Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[lsg1]

Returned from The Lodge on Saturday after a six day visit. Our first time there after stays at CBR, Poly, Dixie Landings (Now Port Orleans Riverside) and I must say, Wilderness Lodge was the best! I loved the homey feeling we got there, and loved being able to relax away from the hubbub of the parks. We especially liked the quiet pool area. It truly felt as if we were coming home!

Some have asked about construction. It is there now (maybe not the refurb coming up, but construction, nonetheless) and it was an inconvenience to us our first two days there. We were in a woods view room on the on the south side. Scaffolding was being built and there was a lot of yelling and loud talking amongst the construction workers. Plus, even though they weren't right outside our room, we were in full view of them (and they of us) if we went outside on our deck, or even had the curtains open. It was impossible to rest or nap in the afternoons when they were working, due to the noise. That being said, we told the concierge at the front desk about it and he quickly and gladly suggested a move to a quieter spot. He facilitated the move for us and it was painless! Plus, we had a quiet room (north wing, woods view) and could even see the castle, monorail, and fireworks! We are so grateful that we mentioned the noise. We were just hoping to know when the noise would stop, and didn't even suggest the move! Disney does its best to please, and this was certainly our experience.

We will definitely stay at WL on our next visit to WDW. I didn't even mention the wonderful dinner we had at Artist's Point! But that's another thread for another time...

We are checking in on Friday and have a woods view room. What does the north side face - MK or VWL?

I want to call or fax my request to not be near scaffolding. I remember reading that they no longer accept faxes for room requests? Is this so? If they do still receive fax requests, does anyone have the fax #?

We always have enjoyed getting g a room on the 4th or 5th floor on the magc kingdom side which opens looking over the lobby above WCC. Is this a good request or will there be construction there?

Thanks...6 more days!!!!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

We are checking in on Friday and have a woods view room. What does the north side face - MK or VWL?

I want to call or fax my request to not be near scaffolding. I remember reading that they no longer accept faxes for room requests? Is this so? If they do still receive fax requests, does anyone have the fax #?

We always have enjoyed getting g a room on the 4th or 5th floor on the magc kingdom side which opens looking over the lobby above WCC. Is this a good request or will there be construction there?

Thanks...6 more days!!!!!

The north side faces MK. We had a fourth floor room above Whispering Canyon Cafe and we really liked overlooking the lobby.

 

[tarak]

We're arriving at Poly in a couple of days and I feel like I need a passport since we're staying sooooo far from Bay Lake. I'm going to be doing some snooping, err, visiting WL though so stay tuned for photos...
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Thank you for posting your photos and giving us updates during your stay. I hope you had a great vacation



You're very welcome, @mickeycharles!




Welcome to the thread! I do think your toddler will love it at WL, especially the new splash area and make sure to take him over to FW to see the horses and ponies.



Yippee for booking the OFC! Don't forget that Cobbler Time starts at 8:00 sharp



We also check-in that day, but over at that other MK Resort…Your request sounds great and just ask at check-in if they were able to grant your request. If they didn't, they might be able to still fulfill it



Thank you for posting about your Deluxe Room stay and offering to answer questions. Have you been getting nightly turn-down?

I, too prefer the self-service method in the lounge, but DH prefers it when someone else pours. I've heard that all CLs will eventually be like the Regatta Club where they pour drinks for you.

The balconies that barely fit one person and those solid railings you can't see through are purely aesthetic and as you've discovered, not practical.



What a thorough report - thank you! You mean it's going to be humid and hot when we get there Friday??!! You were supposed to take that home with you



Welcome back - I'll log your dates. What a fun and memorable 21st birthday! Your trip will be here soon so enjoy for planning.



We arrive Friday so I think about these potential storms, too. But, we've been through tropical storms at WDW and the only real issue is getting to/from your vacation. Once at WDW, if there are any weather alerts, they'll keep you apprised and they do a great job of having plenty of fun things to do at the resort, if the parks even close. The storms usually pass through within a day and the parks can be relatively uncrowded and the temp. a bit cooler. Bring rain coats, shoes you don't mind getting wet and umbrellas and enjoy the parks! It's not ideal, but nothing to worry about, at least not while you're actually at WDW. This, too shall pass...



Love the update, Det. wifey

We did get the turn down service. I tend to put the privacy sign every other day, so we might not have had it one night, but I'm sure that was because of the sign and not any neglect.

After the first few nights, we moved to the BC, so I don't have too many comments to make. The room was nicely sized (we had a deluxe room). We had a nice wardrobe, but the smell when we opened it was rather unfortunate. It wasn't something that came close to impacting our trip because we didn't need the storage. But it was pretty bad - I actually searched it for signs of some rotting food (think old cheese). We just referred to it as the stinky cheese closet. I mentioned it when we checked out, just saying it could use some extra attention. The CL offerings were nice. Our last CL stay was at YC and they were comparable. Having stayed CL at the Poly, AKL, the YC, and WL, I have to say AKL is my favorite. WL is probably a close second. I think AKL edges the others out because the lounge isn't terribly crowded (YC was pretty bad in that regard), but it also allows for a sense of community, if that makes sense. Our last stay at AKL, we saw a number of families in the morning and then at night. It was really nice to chat about plans and then catch up about how things went. The way in which the WL CL tables are spread out hampers that a lot. The pool was very nice, but I think we've been spoiled by the size of SAB. We had no issues with construction and the staff were all lovely. Especially Cynthia with Bell Services (I plan to send an email when I get home). The plan for our move from WL to BC was to have everyone but me take the boat to the MK, then take the monorail to TTC and Epcot. I was going to cab it to BC with all the luggage. Cynthia offered to drive all of us to Epcot, then take our luggage directly to BC. It was so wonderful to be able to hang out together at the park, instead of splitting up to get our things delivered.

 

[imthegoose]

Greetings all. So, in all my previous visits to WDW, I have stayed either off site or at Pop. This Tuesday I will be arriving at WL for 12 days! My DS and I are beyond excited.

At Pop there was a window that faced out so people walking by could see however we decorated. I was wondering how the Courtyard rooms are WL are? Will we still be able to decorate for others to see?

Thanks all!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

It's official! Our dates have been switched. Heading to the WL on 9/19-9/26. Can you update the roll call? Thanks!

 

[cadale]

Thanks GrandCalifornian and feet1 for the info. I think we will do the on line check in and follow it up with a phone call to confirm the traveling together bit. Better safe than sorry.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

At Pop there was a window that faced out so people walking by could see however we decorated. I was wondering how the Courtyard rooms are WL are? Will we still be able to decorate for others to see?

Unfortunately there aren't windows that open to the hallways like at values and moderates. The other end of your room has a sliding glass door that opens to your balcony, so depending on what floor you are on it might be visible to some people in the courtyard, but they won't be right in front of it.

Thanks GrandCalifornian and feet1 for the info. I think we will do the on line check in and follow it up with a phone call to confirm the traveling together bit. Better safe than sorry.

No problem, sounds great. The "traveling with" note on the reservation seems to be the key.

 

[Jenn310]

Checking in Saturday, first time staying Deluxe and celebrating my mom's 60th birthday. Have courtyard view. Any help with room request I could put? Would love to be able to see the electric water pagent from the balcony.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Checking in Saturday, first time staying Deluxe and celebrating my mom's 60th birthday. Have courtyard view. Any help with room request I could put? Would love to be able to see the electric water pagent from the balcony.

It might be getting late for a request, but try to add a request for "Inner Courtyard" which will face towards the main pool and will give you some EWP view, even if it is off to the side of the balcony. There are courtyard view rooms on the South side of the South wing that overlook the villas pool and wouldn't have a good EWP view. There is also some nice EWP viewing from the transportation boat dock or even the hot tub area, so if you don't have a great view from your room you still have good choices.

 

[Kebby]

Can I have some room request wording for villas of wilderness lodge? I was hoping to call dvc today to put in our request- we arrive next Wednesday. Staying in a studio

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Well magic bands didn't work at all. CM didn't believe me. Walked me down and they still didn't. Walked all the way back to the front to try to fix them again , walked back only one worked. CM who was the most rudest CM I have ever encountered told me to deal with it in the am. My response I should have stayed at port Orleans

Any update to this?

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

Looking for some info from my fellow WL lovers. My DH and I used to travel every year to WDW and loved being at WL. We have not been since 2012 because we had our little girl and we are now planning our first WDW trip. We are either looking at a 10 day stay in May 2016 or 2017. I'm playing around with dates just to get my pricing and here are where my questions come in. I'd life to book as soon as I can since we are having a longer stay. I also want to book Courtyard and not try to hope for an upgrade as it will be my daughter's first time and before it didn't really matter to us even though we did usually get upgraded. We have always had at lead a 30% discount offer on the room which makes the WL in our budget. I know in years past there is normally a discount offered in May, has it been that way the last few years? Can I book say in July and then apply the discount offer when it becomes available? Has anyone not been able to apply after the fact? I'm just wondering since we are doing a 10 night stay would it be harder to get the discount after the fact? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I feel so out of the loop. =(

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Can I have some room request wording for villas of wilderness lodge? I was hoping to call dvc today to put in our request- we arrive next Wednesday. Staying in a studio

I really can't offer much help on VWL room locations other than to say that in general the view does not vary as much as in the main building. You will likely have a woods view, and may see the pool courtyard area, but likely won't see the water or MK because trees and the main building are in the way. Our main request would probably be to be close to the main building to minimize walking down the hallway. Good luck and have a great trip.

Looking for some info from my fellow WL lovers. My DH and I used to travel every year to WDW and loved being at WL. We have not been since 2012 because we had our little girl and we are now planning our first WDW trip. We are either looking at a 10 day stay in May 2016 or 2017. I'm playing around with dates just to get my pricing and here are where my questions come in. I'd life to book as soon as I can since we are having a longer stay. I also want to book Courtyard and not try to hope for an upgrade as it will be my daughter's first time and before it didn't really matter to us even though we did usually get upgraded. We have always had at lead a 30% discount offer on the room which makes the WL in our budget. I know in years past there is normally a discount offered in May, has it been that way the last few years? Can I book say in July and then apply the discount offer when it becomes available? Has anyone not been able to apply after the fact? I'm just wondering since we are doing a 10 night stay would it be harder to get the discount after the fact? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I feel so out of the loop. =(

Welcome back into the WL loop. We have had luck upgrading a previously booked 9 night stay once discounts came out. Our trips were in September, but we were able to change our reservations to get the promotion very easily by calling as soon as the promotion becomes available.

As for recent historical discounts, I have used this page to get an idea of what discounts have been made available and when.

Have a great time planning for your daughter's first trip.

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

I really can't offer much help on VWL room locations other than to say that in general the view does not vary as much as in the main building. You will likely have a woods view, and may see the pool courtyard area, but likely won't see the water or MK because trees and the main building are in the way. Our main request would probably be to be close to the main building to minimize walking down the hallway. Good luck and have a great trip.



Welcome back into the WL loop. We have had luck upgrading a previously booked 9 night stay once discounts came out. Our trips were in September, but we were able to change our reservations to get the promotion very easily by calling as soon as the promotion becomes available.

As for recent historical discounts, I have used this page to get an idea of what discounts have been made available and when.

Have a great time planning for your daughter's first trip.

Awesome, that's good news then! I will check that page out now, thank you! I need to go through all the info on the firsts pages here to really jump back into things!

 

[bluecastle]

Can I have some room request wording for villas of wilderness lodge? I was hoping to call dvc today to put in our request- we arrive next Wednesday. Staying in a studio

As GCH said, the views at the villas are pretty much trees. It depends what is important to you. I requested dedicated 2BR (not lock off), top floor, lake side, and quiet. I didn't mind being far from the elevator, because "far" in the villas is not as far as in other resorts. In busy August, we felt like we had that entire corridor to ourselves. It was wonderful. We didn't get the lake side, but it really didn't matter. Our view was far enough away from the bus stop area that all we saw was trees.
I always request top floor because I don't like hearing anyone above me. Only you know what is most important to you. I would start with that and then add whatever else you might like in terms of location.
I am sure someone who has stayed closer to the pool can give you their opinion about that request.
No matter where you end up, I am sure it will be great!

 

[kmorlock]

We liked the Atrium Villas and the 5th floor near elevator area best. The fifth floor has vaulted ceilings but enclosed balcony. The Atrium rooms open to the middle "rotunda".

 

[goopysolelady]

Can I have some room request wording for villas of wilderness lodge? I was hoping to call dvc today to put in our request- we arrive next Wednesday. Staying in a studio

This was our view from the patio of our studio (Room #1506)

The sidewalk (to the left) leads to the bus stop; forward/right to the main lodge. I loved, loved, LOVED this room! An entrance door was to the right of our room ... only 1 room over from ours so we didn't have to walk down to the lobby area of the Villa's to get in. It was also very quiet. This is the pool view ... which was "behind" our room...follow this path...(shorter than going through the lobby area)

 

[jtowntoflorida]

This was our view from the patio of our studio (Room #1506)

We stayed in that little nook on our first trip in a 1 bedroom (Room 1504). I didn't think I'd like being on the first floor but the location ended up being perfect. I felt like we were in our private lodge back there since we only had the one neighbor connected to us, and there were only two rooms at the end of our hallway.

 

[LSUlakes]

I may have missed it here, but was curious if anyone has had the opportunity to raise the flags at WL (aka Flag Family)? If you have, feel free to tell me about your experience. I am very interested in having a chance to do this during our stay in early January. My only real concern will be walking back down the stairs afterwards because I am running the marathon that weekend. Walking up stairs post marathon isn't to bad, walking down them makes me look like a fool.

 

[eXo]

Well, as much as I was looking forward to the lodge, Disney offered to upgrade us to a room over at the Contemporary in order to make up for the renovations at WL. So hopefully we will be staying here next time we come to disney, but this year it looks like we are going to pass. Guess we can be removed from the roll call now =)