(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD ~2014~

[mystery222184]

Kook was told that the jack hammering would last for several days. We will be there the week before you arrive and we're hoping that the jack hammering will be finished by then. I would guess that it would be near the beginning of the project. Woods view and standard view rooms probably won't be bothered by any of the construction noise. And I would think that all the work would be wrapped up by late afternoon.

Awesome - thanks Wood Nymph!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Also, I really don't like the noise from the pool parties!!

I hate the pool party noise, too, which is the reason I'm keeping our courtyard view reservation. I'm hoping that the construction noise is quieter than the pool party noise.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

Couldn't have said it better. Kook is wonderful and patient. Thanks for your dedication.

And to everyone - I always want to say thanks for all your input and information! Even though I go often, I still get so much info from this thread. You are all very valuable parts of my WL life.

This thread and the folks that support it play a big part of what makes WL so special to us!

I hate the pool party noise, too, which is the reason I'm keeping our courtyard view reservation. I'm hoping that the construction noise is quieter than the pool party noise.

I was thinking the same thing! I bet it just may be!

 

[williamscm3]

Thank you Kook!! I hope your having a great vacation!

 

[pas130]

Couldn't have said it better. Kook is wonderful and patient. Thanks for your dedication.

And to everyone - I always want to say thanks for all your input and information! Even though I go often, I still get so much info from this thread. You are all very valuable parts of my WL life.

YES and YES

This thread and the folks that support it play a big part of what makes WL so special to us!

Thanks for the update Kook! Glad you were able to take some time from your vacation to let us know what the deal is.
I know we will be there when the pool construction is going on, but we are doing so much that it shouldn't have an affect on us. And if we do get a pass to a waterpark maybe we will do that for a change! We have never been as we have never seen the worth of it.

Still looking forward to my time with my DH. We just found out that they asked him to stay until December, but he has put in a request for 2 weeks just for our Disney Vacation because he knows how much is means to me to be with him.
*crossing my fingers* that they approve his request.

Pixie dust they approve it

Just returned from a three night stay at the Lodge at we were upgraded to a Club Level Jr. Suite! I have been staying at WL for 20 years and even am a DVC owner at VWL and have never been upgraded like this. A very nice surprise!!

Very cool!!

That is superterrificlygreat! Looks like we were both upgraded to the Deluxe Room. WL is very generous with upgrades and which Deluxe room were you in?

Awesome updates So did DD have her own space on the couch!! That is great to have all that room!! So happy for you! Hope the first room didn't have an issue

Thanks Kook! That doesn't sound good at all The rate change does, but I am wary of something that doesn't come ahead of time....really shocked they are suggesting people go elsewhere!

The Poly IPO told me the same thing in November when I was booked there as well. I appreciated that very much. Although the rate was amazing and they upgraded us there, it would have totally affected my stay

 

[Fracfam4]

Thanks Kook for the update! Sounds like you are having a wonderful time. Thanks for posting a few pictures of the current state of construction. I think it would be good to have those pictures from time to time to prepare people for their upcoming stays. I, at least, feel better if I know what it looks like ahead of time. We have a WV reservation and I still can't think of anyplace I'd rather stay. (...and those pics make me want cobbler!!!)

I now feel like I have a few more options too! My DD is really excited about the CR pool and we have never considered a water park but we might try it since the option is there. I guess I'll have to work on an alternate trip itinerary.

 

[XtraEdGe]

Thank you Kook for the info, the beautiful photos and the updates. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

 

[bluecastle]

Can someone remind me what kind of coffee maker is in a 2BR villa? I am debating whether to bring my own. ( driving, hopefully there will be room!) I like making my own blend of different Starbucks coffees and would not be able to do that with a single-serve type of coffee-maker.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

Those food pictures look WONDERFUL. We were planning on sampling the lounge offerings our arrival day. I swear we are planning our visits more around dining than parks now.

Liz

 

[lhall7]

Hello, Lodgers
​

My apologies for not multi-quoting. We are having a fabulous stay and I've been busy morning till night. We checked into WL from YC on Wednesday. We couldn't wait to get here and we arrived at the Lodge around 8:30.

After our first night in 7035 in the North Wing, which is the mirror image of our favorite room 7127, we were moved to a Deluxe Room. This is our first stay in a Deluxe room and the CY view and extra room is wonderful. I'll go into more detail later.

I have lots of random WL thoughts/news to share and tons of photos. I had nearly given up trying to upload photos to Photobucket when I had some mild success this morning. The WiFi here is spotty at best and I don't post from my phone. The WiFi was more reliable at the YC, but I will post more photos from home in July.

Random Thoughts and News:

~The draining of the Silver Creek hasn't impacted our vacation at all. The screens are a noticeable, but they aren't in a very prominent location within the CY. The creek is still scheduled to be up and running next week. But, I've not seen any work being done on it and neither has a CM I spoke with so we're not sure what is actually being done.

Regarding the pool rehab:

~Those with reservations will be offered a one-day water park pass in addition to transportation and use of the CR and FW pools. Letters should be going out soon with this offer. Also, guests may speak with a leader/manager AFTER check-in to discuss room rate adjustments due to the pool closure and/or CY View degradation.

~Managers are suggesting that due to the closure of the pool, disruption to the entire CY area and noise, guests who can book elsewhere during the rehab, may want to. The Lodge won't be at its best and managers don't want disappointed guests, but they have no control over the rehab. There will be some jack hammering for several days which will be very noisy and CY views will be impacted. The rehab is un-avoidable due to the requirement that all Disney feature pools (with life guards) must be fenced in. There are only a finite number of installers and workers to perform the rehab, so all Disney pool work must be staggered and some rehab dates aren't optimal. WL was able to change the rehab from the summer to the fall, but the work couldn't be put off until the winter.

~Randy, the wonderful CL Manager, just left the Lodge for a Temporary Assignment in Recreation at POR/POFQ. He may return in 3-4 months, but the Rec. TA was one he requested so unfortunately for us, he may not be returning to WL. But, he gets to wear sneakers and swim trunks now

I have to run now, but here are a few photos from this week:

Sunrise from the lounge:


Early morning lobby:









Screens surrounding Silver Creek as viewed from our balcony:



For the person who asked about stuffed animals, this is the only bear they sell now:


​

Thank you so much for your posting! I do have a couple of questions...when did they decide to offer 1 day pass to BB? We already received a letter from the manager about the other pool options but nothing about BB day pass. Are they going to send another letter? Also, is it BB pass or price modification after check in? We are going the last week of the refurb and I know that the weather is quite unpredictable that time of year, so if we couldn't do BB, then would we perhaps get the price adjustment? If the price adjustment just for CY view or WV as well? I know you may not know all of these answers. Just thought I would ask. Thanks again!! Trying to decide if want to change our CY view or not or even change resorts. We LOVE WL that time of year though so hard call for us!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thank you so much for all the sweet comments. I will try to multi-quote soon, but for now, here is a photo taken this morning from our balcony of the painting of the rocks surrounding the Silver Creek (workers are on the left). I was surprised when I came back from a jog to FW that there were many workers preparing to paint. It's pouring now so work has been delayed.

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Thank you so much for your posting! I do have a couple of questions...when did they decide to offer 1 day pass to BB? We already received a letter from the manager about the other pool options but nothing about BB day pass. Are they going to send another letter? Also, is it BB pass or price modification after check in? We are going the last week of the refurb and I know that the weather is quite unpredictable that time of year, so if we couldn't do BB, then would we perhaps get the price adjustment? If the price adjustment just for CY view or WV as well? I know you may not know all of these answers. Just thought I would ask. Thanks again!! Trying to decide if want to change our CY view or not or even change resorts. We LOVE WL that time of year though so hard call for us!

Hi Kook thanks for addressing my questions about the rate change...I have similar questions to the above poster. I guess they can't tell us ahead of time about the rates.

I guess it's tough because I love it there at WL and I feel like there is no way of knowing how bad it is going to be. I also don't trust people, so knowing we won't know how much the rate will be changed and the potential for an argument (it would be me, not hubby) on vacation does not seem pleasant.

At the same time, I am not happy about GF at all. We really enjoyed our honeymoon at WL and are going through a stressful time right now. We were not expecting Disney to add to it

Again, pictures would be great...We wouldn't be there until the 14th of Nov so I wonder if most of it would be done by then. If we didn't have airfare I would be tempted to cancel til January.

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Thank you so much for all the sweet comments. I will try to multi-quote soon, but for now, here is a photo taken this morning from our balcony of the painting of the rocks surrounding the Silver Creek (workers are on the left). I was surprised when I came back from a jog to FW that there were many workers preparing to paint. It's pouring now so work has been delayed.

That does not look bad at all.

 

[pas130]

That does not look bad at all.

My thoughts exactly!!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

'Bout time that figured that out!!!!

So nice to hear for you KOOK! I think the worst part of all your news is Randy's (hopefully short) departure. He truly is a gem!! There is something to be said about not having to wear a suit n tie every day!

The fence will be fine once it's up. I've looked at pics at the AK pool fence and it is beautifully done. Guests will forget what the courtyard looked like without one. . But until then...

How is being in the deluxe but NOT on CL floor?

NOT to sound ungrateful in any way - we are ever so grateful just to be here, but since you asked...We dislike not being on the 7th floor, but NOT because of the distance. The distance from our current room is actually a bit closer than room 7035 was. We never mind walking so we are completely fine with that. What we don't like is that the Lodgekeeper is not the same person everyday and the quality is lower. On the 7th floor, you have a consistent 5-day a week Lodgekeeper who goes above and beyond to ensure the room is clean at check-in and daily. Two days a week they have off, but the cleanliness is still fairly consistent as well as full turn-down. We have had some issues with cleanliness upon check-in, daily cleaning, and turn-down. They are only performing a turn-down of the bed with chocolates and not wanting to replenish towels, remove dirty ones and empty the trash. The level of cleanliness is higher on the 7th floor and in the common areas as well (thanks to Bernard). We really miss that and I'm still not used to going to a different floor. We also have a connecting door which 7127 doesn't have. Those are the negatives for us of the Deluxe room.

We were in 3166. The room was not ready when we first checked in and as I got the text letting me know the room number I thought they had changed their minds and were giving us a non-Club level room (thought all club level rooms were on the 7th floor!)...little did I know!!

How exciting! We booked a STD View at YC-CL and when I got our text I tried looking up the room on the (very old) YC room number map. We were upgraded to a SAB/Lagoon View room and we could even see some of Illuminations!

Thanks Kook! Your updates are much appreciated!

You're welcome.

Well, it took a few days, but I am finally caught up! ( I last posted on p. 145 of the closed thread)

And finally, thanks to our wonderful Kook for being a voice of reason every time a new rumor floated by. Your dedication to this site and the respect (and patience!) you demonstrate towards every participant, fosters an atmosphere that is quite rare in a public forum. Thank you for all you do and I hope you are enjoying a well-deserved WL respite from the real world. I thought this school year would never end, and I am so happy to be able to be back hanging out here!! Looking forward to reading everyone's reports and enjoying all the photos.

Wow, you made my day. Your comments mean so much to me - thank you and welcome back to your thread - we missed you.

Couldn't have said it better myself!! Thank you for all you do!

It's my pleasure and thank you.

Thanks so much, KOOK, for all your updates and info! So glad you are enjoying your vacation. I am ecstatic that it sounds like our trip 7/18-7/28 will be construction free! Yay!
All the cobbler pictures make me think next trip must be Club Level!

If you can book it, I can't recommend the OFC enough. It is one great vacation enhancement.

Couldn't have said it better. Kook is wonderful and patient. Thanks for your dedication.

And to everyone - I always want to say thanks for all your input and information! Even though I go often, I still get so much info from this thread. You are all very valuable parts of my WL life.

Thank you, Our Lady of the Lodge! This is a team effort - GO TEAM WL/VWL

BTW, LuAnn has left TL. Chelsea reports that LuAnn, who worked many, many years at TL, has gone back to Brown Derby where she first worked.

I may have missed it or perhaps it's an unknown but do we know the dates the heavier work/jack hammering will take place or should we expect it during the entire pool closure period? Just checking as we arrive Oct 28. Thanks guys!

No specific jack hammering dates, but a manager told me that they are going to try to get the workers to do all the jack hammering over several consecutive days if they can, rather than random jack hammering. During the last room rehab, they had to do some jack hammering indoors to remove flooring. I wasn't here then, but I can only imagine how loud the echoing hammering must have been.

Jack hammering sounds awfully loud! Our trip will be a short one by our standards, just 6 days at WL after a room only at POR. We have talked about switching resorts, but we just can't come up with anyplace we'd rather stay this time. Trying to keep costs down, but still stay Deluxe so it's WL or AKL and we've done AKL for two years in a row.

We are happy to hear that the WL folks want to make everyone's stay the best it can be!! Thank you Kook for your reports!!

Also, I really don't like the noise from the pool parties!!

The pool party music has been turned down, but the PA system that they talk over is still loud.

Thank you Kook!! I hope your having a great vacation!

We are and you're welcome!

Awesome updates So did DD have her own space on the couch!! That is great to have all that room!! So happy for you! Hope the first room didn't have an issue

Yes, DD has her own queen sleeper, TV and sink area. The bathroom is a Jack & Jill style with 2 pocket doors leading to the master with 2 queens and its own mini balcony. No issues at all with 7035 - we loved it. The guest in the Deluxe room was very unhappy not being on the 7th floor so we offered to switch the evening we checked in. The next morning, we were notified of the switch. The WL staff were very grateful we helped another guest. WL had been at 100% occ. so no other 7th floor rooms were available. I was happy to make the sacrifice. The staff throughout the resort are the best.

Thanks Kook for the update! Sounds like you are having a wonderful time. Thanks for posting a few pictures of the current state of construction. I think it would be good to have those pictures from time to time to prepare people for their upcoming stays. I, at least, feel better if I know what it looks like ahead of time. We have a WV reservation and I still can't think of anyplace I'd rather stay. (...and those pics make me want cobbler!!!)

I now feel like I have a few more options too! My DD is really excited about the CR pool and we have never considered a water park but we might try it since the option is there. I guess I'll have to work on an alternate trip itinerary.

FW is fun, too! You could even bike to it, if you want some extra adventure. Don't forget you can get the cobbler at AP and WCC

Thank you Kook for the info, the beautiful photos and the updates. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!

Thank you. Your trip is coming up soon.

Can someone remind me what kind of coffee maker is in a 2BR villa? I am debating whether to bring my own. ( driving, hopefully there will be room!) I like making my own blend of different Starbucks coffees and would not be able to do that with a single-serve type of coffee-maker.

They are the Mr.Coffee 12-cups with filters and not the single cups with pods like at WL.

Those food pictures look WONDERFUL. We were planning on sampling the lounge offerings our arrival day. I swear we are planning our visits more around dining than parks now.

Liz

That's the way to do it!

Thank you so much for your posting! I do have a couple of questions...when did they decide to offer 1 day pass to BB? We already received a letter from the manager about the other pool options but nothing about BB day pass. Are they going to send another letter? Also, is it BB pass or price modification after check in? We are going the last week of the refurb and I know that the weather is quite unpredictable that time of year, so if we couldn't do BB, then would we perhaps get the price adjustment? If the price adjustment just for CY view or WV as well? I know you may not know all of these answers. Just thought I would ask. Thanks again!! Trying to decide if want to change our CY view or not or even change resorts. We LOVE WL that time of year though so hard call for us!

I told the CM that guests have not been notified of the free water park entry and neither were TAs, according to the TA letter that was posted here a while back. She assured me that "letters are going out soon."

Any adjustments must be handled by a leader/manager and on a case by case basis AFTER check-in only. WL can only work with guests after they have checked-in and they control the reservation.

Hi Kook thanks for addressing my questions about the rate change...I have similar questions to the above poster. I guess they can't tell us ahead of time about the rates.

I guess it's tough because I love it there at WL and I feel like there is no way of knowing how bad it is going to be. I also don't trust people, so knowing we won't know how much the rate will be changed and the potential for an argument (it would be me, not hubby) on vacation does not seem pleasant.

At the same time, I am not happy about GF at all. We really enjoyed our honeymoon at WL and are going through a stressful time right now. We were not expecting Disney to add to it

Again, pictures would be great...We wouldn't be there until the 14th of Nov so I wonder if most of it would be done by then. If we didn't have airfare I would be tempted to cancel til January.

No, any adjustments will be handled only after check-in and on a case by case basis. Just ask to speak with a manager or leader after check-in regarding any compensation due to the pool rehab and/or CY View degradation.

 

[rotlex]

Just following up on a previous post regarding an e-mail I sent to Disney inquiring about the pool rehab dates. This was sent before the official notice\dates were known. (When the e-mail was sent that is).

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when my cell phone rang and it was
Emily from the Walt Disney World resort. She had called to inform me that my e-mail was received, and to let me know about the September 3rd start date for the WL pool rehab. While the dates do not conflict with our August trip, I thought receiving a direct phone call was a very pleasant surprise.

Once again, Disney comes through for me with a level of customer service I didn't expect.

 

[Robinw0506]

For anyone who has used ME, do you know what other resorts shared the bus and what stop WL was? Arriving mid afternoon and trying to see if we can squeeze in a dinner somewhere.

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

For anyone who has used ME, do you know what other resorts shared the bus and what stop WL was? Arriving mid afternoon and trying to see if we can squeeze in a dinner somewhere.

GF and Poly at least.

 

[bookgirl]

Hello, Lodgers
​

My apologies for not multi-quoting. We are having a fabulous stay and I've been busy morning till night. We checked into WL from YC on Wednesday. We couldn't wait to get here and we arrived at the Lodge around 8:30.

After our first night in 7035 in the North Wing, which is the mirror image of our favorite room 7127, we were moved to a Deluxe Room. This is our first stay in a Deluxe room and the CY view and extra room is wonderful. I'll go into more detail later.

I have lots of random WL thoughts/news to share and tons of photos. I had nearly given up trying to upload photos to Photobucket when I had some mild success this morning. The WiFi here is spotty at best and I don't post from my phone. The WiFi was more reliable at the YC, but I will post more photos from home in July.

Random Thoughts and News:

~The draining of the Silver Creek hasn't impacted our vacation at all. The screens are a noticeable, but they aren't in a very prominent location within the CY. The creek is still scheduled to be up and running next week. But, I've not seen any work being done on it and neither has a CM I spoke with so we're not sure what is actually being done.

Regarding the pool rehab:

~Those with reservations will be offered a one-day water park pass in addition to transportation and use of the CR and FW pools. Letters should be going out soon with this offer. Also, guests may speak with a leader/manager AFTER check-in to discuss room rate adjustments due to the pool closure and/or CY View degradation.

~Managers are suggesting that due to the closure of the pool, disruption to the entire CY area and noise, guests who can book elsewhere during the rehab, may want to. The Lodge won't be at its best and managers don't want disappointed guests, but they have no control over the rehab. There will be some jack hammering for several days which will be very noisy and CY views will be impacted. The rehab is un-avoidable due to the requirement that all Disney feature pools (with life guards) must be fenced in. There are only a finite number of installers and workers to perform the rehab, so all Disney pool work must be staggered and some rehab dates aren't optimal. WL was able to change the rehab from the summer to the fall, but the work couldn't be put off until the winter.

~Randy, the wonderful CL Manager, just left the Lodge for a Temporary Assignment in Recreation at POR/POFQ. He may return in 3-4 months, but the Rec. TA was one he requested so unfortunately for us, he may not be returning to WL. But, he gets to wear sneakers and swim trunks now

I have to run now, but here are a few photos from this week:

Sunrise from the lounge:


Early morning lobby:









Screens surrounding Silver Creek as viewed from our balcony:



For the person who asked about stuffed animals, this is the only bear they sell now:


​

Thanks for the info, I think we are still sticking with WL. The bear and squirll are
Are adorable.

 

[Wood Nymph]

For anyone who has used ME, do you know what other resorts shared the bus and what stop WL was? Arriving mid afternoon and trying to see if we can squeeze in a dinner somewhere.

All three times we have taken ME it stopped at Poly first, GF second, and WL third.