(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD ~11/13 - 6/14~

[pas130]

Spring Break prep. has gotten me waaaaaay behind here. Thank you so much to all the amazing posters who are so quick to answer questions
​

Howdy, baaaaaaacccccccccckkkkkkkk! Are you still back or have you gone forth to another resort yet?

STILL HERE!! I am looking forward to over a week at WL, we have never done more than 6 nights at WDW, this is gonna rock!

Have an amazing Spring Break my wonderful friend

This

I have to agree, this is a sweet thread and helped to sway me in booking WL. I originally had BWI CL booked for our July trip but my DD11 wants to do "different things besides going to the parks" as she put it. I browsed this treasure of a thread and saw all the activities such as horseback riding, archery and bike riding at the campground and showed her the pictures. She was even excited about the prospect of playing checkers in the Carolwood Pacific room at the villas - so I switched to WL CL. I was excited to stay at BWI to be within walking distance to Epcot and HS but I am equally excited to stay at WL. I think this will be a different trip for us - more focused on relaxing and trying new activities and not so much about the parks.
I've made reservations for Hoop Dee Doo (1st time experiencing it) and also the archery at FW, and I want to do the tour of the lodge.
Let me know if there are other not to miss experiences that you've enjoyed doing as we'll.
WDWKOOK, thank you for such an informative and welcoming thread! I've learned so much and appreciate the time you've invested in it, now sign me up for the Lodgers Log July 19-27 please. : I can't wait!

I am so partial to the MK resorts. You will love WL CL, the CMs are so friendly and personable...just "real" people and very nice. We didn't take advantage of many activities our visit (it was a Mom and Dad only trip), but the campfire was sweet (yup did it without the kids LOL) and watching EWP from the CL was really peaceful. I have a 2 kids with sensory issues and I think the Wilderness is just perfect after all the stimulation at the parks. That said, I am a resort changer...but I really want to do so much..the tour is one of them. My DH and DS13 would love it!!

 

[Nicnic]

Hi,
I've been looking at the map on here, can I ask which wing is the north and south. I thought the wing closest to the boat dock was north and the wing next to the villas was the south. is this correct?
thanks

 

[WDWKOOK]

STILL HERE!! I am looking forward to over a week at WL, we have never done more than 6 nights at WDW, this is gonna rock!

Have an amazing Spring Break my wonderful friend



I am so partial to the MK resorts. You will love WL CL, the CMs are so friendly and personable...just "real" people and very nice. We didn't take advantage of many activities our visit (it was a Mom and Dad only trip), but the campfire was sweet (yup did it without the kids LOL) and watching EWP from the CL was really peaceful. I have a 2 kids with sensory issues and I think the Wilderness is just perfect after all the stimulation at the parks. That said, I am a resort changer...but I really want to do so much..the tour is one of them. My DH and DS13 would love it!!

Thank you and this just may stick for you

Hi,
I've been looking at the map on here, can I ask which wing is the north and south. I thought the wing closest to the boat dock was north and the wing next to the villas was the south. is this correct?
thanks

Yes, the North Wing is closest to the boat dock (not the marina), and MK/CR and the South Wing is next to VWL. You have it right

 

[BlueFairy]

For budgeting purposes . . . once you purchase the game card in the arcade, about how many credits do you need to play one game. I'm wondering how far those credits will take us on a rainy afternoon.

 

[DEDHead]

Hi,
I've been looking at the map on here, can I ask which wing is the north and south. I thought the wing closest to the boat dock was north and the wing next to the villas was the south. is this correct?
thanks

WDWKook already answered but I was creating this so here's an overview picture of the resort with labels. North is UP in the picture.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

WDWKook already answered but I was creating this so here's an overview picture of the resort with labels. North is UP in the picture. http://s1286.photobucket.com/user/DEDHead/media/WildernessLodge_zpse3bad274.jpg.html

Very nice, thanks!

 

[williamscm3]

I remember reading that the tree at WL went up on Nov 19 last year...is that correct? Is that typically when their decorations go up? We were scheduled to visit nov 30-dec 7 this year but I think we will be switching to nov 15-22 so I'm hoping the lobby will be decorated that early. What do you think my chances of seeing the lodge decorated for Christmas will be that week? Thanks!!

 

[bluecastle]

It's so nice to know that when life takes you away from this thread for a little while, that it is all comfy, cozy and full of stories and info about our beloved WL upon returning. I am looking forward to spending more time here now that spring break has arrived. Thanks to KOOK and everyone for making this such a great place!

 

[threebeesatdisney]

There are a lot of interesting fireplace doors at the WL. This is a picture of the firescreen in the little lounge that is above the main entry door.

And this one is located in the Carolwood Pacific room in the villas building.

I'm sure that there are a few more that I missed, including the one in front of the big fireplace in the lobby.

Thanks for the pictures of the little lounge fireplace. We didn't discover that. We did go over to the Carolwood Pacific room. That room and the lobby are so interesting! Thanks for sharing. We had a wonderful 20th wedding anniversary trip!

 

[bluecastle]

Here now and sitting in the gorgeous lobby listening to the spring while I let the family sleep in a bit. We arrived yesterday around 1:30. I had requested that our one bedroom villa be on the first or second floor but when we arrived the first floor room they had assigned us was not ready. The CM asked if I would mind a different floor and I said no so she called housekeeping and asked which one bedroom would be done soonest. We ended up on the fifth floor...waited about a half an hour for the room to be done. The refurbishments look much better in person than in photos, there is more texture and detail than is picked up well in a photo. The kids loved the Bambi pillows.

We spent some time yesterday at the pool which was heavenly. Water was a great temp. and it was not too crowded. We easily found chairs at 2:30. Went to Epcot about 5 and did a FW rides in Future World before dinner at Via Napoli.

A great first day with the only snag being my hubby lost his Magic Band in Epcot. So a visit to guest relations and another here with the concierge. But all is taken care of now. For getting the kids up at 3:30 AM I would say the day exceeded my expectations. No one got cranky and although we were all fired for our late dinner...we still enjoyed it. Best pizza ever.

Hitting Magic Kingdom today and then back to relax and explore the lodge. Dinner tonight at Artist Point.

Thanks to all who contribute to this thread. I read it every day for weeks in advance of our trip.

Sounds like the first day I have planned for our group, including dinner at Via Napoli! It will be our first time there. Any recommendations?

I would love to hear more about your 5th floor villa. We will be in a 2BR in August and I keep going back and forth between requesting 4th or 5th floor. I usually like being on the top floor, but one member of our group is 6'2" and I was worried about the slanted ceilings. I don't mind if it's a little dark, since it will be a relief after being out in the August sun all day. Whatever you can share about your experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[bookgirl]

Guess I should make it official. Can we please be added to the roll call.

My mom and I will celebrate our birthdays at F&W for the second year in a row.


10/26-30/2014 Courtyard View 1st trip to WL


Can't wait to try a new resort.

 

[DLBDS]

I need a bit more info about the Standard View rooms on the 4th floor. Also, I need confirmation that they overlook the lobby interior. From what I can see on the map, they look to be very convenient to the bus stop, right? I never really paid attention to where these rooms where when I stayed there so just need a bit of info. Are the rooms here noisy in the early morning? Anything anyone wants to add would be appreciated. I just don't see much about these particular rooms. And yes, I have seen the pic of all the green roof off the balcony. Crazy weird but I'm thinking I won't mind if I can see the lobby every time I exit the room. I'm seriously considering requesting on of these rooms or just booking a 'standard view' without a request and getting whatever we get. I just want to be sure I would be ok with one of these rooms otherwise, I'll make a request for the North Wing/High Floor... even though I've already had this view before. I think we were on the Club Level then.

 

[francileb]

I need a bit more info about the Standard View rooms on the 4th floor. Also, I need confirmation that they overlook the lobby interior. From what I can see on the map, they look to be very convenient to the bus stop, right? I never really paid attention to where these rooms where when I stayed there so just need a bit of info. Are the rooms here noisy in the early morning? Anything anyone wants to add would be appreciated. I just don't see much about these particular rooms. And yes, I have seen the pic of all the green roof off the balcony. Crazy weird but I'm thinking I won't mind if I can see the lobby every time I exit the room. I'm seriously considering requesting on of these rooms or just booking a 'standard view' without a request and getting whatever we get. I just want to be sure I would be ok with one of these rooms otherwise, I'll make a request for the North Wing/High Floor... even though I've already had this view before. I think we were on the Club Level then.

We had one of these standard view rooms this past October and loved it! Ours did open into the lobby (which we thought was awesome ) and was really convenient for the bus--these rooms are right around the corner from the elevators that let out by the gift shop. We didn't notice any excessive noise in the morning--but I'll qualify that by saying I always put a rolled up towel at the foot of the door because the light coming in under the door seemed really bright--it might be that the towel blocked the noise. We also didn't mind the view of the green roof, because it was so private. There is no way anyone could see into your room or really even see you on the balcony, so we were able to leave our curtains open more that we normally would have. We would ask for this room location again if we ever make our way back to the Wilderness Lodge (which I sincerely hope we do!)

 

[BellsFam]

Any suggestions on a room request in CL?

I don't think it really matters, but I was wondering if I could request a room without a bunk... it's three of us, DH, myself and DD (5) and I'm kinda hoping our room does not include something DD will see as a jungle gym!!!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

I need a bit more info about the Standard View rooms on the 4th floor. Also, I need confirmation that they overlook the lobby interior. From what I can see on the map, they look to be very convenient to the bus stop, right? I never really paid attention to where these rooms where when I stayed there so just need a bit of info. Are the rooms here noisy in the early morning? Anything anyone wants to add would be appreciated. I just don't see much about these particular rooms. And yes, I have seen the pic of all the green roof off the balcony. Crazy weird but I'm thinking I won't mind if I can see the lobby every time I exit the room. I'm seriously considering requesting on of these rooms or just booking a 'standard view' without a request and getting whatever we get. I just want to be sure I would be ok with one of these rooms otherwise, I'll make a request for the North Wing/High Floor... even though I've already had this view before. I think we were on the Club Level then.

These rooms are funny because everybody sees how bad the balcony view is but the other end opens up to the lobby, which is beautiful at WL. We have not stayed in one, but have stayed above them on the sixth floor twice after booking standard view. We now prefer and request this location. We book standard view and request open to lobby and high floor. Technically the 4th floor is the highest standard view, but we have gotten higher floor rooms going at low crowd times.
As far as lobby noise goes it never has bothered us, and the only time we could hear anything was during dinner time when WCC was full and lively. We never had any extra noise in the mornings.
These rooms are super convenient to he bus stop since they are a short walk from the lobby elevator, which exits near the hallway that heads to the Villas and the bus stop. Happy planning and enjoy your trip.

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

I remember being right above WCC on the 2nd or third floor and it was quite noisy in the morn and at night.

 

[MelanieRI]

We are coming back to the WL this July! Booked on Friday with the AP discount for 7/22-7/27 (then over to the YC from 7/27-8/1) We stayed at the WL one other trip. We had a room overlooking the quiet pool. It was nice and we're looking forward to another great trip!

 

[Ferrentinos]

Just curious - we will be at WL Nov 4-8 - are there any chances that holiday decorations will be up at WL during that time? I fear not but have a little hope...

 

[danceteachermom]

Just got back from an eight night stay at VWL. It was an amazing trip. Sorry I did not take many pictures this time so I have nothing to post pic wise.

We had room 5530 and I liked the refurbishment. Our room had a much smaller main bedroom closet, slanted ceilings, and it had dormer balconies. But other than that was the same as the one bedroom we had last year on the second floor. I preferred the second floor room and location but this room was good too.

Things we loved:
-the pools were amazing, clean, perfect temp, great life guards, pool bar staff
-Roaring Forks breakfasts....yum
-Kids visited the arcade a few times
-Electric Water Pageant, Daily Marshmallow Roast
-Used the buses for all transport except Magic Kingdom returns and never waited long (except to DTD which is always a mess)
-the atmosphere in the villa and main lobbies is just beautiful
-our youngest did an evening at the Cub's Den which was cheaper than a sitter at home and he loved it
-liked the Magic Bands and new FP+ for the most part
-used Garden Grocer for the first time and glad we did...milk, water, wine, coffee cream

We had dinner our second night at Artist Point and while it was OK, we have decided that for the price we will skip it next time. Service was not spectacular. Food was good but not great. I had the fillet and enjoyed but I have had much better, my hubby had the Cornish hen and did not love it, our son got the Mac and cheese and managed two or three bites, our daughter got the scallops and liked them fine. It was not a bad meal just not worth the signature prices. We do not mind paying top dollar as long as you get top dollar service and food.

Our favorite meals were from Via Napoli, Wolfgang Puck Express, Maya Grill, and Kona.

We have already talked about being back next year. We will probably stay at VWL as it has become a family favorite but I am interested in exploring the VGF for the monorail convenience and pool, we also have never stayed at an Epcot resort and that sounds fun, Saratoga Springs proximity to Downtown Disney also interests me. So, we will see when it comes time to make reservations. It may be hard to stay away from the lodge.

For those concerned about the rehab. At VWL. We found the villas just as charming as before...just not as dark. Many of the details of the old room are still there in tile work and fixtures. The new curtains and bedding are nice. Did not love the throw rug design in the living room...it just did not fit but the rest looked good. The new laminate floor looks beautiful...I do prefer carpet but it looks nice. The new appliances and painted cabinets help the rooms not look aged and should appeal to guests who thought the villas were dated. We liked the old rooms....and we like the new ones. Not sure if the mattresses got replaced but the bed was very comfortable and I think the sofa bed was new too.

 

[Leleluvsdis]

Just got back from an eight night stay at VWL. It was an amazing trip. Sorry I did not take many pictures this time so I have nothing to post pic wise. We had room 5530 and I liked the refurbishment. Our room had a much smaller main bedroom closet, slanted ceilings, and it had dormer balconies. But other than that was the same as the one bedroom we had last year on the second floor. I preferred the second floor room and location but this room was good too. Things we loved: -the pools were amazing, clean, perfect temp, great life guards, pool bar staff -Roaring Forks breakfasts....yum -Kids visited the arcade a few times -Electric Water Pageant, Daily Marshmallow Roast -Used the buses for all transport except Magic Kingdom returns and never waited long (except to DTD which is always a mess) -the atmosphere in the villa and main lobbies is just beautiful -our youngest did an evening at the Cub's Den which was cheaper than a sitter at home and he loved it -liked the Magic Bands and new FP+ for the most part -used Garden Grocer for the first time and glad we did...milk, water, wine, coffee cream We had dinner our second night at Artist Point and while it was OK, we have decided that for the price we will skip it next time. Service was not spectacular. Food was good but not great. I had the fillet and enjoyed but I have had much better, my hubby had the Cornish hen and did not love it, our son got the Mac and cheese and managed two or three bites, our daughter got the scallops and liked them fine. It was not a bad meal just not worth the signature prices. We do not mind paying top dollar as long as you get top dollar service and food. Our favorite meals were from Via Napoli, Wolfgang Puck Express, Maya Grill, and Kona. We have already talked about being back next year. We will probably stay at VWL as it has become a family favorite but I am interested in exploring the VGF for the monorail convenience and pool, we also have never stayed at an Epcot resort and that sounds fun, Saratoga Springs proximity to Downtown Disney also interests me. So, we will see when it comes time to make reservations. It may be hard to stay away from the lodge. For those concerned about the rehab. At VWL. We found the villas just as charming as before...just not as dark. Many of the details of the old room are still there in tile work and fixtures. The new curtains and bedding are nice. Did not love the throw rug design in the living room...it just did not fit but the rest looked good. The new laminate floor looks beautiful...I do prefer carpet but it looks nice. The new appliances and painted cabinets help the rooms not look aged and should appeal to guests who thought the villas were dated. We liked the old rooms....and we like the new ones. Not sure if the mattresses got replaced but the bed was very comfortable and I think the sofa bed was new too.

dh so wants to stay at VWL. We have only stayed SSR and OKW. Love your review on VWL. If you are looking for a Dtd resort, give OKW a chance. I was not happy the first time we stayed there, but it was the only option. I now love love love it!!!! The rooms are huge!!!!!!! The resort is simply beautiful, and super relaxing!!!!!! It is so wonderful to back to at night!! The best part, if you drive, is being able to park right outside your villa door, rather than outside your building like SSR. Also, SSR has many parking lot views, whereas I don't know that OKW has any!