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

[Wood Nymph]

Thank you! So, standard view and woods view rooms are nowhere near the pool area? Just want to make sure-my parents are deciding between WL or BC. They want WL, but if they are disrupted by construction noise in their room, they will not want to stay there again and I would hate to have their first impression ruined!

Here is an aerial view of the WL courtesy of NowYouSeeItMyWay.

Only the inner courtyard rooms can see the pool area. And you can tell by the picture that the rooms closest to the pool are down near the lake end of the resort. The woods view and standard view rooms face the woods and villas and are on the other side of the WL and should be far enough away to avoid hearing the construction.

If your parents plan to spend a lot of time at Epcot then the BC would be a good choice for them. If they plan to spend a lot of time at MK then the WL is nice. I would book a woods view room for them. Many of the standard view rooms overlook the loading dock area, and that has its own kind of noise.

 

[kittyx3]

Hi WDWKook,

First off, thank you again. Your info and guidance has been very helpful. It sounds like you have had a great trip and I am really happy for you. We are totally chuffed for our trip in 87 days, but after a great deal of thought and back and forth, have opted to leave the WL. It was a hard decision especially after following your posts and the way you make the place sound so magical. It was for that reason we decided it best to go another path. We were concerned it was headed towards the path of the Poly, and have read so many negative things regarding that, that we decided we didn't want to risk it. We want to experience the WL in the future and would rather it be with what you describe and keep that wonderful positive energy.

Please remove our name from the log. We have been transferred over the the BTL. We are still super excited and can hardly wait! We are sad to be missing the WL for, but feel this is just the best way for us to go and maintain everything we had planned and hoped for with our trip.

Of course, now we have to figure out when to tell the DD of her big 5th birthday adventure. With the BTL and the castle being right there, it will be a bit harder to hide to plan. With the WL, we figured we could hide things until the day of and have the big reveal as it was happening. Any thought?

I see you have a BTL page as well. Thankful for that and I look forward to reading more things over there. You seem like a very positive person and suspect have a way to make a rock sound magical. That is a gift.

 

[sayla27]

Looking for some transportation advice. We have an 8 am ADR at 1900 Park Fare on our MK day. Originally, I was planning to take the monorail to the park for RD but now with the new monorail schedule I'm afraid that might not work any more. Any suggestions? TIA.

 

[aristocatz]

Here is an aerial view of the WL courtesy of NowYouSeeItMyWay.

Only the inner courtyard rooms can see the pool area. And you can tell by the picture that the rooms closest to the pool are down near the lake end of the resort. The woods view and standard view rooms face the woods and villas and are on the other side of the WL and should be far enough away to avoid hearing the construction.

If your parents plan to spend a lot of time at Epcot then the BC would be a good choice for them. If they plan to spend a lot of time at MK then the WL is nice. I would book a woods view room for them. Many of the standard view rooms overlook the loading dock area, and that has its own kind of noise.

Thank you so much-that really helps clarify things They spend equal time at both parks. They have not stayed deluxe since I was a kid (late 70's/early 80's), so I'd love their first experience to be a positive one. One thing that does seem appealing, with the construction, is the increased frequency of boat service.

If they end up going with WL instead of BC, they are planning on booking a standard room, because that is all they are willing to pay for, but my DH & I are thinking of surprise upgrading them to a woods view as an early Christmas present, with a request to be near the otter pond

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Looking for some transportation advice. We have an 8 am ADR at 1900 Park Fare on our MK day. Originally, I was planning to take the monorail to the park for RD but now with the new monorail schedule I'm afraid that might not work any more. Any suggestions? TIA.

You would have to take the ferry to CR and then the monorail anyway...you can just take a bus from WL to MK or get a cab.

 

[pas130]

Looking for some transportation advice. We have an 8 am ADR at 1900 Park Fare on our MK day. Originally, I was planning to take the monorail to the park for RD but now with the new monorail schedule I'm afraid that might not work any more. Any suggestions? TIA.

You could take a boat to MK and then a boat to GF OR a bus to MK (super fast) and then boat launch to GF

 

[disneyquilter]

Hello all, we are staying at WL for the first time in June 2015, but we are at an impasse as to whether to stay Courtyard View with Bunk Beds or Courtyard View, Bunk Bed, Concierge Level. What are the pros/cons of staying CL? I was hoping to get some insight from all of you Is it worth the upgrade? And I know we may be getting "picky" but do any of you know if it is possible to get a CL Courtyard view with bunk beds overlooking Bay Lake? Thanks so much (in advance) for the inputs (and pictures if you have any). Thanks bunches!!

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

Hello all, we are staying at WL for the first time in June 2015, but we are at an impasse as to whether to stay Courtyard View with Bunk Beds or Courtyard View, Bunk Bed, Concierge Level. What are the pros/cons of staying CL? I was hoping to get some insight from all of you Is it worth the upgrade? And I know we may be getting "picky" but do any of you know if it is possible to get a CL Courtyard view with bunk beds overlooking Bay Lake? Thanks so much (in advance) for the inputs (and pictures if you have any). Thanks bunches!!

IMHO, there are no cons to staying CL at WL

When booking CL, you can only request:
Inner courtyard
Bunk beds

keeping in mind bunk beds are only a request on CL, not a bookable category.
CL Inner Courtyard will also get you a view of Bay Lake. Overlooking Bay Lake, no, but a spectacular view of the inner courtyard AND Bay Lake.

Take a look at the room view pics on Pg 1.

 

[jneuen1]

Do the discounts count towards CL rooms as well, or do you always pay rack rate for CL?

 

[sayla27]

I guess I should have been more clear. I'm not worried about getting to the GF. I was hoping to figure out the easiest/fastest way from GF to MK if no monorail available.

 

[jacquelynb]

Sayla27 that's what I thought you meant and was going to answer you but then I read the other responses and thought maybe I was confused. Lol! Anyway, what I was going to say originally was that the GF is providing extra bus and boat transportation to the MK during the times that the monorail is not running. So don't worry you will still be able to get to MK!

 

[disneyquilter]

IMHO, there are no cons to staying CL at WL

When booking CL, you can only request:
Inner courtyard
Bunk beds

keeping in mind bunk beds are only a request on CL, not a bookable category.
CL Inner Courtyard will also get you a view of Bay Lake. Overlooking Bay Lake, no, but a spectacular view of the inner courtyard AND Bay Lake.

Take a look at the room view pics on Pg 1.

So I should ask for Inner Courtyard, Bunk Beds on my reservation, correct?

 

[reagansdaddy]

On a new subject then.... Has anyone ever used the cubs den while they have a meal at Artist Point?

We did this during our trip last summer and the kids really enjoyed it. They had games and activities ready to go and we never worried because we were so close. It is pretty expensive but was worth it for us to have just a bit of alone time.

One word of warning - the meal provided for the kids was not enough food for our ten year old daughter. We made a trip to RF after we picked them up. Not a huge deal but I would have expected a better meal based on the overall cost.

Hope that helps! Down to 9 days until we return!

 

[WDWKOOK]

Good morning!

I'm posting without multi-quoting…again. I will go back later, way back, to gather all the posters' dates who asked to be added to the Lodger's Log.

I have all the photos (for 3 threads) uploaded to Photobucket. Instead of doing another TR, I'm going to post separate thoughts, updates and photos to each of my threads. Some of this may be a repeat of what I posted while on vacation, but I want to have everything in one post, if possible, for those who may have missed those posts. I will, in the near future, replace and add new photos and news updates to the first two pages of the thread. I'll post when I've made any updates/revisions.

Thank you to all who so quickly and accurately answer questions and since this is a FAQ/Information thread, thank you to those who kindly re-directed posters to pool-closure discussion/complaint threads. I will still continue to update the NEWS section of the thread with any relevant pool closure information, etc… but, please direct pool closure complaints to the Disney Resorts forum threads that have been created for that purpose.

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

Good morning!

I'm posting without multi-quoting…again. I will go back later, way back, to gather all the posters' dates who asked to be added to the Lodger's Log.

I have all the photos (for 3 threads) uploaded to Photobucket. Instead of doing another TR, I'm going to post separate thoughts, updates and photos to each of my threads. Some of this may be a repeat of what I posted while on vacation, but I want to have everything in one post, if possible, for those who may have missed those posts. I will, in the near future, replace and add new photos and news updates to the first two pages of the thread. I'll post when I've made any updates/revisions.

Thank you to all who so quickly and accurately answer questions and since this is a FAQ/Information thread, thank you to those who kindly re-directed posters to pool-closure discussion/complaint threads. I will still continue to update the NEWS section of the thread with any relevant pool closure information, etc… but, please direct pool closure complaints to the Disney Resorts forum threads that have been created for that purpose.

Welcome back, Kook! I know your WL OFC withdrawals won't be too bad since you'll be back home in a blink of an eye!

So I should ask for Inner Courtyard, Bunk Beds on my reservation, correct?

You can most certainly add your room location requests to your reservation. If you decide not to stay CL and book a CY Bunk Bed category then simply request

Inner Courtyard
View of Bay Lake

This will eliminate the WLV Courtyard View.


If you are booking CL, then BB are only a request (not guaranteed) and your room request on your reservation can look like this:

Bunk Bed
Inner Courtyard
View of Main Pool

The CL rooms are only in the western most part of the 'U', closest to the Main Lodge/Lobby. This will also eliminate the WLV Courtyard View and will get you a view of Bay Lake as well.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

We are looking forward to our first WL stay. Since we ALWAYS stay on Monorail resorts we plan to visit some of the other resorts this trip.

I have a couple questions regarding transportation between resorts! Last year we saw construction from the CR on what I assume is a new MK bus pick up area for onsite hotels. If I am not assuming wrong, the easiest way to visit other resorts is to take a launch (or bus) from WL to MK then walk to the bus drop off? Would it be better to take resort buses to parks to go to other resorts or deal with the traffic in the Downtown Disney Area?

Is Ticket and Transportation Center now mainly for offsite guests?

And lastly, we are SOOO looking forward to sampling the CL food offerings. Since the DH is something of a beer snob, I'm wondering if anyone knows if the CL offers anything other than the typical Bud/Miller. If that is all they offer, I'm considering having the Pirate Chest of beer and snacks delivered to the room for our arrival date.

Thanks for any help/insight!

Liz

 

[dkrauss]

I didn't pay for a view of construction either...but I know it's coming and Im gonna move on and not let it ruin my vacation. In no way was I singling out anyone on these boards so please don't take it personally. If they were to compensate everyone the same way that would be one thing...but the impression I'm getting is those who complain the most will get handed the most. Sorry...that's just a pet peeve of mine.

It is a shame it will get to this point. We're not leaving WL, but then again we have a woods view........so the pool was never in the picture (so to speak... ) I've spoken with our TA and we're looking to get a "castle view" room on the north side. Given that many are bugging out of the WL I'm hoping we can be accommodated. If it doesn't work out.......yeah I'll ask nicely when we arrive.........but I'm not going to be pushy about it either.

I truly feel bad for those who are disappointed with the situation here. It does stink. If we had a courtyard/pool view room I'd be looking to change it too. If I had children I'd be looking for a different place to put my head at night.

The one thing I believe (IMHO) we need to know is the CM's at the WL are not to blame. They're staff doing a job. We need to remember that and be civil. They'll do what they can.........which is all they can do. Complaints should go above them................

One final thought............yes it stinks.........but don't let this ruin your trip!!

Doug

 

[bluecastle]

We are looking forward to our first WL stay. Since we ALWAYS stay on Monorail resorts we plan to visit some of the other resorts this trip.

I have a couple questions regarding transportation between resorts! Last year we saw construction from the CR on what I assume is a new MK bus pick up area for onsite hotels. If I am not assuming wrong, the easiest way to visit other resorts is to take a launch (or bus) from WL to MK then walk to the bus drop off? Would it be better to take resort buses to parks to go to other resorts or deal with the traffic in the Downtown Disney Area?

Is Ticket and Transportation Center now mainly for offsite guests?

And lastly, we are SOOO looking forward to sampling the CL food offerings. Since the DH is something of a beer snob, I'm wondering if anyone knows if the CL offers anything other than the typical Bud/Miller. If that is all they offer, I'm considering having the Pirate Chest of beer and snacks delivered to the room for our arrival date.

Thanks for any help/insight!

Liz

We haven't been there for almost 5 years, but I seem to remember a time when the TT&C was a major hub and then it changed to mostly being a hub just for getting to and from the MK. Then DTD became more of a hub, but now with all the improvements going on, it may involve a bit more walking to get to whatever bus stops are operational.
Our preferred "method" of getting to resorts is to take bus or boat to the theme park that is closest to that resort. If we are going to Yacht Club for dinner, we take bus to Epcot and walk through. (maybe stopping to do an attraction or two)
On a day when we want to eat at Boma's , we go to AK, and take the short bus ride to AKL. After dinner, we take the first bus to arrive for any park and then the bus or boat back to WL. One time, my DD and I took the boat from DTD to POFQ, walked around taking pictures, and then took a bus from PO to the MK, and then the boat back to WL. All you have to do is have a general idea of which park is closest to the resort you want to visit. Hope that helped! I am sure there are people here with even more knowledge and more recent experiences!

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

One time, my DD and I took the boat from DTD to POFQ, walked around taking pictures, and then took a bus from PO to the MK, and then the boat back to WL.

This is EXACTLY what we plan to do during the day then visit a park when it cools down after dinner. Visit a resort and take pictures, then have a beverage and/or snack in the AC before venturing to the next resort!

I think we will take your advice and take the next bus/launch to whichever park comes along then choose our next resort to visit! Thank you very much!

Liz

 

[MamaBear58]

I truly feel bad for those who are disappointed with the situation here. It does stink. If we had a courtyard/pool view room I'd be looking to change it too. If I had children I'd be looking for a different place to put my head at night.

This is our situation. Paid for a courtyard/pool view room and have kids 7 and 4. So we are moving. Very disappointed because it will cost us more money AND the kids don't get the bunk beds they wanted. But there's nothing we can do about it. It would be nice if Disney notified us though. Still no letter.