(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD ~2014~

[outahere]

Been out of the loop and our trip is next week! Is the tree up in the lobby yet?

It wasn't when we left yesterday morning, but it may have gone up overnight. I would have to guess that it will go up soon, since Thanksgiving is less than a week away.

 

[MLinDisney]

Here for our first lodge visit. Room 6032, right by the elevator....view of Bay Lake, Contemporary, and we watched Wishes and the boat paegant from the room. I did not fax a request...asked for high floor.

Is your room a woods view category?

 

[WDWKOOK]

We will be there Nov29-Dec 4. Thinking about upgrading to CL. Is it worth it? I know there's been so many discussions. We usually stay CL on the Dream. Is it the same???

If you haven't already, take a look at the CL chapter of the thread. The hyperlink is in POST 1. I haven't stayed CL on the Dream so I can't compare, but I do think that CL at WL is definitely worth the additional expense, if it fits within your budget. The staff and service is warm, friendly and efficient. They have a great variety of evening appetizers and delicious cobbler and plenty of seating with gorgeous views of Bay Lake and the WL courtyard.

Hi!
Does anyone have a recommendation for the deluxe rooms at WL? We want to be closer to the elevator and the club level, so it'll be easier to stop by for snacking.

Does anyone have any experience with calling a van taxi? Do they come with car seats? And are they readily available?

Thanks so much,
Naomi

Here is the Deluxe room location map:

All of the locations are described HERE.

All of the rooms are fairly close to elevators, but the rooms that front Bay Lake are the furthest. None of the rooms are located on the CL's 7th floor. The rooms that are furthest from Bay Lake are closest to elevators that go to the 7th floor.

Hi All,

We will be staying at the Wilderness Lodge from Nov. 29th to Dec. 4th.

We originally booked a Woods View room but due to adding an extra day to the reservation, we had to switch to a courtyard view.

We have an infant and a toddler and would like a room with an exciting view but limited amount of noise in the evening. Do you guys have any recommendations for a room request?

Thanks!

Welcome to the thread and I'll put your dates in the Lodgers' Log.

DH & I checked out this morning and won't be back until 12/11-19/2015.
Bummer!!

Anyway, the Worker Bees on the pool are moving right along. Last week, I couldn't understand those little stumps placed about the splash area. They could be tripped over....this morning, it made more sense. There are poles being set in those stumps. They are brown, made to look like, so far, thin trees. So I thought, perhaps they are going to hold up a canopy for shade. Their placement made sense for that. But then, they placed this flat piece in the middle. It looks like the top of a drum. Perhaps water will flow on top of the drum and fall over the side????? Stumped......

We did hear that pool will re-open before the splash area is done,
but everyone you ask has a different date.

Already missing the wonderful OFC staff -Mike,Sam,Loyda,Rob, Christine,Jonnett,.....and hey,Christine will be in the Macys Thanksgiving Parade!!!!! She's going to be a clown (she's a graduate of clown college!). She's not sure of the costume, but she thinks she'll be wearing some type of box,like a toy box.Pretty exciting!

I'll continue my trip reports tomorrow. It was an exhausting 7 hours coming home.

Thanks for all your updates. Do you think you can make it a whole year?

Looks like there will be quite a few of us at WL the first week of December! I'm taking DS21 with me for my birthday trip Dec. 1 (my b-day) - 3. Short trip, but will be doing CP on Dec. 1, MVMCP on Dec. 2, and checking out monorail resorts during that time as well. Can't wait to see everything all decked out for Christmas! We have been to WDW after Christmas (typically NYE), but never before. And, first time staying at WL, although we have visited a few times in the past to eat at Artist Point. Can't wait!!!

What a fun trip! Happy (almost) birthday.

Woohoo! I was able to get another night added to my parents stay in the Villas!

I love WL and I am so excited that my parents are going to be able to spend three nights there now instead of two. It means being able to relax and enjoy the resort more with them

I am here...I will try to get pics. Pool is filled...splash pad is NOT done. They are building what looks like a dump bucket or something...very log style. My guess is they will finish on time...now there is scaffolding up around the windows on the outside right where the creek lets out of the building, but no work yet. I will get pics.

We've appreciated all your updates - thank you.

We are down to 5 DAYS!!!!!!! I cannot wait to walk into the lodge and see that tree!!!!!!!! We are all packed and ready to go!!!!!!!

Hope everyone leaving over the weekend has a great trip!!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

You're not excited are you?! Hope you have a magical vacation!

Going to stay at VWL a for the first time in january. We are staying in a 1 bedroom. Any recommendations on location? I was thinking it would be nice having an atrium room but am worried about noise since I will have a little one that will be napping during the day.

Welcome to the thread! I've not stayed at VWL, but I go there everyday on vacation to use Sturdy Branches and sometimes relax in the Iron Spike/Carolwood Pacific room. I have never noticed any lobby noise. Usually guests are just coming and going in that area since there aren't any VWL lobby services. I'm my experience, the VWL lobby has always been fairly quiet. I don't think you'll have any lobby noise issues.

I have been reading everyone's comments and so glad I've booked this resort (first visit to WL), now I have a year to wait

Happy planning and welcome to the thread, Donna.

Leaving tomorrow and kinda sad we didnt get to see the tree. However we had breakfast at 1900 park fare and saw the gingerbread house at the GF. Its cute. Sign said its grand opening is tomorrow morning.

We rode the monorail to the contemporary and they had a frozen gingerbread display up. Adorable. Its right below the small world type mural and has a little shop selling frozen themed "winter treats". While we may be slightly frozened out we still enjoyed it.

Christmas party at the MK tonight and thinking about booking a bouce back to beach club. This was a neat experience but i didn't fall in love with it as I thought I would. Maybe we will try back after construction. Transporation has been great.

It's fun to try different resorts and maybe the next one will be "the" one. Have fun planning your next trip.

Lots of work going on today around the pool. Looks like they're working on getting the walls taken down.

to the DIS and the WL/VWL thread. Thank you for your pool update.

11/19/14

Sorry! Couldn't see much so took these as we headed for boat.

No apologies here, Trisha. Thank you for taking the time to go over and take some photos. It's too bad the tree wasn't up for Mom.

I had been told last summer that they were going to put a fence up exactly like the one at the AK lodge.

All the themed pools are supposed to eventually be fenced and part of the reno is supposed to be the installation of a fence around the WL pool.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks
One more question .... could you tell what the supposed fence that's supposed to go around the pool area looks like?

I saw a stack of fence sections when we were there in October. I took a picture with my cell phone, but it was from pretty far away. It didn't look like there were enough sections to go around the entire pool, though. I did some editing of the picture so hopefully you can see them. They are painted dark green.

They may even be old sections of fence that were taken down for construction. It was hard to tell from that distance.

 

[elaw]

I saw a stack of fence sections when we were there in October. I took a picture with my cell phone, but it was from pretty far away. It didn't look like there were enough sections to go around the entire pool, though. I did some editing of the picture so hopefully you can see them. They are painted dark green.

They may even be old sections of fence that were taken down for construction. It was hard to tell from that distance.

That does look a lot like the fencing in the picture here .... on the bridge.

 

[AngiTN]

I think that is the new fencing too. It looked too uniform and unblemished to have been something that was installed before they started the remodel.

 

[FigmentMomma]

Just back from MK waiting on our magical express bus. Walkng up feom the dock they have taken the tall wooden walls don and now have up white plastic gating. Its easy to see the progress now. Tons of dudes working hard out there!

 

[CaptainKat]

Been out of the loop and our trip is next week! Is the tree up in the lobby yet?

Currently sitting in WL lobby: no tree yet, and as it's past 10, probably not going up tonight either. I'll keep reporting back. I'm basically stalking this tree; I've always wanted to watch it go up and now that I live down here it's not so crazy to hang out in the lobby every night for a week waiting XD

 

[Time4disney]

It wasn't when we left yesterday morning, but it may have gone up overnight. I would have to guess that it will go up soon, since Thanksgiving is less than a week away.

I checked in today and the tree is not up. I was told maybe tomorrow night. I watched them put up the tree one time a few years back and it was very interesting! I can't wait to watch them decorate the lodge!

I took pictures of the pool and splash pad area this evening. I also took pics of the new fencing! Will try to get my husband to post them soon.

 

[Time4disney]

Currently sitting in WL lobby: no tree yet, and as it's past 10, probably not going up tonight either. I'll keep reporting back. I'm basically stalking this tree; I've always wanted to watch it go up and now that I live down here it's not so crazy to hang out in the lobby every night for a week waiting XD

Ha ha! I'll be there too! Can't wait!

 

[capttigger]

Pics from 11-21-2014 for Time4disney

 

[LWILDP]

Thanks for the photos! We're coming down in one week's time (woot woot!) and I'm excited to see the progress. It would be so nice to have the construction walls down. Fingers crossed it warms up enough and isn't too rainy that we can actually use the pool. Can't believe it's getting so close now!

 

[Sandy321]

I know I'm not the only want that wants to hit "like" with some of these posts!

Just to let y'all know I appreciate your due diligence in the updates!!

 

[LWILDP]

My daughter had room 3113 which was a courtyard view bunk bed room and really liked it. The room was close to the lobby and faced the upper springs of the inner courtyard. The third floor is nice because there are stairs nearby that take you right down to the walkway to Roaring Forks, the pools and the boat dock. It was a nice, quiet room. But you couldn't see Bay Lake from there, there were too many trees. A higher floor might have a better view.

We've had four rooms and the two that were close to the lobby were my favorite location. It seemed like we could get anywhere quickly from there. They didn't have great views, though, but they were quiet.

Make sure that one of your requests is an open balcony and that would help to avoid the enclosed balconies.

Thanks so much for your reply Sue. It's really appreciated Thanks for the tip about being close to the lobby, I like the idea of taking the stairs. Would you recommend a lower floor with an open balcony vs higher up floor. Part of me thinks I would like the height for the views but if the balcony is closed in then am thinking kids won't like it as much. Is your preference lower and open balcony or higher and enclosed? Thanks again for all the info you share on these Boards.

 

[SFunaro]

Looks like someone beat me to pics, I would be shocked honestly if its done early, looked like alot to do still at the pace they were working.

 

[bookgirl]

Thanks so much for your reply Sue. It's really appreciated Thanks for the tip about being close to the lobby, I like the idea of taking the stairs. Would you recommend a lower floor with an open balcony vs higher up floor. Part of me thinks I would like the height for the views but if the balcony is closed in then am thinking kids won't like it as much. Is your preference lower and open balcony or higher and enclosed? Thanks again for all the info you share on these Boards.

If I remember correctly I was in 4113 or 4013 (I know I was on the 4th floor and the last two numbers were 13 in the south wing) last month and still had an open balcony and I could see the lake. granted I had to stand at the railing and look right I think my view is in an earlier post. I'll go look. Any way we were in the upper springs so really close to the lobby and had a great view of the stream coming out of the lobby and going to the waterfall area.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks for the pool construction pictures. Those pipes look huge! I can't wait to see what the splash pad is going to look like.

Thanks so much for your reply Sue. It's really appreciated Thanks for the tip about being close to the lobby, I like the idea of taking the stairs. Would you recommend a lower floor with an open balcony vs higher up floor. Part of me thinks I would like the height for the views but if the balcony is closed in then am thinking kids won't like it as much. Is your preference lower and open balcony or higher and enclosed? Thanks again for all the info you share on these Boards.

A view is nice if you plan to spend a lot of time looking at it. We enjoyed the views from the rooms we had on the higher floors. We have liked being able to use the stairs when we had rooms on the third floor. There were benefits to both options.

I hated the dormer balcony on the sixth floor, in spite of the fact that we could see fireworks from our balcony, because it made the room so dark. And when you sat on the balcony you were looking into the room instead of out of it.

Here is the balcony from room 5055, inner courtyard, north wing on the fifth floor:

This was the view from 5055 when you looked over the railing:

Here is the view from room 3119, across the courtyard from 5055 and looking toward the lobby:

And out toward the lake:

The dormer balcony from room 6018 - a woods view room:

 

[bookgirl]

okay here's the post


http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=52535667&postcount=2432


the first picture is the view looking right from my balcony last one is the EWP.

(sorry for the quality, I was just using my iphone to take pictures)

 

[Wood Nymph]

If I remember correctly I was in 4113 or 4013 (I know I was on the 4th floor and the last two numbers were 13) last month and still had an open balcony and I could see the lake. granted I had to stand at the railing and look right I think my view is in an earlier post. I'll go look. Any way we were in the upper springs so really close to the lobby and had a great view of the stream coming out of the lobby and going to the waterfall area.

If the lake was toward your right and the lobby was toward your left, then you were in 4113. Our daughter had room 3113, which is right below the room you had.

 

[rudetreehill]

Lots of great pool updates, but let's get to the REALLY important subject at hand: Will Trout Pass be open again by the end of November? My household's staying at the campground, but we always head over to the lodge and hang out with Carrie at Trout Pass! It's our favorite drinking spot!

Richard/tralfie