Finally going Deluxe???

[klitteral2009]

So my little Disney Loving heart got a shock last night when DH suggested looking at WL for our next January trip! We usually stay as a family of 5 at POR, and while we love it, and it's most definitely our home, we feel like it's time for a change. One of my main concerns is transport from there. How are the buses? I know that while I was skimming the WL info thread I noticed that they share buses and some boats with GF? Does that seem to add a great deal of time to travel? I ask because while we use Disney busses exclusively while we are on property, and we accept their flaws such as they are, I don't know how I'd feel at the end of a week if buses there are an issue. POR last year had some of the worst service we've seen. While it may have been a fluke, it left a horrible taste in my mouth along with a desire to plan a bit better around such issues.

Any perks your family has found staying at WL would be welcome knowledge! We ventured over for the first time last year to eat at Whispering Canyon and really liked the overall feel of the rustic resort can't wait to get back to my happy place!

 

[DisneyMomx7]

If you are going as a family of 5, WL non deluxe rooms only sleep 4

 

[Mousemommy1]

As PP said, most rooms at WL only have a 4 person capacity. You could do a deluxe CL room, but that is $$$$.

Also, WL is undergoing some major construction and you may want to hop onto the WL thread for a timeline as I am not sure of same, but you wouldn't want to spend the money and be disappointed by construction.

That being said, we stayed at WL (before we were a family of five) and it remains our favorite resort!!! We love everything about it, and we did not find the bus transportation to be bad at all.

 

[mickeynut1]

So my little Disney Loving heart got a shock last night when DH suggested looking at WL for our next January trip! We usually stay as a family of 5 at POR, and while we love it, and it's most definitely our home, we feel like it's time for a change. One of my main concerns is transport from there. How are the buses? I know that while I was skimming the WL info thread I noticed that they share buses and some boats with GF? Does that seem to add a great deal of time to travel? I ask because while we use Disney busses exclusively while we are on property, and we accept their flaws such as they are, I don't know how I'd feel at the end of a week if buses there are an issue. POR last year had some of the worst service we've seen. While it may have been a fluke, it left a horrible taste in my mouth along with a desire to plan a bit better around such issues.

Any perks your family has found staying at WL would be welcome knowledge! We ventured over for the first time last year to eat at Whispering Canyon and really liked the overall feel of the rustic resort can't wait to get back to my happy place!

We love the WL! The atmosphere is beautiful, the pool is great, and the dining options are great (IMO). We have always found the buses (as well as the boat to MK) to be quick and efficient. I'm not sure which resorts share buses with the WL for Epcot, DHS, and AK, but for MK, there is a bus that goes direct with no stops. Also, just wanted to mention (in case you weren't aware) that the standard rooms at WL don't accommodate 5, unless one is under the age of 3. There are, however, deluxe CL rooms that accommodate 6. With all of that said, the WL is undergoing construction, so that might be something to look into. Here is a link to a thread that talks about the DVC expansion/construction:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wilderness-lodge-dvc-expansion-details-7-24-update-page-32.3410778/

HTH

 

[Babsy]

We love the WL! The atmosphere is beautiful, the pool is great, and the dining options are great (IMO). We have always found the buses (as well as the boat to MK) to be quick and efficient. I'm not sure which resorts share buses with the WL for Epcot, DHS, and AK, but for MK, there is a bus that goes direct with no stops. Also, just wanted to mention (in case you weren't aware) that the standard rooms at WL don't accommodate 5, unless one is under the age of 3. There are, however, deluxe CL rooms that accommodate 6. With all of that said, the WL is undergoing construction, so that might be something to look into. Here is a link to a thread that talks about the DVC expansion/construction:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/wilderness-lodge-dvc-expansion-details-7-24-update-page-32.3410778/

HTH

This!

You might want to consider a standard room at the Poly or a GW room at the CR.

Good luck!

 

[mickeynut1]

You might want to consider a standard room at the Poly or a GW room at the CR.

I agree, these are good alternatives if WL doesn't work out.

 

[ElizabethB]

We find the bus service to be unsatisfactory at all resorts -- and we have stayed everything from All Star Sports to several stays at GF Main Building Club Level.

We rent a car, stay at a monorail resort (which helps) or plan on taking taxis a lot of the time.

 

[EvilDrPorkchop21]

We find the bus service to be unsatisfactory at all resorts -- and we have stayed everything from All Star Sports to several stays at GF Main Building Club Level.

We rent a car, stay at a monorail resort (which helps) or plan on taking taxis a lot of the time.

Wow that's surprising to hear, any particular reason why?

 

[KonaKaiTom]

So my little Disney Loving heart got a shock last night when DH suggested looking at WL for our next January trip! We usually stay as a family of 5 at POR, and while we love it, and it's most definitely our home, we feel like it's time for a change. One of my main concerns is transport from there. How are the buses? I know that while I was skimming the WL info thread I noticed that they share buses and some boats with GF? Does that seem to add a great deal of time to travel? I ask because while we use Disney busses exclusively while we are on property, and we accept their flaws such as they are, I don't know how I'd feel at the end of a week if buses there are an issue. POR last year had some of the worst service we've seen. While it may have been a fluke, it left a horrible taste in my mouth along with a desire to plan a bit better around such issues.

Any perks your family has found staying at WL would be welcome knowledge! We ventured over for the first time last year to eat at Whispering Canyon and really liked the overall feel of the rustic resort can't wait to get back to my happy place!

with respect to sharing buses and some boats with the GF -- that is sort of true. If you take the DME from MCO to your resort, the MK area resorts tend to share buses. So for my GF stays when I don't rent a car, we know that we are most likely going to be riding first to the WL, then the CR, then the Poly and finally the GF -- or whatever order they decide as they haven't always gone the same route. Usually we hop off at the first Monorail resort with our carry-ons and then take the Monorail to the GF as it will be 5 minutes or less.

Regarding the boats -- there are 3 loops that run around the MK (excluding, of course, the main boats that go from the TTC to the MK). One loop runs among the GF/Poly/MK-these are the Gold flagged boats, another loop runs among the WL/FL/CR - these are the Blue flag boats, the third loop are the Red flag boats which run from FW and WL to the MK -- I believe their first stop is the WL from the MK so you wouldn't have to worry about getting a seat. Keep in mind, that there are several of each flagged boat operating at a time so that while one boat is picking up at WL, its partner boat is dropping off at the MK. Also, there are larger versions of these launches that they use for the peak times of day as well. These are motor cruisers and they hold a LOT more people -- they are dedicated though -- one only goes to WL and MK and the other only goes to FW and the MK -- the launches give you the opportunity to dine at one of the other resorts plus give you an alternate should the motor cruiser just have pulled away as you were walking down the dock.

BTW, if the 5 person deal kills you for the WL, take a look at FW -- we just did a split stay there and the kids liked the cabin (which sleeps 6) better than the GF. Like WL, it isn't on the monorail, but does have its own ferry to get to the MK.

Tom

 

[ElizabethB]

Why we don't like the buses:

They appear to run on no particular schedule so we have found we can head out to the bus stop (doesn't matter which level of resort) and easily wait 1/2 hour for a bus to where we are going (the monorails are somewhat more reliable so if MK is your focus, a monorail resort is a good choice). Some people may not mind this, but, for us, vacation time is limited and spending lots of it waiting for buses is a waste of good vacation time.

We often stay at the Yacht Club which involves several stops -- Swan, Dolphin, Beach Club, etc. A trip that should take 5 minutes often takes 40 minutes. (This is what convinced DH to rent a car -- 5 minute trips take 40.)

We used to take the bus to Magic Kingdom since it avoids the boat or monorail ride from the Ticket & Transportation Center. We stopped doing that when we took a bus one morning from Yacht Club that was jam-packed with noisy and over-excited kids. The kids we could deal with, but not the adults. One man standing toward the back took it upon himself to start shouting at the kids about how long 'til we get there, what rides are you going to ride, etc., etc. The kids were already so noisy and over-excited that this was the last thing they needed. Soon, the entire bus (jam packed with the entire aisle filled with standing adults) was nearly in riot. All we wanted was a somewhat decent, moderately sane ride. 30 minutes later when we finally reached MK, we swore we would never take a bus to MK again. And, we never did. For us, a cab and a civilized 5 minute ride is more than worth the $20 bucks it costs.

 

[Sarah22]

WL!!!