1st Stay at Wilderness Lodge - Any advice, hints or tips?

[jrt1176]

We'll be at WDW in less than 2 weeks!

It's my 6 yo niece's first trip, so we're all excited...even though she doesn't know exactly when we are going yet!

I've never been to the WL, but I hear a lot of good things!

Can any WL veterans give me advice on the resort?

I haven't requested a particular area for a room. Should I? Or should I just leave it to chance?

I have read some on the resort, but nothing beats experience... So, if you have any opinions or advice I would love to read them!

Thanks in advance!

 

[tinkbyday]

The WL is a beautiful resort!

My one piece of advice is if you have booked a Standard View, ask if you can not be near the delivery area.

If you have the ability to upgrade to the Woods View, I would advise to do that.

When we went, we had the standard view and our balcony overlooked the garbage/delivery area. We are light sleepers and would be woken by the noise every morning. It didn't ruin our trip, but we didn't exactly use the balcony much due to the view.

 

[jollygreengirl]

We LOVE WL!! We usually have a woods view room and it's typically very quiet. I always request a room not in the main lobby, since it's noisy in there from Whispering Canyon Cafe(WCC). There are two pools. The main feature pool with the slide and the Villa pool (that you can use, too) between the main lodge and villas. If you want to be near Roaring Forks (counter service), then request north wing. If you want to be near the bus stop, then request south wing. But really, WL is pretty compact and we never feel far from anything. If you ask for a woods view, north wing, high floor you may get lucky and get a slight theme park view. We were on the 6th floor last trip on the MK side and it was a great view! Fireworks, space mountain and castle. We could even see Astro Orbiter going around. It was a great surprise and WL totally hooked us up.

We always eat at least one meal at WCC. Roaring Forks has decent food. Definitely try a Smores Cupcake. They are SO good. A nice start to the day is to grab breakfast at Roaring Forks and eat outside by the pool. The ducks will come say hi, including the one my ds has named his special pet, Pokey.

Coming from the main lodge, the boat dock is down to the left passed the pool and geyser. We love taking the boat to and from MK. I think the bus is actually faster, but we like the novelty and fun of taking the boat. There are also boats going to Contemporary and Fort Wilderness, so if you want to throw a Chef Mickey's or Hoop De Doo reservation into the trip, they are easily accessible. The Contempo boat can also be used as a way to hop on the monorail at the hotel. You'll have to take a bus everywhere else or drive. The self-park at WL isn't a bad walk (not like GF), so we drive a lot when there. Your bus will usually be shared with Fort Wilderness or Grand Floridian. That can be helpful if you're trying to get to 1900 Park Fare at GF.

There is a trail that is accessible near the marina/boat rentals/beach that goes to Fort Wilderness. An after dinner or morning stroll along this path is nice and you might run into a family of deer.

Don't forget about the electric water pageant every night! I think it comes to the WL beach around 9:35.

Have a wonderful trip! You can't go wrong with WL!

 

[Gorechick]

My only advice is to take time to enjoy the beauty of the resort and it's surroundings. Relax in the lobby, walk out to the geyser, hang out at the pool. Great resort, I can't wait to go back!

 

[PamelaKay]

My first suggestion would be to read through the first pages of this thread.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2778033

WDWKook has done an outstanding job of documenting all the wonderful things about the Wilderness Lodge.

Here are a couple of other thoughts.

1. Call the reservation agent and put in a request for a specific location of your room - If you have woods view, ask for one overlooking the otter pond on a high floor. If you do, you will be able to see the fireworks from the MK.
2. When you call to make a room request, ask if you can be added to the list to be the flag family of the day. They have one family that gets to help raise the flag each morning.
3. Have a s'mores cupcake from Roaring Forks - If on dining plan, this is either a dessert for quick service or a snack credit.
4. Read the activity schedule they give you upon check in. The resort offers so many fun activities for kids - Movies at the beach at night etc.

If you have specific questions, I would gladly try an answer any of them. I have stayed at this resort many times.

 

[Jeffnewc]

Glad you asked this question. We are going to the WL for the first time as well and cannot wait. read a ton on it but as you say experience always helps. Hope you have a great time!

 

[Sue M]

Room requests would depend on what category you booked. In general I like being in the north wing, upper floor.

You can only request to be a flag family at check in. You'll get lots of info on the WL thread.
We enjoy walking along the Nature Path around the lake to Ft.W. We also had a great time on the Segway Tour. Rent SeaRaycers from the Marina. Take the Tour of the Lodge. Enjoy your stay, WL is one of our favs.

 

[flagrandma]

This August will be our first stay at WL. Can't wait. It looks beautiful. Thanks for the helpful hints. Dh, dd, 10 Yr. old granddaughter and myself will be going. We have a courtyard view booked for 8/19-8/21. DH and I live in Florida so we will be driving.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

Our favorite place!!! Their are kids activities in the Cubs Den( usually arts and crafts) and cookie decorating that my daughter always likes. Just check the resort activity info sheet for times. The pool parties in the afternoons(or games in the lobby if it's raining) and movies on the beach at night are great. Our favorite is watching the Electric Water Pageant from the beach at night. I can't wait for June! Have fun

 

[jrt1176]

Thanks for all the advice! It's greatly appreciated!

 

[shellybaxter]

My only advice is to take time to enjoy the beauty of the resort and it's surroundings. Relax in the lobby, walk out to the geyser, hang out at the pool. Great resort, I can't wait to go back!

This - The WL has GREAT surroundings. Take time to explore the trails and look at the beautiful flowers and landscaping. Also, while we loved the boat to MK know that it might not leave until 8:30am - not good for early morning ADRs. I also like to leave a little earlier for rope drop. This stressed a few people out when we were there, so it's good to know a plan accordingly

 

[*disgal*]

My only advice is to take time to enjoy the beauty of the resort and it's surroundings. Relax in the lobby, walk out to the geyser, hang out at the pool. Great resort, I can't wait to go back!

THIS! It is such a beautiful resort, just make sure you sit and relax and enjoy it. Have fun!

 

[hoosll]

1. The lobby is on the 2nd floor, rooms on the 1st floor can be accessed by some elevators but not all elevators. The courtyard rooms have patios.

2. They are now showing movies on the beach starting at 8:30p this means rooms near the quiet pool and beach may experience more noise than in the past.

 

[Koz]

When you check in, ask to be put on the list as a "Flag Family." This will permit you and the family with otherwise unattainable access to the roof of the main building.

You'll be asked to meet the "Ranger" at around 7:30 a.m. at which point you'll be brought up to club level, and then escorted through a few secret doors and staircases, at which point you'll hit the roof. The children will then be asked to hold, assist in unfolding and raising the American flag, and recite the pledge of allegiance. When you're done raising the flag, you can appreciate the remarkable view from this area, to the point where on a clear day you can see the major structures in each of the parks. The children will then be given a certificate from the ranger as a souvenir of their experience.

My 6-year old loved it!

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

I think Artist Point is one of the best restaurants on property if you are considering any signature meals.

 

[valeriemouse]

My advice is that if you are unhappy with your room, simply ask for a better one!

I had a courtyard view reservation last summer and was very disappointed when I got to my room and was met with a very high, closed in, balcony overlooking a giant tree. I am under 5 feet tall, so I could barely see over the "wall". There was no courtyard in sight, but was apparently in the category because it overlooked the villas courtyard.

Instead of letting it ruin my vacation, I politely went downstairs and asked what they could do, and presto change-o, I had the BEST view i've ever had, overlooking the pool in the main courtyard and the lake. It was awesome. They really do their best to be accommodating, and I was definitely impressed on how quickly they made my trip magical

 

[cookieswithangel]

We love the WL! It is such a pleasant resort with the best staff. Most of my tips have already been stated, but here's a couple more for you:
-When its storming and you're at the MK, automatically head to the bus. The line for WL's boat will be insanely long, and since there is only 2 boats generally, you probably will be waiting for a while, but there is almost always a bus sitting at the stop. You might not leave immediately, but you'll have a covering over your head and you'll probably get to sit down. And it's much faster once you leave the MK.
-The villa pool is considered the quieter pool, and since we've had views over both, we really like looking out over the villa pool. You can still see parts of the lake, and its much quieter. Of course, if you want to be entertained by people watching, proceed with the main pool view.
-You probably won't be choosing to relax in the lobby early in the morning, but if you were considering it, wait until at least 10am. WCC can get very loud and it echoes throughout the lobby. For a more peaceful lobby experience, wait until the breakfast crowd is gone.
-And if you were going to steer away from RF for any reason, don't. We really liked it, and the theme of the resort is tied in, which we didn't really find at AKL's Mara. Plus, it has some pretty good food too!

That's all I can think of, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask! My family has stayed on WL property 8 times, and we'll be heading back in 30 days! Hope you have a magical vacation!