Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[Aurora0427]

If you are unfortunately located on the south wing, you will hear construction noise. It is clear to see that the hotel is currently under some sort of construction throughout due to builders walking around in high visibility tops, and moving equipment around.

I was contacted eventually regarding the issue of construction noise and to be fair to Disney, they did provide other off-site options as WL is full.
We picked WL due to the atmosphere and boat transportation to MK, so we are unwilling to move further away, we are therefore staying with a room discount applied and have rearranged my child's nap times, so not to be disturbed.

I am not exaggerating the noise level of the Jack hammering, the whole south wing was vibrating. Not to mention noise from construction staff.

It is only going to get worse and it is rather disappointing that Disney have not or are not going to inform guests.

Highly recommend you go to the front desk and speak with a manager in person. Agree with the PP who said calls are routed to a call center. I too just went online and was able to book starting today for a week, so they can't be full. We had an issue at the Grand Floridian in December. I went to the front desk and dealt with management directly. They moved us, gave me a room credit, and 3 extra fast passes per person.

Apologies if you have gone in person and it still isn't resolved. I'm so sorry- I remember the napping days.

 

[kmorlock]

So, during my daily call for availability today, the agent connected me to GS. The rep. did say while they are trying to be proactive, dates and nature of impact for construction related to the larger scale DVC expansion are not yet confirmed. While there was no availability other than CL for our BB, the GS rep. Did offer to switch but, we paid the difference in price. Well that narrowed things down a lot. We certainly did not want to move from WL because we love it there but, after he kept saying it is all going to be based on availability, I kind of got concerned that the RO discount for late Fall/Winter should be announced soon which will further decrease availability. After my DH gave the ok via text, we confirmed the switch. I will still be keeping an eye out because things can always change and being at WL for Christmas would be my first choice....

 

[marymac123]

Hi KOOK! I have been mia and have sooo much reading to do. We were booked in Aug but flights were way too high and couldn't get Sept but kept checking and got it. Finally booked WL CL 9/6 to 9/16! Can you please get us in the Log? Celebrating Italia hitting double digits the big 10 Thank You!!!

 

[WDWKOOK]

I will give my quick review of WL on our stay. We've checked out, but doing a split stay so still technically here in Orlando. We used Roaring Forks quite a bit. I loved that quick service place, and the refillable mugs paid for themselves.

We had a third story room courtyard view. The view wasn't that great, we had a tree blocking us, but the patio was nice. It's also close enough to not walk too far to Roaring Forks and get my morning coffee. I loved the room theming, and it's like the room had its own nightlight with the soft glow from the lamp above the table. Loved the shower, spacious and had the rain-type shower head.

The only cons were bus service, and the front desk person we had checking in seemed not with it, or something. The bus service, one morning we waited 40 minutes and never saw the HS bus show up, ruined our plans for the day sort of. We wanted to do a half morning Hollywood and then afternoon Epcot, never got to HS because we knew we missed rope drop due to the bus so said forget it. Also, bus service one night coming back from MK not sur what the deal was but it was late on pickup, we watched many other busses come in and out, and our line for WL was the same and filling while we watched others go. It was lighting, so the boats were shut down. That was my only thing.

Otherwise the resort was lovely, and, the boat service was awesome. We ate in Whispering Canyon, cool place to try out. The courtyard pool is great, and I actually enjoyed it wasn't very deep. Couldn't get a late checkout, not available when I asked at checkin. But, the valet bell service served just fine and held our bags no problem until we left in the afternoon. Overall a super trip.

Thank you for filing a little TR with us

How do we get a ticker? Our dates are 12/11/15-12/19/15 WL.

I can add your dates to the Lodgers' Log and another ticker site I like to use is **************

ETA: Just remembered that you posted on the CR thread that you re-booked the GW

Good Morning All!

On our most recent trip to Disney, we were staying at the BCVs but had to venture over to the WL to wander around and check out the new scenery (WL is the hubby's favorite!). I'm a sucker for all the beautiful landscaping around the resort. It did not disappoint!

On a side note....the kids wanted to eat at Whispering Canyon, and quite honestly I wasn't overly excited. HOWEVER...it turned out to be a great meal!!! We've been there several times, and the last couple of visits were just subpar - nothing to write home about. But this time was excellent! The service was outstanding, and the food was much, much better than expected.

Hope everyone has a Happy Wednesday!
Heather

Howdy and welcome back. So nice having your lovely photos adorn our little thread

We are currently staying at WL and I must say, I am appalled at the service received so far.

I am currently waiting in the room for a phone call to see if we can change rooms due to construction noise. I must point out that I had to firmly tell the receptionist that there was construction below our room as she stated that there is non on the side facing the villas!

The room was shaking early in the morning from what I presume is a Jack hammer!

to the DIS and the thread! This is unacceptable to be placing guests in the South Wing during construction that has involved jackhammering for months now. I hope you've chosen to move to another resort and salvage your vacation. If they've told you they're "booked," they might mean that the North Wing is full during your stay.

ETA: I will admit, though, that it really bothers me that they are doing construction on the ground floor of the south wing facing the villa pools, noisy construction that includes jack-hammering, but yet they don't tell anyone about it.

I feel the same way and this has been going on for months now. This is no way to run a resort and the rooms in the South Wing that are even remotely impacted by this noise should be blocked from occupancy. This is going to make for many angry guests and guests with bookings who will question whether they should stay or not given the total lack of information/warning on the part of the GM.

BTW, on the DVC Expansion thread, someone posted a video a guest shot of the actual noise from the jackhammering. They initially told her it must be her AC and that they would send a tech up, but then they called her back and admitted it was the construction.

Hi. I just returned from 7 nights at WL 6/22 through 6/29. I used Touring Plans and they faxed a room request for me requesting 5th floor inner courtyard. I got room 5047 inner courtyard and it was perfect. I was worried about the room size, thinking it wouldn't be big enough but it was just fine. I even had room to place a blow-up twin air mattress for my son between the bed closest to the balcony and the wall still having plenty of room to move around and clear path to the balcony sliding glass door. The room was very nice and comfortable. I did not see any construction in the area I was in or hear any construction noise from my room. The last day I was there I saw scaffolding and saw construction workers around the pool area. This was around 11 a.m and we were taking the path from the lodge to the ferry dock. I could hear construction noise and there were some barricades up. Like I said I only saw and heard this from the outside, not from my room 5047.

The boat to Magic Kingdom was so nice and quick and less crowded and more comfortable, quick and fun than the buses. The ferry transportation was great and boats came quickly. The bus was okay. Mostly we didn't wait too long for buses, usually 15-20 minutes. However the last day we were going to Epcot around 10:45 a.m.. and the bus was so slow to arrive, around 35 minutes or more at least and then we stopped at Ft. Wilderness to pick up more people before getting to Epcot. Sometimes to other parks we also stopped at either Contemporary or Ft. Wilderness to pick up/drop off before getting to the park. I think if you stay at WL and use the bus you just have to factor in plenty of extra time for that. I saw more buses coming to pick up for Animal Kingdom and the water parks as well as Hollywood Studios than to the other parks. Often the ration of buses arriving for those parks would be 3 to 1 for MK and Epcot.

Overall we had a magical first trip. I loved the Lodge and especially the boat to MK. we also used the boat on our last day to go to Contemporary for Chef Mickey's. I would stay at WL again, but I think next time I want to try BC or other place just for the experience!

It's always fun to try new resorts, but thank you for posting about your recent stay

So, during my daily call for availability today, the agent connected me to GS. The rep. did say while they are trying to be proactive, dates and nature of impact for construction related to the larger scale DVC expansion are not yet confirmed. While there was no availability other than CL for our BB, the GS rep. Did offer to switch but, we paid the difference in price. Well that narrowed things down a lot. We certainly did not want to move from WL because we love it there but, after he kept saying it is all going to be based on availability, I kind of got concerned that the RO discount for late Fall/Winter should be announced soon which will further decrease availability. After my DH gave the ok via text, we confirmed the switch. I will still be keeping an eye out because things can always change and being at WL for Christmas would be my first choice....

The bolded is at least alluding to the prospect so thank you for posting about your call. The upcoming expansion was also confirmed by another CM and posted on the DVC expansion thread.

Hi KOOK! I have been mia and have sooo much reading to do. We were booked in Aug but flights were way too high and couldn't get Sept but kept checking and got it. Finally booked WL CL 9/6 to 9/16! Can you please get us in the Log? Celebrating Italia hitting double digits the big 10 Thank You!!!

You sure have been MIA and welcome back! Ten?! Where has the time gone? I know Loyda will be so happy to see your not-so-little Italia. I'll add your dates to the log. Is school starting late this year?

 

[kmorlock]

I can add your dates to the Lodgers' Log and another ticker site I like to use is **************

ETA: Just remembered that you posted on the CR thread that you re-booked the GW

Thanks WDWKOOK. That was an older post about the Ticker for the WL when I figured we were going to stick it out. I just rebooked CR this AM. It was the first call that GS actually didn't completely shut me down about the big construction. While I am grateful to have rebooked even though no availability was shown under our Bounceback offer, I am not super happy about switching to CR. It was just the most economical option other than going to a Moderate. We will surely miss WL especially during the holidays.

 

[StephandDick]

Hey Kook for CL rooms do we need to be requesting a certain area to avoid construction?

 

[michael's mom]

Hi All,
I'm getting ready to call and put a room request in before we head down. I know the room assignors will be getting to work soon on our week. Just looking for some input as to how to request a room. I basically want to be on the north wing close to roaring forks with a view of the lagoon so we can see the pageant from the balcony. The rooms that are in the bear face look great but I just don't know how much noise to expect from the lobby and we definitely need to get our kiddos to nap (or at least rest) each afternoon if we have any chance of getting to a park at night.

Any advice is welcome and very appreciated. Anyone with experience in the bear face rooms that can give input on the noise please chime in

 

[WDWKOOK]

Thanks WDWKOOK. That was an older post about the Ticker for the WL when I figured we were going to stick it out. I just rebooked CR this AM. It was the first call that GS actually didn't completely shut me down about the big construction. While I am grateful to have rebooked even though no availability was shown under our Bounceback offer, I am not super happy about switching to CR. It was just the most economical option other than going to a Moderate. We will surely miss WL especially during the holidays.

I think you should plan on taking the Blue Flag boat over from CR and hanging out a bit at WL or maybe having a drink/meal at TL? It's so easy to do since you're right next door. Don't forget about that CR ticker

Hey Kook for CL rooms do we need to be requesting a certain area to avoid construction?

If you're talking about the current work being done on the ground floor in the South Wing, I would avoid the South Wing. We prefer the CYV so I would request a North Wing CYV room. If you prefer to see some of Wishes, then request a North Wing Woods View. Just email the IPO with your preference.

Hi All,
I'm getting ready to call and put a room request in before we head down. I know the room assignors will be getting to work soon on our week. Just looking for some input as to how to request a room. I basically want to be on the north wing close to roaring forks with a view of the lagoon so we can see the pageant from the balcony. The rooms that are in the bear face look great but I just don't know how much noise to expect from the lobby and we definitely need to get our kiddos to nap (or at least rest) each afternoon if we have any chance of getting to a park at night.

Any advice is welcome and very appreciated. Anyone with experience in the bear face rooms that can give input on the noise please chime in

The Room Assignors start assigning rooms about 3-5 days prior to your arrival. The Bay Lake view rooms in the North Wing are CYV rooms, so I assume you booked a CYV? To see the EWP, you'll need a higher floor. The highest non-CL floor is the 6th, however, some of those rooms have enclosed balcony railings. Tee 5th floor is the highest floor with no EBRs.

Those who have stayed in rooms with doors that open to the lobby below, generally report that noise wasn't a problem. I've noticed though that over the past couple of years, the trees in the CY haven't been trimmed back as much as they used to so they create more of a view obstruction, so that could hinder the Bear Face view of Bay Lake.

I took this from a lower floor, below the Bear Face area, in April:


This was taken from a higher floor in the Bear Face area, maybe the 4th?

 

[hstrickland]

Heather - thanks for posting your pictures. We love the WL, too, and we like to stop by for a visit whenever we are staying at another resort. We are planning to return this winter.

I can say without a doubt that whenever we visit Disney, we ALWAYS venture over to the WL. DH absolutely loves the place! When the kids were much younger, the WL pool was their favorite...now that they are getting older and don't have to be watched liked hawks when swimming, they like SAB. Too bad that Spalsh area wasn't there 6 years ago. What a GREAT place for small children. Disney was smart to add that to the WL.

I see you have an upcoming trip to POR and then the BC! Happy Planning!

hstrickland, love your pics!! We are staying there for the first time in August. I hope it is still as beautiful as your pics! What (app?) did you use to get the frames around the pictures?

Thanks. You will love the WL atmosphere. If you get a chance, take an early morning stroll around the resort before too many people are up and about....very peaceful and relaxing. You might even see some wildlife! The beach area is really nice first thing in the morning when the lake is calm.



Photobucket is what I use for my pictures, and I believe their phone app is called Snapbucket...very easy for picture enhancements. It's not what I would consider a GREAT editing tool, but works for minor adjustments.

Howdy and welcome back. So nice having your lovely photos adorn our little thread

Nice to be back on your "little" thread...if only for brief spurts.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I see you have an upcoming trip to POR and then the BC! Happy Planning!

Even with a short, three night stay at POR, our first time staying there, we are planning to visit the WL and walk over to FW.

 

[StephandDick]

I think you should plan on taking the Blue Flag boat over from CR and hanging out a bit at WL or maybe having a drink/meal at TL? It's so easy to do since you're right next door. Don't forget about that CR ticker


If you're talking about the current work being done on the ground floor in the South Wing, I would avoid the South Wing. We prefer the CYV so I would request a North Wing CYV room. If you prefer to see some of Wishes, then request a North Wing Woods View. Just email the IPO with your preference.



The Room Assignors start assigning rooms about 3-5 days prior to your arrival. The Bay Lake view rooms in the North Wing are CYV rooms, so I assume you booked a CYV? To see the EWP, you'll need a higher floor. The highest non-CL floor is the 6th, however, some of those rooms have enclosed balcony railings. Tee 5th floor is the highest floor with no EBRs.

Those who have stayed in rooms with doors that open to the lobby below, generally report that noise wasn't a problem. I've noticed though that over the past couple of years, the trees in the CY haven't been trimmed back as much as they used to so they create more of a view obstruction, so that could hinder the Bear Face view of Bay Lake.

I took this from a lower floor, below the Bear Face area, in April:
View attachment 106771

This was taken from a higher floor in the Bear Face area, maybe the 4th?
View attachment 106772

Thanks Kook, 11 more days so I'll call or email my new request.

 

[DisFam95]

Ok what is IPO and what's the email? I'd rather email a room request than call.

Thanks!

 

[dansdad]

Ok what is IPO and what's the email? I'd rather email a room request than call.

Thanks!

Itinerary Planning Office. IF you are staying Club Level they will make ADRs for you and can make room requests for you. After you book you should get a letter from IPO with a form to fill out for any ADRs you want or special requests. Their email will be included too.

From the Club Level posts of this thread, posts #8, #9, #10 and #11.

While the WL IPO cast members are not physically located at Wilderness Lodge, they are actually based at Disney's Polynesian, they will be your point of contact until arrival. If you havent heard from the IPO before the 180-day mark (and this can happen), you should use the email address below to initiate contact. You can contact the IPO at any time after you have booked. Make sure to include your reservation number in all correspondence with the IPO:

Wilderness.Lodge.Itinerary.Planning@disneyworld.com

 

[merdie]

30 days until we are at the lodge! I'm so excited about our stay. We only have a standard view from our "magical deal" and I've requested a high floor. Would that be considered the north wing? Are there any "must do" activities that would be great for little girls? Thanks!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Hi All,
I'm getting ready to call and put a room request in before we head down. I know the room assignors will be getting to work soon on our week. Just looking for some input as to how to request a room. I basically want to be on the north wing close to roaring forks with a view of the lagoon so we can see the pageant from the balcony. The rooms that are in the bear face look great but I just don't know how much noise to expect from the lobby and we definitely need to get our kiddos to nap (or at least rest) each afternoon if we have any chance of getting to a park at night.

Any advice is welcome and very appreciated. Anyone with experience in the bear face rooms that can give input on the noise please chime in

We have never had a Bear Face room, but have twice been on the 6th floor across from WCC. With the door closed we could rear some noise in the evenings, particularly around 6PM during the dinner rush. It was never loud enough in the room to prevent kids from sleeping, in our opinion, and we love the views walking to the room, but others prefer a more quiet location.

There are only 14 Bear Face rooms total in the entire resort, so they can be difficult to get. They are also the furthest inner courtyard rooms from Bay Lake, so they won't have the clearest view of the EWP. A room further East in the North wing will have a closer view of the EWP, even though it will be off the side of the balcony.

30 days until we are at the lodge! I'm so excited about our stay. We only have a standard view from our "magical deal" and I've requested a high floor. Would that be considered the north wing? Are there any "must do" activities that would be great for little girls? Thanks!

Congratulations! Your trip is almost here. We like to request high floor for standard view rooms as well. If you want North Wing, it would be worth calling and adding that request as well, even though the higher floor rooms that are actually standard view are located in the North Wing, since upgrades can occur. We have wound up with a Woods view room twice and a courtyard view once, all with standard room bookings. Nothing more than standard view is guaranteed, but it is always a possibility. We really like the rooms that open to the lobby, but others prefer to be further down one of the wings because you can hear some of the activities in WCC in the evening.

Our daughter loves riding the boats on Bay Lake to CR and Fort Wilderness. It is fun to go over to FW and there is a playground there right near the boat dock that she enjoys. Trail's End is a nice buffet meal too while you're over there. We also enjoy walking or riding bikes over to Fort Wilderness. The path is very secluded but it only takes about 15 minutes. Our daughter also loves crossing the bridge over the stream in the lobby. We went back and forth across it multiple times, and she still remembers the "hotel bridge". Happy planning and enjoy your trip!

 

[michael's mom]

I think you should plan on taking the Blue Flag boat over from CR and hanging out a bit at WL or maybe having a drink/meal at TL? It's so easy to do since you're right next door. Don't forget about that CR ticker


If you're talking about the current work being done on the ground floor in the South Wing, I would avoid the South Wing. We prefer the CYV so I would request a North Wing CYV room. If you prefer to see some of Wishes, then request a North Wing Woods View. Just email the IPO with your preference.



The Room Assignors start assigning rooms about 3-5 days prior to your arrival. The Bay Lake view rooms in the North Wing are CYV rooms, so I assume you booked a CYV? To see the EWP, you'll need a higher floor. The highest non-CL floor is the 6th, however, some of those rooms have enclosed balcony railings. Tee 5th floor is the highest floor with no EBRs.

Those who have stayed in rooms with doors that open to the lobby below, generally report that noise wasn't a problem. I've noticed though that over the past couple of years, the trees in the CY haven't been trimmed back as much as they used to so they create more of a view obstruction, so that could hinder the Bear Face view of Bay Lake.

I took this from a lower floor, below the Bear Face area, in April:
View attachment 106771

This was taken from a higher floor in the Bear Face area, maybe the 4th?
View attachment 106772

Thank you! That's great information. I'm so grateful for these boards! I'm getting so excited for our first WL stay and if I can figure out how, I'll see what I can snag as far as pictures and post them!

 

[marymac123]

You sure have been MIA and welcome back! Ten?! Where has the time gone? I know Loyda will be so happy to see your not-so-little Italia. I'll add your dates to the log. Is school starting late this year?[/QUOTE]

School is starting early this year, Sept 1st. It's her 1st year in middle school so she'll go the 1st week then we leave. I was hesitant but I think she will be fine. She's only missing 6 days with the 2 holidays and she never really misses days through out the year. I really tried to avoid Sept. but with the high crowd levels & high cost of flights in August, I had to change it. Plus the MNSSHP is a fav of ours.

 

[Beazle]

We arrive at the WLV on July 13- 2 br dedicated for 10 nights. We are a bit worried about reports of construction noise in the South Wing of the Lodge. We have requested a high room with Lake view. Will the noise impact on us ?

 

[Wood Nymph]

Are there any "must do" activities that would be great for little girls? Thanks!

I'm a big fan of the free Magic Cookie hour at Roaring Forks on Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. They have little cups of frosting, usually several colors, and little cups of sprinkles in different colors and shapes and they give you a plain sugar cookie to decorate. My 5 year old grandson loved it. I like it, too, and I don't need a grandchild along to indulge my inner child. Anyone can participate. You don't have to be a resort guest to get a cookie, frosting and sprinkles.

 

[Minnie1156]

How long is the construction going on? Also who do you call to request your room and where is the best place to be away from construction? How early can you call? I go in 30 days. Thanks