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

[Letterhead]

It will be faster to take the bus, most likely, since the boat to CR could be a wait of 15 minutes. And then you could wait up to 15 minutes for the resort monorail to take you to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Or you could take the bus to MK, a five minute ride, and catch the monorails from that point.

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As the buses are quicker, I assume they would have larger queues at peak times?

 

[Wood Nymph]

As the buses are quicker, I assume they would have larger queues at peak times?

The buses arrive empty and since WL is not a huge resort, there might be plenty of room for everyone. The bus to Epcot usually stops at FW before heading to Epcot. When we were there the AK bus shared with either GF or FW. And the HS bus shared with GF. But on the way back to WL from the parks, the lodge is the first stop and a quick ride back.

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[RedfromNL]

OK, so I've been back from an absolutely fabulous trip. Have been back for a while in fact.

I will write a tripreport with some pics later but right now I'm finding it hard to find time and energy for that.

You see I'd hardly been back for a day when they told me they were cutting my job , nice huh? Looks like I'll be out of work somewhere in september or whenever they finally make up their minds.
Been really busy trying to find something else, so far no luck.

I am glad though we decided to take the trip this year then, unless I find another job that pays so well as this one does no more fabulous trips like this one. (Queen Mary II to New York and then two weeks of WDW)

I will go and show and tell you some more with a TripReport later on.

 

[disnmooner2013]

I have lots of updated pics of WL and Old Faithful Club from our June trip in my trip report link is below in my signature

 

[KerryCM]

Just booked a trip for Sept. 25 to Oct 2nd!! Staying club level for the first time here and very excited. We have stayed club level at GF,BWI,YC and have BC booked for December.

My husband loves the lodge for a quiet vacation and he is looking forward to trying something different for food at the Lodge. I will be reading here daily now to gather any information I can on the club level!!!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

You, of all people, have never done CP.... Pre-park opening?

Be at the turnstile by 7:45 (I'm assuming your ADR is at 8:10). Enjoy the early morning peacefulness of MK. It is something that can not be duplicated.

(I do feel honored that I answered your question!)


Cobbler!!! We're almost there!!,

Yes, me of all people have never done a pre-park opening ADR (hangs head in shame). We shall be at the turnstile promptly at 0745 - thank you so much!

For the past few months I kept thinking about the WL. The day after Christmas I booked our upcoming trip to WDW and ended up booking the CSR. Well I should have known better. Thursday I finally gave into temptation, called WDW and changed my resort from the CSR to my favorite resort in WDW... Yepper, that would be the WL.

Our dates are 11/29 - 12/5. This is going to be the first time we will not have concierge but did book it with a courtyard view. We are also going to be on the DxDP for the first time and looking forward to that. I cannot wait to see the WL again with all the Christmas decorations.

We knew you'd finally come around - you can only resist temptation so long. DxDP, huh? Well, we'd love to hear about some of your ADRs. I'll add you to the Lodgers' Log and BTW, congratulations on your amazing weight loss

Just booked my stay at Wilderness Lodge for October 19th-24th 2014, club level!!!! It will be my 6th trip and 3rd time staying at WL. Just can't stay away!! It will be my dd's first time staying in WL, she will be 3 by the time we go. Can't wait to do the story time in front of the big fireplace with her . It will also be the first time we are there for Halloween. So excited to do Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

Edit: oops!! Just realized this is a 2013 thread. Still excited nonetheless. Haha

Welcome! 2013 only refers to when the new thread was posted. Feel free to discuss anything WL/VWL/WDW-related here. We have dates in our Lodger's Log for 2014 so I'd be happy to add you to the first page.

The lobby story time isn't listed in the monthly activity sheet that I have hyperlinked on the first page. But, I can find out more for you in 17 days!

We are getting ready to leave for our first stay at the WL. Many thanks to all of you for the advice. This will be our 5th summer trip in a row, and too many others to count, but I still get excited just like my very first time at WDW!

How exciting! I hope you had an easy trip and are all settled in and enjoying your vacation. I get really excited, too and talk about it everyday and then I can't believe it when we're finally there

What time is the storytelling in front of the fireplace? I don't recall seeing/hearing about this the last time we were there. Going Sept 14-21.

I don't recall ever seeing it either. I did a quick search and couldn't find a recent reference to it so I'll ask in person in 17 days if someone doesn't post sooner about it.

I'm heading in 16 days for my Honeymoon. The last 2 weeks of the trip we will be at WL. I was a bit hesitant at first due to the lack of theme park access (compared to the BWI, the first resort of our stay), that is, until I saw how quick the WL Ferry was compared to the T&T centre ferry.

Is the ferry regular or is there 20 minute waiting times? As it seems quick enough that getting the ferry followed by the monorail seems like a reasonable way to get to Epcot.

Welcome and what a perfect spot for a Disneymoon! Your vacation sounds wonderful. The Blue Flag boat goes to both Ft. Wilderness and Contemporary. From the CR, you can walk to the MK. You can also take the Red Flag boat (it's not one of those large ferries that goes from the TTC to MK) directly to the MK. There is also a non-stop bus. I have never seen a line for the MK bus, but there will be lines for boats and other buses. All WDW transportation arrives and departs in 20 minute intervals - give or take. There is more transportation information on the first page.

I have lots of updated pics of WL and Old Faithful Club from our June trip in my trip report link is below in my signature

Just booked a trip for Sept. 25 to Oct 2nd!! Staying club level for the first time here and very excited. We have stayed club level at GF,BWI,YC and have BC booked for December.

My husband loves the lodge for a quiet vacation and he is looking forward to trying something different for food at the Lodge. I will be reading here daily now to gather any information I can on the club level!!!!

Welcome from the BWI thread! I'll add you to our Lodgers' Log.

You're going to love the Old faithful Club. The lounge seating area is large and cozy and the view out to the geyser, pool and Bay Lake is just beautiful. The CMs and CL manager are top notch

 

[KerryCM]

Thanks Kook!! I am really looking forward to trying the club level there. Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated. What type of views are offered? I have a feeling we are going to LOVE it!! We have stayed at the WL a couple time and Jim loves the atmosphere there. We don't do the parks too much, except when we go with the grandchildren, and this trip will be a chill trip.

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

kook did I hear somewhere that you'll be there in 17 days????

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks Kook!! I am really looking forward to trying the club level there. Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated. What type of views are offered? I have a feeling we are going to LOVE it!! We have stayed at the WL a couple time and Jim loves the atmosphere there. We don't do the parks too much, except when we go with the grandchildren, and this trip will be a chill trip.

If you've stayed at WL before then adding CL will make it perfect! And, it's the perfect 'chill' resort. Even our DD14 loves chillin' at WL. You already know about all the fireplaces and sofas/chairs to chill out in. There are more sofas and chairs to chill out in on the 7th floor. The North Wing seating is very quiet and relaxed. We also love the beach because it's rarely crowded and so peaceful. We love walking to FW and going to Trail's End for breakfast or dinner (lunch is good, too but they don't have the buffet then.) Have you tried the Territory Lounge? Have you taken the free Lodge tour?

Make sure you go over to VWL and explore the lobby. The Carolwood room has lots of interesting things related to Walt's trains that Jim might enjoy. I love the inglenook they have in the lobby. It's across from Sturdy Branches and it's so cozy in front of the fireplace.

There are two CL views: Woods and Courtyard. Within Courtyard there is INNER which is of the WL courtyard and VWL courtyard. If you won't mind the afternoon pool party, I would recommend an inner courtyard view. The South Wing rooms are marginally closer to the lounge than the North Wing rooms. Our favorite room is one of only two STD CL rooms that directly face the courtyard and have no connecting door. They are rooms 7035 and 7127 and they are next to the two suites and at the very end of each wing.

kook did I hear somewhere that you'll be there in 17 days????

Guess what, Linda????? Only 17 more days!!!!

Nice to see you back over here. Is some WL scheming going on?

 

[KerryCM]

If you've stayed at WL before then adding CL will make it perfect! And, it's the perfect 'chill' resort. Even our DD14 loves chillin' at WL. You already know about all the fireplaces and sofas/chairs to chill out in. There are more sofas and chairs to chill out in on the 7th floor. The North Wing seating is very quiet and relaxed. We also love the beach because it's rarely crowded and so peaceful. We love walking to FW and going to Trail's End for breakfast or dinner (lunch is good, too but they don't have the buffet then.) Have you tried the Territory Lounge? Have you taken the free Lodge tour?

Make sure you go over to VWL and explore the lobby. The Carolwood room has lots of interesting things related to Walt's trains that Jim might enjoy. I love the inglenook they have in the lobby. It's across from Sturdy Branches and it's so cozy in front of the fireplace.

There are two CL views: Woods and Courtyard. Within Courtyard there is INNER which is of the WL courtyard and VWL courtyard. If you won't mind the afternoon pool party, I would recommend an inner courtyard view. The South Wing rooms are marginally closer to the lounge than the North Wing rooms. Our favorite room is one of only two STD CL rooms that directly face the courtyard and have no connecting door. They are rooms 7035 and 7127 and they are next to the two suites and at the very end of each wing.


Guess what, Linda????? Only 17 more days!!!!

Nice to see you back over here. Is some WL scheming going on?

Thank you for the information!! Maybe I will add the request to my reservation. I am just happy to be going. I didn't know about the lodge tour, sounds interesting.

 

[Wood Nymph]

OK, so I've been back from an absolutely fabulous trip. Have been back for a while in fact.

I will write a tripreport with some pics later but right now I'm finding it hard to find time and energy for that.

You see I'd hardly been back for a day when they told me they were cutting my job , nice huh? Looks like I'll be out of work somewhere in september or whenever they finally make up their minds.
Been really busy trying to find something else, so far no luck.

I am glad though we decided to take the trip this year then, unless I find another job that pays so well as this one does no more fabulous trips like this one. (Queen Mary II to New York and then two weeks of WDW)

I will go and show and tell you some more with a TripReport later on.

I'm sorry to hear about the job. I hope something else comes along soon.

I'm looking forward to reading your trip report. Your trip sounded good before you took it and I would love to hear how it turned out.

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

If you've stayed at WL before then adding CL will make it perfect! And, it's the perfect 'chill' resort. Even our DD14 loves chillin' at WL. You already know about all the fireplaces and sofas/chairs to chill out in. There are more sofas and chairs to chill out in on the 7th floor. The North Wing seating is very quiet and relaxed. We also love the beach because it's rarely crowded and so peaceful. We love walking to FW and going to Trail's End for breakfast or dinner (lunch is good, too but they don't have the buffet then.) Have you tried the Territory Lounge? Have you taken the free Lodge tour?

Make sure you go over to VWL and explore the lobby. The Carolwood room has lots of interesting things related to Walt's trains that Jim might enjoy. I love the inglenook they have in the lobby. It's across from Sturdy Branches and it's so cozy in front of the fireplace.

There are two CL views: Woods and Courtyard. Within Courtyard there is INNER which is of the WL courtyard and VWL courtyard. If you won't mind the afternoon pool party, I would recommend an inner courtyard view. The South Wing rooms are marginally closer to the lounge than the North Wing rooms. Our favorite room is one of only two STD CL rooms that directly face the courtyard and have no connecting door. They are rooms 7035 and 7127 and they are next to the two suites and at the very end of each wing.


Guess what, Linda????? Only 17 more days!!!!

Nice to see you back over here. Is some WL scheming going on?

No sad to say no WL planning happening here. I'm being really cheap with my DVC points for this next trip .... staying AKV (standard view) and OKW. I love both of those resorts but WL is still my favorite .... it's just HOME! Yesterday I did add 3 nights at CSR (ap rate) at the beginning of my trip.

Just so you know I'm always on this thread ..... lurking and reading .... maybe I'll just have to wave at you so you'll know I'm here.

50 days for me!!!​

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm heading in 16 days for my Honeymoon. The last 2 weeks of the trip we will be at WL. I was a bit hesitant at first due to the lack of theme park access (compared to the BWI, the first resort of our stay), that is, until I saw how quick the WL Ferry was compared to the T&T centre ferry.

You will love the WL.....the resort is just amazing .

OK, so I've been back from an absolutely fabulous trip. Have been back for a while in fact.

I will write a tripreport with some pics later but right now I'm finding it hard to find time and energy for that.

You see I'd hardly been back for a day when they told me they were cutting my job , nice huh? Looks like I'll be out of work somewhere in september or whenever they finally make up their minds.
Been really busy trying to find something else, so far no luck.

I am glad though we decided to take the trip this year then, unless I find another job that pays so well as this one does no more fabulous trips like this one. (Queen Mary II to New York and then two weeks of WDW)

I will go and show and tell you some more with a TripReport later on.

Glad you had a great time . So sorry to hear about your job. Good luck in the job search.

Just booked a trip for Sept. 25 to Oct 2nd!! Staying club level for the first time here and very excited. We have stayed club level at GF,BWI,YC and have BC booked for December.

My husband loves the lodge for a quiet vacation and he is looking forward to trying something different for food at the Lodge. I will be reading here daily now to gather any information I can on the club level!!!!

You will love WL CL .

If you've stayed at WL before then adding CL will make it perfect! And, it's the perfect 'chill' resort.

I agree .

 

[sleepydog25]

Thanks Kook!! I am really looking forward to trying the club level there. Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated. What type of views are offered? I have a feeling we are going to LOVE it!! We have stayed at the WL a couple time and Jim loves the atmosphere there. We don't do the parks too much, except when we go with the grandchildren, and this trip will be a chill trip.

Having just spent a night on the CL level following our wedding (also at the Lodge), I give a big thumbs up for room 7084. It's across the foyer from the snacks and drinks, but the balcony offers grand views of Wishes while sitting. If only they'd pipe in the music. . .

 

[diskids2]

Hi all!!! Checked yesterday morning for our first stay at the WL. Love this resort. So compact peaceful. We arrived at 930 at MCO. Right on ME. WL first stop b4 POLY. CR and GF. Our courtyard view room. 5075 was ready and exactly what I asked for. Inner courtyard open balcony high floor. We went to DHS (thanks Josh from easy WDW). Got FP to TSM for 6 pm. Returned to room around 8 EXHAUSTED!!! Luggage and garden grocer order arrived. Refrig in room. Received an email inviting me to test FP+ for Be Our Guest. Picked day time and meal desired for vacation party. Can't wait to see how this works. Looking forward to EPCOT today. Thanks all!!!! Love this place

 

[Dumbo Mad]

Hi, hoping someone can give me some advice.

We are hoping to stay at the Wilderness Lodge next September (2014) for 15 nights. It will be my husband and myself in one room and my father in another room. He has issues walking (bad knees) and I'm wondering what the best room location for us would be.... His determined not to rent a scooter

I've seen the standard views, and I'm hoping that we can afford a wood view, maybe of the castle if possible, but I don't want to be too far away from the facilities. My father is also a light sleeper, so I don't think the rooms in the lobby would work. We will be using the bus/boat for transport and also Roaring Forks for breakfast most mornings.

Any advice would be greatly received

Oh and can you tell me if they have toasters in Roaring Forks please?
Thank you
Nikki

 

[KerryCM]

Well, I had to change my dates for my trip, but only by 2 days!! We now go on the 27th to the 4th. Was very worried I wasn't going to be able to keep my room, but we did. Flights were the same price too, love the no change fee on Southwest!!

 

[reagansdaddy]

I wanted to post and let you all know a little bit of our experience at Disney. We were there from 6/24-6/30 and stayed on the Club Level. We had room 7042 which gave us a view of the MK castle and bunk beds. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.

It's still hard to know where to begin, so let me just give you some random thoughts in bullet points. I apologize if some of these are not Wilderness Lodge specific.

- We took full advantage of the IPO prior to arriving. It was a huge burden lifted off of me to be able to contact someone with questions and to have them be able to do all of our reservations at the 180 day mark. They were able to accommodate several changes as well leading up to our trip.

- The Magic Express service was simply amazing. I'm still in awe of the logistics of WDW in general and the Magic Express in particular ran like clock work.

- The club level staff were all amazing. Kelly showed us to our room and was so friendly and helpful throughout our stay. At one point, they even let me use their computer to print off a touring plan when we made some modifications. One morning I went down to the desk and one of the CMs was dealing with a really obnoxious guest. The woman was rude and unreasonable. It was pretty clear that the only thing that would make her happy was getting money back. The CM was kind, patient, and solved her problem in a number of different ways.

- We used the WL child care service one evening. It was pricey, but my kids enjoyed their stay there. One note of caution, the meal they provided was not enough food for my daughter who was on an adult meal plan.

- The pool-side activities in the afternoon were awesome. My kids had a grand time. There is so much to do just at the resort that you could vacation there for 3 or 4 days and never go to a park and still have a wonderful time! We roasted marshmallows, watched the floating parade, and swam. They also show a movie on the beach each night!

- Speaking of swimming.....the pool is top notch. The life guards are attentive and well trained. Lots of towels available all day, so don't pack beach towels. The only negative was the lack of beach chairs. Some guests would obviously hoard the chairs which led to a shortage. We stuck to using one chair for our family when the pool was busy. I wish others would do the same. I'd like to see the staff be more proactive about keeping people from "saving" chairs that they are not using.

- Had two dinners and two breakfasts at Whispering Canyon. LOTS of food and pretty good as well. The breakfast in particular was outstanding. My wife and I had dinner at Artist Pointe one evening and while it was good, it didn't quite live up to the expectation I had built for it. That's probably more my fault than theirs.

- On our first evening at the resort, we were taking a stroll around the grounds to get our bearings and one of the CMs showed us an alligator that was right off the beach near the Teton Boat Rental! It was about a four footer! We never saw it again, but it was cool.

- I have read comments from time to time abut the WL rooms being small. While I have nothing to compare against at WDW resorts, I will say that we did not find the room to be small. We felt like we had plenty of space for all four of us throughout the week.

- Mousekeeping did a great job with the room. We tipped each day but we never got any towel animals. I hadn't mentioned this to the kids so they weren't disappointed, but I was a little upset that we didn't get even a single one despite a generous daily tip. Oh well, not a huge deal especially since they had the room clean every day.

- If you're planning a trip and have small kids, I cannot say enough how much the mid-day break meant for us. It was critical to the enjoyment of the parks and each other. I simply cannot imagine not coming back to the resort for a few hours each day to unwind and rest. I know that some will disagree with me on that, but it was exactly what my family needed every day. Plus, being able to come back to a place as wonderful as WL made it easy!

That's all I can think of at the moment. I've missed the thread so now I need to do some catching up. When we left, I was looking at this as a once in a lifetime trip, but now, I'm already looking at ways we can go back again next year! Please let me know if you have any questions!

 

[jstouder]

Any updates on the fridge removal for WL? We check in on 8/11.

 

[mickeynut1]

Hi all!!! Checked yesterday morning for our first stay at the WL. Love this resort. So compact peaceful. We arrived at 930 at MCO. Right on ME. WL first stop b4 POLY. CR and GF. Our courtyard view room. 5075 was ready and exactly what I asked for. Inner courtyard open balcony high floor. We went to DHS (thanks Josh from easy WDW). Got FP to TSM for 6 pm. Returned to room around 8 EXHAUSTED!!! Luggage and garden grocer order arrived. Refrig in room. Received an email inviting me to test FP+ for Be Our Guest. Picked day time and meal desired for vacation party. Can't wait to see how this works. Looking forward to EPCOT today. Thanks all!!!! Love this place

Glad you love the WL.....it is a great resort. Hope you continue to have a good trip .

Hi, hoping someone can give me some advice.

We are hoping to stay at the Wilderness Lodge next September (2014) for 15 nights. It will be my husband and myself in one room and my father in another room. He has issues walking (bad knees) and I'm wondering what the best room location for us would be.... His determined not to rent a scooter

I've seen the standard views, and I'm hoping that we can afford a wood view, maybe of the castle if possible, but I don't want to be too far away from the facilities. My father is also a light sleeper, so I don't think the rooms in the lobby would work. We will be using the bus/boat for transport and also Roaring Forks for breakfast most mornings.

Any advice would be greatly received

Oh and can you tell me if they have toasters in Roaring Forks please?
Thank you
Nikki

I can't help as far as room suggestions, but regarding the toaster, there should be one in Roaring Forks. As far as I know, all resort CS places have a toaster .

Well, I had to change my dates for my trip, but only by 2 days!! We now go on the 27th to the 4th. Was very worried I wasn't going to be able to keep my room, but we did. Flights were the same price too, love the no change fee on Southwest!!

Glad everything worked out with the changes .

I wanted to post and let you all know a little bit of our experience at Disney. We were there from 6/24-6/30 and stayed on the Club Level. We had room 7042 which gave us a view of the MK castle and bunk beds. It was truly the experience of a lifetime.


That's all I can think of at the moment. I've missed the thread so now I need to do some catching up. When we left, I was looking at this as a once in a lifetime trip, but now, I'm already looking at ways we can go back again next year! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for sharing about your trip. I'm glad you had a great time and loved the WL. I hope you are able to plan a trip back next year .