Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
- Messages
- 416
This is a comprehensive review of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. I will give my thoughts about the resort itself and I will review the room. I will also give some recommendations for those who may want to stay at the resort and some suggestions to make your stay better.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a Deluxe resort in the Magic Kingdom area of Walt Disney World. There are just over 725 rooms that are arranged in one central building with two attached wings and another detached wing of condominiums. The resort is created to feel like a vast, early 20th Century national park lodge. The resort features quiet walking trails and beautiful “natural” features like a waterfall and geyser. This beautiful resort is nestled on the shore of Bay Lake.
Sarah and I stayed here during our November 2017 trip. This was one of the resorts that I was really excited to stay at. I love the outdoors and I have fond memories of my family stopping in and seeing many different lodges. I love the comfy feel of a warm fire in a cabin in the mountains. Sarah, on the other hand, did not feel as strongly about this resort.
Sarah and my only previous experience with this resort was during a quick Orlando trip. I was in town because I was attending a conference and I decided to bring Sarah along for the trip. The conference was underwhelming, but the chance to experience Disney World without going into the parks was fun! We decided to eat at Whispering Canyon Cafe during that trip and I was looking forward to staying at the resort.
Resort
Let’s start with positives. I think that the overall theming of the resort is remarkable. I think that Disney Parks & Resorts really did a great job of creating the right environment at the resort. You turn off World Drive and you leave busy Central Florida behind you. You are immersed in the world of the wilderness. The lobby is immaculate. I love the exposed beams and the massive fireplace. The stream running from inside the lobby to the waterfall outside only cements this wilderness feel.
Speaking of the lobby, I think that this lobby is possibly the best at WDW. Firstly, it is absolutely massive. Sitting on the main floor and looking up makes it feel like it is 100-stories tall. I love the relics and authentic items scattered throughout the lobby. It gives guests a chance to experience the wilderness, not just stay in a resort that is themed to look like the wilderness. The gigantic totem poles are well and truly the icing on the cake. I think this is the lobby I could spend the most time lounging in.
I love all the nooks and crannies at WL. Even though the grounds are relatively small, I feel like I could endlessly explore this resort. I think this resort is meant to be enjoyed at a slow, walking pace, similarly to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside. I think you should sip this resort, not guzzle it all down in one sip.
The main pool at WL is another positive. I rate this pool highly not only for the physical space, but for the entire experience. Sitting in the pool and looking up at either the main building or Bay Lake creates an immersive wilderness experience.
Even though the dining at WL may not be as flashy as Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney’s Contemporary Resort, I think it is still a positive at this resort. Personally, Whispering Canyon is probably my favorite food on property. What can beat unlimited barbecue and refillable milkshakes?! There are several additional dining options outside of Whispering Canyon as well. Artist Point is the upscale dining venue at the resort. Roaring Fork and Geyser Point are both good counter service dining. Did I mention that Whispering Canyon has all-you-care-to-enjoy barbecue?!
Now to the negatives. The first negative may be surprising if you are not familiar with this resort. Even though WL is relatively close to Magic Kingdom, transportation at this resort is not very good.
There are two main problems. Unlike the other MK resorts, it is not connected to the monorail system. I am not sure if this was an intentional decision to maintain the integrity of the wilderness feel or if they just did not want to add an extra monorail stop, but it means you will be taking buses to every theme park.
The second problem is that the resort sometimes shares transportation with Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. During our November 2017 trip, we encountered this every single time. This added about 10 minutes to each one of our bus journeys. The bus ride to Magic Kingdom was still roughly 15 minutes. I am not sure if we just had bad luck, but we waited a ridiculous amount of time for buses to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.
Another strange negative at WL was the amount of flies and gnats. These were especially bad at night. I tried to stand out on our balcony and take pictures of the fireworks at MK and I was attacked by a sea of flies. When I got up in the morning to take pictures around the resort, I had the same issue. I was swarmed by roughly one billion flies. The dead flies were almost as bad of a problem as the ones that were alive. Trying to drink out of the water fountain at the bus depot was a harrowing experience. I think that the proximity to Bay Lake makes this problem significantly worse.
Rooms
I think the rooms at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are really great, overall. Both Sarah and I were surprised by how much we enjoyed the rooms. The first strength in this room lies in the detail. I think the details in this room are astounding. These include the carved headrests to the Disney characters on the pillows.
There are also Disney characters on the tile in the shower, which makes me feel a little uncomfortable. Bambi doesn’t need to join me in the shower! Other than the awkwardness of cartoon characters joining me at my most vulnerable, Sarah and I agreed that the bathroom was lovely. It was spacious, had dual vanities, and higher-end features.
I also really enjoyed the room from our balcony. We happened to get a room facing Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Magic Kingdom. I really loved being able to see the fireworks from the room!
The bed was really comfortable. We stayed at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the bed at Wilderness Lodge put it to shame. Sarah and I sunk into the comfortable bed and slept incredibly well. I think that the bed was not quite as nice as at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, but it was close. That is really high praise!
There are a couple of negatives to this resort room. Comparing these rooms to the other Deluxe spaces is a major issue for WL. These rooms are the smallest at the Deluxe resorts. The difference was not noticeable for Sarah and I, but I could see how that would be a problem with a larger party. If you are deciding where to stay based on room size, you may want to take that into consideration.
Also, I recognize that the room theming can be appealing to a very specific demographic. I identify with and enjoy the styling, but Sarah does not. This specificity can lead to people being turned off by WL. I imagine that Disney will tone down the theming when it eventually renovates the rooms, but for now it is very loud. The theme screams Disney at you, rather than softly whispering it. That can lead to adoration or condemnation.
Should I Stay Here?
This is where the rubber meets the road. Should you stay at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge? I think that this resort appeals to a couple of groups. I think that this resort lies at an interesting intersection. This raises a debate of the utility of a Magic Kingdom Deluxe resort that is “inexpensive.”
It is less expensive than Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, or Disney’s Contemporary Resort. However, it does not have the major perk of being monorail accessible. Being that accessibility is a major contributing factor to the exorbitant price tags at these resorts, it is difficult to compare these resorts. As a result of this, I would recommend Wilderness Lodge for the following people:
- Guests who are drawn to the outdoors.
- Parties who want a quiet, relaxing stay at their resort.
- People who are deterred by the price of the other MK resorts.
Speaking of spending time at the resort, I think this is a place where you can stay if you are not going to spend all your time in the parks. I think WL is a place for guests to slow down and absorb the quiet, relaxing pace of life that vacation can provide. Sarah could curl up in one of the rocking chairs by the fire with a good book and enjoy her entire vacation. I am far too energetic and ADD to allow her to do this, but theoretically she could!
Lastly, I think there are some more pragmatic guests who will desire the experience of staying in a Deluxe resort, but will not want to pay for Grand Floridian and its counterparts. The price difference is not severe, but every dollar can make a difference when it comes to vacation!
Tips
First, I would request a top-floor room on the North side. Sarah and I were very fortunate to get a room that had a view of Contemporary and Magic Kingdom. If we were not going to be swarmed by flies, we would have spent more time outside watching the fireworks. Sarah watched from inside and I braved the bugs.
Take your time. This resort is meant to be sipped slowly. The secluded nature of this resorts means that you can feel like you are far away from it all, while being at the largest amusement park on the planet. Take some time to sit on a bench overlooking the lake or in front of the fireplace.
Dine at the resort. The dining at WL is incredibly underrated. I think (my waistline agrees) that Whispering Canyon is dangerously good. Geyser Point is another newer food offering and it can be a very pleasant place to eat or enjoy a beverage. You should use at least one of your meals to eat here.
Have you stayed at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge? Share your experience! We would love to hear from you! Just add to the Comments section below.
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