Hello to all the WL fans here!
We just returned from our first trip there. (We spent three nights, followed by five nights at the BWI) As we approached the Lodge, we had to take a picture of the large welcoming sign and the moose sign!
As we entered the lobby, we were so impressed. We stayed at AKL last summer, so we have seen a soaring lobby before, but the WL lobby is different and beautiful. We loved the smell.
We arrived early and checked in around 11:00. They had our room ready, but unfortunately only one of our requests could be honored. We had requested a room on the lobby, on an upper floor, and N/S (but the N/S was guaranteed already) They gave us room 6062, which was a standard room facing the Contemporary resort. It was a short walk from the elevators, down a short hall and around a corner. The view at first was pretty bad, looking out on the delivery area and CM break area. We could smell things from a cooking exhaust out there. The beeping from trucks backing up was not too nice either, but........ the view at night improved. We could see part of Wishes and the CR looked nice lit up at night. That view on a lower floor would have been awful.
We took the first day to explore the resort, and we loved it! It had a woodsy, northern feel to it that only Disney could capture here in the middle of Florida. We saw bunnies and ducks with their ducklings. We liked the pool, and swam in it every morning and night. The geyser erupting every hour is neat! We also liked the little waterfall area of the pool near the rocks.
On the first day we tried to get to the Trails End buffet in the campgrounds, but the boat was taking a long, long time to arrive. When it did, everyone on it had to get off because the driver had an accident and the side of the boat was dented. About 20 minutes later a boat to the CR arrived and decided to take the Ft Wilderness people too. We decided to get off at the Contemporary and eat there since it was 2:30, and too late for lunch at the buffet. The second day we took the boat to MK and there were no problems either way. Relaxing ride.
WCC is a wild restaurant! I laughed so much in there from all the nutsy things they do. Yes, DH and I had to do the ketchup run! They made one man stand up as they announced loudly how "he wanted everyone to know it was his birthday". I think the man just wanted a free piece of birthday cake, but instead he was invited to ride a wooden horse around the room! Too funny! We ate in there the most.
Even though it was a short stay, we got the refillable mugs as a souvenir. We ate at Roaring Forks too.
We sat in all the sitting areas in the lobby, we did the Hidden Mickey hunt, and we rubbed Humphries nose every time we passed him! Had to buy the replica of that Humphrey pole ( a photo holder for one)
All in all, it is everything you experts here have said it is and more! Thank you for all your advice and for all the information contained in these pages. I have enjoyed reading your posts and appreciated all the collective knowledge here. We loved the Lodge and would definitely return again.
Hey! Now I can say I am a WL vet! Can't wait to return "home" again!
Now, on to my unhappy unpacking........
Vacations are too short!
. . .you are very sweet. I hope we'll see you here more often!
, I will have to live vicariously through everyone else. LOL
! And I love that WL music, too!
I'd like to upgrade to the concierge level if it's available and not cost prohibitive....I just ask for that at check-in, right? I'm also interested in the Family Plan at the marina (the one for 4 hours of boating time), do we have to use the four hours at once?
