Concerned about Stay at WL. Put my mind at ease!

[aprilbabes]

I know everyone keeps raving about this resort but I still have a few concerns:
1- transportation- no monorail with double carriage and two little ones

2- room size- I keep reading that the rooms are small. We have crib and double carriage that the kids sometimes take their mid-day naps in at the hotel.

3- standard room view- the pics they show have this solid half-wall balcony railing and I've read you are sometimes attached to another balcony plus standards often overlook loading areas and parking lots- is there any way to avoid this?

4- restaurant options- not a huge deal, but I wish there better options for us. Whispering canyon seems good, but my DD is painfully shy and I'm just worried they won't get the idea and we'll end up with an obnoxious server who will upset her and annoy me!

Okay, I know I'm overreacting and I do think it looks like a beautiful hotel with great theme. Plus it's close to MK and much cheaper than the other deluxe resorts. I'm just extremely picky (obviously) and was spoiled on our last trip.
Just needing some confirmation that it is a good resort choice.

 

[Sheepdog23]

I am a dvc member and own at wl. We love it! I have three kids and youngest was a baby last time so we crammed into a room, but it worked out ok. We stored the stroller by the vanity area and even put the pack and play there sometimes. It will be a little tight, but you will love the atmosphere and how relaxing it is to be just off the main strip. It is easy to take the boat to mk, and I do not think we had to fold the stroller. I would relax and enjoy the rockers, woods and how close you are to everything without it being too loud.

 

[Sheepdog23]

Oh and the boat easily runs to contemporary and fort wilderness so finding other dining options is easy but I will have to say that whispering canyon is contagious. My son is also painfully shy and he enjoys it, but does not always participate. As for the balconies, I am not sure. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Mousemommy1]

I know everyone keeps raving about this resort but I still have a few concerns:
1- transportation- no monorail with double carriage and two little ones

2- room size- I keep reading that the rooms are small. We have crib and double carriage that the kids sometimes take their mid-day naps in at the hotel.

3- standard room view- the pics they show have this solid half-wall balcony railing and I've read you are sometimes attached to another balcony plus standards often overlook loading areas and parking lots- is there any way to avoid this?

4- restaurant options- not a huge deal, but I wish there better options for us. Whispering canyon seems good, but my DD is painfully shy and I'm just worried they won't get the idea and we'll end up with an obnoxious server who will upset her and annoy me!

Okay, I know I'm overreacting and I do think it looks like a beautiful hotel with great theme. Plus it's close to MK and much cheaper than the other deluxe resorts. I'm just extremely picky (obviously) and was spoiled on our last trip.
Just needing some confirmation that it is a good resort choice.

Ok, I think I've answered your questions before...but here goes....

1) transportation - the best we've had at the WDW resorts we've stayed at. Honestly, we stayed at POP for our kids first visit. We avoided alot of hassle by just renting strollers from the park, and not having to worry about having them in the hotel room or on transportation. I personally believe that people bog themselves down way too much.
But, if you will be needing all of your gear, there are boats from WL that you can wheel on and off of....you might need to wait for it a bit longer but they have them....again, you have quick monorail access by boating to CR.

2) we as a family of four found the WL room size to be just fine...but we were also fine at POP as well. Though we are also a family that has a sectional that wraps around half of our living room and the four of us, plus the cat can be found on exactly two cushions of it like this closeness doesn't bother us, we like it

3) I think I posted my pic of my standard view...with an amazing view of Cinderella Castle. You can avoid the closed balcony by not staying club level or in some rooms on the 6th floor. Just request 5th floor or lower and you'll get the balcony you want. I have not seen any shared balconies.

4) we went to WCC during lunch....bare minimum of antics....our waiter was a bit eccentric and there was no shouting or anything but he did bring out a giant jug of coke when my DH asked for a refill.

Believe me, I know better than anybody how difficult it is to commit to a resort...there are so many great options to chose from...but the WL was an amazing resort and I think you'll be glad you gave it a shot.

 

[mickeynut1]

The WL is an amazing resort and the transportation (both boat and bus) were great on our two WL stays. We always used the boat for going to MK and we loved taking it to the CR to shop/dine/visit there and then hop on the monorail to go to the Poly and GF. WCC is a lot of fun with good food and Roaring Forks is great for quick CS meals (it's one of our favorites). Plus the lobby is a great place to grab a rocking chair or sit on one of the comfy couches and relax for awhile after a day at the parks. The WL is a great deluxe resort for the price, IMO. Try not to worry too much, I think you'll have a great trip and love the WL .

 

[kapoof]

The rooms are lacking a bit in size, but have been redone. To be truthful the resort is nice, but the rooms are underwhelming.

 

[jollygreengirl]

I don't really know how you guys with double strollers do it. It's hard enough getting through the parks sometimes with a single! However, unless you get a little boat (the ones that are all open) you don't have to fold up your stroller. You can just roll it on. The balconies aren't exactly connected. There's a partition that separates the different rooms, but I have never been on our balcony when others were out. I do prefer a woods view over the standard, but if you got a good deal, I wouldn't worry about it. You can call and request a "quiet" area so maybe you won't be near the delivery area. Our first WDW trip with ds was to WL with a pack n' play. There's a good area just to the side of the tv console that's meant for luggage but works well for a pack n' play or inflatable toddler bed. The rooms are smaller compared to other deluxe hotels, but we still love it at WL. I have stayed in almost all of the deluxe hotels at WDW, including monorail resorts, and WL is still one of my favorite. Roaring Forks (quick service) is really good and quick. WCC is fun, but if you don't want the antics, then you can just mention "we're shy" or "we need a calm spot" at the check-in counter. Not all of the servers are wacky. And as others have mentioned, you are a quick boat/monorail ride from lots of other dining choices. We routinely hop on the monorail from CR or grab a resort boat from MK to eat at Poly or GF when we stay at WL. If you plan on spending a lot of time at MK and have little kids, WL is a great choice. The low key, natural feel to WL is just fabulous. We love that we get to swim with ducks (or even baby ducks!) and go on nature walks where we almost always see lots of deer, all at a resort minutes from MK. It's really special. You'll have a great time once you work out the logistics.

 

[grimley1968]

1) We actually prefer the boats to the monorail. They go slower but often get to MK quicker because of recurring problems with the monorails. As a PP said, most of the boats are the kind you can wheel a stroller on and off. If you're unlucky enough to get one of the smaller boats, you can wait for the next boat if you like and it'll probably be one of the larger ones. I think they only use the smaller ones sometimes during park opening or closing. We find bus transportation from WL to be as good as anywhere else.

2) The room size at WL is smaller than Poly, GF or CR, but this resort was built quite a bit later than those resorts, when room sizes decreased. WL rooms are bigger than any moderate resort we've stayed at and don't have the little sheared off portion of one wall that moderates have. In addition, all WL rooms have a balcony. If the room gets a little cluttered with stuff, the stroller can go outside during naps, etc. I used to like to sit out there during nap times. There's plenty of room for a crib or pack and play. We used to put ours in the space between the TV and the connecting door. It didn't hinder our movement at all.

3) We've had standard room views a couple of times there. I won't lie: the view wasn't great. But we never had a situation where the balcony was "shared" with anyone else. I suppose you could request not to have a shared balcony, but I don't think that will be necessary. As for the "closed balconies", I second the PP's suggestion to avoid the top floor or club level rooms.

4) Keep in mind there is Artist Point as a dining option as well. It may not be a realistic option if you have very young kids, but the food there is awesome. At WCC, you can tell the wait staff about shyness and they'll back off, or they'll take a hint pretty quickly. We had a very tired and cranky DD there once who wouldn't stop crying. They brought out a life-sized stuffed toy chef and sat him in a chair next to her. She actually had a little bit of fun after that, and it's a fond memory for us. One good thing about all the noise in there is that likely no one will notice if kids are a little loud. But for truly quick service (or mug refills), the Roaring Forks food court is a very nice option. The dining options at WL are overall our favorite in all of WDW's resorts. If you wish to go over to the Poly to eat at Kona or 'Ohana, just bus or boat to MK, then boat to Poly and you're there. Kind of a long trip, but Kona, IMO, is worth it for breakfast.

Have fun!

 

[amym2]

We stayed at the WL in 2010 and loved it, but our kids were older (8 and 6). I'll be honest- the rooms are tight. You will manage, but you will not have much space to move around. If you only need to have the stroller open while the kids nap, just put it in front of the door and you'll be fine.

Are you only planning to go to MK or other parks? We've never stayed in a monorail resort, but although I know they are ideal for MK, you do have to take buses to the other parks. That will be the case anywhere you stay. We weren't thrilled with the WL buses, since they are shared with other resorts (FW, GF, or Poly depending on the park). But the boat ride was handy. You may have to wait a little extra time for one of the bigger boats, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Roaring Forks is a pretty good CS option. Just beware that it does get crowded for breakfast before the parks open. Give WCC a try! They won't harrass you, and your DD might just think the antics are funny (our DD loved the huge fork she got when she dropped her fork on the ground). Or go at lunch for a quieter crowd.

Where did you stay on your last trip that you are comparing to?

 

[aprilbabes]

We stayed at the WL in 2010 and loved it, but our kids were older (8 and 6). I'll be honest- the rooms are tight. You will manage, but you will not have much space to move around. If you only need to have the stroller open while the kids nap, just put it in front of the door and you'll be fine.

Are you only planning to go to MK or other parks? We've never stayed in a monorail resort, but although I know they are ideal for MK, you do have to take buses to the other parks. That will be the case anywhere you stay. We weren't thrilled with the WL buses, since they are shared with other resorts (FW, GF, or Poly depending on the park). But the boat ride was handy. You may have to wait a little extra time for one of the bigger boats, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Roaring Forks is a pretty good CS option. Just beware that it does get crowded for breakfast before the parks open. Give WCC a try! They won't harrass you, and your DD might just think the antics are funny (our DD loved the huge fork she got when she dropped her fork on the ground). Or go at lunch for a quieter crowd.

Where did you stay on your last trip that you are comparing to?

Thank you all for sharing your great experiences! I'm feeling much better.
We stayed at Poly last year so that's why I'm worried- I felt we had the best of everything there PLUS watching the fireworks from beach was truly magical. However there is a significant difference in price this year and we just can't swing it.

 

[chicagoshannon]

1. The transportation is fine. We really like using the boats.

2. The room size was fine for 3 adults and 1 two year old. We didn't have a crib though.

3. We had a standard room. They gave us ground floor so no balcony. We could sort of see the firework out our window.

4. The food was my biggest issue. We got tired of eating at Roaring Forks. There wasn't a lot of selection. They'd have one special per day and then other than that the same few things daily. We much preferred the food selection at The moderate resorts. We ate a lot at roaring forks because of how naps fell or coming back to the room early because of the 2 year old.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We agree with many of the points other posters have brought up about WL. Some key points we found are:

1- For transportation the big boats to MK are great, and you likely won't have to fold the stroller. Little boats can be ok too, but will require folding. We like taking the boat to CR, then you can catch the monorail there if you want, or walk to MK.

2- For space in the room we did fine with our stroller, but we tended to park it in the bathroom. This left room in the main room for other stuff. There is also a pretty good space next to the TV, where the connecting door is.

3- Standard view doesn't have much to do with the balcony railing. Most standard view rooms are probably open railing, just because they are on lower floors. The downside of a standard view room is that you will likely be overlooking a service area on the North side of the resort, but with a high enough floor there is a chance of seeing some of Wishes. There is always the chance of a room upgrade too, so you never know what you might get.

4- For food we really enjoyed Roaring Fork. In addition to the daily specials, the regular items were very good. I found it to be the best of the many quick service burgers we had, and the chicken strips were great too. For more of a sit down restaurant experience WCC is fine, and they will accomodate shy kids (like ours). At dinner we sat in a corner and didn't have to participate, although we did have some noise. For breakfast it was much quieter, and we had a fun waitress who our shy two year old really connected with. Another nearby meal option is Trail's End at FW, which we really enjoy. It is a buffet with nice western food like ribs and potatoes, and is a short boat ride away.

 

[bedogged]

I know everyone keeps raving about this resort but I still have a few concerns:
1- transportation- no monorail with double carriage and two little ones

2- room size- I keep reading that the rooms are small. We have crib and double carriage that the kids sometimes take their mid-day naps in at the hotel.

3- standard room view- the pics they show have this solid half-wall balcony railing and I've read you are sometimes attached to another balcony plus standards often overlook loading areas and parking lots- is there any way to avoid this?

4- restaurant options- not a huge deal, but I wish there better options for us. Whispering canyon seems good, but my DD is painfully shy and I'm just worried they won't get the idea and we'll end up with an obnoxious server who will upset her and annoy me!


Okay, I know I'm overreacting and I do think it looks like a beautiful hotel with great theme. Plus it's close to MK and much cheaper than the other deluxe resorts. I'm just extremely picky (obviously) and was spoiled on our last trip.
Just needing some confirmation that it is a good resort choice.

We LOVE WL! It is smaller resort with everything close under one roof. It is also off the beaten path so you do not get much in the way of foot traffic. We have stayed with 4 adults in a Woods-view room and had plenty of room even with an ECV. IMHO, WL has some of the best transportation. The boat is quick and fun. The buses do share with other resorts, but WL is the first stop so you always get a seat. We stayed at GF last month and we hated the transportation. The monorail sounds like it would be so easy, but in truth, it was down a portion of every day that we were there. While at the GF, we booked a bounce back for WL.

 

[VP037388]

We just stayed there in October.
1-Transportation-no issues. Whenever we went to the dock, there was a boat to the MK or Contempory. No waits on the way back to the hotel either. Bus waits were the same as any other hotel.
2-Room size. For a Deluxe, we were disappointed in the size. 5 of us:2 adults, 2 kids, 1 infant. Here's a way to visualize-if you walk into the room and lay down on the first bed, first spot, you can touch the wall. If you lay down on the second bed, last spot, you can reach out and touch the sliding glass door. A pack-n-play fits EXACTLY in between the two beds. If you are sitting on the edge of the bed, you can put your feet on either the TV cabinet or the table/chairs. A rented Elite stroller would fit in the entry way, opened. A double stroller would need to be folded.
3-View. We had a view of the pond and various wildlife. "Woods view". It was nice and quiet.
4-Restaurant-RF was fine. Lots of a la carte and kids options. If you don't want the act that goes along with eating at WC, tell the hostess and they won't do it.
Overall, we loved the resort. It's beautiful, the staff is great, loved the pool. Due to family size versus room size, we probably wouldn't stay there again. They can't accomodate a family of 5 in standard rooms once the baby is 3.

 

[lmdean]

WL is my absolute favorite WDW resort.

1) The boat transportation is fabulous. I would never want to stay at a resort without it again. Seriously. As others have mentioned, with the larger boats, you can wheel those strollers right in with no problems!

2) The rooms are a little compact for a deluxe resort, but IMO, what the WL lacks in room size, it makes up in character and charm. I cannot get over the theming in this resort. I always feel comfortable, and like there's something new and undiscovered around each corner, even after being on the property for a week.

3) As for the balconies, I can't speak to the views as much as other folks, because we did not spend a huge amount of times in the rooms. I do remember having a "shared" balcony one year, but there was a very tall, solid partition between us and our neighbors, so it was not an issue.

4) WCC can being loud and a little crazy sometimes, but no one will force you or the kids to participate if you don't want to, especially if you mention shyness to the servers. We love Artists Pointe, but I realize that's pricey for folks with small kids and doesn't have super kid-friendly options. We found a hidden gem in "The Wave" over at CR. We took the boat over a few times for breakfast and LOVED it and it was never, ever crowded.

I hope you have a fabulous time! We're scheduled to go with my in laws in Feb. (who are visiting from the UK). I know they will be stunned by the lobby of the WL, and I can't wait to see their reactions.

 

[nkereina]

As for the balcony, it's only the fifth and sixth floor on one side of the building that has the solid wall. You can request to not be placed in one, the majority don't have this. Never heard of a shared one.

As for WCC, the servers are good judges of how far they can go with kids. We are two adults and our server knew instantly we weren't up for the antics. We didn't get any of it, and had an enjoyable meal.

Don't forget about the dining options at the monorail resorts. Contemporary is a quick boat ride away, with access to the monorail to get to Poly and GF as well.

 

[glammadiva]

We just got back from WL and loved it!! There were 5 of us, 2 adults, 2 kids and an infant. It is a little small but manageable. I loved having the rocking chairs in the lobby for the infant. Perfect resort!