Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[Wood Nymph]

Does anyone know what kind of soda is available for the refillable mugs?

They offer Coke products. They have Coke, Diet Coke, Barq's root beer, Sprite, Minute Maid lite lemonade and they had Fanta orange recently. ETA: and they have blue Powerade.

They also have hot chocolate, although maybe not in the summer, tea and coffee. There is a tea dispenser for four different flavors of iced tea. And there are tea bags for hot tea.

 

[Jalva22]

Anyone know if the rooms on the very end of the wings looking directly out over Bay Lake are considered courtyard or woods? We had booked woods view for our trip, which we just returned from, and received one of these looking directly at the lake. There are 4 rooms in each wing like this. I wasn't sure if this was considered an upgrade or not. We liked it, but it also had its drawbacks. It's as far from the lobby as you can get, and the view of the lake was obstructed. Not the quietest spot to be, either. However, I wouldn't say it was a bad place to be, either. It was a better view than the courtyard view we paid for on our last visit.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Anyone know if the rooms on the very end of the wings looking directly out over Bay Lake are considered courtyard or woods? We had booked woods view for our trip, which we just returned from, and received one of these looking directly at the lake. There are 4 rooms in each wing like this. I wasn't sure if this was considered an upgrade or not. We liked it, but it also had its drawbacks. It's as far from the lobby as you can get, and the view of the lake was obstructed. Not the quietest spot to be, either. However, I wouldn't say it was a bad place to be, either. It was a better view than the courtyard view we paid for on our last visit.

On the North Wing, they are considered Woods view. There are a lot of trees in the area, and the boat docks provide some frequent horn noise. On the South Wing they are considered Courtyard view, as the view is less obstructed (for the time being, as there is planned construction in this area). Upgrades do certainly occur, so booking woods won't keep you from getting what they consider to be a "better" room. Like all rooms at WL, they have their pluses and minuses, but you can't go to wrong since they are in such a neat resort.

 

[Jalva22]

On the North Wing, they are considered Woods view. There are a lot of trees in the area, and the boat docks provide some frequent horn noise. On the South Wing they are considered Courtyard view, as the view is less obstructed (for the time being, as there is planned construction in this area). Upgrades do certainly occur, so booking woods won't keep you from getting what they consider to be a "better" room. Like all rooms at WL, they have their pluses and minuses, but you can't go to wrong since they are in such a neat resort.

I was in the south wing, so it must have been considered an upgrade to courtyard. I agree, you can't go too wrong. But, it was certainly an obstructed view. However, it was obstructed by the same thing that obstructs a woods view, trees! So, I didn't dislike our view and I'm certainly not complaining. I got what I paid for, and probably slightly better than what I paid for.

On the flipside, though, this is exactly why I never pay for courtyard view at WL. If I'm paying for courtyard, I want a nice view of the inner courtyard, meaning the pool or the stream. Not a view of the trees between me and the villas pool, not an obstructed view of the lake, not a view of the trees between me and the stuff in the inner courtyard that I really want to see. Again, I was happy with my view since I paid for woods view. I wouldn't have been thrilled with it if I had ponied up for courtyard view. I wouldn't have been on here complaining about it, as I still love WL, but I would have been disappointed with my room location if I had paid for courtyard.

 

[michael's mom]

Yup.




Yup.

Thank you

 

[WDWKOOK]

We just booked Club Level for Sept 10th to Sept 13th. We are arriving around 9:30pm on the 9th but we are staing at All Star Music that night since we get in so late. We were originally at Club Level at GF but cross country airfare ended up being more than we expected so we save about $350 by staying at WL instead.

We have only been to WL once and that was back in 2006. I have a couple of questions

I have more than 25 food allergies. Does anyone know what mix they use at Roaring Fork for the GF/allergy free waffles? I can't eat Bobs Red Mill so I'm hoping they have Namaste mix. Also, do they have they have the allergy safe Chicken Tenders? I always get those w/fries at least 1x day.

In addition, how are the restaurants with allergies in general? I will probably eat at Roaring Fork at least once a day for lunch and/or dinner. We also have a lunch and breakfast reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe. How is the allergy service there? For breakfast as long as I can get waffles, bacon, and sausage I'm happy. And for lunch I'll be very happy if I can just get a burger, fries, and some cooked veggies.

We are not going to any parks. We already know we will spend time at the pool and we plan on playing mini golf one day but what are some of the best things to do around the resort?

Cannot wait to go back! 85 days!!!

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

No apology necessary! WDW is only part of our trip. We are seeing my grandparents near Boca for 5 days before we drive to Disney. Also, We've been to Disneyworld 15+ times already. We decided that we want a relaxing trip to Disney because it's been a very bad year medically already (I've had 8 hospital admissions, 20+ ER visits, and 7 surgeries/procedures since January) so we just want to escape the "real world" for a few days and be lazy with no schedule. it would definitely be a little crazy to fly that far just for 3 1/2 days and no parks!!

You REALLY need some R&R and I hope you're on the mend.

Are there ceiling fans in the rooms? I like a lot of air movement and I've been reading the AC thread on the main resort board. Any comments on the current thermostats in WL? Do they turn completely off with no movement - like at night. I might have a fan delivered to the room!

The only rooms without ceiling fans are the Deluxe rooms. They were removed and replaced with ceiling lights. But, you can always request a box fan from housekeeping.

Looking forward to our stay at the WL Aug 20-27. It's my 3rd trip to DW, but haven't been in 22 years and never as the planner. It's DH, DS & DDs first time. Today is my official delurking day!

Welcome! It's almost like a first trip for you, too. I'll log your dates and happy planning.

Welcome! You chose a great place to come out of lurkdom, and a great resort. 22 years between trips is a very long time. I had that same amount of time between my first and second trip, but was five years old for the first one! A whole lot has probably changed, and there is always so much to see and do. Have a great time at WL and be sure to enjoy Bay Lake. Whether you rent a boat or just ride the ferry boats to MK, FW, and CR it is one of the nicest "features" of WL an is just outside the back door.

I was planning on booking WL for our trip in December. It's my husband's first time to any Disney park and since we went to Yellowstone on our honeymoon, I thought Wilderness Lodge would be a fun place to stay. As long as we get a courtyard with an interior view, sounds like we should be okay from the construction noise? I don't want my husband to have a bad first experience and never want to come back....

From the plans I've seen, the Inner CYV rooms should be your best bet. And, if you really want to seal the deal with DH loving WL, I highly recommend booking CL if you can - there's unlimited beer and cobbler!

Are we allowed to decorate our balconies for the holidays? I was thinking of getting a set of fun Halloween lights (battery operated, of course) to put up outside! Although if I end up with an inner cy room, I might not...I would feel kind of bad "ruining" people's Lodge photos :x

I've seen lights and even large inflatables on the balconies.

I'm new to the thread and I plan to go back and read more but I have a few questions that I'm hoping someone will be kind enough to answer for me in the meantime:

Do the studio villas usually get discounted when a RO comes out?
Has anyone stayed with a party of 5 in a studio since the refurb? Thoughts?
Is the feature pool now back open and finished with construction?

Welcome!

Hi! I just booked the WL club level this am. We will be there December 6-11. Our two favorite resorts are the Poly and the WL. Since we are there near Christmas we chose the WL this trip. I'm reading about some Work being done there during our stay. I requested a courtyard view hoping we can avoid too much noise. It's all good no matter where they put us as we are just thrilled to go!

It's been a few years since we have stayed at the WL. Has the pool has any changes to it and how many hot tubs are there. Also is there an age requirement for the hot tubs? My youngest will be 16 and hoping to enjoy them with us. Thanks!

Congratulations and I'll add your dates

The POOL chapter of the thread has photos of the new pool, splash area and hot tubs and photos of all the rules pertaining to each. The only thing that has really changed is the removal of the kiddie pool which was replaced with the splash pad. There are still two hot tubs at WL and one at VWL.

Looking forward to possibly having my first stay at Wilderness Lodge in February 2016 for my one year wedding anniversary!

That sounds lovely. Let us know when you've booked

Check out page 1 of this awesome thread. There you will find a wealth of information thanks to our very own Kook!!.

Thank you for the re-direct/reminder. Did you point with two fingers when you gave those directions?

For those of you who have requested to change resorts, how was it handled? Were you offered a "refund" if you ended up at a Mod or a lower valued room catergory? Did you have to pay more if you ended up at one of the other deluxe resorts?

I've been so excited to stay at the WL. DH and I were planning on it for our honeymoon but it just didn't happen. Now...to hear that the scaffolding noise is keeping people from mid-day naps is making me nervous. We have CYV room and from the sounds of it the scaffolding is on one side being a nuisance and the mysterious construction is on the other. I have no plans to make any changes as of yet, but was just hoping for some insight on how it works if you need to change while there.

I have changed my reservations/dates/resorts... so many times over the years that I'm surprised I was never banned. Believe me when I tell you that the WDTC is extremely patient when it comes to changes. Just check online first to get an idea if the replacement resort is available for your dates. You don't have to give a reason for your change and they will hold off on canceling your current resort until they confirm that the new resort is available. It's really too easy to change, but much appreciated by the perpetually resort conflicted.

Does anyone know what kind of soda is available for the refillable mugs?

From the DINING chapter - taken in April:

They offer Coke products. They have Coke, Diet Coke, Barq's root beer, Sprite, Minute Maid lite lemonade and they had Fanta orange recently. I think it may have replaced the blue Powerade.

They also have hot chocolate, although maybe not in the summer, tea and coffee. There is a tea dispenser for four different flavors of iced tea. And there are tea bags for hot tea.

 

[grimley1968]

From the DINING chapter - taken in April:
View attachment 104118


View attachment 104119


View attachment 104120

I'm not sure why, but I find these photos soothing.

 

[jen7233]

Are pool toys or floaties such as small inner tubes allowed to be used at the WL pool?

 

[mom2mizmous]

I hope with all the changes at WL our favorite bartender , Carrie doesn't disappear! She always makes us feel like family when we see her each year.. we even make special trips to WL just to see her and have drink even when we are staying at another DVC. PS there are a lot of proposed changes that are worrisome about WL, but was just thinking about how much this one "friend ' really makes us truly feel "welcomed home!"

 

[Starwind]

I have more than 25 food allergies. Does anyone know what mix they use at Roaring Fork for the GF/allergy free waffles? I can't eat Bobs Red Mill so I'm hoping they have Namaste mix. Also, do they have they have the allergy safe Chicken Tenders? I always get those w/fries at least 1x day.

In addition, how are the restaurants with allergies in general? I will probably eat at Roaring Fork at least once a day for lunch and/or dinner. We also have a lunch and breakfast reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe. How is the allergy service there? For breakfast as long as I can get waffles, bacon, and sausage I'm happy. And for lunch I'll be very happy if I can just get a burger, fries, and some cooked veggies.

We are not going to any parks. We already know we will spend time at the pool and we plan on playing mini golf one day but what are some of the best things to do around the resort?

I have stayed at WL multiple times, the most recent in November 2014. I am anaphylactic to milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and seafood (all fish, all shellfish, etc).

The last two trips I have gotten allergy safe Chicken Tenders at Roaring Forks, and they were able to make safe french fries too.

Unfortunately, I do not know what type of mix they use at RF. It may be possible to find out by writing to WDW's Special Diets team and asking. I would suggest in your email you put in a caveat about you understand that suppliers may change and so what they have now may not be what they will have when you visit. Also, you can always ask if they can arrange to have Namaste mix on hand for the dates you will be visiting -- especially if you plan to have many breakfasts at WL.

I always let Special Diets know well in advance of my allergies, ADRs, and tentative QS plans. I ask questions and once I get past their initial automatic response usually get answers.

Regarding RF specifically:

On one trip (can't remember if it was the last or the one before), we arrived mid afternoon and wandered down to RF, hungry after many hours of travel. The manager happened to be available, and I explained that I had multiple food allergies and would be eating at RF frequently over the next few days. The manager got the allergy binder and together we went through all the items I thought I would eat during our stay (so all meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner). This was very helpful as it helped me plan my meals for the next several days. The manager was helpful and informed.

By ingredient the Bountiful Platter's eggs, potatoes and bacon were all safe. The next morning, when I went to order my breakfast, I nearly did not tell them about my allergies. But at the last minute before ordering I decided I had better. At best this decision saved me from getting very sick, and it may have saved my life.

Here was the problem: the ingredients are safe according to the book. However, when I explained my allergies and explained the manager and I had gone through the ingredient book so I knew the eggs and potatoes and bacon were safe, the supervisor said that actually they add some butter to the eggs and to the potatoes to make them moister. !!!!!! So, they are adding an unlisted ingredient that is a top 8 allergen. Great ! The supervisor was able to make me SAFE eggs and potatoes, fortunately.

The lesson I took away was: ALWAYS explain your allergies, EVERY TIME. Disney does a great job, but situations like this can occur. I prefer not to think what would have happened if I had not explained my allergies. When I explained my allergies I always got good service, though it can sometimes take a while. Also, one non-WL QS did refuse to serve me as they could not make the food safe (they have a limited kitchen space); while frustrating because that was the only QS open for breakfast at that resort, I was able to get some packaged hard boiled eggs and fruit from the refrigerated section and that worked well enough.

I now carry allergy cards with me - there are various ones out there (free and to buy), but I was not happy with the wording on any one of them, so I combined the best wordings, added some of my own, and created my own "cards" that I print out on the blank side of 4x6 pale yellow index cards. I also have one card that I laminated which is "mine". The yellow ones I freely give up to servers/chefs to take back to the kitchen with my order. I carry them at all times in my purse. They are useful at home at the small number of restaurants we visit, and they are great when traveling.

We alwyas enjoying doing some resort hopping from WL. Take the boat to Contemporary, explore, then monorail hop to the Poly, explore, then to GF, explore, (maybe eat at Gasparella's... who was able to make me safe pizza ) then to MK and take the boat back to WL. A nice relaxing couple or few hours and we love taking the boats.

Our next trip we also won't be going to the parks, except for one night doing MVMCP during the non-WL part of our split stay. At WL we plan to take the 9 am tour of the Lodge one day, hang out at the pools, explore and take pictures in and around the resort, do a bit of resort hopping to visit the MK resorts, do some resort hopping to go get Dole Whips at the Poly (my plan is once a day ).

SW

 

[wifey]

How is the noise there at the moment? I have not seen any posts about this for a couple of days.

 

[acamusic]

Concerning transportation to Epcot-If bus service seems to be slow would it make sense to boat over to MK or CR and then monorail over to Epcot? How much longer would it take than waiting for buses? Sometimes I don't mind taking the longer route as long as I'm moving.

 

[kmorlock]

Taking the monorail from CR or MK seemed like less time for us. The bus seemed to take forever.

 

[FTM22]

Concerning transportation to Epcot-If bus service seems to be slow would it make sense to boat over to MK or CR and then monorail over to Epcot? How much longer would it take than waiting for buses? Sometimes I don't mind taking the longer route as long as I'm moving.

There is also the option of taking the park to park bus which I found very quick as well last fall. I too like moving better than sitting.

 

[jen7233]

I don't know what the deal was, but I called Disney and asked for specifically "inner courtyard" to add to my courtyard bunkbed booking and it seemed like a difficult thing to ask for, was put on hold, had a lot of silence on the other end when not on hold as if they couldn't do this request maybe searching, reading the computer, don't know. I felt like I wish I never called. I thought it was supposed to be simple? I explained I already did online checkin, asking for fourth or fifth floor, then she said well it could be 4-5-or 6th, something about queen beds, and I had to make sure at that point they still had me for a bunkbed room, which they couldn't confirm. And, in regards to "inner" she said the two views were courtyard main or courtyard villa.

I was confused at that point, and just said never mind in fear of getting the 6th floor or the bunkbeds falling off the room reservation somehow. I'm sure that's not possible, but they couldn't confirm the bunks, or the floor, at which point I just said never mind it's fine. I've always had good experience with calling Disney reservations, I give good reviews after, but the guest services phone seemed quite a difficult experience.

 

[tinamariec]

My granddaughter and I will be staying at Wilderness Lodge the week of Christmas, 12/20-12/25. This will be my first stay at this resort and her first time to WDW. It will be a surprise for my granddaughters birthday. She only knows we are going on a trip Christmas week, but doesn't know where. Looking forward to staying at this beautiful resort!

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

I don't know what the deal was, but I called Disney and asked for specifically "inner courtyard" to add to my courtyard bunkbed booking and it seemed like a difficult thing to ask for, was put on hold, had a lot of silence on the other end when not on hold as if they couldn't do this request maybe searching, reading the computer, don't know. I felt like I wish I never called. I thought it was supposed to be simple? I explained I already did online checkin, asking for fourth or fifth floor, then she said well it could be 4-5-or 6th, something about queen beds, and I had to make sure at that point they still had me for a bunkbed room, which they couldn't confirm. And, in regards to "inner" she said the two views were courtyard main or courtyard villa.

I was confused at that point, and just said never mind in fear of getting the 6th floor or the bunkbeds falling off the room reservation somehow. I'm sure that's not possible, but they couldn't confirm the bunks, or the floor, at which point I just said never mind it's fine. I've always had good experience with calling Disney reservations, I give good reviews after, but the guest services phone seemed quite a difficult experience.

I would highly recommend calling CRO again. The Courtyard Bunk Bed category is a bookable room/view so that is guaranteed for you. A request of inner courtyard should not be a problem. We have requested our preference of north wing, view of silver springs and have received our request every time. When we stay CL, we add bunk beds to that request as it is not a CL bookable room and we always received it.

Call again (and again if you must).

 

[aVASTGrl]

My granddaughter and I will be staying at Wilderness Lodge the week of Christmas, 12/20-12/25. This will be my first stay at this resort and her first time to WDW. It will be a surprise for my granddaughters birthday. She only knows we are going on a trip Christmas week, but doesn't know where. Looking forward to staying at this beautiful resort!

Awww what a sweet surprise!! It'll be a trip she'll never forget

 

[WDWKOOK]

I'm not sure why, but I find these photos soothing.

Then let's see more soothing photos, shall we?

SOOTHING SATURDAY WL PHOTOS...













​

Are pool toys or floaties such as small inner tubes allowed to be used at the WL pool?

Inflatable toys are allowed.

ETA: I accidentally wrote "aren't" instead of "are."

I hope with all the changes at WL our favorite bartender , Carrie doesn't disappear! She always makes us feel like family when we see her each year.. we even make special trips to WL just to see her and have drink even when we are staying at another DVC. PS there are a lot of proposed changes that are worrisome about WL, but was just thinking about how much this one "friend ' really makes us truly feel "welcomed home!"

I understand just what you mean. WL isn't the same since Randy the CL manager moved over to CR. But, even if Carrie does leave someday, if she stays with Disney, you can always track her down and go visit her.

I have stayed at WL multiple times, the most recent in November 2014. I am anaphylactic to milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and seafood (all fish, all shellfish, etc).

The last two trips I have gotten allergy safe Chicken Tenders at Roaring Forks, and they were able to make safe french fries too.

Unfortunately, I do not know what type of mix they use at RF. It may be possible to find out by writing to WDW's Special Diets team and asking. I would suggest in your email you put in a caveat about you understand that suppliers may change and so what they have now may not be what they will have when you visit. Also, you can always ask if they can arrange to have Namaste mix on hand for the dates you will be visiting -- especially if you plan to have many breakfasts at WL.

I always let Special Diets know well in advance of my allergies, ADRs, and tentative QS plans. I ask questions and once I get past their initial automatic response usually get answers.

Regarding RF specifically:

On one trip (can't remember if it was the last or the one before), we arrived mid afternoon and wandered down to RF, hungry after many hours of travel. The manager happened to be available, and I explained that I had multiple food allergies and would be eating at RF frequently over the next few days. The manager got the allergy binder and together we went through all the items I thought I would eat during our stay (so all meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner). This was very helpful as it helped me plan my meals for the next several days. The manager was helpful and informed.

By ingredient the Bountiful Platter's eggs, potatoes and bacon were all safe. The next morning, when I went to order my breakfast, I nearly did not tell them about my allergies. But at the last minute before ordering I decided I had better. At best this decision saved me from getting very sick, and it may have saved my life.

Here was the problem: the ingredients are safe according to the book. However, when I explained my allergies and explained the manager and I had gone through the ingredient book so I knew the eggs and potatoes and bacon were safe, the supervisor said that actually they add some butter to the eggs and to the potatoes to make them moister. !!!!!! So, they are adding an unlisted ingredient that is a top 8 allergen. Great ! The supervisor was able to make me SAFE eggs and potatoes, fortunately.

The lesson I took away was: ALWAYS explain your allergies, EVERY TIME. Disney does a great job, but situations like this can occur. I prefer not to think what would have happened if I had not explained my allergies. When I explained my allergies I always got good service, though it can sometimes take a while. Also, one non-WL QS did refuse to serve me as they could not make the food safe (they have a limited kitchen space); while frustrating because that was the only QS open for breakfast at that resort, I was able to get some packaged hard boiled eggs and fruit from the refrigerated section and that worked well enough.

I now carry allergy cards with me - there are various ones out there (free and to buy), but I was not happy with the wording on any one of them, so I combined the best wordings, added some of my own, and created my own "cards" that I print out on the blank side of 4x6 pale yellow index cards. I also have one card that I laminated which is "mine". The yellow ones I freely give up to servers/chefs to take back to the kitchen with my order. I carry them at all times in my purse. They are useful at home at the small number of restaurants we visit, and they are great when traveling.

We alwyas enjoying doing some resort hopping from WL. Take the boat to Contemporary, explore, then monorail hop to the Poly, explore, then to GF, explore, (maybe eat at Gasparella's... who was able to make me safe pizza ) then to MK and take the boat back to WL. A nice relaxing couple or few hours and we love taking the boats.

Our next trip we also won't be going to the parks, except for one night doing MVMCP during the non-WL part of our split stay. At WL we plan to take the 9 am tour of the Lodge one day, hang out at the pools, explore and take pictures in and around the resort, do a bit of resort hopping to visit the MK resorts, do some resort hopping to go get Dole Whips at the Poly (my plan is once a day ).

SW

Your post is so informative; I'm going to copy/paste most of it into the DINING chapter. Thank you for posting this information, especially since I know nothing about food allergies.

I don't know what the deal was, but I called Disney and asked for specifically "inner courtyard" to add to my courtyard bunkbed booking and it seemed like a difficult thing to ask for, was put on hold, had a lot of silence on the other end when not on hold as if they couldn't do this request maybe searching, reading the computer, don't know. I felt like I wish I never called. I thought it was supposed to be simple? I explained I already did online checkin, asking for fourth or fifth floor, then she said well it could be 4-5-or 6th, something about queen beds, and I had to make sure at that point they still had me for a bunkbed room, which they couldn't confirm. And, in regards to "inner" she said the two views were courtyard main or courtyard villa.

I was confused at that point, and just said never mind in fear of getting the 6th floor or the bunkbeds falling off the room reservation somehow. I'm sure that's not possible, but they couldn't confirm the bunks, or the floor, at which point I just said never mind it's fine. I've always had good experience with calling Disney reservations, I give good reviews after, but the guest services phone seemed quite a difficult experience.

UGH! INNER or WL CY is what she was calling MAIN. The CMs can add ANYTHING to your reservation, even if it doesn't make sense to them. I've had them question a request before and I just politely replied, "Please add the request. The Room Assignor will understand. Thank you." The Room Assignor will know what INNER or WL or MAIN means, and that's what's important. If you booked a CYV Bunk then you will be in a bunk. Only the Standard View rooms have bunks by-request (and CL). On MDX, you reservation should show that you booked a CYV Bunk.

My granddaughter and I will be staying at Wilderness Lodge the week of Christmas, 12/20-12/25. This will be my first stay at this resort and her first time to WDW. It will be a surprise for my granddaughters birthday. She only knows we are going on a trip Christmas week, but doesn't know where. Looking forward to staying at this beautiful resort!

Welcome! I'll add your dates to the Lodgers' Log. Your DGD is going to be so surprised! What a magical Christmas.

 

[attain]

We arrived late this afternoon and are in room 6134, which the map on the first page of this thread says is a courtyard even though we booked woods view. You can see the villa's pool, but through a line of trees, so not a good courtyard view. Due to our late arrival and the rain, we chose to stay at the resort for dinner and exploring. The upside to the rain was a beautiful sunset and a rainbow over the lodge! (First time posting pictures from my phone. Hope it works!)