Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

[Dave006]

I booked a CCV deluxe studio yesterday on sale (not sure what the “deluxe” designation indicates).

They are all "deluxe" studios at the CCV. They have two configurations the default aka Standard layout and the Alternate layout (8 units). The 8 Alternate layout Studios are in areas of the building that have corners. The sleeping area is offset from the main room flow.

Deluxe Alternate Studio locations: 6 on floors 2-7 (rooms ending in x115). Plus 2 more on the first floor at the end of the building (room numbers 1166 and 1168).

Dave

 

[Laurca1]

I wanted to write a post about some of the COVID related changes and procedures at Wilderness Lodge, and since I have some time on the plane I decided to put something together. I may add to it as I download more pictures and think of more things.

We were naturally concerned about how COVID related changes would negatively affect our trip to WL. Fortunately, we had nothing to worry about and for us the changes are a net positive. Here are a few things that are different than a year ago:

• Roaring Fork is primarily mobile order, and you pick up in the old dining room. There are still a few tables in there to eat at, and sometimes they will open up the cash register in the original location, but in general you order through the app and pick up your stuff when it is ready.
• Mug “refills” are new paper cups (and plastic lids) each time. They have set up a “counter” with tables in the dining room, and CMs are behind the tables to get you the drinks from the machines. The CMs have a system where you can take a picture of you with your mug and use it to get a refill, which avoids having to carry a mug around. This worked for us consistently at RF, and we also did it at Beach Club. There is no official Disney policy on the refills with a photo, but it is working well in our experience. I also was able to get two cups since I had a picture with my wife’s mug. Also the cups are larger than the mugs are, but not the large size paper cups.
• Traffic flow: Roaring Fork, the Mercantile, and other locations have defined entrances and exits. This generally makes sense, but can take some getting used to at first
• Bus Transportation: For us we did very well. All buses only went to one resort, and we never had to wait too long. The situation at WL was far better than what we saw at other resorts, likely due to decreased crowds with the WL hotel side being still closed. The bus drivers do usually assign you to a section with your party, and larger parties may take up multiple sections. Sometimes you enter through the back door, but it varied quite a bit for us.
• Boat Transportation: Here is the first significant loss, since the Blue Flag boats are not running between WL, CR, and FW. Your only boat option is to MK where you can connect to a FW boat (without going through security). Getting to CR requires getting to MK and then walking or taking the monorail. We chatted with a CM, and found that they must rotate boats out of service for cleaning many times during the day, so the routes are limited. I hope the blue flag boats return soon, but I see why they are not there yet. The same smaller boats are in use for the MK trip, and usually were alternating with the bigger enclosed boats. The captains of the smaller boats assign your seats to maximize capacity and keep groups separated. This made their job way harder, and I feel sorry for them.
• Front Desk: Despite the messages from Disney that you might not need to go to the front desk, CMs are available at the desk to help you as always. There are plexiglass dividers and sanitized pens, but the same service is available.
• Room Service is not available. We aren’t sure if this is due to staffing or safety concerns, but you can’t order in room dining. Many people do bring QS up from Roaring Fork or getting Geyser Point to go. Watch the clock though, because there wasn’t any food available between 10pm and 7am.
• Mask use is mandatory. Like all of Disney, you must wear your mask properly or CMs will let you know. This is actually quite reassuring.
• Temp checks were happening for reservations at Whispering Canyon, but not anywhere else at WL. I believe all resort TS locations are doing temp checks, as are the parks and Disney Springs, so it became quite routine.
• The hotel side is a construction site and not accessible to guests. This has little effect on guests, but you can not access the elevators by Roaring Fork since there is a construction wall just past the restrooms. This is a significant inconvenience for anyone staying in the first 12 cabins, since they have to walk all the way around the wing by the boat dock. In the lobby the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors have doors closed preventing access to the North wing. On the bright side, the room renovations are almost done and look beautiful from the outside windows.
• Resort Airline Checkin and Magical Express Luggage Services are gone. The front of the lodge is cleaned up and there is no evidence of where these used to take place. It was really not a big deal to claim and check our own bags, and the Magical Express driver helped carry our bags from the lobby. Bell services would also have taken our stored bags directly to the bus, but we didn’t do that.
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This is so incredibly helpful. Thanks so much for putting all of this together!

 

[Laurca1]

Good morning and Happy February from Wilderness Lodge.
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Stunning

 

[1GoldenSun]

Do the BRV still have pack-n-plays in the rooms? Even the studios? I remember seeing one in the closet once before, I think.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Do the BRV still have pack-n-plays in the rooms? Even the studios? I remember seeing one in the closet once before, I think.

In my last four trips to DVC resorts in the last four months (four different ones), none had the pack and play in the closet. Most didn't have a vacuum cleaner either and no broom. If you need the pack and play, you may need to call Housekeeping to bring you one.

 

[1GoldenSun]

In my last four trips to DVC resorts in the last four months (four different ones), none had the pack and play in the closet. Most didn't have a vacuum cleaner either and no broom. If you need the pack and play, you may need to call Housekeeping to bring you one.

Thank you! I'm driving so I may just throw mine in the trunk just to be safe.

 

[Jhondy]

Do the BRV still have pack-n-plays in the rooms? Even the studios? I remember seeing one in the closet once before, I think.

I haven’t stayed at BRV yet since covid but at BLT and Saratoga springs, the studios didn’t have pack and plays in the room but we were able to request one at the front desk and they brought one up. We always bring a pack and play mattress with us to the hotels to make the pack and play more confortable for DD. At BLT they even had cribs and high chairs for us to use. I’m assuming BRV will be similar

 

[Brett Wyman]

So what’s the current status on the hotel side room refresh? Any pictures? Completion date? If you book for June 2021 will you be getting a refurbished room?

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

Hello all, I was looking to book a trip for Dec 2021 but it says no rooms available, can this be correct? The only room available is Nature view fireworks. Am I missing something?

 

[mrsap]

disregard

 

[GADisneyDad14]

So what’s the current status on the hotel side room refresh? Any pictures? Completion date? If you book for June 2021 will you be getting a refurbished room?

They've been blowing and going on the room renovations for the last few months and appear to on the home stretch of fit/finish/final work on the lower floors at the moment. From the looks of things, the resot will reopen will all hotel-side rooms being refurbished.

There are some pics/videos of the new rooms on the Internet from before the closure (the top floor and some of the floor below had been done at that point).

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hello all, I was looking to book a trip for Dec 2021 but it says no rooms available, can this be correct? The only room available is Nature view fireworks. Am I missing something?

What are your dates? And I assume you're talking about the hotel side, not Copper Creek or Boulder Ridge Villas?

I was just spot checking the hotel side and there was availability for the random December periods I checked.

I will note that in normal times December is a very popular time at WL and with such a relatively small hotel room count (around 430 rooms, which makes it the second-smallest Deluxe on property), availability in December is often times rather thin.

 

[Minnie1222]

Hello, from my understanding, Copper Creek and Wilderness Lodge are in the same building, correct?
Do they share the same laundry facility? Where is this located?
Thanks.

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

What are your dates? And I assume you're talking about the hotel side, not Copper Creek or Boulder Ridge Villas?

I was just spot checking the hotel side and there was availability for the random December periods I checked.

I will note that in normal times December is a very popular time at WL and with such a relatively small hotel room count (around 430 rooms, which makes it the second-smallest Deluxe on property), availability in December is often times rather thin.

We are looking at the 4th through the 12th and yes the hotel side. Perhaps my date range is too much?

 

[mrsap]

Hello, from my understanding, Copper Creek and Wilderness Lodge are in the same building, correct?
Do they share the same laundry facility? Where is this located?
Thanks.

Yes, they are both in the same building! However, they do not share the same laundry facilities. If you are looking for the CCV laundry room, it’s located on the 4th floor. You can only access it, though, if staying DVC, using your magic band. If I recall correctly, the main building laundry is located right by Roaring Fork.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We are looking at the 4th through the 12th and yes the hotel side. Perhaps my date range is too much?

It is showing availability for Courtyard View-King Bed and Nature Fireworks View when I search those dates, so something seems fishy.

Make sure to try searching in a private browsing mode such a Chrome Incognito or similar feature with whatever browser you are using. That's about the only way WDW's website will work for me.

Hope that works!

 

[StEpHandMiKe<3Disney]

It is showing availability for Courtyard View-King Bed and Nature Fireworks View when I search those dates, so something seems fishy.

Make sure to try searching in a private browsing mode such a Chrome Incognito or similar feature with whatever browser you are using. That's about the only way WDW's website will work for me.

Hope that works!

I can't get the courtyard view to come up, only the nature view, did you put those exact dates as well?

 

[MomOTwins]

I can't get the courtyard view to come up, only the nature view, did you put those exact dates as well?

Courtyard king sleeps max 2 people so if you are searching for a larger party it won’t show up

 

[bdiddy]

Hello all! First time on this thread! We are thinking of staying here for our first time! It’s so beautiful and I can’t get over how much it looks like the lodge at Yellowstone which we were at in 2018.

Anyway, we would be flying down for 10 days in mid June and would do 2.5 days at the beginning of the trip at Universal and then head over to Disney for a week.

If we took an Uber over from our Universal hotel to Wilderness Lodge early in the morning...can we leave our luggage at the front desk and go to the park?

I wasn’t sure if they were still offering this type of service with the covid restrictions?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Hello all! First time on this thread! We are thinking of staying here for our first time! It’s so beautiful and I can’t get over how much it looks like the lodge at Yellowstone which we were at in 2018.

Anyway, we would be flying down for 10 days in mid June and would do 2.5 days at the beginning of the trip at Universal and then head over to Disney for a week.

If we took an Uber over from our Universal hotel to Wilderness Lodge early in the morning...can we leave our luggage at the front desk and go to the park?

I wasn’t sure if they were still offering this type of service with the covid restrictions?

Yep - that plan is no problem. Just store your bags with bell services out front and head out for some fun.

Enjoy your trip!