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

[KatiesDisneyPlanning]

I think very few if any rooms have a few of the fireworks. I remember reading recently that one room view might have a view of the fireworks - but not guaranteed. We were able to see the electric parade from our courtyard room last time, although the view was obstructed.

Thank you! Do you know if the "employee lot" view is pretty clear or if there is a better place to view them? And a really silly question - I assume the fireworks aren't "loud" from there??? Just trying to plan our evenings without keeping a 3 year old and 9 month old out too late!

 

[BlueFairy]

Hi all - We arrive at the WL for our first time 12/3. I am hoping we avoid the construction! Anyway, we have a courtyard view, bunk bed and my parents will be staying in a courtyard view, 2 queen beds. We would like to be close, possibly connecting if possible - though definitely not required. HOWEVER, our biggest "wish" is to be able to see the fireworks from our balcony. Our oldest son (turning 3 on the trip) LOVES the fireworks. Can someone tell me exactly what to request in our room reservation? I can't exactly follow all the posts and having not been to the WL I don't have a good orientation of the rooms. And can someone better explain "open" balconies? Thank you! Love this board!

Your courtyard view is going to diminish your chances of seeing the fireworks. Regardless of room view, the employee lot at WL, an observation deck at CR, or the beach at FW are going to be your best views of fireworks. Some (not even most) higher floor woods views have a view toward the CR, the monorail and the castle. This is above the trees and limited. Courtyard views (most) face south, away from the MK. The remaining South Wing CYV faces north, toward the fireworks, but the view is almost completely obstructed by the rest of the Lodge building. If you want to keep CYV, put south wing and inner courtyard in your room request. High floor is also helpful.

As for noise, we find the fireworks (at least Illumination and Wishes) to be much louder outside of the parks (ricochet off the buildings) that inside the parks (booms diminished by the loud music). I wouldn't call it loud, but you can hear them in some areas through the glass sliding door. Bring a white noise app on your phone if you have light sleepers.

 

[WDWKOOK]

Where can I find the latest menus for Old Faithful Club evening offerings.

I haven't replaced the older menus in the CL section of the thread with the newer ones that I posted HERE. Thanks for reminding me that I need to do that and welcome to the thread

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Thank you! Do you know if the "employee lot" view is pretty clear or if there is a better place to view them? And a really silly question - I assume the fireworks aren't "loud" from there??? Just trying to plan our evenings without keeping a 3 year old and 9 month old out too late!

I don't know about the fireworks, but the electrical parade is quite loud. Also, the pool parties during the day are loud as well if you have the courtyard view. It didn't bother us but it's just the two of us and my husband can sleep though anything (including me being locked out of the room without my magic band).

 

[marymac123]

Thank you! Do you know if the "employee lot" view is pretty clear or if there is a better place to view them? And a really silly question - I assume the fireworks aren't "loud" from there??? Just trying to plan our evenings without keeping a 3 year old and 9 month old out too late!

Hi, our last 5 visits have had a Castle view on the northside. We love to watch the fireworks from our room. You can see it all beautifully! As BlueFairy said, the noise is a bit louder than you would think but, not too bad...you would have to at least keep sliding door closed.

 

[Rach3047]

All checked into The Lodge, and loving every minute so far!! A few things:
- We had a woods view room booked with higher floor/north wing as our request. We are in room 6138 which is on the south side. Not really sure which category that falls in to?? Initially I was concerned/disappointed but we couldn't be happier with our room! It is very quiet and very close to the elevators. A great view too!
- The waterfall and stream have been running and are gorgeous. The stream was temporarily off this morning, when I asked why the cast member told me it was "being cleaned". It was back on when we returned this afternoon.
- Buses have been awesome too! We haven't waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus to HS and Epcot. After reading some of the transportation horror stories I was worried, but we have either been very lucky or they've worked out the quirks
- The only "construction" I've seen is the scaffolding everyone has been chatting about. Honestly, it's not that bad. As far as I can tell the rooms are not in use where the scaffolding is. At the end of the day in order for The Lodge to stay as beautiful as it currently is...maintenance is necessary. No biggy, at least for our family.
- Now with that being said...I can honestly say before coming I was surprised at how many people were switching b/c the pool was closing. Well, after being here a few days and enjoying the pool/down time after a long day at the park -- I completely understand. I wouldn't want to pay the amount of $$ you pay and NOT have a pool. Especially the lovely pool here!
- When we first arrived an adorable little girl approached my two kiddos and gave them her two balloons bc she couldn't take them on the plane. What an incredible way to start our first trip @ Disney!!
- Fastpass has been a godsend. Initially I was bothered that our whole vacation was "planned out". I can't say it enough....fastpass is awesome. MDE is so easy to navigate and it makes touring much more efficient.

I think that is all! This thread has been so useful in my planning and has made our vacation even more magical. Even thought it's our first trip, I feel like I am so well prepared and it makes things that much more enjoyable. My family is thankful too So, thank you!!

If anyone would like me to ask anything...feel free to let me know, I'd be happy to.

 

[marymac123]

Thank You! to everyone who have posted photos and mini trip reports! It is all making our time fly by. Even with any construction, we can't imagine staying anywhere else. I am a bit upset about the pool construction going on our last 2 days, but the WL is Beautiful and the location is perfect for out family.

Single digit dance coming soon...

 

[KatiesDisneyPlanning]

Hi, our last 5 visits have had a Castle view on the northside. We love to watch the fireworks from our room. You can see it all beautifully! As BlueFairy said, the noise is a bit louder than you would think but, not too bad...you would have to at least keep sliding door closed.

Thank you!!! We are very excited. Fingers crossed all the renovating is done on time!!!!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Can someone tell me exactly what to request in our room reservation? I can't exactly follow all the posts and having not been to the WL I don't have a good orientation of the rooms. And can someone better explain "open" balconies? Thank you! Love this board!

The map here shows the rough layout of the lodge. MK is to the upper left (North West) of the WL, so the rooms which have the best view of it and the Wishes fireworks are on the North side of the North wing. As others have said, you might do ok from a high floor on the North side of the South wing, the fireworks will just be over the building.

As for the balconies, the top floor of any section of the building has balconies that are recessed into the roofline of the hotel. These "dormer" balconies have enclosed railing that you can't see through unless you are standing. The rest of the rooms have balconies with open railing. Some prefer one or the other, often open is preferred so kids and adults who are seated may see out. One more complicating factor is that for most of the hotel the 7th floor is the top floor (with enclosed balconies) but on the Easternmost section of the wings the 6th floor is the top floor and has the enclosed balconies. All 7th floor rooms are club level, but the 6th floor rooms are regular rooms, so that is where a non club level guest would get an enclosed balcony.

Here are a couple of pics:
Enclosed balcony:


Open Balcony:


Happy planning!

 

[BlueFairy]

All checked into The Lodge, and loving every minute so far!! A few things:
- We had a woods view room booked with higher floor/north wing as our request. We are in room 6138 which is on the south side. Not really sure which category that falls in to?? Initially I was concerned/disappointed but we couldn't be happier with our room! It is very quiet and very close to the elevators. A great view too!
- The waterfall and stream have been running and are gorgeous. The stream was temporarily off this morning, when I asked why the cast member told me it was "being cleaned". It was back on when we returned this afternoon.
- Buses have been awesome too! We haven't waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus to HS and Epcot. After reading some of the transportation horror stories I was worried, but we have either been very lucky or they've worked out the quirks
- The only "construction" I've seen is the scaffolding everyone has been chatting about. Honestly, it's not that bad. As far as I can tell the rooms are not in use where the scaffolding is. At the end of the day in order for The Lodge to stay as beautiful as it currently is...maintenance is necessary. No biggy, at least for our family.
- Now with that being said...I can honestly say before coming I was surprised at how many people were switching b/c the pool was closing. Well, after being here a few days and enjoying the pool/down time after a long day at the park -- I completely understand. I wouldn't want to pay the amount of $$ you pay and NOT have a pool. Especially the lovely pool here!
- When we first arrived an adorable little girl approached my two kiddos and gave them her two balloons bc she couldn't take them on the plane. What an incredible way to start our first trip @ Disney!!
- Fastpass has been a godsend. Initially I was bothered that our whole vacation was "planned out". I can't say it enough....fastpass is awesome. MDE is so easy to navigate and it makes touring much more efficient.

I think that is all! This thread has been so useful in my planning and has made our vacation even more magical. Even thought it's our first trip, I feel like I am so well prepared and it makes things that much more enjoyable. My family is thankful too So, thank you!!

If anyone would like me to ask anything...feel free to let me know, I'd be happy to.

What a lovely report! And you are in an outer Courtyard view! Sounds like they could be upgrading to compensate for the scaffolding rooms in the Woods view category. So glad you're having a magical time!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

What a lovely report! And you are in an outer Courtyard view! Sounds like they could be upgrading to compensate for the scaffolding rooms in the Woods view category. So glad you're having a magical time!

Yes, that is the best DIS post I have read in a long time. So glad that you are having a great trip Rach3047

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Does anyone know how long the Christmas decorations will be up at the Lodge?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi - can anyone tell me how likely 2 families are to get connecting rooms when requested (not just next to each other but actually connecting)? I called Disney and the CM made it sound like the possibility is very good and it's usually granted. I know it's not guaranteed but I'm trying to guage the likelihood. He explained that one room would be bunkbeds and one room wouldn't...which works perfect for us. So, I'm assuming both families need to decide on which view they're booking (standard, courtyard, or woods) then one family books bunks and one family books queens??? Just wondering if I'm understanding this correctly.

Thanks!!!

There definitely are bunk bed rooms with connecting doors to rooms with two queen beds. I think they are in all view categories but I know for sure that a woods view, North wing pair exists.

There is no guarantee you will get connecting rooms, though, when it is two separate families. But I'm sure that they will try their best.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thank you! Do you know if the "employee lot" view is pretty clear or if there is a better place to view them? And a really silly question - I assume the fireworks aren't "loud" from there??? Just trying to plan our evenings without keeping a 3 year old and 9 month old out too late!

The employee's lot is a terrible place to see fireworks. I checked it out one night because I had read that it was a good spot. Maybe ages ago it was but now there is a chain link fence with vines and other foliage all over it. And it felt very creepy to be walking in the employees parking lot.

We would walk down to the beach to see the fireworks. You have a pretty good view of the high fireworks. And it is nice down there by the water. You can grab a beach chair, too. We were there in December when both the Christmas Wishes fireworks and the Electrical Water Parade were happening at the same time. It was fun.

 

[tanyaandallie]

We just returned home from our stay at WL (the 2nd through 10th). This was our 2nd stay though it has been a number of years since we were there. We had a few issues but overall we love the resort.

Dining - The last time we stayed I was not at all a fan of Roaring Forks. This time we really enjoyed it. I think it was someone on this thread that recommended the turkey sandwich on multigrain bread. It was delicious! Roaring Forks is a bit on the slow side, though, so don't go expecting something super quick. We had both lunch and dinner at WCC. I much preferred lunch as the menu was a bit more varied. The smoked chicken quesadillas were delicious as was the fried fish. I would not recommend the Grilled Cheese dippers. DS had them at dinner and it was a goldfish shaped sandwich thin with a piece of cheese in it. It was not really grilled. Dh and I had a meal at Artist Point and it was delicious! Highly recommend!

Transportation - Transportation to MK cannot be any better. The buses come very very frequently. I swear less than 5 minutes between!! We usually took the bus on our return trip and it was almost always there as if it had been waiting on us. We did have an issue with the bus to Epcot. We waited a REALLY long time. We also waited a very long time at DHS after Fantamic. I was also not a fan of sharing the buses to parks other than the MK. It was fine and worked but it took longer than I cared for.

Pool - we didn't spend a ton of time at the pool but the kids loved it.

Service - We had a few issues with housekeeping. Twice we had to call and ask for our room to be serviced as it was very late in the day and it had not been serviced during the many hours we were at the park.

Overall we really love the resort and would stay there again. It's beautiful and peaceful. We had an amazing Orbitz deal so it was definitely worth it for us. Especially if you plan on spending a ton of time at MK, it's a wonderful place to stay!

 

[chicagogrl]

We always do online check-in; it speeds up the process once we arrive. We have also asked to change rooms once we see which one we were assigned. Online check-in had no bearing on us switching rooms, it's strictly what is available at the time we arrive. Online check-in just confirms your arrival time and allows you to put your cc on file ahead of time, reducing the amount of work the CM has to do when you arrive. And the line is usually much shorter at the front desk too.

Thank you. I think we will do that.

 

[Marlyn]

I think very few if any rooms have a few of the fireworks. I remember reading recently that one room view might have a view of the fireworks - but not guaranteed. We were able to see the electric parade from our courtyard room last time, although the view was obstructed.

I am currently in room 6004, north wing woods view, and have an excellent view of fireworks. We can see the top of the castle from our room.

 

[Dumbo Mad]

Hi

We check into the WL in 29 days

I've noticed on MDE that it says I can check in online, we have never done this before. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between checking online, or waiting until we actually get to the resort?

We have two rooms under different reservation numbers, and ideally the rooms need to be near each other.

Thanks
Nikki

 

[TMEF23]

Hey everyone! We are still at the lodge at having a great time. We are in a Woodview room and since my 80 year old grandmom is with us, my mom requested ground floor. We have a terrible view of sheets of plywood, but I love the location to the pool and boat dock. My boys love hearing the honk honk of boats and the sounds of the geyser going off. The patio on the balcony is terrible, way too small, but we aren't out there often. My little men have had me so sleepy that I have been going to sleep with them. We have eaten at Roaring Forks and Territory Lounge. I found both to be enjoyable and efficient. The bus transportation to Epcot was awful. It took over an hour! However, I love the boats.

We did have some mega issues with our magic bands, but after 2.5 hours it was all sorted out and everything is working smoothly now.

Overall, we are having a fantastic time! I am excited to swim again today and then head to the magic kingdom!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Hi

We check into the WL in 29 days

I've noticed on MDE that it says I can check in online, we have never done this before. Can anyone tell me what the difference is between checking online, or waiting until we actually get to the resort?

We have two rooms under different reservation numbers, and ideally the rooms need to be near each other.

Thanks
Nikki

Overall check in is faster when you check in online. We were greeted at the door and didn't even have to go to the check in desk the two times that we used online check in at the WL. We sat on comfy couches while the CM ran around. One time the room was ready when we checked in and the second time it was ready about twenty minutes after we checked both, both times around 11am.

Are your two reservations linked with a gathering number? If not, call resort reservations and ask them to do it. You'll need to know the reservation number of the other party. If your rooms are not close to each other when you check in, then you can ask them to try and find rooms close together. We traveled with our daughter's family and the CM spent some time looking for rooms for us that were close to their room. We ended up just four doors down and they had to walk past our room to get to the elevator.

Hey everyone! We are still at the lodge at having a great time. We are in a Woodview room and since my 80 year old grandmom is with us, my mom requested ground floor. We have a terrible view of sheets of plywood, but I love the location to the pool and boat dock. My boys love hearing the honk honk of boats and the sounds of the geyser going off. The patio on the balcony is terrible, way too small, but we aren't out there often. My little men have had me so sleepy that I have been going to sleep with them. We have eaten at Roaring Forks and Territory Lounge. I found both to be enjoyable and efficient. The bus transportation to Epcot was awful. It took over an hour! However, I love the boats.

We did have some mega issues with our magic bands, but after 2.5 hours it was all sorted out and everything is working smoothly now.

Overall, we are having a fantastic time! I am excited to swim again today and then head to the magic kingdom!

Where are your rooms? Are you facing the Magic Kingdom side (north side) or the villas side (south wing). I'm guessing it is the north side since you can hear the boats. I really enjoyed that sound, too.