Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[michael's mom]

Ive received a few emails to prompt me to do online check-in and I've read here that I should both do it and not do it for different reasons and I don't know which way to go.

I have already called and put in room requests. I'm wondering what are the cons are for doing online check-in if we've already called ahead to put requests on our reservation anyway?

 

[feet1]

I have another question about online check in. We have two rooms, 8 people total. We've already asked for connecting rooms when booked the packages. We have two separate reservation numbers.
If I do online check in, can I put again that we need connecting rooms and reference the other reservation number? I would like to request inner courtyard north wing rooms also.
Or would I be better off not doing online at all and just calling a week before we go (we arrive sept 15)

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Ive received a few emails to prompt me to do online check-in and I've read here that I should both do it and not do it for different reasons and I don't know which way to go.

I have already called and put in room requests. I'm wondering what are the cons are for doing online check-in if we've already called ahead to put requests on our reservation anyway?

There is a difference between doing online check-in and making room requests online. You can do online check-in and NOT make any room requests. But you can't do online room requests without doing online check-in. If you call in a request and then later do online check-in AND make a room request on there, the online requests supposedly "bump" the ones that you called in. So if you have a specific request that you want, you should call it in but if you then do online check-in, don't make any requests.

Honestly, I can't think of any downsides to doing online check-in if you skip making a request. The downside to not doing online check-in is that you won't have your room number texted to you ahead of time, and if your room isn't specifically assigned to you, then you may be unknowingly moved to another room to accommodate someone else's request if they arrived earlier and weren't happy with their first room. So for you, I'd check-in online but don't make any requests.

 

[michael's mom]

There is a difference between doing online check-in and making room requests online. You can do online check-in and NOT make any room requests. But you can't do online room requests without doing online check-in. If you call in a request and then later do online check-in AND make a room request on there, the online requests supposedly "bump" the ones that you called in. So if you have a specific request that you want, you should call it in but if you then do online check-in, don't make any requests.

Honestly, I can't think of any downsides to doing online check-in if you skip making a request. The downside to not doing online check-in is that you won't have your room number texted to you ahead of time, and if your room isn't specifically assigned to you, then you may be unknowingly moved to another room to accommodate someone else's request if they arrived earlier and weren't happy with their first room. So for you, I'd check-in online but don't make any requests.

Ok good to know! Thank you. That's exactly what I'll do. We are arriving late morning earlier and just planned to change in a restroom and hit the pool. But if there's even the slightest chance we'll have a room ready by doin online check-in because they'll know when we will be there, that would be awesome!

 

[diddldonna]

Please can we be moved off the Wilderness Lodge log as we have been moved over to Disney's contemporary, thankyou for all your advice on the post x

 

[izzylovesmickey]

We check in to the Lodge in the morning! Leaving BC so am sad but very excited to try the Club at WL! It's DS's birthday choice so it should make him happy. Love trying new resorts and it looks so beautiful. Planning lots of resort time for our 3 days there.

 

[DisFam95]

I know I did some online requests like floors 4 or 5 were my 2. I just looked and it said you have no requests. I have later called in and requested North wing and Inner Courtyard. Jtowntoflorida said to not to do both. So did my floor request get bumped? So if I understand if I choose a floor online again that will bump my phone request? Should I call in and add my floor request or is that considered 'greedy' and I should just take my chances. Thanks!

 

[dansdad]

I know I did some online requests like floors 4 or 5 were my 2. I just looked and it said you have no requests. I have later called in and requested North wing and Inner Courtyard. Jtowntoflorida said to not to do both. So did my floor request get bumped? So if I understand if I choose a floor online again that will bump my phone request? Should I call in and add my floor request or is that considered 'greedy' and I should just take my chances. Thanks!

I have always had great luck with calling my requests in and skipping that section during online check in. I would call and ask the CM to read back any requests listed on your reservation. Then if you want to add any, the do it then. Just list them in order of preference. Just to add, the more requests you add the harder it is for them to grant them.

 

[eXo]

Hey there folks. I believe I am on the list for Dec 6th-13th. Not that it matters much, but I've added a day so it is now the 5th-13th.

With that new fall discount they offered I was able to upgrade from standard to woods view. The CM was under the impression that I would see less construction in a woods view compared to a courtyard view, so I went that route. I have a feeling that now that I have this promotional discount they won't offer any sort of credit due to the construction. They offered me a bungalow over at the Poly for about $300 more (for the entire trip), but apparently they have some closures over there as well... so it made no sense to pay more to move to a resort I didn't really want and still have to deal with closures.

At this point I think I'll be happy to stay at the lodge, and if construction or noise is out of hand when we are there, I'll handle it at the time rather than worry before then.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We check in to the Lodge in the morning! Leaving BC so am sad but very excited to try the Club at WL! It's DS's birthday choice so it should make him happy. Love trying new resorts and it looks so beautiful. Planning lots of resort time for our 3 days there.

I hope you like the WL. We love both BC and WL. Our favorite thing to do when staying at WL is to walk to FW. There are two trails, a crushed gravel path that goes along the lake and begins behind the marina building and a paved path that goes along an access road and begins near the bus stop. We've seen more deer along the paved path then the lake path. We enjoy checking out the horse stables when we are there. We usually eat either breakfast or dinner at Trail's End because the food is always good and the cost is lower than all of the other Disney buffet restaurants.

 

[Daisyfay]

I have another question about online check in. We have two rooms, 8 people total. We've already asked for connecting rooms when booked the packages. We have two separate reservation numbers.
If I do online check in, can I put again that we need connecting rooms and reference the other reservation number? I would like to request inner courtyard north wing rooms also.
Or would I be better off not doing online at all and just calling a week before we go (we arrive sept 15)

We also have two connecting rooms for our reservation. (When we originally booked the rooms online, we checked off connecting rooms/traveling with.) When I went to do online checkin, the "connecting rooms" was already marked and unable to be changed on both reservations, so we were able to make other choices as to floor etc. Hope this helps!

 

[michael's mom]

Yay! Did my online check-in (without requests). I can't believe my trip is so close. I love going to WDW and hate that when we leave we are never quite sure when we are going to make it back. We've been lucky to make it every other year.

Are the bounceback offers still for 2015 or any offers for 2016 yet?

 

[xlsm]

Yay! Did my online check-in (without requests). I can't believe my trip is so close. I love going to WDW and hate that when we leave we are never quite sure when we are going to make it back. We've been lucky to make it every other year.

Are the bounceback offers still for 2015 or any offers for 2016 yet?

We checked out Tuesday and the BB offers were still through the end of 2015.

 

[izzylovesmickey]

Room wasn't ready when we got here around 11:30 but we have a lunch res @ Whispering Canyon so I'm sitting here watching DH & DS devour a couple of skillets.

My phone isn't letting me quote- so wood nymph thanks for the suggestion to walk to FW. May just be what we do to kill some time!

 

[izzylovesmickey]

Boy do I hate to be "that" person but, I hate the room. Absolute farthest room from the lounge. We are in room 2000. We cannot sit on the balcony because our knees hit the sliding door and you can only face in to the room. The balcony has a stone wall so can't see out at all if we could sit. We can't change until tomorrow because there is no availability and we leave on Saturday so there is no sense in moving. Hope things get better or this is a one and done for us.

 

[CJK]

I have a question about Whispering Canyon. Do they still have the coasters on the tables for people to turn upside down if they don't want to participate in the restaurant antics? Some friends are thinking of going, but the little boy is very shy, so they definitely don't want to participate and would prefer to watch. I just want to be sure that this is still an option, before I recommend this place. Thanks!

 

[JnKinVA]

Hello!

Been a while since I have checked in here. Lots going on

We need a new reservation to the Lodger's Log
09/16 - 09/23

DH comes home from Afghanistan on Aug 15 and we will be doing another triple split stay.
First at YC (since the slide was down for maintenence when we were there in Jan and it was too cold and rainy to swim), then WL, then AKL-K using our DVC.

Totally love that our APs have gotten good use this past year!

 

[izzylovesmickey]

I have a question about Whispering Canyon. Do they still have the coasters on the tables for people to turn upside down if they don't want to participate in the restaurant antics? Some friends are thinking of going, but the little boy is very shy, so they definitely don't want to participate and would prefer to watch. I just want to be sure that this is still an option, before I recommend this place. Thanks!

Yup! Just ate there today and they were there. Just put it with the red side up.

 

[CJK]

Yup! Just ate there today and they were there. Just put it with the red side up.

Awesome - thanks!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Boy do I hate to be "that" person but, I hate the room. Absolute farthest room from the lounge. We are in room 2000. We cannot sit on the balcony because our knees hit the sliding door and you can only face in to the room. The balcony has a stone wall so can't see out at all if we could sit. We can't change until tomorrow because there is no availability and we leave on Saturday so there is no sense in moving. Hope things get better or this is a one and done for us.

Maybe the club level evening food options will cheer you up. We've never done club level but the food looks amazing. I'm hoping they deeply discount the CL rooms this winter so we can try it.