Miserable Stay at Wilderness Lodge!

[Winnie Pooh Fan]

please delete

 

[skiwee1]

I agree with you about the room size and the transportation. Of course you will get tons of posts by folks that think you're nuts for saying such horrid things! Yes, the rooms are ridiculous small especially when they try to cram two queen beds in them. The buses and boats were the worse we every experienced. When the buses DID finally show up we had waited over an hour. We too had a room in the main lobby but I requested it and loved it. I never heard any bell clanging or anything. The lobby is the prettiest out of all the WDW resorts but the rest of the place leaves a lot to be desired. In this case it really it a "Get what you pay for" kind of deal. Sorry you had such a rotten time. Personally I wouldn't stay the WL again if it were free. There are plenty of other resorts you can try next time!

 

[vhoffman]

From the time we first approached the desk until I was so rude as to snatch my keys and try to salvage something of the day, exactly 50 minutes elapsed. There was no line, no one in front or behind us, and no one at the other check in desks. There was simply no excuse for such a wait. Like I posted before, if the computer system was slow (Disney's often is) she could have at least said something to that effect. Just a simple "Sorry this is taking so long, but the system is unusually slow today'. Instead, she just acted like that was business as usual and we should just put up with whatever. Never mind the fact that I had two kids who fell asleep in the tv area (might have done more good if, instead of behaving, they pitched a tantrum), I walk with a cane and standing for such a long time is painful, and we really did come to see Disney, not spend our entire vacation at the front desk. In looking back, I'm beginning to think she took so long just to make herself look busy to whatever manager might happen to pass by. Since there was no line behind us, perhaps she wanted to spend our time making herself look busy. At any rate, I couldn't stand there another moment, being polite all the while, smiling and nodding, while she found yet another way to make herself "look busy" with the key business. I just snatched them and left. But I guess I was wrong, I wasn't "polite" to the nice lady. Well, a person can only take so much. Perhaps my problem was I was too polite, smiling and waiting paitiently, while my very well-behaved kids just sat and waited at the tv area. Perhaps next time I should instruct my kids to pitch a tantrum, and not be so darned nice myself. Nice guys finish last!

 

[skiwee1]

Well, thanks for the information that GF rooms are about the same size as the WL. That's good to know. Perhaps next time we'll stay at the Polynesian. We stayed there the first time and had a truly magical experience. I just didn't feel it was Christmasy enough for this trip. But that place suited us so well perhaps we'll try it next time. Thanks for all the tips, folks. It helps to analyze what "went wrong" for next time.

The GF rooms are NOT the same size as the WL! The WL rooms are the same size as the mod Carribean Beach. That is why they are so darn small. The GF rooms are near the size of the Poly.

 

[llrain]

Im not usually snooty butto defend the WL....its all about the guests. Did u check in at 3pm by any chane?
We were there at the same time as yourself, and yes it was very crowded, but if you are going to disney these days and are expecting it to be derserted
forget about it...those days are long past....tourism is picking back up everywhere

DECORATIONS= Ya we were expecting decorations to be all glamourous
at all the resorts we visited including our WL we stayed at, and ya know what.....compared to other resorts, the WL blew some of them out of the water....so be lucky you saw something....cause we moved over from the OKW and they had absolutely NOTHING except for a cheesy fake tree in the lobby....talk about sad



maybe you shouldnt have hyped them up until u knew for sure what was there....
Check in for us was pretty long...but have you stayed anywhere there lately where check in wasnt long?this trip we were at 3 different resorts and, yup, they all took for what seemed forever to check in...

I cant comment on the rooms cause i guess the villas are bigger, thats where we stayed...were you expecting a penthouse or something?

you say u had a view of the lobby but it was a woods view....those are
2 opposite directions....which one?

Ya the restaurant is pretty loud...thats what makes it so fun though...
at least they kid around with guests there unlike other restaurants where the waiters/waitresses are there for the money and not the fun...

LOL...the transportation.....well where else can u actually find a
disney bus that is actually on time.....how about a bus system just for yourself as if ur family was the only one in all of WDW
at least an hour is a little exaggerating id say....if u insist it was an hour
why didnt u kindly pick up the courtesy phone and mention that a bus hasnt shown up....thats what its there for ya know...

and ya knwo what, on ur next christmas trip you are going to experience the same thing cause of your attitude....

this is what makes me mad....you were porb like that family i "ran" into at
the MGM parade where I and my girlfriend were patiently, one hour prior, to the parade waiting just at the tape line at a good location where 5 minutes to go i literally hear some cocky mother tell her 2 4 year olds to go sit in front
the man with the glasses and that he will move(that would be me)....
these are the people who ruin it for everyone else....Normally during a parade
i invite parents to let their children come sit up front be cause i believe that they deserve this and it makes me feel good to know i contributed in that little way to so to say make them happy...heh, and i dont even work for disney......and then poeple like you and that other cocky lady
and everyone else who goes and cuts you off to get that ONE step further
than me think u are soo kewl and you are the only ones in the park who deserve this special treatment.

so for anyone reading this......do not use this persons post as a deterrant to staying at the lodge.....
It is a truely amazing place...its all in the person.....
we went through similar things as this person at the same time,but we didnt let it ruin everything...

 

[skiwee1]

According to the the Unofficial Guide, GF rooms are 440 square feet and WL room are 340 square feet. Sorry you had the problems you did - so frustrating! Save up for GF CL - we just returned and it was FABULOUS!

I thought so! There is no way any of the other deluxes would have the small rooms that the WL does.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

She's probably required to show people how to use the room key. Maybe they get lots of questions about it.

I just don't think there's any reason to be rude to a castmember who wasn't rude to you first.

CheshireVal . . . I was just going to say the same thing!! She was just doing her job! Think about how you made her feel. That's just a horrible thing to do to someone!

You have and will spend A LOT of time waiting in lines, get used to it!! You were in WDW, the happiest place on earth!! You should have taken a seat next to your kids and enjoyed the TV while you were waiting!!! Learn to make the best out of situations like that!!! You would have been much happier if you had!

Maybe offsite would be a better choice for you and your family???

Our experience with the WONDERFUL WILDERNESS LODGE!!

12/03 our family (DH, DW and 4 DDs) dined at the Whispering Canyon Cafe', WE LOVED IT AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE RESORT!!! The holiday decorations were absolutely beautiful! We spent quite some time exploring this resort after our wonderful experience at the WCCafe'.

We loved it so much that when DH and I took a trip without the girls in May 2004 there was no question what resort we would be staying at! The WL!! We absolutely LOVED every aspect of this wonderful resort. We would go there again in a second. Bus transportation was GREAT, boat to MK GREAT, pool GREAT, room GREAT, I even requested a specific room that had a beautiful view of the Castle, got it with NO PROBLEM!! The castmember at the front desk was SIMPLY LOVELY and couldn't have been nicer. As for the Whispering Canyon Cafe, it's a HOOT!! It's a WELL KNOWN fact that this restaurant is VERY NOISY!! That's why WE LOVE it, it's so much fun. My girls just asked me tonight if we were going back to this restaurant on our next trip! They are DYING to stay at this resort, unfortunately, I'm not willing to pay for the two rooms we would need for the six of us!!

Sorry you let that ruin your vacation. You have nobody else to blame but yourself!!

HAVE A MAGICAL DISNEY DAY!!!

 

[skiwee1]

Im not usually snooty butto defend the WL....its all about the guests. Did u check in at 3pm by any chane?
We were there at the same time as yourself, and yes it was very crowded, but if you are going to disney these days and are expecting it to be derserted
forget about it...those days are long past....tourism is picking back up everywhere

DECORATIONS= Ya we were expecting decorations to be all glamourous
at all the resorts we visited including our WL we stayed at, and ya know what.....compared to other resorts, the WL blew some of them out of the water....so be lucky you saw something....cause we moved over from the OKW and they had absolutely NOTHING except for a cheesy fake tree in the lobby....talk about sad

No it isn't all about the guests. It is all about the the way the hotel is run. The OP already stated twice that there was NO ONE there. So there goes that excuse. Why is it so hard for some folks to accept that a certain visit can be bad and that person have nothing to do with it?

 

[skiwee1]

She's probably required to show people how to use the room key. Maybe they get lots of questions about it.

I just don't think there's any reason to be rude to a castmember who wasn't rude to you first.

If the CM was really doing her job she would have at least spoke to the guest acknowledginght wait instead of staring into her monitor. To ignore the guest is just plain rude.

 

[skiwee1]

Im not usually snooty butto defend the WL....its all about the guests. Did u check in at 3pm by any chane?
We were there at the same time as yourself, and yes it was very crowded, but if you are going to disney these days and are expecting it to be derserted
forget about it...those days are long past....tourism is picking back up everywhere

DECORATIONS= Ya we were expecting decorations to be all glamourous
at all the resorts we visited including our WL we stayed at, and ya know what.....compared to other resorts, the WL blew some of them out of the water....so be lucky you saw something....cause we moved over from the OKW and they had absolutely NOTHING except for a cheesy fake tree in the lobby....talk about sad


maybe you shouldnt have hyped them up until u knew for sure what was there....
Check in for us was pretty long...but have you stayed anywhere there lately where check in wasnt long?this trip we were at 3 different resorts and, yup, they all took for what seemed forever to check in...

I cant comment on the rooms cause i guess the villas are bigger, thats where we stayed...were you expecting a penthouse or something?

you say u had a view of the lobby but it was a woods view....those are
2 opposite directions....which one?

Ya the restaurant is pretty loud...thats what makes it so fun though...
at least they kid around with guests there unlike other restaurants where the waiters/waitresses are there for the money and not the fun...

LOL...the transportation.....well where else can u actually find a
disney bus that is actually on time.....how about a bus system just for yourself as if ur family was the only one in all of WDW
at least an hour is a little exaggerating id say....if u insist it was an hour
why didnt u kindly pick up the courtesy phone and mention that a bus hasnt shown up....thats what its there for ya know...

and ya knwo what, on ur next christmas trip you are going to experience the same thing cause of your attitude....

this is what makes me mad....you were porb like that family i "ran" into at
the MGM parade where I and my girlfriend were patiently, one hour prior, to the parade waiting just at the tape line at a good location where 5 minutes to go i literally hear some cocky mother tell her 2 4 year olds to go sit in front
the man with the glasses and that he will move(that would be me)....
these are the people who ruin it for everyone else....Normally during a parade
i invite parents to let their children come sit up front be cause i believe that they deserve this and it makes me feel good to know i contributed in that little way to so to say make them happy...heh, and i dont even work for disney......and then poeple like you and that other cocky lady
and everyone else who goes and cuts you off to get that ONE step further
than me think u are soo kewl and you are the only ones in the park who deserve this special treatment.

so for anyone reading this......do not use this persons post as a deterrant to staying at the lodge.....
It is a truely amazing place...its all in the person.....
we went through similar things as this person at the same time,but we didnt let it ruin everything...

I had a woodview and it was a lobby room. If you are at all familiar with the lodge you would know that. A view is what you get out the window. The location can either be lobby or wing.

 

[wilderness01]

you say u had a view of the lobby but it was a woods view....those are
2 opposite directions....which one?


You obviously are unfamiliar with the lodge because we also had a lobby view for our INSIDE view but a parking lot/storage view OUTSIDE that was supposed to be a woodsview. It wasn't and the view sucked. I have stayed at the lodge before and have gotten a terrific view and had a terrific time. This room was horrible and the view worse.

 

[wilderness01]

at least an hour is a little exaggerating id say....if u insist it was an hour
why didnt u kindly pick up the courtesy phone and mention that a bus hasnt shown up....thats what its there for ya know...

Well the same happened when we were there so are we lying as well? You know what two ladies did pick up the courtesy phone on 3 different occasions and were told the same thing......a bus was on it's way. All the while several busses from DTD, AK and MGM came and went. It took me calling and demanding to speak with a supervisor before the situation was rectified. They wanted us to get on a TTC bus and then transfer to a monorail. That is even more inconvenient and just plain wrong after waiting for so long. Again you weren't there so how would you know any different? It's amazing the poster and I both had the same experience and were there at the same time.

You are really passing judgement on a situation that you were no part of. Now who is being rude? It's a shame that one can't tell their experience without getting flamed or being called a liar in so many words. Hope all your experiences are wonderful and magical always. If not, maybe you will remember how you just treated the poster and that you shouldn't pass judgement until you have walked a mile in someone's shoes.

 

[llrain]

well...excuse me for not being a super know it all....
obviously im not a that familiar...should i feel like a little wilderness
lodge peon now?
she/he was exaggerating so much about hearing the restaurant
on the 6th floor.....that i found hard to believe...
but then again i havent earned my lodge badge to know it all
so who am i to say/....

you were prob one of those families too who cut in line and use ur kids
as decoys...sad..very sad...

you say u had a view of the lobby but it was a woods view....those are
2 opposite directions....which one?


You obviously are unfamiliar with the lodge because we also had a lobby view for our INSIDE view but a parking lot/storage view OUTSIDE that was supposed to be a woodsview. It wasn't and the view sucked. I have stayed at the lodge before and have gotten a terrific view and had a terrific time. This room was horrible and the view worse.

 

[wilderness01]

Did she exaggerate on some aspects? I don't know, I wasn't with her. Could you hear the restaurant on the 6th floor? Yes you can.

then again i havent earned my lodge badge to know it all
so who am i to say

Then why are you acting like you do know differently? Who does that unless they are trying to stir the pot?

By the by, I have never allowed my children to cut in line ever and we visit often. You are the one name calling, not anyone else. Your responses are very rude and I will not respond to this again. Good day.

 

[KEANE]

I just returned from WL in Nov. WL is the best resort I have ever. I stayed @ the Poly last year and had a great time but loved everything about the WL.
As for the comment about "I should of got something like a coupon or free breakfast" that is the attitude that burns me the most. You must of been looking for something!

**** If you can't say something nice...you know the rest !****

 

[vhoffman]

To IIRain,

No, we did not have the pleasure of running into you at the MGM parade. Actually, we didn't go to the MGM parade this trip, and my children aren't 4 year old, so that must have been someone else.

My problem with the check in was not waiting in line, because, as I said, there was no line. It was the incredibly long amount of time it took for the cm to check us in--50 minutes, to be exact. Am I to believe that this is standard? If so, if there was a line, some guests wouldn't get checked in until their trip was over. Did you bother to really read my post? However, judging from the way you write, you're probably can't read much better, either!

 

[PrincessDana]

I'm so sorry to hear about your experience!

We checked in on 12/04/2004 and had a great check-in experience. There was also only 1 or 2 people in line (I guess it was around 12 o'clock or so), but our check-in CM was great. He was new, I think, because he seemed a bit unsure about everything he needed to tell us. But he wasn't slow at all.

I agree about the room size. My DD9 and I filled up all the drawers, though not all the closet space. I was a little surprised that the room felt even smaller than the room we had at Coronado Springs. But that didn't really bother me too much.

We only waited a long while for a bus twice. Once was a DD bus, and for some reason those always take a long time. The other was an Epcot bus which after it did finally arrive went over to Fort Wilderness and that took forever!! It was much quicker when we shared a bus with the Grand Floridian. The first time we went to Epcot we took the TTC bus and then took the monorail, while it did require a transfer, it was faster.

However, I did not think the boats were slow at all. We thought the boats ran rather frequently and really were a fun way to get to the MK.

Even though I had a good time and had a good rate, I think I will head back to the moderate resorts (unless I get a great rate for a tower room at the Contemporary!).

 

[Mymatisse]

vhoffman...

Weren't you the poster who had a problem with the catch and toss fishing program at the French Quarter and swore you would never come back to the DIS? And you had a problem with the Magic Kingdom Parking Lot? And a problem with another guest in the Magic Kingdom in front of the castle?

Unfortunately it seems like trouble always seems to find you. Maybe it's a worldwide conspiracy to ruin your disney vacations.... or maybe everyone needs to just lighten up, enjoy their vacations and don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[vhoffman]

MyMatisse,

Goodness, don't you have anything better to do than go back to posts over a year old? I didn't know anyone cared that much about me.....

 

[Mymatisse]

Oh I didn't go back through any posts because yes.. I do have better things to do. Yours just stuck out in my mind because they were unfortunately so negative. Sorry... just speaking the truth.