Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[WDWKOOK]

We are staying at WL for Sept. 27 2016-Oct. 1 2016. This is our first trip staying on property! All of this wonderful information is so helpful! Thank you all!

Welcome to the thread and congratulations on your first on-property stay! There's even more information and recent photos throughout the WL DVC Expansion thread HERE. I'll add your dates to POST 2

 

[WDWKOOK]

Did you have anyone get off at FW?

I am trying to figure out why some of the MK buses go there.

I believe passengers only boarded at one stop at FW and then we went on to MK.

 

[preemiemama]

I believe passengers only boarded at one stop at FW and then we went on to MK.

This happened to us in July as well- we stopped, picked up some people at FW, and continued on to MK. Also in the early evening. I believe these particular guests had been at Trail's End, though, and not HDD. Maybe Trail's End requests a MK bus and then whatever bus is headed there from WL stops on the way?

 

[Wood Nymph]

This happened to us in July as well- we stopped, picked up some people at FW, and continued on to MK. Also in the early evening. I believe these particular guests had been at Trail's End, though, and not HDD. Maybe Trail's End requests a MK bus and then whatever bus is headed there from WL stops on the way?

Our evening MK bus dropped two teen boys off at FW then went on to MK. No one got on the bus at FW.

 

[preemiemama]

Our evening MK bus dropped two teen boys off at FW then went on to MK. No one got on the bus at FW.

I wonder if it is an as-needed basis then? Someone is alerting the driver that they need to stop and drop off or pick up?

 

[Wood Nymph]

I wonder if it is an as-needed basis then? Someone is alerting the driver that they need to stop and drop off or pick up?

That is what I thought, too. I hope that is what is happening. The little detour to FW doesn't take too much extra time at least.

 

[WDWKOOK]

That is what I thought, too. I hope that is what is happening. The little detour to FW doesn't take too much extra time at least.

In my case, I think it added an extra 15 minutes, which brought it more in line with taking the boat. My speculation is that since WL is at half capacity, it's harder to justify one bus going non-stop to MK. They should remove the "separate buses" notation on the MK/FW sign though as I think this may confuse guests.

 

[Wood Nymph]

In my case, I think it added an extra 15 minutes, which brought it more in line with taking the boat. My speculation is that since WL is at half capacity, it's harder to justify one bus going non-stop to MK. They should remove the "separate buses" notation on the MK/FW sign though as I think this may confuse guests.

That makes sense. I forgot that they might be doing something different while the resort is half full.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We just returned from a wonderful visit to WL. While we will be sharing more of our experiences in a longer Trip Report, I wanted to post some pictures and thoughts here. WL is our favorite resort on property, and my favorite hotel anywhere. It just has a special combination of factors that make it perfect for us.
Here's a few pictures to give a feel for how impressive this resort is:








This was our fourth stay at WL, and our first in which we received a Standard View room. This means we have stayed in all three original bookable categories at WL, and this room was our favorite yet. We were in room 6046, which is in the middle section of the North wing with a balcony that faces North towards MK. Our room location was absolutely ideal, as this was the view from our balcony:


At night the castle was prominently visible right outside the window, and the fireworks view was nothing short of spectacular:


We had three rooms next to each other, but without any connecting doors. Our room had the best castle view, since some trees blocked it from view of rooms that were further to the West. Here are balcony pics from the other rooms:
6048:


6050:


While the other two rooms had the castle obstructed by trees, the fireworks view was still great.

The construction project has been a concern for many people who have trips booked at WL, and like many guests before us we found it to not be an issue at all during our trip. The construction areas were well fenced off, and we found it to be unobtrusive. You could see the cabins being constructed along the shoreline, as well as the new QS restaurant where the old beach and playground were.


The closure of the lobby elevators means that there are only two publicly accessible elevators in service at WL, and they are the ones by Roaring Fork in the middle of the North Wing. This was less of an issue than I expected, and we never had to wait more than a few minutes for an elevator, and usually the wait was very short. The stairways are accessible without crossing any "cast member only" signs, and are among the cleanest I have ever seen.


The lobby rooms are still accessible via the open staircases, which is nice and quick but these rooms now have a long walk to the elevator with the lobby elevators closed.

One thing I noticed is that with the South wing closed off, there wasn't a public area within the building with a nice view of Bay Lake. The sitting areas on the East side of the lobby were blocked by construction walls, but the chairs and tables remain in place.


On the 5th floor, the West end of the lobby sitting area is closed off by a wall, but the area below it on the 4th floor is open.


I was able to find a Bay Lake view from the building, but it was on the 7th floor:


During my brief time on the CL 7th floor, I couldn't help but feel it was more adversely affected by the construction than the rest of the resort. The hallway ends before reaching the lobby, so it only extends from the elevators, around the corner past the temporary lounge, and then down a hallway that comes to an end at a construction door.


OFC looked nice, and is situated between the guest rooms and the elevators.


I was told guests are not to use the stairways, so the only access to or from the 7th floor is the elevators. I then headed to the elevator and ended my short time on the 7th floor.

Overall we were again impressed with our beloved WL. Our friends who were staying there for the first time were impressed as well, and we both booked bouncebacks for 2017. We can't wait to return to WL! For more of our experiences check out our ongoing trip report here.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

In my case, I think it added an extra 15 minutes, which brought it more in line with taking the boat. My speculation is that since WL is at half capacity, it's harder to justify one bus going non-stop to MK. They should remove the "separate buses" notation on the MK/FW sign though as I think this may confuse guests.

I do think it varies, as we rode the MK bus at least three times and it never went to FW. We also often saw FW buses arrive at that bus stop, so in general I think there are still separate buses, but they occasionally get combined, like with the Red and Green flag boats...

On the topic of transportation, we recorded our transportation times and found them to be improved over past routes. Now instead of sharing with GF for DS and AK buses they were sharing with CR, which is less out of the way.

Our bus transportation times were as follows:

WL to MK: 5-6 min (direct, no additional stops)
MK to WL: 5-6 min (direct)

WL to Epcot: 24 min (including stop at FW)
WL to Epcot: 19 min (without additional stop)
Epcot to WL: 12 min (shared with FW, WL 1st stop)

WL to AK: 16 Min (without additional stop)
AK to WL: 15 min (shared with CR, WL 1st stop)

WL to DS: 29 min (including stop at CR)
DS to WL: 16 min (shared with CR, WL 1st stop)

 

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks for posting the beautiful pictures and giving us some great details about the lodge and the current situation during construction.

I was able to find a Bay Lake view from the building, but it was on the 7th floor:

That is a nice view. I missed not being able to see Bay Lake from the lodge when we were there in January.

Overall we were again impressed with our beloved WL. Our friends who were staying there for the first time were impressed as well, and we both booked bouncebacks for 2017. We can't wait to return to WL! For more of our experiences check out our ongoing trip report here.

That is good news. It would be nice to have the new Hidden Springs pool and the restaurant open next year when you are there.

This was our fourth stay at WL, and our first in which we received a Standard View room. This means we have stayed in all three original bookable categories at WL, and this room was our favorite yet. We were in room 6046, which is in the middle section of the North wing with a balcony that faces North towards MK. Our room location was absolutely ideal, as this was the view from our balcony:

I guessed that you were in a room right in that area when I saw your pictures. Your view was great. Will you request that view next time?

On the topic of transportation, we recorded our transportation times and found them to be improved over past routes. Now instead of sharing with GF for DS and AK buses they were sharing with CR, which is less out of the way.

We had fast bus times, too. I was surprised how fast our trip to DS was. You didn't record a time for the trip from DHS to WL, but it is fast, too, maybe 14 minutes at the most.

 

[Nfatuated]

Thinking about staying here in Feb, but the thought of no evening campfires or Outdoor movies is discouraging me. Any idea if these will be back anytime soon?

 

[jon18uk]

Thinking about staying here in Feb, but the thought of no evening campfires or Outdoor movies is discouraging me. Any idea if these will be back anytime soon?

My guess is it could be another year. They might have the new restaurant and beach area open again for next summer.

 

[prgal0715]

Hi everyone! I'm still mulling over my resort options for a stay this January 7 - 14 and WL is on the list. I'm a little bit wary of the construction, but a standard, non-discounted room is well within my budget. Any advice what room requests would help me avoid looking over the construction or is that impossible? Please feel free to tell me if booking WL is just a bad idea right now!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Hi everyone! I'm still mulling over my resort options for a stay this January 7 - 14 and WL is on the list. I'm a little bit wary of the construction, but a standard, non-discounted room is well within my budget. Any advice what room requests would help me avoid looking over the construction or is that impossible? Please feel free to tell me if booking WL is just a bad idea right now!

With a Standard View reservation this is the view we had last week. It is clearly overlooking construction, but it didn't adversely affect our trip at all.


I would expect that by January the cabins will be framed out and probably have the roofs on, similar to the ones on the South side of the resort now, so the construction wouldn't be super evident. If this is something you would want to avoid though, I would suggest upgrading to courtyard view which will get you a room that overlooks the main pool. In the distance you will see construction fencing East of the South wing where they are building a new restaurant, but the building should be nearly finished by then.
We are very glad we stayed at WL, but it helps to know what you're getting in to so you can decide what would affect your trip.

 

[prgal0715]

With a Standard View reservation this is the view we had last week. It is clearly overlooking construction, but it didn't adversely affect our trip at all.


I would expect that by January the cabins will be framed out and probably have the roofs on, similar to the ones on the South side of the resort now, so the construction wouldn't be super evident. If this is something you would want to avoid though, I would suggest upgrading to courtyard view which will get you a room that overlooks the main pool. In the distance you will see construction fencing East of the South wing where they are building a new restaurant, but the building should be nearly finished by then.
We are very glad we stayed at WL, but it helps to know what you're getting in to so you can decide what would affect your trip.

This is so helpful, thanks! I like that you can see MK in the distance, too. Was this a north-facing room?

 

[WDWKOOK]

We just returned from a wonderful visit to WL. While we will be sharing more of our experiences in a longer Trip Report, I wanted to post some pictures and thoughts here. WL is our favorite resort on property, and my favorite hotel anywhere. It just has a special combination of factors that make it perfect for us.
Here's a few pictures to give a feel for how impressive this resort is:








This was our fourth stay at WL, and our first in which we received a Standard View room. This means we have stayed in all three original bookable categories at WL, and this room was our favorite yet. We were in room 6046, which is in the middle section of the North wing with a balcony that faces North towards MK. Our room location was absolutely ideal, as this was the view from our balcony:


At night the castle was prominently visible right outside the window, and the fireworks view was nothing short of spectacular:


We had three rooms next to each other, but without any connecting doors. Our room had the best castle view, since some trees blocked it from view of rooms that were further to the West. Here are balcony pics from the other rooms:
6048:


6050:


While the other two rooms had the castle obstructed by trees, the fireworks view was still great.

The construction project has been a concern for many people who have trips booked at WL, and like many guests before us we found it to not be an issue at all during our trip. The construction areas were well fenced off, and we found it to be unobtrusive. You could see the cabins being constructed along the shoreline, as well as the new QS restaurant where the old beach and playground were.


The closure of the lobby elevators means that there are only two publicly accessible elevators in service at WL, and they are the ones by Roaring Fork in the middle of the North Wing. This was less of an issue than I expected, and we never had to wait more than a few minutes for an elevator, and usually the wait was very short. The stairways are accessible without crossing any "cast member only" signs, and are among the cleanest I have ever seen.


The lobby rooms are still accessible via the open staircases, which is nice and quick but these rooms now have a long walk to the elevator with the lobby elevators closed.

One thing I noticed is that with the South wing closed off, there wasn't a public area within the building with a nice view of Bay Lake. The sitting areas on the East side of the lobby were blocked by construction walls, but the chairs and tables remain in place.


On the 5th floor, the West end of the lobby sitting area is closed off by a wall, but the area below it on the 4th floor is open.


I was able to find a Bay Lake view from the building, but it was on the 7th floor:


During my brief time on the CL 7th floor, I couldn't help but feel it was more adversely affected by the construction than the rest of the resort. The hallway ends before reaching the lobby, so it only extends from the elevators, around the corner past the temporary lounge, and then down a hallway that comes to an end at a construction door.


OFC looked nice, and is situated between the guest rooms and the elevators.


I was told guests are not to use the stairways, so the only access to or from the 7th floor is the elevators. I then headed to the elevator and ended my short time on the 7th floor.

Overall we were again impressed with our beloved WL. Our friends who were staying there for the first time were impressed as well, and we both booked bouncebacks for 2017. We can't wait to return to WL! For more of our experiences check out our ongoing trip report here.

What a great summary and thank you for posting your photos here, @GrandCalifornian.

You sneaky devil going up to the OFC. I'm surprised you got caught, but it must be like a ghost town up there, minus the tumbleweed?

I do think it varies, as we rode the MK bus at least three times and it never went to FW. We also often saw FW buses arrive at that bus stop, so in general I think there are still separate buses, but they occasionally get combined, like with the Red and Green flag boats...

On the topic of transportation, we recorded our transportation times and found them to be improved over past routes. Now instead of sharing with GF for DS and AK buses they were sharing with CR, which is less out of the way.

Our bus transportation times were as follows:

WL to MK: 5-6 min (direct, no additional stops)
MK to WL: 5-6 min (direct)

WL to Epcot: 24 min (including stop at FW)
WL to Epcot: 19 min (without additional stop)
Epcot to WL: 12 min (shared with FW, WL 1st stop)

WL to AK: 16 Min (without additional stop)
AK to WL: 15 min (shared with CR, WL 1st stop)

WL to DS: 29 min (including stop at CR)
DS to WL: 16 min (shared with CR, WL 1st stop)

Thanks so much for posting your 2016 travel times with which I will update the TRANSPORTATION chapter

 

[GrandCalifornian]

This is so helpful, thanks! I like that you can see MK in the distance, too. Was this a north-facing room?

Yes, this was a room on the North side of the North wing, room 6046, which has always been classified as Standard view. We did enjoy being on a high floor, which helped with the view.

What a great summary and thank you for posting your photos here, @GrandCalifornian.

You sneaky devil going up to the OFC. I'm surprised you got caught, but it must be like a ghost town up there, minus the tumbleweed?



Thanks so much for posting your 2016 travel times with which I will update the TRANSPORTATION chapter

Well, I didn't exactly get caught, I was just told that guests needed to use the elevators and not the stairs. I thanked the nice Housekeeper and headed to the elevator... (I had gotten up there using the stairs, as the door had been propped open.) There were a lot of Cast Members up there, and they were usually chatting with the guests. The CM I talked to was very nice and we discussed how beautiful Bay Lake is in the morning since she saw me taking pictures.

I kept careful track of the transportation times, and even tried to take a DHS bus to get that time too but it didn't work out with our plans. When we did visit DHS we did so from Epcot. We did think the bus transportation was especially good this trip, and much prefer sharing with CR to sharing with GF.

 

[hebbynan]

I'm so excited for our upcoming stay 2/14 to 2/20 at the WL! We LOVE the lodge and the construction won't bother us one bit because ..... We're going home! I appreciate everyone's pictures and updates on construction.

I have to admit - we will be looking into Copper Creek DVC. Does anyone know when they may be showing a model room on the DVC tour? Would like to do the tour when we are there in February but we're not interested in Alauni or Poly at all!

 

[Candycane83]

Resort looks lovely. We're not staying here this trip but would love to sometime in the future. We want to go visit during our visit in December though. I read on another thread someone saying they took pictures with Santa there. Does anyone know if Santa is just there for Christmas Eve or is there a schedule for December? TIA!