First timer at Disney..any suggestions for staying at the WL?

[Zoey75]

We are going to Disney for the first time & staying at the WL. Is there any tips for staying there? Should I request anything at check in? Any travel tips to the parks? Any help is appreciated

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

We are going to Disney for the first time & staying at the WL. Is there any tips for staying there? Should I request anything at check in? Any travel tips to the parks? Any help is appreciated

Never stayed there, but I know it's beautiful. There is actually a whole forum on the Disboards for resort info. I imagine your thread will get moved there. It has tons of info on every resort, and most resorts have their own thread. For instance, we did a split stay at POR and CSR this year, so I subscribed to the main threads for those resorts so I would get posts from others going there too. We even planned a Dis meet, but it was foiled by one of the Disers' family getting sick and having to be hospitalized. Boo. Anyway, hope that helps.

 

[Zoey75]

Thank you..I put it over there too.

 

[GingerJay]

I'm jealous Beautiful resort

 

[PrincessK]

My FAVORITE resort!! Try to get a courtyard view room, they are the best! I love to people watch or look out at the bay. I've also been able to see the light pagent at night from my balcony before.
You will love it! It's impressive driving up the driveway and then when you walk in the lobby...oh my!
We rented bikes last time there, you can ride over to the campground area. The buffet place over there (can't remember the name now) is really good with lots of options.
Have an awesome time!!

 

[Playgrnd]

It's our favorite resort and I have the following tip to pass along. For travel to and from the parks you have an alternate option that is often overlooked.

Here is an example:

If you happen to be at a park near closing it can get crowded very quickly and the line for the Bus back to the WL from DHS can be overwhelming, this is especially true if you also have kids in tow. You will quickly notice that the line next to you heading directly to the comptempory resort is short - hop on the comptempory bus and then take the boat from the comptempory to the WL.

You can also do the reverse when heading out from the WL. Boat to the Comptempory and monorail to one of the resorts, parks, etc. You can also walk to MK.

It's always nice to have options

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've done over 10 stays there....just the location alone is worth it....

Courtyard, main pool is a favorite room preference but watch woods view (service area is noisy with trucks etc) north wing...we do prefer the north wing, closest to QS and boat launch.....but the resort is compact enough, either side is great.....

There's movies on the beach each night along with the Electrical Water Pageant, flag raising, hidden mickey hunts and tours, bike and boat rental, afternoon pool activities and games and quite a few little nooks on each floor with sofas and love seats and fireplaces to escape to....we love it...

Fort Wilderness is a boat ride away, Trails End has some of the cheapest buffet on property, breakfast and dinner the best, lunch is so-so.....down stairs is Crocketts Tavern where you can have a pizza and some drinks, quaint and cozy and food is decent (finger food)....

Just the ambiance and location (price is great for a deluxe too) to the MK is what we like...the boat ride to the MK (say 10+ minutes) is a great way to see the lakes....we enjoy the pool every day and have pool picnics there each day we break from the parks at noon (grocery pick up in route) we get sandwich fixing and drinks (WL has a fridge) and the ambiance and music aroound the pool can't be beat....

Wander around the grounds in the evening, visit the Spike Room over at the villas and just take in the total atmosphere of the whole resort...there's even a walking trail over to FW.....with the resort nestled in the trees, being compact, you're not far from anything....you'll love it....

 

[drjny]

Head over to the adjacent Disney Vacation Club resort (Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge) for a quieter lobby for sitting and relaxing. There are a few different rooms to discover and even a checkers table. To get there from the lobby, head right out towards the bus stop but keep going straight ahead instead of turning right and the covered path will take you to the entrance.

There are also a hidden mickey search you can perform. Ask for the list at the front desk.

 

[April1971]

Have a meal at Whispering Canyon (you'll need reservations). Much fun for all. Also, depending on your weather, I think you can get a pizza at Crocket's tavern at Fort Wilderness and eat it on the beach/at the marina. Lovely view. Artist's Pointe is delicious. I seem to recall good hot cocoa at the counter service restaurant. The refillable mug is nice and you can always carry it over to Fort Wilderness for a drink there as well. Rent a watermouse at Fort Wilderness for some fun on the lake. WL is beautiful and a place we visit every Disney trip regardless of where we are staying.

 

[Mammaz]

Ask to be the flag family of the day. You get to raise the flag on the roof of WL. It was really cool. When we did it a photo pass photographer went with us a took at least 100 pictures. It was one of the highlight of our trip. Be sure to ask as soon as you check in as it is VERY limited.

 

[Jackie Psarianos]

Wilderness Lodge:

You're going to love it there! We stayed there last August so I have a bit of information for you.

-I (having a special needs child), always make my requests when booking (it always helps when the requests are in the system) and then I call the resort directly a few days ahead of time to go over my reservation verbally once more,

-you need to determine what's best for your family, location wise, if you prefer being close to the main lobby/buses then you need to make that known,

-enjoy the lobby, go around and read all of the information about geology and history, and do not miss the information at the base of the fireplace, it's neat,

-they do have mini-refridgerators in the rooms so if you like to snack you can store things in there, the gift shop has a good selection of snack items,

-if you need to get to another Magic Kingdom resort, ask the Bus driver for any bus that comes along where they're going to stop next, some of them will stop at the Polynesian or Grand Floridian...BUT ALWAYS ASK FIRST!! We did this when it was raining and had ressies at the GF and surprisingly, the Downtown Disney bus was going to make a stop at the GF first so we hopped on....PLEASE ASK FIRST.

-try to book a tour of the resort, it's really interesting and don't miss the Geyser's daily erruption, check the front desk for times

Enjoy, it's a beautiful resort and enjoy the rocking chairs in front of the fireplace....so cozy!