Just back from Wilderness Lodge

[floridadream]

We just got back from a 5 night trip from WL. I don't do a lot of posting, but I wanted to let people know who are considering it that it was awesome. We arrived late Wednesday night and went straight to the room (bypassed the front desk). I will say that our room wasn't ready until late, which wasn't a big deal for us, but I would have been disappointed if we arrived early. Our groceries from garden grocer were waiting for us, and once again we were more than pleased with thier service. We had a courtyard view and the view was awesome. We could see both the pool and lake and even saw Wishes from our balcony. I don't know if it was luck or what, but transportation was great too. It seemed like our bus pulled up just as we were approaching and the boat ride to MK was a breeze and a nice break. We had lunch at Roaring Forks and dinner at Whispering Canyon- both met expectations. The hotel staff were very friendly and the room was clean. I liked how the resort didn't seem huge as compared past experiences. While our heart will always be at the Poly, we would definitely stay here again. Let me know if I can answer any questions!

 

[mrs moon]

Hi im glad you had a lovely holiday,i do have one question : someone on here mentioned that the pool umbrellas has been removed and so no shade at pool, is this right?.....

 

[100acreHiker]

Thanks for sharing. We're considering a stay here in the fall. We've only ever stayed at the GF, but I just love the look of WL. I've been concerned about the bus situation, worried that there would be a lot of waiting around. Good to know you had a positive experience! One question: did your bus make other stops at other resorts, and if so, was WL the first stop on return trips or the last?

 

[Sue M]

Glad you enjoyed WL. It's one of our fav resorts.

 

[prune1977]

Glad to see you liked it. Its still my DW and I's favorite resort. Transportation was great for us as well.

 

[floridadream]

Hi im glad you had a lovely holiday,i do have one question : someone on here mentioned that the pool umbrellas has been removed and so no shade at pool, is this right?.....

There were a couple of umbrellas in the back row- but not many. The pool area was filling up around 10, so I would get there early if you want a prime spot!

 

[mrs moon]

There were a couple of umbrellas in the back row- but not many. The pool area was filling up around 10, so I would get there early if you want a prime spot!

thankyou..

 

[floridadream]

Thanks for sharing. We're considering a stay here in the fall. We've only ever stayed at the GF, but I just love the look of WL. I've been concerned about the bus situation, worried that there would be a lot of waiting around. Good to know you had a positive experience! One question: did your bus make other stops at other resorts, and if so, was WL the first stop on return trips or the last?

We only took the bus to Epcot. It stopped at Fort Wilderness on the way there. On the way back, WL was the first stop. Very easy. We did take a taxi one night from Beach Club and it was definitely worth it. The kids were getting tired and didn't have the stamina to make a long trek home!

 

[mickeynut1]

We just got back from a 5 night trip from WL. I don't do a lot of posting, but I wanted to let people know who are considering it that it was awesome. We arrived late Wednesday night and went straight to the room (bypassed the front desk). I will say that our room wasn't ready until late, which wasn't a big deal for us, but I would have been disappointed if we arrived early. Our groceries from garden grocer were waiting for us, and once again we were more than pleased with thier service. We had a courtyard view and the view was awesome. We could see both the pool and lake and even saw Wishes from our balcony. I don't know if it was luck or what, but transportation was great too. It seemed like our bus pulled up just as we were approaching and the boat ride to MK was a breeze and a nice break. We had lunch at Roaring Forks and dinner at Whispering Canyon- both met expectations. The hotel staff were very friendly and the room was clean. I liked how the resort didn't seem huge as compared past experiences. While our heart will always be at the Poly, we would definitely stay here again. Let me know if I can answer any questions!

Thanks for sharing, glad you had a great stay. The Poly is our favorite as well, but we also love the WL and wouldn't hesitate to stay there again.

Thanks for sharing. We're considering a stay here in the fall. We've only ever stayed at the GF, but I just love the look of WL. I've been concerned about the bus situation, worried that there would be a lot of waiting around. Good to know you had a positive experience! One question: did your bus make other stops at other resorts, and if so, was WL the first stop on return trips or the last?

I would definitely give the WL a try. The rooms aren't as large as at the GF and there are no daybeds, but the resort is beautiful with a great pool, as well as great dining options. As far as transportation, we have never had a problem at the WL. It's been awhile since our last WL stay, but we visit every trip and have always found the transportation (both bus and boat) to be very efficient. We have stayed at 1 mod and all but 3 deluxes and the WL (for us) ranks at the top for some of the best transportation.

 

[yooperfan]

Did you reserve courtyard view and was it in the North or south wing? What time did you get in and when did you receive your room number? How far in advance can you do check in bypassing the desk and did you do it at the earliest opportunity?

 

[MickeyEars]

We'll be there soon and I can't wait. We absolutely love the Lodge!!

 

[xlsm]

So glad you enjoyed your stay at the Lodge!! It's our favorite...I've never stayed anywhere else!

 

[floridadream]

Did you reserve courtyard view and was it in the North or south wing? What time did you get in and when did you receive your room number? How far in advance can you do check in bypassing the desk and did you do it at the earliest opportunity?

Hi there-- yes, we reserved a courtyard view. I requested a high floor and then called and asked for a view of the lake, away from the lobby. I believe that we were in the south wing. We arrived after 11pm and went straight to the room, but I got an email saying our room was ready at 9:40pm. We had already done the online check-in which you need to do in order to bypass the front desk. Hope this helps!

 

[Octoberbaby]

Do you have any pictures? We will be there this summer. Would love to see them!

 

[TinkPirateMom]

Sounds like a great stay! We love WL too

 

[tinkerbella16]

Thanks for sharing!! I am so excited to stay WL for the first time in November. I have always wanted to stay there. I booked Courtyard View and have a note on the reservation for 4th floor, inner courtyard. I have a morning flight and will be arriving around noon so I hope the room is ready but no biggie if not. I think if you were arriving earlier, your room would have been ready way earlier than 9:40pm... but since you did online check-in and they knew the round about time you'd be arriving, they made sure the room was ready before your 11pm arrival.

 

[yooperfan]

The only time we stayed courtyard view, we paid for it. I had visions of sitting on the deck in the morning with a cup of hot chocolate, enjoying the view. We were top floor in the south wing. Not only was it quite a trek to Rouring Forks, I was really disappointed in the patio. The dormers came down really low over it and it didn't have an open rail. It was basically high walls. The patio felt dark and small and you couldn't see anything if sitting down. I am shirt and it was not good. Now that I've vented, I still love the Lodge, just wish our one chance to stay courtyard wasn't so great.

 

[yooperfan]

The only time we stayed courtyard view, we paid for it. I had visions of sitting on the deck in the morning with a cup of hot chocolate, enjoying the view. We were top floor in the south wing. Not only was it quite a trek to Rouring Forks, I was really disappointed in the patio. The dormers came down really low over it and it didn't have an open rail. It was basically high walls. The patio felt dark and small and you couldn't see anything if sitting down. I am short and it was not good. Now that I've vented, I still love the Lodge, just wish our one chance to stay courtyard would have turned out better.

 

[Cotillard]

Thank you for your review. We have Courtyard View at WL booked for July. We have stayed there twice before and it has become more and more attractive to us in recent years. Such a gorgeous place!

 

[goofy4prez]

I love everything about the WL. I love the incredible lobby and resorts theming (especially Christmas), the friendly cm's, the boat to the MK, the good bus service, excellent restaurant options, it's compact, the location, and the price. IMO, it may not be the best resort in any one category (well perhaps theme), but the sum of all it offers is the best. WL is my favorite property in Disney.