(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS Information Thread ~2012~

[WDWKOOK]

I have a question. We aren't going to WDW until next year but I wanted to learn as much as I can about DVC. Did everyone book their DVC Villas through Disney or where? We aren't DVC members but I'd like to get us 1 bedroom villa. This will be my hubby's first time staying on WDW Property & I want to make it special. Plus he requested to stay @ this hotel out of ALL Of them.

any info would be GREATLY appreciated!!!ºoº

We booked BLT through the WDTC using the military 40% off rate. You can book DVC villas (including VWL) through the WDTC, by phone or online, and you can apply any applicable discounts. You can look on the WDW booking website for DVC availability/rack rates. These are called "cash reservations" and these bookings include daily housekeeping. When you rent points, you can't apply any discounts and daily housekeeping is not included. Also, you can not make changes to your booking, unlike with a cash reservation.

I just made my final payment for our June trip to WL! I have a question about online check in. Does anyone know what kind, if any, requests can be made when you do online check in? My TA did request bunk beds for us (we are in a standard room) when she booked the trip. But, I was wondering if this was also a request I could add during online check in.

Thanks!

Amy

I have only used OCI for CL (just for fun as it's not really necessary when staying CL) so I can't answer your question about STD room options - hopefully someone else can. You would think that since you can't book a STD bunk it would be an OCI request option, but the most important thing is that you already have it in your reservation.

Congratulations on being PiF - you get our PiF dancing guy!

Whoops -- I just realized that I thought this thread was the Boardwalk thread! But the info still applies to WL and VWL.

No problem!

 

[sephorachick]

thanks everyone!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Cowboy Beans
Hoop Dee Doo Revue


Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Onions, diced
1/2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
4 Oz Smoked Meats (Beef and Pork), diced into 1/2" cubes
4 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 Tbsp Molasses
2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
1 Cup BBQ Sauce
2 1/2 Lbs Baked Beans
1 Tbsp Bacon Fat



1. Preheat skillet.
2. Add bacon fat and sauté the onion, garlic, and meat, until golden brown.
3. Add the remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer on low for 2 hours

~The Magic for Less

 

[OttawaDisGirl]

Hi Everyone,

Figment104- I was there yesterday morning and had Nescafé coffee (may 1) at the Roaring Forks. It didn't look like they were making any significant changes just yet... Still, it was better than nothing.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hi Everyone,

Figment104- I was there yesterday morning and had Nescafé coffee (may 1) at the Roaring Forks. It didn't look like they were making any significant changes just yet... Still, it was better than nothing.

I hope you're having a great vacation!

 

[Figment104]

Hi Everyone,

Figment104- I was there yesterday morning and had Nescafé coffee (may 1) at the Roaring Forks. It didn't look like they were making any significant changes just yet... Still, it was better than nothing.

Nuts, but thanks for the info, I do appreciate it! I was so hoping it might be something different lol. As you say though, it is (most of the time) better than nothing.

Hope you're having a great trip!

 

[murphy7573]

DVC member with Studio Nov. Rez.... Are there laundry facilities at the Villas, the Lodge, both or one and not the other ???

Thank you

 

[WDWKOOK]

DVC member with Studio Nov. Rez.... Are there laundry facilities at the Villas, the Lodge, both or one and not the other ???

Thank you

Welcome! There is a VWL laundry on the ground floor near room 1509. It's free, but you'll need your VWL KTTW card to enter. There is also a laundry at WL, but it's not free.

 

[ChicagTrav]

Hi, we're off to WL on Saturday. I see on the 1st page of this thread that there is an iHome clock radio in each room. Can anyone tell me if this will charge and play my iPod? I realize I should probably know this, but I'm so not savvy when it comes to this stuff. I always travel with our iPod and speakers for white noise at night, and if I can leave the speakers at home it means one less thing to pack. Thanks!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Hi, we're off to WL on Saturday. I see on the 1st page of this thread that there is an iHome clock radio in each room. Can anyone tell me if this will charge and play my iPod? I realize I should probably know this, but I'm so not savvy when it comes to this stuff. I always travel with our iPod and speakers for white noise at night, and if I can leave the speakers at home it means one less thing to pack. Thanks!

Yep, an iPod or iPhone with the regular connector that is about 1 inch wide (not the new smaller iPhone 5 "lightning connector") will fit on the alarm clock and be charged and play music. Enjoy your trip, it is super close!

 

[ChicagTrav]

Thank you! It's our first time staying at a Disney property, so I'm anxious to get there and be immersed.

 

[murphy7573]

Thank You or Gracias (almost Cinco de 5 O )

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hi, we're off to WL on Saturday. I see on the 1st page of this thread that there is an iHome clock radio in each room. Can anyone tell me if this will charge and play my iPod? I realize I should probably know this, but I'm so not savvy when it comes to this stuff. I always travel with our iPod and speakers for white noise at night, and if I can leave the speakers at home it means one less thing to pack. Thanks!

Yep, an iPod or iPhone with the regular connector that is about 1 inch wide (not the new smaller iPhone 5 "lightning connector") will fit on the alarm clock and be charged and play music. Enjoy your trip, it is super close!

And there is a size adjuster on the dock that goes back and forth to accommodate various generation/sized iPods (with 30-pin adapters, but not Lightning adapters, as GC mentioned).

Thank You or Gracias (almost Cinco de 5 O )

 

[poohlover4life]

Hello everyone! This is my husbands and my first time ever staying at a delux and we both just fell in love with the picutres of the Wilderness Lodge! Is there anything cool that we should know that you can't pick up just from the disney website?! We are HUGE mousejunkies and are into hidden mickey's and cool disney history, but we also enjoy little hints about great places to sit and relax and see a great view. We are so excited to be staying there!!!

 

[crazy4wdw]

I'm thinking about changing my reservation for my next trip from POFQ to the WL. Most likely I'll reserve a courtyard view room. Just wondering how loud the noise is from the pool area in the afternoon? All of the Disney resorts now have pool parties in the mid-afternoon. Just wondering how much noise a courtyard view room is going to get from these pool activities?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hello everyone! This is my husbands and my first time ever staying at a delux and we both just fell in love with the picutres of the Wilderness Lodge! Is there anything cool that we should know that you can't pick up just from the disney website?! We are HUGE mousejunkies and are into hidden mickey's and cool disney history, but we also enjoy little hints about great places to sit and relax and see a great view. We are so excited to be staying there!!!

There are cozy little sitting areas located on some of the floors around the large central lobby. If you walk up the staircase located behind the front door of the lodge, you'll find a nice sitting area with a fireplace and some comfy chairs.

There is a lovely outdoor balcony on the fourth floor that overlooks the center court yard and the waterfall. It has several deck chairs and you can relax out there and enjoy the gorgeous view. There is also a big deck over the front door with a nice view, too.

We plan to do more exploring on our next trip, including taking the trail to Fort Wilderness.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Lolsmum]

I will freely admit to not having read this entire thread, so maybe this has been asked and answered. If so, I'm sorry.

Does anyone know when the Christmas decorations go up at WL? We are looking at Nov 8-22 in 2014. This will be our second trip to WDW and last time we stayed at WL and loved it. I was thinking we should stay somewhere else, but I think from photos that WL is the best decorated deluxe for Christmas, and totally our style. I think I'd regret being elsewhere if Christmas decorations are up.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I will freely admit to not having read this entire thread, so maybe this has been asked and answered. If so, I'm sorry.

Does anyone know when the Christmas decorations go up at WL? We are looking at Nov 8-22 in 2014. This will be our second trip to WDW and last time we stayed at WL and loved it. I was thinking we should stay somewhere else, but I think from photos that WL is the best decorated deluxe for Christmas, and totally our style. I think I'd regret being elsewhere if Christmas decorations are up.

I wanted to know that exact same thing so I did a search through the Nov 2012 thread to find a comment about it. The best I could gather was that the Christmas decorations were up around Nov 17th. But keep in mind that Thanksgiving was early in 2012 and they might not be up that early in 2014 .

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Hello everyone! This is my husbands and my first time ever staying at a delux and we both just fell in love with the picutres of the Wilderness Lodge! Is there anything cool that we should know that you can't pick up just from the disney website?! We are HUGE mousejunkies and are into hidden mickey's and cool disney history, but we also enjoy little hints about great places to sit and relax and see a great view. We are so excited to be staying there!!!

I think you'll love WL. We particularly enjoy walking through the resort, and there are a number of nice sitting areas throughout the building. Over at VWL there is a room with train memoribilia that is nice to walk through and take a look at. We also really enjoy being on Bay Lake, so be sure to catch a boat over to Fort Wilderness and/or the Contemporary, even if just for the boat ride. The Blue Flag boats run in a continuous loop, so it is a nice way to see the lake, and they always come back to WL. If you do stop at Fort Wilderness there is more to check out there, and it is a nice quiet walk through the woods between there and WL.

There are cozy little sitting areas located on some of the floors around the large central lobby. If you walk up the staircase located behind the front door of the lodge, you'll find a nice sitting area with a fireplace and some comfy chairs.

We found these areas last trip and really enjoyed them. It is neat how they are kind of hidden, but with a great view of the lobby. Here is a picture looking down on the ones over the front entrance:

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

I would venture to guess, they should be up the weekend of the 17th. That is the time they usually go up. One year, they went up on the 14th. We went to bed and the next morning, they were up! Like MAGIC!