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

[BlueFairy]

After going back and forth and back and forth some more for months we have FINALLY chosen WL for our Feb trip- only to log on today and find our room category- standard room was not available
For those experts- what do you think, could this change? Should I book a woods view- this is really more then I wanted to spend- help ease my mind- or I will go nuts worrying about this

Grace

If you can afford it, book the woods view. There will most likely be promotions to come, and your TA can try to apply a discount. Standard rooms at WL are very limited, and often hard to get if you wait. Worst case, check back from now until the 45 day mark which is cancellation time for packages. You might have a std come open. Also, they hold blocks of rooms for Expedia and Orbitz, so those are worth a look too.

I had a Woods View room booked for 12/3-12/9. When the Fall promo came out my TA was able to apply the discount for some savings. Today I went to do my online check-in and discovered when she made the savings change it switched us to a Courtyard Room with Bunk Beds. We really don't want bunk beds! I contacted the TA, but the resort is sold out now so I will have to keep it.

First off are the bunk beds small? My DD is 12 and is average size, but a toddler sized bunk will not be great.

Do you think there is any chance at check-in that we could be switched to a 2 Queen room, or are the bunk beds set in stone?

Thanks!

They would probably give you 2 queens at checkin since the rack rate is less than what you'd pay for CY with bunks. But that is assuming one comes available.

The bunks are full length twins. Your 12 yo will fit just fine. You will have more floor space than with 2 queens.

 

[dpswift]

My kids just got back from a great week at the lodge. DH and I are in the process of planning our 25th aniversary trip. We had been thinking about staying a CSR. With a moderate we would be able to book a king sized bed which is important to DH. I know that in values and deluxes king beds are a request not a bookable category. What are the odds of getting a king bed if we request one?

 

[Wood Nymph]

The 2nd bedroom with 2 queen beds.

Great pictures of the 2 br villa. Did they recently add a second queen bed instead of a sleeper sofa to the WL villas, or did some rooms always have two queen beds?

After going back and forth and back and forth some more for months we have FINALLY chosen WL for our Feb trip- only to log on today and find our room category- standard room was not available
For those experts- what do you think, could this change? Should I book a woods view- this is really more then I wanted to spend- help ease my mind- or I will go nuts worrying about this

Grace

If you really want to stay at WL then you could always book the woods view room and then keep looking for a standard room to open up. I know the woods views are a lot more now, but to tell the truth, the standard view rooms that are over the loading dock are not very pleasant. You could also try a split stay if some of your dates are available with a standard view, if you wanted to save a little money.

I had a Woods View room booked for 12/3-12/9. When the Fall promo came out my TA was able to apply the discount for some savings. Today I went to do my online check-in and discovered when she made the savings change it switched us to a Courtyard Room with Bunk Beds. We really don't want bunk beds! I contacted the TA, but the resort is sold out now so I will have to keep it.

First off are the bunk beds small? My DD is 12 and is average size, but a toddler sized bunk will not be great.

Do you think there is any chance at check-in that we could be switched to a 2 Queen room, or are the bunk beds set in stone?

Thanks!

I would ask the travel agent to keep looking for a room without bunk beds, since there are always cancellations. Our daughter got stuck with a courtyard bunk bed room, too, for our upcoming trip and she is hoping they can get it switched to a regular room. I'll let you know if she is sucessful or not.

My kids just got back from a great week at the lodge. DH and I are in the process of planning our 25th aniversary trip. We had been thinking about staying a CSR. With a moderate we would be able to book a king sized bed which is important to DH. I know that in values and deluxes king beds are a request not a bookable category. What are the odds of getting a king bed if we request one?

There aren't a lot of king bed rooms that are not handicapped accessible, but they do exist. There is no guarantee you would get one, though.

 

[WDWKOOK]

KOOK can we be added to the log. 1/8/14-1/12/14. Thanks!


ETA: oops I meant 2015!

Of course!

I just realized I am not on the log!

10/30-11/2 Celebrating our 15 years of WDW family vacations!

What a great celebration!

Greetings from the Wilderness Lodge! I have been here with my boyfriend since Saturday. We are having a great time. It's been SO rainy here that I'm not super upset about a pool closure. We asked for Blizzard Beach tickets at the front desk when we got here and they said no prob, and added them to our tickets linked to the magicbands. After logging into my account online, it says I can choose Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach and pick the day I want to go.

Although it looks really crazy, construction really isn't a huge deal for me. I think they start a bit before 9 a.m., and I hear a light drilling from my Woods View room. It wasn't that disturbing though, and we've been out of the hotel for most of our stay (today being our mid week rest day). We have a great view that faces Bay Lake and can hear boats honking til the later hours of the evening. We ate at Whispering Canyon Cafe twice so far, and had breakfast at Trails End which was delicious!

The beach was a bit sad looking though, because half of it has been closed off to construction. Today we rented a Sea Raycer boat today and drove past Magic Kingdom!

We really love it here!

Thank you for reporting LIVE and enjoy your stay.

Thank you so very much for answering all of my crazy questions. Your doing a great job at this whole thing I am sure it's not an easy task!

Here are the dates we are going. 12/12-12/20- WL CL-DH 40th birthday-first time at WL.

I'll add your dates and your questions weren't crazy

Question: how do you "get" the Blizzard Beach tickets?

Do they offer it to you? Do you ask for them? Do you have to beg for it?

When you check-in or anytime after, just ask for them. The CM will immediately and happily add them to your MDX account.

Hello Kook and the other wonderful fans of the WL! Remember me? The good news: we've decided (sort of last minute) to go back to WDW in December. The bad news? We can't stay at our beloved Lodge. Thanks to one of my oldest and dearest friends, who is a CM, we are getting a great discount, but it's at AKL. I'm sure it will be wonderful, but after spending the past two Decembers in the Lodge, well... it's really hard to beat. I'll be lurking here, especially in November when the Christmas decorations go up and people start posting photos. In the meantime, maybe the construction will take longer than expected and it'll turn out that I'll be glad not to be there! (Fat chance... love the Lodge no matter what!)

At least you're still at a Lodge. Enjoy the view and Zebra Domes.

Yay! It's Dalmatian Day for us until we return to WDW!

101 days to go

That's cute

54 Days left for us!!! I cannot wait to wake up that morning and get into the car! That's when it will feel real!!! We just got our MVMCP tickets a couple days ago, FP picked, MB colors picked, got our kids a bunch of shirts, and even got myself an Elsa sweatshirt!!! LOL aside from packing I think we're ready to go!!!!! I cannot wait to step into the lobby of WL!!! I'm just so excited!!!

You'll be there before you know it. Will you be able to post LIVE?

Okay my MB's arrived.

This is the first set I've gotten that hasn't been overnighted. I figured they would quit doing that eventually.

However they originated in Dallas, transferred to Tennessee and then double backed to my post office in Oklahoma.

Literally it passed me by (I live 3 minutes from the major North South interstate and 10 minutes from the major East West interstate) and then came back.

We have set our ADR's and we're going to do Beaches and Cream on our arrival day, Trail's End on Tuesday and Brown Derby on Wednesday.

KOOK:

I can get some pictures of current construction hopefully from a courtyard view room (Oct 26-30) if you need them but I've never mastered posting pictures (although I recently downloaded the snapbucket and photobucket apps and I'm going to try to play around with it). Is there somewhere I can send them for the thread to use if I fail to figure out the apps?

Those MBs have been around

If you've uploaded the Snapbucket app and you're registered on Photobucket, you shouldn't have any problem. All you need to do is take the photo either directly using Snapbucket or upload your photos later to Photobucket. This will generate an IMAGE CODE which you'll copy/paste into your post. Feel free to practice here if you'd like before you leave.

As promised, some of my DD's 2BR photos

The photos are great - thank you!! Since each photo is in a separate post, I can't link to them so I'm going to copy them and put them directly into the VWL section of the thread. Just so you know, you can post 25 images/photos per post. Thank you again for posting them!

I had a Woods View room booked for 12/3-12/9. When the Fall promo came out my TA was able to apply the discount for some savings. Today I went to do my online check-in and discovered when she made the savings change it switched us to a Courtyard Room with Bunk Beds. We really don't want bunk beds! I contacted the TA, but the resort is sold out now so I will have to keep it.

First off are the bunk beds small? My DD is 12 and is average size, but a toddler sized bunk will not be great.

Do you think there is any chance at check-in that we could be switched to a 2 Queen room, or are the bunk beds set in stone?

Thanks!

The bunk beds are twin-sized not toddler-sized so DD won't have a problem. Keep checking every few days on the website to see if something has opened up. Or since you have a TA, I guess they'll do that for you? No reason to pay for something you don't need, but the bunks will add a little bit more space to the room. You can also ask at check-in if there's a non-bunk available and they will refund the cost difference to you.

My kids just got back from a great week at the lodge. DH and I are in the process of planning our 25th aniversary trip. We had been thinking about staying a CSR. With a moderate we would be able to book a king sized bed which is important to DH. I know that in values and deluxes king beds are a request not a bookable category. What are the odds of getting a king bed if we request one?

As Wood Nymph posted, there are very few kings and most are HA, which if not needed, isn't desirable. They will put guests into HA rooms if the HA room hasn't been requested. The only way to guarantee a non-HA king room at WL, is to book a Honeymoon Suite or the VP or Pres. Suite, but those are all Club Level rooms.

 

[Mandamouse]

Welp, I'm back home (to some wonderful autumn weather) and a bit happy to see my cat, but sad my vacation is over! Funny how we work SO hard to plan these vacations, they pass through right before our eyes. Every bit of planning was well worth it though.

I'm so happy I chose the Wilderness Lodge. It was the perfection location for both good food and transportation. We absolutely loved Whispering Canyon Cafe and Trail's End Restaurant. We went to Whispering Canyon three times and Trail's End twice (the buffet is an amazing value). I wasn't a huge fan of Roaring Forks but it was good to have around after a late night at the parks. I probably spent most of my money there on Uncrustables and Smart Water.

From the decor to the overall convenience I am DEFINITELY going to be staying here again. I think my next trip will be a Christmas related trip because I was not fan of sweating so much everyday I honestly wasn't expecting that kind of heat for Sept-Oct!

I'll never get over this view from the docks! The boats were such a perfect way to get to Magic Kingdom.

 

[allboyhouse]

Would anybody happen to know the nightly rate of the honeymoon suite?

 

[BridgetR3]

Just curious how easy it is to fit a scooter onto the boats at Wilderness Lodge? Is it a hassle?

 

[bookgirl]

Testing

 

[AngiTN]

Just curious how easy it is to fit a scooter onto the boats at Wilderness Lodge? Is it a hassle?

Should fit on the bigger boat but I don't think it would fit on the small boat. Wish I could remember what I witnessed on our WL trip. Somehow I don't recall scooters at all. Maybe they don't allow them? I was thinking that if a stroller fit a scooter should but the more I think about it the more I am just not sure

 

[BlueFairy]

Just curious how easy it is to fit a scooter onto the boats at Wilderness Lodge? Is it a hassle?

My understanding is that the large boat to MK (with enclosed windows and a solid roof) has a ramp that they can use to roll a scooter onto the boat. BUT that is only if water levels are appropriate in the lake. If not, you will be referred to the bus stop. I have no idea how often this happens.

The ramp looks fairly straightforward, but I have never driven a scooter. I'd imagine peak hours near opening and the end of fireworks would be a tad more difficult, if only because there are so many people trying to board.

Some MK boats and ALL FW/CR boats are the smaller launch, which is wooden with open rails. It does not have a flat area to accommodate a scooter, since you must step down as you enter the boat.

Alternately, there is a direct bus to FW and MK. For CR you would need to take the MK bus and ride/walk or take the monorail.

 

[Lsdolphin]

I know there is a boat from WL to FW but if boat is not running does the bus go within walking distance to restaurant or do you have to take another internal bus to get there?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Great pictures of the 2 br villa. Did they recently add a second queen bed instead of a sleeper sofa to the WL villas, or did some rooms always have two queen beds? ....

Dedicated two bedroom villas always had two queen beds in the second bedroom. Lockoffs are a combination of a one bedroom and a studio.

BWV only had lockoffs. OKW has two queen beds in both the lockoff and dedicated two bedroom villas.

 

[jh91]

We are going to VWL in a few weeks and check in Sunday. I am wondering if there is any way to get my free blizzard beach tickets before hand so we can go on the Saturday before we check in? If not I assume I could get them early Sunday morning.

 

[BridgetR3]

Should fit on the bigger boat but I don't think it would fit on the small boat. Wish I could remember what I witnessed on our WL trip. Somehow I don't recall scooters at all. Maybe they don't allow them? I was thinking that if a stroller fit a scooter should but the more I think about it the more I am just not sure

My understanding is that the large boat to MK (with enclosed windows and a solid roof) has a ramp that they can use to roll a scooter onto the boat. BUT that is only if water levels are appropriate in the lake. If not, you will be referred to the bus stop. I have no idea how often this happens.

The ramp looks fairly straightforward, but I have never driven a scooter. I'd imagine peak hours near opening and the end of fireworks would be a tad more difficult, if only because there are so many people trying to board.

Some MK boats and ALL FW/CR boats are the smaller launch, which is wooden with open rails. It does not have a flat area to accommodate a scooter, since you must step down as you enter the boat.

Alternately, there is a direct bus to FW and MK. For CR you would need to take the MK bus and ride/walk or take the monorail.

Thank you both so much for your answer!! We have never had a scooter so it was never a concern of mine but my mother will be joining us in November and it's a whole new world so to speak of what we can and can't do. Thanks for the help! We will stick with the bus.

 

[gratefulfred]

Thank you both so much for your answer!! We have never had a scooter so it was never a concern of mine but my mother will be joining us in November and it's a whole new world so to speak of what we can and can't do. Thanks for the help! We will stick with the bus.

I saw scooters on the larger boats to the MK in September. They didn't even have to use the ramp, the door on the boat was level with the dock.

 

[bluecastle]

Great pictures of the 2 br villa. Did they recently add a second queen bed instead of a sleeper sofa to the WL villas, or did some rooms always have two queen beds? .

I have no idea! It was our first time staying there. I know that I was very clear in my requests that I wanted a dedicated 2BR, not a lock-off. Maybe that's why there were 2 beds in that room? :
The sleeper sofa in the living room was reported to be quite comfortable. The only complaint was the first night when I ran the dishwasher and it literally ran for well over an hour. (and was quite noisy)
We were a group of 5, so we had more than enough room, and no one ever felt like they couldn't find a place for some alone time if they needed it. (the balconies were great for that too)

 

[bluecastle]

The photos are great - thank you!! Since each photo is in a separate post, I can't link to them so I'm going to copy them and put them directly into the VWL section of the thread. Just so you know, you can post 25 images/photos per post. Thank you again for posting .

I tried! Every time I got to around 3 pictures, went back to photobucket for the next one, and came back here, the DIS had kicked me off, the post was gone, and I was back at the log-in page. It was very frustrating, so I decided to post them separately. I have no idea why that was happening. It wasn't the first time I did this on my iPad, so I can't blame that.
Sorry I made extra work for you! Glad you enjoyed them.

 

[BlueFairy]

I know there is a boat from WL to FW but if boat is not running does the bus go within walking distance to restaurant or do you have to take another internal bus to get there?

The restaurants at FW are about equal distance from either the boats or buses. Definitely walking distance (less than 100 yards?)

 

[BlueFairy]

Lisa P has a great update on construction, pool activity, plans for the finished product, and photos over on the VWL Groupies thread. Posts 1589 and 1590.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3242976&page=106

 

[mrsap]

Kook-hey how are you? I'll try my best to post live. We will be pretty busy that week, since we'll be at the parks every day, but I'll do my best!! I'll be sure to try and get a cobbler picture for you! LOL