The New (Part 4) WL FAQ Thread...Just the Facts M'am!

[aesalsa]

Thank you for your honest WL report and for taking the time to post it. I'm glad I called CRO back to see if any standards became available for our stay--I had to book a Woods View initially because there were no standards. I'm very happy to hear that housekeeping was great.
I'd really appreciate it if you could answer a few questions for me : *Was your room in good condition when you arrived (i.e., mold, wallpaper, carpet. . .)? *Did you have 2 queens or 1 king? *How is the bathroom? *What do you mean about the beds hitting your shins?

About the buses to DTD. . .WL is not the only resort that has this problem. Last October, we ate at CR (Concourse Steakhouse) and caught the CR bus to DTD to go back to the Wyndham. We waited for the bus about 30 minutes. We stopped at the Poly and then the GF--the GF guests couldn't get on because the bus was bursting. Then it took almost an hour to get to the Marketplace Stop. So even Disney's Flagship resort has big problems with buses going to DTD !

Thanks again!

 

[ADisneygirl]

Hi MILEMRKR63!

Glad to hear you had a nice trip down here. Thanks for posting pros as well as cons. I always like to hear people's opinions either way. Our first trip to the Lodge is coming up soon. We are very excited, and love to hear about others trips to the Lodge. So, did you bang your shins on the bed legs or the wood that wraps around the base of the bed? They probably are like the beds at AKL. Last summer DH banged his shins there a few times. And another question: what time does RF do their morning yell of "come and get it" .. hahahahaha....I am picturing my family waking up to this....... this trip is going to be fun I can tell!

Oh yeah --- as a former NY'er I can agree wholeheartedly that it is HOT~HOT~HOT here. OMG yes. Just this afternoon while leaving the mall with my mom, I commented on how I couldn't hold the steering wheel for a few minutes because it was so hot. We had to sit in the parking lot until it cooled off enough to touch! I tell anyone visiting Fl. in the summer to wear lots of sunscreen, drink lots of water, and duck into air conditioning whenever possible!

 

[disneyholic family]

MILEMRKR63-- oh oh....kids.....wild kids....the worst kind...i tend to get this murderous look in my eyes when i'm around badly behaved kids....and running by a pool?????.....the former lifeguard in me will also go nuts.....

hmmm.......i sure hope you're exagerating, or that there was a convention of wild animals when you were there....i really really really really have trouble tolerating wild kids......

but then again, we won't spend all that much time at the pool....but certainly on saturday morning we'll make it out there for an hour or two....unless my blood pressure reaches the boiling point....did i mention i can't stand wild kids????....
(good thing, the disney ships have adult only areas.. )

ADisneygirl--
it's not the heat....it's the humidity.....if it were desert heat it woudln't be a problem....it's that feeling of water streaming down your body that's a bit hard to take......but what would a rose be without a few thorns....

 

[MILEMRKR63]

Good Morning~

How bad was my typing in that post. I must have been tired.

The room was in good condition. Did not notice any issues with the condition of the room. I was not in there much except to sleep. No torn wall paper and no mold (I did look at the vents). The A/C worked very well. Room was nice and cool. Absolutely great after that heat. Our room had 2 beds (was my best friend and I). I will say the vanity area was very limited, the shower was great. The bathroom area was small. The bed frame was large and I would always manage to hit my shins on it. The mattress was very firm and so comfortable.

The kids issue was crazy. I have to say it really took the deluxe feel of the resort away. I know if I your probably saying that if I want less kids then I should maybe consider the GF (which is my favorite resort) but that comes at a price. For what I paid at WL I honesty feel I got a steal. I feel the kids behavior are a reflection on the parents. The daytime was so HOT that we would make the trek back to WL to get in some pool time and cool the feet The kids were just being kids.

The parks were quite crowded. Was GayDay at MK on Saturday(6/5) and the park was quite full. There were letters in the rooms advising guests that the capacity at MK on saturday woudl be very high Some sites for sure but was alot of fun. CM's said that they were very staffed up for GayDays and that this week was one of their favorited to work. I didn't see any unaceptable behavior and there were alot of red shirts worn and it was quite humerous to hear family members calling others saying not to wear red. I proudly wore my red tank top and by the end of the afternon my skin was as red as the tank LOL. Did I mention how dam hot it was???

Wishes was awesome and got to see the Spectro Magic parade which was quite impressive. Rides were from walk on to longest wait I experienced which was 45 min utes (Micky's Philharmonick, which by the way was nubelievable) Other parks weren't bad noon.

Ate at Concourse Steak house (CR), Ohanas (POLY), Victoria and Alberts (GF) and twice at the WL. (Skittle dinner was awesome)

As I will continue to say, the trip was very enjoyable and I already missing the lobby of the lodge.

If I can answer any more questions, please feel free to ask.

 

[Hollua]

MILEMRKR63,
Thanks for the great posts. I enjoy hearing the pros and cons in a review. Sometimes when a review is all gushing, it makes it less valuable. I feel the reviewer is so in love with their subject they can't see the negatives.

I'm staying at WL for the first time this August. I can't wait. We ate at WCC for Mother's day last year. We walked around the Resort after lunch and decided to stay there on a future trip.

I worry a little about the Hot! Hot! Hot! weather, but I'll be prepared. I'm happy to hear that you were happy with the standard rooms. I wasn't going to worry about it too much, but it's good to know.

 

[hhender102]

FYI -- The Travel Channel will be having a half hour show on WL today (Tues, June 8) at 2:00 pm (central time). I can't wait to see it! We are planning our first stay onsite and have finally decided on WL, but we have not decided on whether to go in Feb. or end of April.

I know many people will not be able to see it cuz of work, but I am sure it will be replayed. They always are. I guess in a way I "lucked out." My poor 4yo DD has chicken pox, so I am home with her, but maybe seeing WL will cheer her up!!

 

[OaksPAC]

Hi everybody! We will be staying at the WL for the first time 7/18-7/25.........we can't wait. We visit WDW every year and alternate staying on property and in our time share in Kissimmee. We visited the WL for lunch last year and my DS's were hooked.....so WL here we come! Just a brief word about the wild and crazy kids at the pool etc. I agree,you can often run into some noisy and annoying little desperados but hey....it is WDW! My boys are older now, 19 and 16, but I remember when they were younger that we always tried to be considerate of other guests who maybe were not used to being around young kids . Sadly, a lot of parents are not that considerate and their kids behavior shows it. Also, I usually end up feeling pretty bad for the kids because they have been victimized by their parents lack of planning. A week at WDW is a tough haul for a kid...........and a parent who doesn't plan well ends up creating a little monster by mid week. Between the heat,lack of sleep and change of schedule.........it is a definite system overload! And the really sad part is that the wild and crazy ones usually end up getting hurt or punished and what kind of way is that to enjoy WDW!
As for the pool issue,we have found that most resorts have quiet pools away from the main themed pools..........usually a lot less kids in these areas.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

MILEMRKR63,

Great report, glad you enjoyed your stay,
"The bed frame was large and I would always manage to hit my shins on it." I don't believe anyone comes away from the Lodge without doing the..."I hit my Shin or I stubed my Toe shuffle"...The worst time is the middle of the night. I have learned the hard way over the years.

How was the smaller pool next to the Villas, Hidden Springs Pool it's usually much calmer and more relaxed.

 

[HughJackman'n'me]

Originally posted by MILEMRKR63
Good Morning~

How bad was my typing in that post. I must have been tired.


Ate at Concourse Steak house (CR), Ohanas (POLY), Victoria and Alberts (GF) and twice at the WL. (Skittle dinner was awesome)

If I can answer any more questions, please feel free to ask.

...Skittles for dinner??!?!?!?

 

[Majestic]

Let me see if I can address your cons. Gently of course.

I agree the rooms are a bit small but we use the rooms to sleep for the most part so it never really bothered us.

Lots of kids is right. WL was rated the number 1 family resort at Disneyworld recently in a magazine that I can't recall at the moment. Kids will be around. It is Disney. I recommend you take a break over at the quiet pool on the villas side of the hotel to get some peace and quiet. It's our favorite pool overall and much less traffic around so you can relax. First table on the right side has a speaker there so you can hear some soothing music. Floridacat loves that table.

As for the beds, you said it! It's happened to everyone at least once or twice. Word has it from a reliable source at WL that they are re-thinking the bed frames and may actually replace them with something a bet less harsh and painfull on the legs. Let's all hope for that one.

I also wish that they would keep roaring forks open all night. Ya never know when you need a snack or something last minute.

Buses for us have always been ok. No more than 10 minutes wait and for us the guideline for bus transport was always 30 to 45 minutes to get to your destination. You could always take the boat to the contemporary then hop the monrail to the TTC for epcot or hit one of the resorts from there.

Most importantly, you're on vacation so why hurry? Enjoy the ride and relax. We have toned down our "trip plans" quite a bit from our past experiences at the world. We like to take our time. It lowers the stress level considerably.

Hope my answers were gentle and helpfull.

Fred

Originally posted by MILEMRKR63
I justr returned from 5 nights at WL. I had a very enjoyable time.

Con's (be gentle on me pls):

**room was extremely small but again the room was fine for 2.
**resort was overrun with kids hence being unable to get a chair at the pool and when you finally did get a chair, the kids were running buck wild screaming. Not very relaxing. Kids were everywhere and speaking of pool, its WAY to small. lifeguards were excellent and really watching the kids. took away the deluxe feel of the resort having so many kids there.
**dam beds were always tunning into my shins
**morning wake up call from lobby eatery was really bad when they would ring the bell and yell come and get it.
**bus service was never direct. Always stopping at ft wilderness campgrounds enroute to most parks which meant bus had to back track to lodge area to catch the highway. for example, from WL to Epcoy yesterday took 45 minutes. Boat launches were efficient but again, always had to wait as we went to ft wilderness. getting back to resort meant multi stops and my gosh, the bus to DTD took on the average of 50 minutes from the time we boarded till we made the rounds at every hotel (poly CR, GF and good ole' ft wilderness. now there was an emplotyee at the bus areas everyday timing busses. she told me they were making alot of effort to improve the bus situation. To be honest, the average wait was about 10 minutes between busses but once on board you had to allow at least 30 minutes to get to your destination. Boat launch took about 25 minutes to get to MK due to stops at ft wilderness. Oh yeah, often they would hit Ft wilderness on the return route first because the other launch wuold still be docked at the WL. GRRRRRR frustrating.
**MY biggest gripe**** no food after midnight. WAS AS IF THEY FIGURED NO ONE EATS AFTER 12..

ok so once again, I truly had an enjoyable time and appreciate everyones imput with my questions regarding the WL. I hope I was able to add tp the info regarding the standard rooms. Oh yeah, the lobby standard rooms are 89-81 89 being closest to the driveway. I would stay in a standards anytime there. It is not in my opinion to get a courtyard or woods view. My standard view was priceless.

ps about the weather. HOT HOT HOT HOT OMG was it hot. Almost unbearably hot. Rained every day around 530 for about an hour. some wicked lightening. I got sdo much color . Oh ye4ah, it was HOT HOT HOT

 

[SpeechGuy]

Thanks for the great report. I enjoyed reading about your experiences at the Lodge. I can understand the issue with the kids. We have two and for the most part are well behaved (at least in public).

I can also appreciate your comments about your lobby room. We will be at WL this December and have a courtyard view. In all honesty, I was thinking about downgrading to a standard or woods view room in order to be in the lobby area (for the Christmas ambiance). Can you tell me the room nunber you had or a series of room numbers that you would recommend? Were you on the 4th floor? Any help you can give will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Mick

 

[Majestic]

Rule of thumb, per a CM I know, Saturday is not the day you want to go to MK if you can avoid it as it is the busiest day of the week there. We always avoid going on Saturday and it works out well for us. Plan something else for the day if at all possible.

Just an FYI.

Originally posted by MILEMRKR63
The parks were quite crowded. Was GayDay at MK on Saturday(6/5) and the park was quite full. There were letters in the rooms advising guests that the capacity at MK on saturday woudl be very high

 

[SpeechGuy]

Speaking of visiting MK....We will be at WDW from the 19th to 31st of December. Based on these dates and the time of year, is there a day of the week that is better for visiting MK? Should we do MK on early entry mornings or avoid these days? Thanks!

Mick

 

[disneyholic family]

it's been my experience that wild kids have wild parents....
probably a combination of nature and nurture....

in any case, every disney resort has its pros and cons...
we've never tried the WL.......we'll either like it or we won't, but at least we'll know one way or the other.....
our favorite used to be dixie landings, then it was old key west.....both of them i think because of the feeling of seclusion...
that is, the feeling that you're some place else...not a few feet from a major theme park...
i'm hoping that the WL will give us that same feeling..
if not...well...live and learn...

 

[aesalsa]

Originally posted by MILEMRKR63

**awesome view from my STANDARD lobby view room of the MK, CR. Poly, Castle, monorail, space mtn and Wishes. Was in 5084. I was given a complimentary upgrade to an interior courtyard view but after seeing the room, I really wanted a lobby room and they gave me a great one. Now to specify these views, CR, Poly, monorail, space Mtn and wished were very clear, you could see castle in the distance at night when changing colors. Great rooms these standards are and worth the price in my book. The folks 4 doors down from me had the same view and they were as pleased as I was.

Can't help much with you MK in December questions. . .Sorry.

Hope this helps!

 

[SpeechGuy]

....that is exactly what I was looking for. I must have missed that part of the post when I initially read it. Thanks again!!!!

Mick

 

[JBurke]

Hollua-yes August will be HOT!!

We have gone twice in October, but last summer we went in August. Man was it hot! And it rained a lot (more like downpours than sprkinles)
Bring ponchos (although they do tend to feel like saran wrap on you when its 90+ outside!)

Definately try and squeeze in afternoon pool breaks to cool you down. We also bought a Misty Mate which cooled us off while waiting in lines.
After the 4th day I decided to stop wasting time on doing my hair and makeup because by 11am my long hair was in a ponytail and my makeup melted off!

But heck, I'd rather be in Disneyworld whether it was 100 degrees or zero degrees than anywhere else!!!

Have fun

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Hi, WL'ers

Another note about the Transportaion: The Larger Green Flag boat has this schedule in the a.m. when most guest are traveling to the Magic Kingdom the boat starts at Ft. Wilderness then picks up at The Wilderness Lodge giving WL guest a direct ride to the MK 10 minutes. Then in the afternoon p.m. when most guest are returning to the Lodge it reverses the route and from the MK the first stop is WL which also takes about 10 minutes. If you are going to the park in the afternoon Yes you will have to ride to Ft. Wilderness first.

Majestic

The Disney Magazine Summer 2004, the magazine's is titled The Readers' Choise Awards The staff had an indedendent firm specializing in on-line research, to administer a survey of their subscriber...(Disney Magazine)...many interesting questions, ranging from the personal (attraction you miss the most) to the pracitical (best place for kids to blow off steam) and covered everything in between.

What is your favorite Walt Disney World Resort?

Survey said the #1 Resort is...

1. Wilderness Lodge Resort
2. Polynesian Resort
3. Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

[Majestic]

right back at ya! Thanks for the reference about the magazine.

I haven't even been back a month yet and I am already in need of a WL fix! WIsh we could go back again.

I'll just have to experience through other people's eyes.

Fred

Originally posted by MAGICinMYHEART
Hi, WL'ers

Majestic

The Disney Magazine Summer 2004, the magazine's is titled The Readers' Choise Awards The staff had an indedendent firm specializing in on-line research, to administer a survey of their subscriber...(Disney Magazine)...many interesting questions, ranging from the personal (attraction you miss the most) to the pracitical (best place for kids to blow off steam) and covered everything in between.

What is your favorite Walt Disney World Resort?

Survey said the #1 Resort is...

1. Wilderness Lodge Resort
2. Polynesian Resort
3. Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

 

[aesalsa]

Mick-- You're Welcome !

MAGICinMYHEART/Beckie-- Thanks for those tips. . .I have to write that down!