Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[d-train]

According to touring plans, there are 9 rooms that are standard view King bed that have a chance of seeing the fireworks (floors 4 and 6).
However, those rooms also overlook a service area. We've stayed there once and while seeing the tops of the fireworks was great, the loud trucks beeping at 5-6am was not so great...
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We had the fireworks view last summer - that was great, we saw the testing a couple days before they restarted the fireworks.
Then saw them in the park too!

This summer we have a standard view reserved, if I am counting correctly on touring plans, there are only 21 standard rooms,
scanning through the photos they have, a couple look like they have a partial fireworks view, maybe...
depending on how long ago the pics were - and how much taller the trees are now...

Kind of like when they started the fireworks dessert party about 15 years ago, or so,
and the view from tomorrowland terrace was good,
now the trees around the hub are so big, you miss half the castle projections.

 

[IanDLBZF from MCMagic]

The resort boat isn't running yet. You will be able to get to the Contemporary from the WL by taking the Disney Springs bus. It stops at CR before going to Disney Springs, but double check with the bus driver just in case.

You will need to walk to the MK bus depot from the CR to catch the bus back to the WL. Or you can walk to the boat dock to catch the WL boat, but that is a father walk than the bus depot.

You can also board the monorail from MK.

 

[Wood Nymph]

You can also board the monorail from MK.

This would be a good way to go back to WL from the CR if you wanted to take the WL boat.

 

[flyswatter]

Anyone have problems lately getting past the security booth without a reservation? I want to hit Geyser Point for a meal but don’t want to leave my car all the way at Epcot.

 

[ashaway12]

I know bus transit used to start at 6:30am to Magic Kingdom, pre-Covid. Can anyone who has visited recently confirm if that’s still the case? We have a breakfast reservation at Chef Mickeys at 7:40am, and plan to get on the first bus to Magic Kingdom and walk over, but we wanted to make sure that we can actually make that time.

We were there in April and the first bus to Magic Kingdom came at 7:25 on both of the days we went to that park. Park opening was 9:00 AM with early entry for hotel guests at 8:30 AM.

 

[CarolynFH]

Anyone have problems lately getting past the security booth without a reservation? I want to hit Geyser Point for a meal but don’t want to leave my car all the way at Epcot.

Whether you can park at WL or not might depend on time of day, how full the lot is with resort guests, or even the guard at the gate. Why would you need to park at Epcot (meaning take monorail to TTC, ferry/monorail to MK, boat to WL)? Why not park at the TTC (and eliminate the monorail to TTC step)?

 

[flyswatter]

Whether you can park at WL or not might depend on time of day, how full the lot is with resort guests, or even the guard at the gate. Why would you need to park at Epcot (meaning take monorail to TTC, ferry/monorail to MK, boat to WL)? Why not park at the TTC (and eliminate the monorail to TTC step)?

I’m at Epcot for Cosmic Rewind preview, hence me being parked there.

 

[BridgetR3]

This would be a good way to go back to WL from the CR if you wanted to take the WL boat.

Is that boat from CR to WL running? On our last trip in April there was no boat that went to other resorts, just MK.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Is that boat from CR to WL running? On our last trip in April there was no boat that went to other resorts, just MK.

No, the resort boat is not running. There was a suggestion of taking the monorail from CR to MK in order to catch a bus to WL, and I suggested it would be a good way to catch the boat from MK to WL.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

What is allowed at the pools in terms of floatation devices? I have a 2.5 year old, can he have arm floaties? Thanks in advance!

The resort provides the vest kind of floaties if you think your kiddo would wear them. It would save a lot of packing space. They do make them pretty small with a strap that goes between the legs.

 

[bobwheeleer500]

Does anyone know the status of the Boulder Ridge Villas rehab? I wasn't sure if that had started , complete, or was in the middle of?

 

[Suzabella]

Haven't heard that it's started and that is such big news that I'm sure there would be fireworks and celebrations happening here on Disboards. DVC BRV owners are watching closely. Me included.

 

[Ducky0615]

Is there a hair dryer in the 2 bedroom CCV? I tried looking around the internet, but didn't see anything. Thanks!

 

[CarolynFH]

Is there a hair dryer in the 2 bedroom CCV? I tried looking around the internet, but didn't see anything. Thanks!

All of the DVC villas have hair dryers - and I'm pretty sure that all Disney resorts, from Value to Deluxe, have hair dryers. They may not be the strongest or the best, but they are there!

 

[JFDIS]

 

[JFDIS]

The bus situation at WL was horrible this weekend. Idk if I just had a string of bad luck or it really was that bad. We waited over 30 minutes multiple times and the busses were packed with guests from Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. Those extra stops made getting anywhere take so much longer. On Friday we waited 45 mins for a bus to Epcot. It started pouring when we got there so we asked if we could ride back to the lodge. The driver said we had to get off because they had to switch drivers (winch I understand) We got off the bus at Epcot to see a HUGE line of wet angry WL guests. Two ladies start arguing with the bus driver then they start cussing at each other. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if they came to blows.

 

[JBelle19]

The bus situation at WL was horrible this weekend. Idk if I just had a string of bad luck or it really was that bad. We waited over 30 minutes multiple times and the busses were packed with guests from Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. Those extra stops made getting anywhere take so much longer. On Friday we waited 45 mins for a bus to Epcot. It started pouring when we got there so we asked if we could ride back to the lodge. The driver said we had to get off because they had to switch drivers (winch I understand) We got off the bus at Epcot to see a HUGE line of wet angry WL guests. Two ladies start arguing with the bus driver then they start cussing at each other. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if they came to blows.

Oh I'm so sorry

I didn't know WL shared with Contemporary and FW often

 

[danikoski]

The bus situation at WL was horrible this weekend. Idk if I just had a string of bad luck or it really was that bad. We waited over 30 minutes multiple times and the busses were packed with guests from Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. Those extra stops made getting anywhere take so much longer. On Friday we waited 45 mins for a bus to Epcot. It started pouring when we got there so we asked if we could ride back to the lodge. The driver said we had to get off because they had to switch drivers (winch I understand) We got off the bus at Epcot to see a HUGE line of wet angry WL guests. Two ladies start arguing with the bus driver then they start cussing at each other. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if they came to blows.

There are times the bus is no fun. We had a similar experience with Epcot busses in 2019 and HS busses in 2017. My husband in 2015 got so annoyed with the Epcot busses that we ended up taking the monorail to MK, with the change at TTC, and then the boat back to WL, and I think we still beat that Epcot bus.

 

[DCJ]

We also have had no luck with the bus From WL to Epcot, especially Epcot back to WL. We also tried the monorail to TTC route to avoid the bus, but that took forever.

The bus to and from Magic Kingdom we typically have good luck with, but the boat is better.

 

[RPM1214]

We are considering doing a split stay in August.We have never been to the lodge before, just curious if you can see fireworks from the pool at night?