feel like sharing, but we didn't use it last time at all.

I just can't wait to see all the Christmas decorations and go to MVMCP. It's just going to be a long 8 months to keep this a secret:sad2:
They are already asking when we can go back. I just keep saying "Sometime next year". I'm not particularly good with secret keeping but this will be their major Christmas present and they will be THRILLED so it's worth the wait.
 
Ok, we booked for Aug for 5 nights. We have never stayed at a deluxe before. We are so excited about this upcoming trip. All of this information is terrific. Any information for us rookies, please pass along.
Thank you again
 
We belong to DVC and get to WDW two to three times a year and have very different vacations each stay. We usually try to figure out what we want to do, because we can't do it all in one trip. We pick the resort to fit the reason for the trip. If it is the flower show, we try to get BC. When the children were small, they loved the sand pool and didn't care for all day at the parks so it was BC.

In February, we brought my husband's 80+ year old parents to WL. They loved it. Sometimes we book a CL at the beginning or end of the stay and pay cash, except at AKL where we can book with points.

I try to book a trip at WL every year when the Christmas decorations go up, but before Christmas. Often I come on this trip by myself. It is my favorite resort at Christmas.

If MK is the focus, then Bay Lake is where we try to stay. We are booked there for the Fourth of July and hope to watch the fireworks from the Top of the World Club.

We also love AKL. If our mission is Downtown Disney, then SSR.

We usually have our own "Must Do" list like going to get Dole Whip at the Poly, Wilderness Salad at Roaring Forks, drinks at Territory Lounge, and a Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream. Even if we don't stay at WL we make a point to visit once or twice.

We still have many things we want to do like rent a pontoon boat, eat at Victoria and Albert's, enjoy the Richard Petty Driving experience and............

The joy is in planning the next trip. So if you don't get everything in one trip, there is always next time, and next time and next time.....Enjoy your trip and family and don't try to do it all.

Our first family holiday to WDW was in 2008. It was going to be the once in a lifetime trip for the children so we bought tickets for Disney, universal, IOA, aquatica and sea world. It was like boot camp. Fortunately that year we had a week at Clearwater to recover. Needless to say it wasn't our last trip. We ended up going back again the next year but stayed on site. Went again in 2011 adding in Disney dining. Each time we have had a different experience staying in a different hotel with the children being different ages. I keep wondering why we end up back when there is so much of the world I want to see. Last summer we went on a Mediterranean cruise and although it was good it just wasn't the same. It didn't have the Disney magic. This time we are going to some new restaurants, Hoop de doo for the first time and also Discovery Cove. Of course we will add in some old favourites.
 
I always love the Magic Kingdom. This is our 4th trip in recent years so I'm hoping we can slow the pace down a bit.

There's just something magical about being close to MK and hearing all of the boat whistles as the boats go back and forth to MK :wizard:. We started out being in the parks all day/night when we first started going to Disney, but we have settled down alot over the years and now spend more time at the resort than we do the parks. I hope you have a nice, relaxing trip and enjoy the WL :goodvibes.

We are trying to decide about 1 or 2 nights at WL in July.

We will be staying at Marriott Grande Vista with friends they check out on Sunday and we can stay an extra day or 2!

Would you pick WL all they have left is a woods view.
We will not be doing any parks. Just enjoying some good restaurants and relaxing....Room rates are 310 for lodge and 302 for villa's kids are 13 and 17

thanks we just stayed Riverside 4/12

contemporary is all sold out
we will be eating at Poly dinner

I would definitely stay 2 nights. The WL is an amazing resort and is great for a relaxing trip :cloud9:.

Hello Wilderness Lodge fans:goodvibes
I'm spending my morning looking at pictures and reading through this thread. We've booked a studio for the week before Christmas. This will be our first trip to Disney during the holiday season, a surprise trip for the kids, and our first stay at Wilderness Lodge.:banana:

I just can't wait to see all the Christmas decorations and go to MVMCP. It's just going to be a long 8 months to keep this a secret:sad2:
They are already asking when we can go back. I just keep saying "Sometime next year". I'm not particularly good with secret keeping but this will be their major Christmas present and they will be THRILLED so it's worth the wait.

You are going to love it.....Disney at Christmas time is amazing!!! The WL is beautiful any time of year, but especially so during the holidays :santa:. We have done MVMCP 2 times and it was great each time. Good luck keeping it a secret......I'm sure your kids will be so excited when they find out :yay:.

Ok, we booked for Aug for 5 nights. We have never stayed at a deluxe before. We are so excited about this upcoming trip. All of this information is terrific. Any information for us rookies, please pass along.
Thank you again

You are going to love the WL :goodvibes. The grounds are beautiful, the pool is fun, the boat is great for going back and forth to MK, and Roaring Forks is great for quick CS meals. Have a great trip!!
 
You are going to love the WL :goodvibes. The grounds are beautiful, the pool is fun, the boat is great for going back and forth to MK, and Roaring Forks is great for quick CS meals. Have a great trip!![/QUOTE]

Thank you so much!!!
 
We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge 11th-25th July. On previous holidays we have stayed at The Yacht Club and The Swan. It was a hard decision to change from the Epcot area but so many of you seem to love the Wilderness. I'm loving the info on this thread. :wave2:
:welcome:
It's great you're trying something new. Epcot resorts are wonderful because you can easily walk to DHS and Epcot. But, being in the MK resorts area is special because you also have the monorails and buses that don't share with as many resorts as do the Epcot buses. You can also walk to FW and boat to CR, FW and MK. There is a more relaxed and secluded feel to WL that I think you will love.

We belong to DVC and get to WDW two to three times a year and have very different vacations each stay. We usually try to figure out what we want to do, because we can't do it all in one trip. We pick the resort to fit the reason for the trip. If it is the flower show, we try to get BC. When the children were small, they loved the sand pool and didn't care for all day at the parks so it was BC.

In February, we brought my husband's 80+ year old parents to WL. They loved it. Sometimes we book a CL at the beginning or end of the stay and pay cash, except at AKL where we can book with points.

I try to book a trip at WL every year when the Christmas decorations go up, but before Christmas. Often I come on this trip by myself. It is my favorite resort at Christmas.

If MK is the focus, then Bay Lake is where we try to stay. We are booked there for the Fourth of July and hope to watch the fireworks from the Top of the World Club.

We also love AKL. If our mission is Downtown Disney, then SSR.

We usually have our own "Must Do" list like going to get Dole Whip at the Poly, Wilderness Salad at Roaring Forks, drinks at Territory Lounge, and a Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream. Even if we don't stay at WL we make a point to visit once or twice.

We still have many things we want to do like rent a pontoon boat, eat at Victoria and Albert's, enjoy the Richard Petty Driving experience and............

The joy is in planning the next trip. So if you don't get everything in one trip, there is always next time, and next time and next time.....Enjoy your trip and family and don't try to do it all.
I love your strategy and your "next time, next time, next time" approach:thumbsup2

We are trying to decide about 1 or 2 nights at WL in July.

We will be staying at Marriott Grande Vista with friends they check out on Sunday and we can stay an extra day or 2!

Would you pick WL all they have left is a woods view.
We will not be doing any parks. Just enjoying some good restaurants and relaxing....Room rates are 310 for lodge and 302 for villa's kids are 13 and 17

thanks we just stayed Riverside 4/12

contemporary is all sold out
we will be eating at Poly dinner
:welcome:

A Woods View can have a view of Wishes, the Castle, CR... If you request a high floor or a 5th floor (that is the highest floor that does not have an enclosed balcony railing) in the North Wing, you might just get an extra bonus view and you'd have a great balcony, too.

Hello Wilderness Lodge fans:goodvibes
I'm spending my morning looking at pictures and reading through this thread. We've booked a studio for the week before Christmas. This will be our first trip to Disney during the holiday season, a surprise trip for the kids, and our first stay at Wilderness Lodge.:banana:

We've rented points and stayed at OKW, BWV and AKV before in studios. The amount of room works out fine for us. The kids don't mind sharing the sofa bed and we enjoy having the kitchenette for breakfasts and snacks.

Sometimes we do end up bringing a twin air mattress if the kids don't feel like sharing, but we didn't use it last time at all.

I just can't wait to see all the Christmas decorations and go to MVMCP. It's just going to be a long 8 months to keep this a secret:sad2:
They are already asking when we can go back. I just keep saying "Sometime next year". I'm not particularly good with secret keeping but this will be their major Christmas present and they will be THRILLED so it's worth the wait.
:welcome:

I could never keep our trips a secret so I admire your restraint. They are going to be VERY surprised! Don't forget to go over to FW to see all the RV decorations.

Ok, we booked for Aug for 5 nights. We have never stayed at a deluxe before. We are so excited about this upcoming trip. All of this information is terrific. Any information for us rookies, please pass along.
Thank you again
:welcome:

If you tell us what view you booked, we could help you with a room location request. I think once you stay at WL, you'll be hooked and only want to stay Deluxe. Have you taken a look at the activities on the first page? Don't overlook FW as there is much to see and do there and you can get there easily by walking, boating or taking the bus. It's a wonderfully relaxing walk and you feel like you've really gotten away from all the hustle and bustle.

Some first-timers don't realize that the MK bus is a direct, non-stop bus. Also, WL is always the first picked-up so you'll always get on an empty bus (if you're first in line;)). Try and take the free Lodge tour if you can and the beach is rarely crowded. Also there is a playground on it, nightly movies shown on the beach and a free marshmallow roast each evening.

Let us know if you have any questions.
 
Hi, I will be staying for the first time at WL the week of July 4th! I can't wait! I have booked a courtyard bunk bed room. I'm not sure if I should try to request a specific floor/room or just take what I get...any suggestions are appreciated. I will be traveling with my DH, and our two sons, ages 5 and 2. Thanks!
 
Hi, I will be staying for the first time at WL the week of July 4th! I can't wait! I have booked a courtyard bunk bed room. I'm not sure if I should try to request a specific floor/room or just take what I get...any suggestions are appreciated. I will be traveling with my DH, and our two sons, ages 5 and 2. Thanks!

A trip to Wilderness Canyon restaurant with that age group would be fun. Make sure to ask for ketchup!
 
Hi, I will be staying for the first time at WL the week of July 4th! I can't wait! I have booked a courtyard bunk bed room. I'm not sure if I should try to request a specific floor/room or just take what I get...any suggestions are appreciated. I will be traveling with my DH, and our two sons, ages 5 and 2. Thanks!
:welcome: to the DIS and the WL/VWL thread!

The week of July 4th will be very crowded so I think you picked a great resort to be able to sort of get away from it all and easily get back and forth to the MK with your boys. There's much to do at WL and FW right next door and you can easily boat to CR, then monorail to Poly and GF. CR has a great arcade your kids might enjoy. WL has one, too but no prizes and it's smaller. Poly has fun stores and Dole Whips at CC and they all have fun character dining. As Tinkerbelljean suggested, Whispering Canyon Café is lots of fun and a must-do for your boys. They even have stick pony races and Lincoln Logs! (And all-you-can drink shakes.)

Make sure that you request an INNER or WL Courtyard View. This way you'll be able to see the nightly EWP from your balcony and the geyser and Bay Lake. The other Courtyard View is of the VWL courtyard and the Room Assignor might put you there if you don't have a preference.

If having a balcony that you can see through when seated is important to you, then you might also want to request 5th floor (or lower). The 6th floor has some solid balcony railings and all of the 7th (CL) floor has them.

I think your boys will love the Lodge and those bunks. Though it might be your first time at WL, I suspect it might not be your last;). Let us know if you have any other questions.
 
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