The Wilderness Lodge and Villas FAQ (Part 7) Simbas and Tiggers and Humphreys OH MY!

[WDWKOOK]

Brian that's awesome! If you have access to the lounge what does that mean? Do you get snacks and breakfast with that access? I love the smell of that water! How funny that you said that too!

Since the same kind of upgrade happened to us at Christmas, I can answer the question for Brian. CL access means you have a CL KTTW card and can use the lounge just as if you were staying on the CL (7th) floor. Brian isn't on the CL floor, he's on the 6th floor, which even though it's less convenient, he has a regular balcony instead of a standing (dormer) balcony.

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

Since the same kind of upgrade happened to us at Christmas, I can answer the question for Brian. CL access means you have a CL KTTW card and can use the lounge just as if you were staying on the CL (7th) floor. Brian isn't on the CL floor, he's on the 6th floor, which even though it's less convenient, he has a regular balcony instead of a standing (dormer) balcony.

So ideally this is a little better no? I'd rather have the traditional balcony with all the food perks

 

[WDWKOOK]

So ideally this is a little better no? I'd rather have the traditional balcony with all the food perks

For some guests it's worse not being on the CL floor because they don't like not being on a secured access floor and having to walk down hallways and take elevators or stairs to the lounge is inconvenient for them.

Many of the WDW resorts' suites aren't on the CL floors, but are considered club level. All the regular CL rooms at the WL are on the CL floor and all have those standing balconies. You cannot book a CL room and not be on the 7th floor, unless it's a suite. I suppose you could book CL and ask that you be placed on another floor, but again, you might not get turn-down service and some might find it less convenient and not like not being on the limited access floor.

 

[MMrules]

Thanks!

We received a lovely upper courtyard room on the 6th floor. Was a little chatty when we checked in and met one of the managers(Bennett?). Well through our conversation he gave us access to the club level lounge, a fast pass to use, and when we got to the room we had a basket of chocolates and trail mix waiting for us. We definitely enjoyed that extra touch.

We headed to Epcot and ran into an old college friend coming out of Mexico. It was just a really nice day. When we got back to the room after illuminations there was a fruit tray waiting for us. I've never felt so special.

Off to breakfast in the lounge. Today we are just going to chill at the resort, and head to AKL for dinner at Jiko.

Christine - the boat ride was magical.

Brian

WOW!!! So happy you got some pixie dust!!!!
Sounds like a magical vacation for sure!!! I hope the rest of your weekend turns out to be just as great!

It is amazing how you can actually run into friends while at WDW....

Have some fun for me!!! Tomorrow will be 31 days til I am back (well at BCV) but still at WDW! I am going to try to visit WL while I am there with my family so they can fall in love like I did and then we can try to book it for next summer...how will I wait that long????

Enjoy this special weekend and try to squeeze in some rest and relaxation

Tracy

 

[1971DBday]

Thanks!

We received a lovely upper courtyard room on the 6th floor. Was a little chatty when we checked in and met one of the managers(Bennett?). Well through our conversation he gave us access to the club level lounge, a fast pass to use, and when we got to the room we had a basket of chocolates and trail mix waiting for us. We definitely enjoyed that extra touch.

We headed to Epcot and ran into an old college friend coming out of Mexico. It was just a really nice day. When we got back to the room after illuminations there was a fruit tray waiting for us. I've never felt so special.

Off to breakfast in the lounge. Today we are just going to chill at the resort, and head to AKL for dinner at Jiko.

Christine - the boat ride was magical.

Brian

Congrats on the upgrade! Enjoy the trip - we can't wait to be there!

 

[Cupmom]

WOW!!! Spread some of that Pixie Dust my way!!!

 

[Havana]

I need some help deciding on VWL or BLT for our Christmas trip. (rooms are already secured)
With a group of WL lovers here, can you reassure me VWL is the right choice? I think it would be so magical to stay at WL at Christmas, but hoping I won't miss being a walk away from MK at BLT.

Thanks!

 

[MMrules]

I need some help deciding on VWL or BLT for our Christmas trip. (rooms are already secured)
With a group of WL lovers here, can you reassure me VWL is the right choice? I think it would be so magical to stay at WL at Christmas, but hoping I won't miss being a walk away from MK at BLT.

Thanks!

I would suggest WL. They decorations are beautiful!! It books up fast for the holiday though, so I would decide soon.

You may not be a walk away, but you are a boatride

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

We returned from another great (but really tiring ) Disney vacation. We tried out VWL for the first time - I've never even visited this resort before! We had a 1 BDR villa. Here is a mini TR regarding what my family thought of the lodge:

Check-in:
We did online check-in. We arrived about 1pm and they said the room wasn't ready but they text us just 3 minutes later to give us our room number Just enough time to give our bags to the bellman. That was a bit frustrating but it was nice to have him take all of our bags (groceries and all) to the room.

Parking:
I imagined the parking lot to be SO FAR AWAY but it really wasn't. While the lot wouldn't be considered 'close', it was not a bad walk to the car. BUT you do have to walk around the drop-off area, there is no 'thru' path from the front door to the lot. We always found spots in the nearest lot and we did not have to park in the farther lot.

Room:
So, now I realize how SILLY all of my 'how's the view' questions were The views are fine from anywhere in the villas and pretty much you see woods and maybe a walkway or a pool. The room itself was great! Best part of this vacation was having the 1 BDR villa for us and the kids. Everyone loved the separate rooms, sinks, kitchen, dining area, and closet space. We REALLY liked the washer/dryer although it is loud so you usually want to do your loads during the day and not if you are trying to sleep. The beds were just fine - nothing fabulous but nothing horrible. We slept well and the kids slept great in the pull out couch - everyone was comfy. We barely noticed any other noise except for a turbo-jet-toilet-flush once or twice

Villas:
I loved the feel of the villa building and really liked the game tables and fireplace in the lobby. Very comforting and cozy.

The lodge:
Just like the villa building, the lodge is very comforting and cozy, even with the huge atrium! The whole place had a 'wilderness' feel (how appropriate!) The decor was astonishing and everything was beautifully done.

Pools:
We tried both pools and found the main one to be...lacking. The slide was pathetic and the main pool was incredibly dirty. In fact, the lifeguards were in the pool with skimmers while everyone was swimming. Okay, it was memorial weekend but the days after that were not nearly as crowded. The pool looked a little less greasy but we were turned off and wouldn't go near it again. And of course, they had unscheduled cleanings and cleared folks out of the pool.

We enjoyed the Hidden Springs pool at the villas much better. Although it was incredibly hard to find seating here! This is very odd because all of the other deluxe resorts we've been at, you can always find a seat and usually no one at the non-main pools. We did like the 'springs' in the pool and that was a neat feature.

Given that we LOVE pools and pick our vacations around them, we were disappointed in the WL pools. It didn't help that we spent one night at Portofino Bay at Universal where the pool slide was much more fun and the service at the pool was superb. But even compared to other Disney resorts, WL does not have great pool options (in my opinion).

Dining:
Trout Pass Pool Bar - Yummy drinks, slower than molasses service.

Roaring Forks - Okay flatbreads (if you sop up the grease), bad refillable service (one of the ice machines never had ice so the other always had a line), questionable chicken and fries (they keep them in a pan on a hotplate for you to see and if someone says they changed their mind and doesn't want something, they dump that person's food back in the pan - ick), and typical quick grab items.

Whispering Canyon Cafe - The food was pretty good and the antics were cute (the kids especially liked it). I'm glad we ate here since we were staying here but it isn't something I would go out of my way to eat at.

Artist Point - The service and presentation of food was great. The smokey portabello soup was soooo good but our entrees were just good. For $48 salmon, I expected it to knock my socks off but only half of it was moist, the other half was dry. Luckily, I don't eat much. The wine was great, the desserts and coffee were great too. Overall, it was really nice but I don't feel a need to go back.

Transportation:
Buses - same old, same old. These just don't change from resort to resort. You luck out sometimes and sometimes you wait for a little bit!

Boats - Very nice alternative transportation. I enjoyed seeing the resorts from a different view!

Overall -
We loved having the 1 BDR villa and ended up spending a lot of time in the room so it was great to have all of that room! But there just wasn't anything to 'pull' us toward the lodge so we would try another resort next time. I'm glad I tried VWL and we had a really good time. There was nothing that would prevent me from returning to stay there again but it did not WOW me either.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

I knew I would forget a couple reviews! My kids stayed at the Den's Club. They had a good time but the place is small compared to Poly's Neverland club. The kids said they liked it just fine but they prefered the Poly's club more.

I also wanted to add that if you are staying for the holidays, Wilderness Lodge would be THEE place to be. We could totally imagine it all decorated and it is so homey and cozy that it would be a great place to spend the holidays.

I'll post more if I remember more

 

[MMrules]

Brian,

Are you having WL withdrawls yet????

I bet you missed your little princess so much, however, it is nice to have grown up time! My boys are 4 and 6 and this past Feb. was the first time I had to myself since they have been born (DH had to stay home b/c we have no sitter for a long weekend).

I hope you had a great weekend!!!!

Tracy

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Brian,

Are you having WL withdrawals yet????

I bet you missed your little princess so much, however, it is nice to have grown up time! My boys are 4 and 6 and this past Feb. was the first time I had to myself since they have been born (DH had to stay home b/c we have no sitter for a long weekend).

I hope you had a great weekend!!!!

Tracy

I was thinking the same thing! Brian, you know we are all waiting to hear about your WL weekend... and how your princess did...and how you two without her. Welcome back!

It's been a difficult few days in our house - my 18 yr old 5 lb Maltese has had a medical emergency, so we've been trying to take care of her and keeping her well. She is not ready to leave us quite yet.

Tinkerbellie16 - thank you for taking the time to post an excellent review! Glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

[WDWKOOK]

We returned from another great (but really tiring ) Disney vacation. We tried out VWL for the first time - I've never even visited this resort before! We had a 1 BDR villa. Here is a mini TR regarding what my family thought of the lodge:

Check-in:
We did online check-in. We arrived about 1pm and they said the room wasn't ready but they text us just 3 minutes later to give us our room number Just enough time to give our bags to the bellman. That was a bit frustrating but it was nice to have him take all of our bags (groceries and all) to the room.

Parking:
I imagined the parking lot to be SO FAR AWAY but it really wasn't. While the lot wouldn't be considered 'close', it was not a bad walk to the car. BUT you do have to walk around the drop-off area, there is no 'thru' path from the front door to the lot. We always found spots in the nearest lot and we did not have to park in the farther lot.

Room:
So, now I realize how SILLY all of my 'how's the view' questions were The views are fine from anywhere in the villas and pretty much you see woods and maybe a walkway or a pool. The room itself was great! Best part of this vacation was having the 1 BDR villa for us and the kids. Everyone loved the separate rooms, sinks, kitchen, dining area, and closet space. We REALLY liked the washer/dryer although it is loud so you usually want to do your loads during the day and not if you are trying to sleep. The beds were just fine - nothing fabulous but nothing horrible. We slept well and the kids slept great in the pull out couch - everyone was comfy. We barely noticed any other noise except for a turbo-jet-toilet-flush once or twice

Villas:
I loved the feel of the villa building and really liked the game tables and fireplace in the lobby. Very comforting and cozy.

The lodge:
Just like the villa building, the lodge is very comforting and cozy, even with the huge atrium! The whole place had a 'wilderness' feel (how appropriate!) The decor was astonishing and everything was beautifully done.

Pools:
We tried both pools and found the main one to be...lacking. The slide was pathetic and the main pool was incredibly dirty. In fact, the lifeguards were in the pool with skimmers while everyone was swimming. Okay, it was memorial weekend but the days after that were not nearly as crowded. The pool looked a little less greasy but we were turned off and wouldn't go near it again. And of course, they had unscheduled cleanings and cleared folks out of the pool.

We enjoyed the Hidden Springs pool at the villas much better. Although it was incredibly hard to find seating here! This is very odd because all of the other deluxe resorts we've been at, you can always find a seat and usually no one at the non-main pools. We did like the 'springs' in the pool and that was a neat feature.

Given that we LOVE pools and pick our vacations around them, we were disappointed in the WL pools. It didn't help that we spent one night at Portofino Bay at Universal where the pool slide was much more fun and the service at the pool was superb. But even compared to other Disney resorts, WL does not have great pool options (in my opinion).

Dining:
Trout Pass Pool Bar - Yummy drinks, slower than molasses service.

Roaring Forks - Okay flatbreads (if you sop up the grease), bad refillable service (one of the ice machines never had ice so the other always had a line), questionable chicken and fries (they keep them in a pan on a hotplate for you to see and if someone says they changed their mind and doesn't want something, they dump that person's food back in the pan - ick), and typical quick grab items.

Whispering Canyon Cafe - The food was pretty good and the antics were cute (the kids especially liked it). I'm glad we ate here since we were staying here but it isn't something I would go out of my way to eat at.

Artist Point - The service and presentation of food was great. The smokey portabello soup was soooo good but our entrees were just good. For $48 salmon, I expected it to knock my socks off but only half of it was moist, the other half was dry. Luckily, I don't eat much. The wine was great, the desserts and coffee were great too. Overall, it was really nice but I don't feel a need to go back.

Transportation:
Buses - same old, same old. These just don't change from resort to resort. You luck out sometimes and sometimes you wait for a little bit!

Boats - Very nice alternative transportation. I enjoyed seeing the resorts from a different view!

Overall -
We loved having the 1 BDR villa and ended up spending a lot of time in the room so it was great to have all of that room! But there just wasn't anything to 'pull' us toward the lodge so we would try another resort next time. I'm glad I tried VWL and we had a really good time. There was nothing that would prevent me from returning to stay there again but it did not WOW me either.

I knew I would forget a couple reviews! My kids stayed at the Den's Club. They had a good time but the place is small compared to Poly's Neverland club. The kids said they liked it just fine but they prefered the Poly's club more.

I also wanted to add that if you are staying for the holidays, Wilderness Lodge would be THEE place to be. We could totally imagine it all decorated and it is so homey and cozy that it would be a great place to spend the holidays.

I'll post more if I remember more

Thank you for posting your VWL/WL TR, TInkerbellie16. Yes, the Lodge is beautiful, homey and cozy at Christmas. We were there last Christmas and thought it was just perfect.

Did you have a bounceback in your room?

 

[WDWKOOK]

It's been a difficult few days in our house - my 18 yr old 5 lb Maltese has had a medical emergency, so we've been trying to take care of her and keeping her well. She is not ready to leave us quite yet.

Wow, 18 years?! Oh, this must be a very difficult time for you. Keep her comfortable - our thoughts are with you.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

Thank you for posting your VWL/WL TR, TInkerbellie16. Yes, the Lodge is beautiful, homey and cozy at Christmas. We were there last Christmas and thought it was just perfect.

Did you have a bounceback in your room?

No, we did not have a bounceback in our room.

I did have some other thoughts to post about WL for those that are interested -

The Geyser - Very realistic! It looks exactly like what you find in Yellowstone - without the smell! Love this feature.

Boats to resorts - I did use the boats to Fort Wilderness and Contemporary. Those are quick trips since the resorts really are close together. We enjoyed those rides very much. It was also pretty cool because we decided to monorail resort hop. So we were returning from HS and took the bus to the Poly. We ate and shopped there then took the monorail around to the Contemporary where we shopped some more. Then it was a very short boat ride to WL.

We also took the boat to Fort Wilderness for Hoop-dee-doo and that was fun too. It's nice that you have all these options so close to WL without having to take buses and switch at a park or transportation center.

Massage at the health club - My husband got an 80 minute massage and he liked it. He said that they are not Disney owned unlike the other spa centers at Disney and they work on commission so they were very willing to fit him in where he needed it and they gave him a discount for just asking. I'm not sure what the masseuse was trying to imply about the health clubs or other services but I thought I'd mention that. Again, my husband was very pleased with his massage and recommended it.

Memorial Day - WRISTBANDS! I forgot to add that they handed out wristbands Memorial Weekend to use the main pool.

Arcade - We did use up those arcade cards they give you as part of the package. We had two but each was 100 points which equals $2. It's just enough to tease the kids and have them harass you for more money We only used what was on the cards and the best bang for your 'buck' was the air hockey table. It's not a huge arcade but I also don't want to spend time at an arcade when the parks are out there! But we did have one rainy day so we used them up during that big rainstorm (they closed the pools due to lightening and it was a bit chilly).

Caricatures - My daughter wanted one of these done and the last day we were there, we took her only to find out it was ONLY open 6 - 11 pm. So we went back in the evening and the guy was booked up. He did say that if we wanted to put our name on the list, we could wait but we had to be right there. I couldn't imagine sitting there for two hours wondering if he would have the time. Well, my daughter was upset of course and we felt bad about it so a tip for anyone who wants this done - do it earlier in your trip and when he first opens.

Wow, I did forget a bunch of stuff

 

[nibor]

WELL WE ARE BACK FROM FWL, STAYED 7TH FLOOR, OK VIEW, OK ROOM, OK RES, BUT WE WONT STAY THERE AGAIN, BACK TO YC OR BC RESORT

 

[MMrules]

I was thinking the same thing! Brian, you know we are all waiting to hear about your WL weekend... and how your princess did...and how you two without her. Welcome back!

It's been a difficult few days in our house - my 18 yr old 5 lb Maltese has had a medical emergency, so we've been trying to take care of her and keeping her well. She is not ready to leave us quite yet.

Tinkerbellie16 - thank you for taking the time to post an excellent review! Glad you enjoyed your trip.

So sorry to hear about your dog. I just had to make the decision to let my beloved lab Barnum go to heaven almost 3 weeks ago. He was only 8years old. We had no idea he had cancer until it was too late to do anything for him. Being a lab, he spent every day happy and willing to please us. He never gave us any indication he wasn't feeling well. I am so heartbroken and cry daily. We still have another lab (Bailey) who will be 10 and she is missing him as well. Our home is so quiet without him....so we are now planning on getting another lab puppy in a few weeks prior to our trip in July. I wanted to wait til late summer, but I cant. Our house needs 8 little legs running around....such a hard, heartbreaking and terrible feeling to lose your beloved pets. I can never replace him, but I need to have puppy love to help me with my grief. You are definitely in my thoughts.....

 

[WDWKOOK]

So sorry to hear about your dog. I just had to make the decision to let my beloved lab Barnum go to heaven almost 3 weeks ago. He was only 8years old. We had no idea he had cancer until it was too late to do anything for him. Being a lab, he spent every day happy and willing to please us. He never gave us any indication he wasn't feeling well. I am so heartbroken and cry daily. We still have another lab (Bailey) who will be 10 and she is missing him as well. Our home is so quiet without him....so we are now planning on getting another lab puppy in a few weeks prior to our trip in July. I wanted to wait til late summer, but I cant. Our house needs 8 little legs running around....such a hard, heartbreaking and terrible feeling to lose your beloved pets. I can never replace him, but I need to have puppy love to help me with my grief. You are definitely in my thoughts.....

I hope your new puppy will bring you much joy. Have you chosen a name yet?

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Wow, 18 years?! Oh, this must be a very difficult time for you. Keep her comfortable - our thoughts are with you.

Thank you.

So sorry to hear about your dog. I just had to make the decision to let my beloved lab Barnum go to heaven almost 3 weeks ago. He was only 8years old. We had no idea he had cancer until it was too late to do anything for him. Being a lab, he spent every day happy and willing to please us. He never gave us any indication he wasn't feeling well. I am so heartbroken and cry daily. We still have another lab (Bailey) who will be 10 and she is missing him as well. Our home is so quiet without him....so we are now planning on getting another lab puppy in a few weeks prior to our trip in July. I wanted to wait til late summer, but I cant. Our house needs 8 little legs running around....such a hard, heartbreaking and terrible feeling to lose your beloved pets. I can never replace him, but I need to have puppy love to help me with my grief. You are definitely in my thoughts.....

I am so sorry your sweet Barnum returned to heaven. I know what you mean about those 8 legs running around - we always have 2 furbabies. I can never wait long to adopt again, when one of our babies leaves us. It's not that I do not miss them terribly, because I certainly do, but we adopt seniors and so I want to honor our little one who left us by adopting another senior in need of a loving forever home.

Enjoy that new puppy and letr us know what you name him/her.

 

[MMrules]

Thank you.



I am so sorry your sweet Barnum returned to heaven. I know what you mean about those 8 legs running around - we always have 2 furbabies. I can never wait long to adopt again, when one of our babies leaves us. It's not that I do not miss them terribly, because I certainly do, but we adopt seniors and so I want to honor our little one who left us by adopting another senior in need of a loving forever home.

Enjoy that new puppy and letr us know what you name him/her.

Thank you so much....this has been hardest 3 weeks of my life. We had our dogs before we had children so they are very pampered, spoiled, and a huge part of our daily lives. Just so hard to have that missing boy following me around every day. We looked into rescue dogs, but it is hard b/c we have little ones and they are pretty picky with ages so a puppy it is!

The name has been a big debate over here...Of course I want something with a Disney theme like "Pluto" but that has been overruled ...so it is between Angus or Ryder. He is a black lab (just like Barnum). We have til June 17th to decide for sure. Then we are headed to WDW on July 6th...I have the pet sitter all set up, but I am not going to want to leave my new baby and his older sister now