Just returned 8 days at WL

[cjsmom5]

We just returned late Wednesday night from 8 days/7 nights at WL. Had a great stay. We were upgraded from Woods view to Courtyard view with bunkbeds and were on the 6th floor. We had one of the balconys that is like a dormer so when you sat down you couldn't see through the railing. That said, we really enjoyed it. It rained horribly while there and we were protected from the rain ... worked out great.

Room was nice (we have stayed here before) and we really enjoyed the 6th floor view.

We were on the dining plan and it was way too much food. Put on 5 pounds this trip which never happens ... so I figured it was the dining plan with all the snacks. That said, it was nice to be able to try new places and we enjoyed the snack bar at Roaring Forks - although the menu is limited so be aware that there are not as many choices as one would find at the moderate food courts.

Housekeeping left tons of cute animals and faces, etc. They did a good job cleaning the room. We requested turn down service and received it each night. Love those candies.

We also were treated to a fireworks cruise while there. It didn't have the audio but the view was wonderful along with the trip around the lake. We also discovered that on Sat. and Sundays they have a kids fishing trip (about $28 per kid plus we tipped the guides). Our DS9 absolutely LOVED it. He caught 5 bass. It is definitely a must do for our next trip. Just as an FYI we also found out that one can check out a life jacket for the little one, if needed, for the entire stay. We don't need one but we saw a couple families doing that. The playground on the WL beach is also very nice with lounge chairs on the beach so you can relax and watch.

We also got to be the Flag Family one morning. What a treat! The view from on top of the Wilderness Lodge was spectacular and my DS9 loved raising the flags ... We didn't ask but were told we had been selected when we checked in. It was lots of fun and if you are selected definitely do it. The next morning it was raining so hard they couldn't put up the flags so we were fortunate.

The arcade at the WL is also nice. We walked through but didn't play any of the games. They were also offering arts and crafts in the afternoon plus we saw duck races at the pool. We didn't do the kids activities this trip as we had other things on the schedule. We typically swam from 10-11pm each night (we were on Pacific time) and it was really nice. Hot tubs were great and not crowded.

We found the transportation to be perfect. Never had a long wait either by bus or boat. It was crowded at times but nothing that was uncomfortable.

We also found out that Transportation is now doing "cards" like baseball cards. They have 18 of them. There are twelve monorail cards, several boat cards and bus cards. Each of the drivers get a supply of them in the AM so it is best to ask for them earlier in the day. They will tell you if they don't have them. We collected about 11 different ones. It was a fun "hunt" for our DS. We never went out of our way, though, just asked each time we used transportation.

Any questions, let me know.

 

[JulieAnn]

Thanks for posting! We are going in December and are staying at the WL with a courtyard view.

Last time we stayed at the GF and a friend of mine who has stayed at both thinks the rooms are smallish at WL, thoughts?

 

[cjsmom5]

Yes - compared with the GF they are smaller. They are comparable to a standard room at Animal Kingdom and probably one of the smaller deluxe resort rooms in terms of square footage. There were three of us and we found them to be adequate but there isn't a lot of room. We also noticed that there is less drawer space than at YC/BC and deluxe AKL rooms (can't remember about the standard AKL rooms, though).

Last trip we traveled with a group that had four - 2 adults and 2 children. They found the room to also be adequate but it was a little tight. If you are wanting a bigger room at WL you might try one of the deluxe rooms - or jr. suites - can't remember what they are called. They have more room in them. We also found the concierge lounge to be a bit on the "small" size. Tables are around the inner part of the hotel (can't describe) overlooking the lobby with the concierge desk plugged into an enclave right by the elevators. It just didn't have the same feel as those at the AKL, YC/BC -- or at least that was our impression. That said, the service was excellent in all areas so no complaints.