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

[mrsap]

I read the same post you did about the texting trial for CL guests last week. We weren't offered that service at the WL CL last week. After reading that post, I decided to ask for the staff's help. We came back from the parks one afternoon for a pool break (after using our three FP+ that morning at Animal Kingdom.) I asked the staff if they could check to see if there were any FP+ available for TSMM that evening because we also planned to see Fantasmic. Fortunately, there were enough openings he could slide our family of four in at 6:50 pm. He could only make the one FP+ for us, but advised us to immediately visit the FP Kiosk right beside TSMM afterwards to get a FP+ for Fantasmic. It worked perfectly! I hope they extend the CL texting help to all resorts. I'm already sold on CL, but it would just make it that much sweeter.

That's great! I completely agree, I think it's a fantastic benefit! I'm crossing my fingers we'll get to try it out in November! How did you like the food in CL? Which part of the day did you enjoy most as far as the food went? Happy you had a good trip!

 

[CuteAsMinnie]

I highly recommend CL at WL. I think your DH will love it and the upgrade would make for a much appreciated surprise. But, one warning, DH will probably be hooked on the OFC.

Besides the breakfast, you'll also have some snacks in the afternoon, unlimited beverages, including alcohol, evening appetizers and dessert. You'll also receive automatic turn-down service each evening.

The lounge views of Bay Lake/Courtyard and the lobby are beautiful and the lounge offers a relaxing place to sit any time of the day. It's nice to be on a controlled-access floor and you'll also have pre-arrival booking/planning assistance, should you need it. Even if you don't use it, it's very convenient having a direct phone number to call the OFC should you need any assistance during your stay. The CL CMs are extra special and attentive. You'll also know exactly what floor you'll be on (if you aren't booking a Deluxe room) and there won't be any guests above you​

That just about sums it up!!

And... Ummm, could you kindly add us to the Log....

It appears you may have forgotton all about us!

June 12-20

And yes, OFC. DH and DS won't venture on to anything else!


​

 

[WDWKOOK]

Hello Lodgers!

Well, today we are sitting the lobby of this beautiful lodge waiting for Magical Express to pick up for our return flight home. As always, we are sad to leave the World - but this time feel a bit better because (after much research and thought) we finally took the plunge and became DVC members! Yay! And we already have one of
Our next trips booked! Woot! Several years ago when the announcement was made that they would be building villas at Grand Floridian we began researching and then got even more serious in 2013 when we watched the build happening. We are excited to have GFVs for our home resort. Yay!

As we depart today - I thought I would give my final "review" of the lodge, for what it is worth.

1. THEMING/AESTHETICS - In this area the lodge is awesome! The lobby is truly impressive as well as the building and surrounding areas from the outside. Disney has done a fantastic job of making you feel like your are deep in the woods of the Northwest!

2. POOL/WATER FEATURES - Again, gorgeous! Such a natural feel that fits in seamlessly with the surroundings. We were a bit sad that the first 6 or 7 days of our trip were without the stream and waterfall but were glad to be able to enjoy it the last 4 or 5 days with it. Here is what it looks like today:



3. ROOMS - Overall, I would rate the rooms as "good". They are a tad on the small side but come with the features you are accustomed to at the deluxe level. Storage space was adequate, though the closets could definitely have a better configuration to help out here. The beds are very comfortable. While vacationing, I am often in awful back pain after a night's sleep on a hotel bed. Fortunately, the beds at WL are what we have come to love at the other deluxes. Bathrooms were nice, only negative was the toilet. The darn thing never seemed to flush right! LOL. The balcony space was a tad on the small size, but adequate forums to enjoy a few relaxing moments in the evenings.

4. CAST MEMBERS - Excellent! This is a standard we have come to expect at Disney. Very, very seldom in all our WDW trips have we encountered a CM that didn't meet or exceed our expectations. This trip was no different. Many of these people so clearly love that jobs!

5. FOOD - we all of our table service meals away from the lodge but had several quick service meals at Roaring Fork. My favorite food item was the turkey and Swiss sandwich (substitute the bun for the multigrain bread) - so yummy! The Wilderness Salad is also delish. The pizzas, burgers, fries and chicken sandwiches were all acceptable. Your basic quick service fare. My hubby is has a shellfish and gluten allergy and then accommodated him well...GF pizza, salads, burgers, etc. Some of the staff in the Roaring Fork were some of our favorite!
So personable and helpful. The restaurant was surprisingly small, but well run and we never had a problem finding a seat even at busy time. You order and pay for your food and then are given a table tent number and they you food is delivered to your table. (If you order is to go, you are given a pager and pick up at the to-go counter when it buzzes.). Very organized!

6. BOAT TRANSPORTATION - We utilized this service basically every day, usually multiple times. LOVED IT. We never waited longer than 5 minutes, normally we walked up to a boat waiting or could see one pulling in. Seriously, a phenomenal service. And the boat captains were great! Such personalities, especially the singing captains!

7. BUS SERVICE - This is definitely the only area of the lodge that was a negative for us. (I realize a factor of luck/timing plays in here - but it was not on our side this trip!) Approximately 75% of the time we waited 20 minutes or longer for a bus. A few times we waited in excess of 30 minutes and we would occasionally step on a full bus where there didn't even appear to be standing room. Most days I would have rated our bus service "bad" a few days I would have rated it wretched! In all our trips, this was by far our worst experience with the bus transportation, and we typically travel Easter week! We ended up utilizing cabs 4 times - but that was about $100 total. The worst busing situation was Downtown Disney, by far!

8. MOUSEKEEPING - Excellent! Our sweet MOUSEKEEPING Gloria was just wonderful. And each day she left a little surprise for stuffed animal loving 10 year old. These people work hard - tip them well!


Overall - we leave this lodge and our beloved WDW completely satisfied and eager to return. We are so happy to have experienced the lodge and will return again some day to bring my parents, who will totally love the atmosphere. I am so thankful to all the lodgers on this thread who helped me feel prepared and increase my excitement for this trip! You are all wonderful! THANK YOU!

Thank you for posting your review and photos. I think your comments are really helpful for those who have never stayed at WL. So where did you book that first DVC Owner trip? How exciting!

You really are great!!!! Thank you!!!!!!

PS - the menus look incredible!! Was the food just as good?! I just called my DH at work and he is SO excited!!!! He's loving the food options!!

I'll post the photos tomorrow and yes, we've always found the food at the OFC to be delicious and varied. The Epcot resorts have a tendency to repeat very similar items and the selection is less varied than WL. We always feel excited when it's appetizer time at the OFC.

Ummm, could you kindly add us to the Log....

It appears you may have forgotton all about us!

June 12-20

And yes, OFC. DH and DS won't venture on to anything else!

Forgot? Is that what you're calling it...never. I will be updating the LL tomorrow and your dates are of utmost importance to thread management. Thank you and shall I add a special celebration or event to your LL post? It's the least I can do

 

[StitchyPoo81]

Im sure this has been answered before but I'm to lazy to go thru all these threads.
How do I request a certain room ? And where is the best standard room ?

 

[dansdad]

Im sure this has been answered before but I'm to lazy to go thru all these threads.

No need to go through the entire thread. But if you go through the first 2 pages, just about every question you could have will be answered.

How do I request a certain room?

Call the main reservation line and add any room requests to your reservation.

And where is the best standard room ?

Everyone's definition of best is going to be different. I suggest checking out post #5 on page #1 for descriptions of the different categories. Then when making your room request it's best to spell out what you are looking for. "Upper floor", "Close to elevator", "Open to Lobby", etc.

 

[JnKinVA]

Hello Lodgers!

Well, today we are sitting the lobby of this beautiful lodge waiting for Magical Express to pick up for our return flight home. As always, we are sad to leave the World - but this time feel a bit better because (after much research and thought) we finally took the plunge and became DVC members! Yay! And we already have one of
Our next trips booked! Woot! Several years ago when the announcement was made that they would be building villas at Grand Floridian we began researching and then got even more serious in 2013 when we watched the build happening. We are excited to have GFVs for our home resort. Yay!

Glad you had a good vacation and we too bought into VGF in May! Love that our use year starts in 2013 so we already have our points
I banked them for next year though.

 

[kastoney]

We are staying in sep and decided to stick with it even with the pool situation as we want to be close to MK. We have annual passes and are also looking forward to water park tickets for a day since we don't have this option on the AP. I thought the comp day for a water park was confirmed, but the hubby read elsewhere that is not the case. Does anyone have confirmation of water park tickets being offered to comp for the pool?

 

[grkmbee]

I read the same post you did about the texting trial for CL guests last week. We weren't offered that service at the WL CL last week. After reading that post, I decided to ask for the staff's help. We came back from the parks one afternoon for a pool break (after using our three FP+ that morning at Animal Kingdom.) I asked the staff if they could check to see if there were any FP+ available for TSMM that evening because we also planned to see Fantasmic. Fortunately, there were enough openings he could slide our family of four in at 6:50 pm. He could only make the one FP+ for us, but advised us to immediately visit the FP Kiosk right beside TSMM afterwards to get a FP+ for Fantasmic. It worked perfectly!

I hope they extend the CL texting help to all resorts. I'm already sold on CL, but it would just make it that much sweeter.

I love CL too! If this service becomes a regular benefit, it will be hard to get me to go back to non-CL rooms.

 

[sonofanarchy]

This will be only for WL die-hards, so here goes:

Does anyone know the music that is played on the buses back to WL? It is a very soothing type of tribal music, with flutes as the primary instrument.

 

[Polynesian27]

Great thread, just subscribed! My wife and I will be at the lodge in December with our two kids, will they be able to use the pool? I know the pools will be open and they are heated but i've heard its not enjoyable, is that true? Any experience using the WL pools in early December would be great. Thanks so much!

 

[Rach3047]

Our first trip at the Lodge is in 12 days (but who's counting )!!! We are so so excited!
As I am getting everything packed and ready I'm wondering what kind of coffee the in room coffee makers take? Are they the traditional keurig pods?? My husband and I need our morning cup of coffee and would rather have it in the room as we want to hit rope drop most mornings and don't want to waste time getting a cup of coffee at roaring forks. Any suggestions?? What kind of coffee do you bring/where can I purchase it??

Also, I am thinking of putting an order in for Garden Grocer. Have you had a good experience with that?
Thanks so much, this board has been so valuable in planning our dream vacation!!

 

[dansdad]

Great thread, just subscribed! My wife and I will be at the lodge in December with our two kids, will they be able to use the pool? I know the pools will be open and they are heated but i've heard its not enjoyable, is that true? Any experience using the WL pools in early December would be great. Thanks so much!

It depends on the individual. In December, it can be anywhere from the 80's to the 40's. Our family has no problem swimming when it's in the low 50's. But we usually have the pool to ourselves when it's that cool.

 

[dansdad]

Our first trip at the Lodge is in 12 days (but who's counting )!!! We are so so excited!
As I am getting everything packed and ready I'm wondering what kind of coffee the in room coffee makers take? Are they the traditional keurig pods?? My husband and I need our morning cup of coffee and would rather have it in the room as we want to hit rope drop most mornings and don't want to waste time getting a cup of coffee at roaring forks. Any suggestions?? What kind of coffee do you bring/where can I purchase it?

If you look at post #4 of this thread, you can see the type of coffee maker that's in the rooms. It a 2 cup Cuisinart. Although in the picture it shows the Cuisinart brand coffee, I believe they have switched over to the Joffrey's brand. You can buy and bring your own. They are not like the Kuerig K-Cups. They are round tea bag like filters that have the coffee in them. Some of the brands available at Amazon are:

Senseo
Barrie House
Aloha Island

We have had the Joffrey's at CBR and really liked it.

Also, I am thinking of putting an order in for Garden Grocer. Have you had a good experience with that?
Thanks so much, this board has been so valuable in planning our dream vacation!!

We have always had good luck/service with Garden Grocer.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Great thread, just subscribed! My wife and I will be at the lodge in December with our two kids, will they be able to use the pool? I know the pools will be open and they are heated but i've heard its not enjoyable, is that true? Any experience using the WL pools in early December would be great. Thanks so much!

We were at the WL the first week of Dec this past year and were able to spend some time in the pool. Kids will swim in just about any weather, so I'm sure they will be fine. We had highs ranging from the low 70's to the mid 80's during our stay.

Our first trip at the Lodge is in 12 days (but who's counting )!!! We are so so excited!
As I am getting everything packed and ready I'm wondering what kind of coffee the in room coffee makers take? Are they the traditional keurig pods?? My husband and I need our morning cup of coffee and would rather have it in the room as we want to hit rope drop most mornings and don't want to waste time getting a cup of coffee at roaring forks. Any suggestions?? What kind of coffee do you bring/where can I purchase it??

Also, I am thinking of putting an order in for Garden Grocer. Have you had a good experience with that?
Thanks so much, this board has been so valuable in planning our dream vacation!!

Housekeeping will bring you extra coffee, so you don't really need to buy any extra. I had left a note asking for extra coffee and I received enough for a ten day stay. It is the pods that look like a round tea bag. I used the filtered water from the drink dispenser in Roaring Forks for the coffee and it tasted pretty good.

 

[JnKinVA]

Well, the October reservation has officially been moved to January.
We will still be WL-CL but from January 16-23 (one extra night) and found out that even though DH is over in Afghanistan as a military contractor, since he has a CAC (Common Access Card) he qualifies for the military discount!

So we need to updated on the Lodger's Log please Kook

So our price for CL with an extra night is the same price we would have paid in October.
The CM was so helpful. She even double checked about the discount, but she said something had just came out about the CAC so he definitely qualified. So happy about that. No need to book Rack Rate and worry about discounts coming out later.

So, now the long wait for DH to come home and then the trip to WDW

 

[bluecastle]

Well, the October reservation has officially been moved to January.
We will still be WL-CL but from January 16-23 (one extra night) and found out that even though DH is over in Afghanistan as a military contractor, since he has a CAC (Common Access Card) he qualifies for the military discount!

So we need to updated on the Lodger's Log please Kook

So our price for CL with an extra night is the same price we would have paid in October.
The CM was so helpful. She even double checked about the discount, but she said something had just came out about the CAC so he definitely qualified. So happy about that. No need to book Rack Rate and worry about discounts coming out later.

So, now the long wait for DH to come home and then the trip to WDW

Great news! Now you have a definite date to plan for and look forward to. Your ADR date will be here before you know it! Time to start planning a romantic dinner.

 

[JnKinVA]

Great news! Now you have a definite date to plan for and look forward to. Your ADR date will be here before you know it! Time to start planning a romantic dinner.

We are actually at 168 days so that romantic dinner has already been booked

One at the Yachtsman Steakhouse and I was able to snag a late dinner at the Rose and Crown hoping for a nice spot for Illuminations

 

[whositsandwhatsits]

Hello Lodgers!

Well, today we are sitting the lobby of this beautiful lodge waiting for Magical Express to pick up for our return flight home. As always, we are sad to leave the World - but this time feel a bit better because (after much research and thought) we finally took the plunge and became DVC members! Yay! And we already have one of
Our next trips booked! Woot! Several years ago when the announcement was made that they would be building villas at Grand Floridian we began researching and then got even more serious in 2013 when we watched the build happening. We are excited to have GFVs for our home resort. Yay!

As we depart today - I thought I would give my final "review" of the lodge, for what it is worth.

1. THEMING/AESTHETICS - In this area the lodge is awesome! The lobby is truly impressive as well as the building and surrounding areas from the outside. Disney has done a fantastic job of making you feel like your are deep in the woods of the Northwest!

2. POOL/WATER FEATURES - Again, gorgeous! Such a natural feel that fits in seamlessly with the surroundings. We were a bit sad that the first 6 or 7 days of our trip were without the stream and waterfall but were glad to be able to enjoy it the last 4 or 5 days with it. Here is what it looks like today:

3. ROOMS - Overall, I would rate the rooms as "good". They are a tad on the small side but come with the features you are accustomed to at the deluxe level. Storage space was adequate, though the closets could definitely have a better configuration to help out here. The beds are very comfortable. While vacationing, I am often in awful back pain after a night's sleep on a hotel bed. Fortunately, the beds at WL are what we have come to love at the other deluxes. Bathrooms were nice, only negative was the toilet. The darn thing never seemed to flush right! LOL. The balcony space was a tad on the small size, but adequate forums to enjoy a few relaxing moments in the evenings.

4. CAST MEMBERS - Excellent! This is a standard we have come to expect at Disney. Very, very seldom in all our WDW trips have we encountered a CM that didn't meet or exceed our expectations. This trip was no different. Many of these people so clearly love that jobs!

5. FOOD - we all of our table service meals away from the lodge but had several quick service meals at Roaring Fork. My favorite food item was the turkey and Swiss sandwich (substitute the bun for the multigrain bread) - so yummy! The Wilderness Salad is also delish. The pizzas, burgers, fries and chicken sandwiches were all acceptable. Your basic quick service fare. My hubby is has a shellfish and gluten allergy and then accommodated him well...GF pizza, salads, burgers, etc. Some of the staff in the Roaring Fork were some of our favorite!
So personable and helpful. The restaurant was surprisingly small, but well run and we never had a problem finding a seat even at busy time. You order and pay for your food and then are given a table tent number and they you food is delivered to your table. (If you order is to go, you are given a pager and pick up at the to-go counter when it buzzes.). Very organized!

6. BOAT TRANSPORTATION - We utilized this service basically every day, usually multiple times. LOVED IT. We never waited longer than 5 minutes, normally we walked up to a boat waiting or could see one pulling in. Seriously, a phenomenal service. And the boat captains were great! Such personalities, especially the singing captains!

7. BUS SERVICE - This is definitely the only area of the lodge that was a negative for us. (I realize a factor of luck/timing plays in here - but it was not on our side this trip!) Approximately 75% of the time we waited 20 minutes or longer for a bus. A few times we waited in excess of 30 minutes and we would occasionally step on a full bus where there didn't even appear to be standing room. Most days I would have rated our bus service "bad" a few days I would have rated it wretched! In all our trips, this was by far our worst experience with the bus transportation, and we typically travel Easter week! We ended up utilizing cabs 4 times - but that was about $100 total. The worst busing situation was Downtown Disney, by far!

8. MOUSEKEEPING - Excellent! Our sweet MOUSEKEEPING Gloria was just wonderful. And each day she left a little surprise for stuffed animal loving 10 year old. These people work hard - tip them well!

Overall - we leave this lodge and our beloved WDW completely satisfied and eager to return. We are so happy to have experienced the lodge and will return again some day to bring my parents, who will totally love the atmosphere. I am so thankful to all the lodgers on this thread who helped me feel prepared and increase my excitement for this trip! You are all wonderful! THANK YOU!

Thank you for this update!!! We are getting so excited about our October trip! And congrats on buying DVC! You have some amazing trips in your future.

 

[JACKNAG]

Hello Lodgers!

Well, today we are sitting the lobby of this beautiful lodge waiting for Magical Express to pick up for our return flight home. As always, we are sad to leave the World - but this time feel a bit better because (after much research and thought) we finally took the plunge and became DVC members! Yay! And we already have one of
Our next trips booked! Woot! Several years ago when the announcement was made that they would be building villas at Grand Floridian we began researching and then got even more serious in 2013 when we watched the build happening. We are excited to have GFVs for our home resort. Yay!

As we depart today - I thought I would give my final "review" of the lodge, for what it is worth.

1. THEMING/AESTHETICS - In this area the lodge is awesome! The lobby is truly impressive as well as the building and surrounding areas from the outside. Disney has done a fantastic job of making you feel like your are deep in the woods of the Northwest!

2. POOL/WATER FEATURES - Again, gorgeous! Such a natural feel that fits in seamlessly with the surroundings. We were a bit sad that the first 6 or 7 days of our trip were without the stream and waterfall but were glad to be able to enjoy it the last 4 or 5 days with it. Here is what it looks like today:



3. ROOMS - Overall, I would rate the rooms as "good". They are a tad on the small side but come with the features you are accustomed to at the deluxe level. Storage space was adequate, though the closets could definitely have a better configuration to help out here. The beds are very comfortable. While vacationing, I am often in awful back pain after a night's sleep on a hotel bed. Fortunately, the beds at WL are what we have come to love at the other deluxes. Bathrooms were nice, only negative was the toilet. The darn thing never seemed to flush right! LOL. The balcony space was a tad on the small size, but adequate forums to enjoy a few relaxing moments in the evenings.

4. CAST MEMBERS - Excellent! This is a standard we have come to expect at Disney. Very, very seldom in all our WDW trips have we encountered a CM that didn't meet or exceed our expectations. This trip was no different. Many of these people so clearly love that jobs!

5. FOOD - we all of our table service meals away from the lodge but had several quick service meals at Roaring Fork. My favorite food item was the turkey and Swiss sandwich (substitute the bun for the multigrain bread) - so yummy! The Wilderness Salad is also delish. The pizzas, burgers, fries and chicken sandwiches were all acceptable. Your basic quick service fare. My hubby is has a shellfish and gluten allergy and then accommodated him well...GF pizza, salads, burgers, etc. Some of the staff in the Roaring Fork were some of our favorite!
So personable and helpful. The restaurant was surprisingly small, but well run and we never had a problem finding a seat even at busy time. You order and pay for your food and then are given a table tent number and they you food is delivered to your table. (If you order is to go, you are given a pager and pick up at the to-go counter when it buzzes.). Very organized!

6. BOAT TRANSPORTATION - We utilized this service basically every day, usually multiple times. LOVED IT. We never waited longer than 5 minutes, normally we walked up to a boat waiting or could see one pulling in. Seriously, a phenomenal service. And the boat captains were great! Such personalities, especially the singing captains!

7. BUS SERVICE - This is definitely the only area of the lodge that was a negative for us. (I realize a factor of luck/timing plays in here - but it was not on our side this trip!) Approximately 75% of the time we waited 20 minutes or longer for a bus. A few times we waited in excess of 30 minutes and we would occasionally step on a full bus where there didn't even appear to be standing room. Most days I would have rated our bus service "bad" a few days I would have rated it wretched! In all our trips, this was by far our worst experience with the bus transportation, and we typically travel Easter week! We ended up utilizing cabs 4 times - but that was about $100 total. The worst busing situation was Downtown Disney, by far!

8. MOUSEKEEPING - Excellent! Our sweet MOUSEKEEPING Gloria was just wonderful. And each day she left a little surprise for stuffed animal loving 10 year old. These people work hard - tip them well!



Overall - we leave this lodge and our beloved WDW completely satisfied and eager to return. We are so happy to have experienced the lodge and will return again some day to bring my parents, who will totally love the atmosphere. I am so thankful to all the lodgers on this thread who helped me feel prepared and increase my excitement for this trip! You are all wonderful! THANK YOU!

Thank you for posting this, we are a resort couple. It is very important the beauty of where we are staying. We only do parks for a couple of hours during the day, and the rest is spent at the resort. Fingers crossed this is it for construction until September. If any one staying there sees any more work being done please let us know on this thread. You all have been so helpful on this thread.

 

[WDWKOOK]

The Lodgers' Log has been updated in POST 2 and I'll return later with Old Faithful Club photos from June/July and some multi-quoting​