NEW Wilderness Lodge FAQ!!

[ARS]

Hey Kimmar,

Thanks so much for your trip report really enjoyed it and looking forward to more

I do have a question that I'm hoping you or someone can answer.

When we arrive on Monday we plan to spend our first day relaxing at WL - eating, water mice, pool, eating some more-LOL.

I'm not expecting our room to be ready right away so was wondering if there is some place where we can change into our bathing suits. Really looking forward to sitting by that beautiful pool with a Green Geyser in my hand and nothing to think about but Disney Fun

By the way what's in a Green Geyser anyway

Going to start packing tomorrow. Monday is right around the corner


Thanks a bunch.
Adrienne

 

[kimmar067]

.... a few years ago, while staying at the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, P.R. , we became friendly with the bartender at the pool bar. He introduced us to a specialty of his ~ the "coqui`", named after the little tree frog that only is found in Puerto Rico. [it's called coqui` because at night it "chirps", "Koh-KEEEE, koh-KEEEE!"] Basically, it is like a pina colada, but Midori(a melon liquore) is poured into the glass first and shaken with the "pina colada" mix. It then gets a "topper", or a layer of Midori on top, finished with a fresh slice of pineapple. YUMMM!!!!! Wish I had one right now.....

Each time the nice bartender served up one to us, she got better and better at it. My DH, along with my 2 DS-in-L's told me I should rename it, but with a WL "twist" - hence, the "Green Geyser"!! (cuz' it's green!)

 

[nancyL]

Another question for 999ghosts (or anyone who has stayed concierge!)- oh, there's 2 questions here....

I realize that people normally tip daily or at the end of the stay for the mousekeeping- I plan on tipping daily a dollar a day per person. Because its concierge (ie- a higher level of service) is it expected that the guests would tip more than for a normal (non concierge) room? Would the morning mousekeeping staff be the same people in the same day as the turndown staff or should I be tipping twice a day?

Is it considered rude or cheap to take food from the concierge buffets and stick it in our backpack to snack on in the park? (ie- juice boxes, water bottles, apples, bagels, etal). I thought it sounded alot like easy kid pleasing food that would help us in the parks but didtn want to embarass myself or my family by taking it and stashing it in my bag if 'thats just not done'. lol

thanks!
nancyL

 

[ARS]

Kimmar,

Thanks for the info on the Green Geyser (very creative name you picked!). This drink sounds delicious & pina coladas are one of my favorites - yum!!

Adrienne

 

[nancyL]

Oops- I almost forgot to ask this VERY important question!
I read somewhere (I do not remember where but it was a disney related website) that when someone (a guest) mentioned that they wanted to sign up to be flag family at check in , they were told by the CM that they should have called a week in advance of their trip b/c all the spots were taken for their week- I thought that you could only sign up for flag family AT check in or after! Has this rule changed or was the CM that told them that in error? Im dying to be a flag family so I really dont want to miss out if they've changed the 'at check in only' rule.
Thanks again!

 

[aring75]

I've never stayed in concierge at the Lodge, but when DH and I stayed at the Poly (concierge) we were encouraged to take food/drinks/water bottles with us every time we left the lounge.

The servers were so friendly and always suggested that we take a couple of extra water bottles or pieces of fruit back to our room with us.

Maybe someone who has experience with WL concierge can be more"Lodge-specific," but I know it *was* done at the Poly! And those water bottles really came in handy around 11:00 am!! It heats up fast in Florida.

 

[corvair]

Kimmar, How did you find the transportation to be at WL? What did you think of whispering canyons? corvair amy

 

[Ratpack]

I am not Kimmar, but I can give you my point of view.
WL's transportation was very smooth. We didn't wait more than 5-8 minutes for a bus and maybe max. of 5 for a boat. It seemed to run right on schedule for us last week, even with toting along a stroller. As far as Whispering Canyon- Yummy! You have to get the skillet (all you can eat!) It is loaded with ribs, barbeque chicken, barbeque, and other "goodies". I am expecting, and have been craving MEAT! This was the perfect meal for me. We ate there 8 years ago on our honeymoon, so it was required that we eat there again. My dd got to do pony ride races at the top of the hour. She loved it! She earned a certificate for participating in the race. Yet, another magical moment for us!

So WL has our vote for overall atmosphere! We never had a minutes problem. (Thanks Honey for switching our ressies to WL- you are truly that hopeless romantic!!!)

 

[kimmar067]

while I TOTALLY agree with Ratpack about WC (you can read about our experience there in a later post ~ BTW-Day 2 is now posted under "Trip Reports" ) I found the transportation to be, at best, erratic. When using the ferry, you had to look for the one with the green flag (going to MK). Sometimes it went directly to MK, and other times it would go to Ft Wilderness first. As for the buses, well, you can read about a particular experience we had on page 116 of "New...Dolphin/Swan "questions and answers...tips and hints..." located on the Resorts Board. There was even a time when we waited for the bus to TTC for more than 35 minutes. There were two CM's at the bus stop - one to regulate the frequency of the buses (he had one of those little palm-corder computer thingies) and one taking a survey of where each guest was heading. Three "Epcot", "MGM", and "DTD" buses, followed by 2 "Blizzard Beach/AK" buses arrived before even ONE TTC bus showed up. I jokingly quipped to the CM, "Is this some kinda cruel joke, or something?" He chuckled, but the next bus that arrived (DTD/Typhoon Lagoon), he had the driver phone in to "headquarters" (I guess) to find out why a TTC still hadn't arrived. Just as he was doing so, a TTC bus DID finally show up! After spending a few days at CBR, the transportation system was, BY FAR, much better at CBR....(just my 2 cents)

 

[Ratpack]

Kimmar,
We may have been at the bus stop at the same time and did not know it. I remember waiting on a TTC bus and it took forever to show up. You could almost walk to TTC and it seemed to be the slowest bus.

 

[kimmar067]

...were you reading my mind????

 

[kimmar067]

I pm'ed you !!

Hey, you can catch "DAY TWO..." on the "Trip Reports" Board !

 

[kimmar067]

Originally posted by kimmar067
...where do I begin??? Well, anxious readers, grab a cup o' joe, a comfy seat and get ready to read.........
(I am only going to write about the WL portion of our vacation; the rest will probably be on the Trips Board))

Tuesday, July 30 ~~
We checked out of CBR the night before (around 11PM) so that we could just leave and head out to WL. I called to make sure that bell services would be picking up our luggage and transferring it to WL.We requested a 7:30 pick-up and they were right on time. We did not need transportation because we had rented a Dodge Sport Caravan from Dollar($39.99/daily ~ not bad, eh? ) The van had to be returned to Courtyard Marriott near DTD by 9AM, so we headed to WL by around 7:40AM. What a breathtaking view as you are driving to the front doors! The first word that comes to mind is "majestic". The lodge sits amidst the tallest of pine trees, flags swaying in the breeze. Valet let us keep the van parked near the front door as long as someone stayed in it, while we went inside to check in. Tammy, the CM at the front desk, was SOOO nice, such a delight for so early in the morning. We had 3 rooms( in our party of 7) booked, and an additional 2 rooms for the rest of our family, who would be arriving around 11AM from NJ (my sister had arrived a few days earlierand had gotten room 6043). Well, we received rooms 6045, 6047, and 6049. Only one of the rooms was ready, so we were allowed to put some of our belongings in that room. By the way, we did not know that when a Disney resort is transferring luggage to another Disney resort, they do not do this service right away. It usually gets transferred between 1-3PM, so, anyone doing a split/stay, should consider this (so they may pack a "carry-on" for any items that they may need). It was now almost 8:45AM; my oldest DS accompanied me to return the van. It was quick, easy, and relatively pain-free. Dollar also offered to drive us back to the WL in one of their company vans. When we returned to WL, the rest of my family was so anxious to "give us a tour", so off we went. We walked past the brook, around past the waterfalls, past the pool, through the volleyball area at the sandy beach, down to the marina to check out the "Mickey Boats", and back around the hot tubs. Our last stop before heading upstairs to our room was Roaring Fork, where we quickly purchased our WL mugs. (DO NOT STAY AT WL WITHOUT BUYING A MUG!!!!!!!) Directly to the left of Roaring Fork are 2 elevators(BTW - opposite these elevators is the guest laundry), where we ascended to the 6th floor (I kept saying that if the transportation was as timely as the elevators, WL would have to "beat off guests with a stick"!! But, more about the transportation situation later...In fact, if you want a "tidbit", check out my post on page 116 of "NEW...DOLPHIN/SWAN "questions and answers"...tips and hints..." thread on the Resorts Board) Once on the 6th floor, we turned left and around the corner, down that short hall, and our room was the 2nd one to the left. At the end of that hall(the short one) were 2 windows (when you looked out of them, you looked down at Artist Point) We were in the North wing inner court and the view from our room was FANTASTIC!!!! It was the perfect location for us; our DS's could easily descend the elevator (that I just mentioned) and quickly get a refill at Roaring Fork, exit the door opposite Roaring Fork entrance, and head to the pool. Or, if we walked the other way (down the hallway away from the "Artist Point windows") at the end of that hall, you turned left and you could look down at the lobby. Across that open hall were 3 elevators that lead to the lobby, the Mecantile store, the arcade (VERY important to my DS's!), and to the bus stop. I thought that I would want a "lobby view" room, but I was so happy with our rooms (if I figure out how to download my pics onto this computer, I will show you the view from our balcony ) We then waited in the lobby for the rest of our family to arrive, and by 1-1:30 we were heading to AK. Some of the highlights of that park were: Dinosaur (I hurried to the Safari to get Fast Passes for everyone and met up with them at Dinosaur) It was very hot (but not really too humid) and we tried to stay in the shade, thru Africa and the Safari (we've been on this attraction several times ~ we saw the MOST animals on this trip!!), African acrobats, It's Tough to be a Bug!, Mickey's Jammin' Jungle parade, and, finally, Primeval Whirl (DS didn't care for this but I loved it!) Back at WL, we inquired about our luggage from CBR. It, indeed, had arrived. Boy, those guys brought our luggage upstairs so fast, it almost arrived before us!! Finally, we capped off this perfect day with another trip to AKL and dinner at Boma. This place is awesome, too. The theming is done so authentically, you really feel like you are on another continent! We met a young girl (sorry, I forgot her name !!) who was 6 months into her 1- year "internship". She was from Praetoria, South Africa, and we chatted with her for quite a while (at least 15-20 minutes). Again, we met up with our server from our dinner at Boma on Friday, Debbie, from Tennessee. She was absolutely delightful, even when she poked fun at us (saying "CAWWW-fee" when we ordered the press pot of Kenya coffee). We then returned to WL by 9:30 and headed for bed, after a long 1st WL day, eager to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for a fun-filled day at Blizzard Beach......
[NOTE: I inquired about being a "flag family" but it wasn't available until 8/5 ~ we would be checking out on 8/4 ]
[ ALSO: Be sure to order a "Green Geyser by Kim" at the bar near the pool; there is a gal working there who will make them for you, and tell her Kim sent you!! (999ghsts: tell her I am "angry" that she didn't put this on her "Specials" board -LOL-!!)]

I moved this to a later page so it would make more sense after you finsh reading "DAY ONE...." and "DAY TWO....." posts!

kimmar

 

[aring75]

DH and I will be arriving on Monday, 9/2. I know check-in isn't until 3 (or is it 4?), but what is the earliest we could be there and have a chance at getting into a room sooner?

If we get there early and our room isn't ready, what can we do with our bags in the mean time?

I'm trying to plan our arrival and departure times as accurately as possible, but I'd like to get the most out of our vacation time. Leaving our bags with the front desk or bell services while we enjoy the resort or one of the parks sounds like a good idea.

Any ideas?

 

[chancellor]

I posted this in a separate thread, but figured I would probably get a better response here:

I'm booked for a standard view room at WL, traveling with DW and DS (age 2). I'm not sure what to ask for in a room request. So far, it seems that the standard view rooms either overlook the service area on the north wing, or are off the lobby with a view of the roof. I have seen noise complaints on this board from both the service area and the lobby. If this is correct, and both are noisy, does it come down to a choice of the convenience of the lobby vs. the MK side view (as long as you don't look down at the parking lot)? Since I'm traveling with a 2 year old, I may opt for convenience.

Any input, especially from 999ghsts, would be great!

 

[laurelk]

Hi Kimmar,

You don't know me, but I've read lots of your posts on WL. Your first day sounded great, can't wait to read the rest of your trip. Thanks for all your efforts on the WL page.

Just ordered lots of disney clothes for my DD as xmas gifts, to wear on her first trip in January. My hubbie and I are also taking a 4 day anniversary cruise down Baja Mexico in November and it just seems so UNINTERESTING compared to the Disney trip!

Laurel

 

[chancellor]

Thanks, 999ghsts, that helps. Am I correct that it's more "convenient" to be right over the lobby? How far are the other standard view rooms from the lobby and elevators? It would be nice to not have to drag my 2 year old too far (BTW, he may end up making more noise himself than anybody in the lobby).

 

[chancellor]

Thanks again 999ghsts! It's starting to appear to me that there is really no difference in the standard view rooms - all are close to the lobby, all have an "undesirable" view (rooftops or service area), and all are exposed to potentially "noisy" areas (the lobby or the service area, neither of which seems to be a big deal). So I guess the bottom line is that the only considerations for a standard view room request are (1) whether you prefer looking at a roof or a service area and (2) whether you care if you're right on the lobby, or slightly off the lobby. I'm starting to think it doesn't matter at all, and to just forego the room request and take what I get! Anybody agree or disagree?

Two weeks and counting!

 

[kimmar067]

chancellor ~
Since I recently returned from WL (this past Sunday - boo-hoo!!) and having seen both "views", I would opt for a "lobby" view, unless you are really light sleepers or are afraid of heights....rockers are strategically placed on all the floors so you can sit and relax and just "people-watch"! Also, there are 3 elevators there that lead you directly to the lobby, the Mercantile store, the arcade, and the bus stops.

laurelk ~
Thank you for taking the time to check out our thread...it has really been building quite nicely. Hope some of those "gifts" have "Mickey's" on them!!! (or whatever your DD's fav character is!)

 

[chancellor]

Thanks, Kimmar. I've been leaning towards asking for a "lobby" room, so that everything is "at my doorstep." Your post kind of seals the deal (though "relaxing" with a toddler at WDW is a near impossibility ).

14 Days!!!