Has anyone had a negative experience staying at the Wilderness Lodge?

[vhoffman]

We're planning to stay at the WL the second week of Dec. for four nights. We originally planned to stay at the Contemporary Tower room for $1200, but we can get the WL for four nights for $856, a savings of about $346. I originally chose the CR because of its location and proximity to the MK, since our main event will be MVMCP. However, I tend to over worry my hotel choices. I heard nothing but good things about the WL, the only exception that many feel the rooms are on the small side and rather dark. Other than that, has anyone had a bad experience they'd be willing to share? I realize things can go wrong at any hotel and no place is perfect, but I'd like to hear other's experiences, positive and negative. Another plus with the CR is its location. WL seems a little remote from everything. I understand the bus system can be frustrating as it makes several stops along the way. How is the water taxi? Is it efficient? Also, I have difficulty with steep stairs. Are there steps inside the boat? Are these boats like the boats along the cresent lake? As I recall, those boats docked flush with the dock and you could just walk right on, there were no interior stairs. Also, when does the AP rates come out for Dec? We got a good rate with AAA discount, $186 per night. They said I could always change it later if the AP was a better deal. How have the AP rates been in the past for this time of year? I understand the WL is beautifully decorated for Christmas, more so than the CR. Appreciate opinions!

 

[dparksfan]

Just back from the WL, 9 nights. Our room was small, 2 queens with a crib, but it was tolerable. Dark decor, but enough lights in the room. Woodsy feeling, which has a whole different feeling than the Contemporary, which I tend to like too. Haven't stayed there but I like the feel of the hotel. The beds were really comfortable, the man who brought up the crib from housekeeping said they got extra thick mattresses recently. The grounds of the hotel are great, nice but relaxing too. The boats to MK were fine and only during the day did they stop at Ft. Wilderness first. Any other questions, feel free to ask. Hope this was somewhat helpful.

 

[BambiTamby]

The WL is one of the most fabulously decorated resorts during the holiday season!

We've NEVER had anything negative to say about WL.
And we've been there 3 times!

 

[Piglette]

We've stayed at both, and I vote WL hands down. Just my personal opinion, but I didn't think the Contemporary was "all that". The decor is very 60s (or early 70s) and the room seemed like nothing more than a Motel 6 or Howard Johnson's. Don't get me wrong, it really was just fine, but nothing special. WL, on the other hand, is a nice hotel with good decor and theming. If the price were exactly the same, I'd still pick WL.

That said, the monorail is obviously a huge convenience. But the boats at WL come frequently (and no steep stairs), and the bus service was fine too.

 

[Alice28]

I posted my opinion about this on another board ( I think it was you who started the thread anyway) and I want to add this to my rambling thoughts:

CR's rooms are quite a bit bigger than WL's rooms. Hands down the theming is better at the WL, but I think the Contemporary and the Poly have the biggest rooms (without being a suite of course) of any of the resorts. The decor is kinda garish, but fun. And I loved the shopping at the CR- great stores!

But, I will stand by my original statement which was I think WL is the better choice, great theming, esp at Christmas time. You just get this "feeling" at the Lodge that you don't get at the CR- it's very homey, very larger than life yet cozy at the same time. The music grabs you, the lobby is jaw-dropping impressive, the restaurants are yummy, the grounds are gorgeous.

 

[Ga Girl]

the boat that runs from WL to FW and then to MK has no steps at all. We rolled our stroller staight on. Now the boat that goes to the Contemp. you have to step down into, like the boat in the Jungle Cruise ride.

You will absolutely love the Lodge at Christmas time. We were there this past December and the tree in the lobby is Beautiful!!
Be sure to check into the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Loads of fun and little to no waits for rides

You can also get tons of Info on the NEW WL FAQ...room choices,dining options and all kinds of other stuff. Come on over and check it out

Hope this helps

 

[D&R love Disney]

The WL is my all time favorite resort, it is so beautiful. Only complaint is that the pool is not that big for the size of the resort especially since the villa's opened up.

 

[WhispyPixie]

WL is one of the best themed resorts on WDW property. We love it! Although the last trip we had the resort staff wasn't as nice and "go out of their way" to make things special for us, I would still stay there ANYTIME!! Love the theming!

 

[currycook]

Stayed at both. The room sizes at the CR are larger. That is simply because that was the standard size of the day when the Poly and Contemporary were built. Those two resorts will have the largest room sizes.

I would stay at the WL because for myself I dont think the large amount of extra money to stay at the comtemporary over the WL is worth it. In fact I like the WL better and just hope more people wont realize its the best value of all the delux resorts.

 

[QJ411]

My DH and I stayed at WL for our honeymoon and again this past Dec. We can't get enough of it. Like everyone said, the theme is great and especially at Christmas time, the decor is amazing.

We chose WL b/c of their theme and the location/transportation. We LOVED the boats that goes to CR or MK, and the bus was not too bad. Sometimes, to take it slow and enjoy everything around us, we took the boat to CR and hopped on the monorail to go around.

We're going back in May and we were contemplating against AKL or back to WL again, after much debate, we ended up choosing WL again. For whatever reason, it's just amazing. From the moment you walk in (Especially at Christmas) the whole ambiance just takes your breath away.

We've never had a negative experience at WL...always a positive one. (The 1st day of our honeymoon, we set the wake up call to wake us up at 7am, needless to say, we didn't hear it at all and overslept, at 7:20am, a front desk mgr. knocked on our door to wake us up and check on us~make sure we're not dead , but I thought that was very nice)

Sorry to ramble, I just wanted to put in my 2 cents, we LOVE WL!

Hope this helped, ENJOY!

 

[n2mm]

We have done both and lean to the CR over WL. We are staying at the WL for our summer trip because we couldn't get into the CR for 9 nights. We just returned from the WL and here are the couple of negative things I can say about it. We had to do laundry because we didn't pack enough warm closes. It is tiny (6 washers) and needs updating (we rarely ever have to do laundry, weather is unpredictable in Feb.) The Pool is too tiny for this resort, with families w/children taking ALL of the lounge chairs. This really ticked me because I watched a family of 6 throw towels on the chairs and never came back, while we had to sit on the chairs by the bar because we couldn't get a lounge chair--this is during value/slow season, what is it like during busy season? Roaring forks is too small to accommodate this resort. In the morning the line stretched into the seating room. But the thing I wasn't thrilled about is the MK boat. It picked up at FW first, then WL, then off to MK. Well the first couple of boats where near impossible to get on--with standing room only. Hope this isn't the case during busy season. ugh. We often took the Comtemporary boat and walked from CR to MK. Housekeeping wasn't very good on our recent trip either. They seldom got to our room until 4:00 PM, making it impossible to rest mid-day. We were shocked. We considered changing our summer plans to try again for the CR, but thought we would try WL again (we'll see). Hope I'm not making a mistake. This was my third stay at WL.

Love the lobby and the CMs are wonderful. Enjoy WCC for breakfast. Since we had our car, we drove everywhere, and love the proximity of this resort--however, finding a parking space in the evening often required a long walk back to the resort.

I think I enjoy the CR resort because of it's size. We love the larger room and even larger bathroom with seperate vanity area. Love the sofa table setup. We stayed in the South Wing last year, so was a short walk to the pool. Even though we were there in the summer, the pool (especially the quiet one) always had chairs available. Food court area is not much to talk about, but with the ferry boats, it's always a quick trip to Trails End, or WCC.

I'm sure I'm a minority, but you asked for candid opinions and this is my. We just returned from the WL on Feb. 6, so my info is pretty current. I guess WL is a love/hate resort for me. We were, however, upgraded (complimentary) from a Woods View to Courtyard view, 4th floor. We could see the lagoon and watch the ELP from our bed. That was a plesant surprise.

 

[Kimberle]

Originally posted by vhoffman
We're planning to stay at the WL the second week of Dec. for four nights. We originally planned to stay at the Contemporary Tower room for $1200, but we can get the WL for four nights for $856, a savings of about $346. I originally chose the CR because of its location and proximity to the MK, since our main event will be MVMCP. However, I tend to over worry my hotel choices. I heard nothing but good things about the WL, the only exception that many feel the rooms are on the small side and rather dark. Other than that, has anyone had a bad experience they'd be willing to share? I realize things can go wrong at any hotel and no place is perfect, but I'd like to hear other's experiences, positive and negative. Another plus with the CR is its location. WL seems a little remote from everything. I understand the bus system can be frustrating as it makes several stops along the way. How is the water taxi? Is it efficient? Also, I have difficulty with steep stairs. Are there steps inside the boat? Are these boats like the boats along the cresent lake? As I recall, those boats docked flush with the dock and you could just walk right on, there were no interior stairs. Also, when does the AP rates come out for Dec? We got a good rate with AAA discount, $186 per night. They said I could always change it later if the AP was a better deal. How have the AP rates been in the past for this time of year? I understand the WL is beautifully decorated for Christmas, more so than the CR. Appreciate opinions!

Hi, I have stayed at both CR & WL. I love both resorts. They are totally different in regards to "theme" and "feel".

WL is not at all remote. It is so close to CR that if there were a bridge over the water you could walk.

No stairs to the boat. Just a sly gyseer! I was able to very comfortably roll my stroller from our room to right on to the boat.

We found the transportation wonderful. There are 2 boats. The larger one goes WL/FW/MK. The ride was around 10 minutes. The smaller boat (must fold strollers) goes CR/WL/FW. So, it is very easy to eat dinner at CR or Trails End at FW. Buses everywhere else. WL also has a direct bus to TTC. TTC is so close, again, if there were a sidewalk, you could comfortably walk. The longest we waited for a bus/boat was abt 10 minutes. In the AM, the buses arrive first at WL, then stop at GF. We never had a problem getting a seat. PM, then tended to stop at FW then WL. As with all buses, except AKL, they either share with other resorts or make multiple stops in the same resort.

WL is the smallest of the deluxes. Though there is tons to do, it has a very intiment feel. When it is raining, you can get around w/out having to go outside. (At the CR, if you're in the wings, you must go outside to get to the main building.)

As for the rooms, yes, I do think almost everyone will agree they are a bit on the small side. But, they are beautifully set up and furnished. Every single room has a balacony (patio on 2nd floor). CR wings do not have balaconies. Yes, the wood is dark, but I found plenty of lighting.

You will have a wonderful time!!!

 

[Kaycee]

Our only negative experience staying at the WL - having to leave! I'll admit, I teared up a little that last moring standing in the lobby. Our visit there was so wonderful, I hated to leave.

There may have been minor problems - we had a little peeling wallpaper in the bathroom, and we had a couple of longish (greater than 20 minutes) waits for buses. But all that paled in comparison to the warm, relaxing feeling that surrounds you as soon as you walk into this resort. When we came back from the parks each day, we really felt like we were coming hoime.

I can't wait to go back!

 

[litlpixie]

Well, here's my 2 cents about the Lodge. Our room was a junior suite, which was soooo nice and it looked onto the lake. But we would never stay there again. The pool is too small for all the guests, and unfortunately we experienced 2 extremely rude CM's that made me wonder why I left POR mid week to stay there. We found that even though we loved our room, there was a lot of hallway noise(not WL's fault) and they would throw the morning paper at the door every morning at the break of dawn(WL's fault). We found POR to be much more relaxing for us. I think that it is a gorgeous hotel, though. I'm sure you'll enjoy your stay there.

 

[vhoffman]

If they threw the newspaper at my door waking me up in the morning I'd throw it back at them! I do value my sleep and while on vacaton I wake up when I please, not when someone else thinks I should. Oh, well, that's probably a minor problem. Insofar as noise in the hall, was that just due to rude guests or was it noise coming from the lobby, restaurant, etc? Where were you located? I've heard many comments about the pool being too small, however, I don't think that will really be a consideration since we're going in Dec., probably too cold to swim anyways. However, the CR does have merits. If we we were going in warmer weather the pool/beach would be a consideration, and the larger rooms would be a plus for a longer stay. Three-four nights is about all I can take being in the same room with two active kids. Anything longer than that and I seriously consider a suite or connecting rooms. It is extra money but an investment in the enjoyment of your vacation.

 

[MagicPrincess]

Originally posted by BambiTamby
The WL is one of the most fabulously decorated resorts during the holiday season!

We've NEVER had anything negative to say about WL.
And we've been there 3 times!

I love reading your posts!!!
You always have such nice things to say about the resorts!
We're really looking forward to our trip to the WL (and staying concierge!!!)!

 

[rngclick]

about WL. We plan to go there on our 25th.

 

[litlpixie]

vhoffman, Please be advised that I hate talking negative about the resorts, because I know they do the best they can, but to answer your questions....the hallway noise was from people's kids running and screaming down the hall, like I said , not the fault of WL. And, yes, the newspaper thing was a little irritating, but you know how thoses disgruntled newspaper delivery-people can be OH GEEZ, I hope I didn't offend any newspaper-delivery people w/ that comment. Anyway the pool was a huge issue. We went in May, and yes, it was hot. But you got in the pool and could only stand there it was so crowded. The rude cast members added to my broken heart over this place. I'm from NY so I'm used to "attitude" and I can take it pretty well, but I got yelled at by the life-jacket lady because I returned the jacket too early(long story) I was pretty taken back by her(bad day I guess)There I go again, now I've offended NY'ers AND Life-jacket rentees. That's it, I'm shutting up now Everyone needs to go to the Lodge, even if it is just to visit, It's a pretty place and the lobby is breathtaking!

 

[n2mm]

litlpixie, you cracked me up. It's tough being politically disboard correct these days. I live in WV and could go crazy--especially when I had to convince my grandson that getting in the hot tub at WL did not count as a WV bath. sorry, couldn't resist.

There are pros and cons for every resort, I guess it all depends on what is important to you. The pool is important to us, esp. in the summer, so will have to weigh whether to keep my summer plans for WL or try to move somewhere else....since we have a CM discounted room, there is probably slim pickings for us now.

 

[gina2000]

We love the common rooms at WL but really didn't like the accomodations. The rooms are dark and a bit small. Small doesn't bother me....but combined with dark made it feel a bit claustrophobic. We also felt the room needed a facelift. My sister requested a smoking room and quite frankly, the room needed to be aired out. We've stayed in smoking rooms before...this one desperately needed the drapes to be cleaned and the bedding changed. She left her balcony sliding door open for hours to freshen the place up.

We loved the waitstaff, the CMS and everyone at WL. We'd stay again....but not til a facelift has been done.