(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD ~2013~

[auprincess]

After lots of discussion, I think my family is going to be staying at WL in March! I am so excited - we stayed in 2010 and had a wonderful time, loved the resort! Originally we were planning our 2014 trip for June, so WL was out since we would be an official Disney family of 5, but now that we moved our dates up our youngest will still be 2. I'm a little worried bc the only thing DH did not like was the room size, too small for him. I was fine with it. Our next trip we will have 5 (vs 4) but we won't have a double stroller and almost positive we won't need a pack and play either. can anyone tell me if they felt too cramped with 5 in a standard room? Does a bunk room feel more spacious? Also, we made no requests last time - the room was nice but kind of far off, suggestions of what to request to be a little closer?

 

[momtoprincesses]

momtoprincesses[/B]! Woods View is a great choice for a quieter location than Courtyard View. A CV is the best view, IMHO, however, you will hear a bit of the afternoon pool party PA and music from the inner CV rooms. You can even see some of Wishes, CR and Castle from higher WV floors. These rooms are in the North Wing. Some of the 6th floor rooms have solid balcony railings that you need to stand to look out over. The 5th floor and lower do not have solid railings.

Let us know if you have any other questions. I think you'll love WL and you might even love the rooms. They were all rehabbed less than one year ago. And, although you won't have the walkway to the MK, you will have both a boat and a non-stop bus

ETA: Don't forget to have your birthdays noted in your reservation.

Thanks for this info! It is good to know that my category is naturally the quieter choice. And I would LOVE to have a view of the castle from the balcony. Now that would be a birthday treat!

 

[WDWKOOK]

DH keeps saying we don't need CL....uhhh yeah we do Happy to be back, and SO excited!!!!!!!!!!

If our DHs got together, they could negate each other's requests. Mine decided on vacation that 'we' really just had to have CL. (I think the fact that we were in a 900 SF suite had something to do with that and the fact that he often prefers being 'left behind' while DD and I run around.) He didn't get the chance to go with us to try Atrium Club and he loves CR so I kept calling WDTC for availability, but no dice. On vacation, WL/CL was available so he insisted I change it. I'm sure Brian will greatly appreciate having his "snack room" and all the wonderful CMs and great view of the lobby and Bay Lake. But, if you're booking two rooms, you could book his w/o CL

I'm just popping in to say that I am patiently waiting to book WL for our January trip since Disney has not yet released it's official prices. Hoping they release 2014 rates soon!

You can still book now and prices will revert after they are released. Let us know when it's official.

After lots of discussion, I think my family is going to be staying at WL in March! I am so excited - we stayed in 2010 and had a wonderful time, loved the resort! Originally we were palming our 2014 trip for June, so WL was out since we would be an official Disney family of 5, but now that we moved our dates up our youngest will still be 2. I'm a little worried bc the only thing DH did not like was e room size, too small for him. I was fond with it. Or next trip we will have 5 (vs 4) but we won't have a foible stroller and almost positive we won't need a pack and play either. Can anyone tell me if they felt too cramped with 5 in a standard room? Does a bunked room feel more spacious? Also, we made no requests last time - the room was fence but kind of far off, suggestions of what to request to be a little closer?

Yay for March! We're only a family of 3 so I can't comment on 5, but it would be snug. The Deluxe rooms offer more space, but they are seldom if ever discounted, in my experience. I would book a bunk as those do have more empty space since there is one less queen bed. When you know what category/view you're booking, we can better help with requests. Have fun planning!

Thanks for this info! It is good to know that my category is naturally the quieter choice. And I would LOVE to have a view of the castle from the balcony. Now that would be a birthday treat!

You're welcome!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Page 2?

 

[Hook326]

We will be headed to WDW for one day/night after our cruise. We will be doing MNSSHP & I was thinking WL might be a cheaper (but still close to MK) alternative to staying at the Contemporary. We want to maximize our short time there by being nearby & no long bus waits/drives after the party. We've never stayed deluxe and are wondering if after a party it really will be significantly quicker to get to WL by bus or boat vs POR/FQ. We've never been to a party so i dont know how many people are exiting at close. Thanks for any help!

 

[Wood Nymph]

We will be headed to WDW for one day/night after our cruise. We will be doing MNSSHP & I was thinking WL might be a cheaper (but still close to MK) alternative to staying at the Contemporary. We want to maximize our short time there by being nearby & no long bus waits/drives after the party. We've never stayed deluxe and are wondering if after a party it really will be significantly quicker to get to WL by bus or boat vs POR/FQ. We've never been to a party so i dont know how many people are exiting at close. Thanks for any help!

Yes, it is significantly quicker to get back to WL from MK than to go to FOR/FOFQ. The boat dock is right outside the MK gate, closer to the gate than the buses or monorail are. The boat ride is about ten minutes long. There is also a bus to WL, which is a five minute ride. The WL bus comes very frequently and will not be crowded. Both are really convenient.

 

[rfassett]

We will be headed to WDW for one day/night after our cruise. We will be doing MNSSHP & I was thinking WL might be a cheaper (but still close to MK) alternative to staying at the Contemporary. We want to maximize our short time there by being nearby & no long bus waits/drives after the party. We've never stayed deluxe and are wondering if after a party it really will be significantly quicker to get to WL by bus or boat vs POR/FQ. We've never been to a party so i dont know how many people are exiting at close. Thanks for any help!

We were at the MNSSHP last year (I believe on the 21st) (I was Pharoah and my dear wife was Cleopatra) and people came and went all night. My recollection is that we left with the crowd and had to wait for the boat through one trip but it was a pleasant evening and everyone was in a great mood (and i had enough candy to tied me over) so the time went fast. Beware, you will fall in love with the lodge.

 

[sephorachick]

My Disney friend saw one of my posts on here asking about WL CL & he told me it wasn't worth the $$? How is it great to your family?

 

[mickeynut1]

DH keeps saying we don't need CL....uhhh yeah we do Happy to be back, and SO excited!!!!!!!!!!

I think you need CL (especially at the WL since it's so amazing ).

I'm just popping in to say that I am patiently waiting to book WL for our January trip since Disney has not yet released it's official prices. Hoping they release 2014 rates soon!

I'm waiting with you....the 2014 rates can't come out too soon .

After lots of discussion, I think my family is going to be staying at WL in March! I am so excited - we stayed in 2010 and had a wonderful time, loved the resort! Originally we were planning our 2014 trip for June, so WL was out since we would be an official Disney family of 5, but now that we moved our dates up our youngest will still be 2. I'm a little worried bc the only thing DH did not like was the room size, too small for him. I was fine with it. Our next trip we will have 5 (vs 4) but we won't have a double stroller and almost positive we won't need a pack and play either. can anyone tell me if they felt too cramped with 5 in a standard room? Does a bunk room feel more spacious? Also, we made no requests last time - the room was nice but kind of far off, suggestions of what to request to be a little closer?

We are a family of 4 so I can't comment on having 5 in the room, but we have had 2 stays at the WL with one of those stays in a bb room and I agree with WDWKOOK. A regular room would be a little cramped (although doable), but getting a bb room would provide a little more space without the 2nd queen, so I would consider booking that over a 2 queen room .

We will be headed to WDW for one day/night after our cruise. We will be doing MNSSHP & I was thinking WL might be a cheaper (but still close to MK) alternative to staying at the Contemporary. We want to maximize our short time there by being nearby & no long bus waits/drives after the party. We've never stayed deluxe and are wondering if after a party it really will be significantly quicker to get to WL by bus or boat vs POR/FQ. We've never been to a party so i dont know how many people are exiting at close. Thanks for any help!

I agree with Wood Nymph that it would be quicker getting back to the WL after the party than to POR/POFQ. The boat will take a little longer than the bus, but both are convenient .

My Disney friend saw one of my posts on here asking about WL CL & he told me it wasn't worth the $$? How is it great to your family?

Worth is subjective as it's different for everyone, but we think CL is worth every penny. We don't stay CL every trip, but when we do, we choose it more for the lounge rather than for the snacks and drinks. The food offerings are nice to have, but we love having the lounge for some place to go and relax other than sitting somewhere else around the resort or in our room. With that said, WL CL is one of our favorites and for us, it's well worth the extra expense .

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We will be headed to WDW for one day/night after our cruise. We will be doing MNSSHP & I was thinking WL might be a cheaper (but still close to MK) alternative to staying at the Contemporary. We want to maximize our short time there by being nearby & no long bus waits/drives after the party. We've never stayed deluxe and are wondering if after a party it really will be significantly quicker to get to WL by bus or boat vs POR/FQ. We've never been to a party so i dont know how many people are exiting at close. Thanks for any help!

If you stay until the close of MNSSHP crowds won't be much of a factor. Lots of people bail out after Hallowishes and/or the second running of the parade. At closing there is not a mass exodus like you might see after fireworks or a parade on a normal MK night.
WL is so close and transportation so convenient that it is quite possible you would be back at WL before the POR bus shows up. I have only taken teh boat from MK to WL, but everyone seems to agree that the WL bus is even faster than the boat. So it looks like there are two quick and convenient options.

 

[WDWKOOK]

We were at the MNSSHP last year (I believe on the 21st) (I was Pharoah and my dear wife was Cleopatra) and people came and went all night. My recollection is that we left with the crowd and had to wait for the boat through one trip but it was a pleasant evening and everyone was in a great mood (and i had enough candy to tied me over) so the time went fast. Beware, you will fall in love with the lodge.

Welcome to the thread and I'd love to see your costumes.

My Disney friend saw one of my posts on here asking about WL CL & he told me it wasn't worth the $$? How is it great to your family?

I'll answer specifically regarding The Old Faithful Club and why we think it's worth the additional cost, but as mickeynut1 posted, worth is subjective.

~Being able to check-in on Club Level is very convenient and efficient. We never have to wait in line to check-in which is nice after a long drive. We just pull-up to the port cochere where we're warmly greeted by a CL Runner or Ranger who takes us right up to the 7th floor. (After I pause to take in the beauty of my favorite lobby). We can then immediately relax with a beverage and decompress in the lounge. It's such a great way to start your vacation.

~Knowing that our room will be on the top floor, and thus far, always having our room location request met.

~The welcoming, efficient and friendly staff!

~Turn-down service is automatic. It's so nice returning to your room in the evening after turn-down.

~The beautiful lounge views down to the lobby and out to Bay Lake and the WL Courtyard.

~The convenience of breakfast, snacks, appetizers, desserts and (adult) beverages.

~Some use the IPO to book things for them. I do my own ADRs, but like knowing that the IPO is just an email away if I have a question, want to book a tour or need to confirm something.

~If we need something or if something needs attention in our room, the CL staff are just a phone call away from 7 AM - 10 PM. Unlike a non-CL room, when you are staying CL, your call actually goes right to a CL CM on the 7th floor and not to a call center somewhere else in FL.

~The OFC lounge is always neat and tidy and we've always been able to find a table.

~The 7th floor only has around 50 rooms (and 25 Deluxe rooms on floors 1-6) so it has a very high ratio of CMs to guests which makes for a much less crowded atmosphere in general, and lounge area specifically. You always feel like you're getting personalized service and attention.

It's really not one specific thing, it's the entire Old Faithful Club experience, which begins right at check-in, that makes the OFC worth the additional cost. For us, it ends up only about $80 more per night than a Courtyard View room.

 

[diskids2]

This is our first visit to the WL and we'll be there in a few weeks! Just DH and I so what should we make sure we DO NOT MISS at the resort? We've chosen a courtyard view room and will be there for six nights. WDW veterans but first time at WL....

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

My Disney friend saw one of my posts on here asking about WL CL & he told me it wasn't worth the $$? How is it great to your family?

DS is a 17 yr old 5'10", 125# XC runner and you can only imagine how important food (aka fuel) is to him. The thought of buying (and waiting for) breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, (lite) dinner, snack, dessert and dessert (and water, beer, wine, juice) daily is way more than the extra $75/night over a bunk bed/court yard view. Always knowing some type of healthy choice of food is available as soon as he wakes up or exits the elevator is very nice.

Add to all that only 50ish rooms in the CL floor, a lounge that is stocked, clean, separate area for tables to lounge at while enjoying the incredible view...Well, it has become a no brainer.

Oh, the things we do for our kids!!!

 

[Hook326]

If you stay until the close of MNSSHP crowds won't be much of a factor. Lots of people bail out after Hallowishes and/or the second running of the parade. At closing there is not a mass exodus like you might see after fireworks or a parade on a normal MK night.
WL is so close and transportation so convenient that it is quite possible you would be back at WL before the POR bus shows up. I have only taken teh boat from MK to WL, but everyone seems to agree that the WL bus is even faster than the boat. So it looks like there are two quick and convenient options.

I don't know how to multi quote so thank you to everyone for your responses! Just the answers i was hoping for! I really want to stay here and hopefully there will be a room discount coming out soon for my night. I missed the current one by a day I need Sept 29th! Crossing my fingers, otherwise we'll be at a moderate again.

 

[WDWKOOK]

This is our first visit to the WL and we'll be there in a few weeks! Just DH and I so what should we make sure we DO NOT MISS at the resort? We've chosen a courtyard view room and will be there for six nights. WDW veterans but first time at WL....

Welcome! With a CV room, make sure that you've requested INNER or WL CV so that your room will face toward the WL Courtyard, geyser, pool and Bay Lake instead of the VWL Courtyard. Unless of course you'd rather face toward VWL which doesn't have the afternoon pool party. Also, some of the 6th floor rooms have an enclosed balcony. If you want to ensure you don't, you can also request to be on the 5th floor (or lower).

If you've never stayed at WL you're in for a wonderful surprise when you step into the lobby. Even if you have stayed at WL or VWL before, there is a wonderful free Lodge Tour on Wed - Sat that meets at 0900 in front of the lobby fireplace. Here is a link to a review and some other great suggestions for getting acquainted with the Lodge:

http://blog.touringplans.com/2012/02/17/free-tour-series-wonders-of-the-wilderness-lodge/

I don't know how to multi quote so thank you to everyone for your responses! Just the answers i was hoping for! I really want to stay here and hopefully there will be a room discount coming out soon for my night. I missed the current one by a day I need Sept 29th! Crossing my fingers, otherwise we'll be at a moderate again.

Welcome and I hope you get to book with a discount soon

To multi-quote just click the middle icon with the quotation mark for each post you want to quote. It's in the bottom/right of each post in the thread. After you do that, at the top and bottom of the posting page, where you see all your multi-quotes, there is a "post reply" icon, click one blue "post reply" icon and all your posts will magically appear for you to reply to. When you're done, just click "submit reply" as you normally would.

 

[Hook326]

Welcome and I hope you get to book with a discount soon

To multi-quote just click the middle icon with the quotation mark for each post you want to quote. It's in the bottom/right of each post in the thread. After you do that, at the top and bottom of the posting page, where you see all your multi-quotes, there is a "post reply" icon, click one blue "post reply" icon and all your posts will magically appear for you to reply to. When you're done, just click "submit reply" as you normally would.

Thank you for the directions on how to multi-quote! I think the problem may be I'm on the Disboard app on my iPad and it doesn't have those options you said though I'll try it when I'm on the regular site though with my computer!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Thank you for the directions on how to multi-quote! I think the problem may be I'm on the Disboard app on my iPad and it doesn't have those options you said though I'll try it when I'm on the regular site though with my computer!

You're not alone. I couldn't multi-quote from the app for the longest time, and still can't through the normal app interface. The way I found to do it is to click on the thread title at the top of the screen in the app, which opens what looks like the regular website but within the app. From there you can get to the multi quote buttons.

 

[WDWKOOK]

You're not alone. I couldn't multi-quote from the app for the longest time, and still can't through the normal app interface. The way I found to do it is to click on the thread title at the top of the screen in the app, which opens what looks like the regular website but within the app. From there you can get to the multi quote buttons.

Great suggestion. I don't like the DIS app for my iOS devices either, so I always log-on via the "regular" site. I find the app too limiting.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Great suggestion. I don't like the DIS app for my iOS devices either, so I always log-on via the "regular" site. I find the app too limiting.

Yeah, I really like the app for reading (especially the way it lists all participated threads) but usually prefer the site for posting. I didn't know that you could access the full site from the app for a long time.

I just noticed KOOK that your countdown is exactly half of ours as of today! Both trips are really getting close. We're at 72 days!

 

[Whyowhy116]

I didn't know that you could access the full site from the app for a long time.

I

Wait. Whattttt??? You can access the full site from the app? How? Where?? I always use iPad app because it's a pleasure to read the boards in this format- but it would be nice to have all the features of the full site! Please tell!