Falling out of love with the Wilderness Lodge

[marielynn724]

Currently staying at the WL and not loving it, even though I've loved it in the past. Very long convoluted walk to my room. 1st floor patio is enclosed by huge shrub - appreciate the privacy but it blocks out all the natural light and my room is super dark. Worst of all the bed - it's just a big sinkhole. This mattress feels like it needed to be retired 20 years ago but he room is renovated! I've had insomnia all week from this horrible bed and I feel miserable walking around the parks like a zombie. Everything aches. Sorry for the complaining rant but it's 4am and I've been awake this entire time.

 

[Disneylover99]

Currently staying at the WL and not loving it, even though I've loved it in the past. Very long convoluted walk to my room. 1st floor patio is enclosed by huge shrub - appreciate the privacy but it blocks out all the natural light and my room is super dark. Worst of all the bed - it's just a big sinkhole. This mattress feels like it needed to be retired 20 years ago but he room is renovated! I've had insomnia all week from this horrible bed and I feel miserable walking around the parks like a zombie. Everything aches. Sorry for the complaining rant but it's 4am and I've been awake this entire time.

How many more days are you staying? I’d ask to change rooms if I had a problem with the bed and couldn’t sleep on it. Go to the front desk and see if you can switch to a different room.

 

[simplymama]

Currently staying at the WL and not loving it, even though I've loved it in the past. Very long convoluted walk to my room. 1st floor patio is enclosed by huge shrub - appreciate the privacy but it blocks out all the natural light and my room is super dark. Worst of all the bed - it's just a big sinkhole. This mattress feels like it needed to be retired 20 years ago but he room is renovated! I've had insomnia all week from this horrible bed and I feel miserable walking around the parks like a zombie. Everything aches. Sorry for the complaining rant but it's 4am and I've been awake this entire time.

Did you make them aware or ask to be moved? If it's ruining your vacation, you most definitely should have at least tried.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Like others have said, I would have went to the lobby and got a room change.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Hoping you are currently at the front desk requesting that room change.

 

[MICKIMINI]

We arrived one year to be assigned the first studio on the first floor past the sign, on the path to the villas. At that time, the patio was fully exposed and every single person walking into the villas at WL would walk past our patio and glass door. I was freaked out. We went back to the desk and nicely asked and were moved to another villa on the back facing the trees on the third floor. It was a relaxing stay.

PLEASE go to the front desk and chat with them. I hope they will help you and you can end your trip with a relaxing few nights. Take care.

 

[Dug720]

As everyone has said, I'd go to the front desk and request a room change and explain why - especially if the mattress needs to be replaced. Pretty sure housekeeping is not laying on the bed to see how it is, so unless someone says something, they don't know that it needs to be replaced.

 

[NYCgrrl]

As everyone has said, I'd go to the front desk and request a room change and explain why - especially if the mattress needs to be replaced. Pretty sure housekeeping is not laying on the bed to see how it is, so unless someone says something, they don't know that it needs to be replaced.

Actually, the housekeeping administration keeps a record of every bed in the resort with the purchase date being foremost. So the home attendant doesn’t lie on it but someone knows when it should be changed. Doesn’t mean something didn’t fall through the cracks though.

 

[Dug720]

Actually, the housekeeping administration keeps a record of every bed in the resort with the purchase date being foremost. So the home attendant doesn’t lie on it but someone knows when it should be changed. Doesn’t mean something didn’t fall through the cracks though.

But based on use some go out of reasonable usage faster than others. Even if they're slept on the same number of nights, various, shall we say activities, could wear one out faster than another.

 

[NYCgrrl]

But based on use some go out of reasonable usage faster than others. Even if they're slept on the same number of nights, various, shall we say activities, could wear one out faster than another.

Believe or not, there are people who do time studies for bed usage. And chairs. And tables. And every moving part in a hotel room.

 

[bakerworld]

2015 we stayed at BC and the mattress had a broken area. When you sat on the bedside table side you fell over because the springs were broken. We'd waited most of the day from the room to be ready and didn't feel like dealing with housekeeping so we ripped off the covers, turned the mattress and remade the bed. Now the 'hole' was at the bottom which worked for sleeping.

Another time we stayed at BC you could see the depressions in the mattress. We didn't complain then either and regretted it. By the time we returned home I needed at appointment with the Chiro. After these two instances I always eyeball the mattress.

 

[Anthony1971]

My wife will never take a room on the first floor. While it is rare we get one this year we did and we were given a room on the third floor that faced a building not room building where at least 9/10 rooms are lake or woods and this was ok with her. The beds are very hit and miss some deluxe have plush and others pillow top maybe even within the same resort? The pillow tops always have sink holes over time unless they sit for a few days or longer between guests or can be flipped like the older mattress style that was replaced by the new higher quality ones that never need to be flipped…. So they say. Bought an expensive pillow top lasted me 3 years it is now a guest mattress and works great very comfortable not being slept on most nights gives the pillow top time to come back.

 

[SL6827]

I wouldn't doubt Disney pushing the envelope as far as possible now verses in the past with mattress replacements. Or any hotel chain really.

 

[marielynn724]

Update: wow, I had no idea my incoherent rantings would get such a response. I always learn so much on these forums!!

I went to the front desk yesterday and complained about the mattress. Concierge had me wait there for a maintenance CM to meet me and I had to walk him to my room to inspect the bed - is this normal? They can't just take my word for it? CM (Woody! He was soooo nice!) was shocked bc it's a brand new mattress (newly renovated room) but yeah he agreed it was dead. He took photos. He said "this is a hotel, at the end of the day we're selling sleep".

He was great, but the front desk sort of made me feel like I was inconveniencing the hotel, rather than the hotel having inconvenienced me. No one apologized for the bad experience with the bed.

There's something else, too - I'm on this trip solo. Did my first solo trip to the Boardwalk in the spring and it was such a wonderful experience I decided to do it again. For a single woman, Disney is a safe and comfortable place. But this time I got some weird comments about being alone, from both CMs and other guests. I can ignore other guests but was really expecting better from the CMs. Overall the WL has left me pretty heartbroken, with the backpain from the mattress to boot. My flight home today is going to be very uncomfortable. I'm going to sit on this for a few days to see how I feel after getting back to my real life, but I intend to write a letter to the general manager.

 

[RuntheMouse]

For a single woman, Disney is a safe and comfortable place. But this time I got some weird comments about being alone, from both CMs and other guests. I can ignore other guests but was really expecting better from the CMs.

This wasn’t my experience at all when I stayed at WL last October. DH was stuck at work so I went down for a quick trip solo (my first) and every CM I encountered was fabulous from front desk to bell services to dining/bar staff. It was clear I was solo and everyone gave top notch service, nothing inappropriate or weird at all.

Sorry your trip was disappointing!

 

[Dug720]

This wasn’t my experience at all when I stayed at WL last October. DH was stuck at work so I went down for a quick trip solo (my first) and every CM I encountered was fabulous from front desk to bell services to dining/bar staff. It was clear I was solo and everyone gave top notch service, nothing inappropriate or weird at all.

Sorry your trip was disappointing!

I haven't stayed at Wilderness Lodge, but I am always solo. The only time any CM has ever said anything was once or twice when I checked into an ADR. Depending on how they say it, my answer will generally be along the lines of "I prefer traveling alone" (if they're nice, just curious), "My friend couldn't make it" (if it's slightly more than just nice curiosity), or "I haven't had a chance to visit the Haunted Mansion yet" (if they're nasty about it). A couple of times if it's been at one of the restaurants where the system doesn't like solo numbers I'll flat out say "If your system allowed parties of all sizes to book, I wouldn't have to include a ghost."

But generally they're not nasty - they may just be curious. More than once one of them has said "I wish I had the guts to travel alone."

 

[gottalovepluto]

Update: wow, I had no idea my incoherent rantings would get such a response. I always learn so much on these forums!!

I went to the front desk yesterday and complained about the mattress. Concierge had me wait there for a maintenance CM to meet me and I had to walk him to my room to inspect the bed - is this normal? They can't just take my word for it? CM (Woody! He was soooo nice!) was shocked bc it's a brand new mattress (newly renovated room) but yeah he agreed it was dead. He took photos. He said "this is a hotel, at the end of the day we're selling sleep".

He was great, but the front desk sort of made me feel like I was inconveniencing the hotel, rather than the hotel having inconvenienced me. No one apologized for the bad experience with the bed.

There's something else, too - I'm on this trip solo. Did my first solo trip to the Boardwalk in the spring and it was such a wonderful experience I decided to do it again. For a single woman, Disney is a safe and comfortable place. But this time I got some weird comments about being alone, from both CMs and other guests. I can ignore other guests but was really expecting better from the CMs. Overall the WL has left me pretty heartbroken, with the backpain from the mattress to boot. My flight home today is going to be very uncomfortable. I'm going to sit on this for a few days to see how I feel after getting back to my real life, but I intend to write a letter to the general manager.

Woah. Many solo trips as a female traveler, and never any comments from a CM except from “ohh, I’ve been think about a solo trip somewhere but I’ve been hesitant!” Or “I love traveling solo!” . I would write Disney and let them pass it on to the GM as I believe attitude from the CMs comes from the top so little point in writing the GM direct. So, let Disney and the hotel have a record of it.

 

[danikoski]

Update: wow, I had no idea my incoherent rantings would get such a response. I always learn so much on these forums!!

I went to the front desk yesterday and complained about the mattress. Concierge had me wait there for a maintenance CM to meet me and I had to walk him to my room to inspect the bed - is this normal? They can't just take my word for it? CM (Woody! He was soooo nice!) was shocked bc it's a brand new mattress (newly renovated room) but yeah he agreed it was dead. He took photos. He said "this is a hotel, at the end of the day we're selling sleep".

He was great, but the front desk sort of made me feel like I was inconveniencing the hotel, rather than the hotel having inconvenienced me. No one apologized for the bad experience with the bed.

There's something else, too - I'm on this trip solo. Did my first solo trip to the Boardwalk in the spring and it was such a wonderful experience I decided to do it again. For a single woman, Disney is a safe and comfortable place. But this time I got some weird comments about being alone, from both CMs and other guests. I can ignore other guests but was really expecting better from the CMs. Overall the WL has left me pretty heartbroken, with the backpain from the mattress to boot. My flight home today is going to be very uncomfortable. I'm going to sit on this for a few days to see how I feel after getting back to my real life, but I intend to write a letter to the general manager.

Is encourage you to email this email:
guest.services@disneyworld.com

 

[Eastern]

My flight home today is going to be very uncomfortable. I'm going to sit on this for a few days to see how I feel after getting back to my real life, but I intend to write a letter to the general manager.

It's always best to write this letter/email while you are there, however short.