Questions about Wilderness Lodge

[Anna Chassereau]

Considering staying here and just have a few questions for anyone who’s stayed there before...

•How far is the walk from the main lobby to the boat transportation?

•Is this a large resort? Does it require a lot of walking?

•What room category should I book if I want to be closest to the lobby?

•Are there pressed penny machines at this resort?

•If I wanted to book some activities at Fort Wilderness (archery, carriage or wagon ride) is it possible to walk over to do these activities or would you need to drive?

•What’s your favorite thing about this resort? Fun things to do at the resort or favorite restaurant?

Thanks in advance for any help/insight!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Lobby to dock, maybe five minutes.

Large is relative, but no, not really.

Book whatever room category you want, then request "close to lobby".

You can walk, but it's about a mile. There is a boat that travels any the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, and Fort Wilderness.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Considering staying here and just have a few questions for anyone who’s stayed there before...

•How far is the walk from the main lobby to the boat transportation?

•Is this a large resort? Does it require a lot of walking?

•What room category should I book if I want to be closest to the lobby?

•Are there pressed penny machines at this resort?

•If I wanted to book some activities at Fort Wilderness (archery, carriage or wagon ride) is it possible to walk over to do these activities or would you need to drive?

•What’s your favorite thing about this resort? Fun things to do at the resort or favorite restaurant?

Thanks in advance for any help/insight!

The resort is very compact and everything is under one roof. It will only take a few minutes to walk anywhere at WL
The standard view rooms are close to the lobby.

yes there’s a pressed penny machine at WL.

They closed the walking trail to Ft Wilderness when they started constr at the new resort - Reflections. You can no longer walk to Ft Wilderness. But they do have a boat to Ft Wilderness and they run buses, too.

Favorite restaurant is Geyser Point. It is an open air bar and grill with a fantastic view of Bay Lake.
We love the boat to MK. It’s a really nice way to travel. We also like the villas pool. It is never crowded.
The buses are usually pretty good too

 

[DrunkJam]

The resort is very compact and everything is under one roof. It will only take a few minutes to walk anywhere at WL
The standard view rooms are close to the lobby.

yes there’s a pressed penny machine at WL.

They closed the walking trail to Ft Wilderness when they started constr at the new resort - Reflections. You can no longer walk to Ft Wilderness. But they do have a boat to Ft Wilderness and they run buses, too.

Favorite restaurant is Geyser Point. It is an open air bar and grill with a fantastic view of Bay Lake.

Does that mean that the walking train will remain closed? Forever? (in as much as forever exists, you know what I mean? I was planning breakfast and the segway thingy at FW, I will have to factor in boats then)

 

[DaisyDuck001]

My favorite things about WL include the boat transportation to the Contemporary, Ft. Wilderness, and the Magic Kingdom; the theming; overall a place with good positive energy. I like Whispering Canyon for lunch. Used to like Artist Point for dinner, but less fond of the current character meal version, especially the appetizers and desserts, oh well.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Does that mean that the walking train will remain closed? Forever? (in as much as forever exists, you know what I mean? I was planning breakfast and the segway thingy at FW, I will have to factor in boats then)

They have been running buses to Ft Wilderness too. I would check with the CM at the bus stop to make sure they are still running. But the boat is really nice too

The trail will remain closed for a long time. Hopefully they will reopen it when the construction is done.

 

[DrunkJam]

They have been running buses to Ft Wilderness too. I would check with the CM at the bus stop to make sure they are still running. But the boat is really nice too

The trail will remain closed for a long time. Hopefully they will reopen it when the construction is done.

Thank you. I love WL, everything is very easy to find and it's not sprawling. It's our WDW home. The boat is lovely over to FW or to MK, and we never had problems getting anywhere. I did enjoy the walking trail, but, it's certainly not a deal breaker for getting to FW for the add ons!

 

[shocker]

I like to think of WL as a rough 'U' shape with the bottom of the U being the lobby & the pool being between the uprights. The top of the U is where the geyser is. The left top of the U is where boat launch is. The right top is where Geyser Point is. To the right of the U is where the DVC part is & the bottom right of the U is where park bus transport is.

Most people request to be away from the actual lobby due to reports of noise. I like to request a room on the left arm of the U so I'm above Roaring Forks & quicker walk to boat.

Just remember to go one floor up from lobby level & step out to wooden rocking chairs for an awesome view & respite. This is where we watched the lake electric light parade from.

This is our fav resort, but we're still not certain it was the resort itself or just the other awesome aspects of those particular trips.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I like to think of WL as a rough 'U' shape with the bottom of the U being the lobby & the pool being between the uprights. The top of the U is where the geyser is. The left top of the U is where boat launch is. The right top is where Geyser Point is. To the right of the U is where the DVC part is & the bottom right of the U is where park bus transport is.

Most people request to be away from the actual lobby due to reports of noise. I like to request a room on the left arm of the U so I'm above Roaring Forks & quicker walk to boat.

Using this analogy, the right arm of the U is now DVC Copper Creek Villas, while the original DVC to the right of the U, has been renamed Boulder Ridge Villas. The left arm of the U contains non-DVC rooms.

 

[AngiTN]

By the way, there's an everything X resort (replace X with each resort) here.
They'll cover every question you've got plus some you don't know you have
https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...villas-and-cabins-information-thread.3372315/

 

[Markal]

WL is our fav! We love the boat to MK and Ft Wilderness. Our room was over Roaring Forks and we were able to watch the electrical parade from our balcony. The walk to the boat is maybe 5 minutes. Nice pool. Beautiful lobby. Take a few minutes to sit in the lobby rocking chairs by the big fireplace. Enjoy your visit!

 

[Canoook]

1. A couple minutes, 4-5 from lobby? Not bad at all, about half inside and very scenic.
2. Not at all large unless you end up at the farthest end of the wing.
3. Sorry, not sure about this one. I'd ask for closest to lobby.
4. Yes, as of a few years ago.
5. I haven't tried it, but it seems like a good distance. If you are a frequent walker I'd say yes, but based on your concerns I would say wait for the boat that goes between Fort Wilderness, the Contemporary, and Fort Wilderness.
6. I love the quiet, natural serenity of the resort. Get up super early, go grab a coffee/beverage of choice and sit in the lobby or walk around as sun is rising if the weather permits. It's so relaxing and is a phenomenal way to start a day. Also all (edit: 4 not 3) restaurants are great, even the quick service.

 

[Sue M]

Love WL. Nothing is too far. I‘ve stayed in just about every area, inner courtyard in South Wing (now DVC), Courtyard View of WLV pool in south wing (pre Boulder Ridge), courtyard pool view north wing, and last stay was in standard room over lobby. Facing MK we could see the higher fireworks thru the trees. I didn’t find it too loud. We were on a high floor, at night you can hear a bit of noise from the restaurant but with the tv on I didn’t hear anything.

We used to walk to FW along the nature trail but that has gone since bungalows were built. It used to be such a pretty 20 min walk.
But the boat is a great way to get to FW. It’s close to the FW restaurants, Trails End and HoopDeDoo. Also the stables.

Geyser Point is my fav restaurant. They also pipe in the music from the fireworks. They did a great job of renovating the Villas Pool. Now it’s my fav. And there’s a mug refill station nearby.