Just got back from 7 days at the Lodge and loved it.
Thought I would jot down a few likes and dislikes and other observations.
Stayed in standard room 5099 overlooking the lobby and very near the elevators. Personally I would never pay extra for a view, it was too hot on the balconies and too many bugs, on the other hand hearing the lobby music every time we left the room and looking out over the lobby was cool. Also the 5th floor has a large balcony overlooking the courtyard as well as a cozy fireplace and lounge area. We never heard much noise from the lobby or restaurant. When we stay again I will request the same room.
Transportation
Do not call the transportation button on the room phones, it is more than a year behind and will get you lost, read the signs at the bus stops and boat docks for the latest info. Overall I would rate the transportation at the Lodge behind the All Stars, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Carribean Beach, and Contempory but better than Grand Floridian, Poly, Yacht & Beach Club, Boardwalk and Swan and Dolphin. I should have prefaced these ratings with the fact that we do not have small children and transportation to the Magic Kingdom was not a priority. It seemed quicker to get to Epcot by taking the bus to the TTC and then the monorail to Epcot rather than the bus to epcot, although we usually took whichever one came first.
Food
I thought Whispering Canyon was good though noisy and the all you can eat skillets are one of the best values at Disney. Roaring Forks was small and typical but served it's purpose. Artist Point has a limited menu and didn't appeal to our tastes so we didn't try it. California Grill is a short boat ride away and has excelent food although the best meal we had was at Spoodles, the Scallops Au Gratin yum. Did the Luau at the Poly, food was blah but the show was fun.
Extras
The dial up for AOL was the worst I've ever experienced, tried all the local numbers and kept getting booted, front desk adjusted the billing $15 for all the disconnects, actually they added $15 to my bill but a phone call straightened things out.
See Cirq Du Solie if you haven't, it is worth the money and is every bit as good as the two out in Vegas.
The airconditiong at the Lodge is kept very cool which I loved after sweltering in the hot sun.
All in all I liked the Lodge very much and would recommend it.
Thought I would jot down a few likes and dislikes and other observations.
Stayed in standard room 5099 overlooking the lobby and very near the elevators. Personally I would never pay extra for a view, it was too hot on the balconies and too many bugs, on the other hand hearing the lobby music every time we left the room and looking out over the lobby was cool. Also the 5th floor has a large balcony overlooking the courtyard as well as a cozy fireplace and lounge area. We never heard much noise from the lobby or restaurant. When we stay again I will request the same room.
Transportation
Do not call the transportation button on the room phones, it is more than a year behind and will get you lost, read the signs at the bus stops and boat docks for the latest info. Overall I would rate the transportation at the Lodge behind the All Stars, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Carribean Beach, and Contempory but better than Grand Floridian, Poly, Yacht & Beach Club, Boardwalk and Swan and Dolphin. I should have prefaced these ratings with the fact that we do not have small children and transportation to the Magic Kingdom was not a priority. It seemed quicker to get to Epcot by taking the bus to the TTC and then the monorail to Epcot rather than the bus to epcot, although we usually took whichever one came first.
Food
I thought Whispering Canyon was good though noisy and the all you can eat skillets are one of the best values at Disney. Roaring Forks was small and typical but served it's purpose. Artist Point has a limited menu and didn't appeal to our tastes so we didn't try it. California Grill is a short boat ride away and has excelent food although the best meal we had was at Spoodles, the Scallops Au Gratin yum. Did the Luau at the Poly, food was blah but the show was fun.
Extras
The dial up for AOL was the worst I've ever experienced, tried all the local numbers and kept getting booted, front desk adjusted the billing $15 for all the disconnects, actually they added $15 to my bill but a phone call straightened things out.
See Cirq Du Solie if you haven't, it is worth the money and is every bit as good as the two out in Vegas.
The airconditiong at the Lodge is kept very cool which I loved after sweltering in the hot sun.
All in all I liked the Lodge very much and would recommend it.
