The NEW WL FAQ (Part 5) Simbas and Tiggers and Humphreys OH MY! Part 2

[mumom95]

Mumom


Since I don't believe that there are any bunk-bed rooms off the Lobby I won't suggest a Lobby room. These are my favorite rooms especially during the time you'll be there, all the Christmas decorations will be in place. There isn't anything like opening your room door and seeing a 7 story Christmas Tree right outside or having the view from the balcony of the waterfall, swimming pool and Bay Lake right there.

I will be visiting the Lodge in a few weeks I'll check with them and see if any of the Lobby rooms have the bunk beds now.

The North Wing Courtyard Views have a better view from the balconies of the EWP that is located in Bay Lake. But the South Wing Courtyard Views have a better view of the waterfall and pool area.

Sorry I love both views so I'm not much help...

Just remember to add the "Inner-Courtyard View" to your room request, if you don't want to overlook the Villas pool.

Beckie

Thanks so much for all of your advice. You are a real asset to those of us who are new to the WL. Hope you have a great time during your stay in a couple of weeks. I'm going crazy waiting until November (266 days to be exact )

 

[BlueFairy]

BlueFairy

This is hard because there are so many variables. The room rate you have at the Swan ($125/nt) is a great deal. You will not be able to book Wilderness Lodge for less. Also your rack rate of $215.00 a night would be in September during value season, ( Peak Hurricane Season) October is regular season and rack rates are $265.00 a night. With a good AP Rate you could subtract appx $70.00-$75.00 dollars from these prices.

The free dining with rack-rate standard room at WL is a maybe thing that when announced would have to be acted on very fast even then receiving a standard view will be hard to book as there are so few of these rooms.

Disney announced the free dinning several months ago for their European guest for August. So I'm not sure if they will offer it again this year to the general guest.

Sorry I haven't been able to help you much.

Beckie

Actually, that really does help some. I had a hint that std rooms were scarce, and I'm sure are getting booked well ahead of time. That's why I wondered if I should secure a rack rate room now in case the discounts were to come available and I could apply one. Either way, with woods view and also regular season, it seems that getting a discount that will compete with my Swan rate is going to be almost impossible.
We've dreamed of staying at WL for years. I'm learning a lot from watching this thread. Maybe we'll work something out with our budget. Thanks!

 

[jlsiiesq]

Our first WL visit. Stayed at Poly in Sept with DW, DS(5) and DS(3)

Here is my big question.....I am not sure why everyone says to go to EPCOT to take the bus. Why would you not take the Boat to MK and then walk over to the Monorail? Besides the fact that my kids love the monorail, is it really that much longer to do it that way than the straight bus route?

Cannot wait to go.

BTW: Can you really see the fireworks from the WL?

And....what questions can you ask to get the waiters in the restaurant going?

It sounds a lot like Durgin Park in Boston.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Our first WL visit.
Here is my big question.....I am not sure why everyone says to go to EPCOT to take the bus. Why would you not take the Boat to MK and then walk over to the Monorail? Besides the fact that my kids love the monorail, is it really that much longer to do it that way than the straight bus route?

BTW: Can you really see the fireworks from the WL?

jlsiiesq

The bus from Wilderness Lodge to EPCOT runs every 15-20 minutes. Total travel time once on the bus maybe 20 minutes until you disembark at the bus stop @ EPCOT.

If you take the Green Flag Boat you may have a 20-25 minute wait for the boat, 10-15 minutes until you arrive at Magic Kingdom, then you have to walk to the Monorail Station either monorail would do. (Resort/Direct) Wait on the monorail to arrive board wait until you leave then you may have a stop at the CR (Resort Monorail) when you arrive at the TTC you will disembark the Magic Kingdom Monorail System and walk around to the EPCOT Monorail System and wait on the next Monorail arrives. All of the waiting, riding, walking, waiting, riding, walking, waiting, riding...can consume a lot of time. Most guest want the most direct, less time consuming transportation.

Your creative route would take twice as long as the bus, maybe less than twice as long, but it could also be much longer.

The Monorail is loads of fun and I call creative transportation ADVENTURES and often try and come up with alternate routes, my family will follow me anywhere. But we no longer have small children with strollers nor does any family member need any assistance.

Yes many of the Standard View and Wood View Rooms located in the North Wings also have limited views of the Magic Kingdom and Wishes fireworks.

Beckie

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Beckie - *I hope you don't mind if I call you that!*

I have some notes from the last few times I booked WL, and wondered if they still applied. It is for transportation to Epcot. My notes say "Head to the bus stop; if inner resort bus comes first, hop on and ride to the TTC. If Epcot bus comes first, take the Epcot bus. Coming back, ride monorail to the TTC and take inner resort bus to the WL."

It sounds like this is no longer accurate. Please let me know, and I'll eliminate this from my WL research notes.

Thnx!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

*I hope you don't mind if I call you that!*

I have some notes from the last few times I booked WL, and wondered if they still applied. It is for transportation to Epcot. My notes say "Head to the bus stop; if inner resort bus comes first, hop on and ride to the TTC. If Epcot bus comes first, take the Epcot bus. Coming back, ride monorail to the TTC and take inner resort bus to the WL."

It sounds like this is no longer accurate. Please let me know, and I'll eliminate this from my WL research notes.

K&A&C'sMom

Certainly you may call me Beckie...everyone does...

You are correct the information is unfortunately (for the most part) outdated. The Wilderness Lodge and Ft. Wilderness had a bus that until the last few years went to TTC, only resorts that did. However when Disney started the direct bus from Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom they discontinued this route until after closing time (+1 hour) at Magic Kingdom.

From page 1

The Direct Bus runs between Wilderness Lodge and the Magic Kingdom until after the Magic Kingdom closes then reverts back to the old route to TTC so depending on when your trip is and when the MK closes this could be another option to travel from the Monorail Resorts or EPCOT to or from Wilderness Lodge.

The alternate route is due to the fact that guest that need assistance (wheelchairs or EVS) may not be able to load/unload on the Green Flag Boat due to the water level of Bay Lake.

I loved being able to wait for whichever bus would show up first to know how I was going to EPCOT. This past summer when they where working on the bus stop at Magic Kingdom they also reverted back to TTC during my stay I used this route several times to visit EPCOT.

That's how I know about the time involved taking Jlsiiesq route over to the Magic Kingdom. I love coming up with things to confuse my nephews, I will sometimes make them decide how to travel between Resorts and Parks.

Beckie

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Beckie - thank you for the response, you are such a wealth of info! I always love reading your posts, as they are filled with WL facts.

It sounds as though you are also a very loving and entertaining aunt - I'm sure your nephews love your transportation games!

 

[vicki845]

Hi all,

We will be staying @ WL for the first time 9/26/ -10/05, courtyard view. We would like a balcony, view of bay lake or one of the pools. Not too noisy since we have 2 little ones, 3 and 6 yrs old. It would be great if the walk isn't too long to the boat dock, since we will be spending a lot of time at mk. Can you recommend which wing and room number we should stay in? Also when should I put my room request in. I am so excited to be staying at the WL. Last trip we ate at Artist Point. Great restaurant by the way. DH and I fell in love with this resort.

tia

 

[Dalpal]

Hi all,

We will be staying @ WL for the first time 9/26/ -10/05, courtyard view. We would like a balcony, view of bay lake or one of the pools. Not too noisy since we have 2 little ones, 3 and 6 yrs old. It would be great if the walk isn't too long to the boat dock, since we will be spending a lot of time at mk. Can you recommend which wing and room number we should stay in? Also when should I put my room request in. I am so excited to be staying at the WL. Last trip we ate at Artist Point. Great restaurant by the way. DH and I fell in love with this resort.

tia

Vicki,
Hi We will be going to the WL for the first time in Sept. also!. ..We will be there the 22nd to the 29th....
We will have a woods view, so I cant answer your ??s, But I thought I'd say hi to a fellow WL first timer....
We will be taking my DGSs, they are 6 YO and 8YO...So I expect to be at the MK alot also....
I am really looking forward to this trip. ...as my DGSs have never been to WDW befor..I cant wait to show them everything....
I picked the WL, because they are really into cowboys and all that shoot em up western stuff...and we actually walked through it to catch the boat, when they had that island with all the birds and things,(before AK)I forget the name of it??? I was really impressed, with the place and said at the time that I would LOVE to stay there someday! I have never been to AP...I hear its costly. Is it worth the exspense?...
MY DH and I have been to WDW many times and Im trying out as many of the resorts as I can....
You can see by my sig. that we have done quite a few... Poly is my favorite, But I just cant afford it most of the time...as it is we are doing extra savings ...Just to bring the boys to the WL....We have a "Mod" pocketbook...and a deluxe, state or mind...

So I cant wait for your trip to get here ...Because that means that I'll already be there!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

We will be staying @ WL for the first time 9/26/ -10/05, courtyard view. We would like a balcony, view of bay lake or one of the pools. Not too noisy since we have 2 little ones, 3 and 6 yrs old. It would be great if the walk isn't too long to the boat dock, since we will be spending a lot of time at mk. Can you recommend which wing and room number we should stay in? Also when should I put my room request in.

Vicki845


First WELCOME to to The DIS, and The FAQ Thread.

I never recommend specific room #'s, because this will limit the room assigners job so much. Say the room you requested already has a guest assigned and staying in the one room you said you wanted, where would they assign you?

It's better to ask for an area of the resort, then a room #. If you want to be close to the boat dock you could ask the for North Wing.

All the rooms have a balcony or patio. (if the room is located on the ground level) If you would like a room that is quieter, a higher floor would remove you from the noise of the pool area, plus offer a better view of Bay Lake.

Request can/should be added to your reservations through CRO or TA before your arrival, this can be done anytime until about a week before your arrival date. The CM at check-in may also accept a request if the room type you want is available.

If you click on the link below it will give you a good lay-out of the rooms and location areas at Wilderness Lodge:

Wilderness Lodge Room #'s and Locations


Good Luck and have a GREAT Trip.

Beckie

 

[LisaRN]

Hi everyone..it's been a while. We are still recovering from the death of my brother, and are trying to get back to normal. I did just book at WL stay though Right now for early August, where we will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, on the Club Level It will be a quick trip, but after the tragedy we've suffered over the past few months, we need something to look forward to. I am still debating should I request a Courtyard or a Magic Kingdom view?? We've done Courtyard view twice, so I am thinking we might want to do the MK view this time. Geez..it's so good to be back and talking WDW and WL again!!

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Lisa

Glad to see you back on the boards, I'm so sorry you have had such a sad year.

I just love the Magic Kingdom side of the 7th floor because all the views are wonderful. (Above all the trees) I enjoy watching the castle change color all night long.

I just made reservations yesterday for an August stay August 10-18th I believe. While we will be over at the BWV during this stay if the dates are good we maybe could meet-up for a cool drink.

Beckie

 

[LisaRN]

Hi Beckie We will be checking in on the 6th and out on the 11th as I have to be back to school on the 13th, and we are driving from Buffalo. I was just reading about the pool rehab, but really don't see exactly what will be different after the rehab is complete, any news on that? But we will definitely have to make plans for a quick meet once it gets a bit closer

 

[vicki845]

Hi all,

Thanks for the welcome and the room info. We picked the wl because we fell in love with it on our last trip. We had adr's @ Artist Point and when we took the boat over from mk as soon as we started to dock I new I already liked the resort but when we saw the lobby, then the pool I knew one day I wanted to stay there. This year dh and I will be celebrating our 10 yr wedding anniversary so I wanted to stay @ wl. This will be our first deluxe stay as well. Last trip we stood @ POR which was very nice but I just wanted something alittle more special this year. Although it's more $$$ I think it will be worth it. Plus dc will be close to mk and the boat ride will be fun for them too.

Betsy,

How exciting for your DGSs to be staying at the wl and seeing wdw for the first time. They're at a really good age too. They will love mk, that's where we spent most of our time last trip. You have to do character meals! Epicot is great too. My dd and dn loved doing the masks. I was looking into the Poly too but if I'm going to stay there then I want a lagoon view which is too much $$ right now but it's on my list . The Beach Club looks really nice too. I can't wait until we are on the plane to disney, it can't get here fast enough! I swear I'm a kid at heart. Last trip I'm the ONE that wanted to go on every ride. Disnery just brings that out in me. It really is magical!

Lisa,

Sorry to hear about your brother. I think disney is the place to be. Like you said you need something to look forward to. The magisc on disney will help! I hope you enjoy your stay and happy anniversary!


Vicki

 

[dizneykid]

We are back from a terrific vacation from the Lodge!!!. We had a wonderful time!!

The Lodge was at 100% capacity when we checked in. You could tell it was BUSY!!! I have never seen Artist Point and WCC sooooo busy. Never an empty table.

Found out a few things about the Lodge. First of all, as of January 1, there is a new music loop. It lasts about 45 minutes, but a CM said they they are trying to extend it.

As of 3/2 (I think) there will now be a "Hidden Mickey" tour given out at the Lodge. Free of charge.

The pool is well underway for refurbishment. They are remarcasiting (sp?) and redoing all the tile and rocks around it. The Villas pool and the kiddie and hot tubs were open. The geyser is also being worked on. Redoing all the inner workings. CM wasn't sure when it will be completed though.

Well, that's about it.

 

[dizneykid]

Hi everyone..it's been a while. We are still recovering from the death of my brother, and are trying to get back to normal. I did just book at WL stay though Right now for early August, where we will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, on the Club Level It will be a quick trip, but after the tragedy we've suffered over the past few months, we need something to look forward to. I am still debating should I request a Courtyard or a Magic Kingdom view?? We've done Courtyard view twice, so I am thinking we might want to do the MK view this time. Geez..it's so good to be back and talking WDW and WL again!!

Hey Lisa,

Glad to hear from you again. So sorry to hear about your brother. You will be in my prayers.

We would love to meet up with you, but it looks like we will just miss your dates.

Glad to hear you will be staying on the Club Level. As to requesting Courtyard or MK view. Boy, that is a hard one. We love the Courtyard view, but while we were there the MK was having the Pirates and Princess party going on and I can't begin to tell you the amazing firework display that they had. Marcel and I were lucky one night to catch this from the windows at the Lodge. It was even better than Hallowishes and the Christmas Party ones. If they still have those parties going on in the summer, I would take advantage of a MK view!!!

 

[LisaRN]

Thanks for the update Jeanne I am going to request the Magic Kingdom view and give that one a try. I just got my form to fill out from IPO via email this morning This will just be a short trip, as I said I am in an accelerated Bachelors degree program and I don't have any time off in August..so I will miss one day of class. Next year however, look out, I'm going to spend 2 weeks up there whether I have to break the bank to do it or not

 

[boysmom5150]

Great info-learned alot. Just bought VWL and cant wait to go.Thanks for all your hard work

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Just bought VWL and cant wait to go.

Boysmom

WELCOME HOME,

 

[snowman]

Are there any smoking areas around the resort? We have a standard room booked for our trip and I realize these are all non-smoking (better for our asthmatic). However, DSO smokes and knows she'll have to leave the room to do so. So, are there any smoking areas around the resort? If the only place you can smoke is in your room then we will have to develope a new battle plan.

Please - this isn't meant to start a debate about smokers in a non-smoking room. She WILL NOT smoke in an N/S room. In a perfect world she would quit smoking and this would be a non-issue. But realistically? Its not gonna happen between now and then. I just want to know if I should try to get her a smoking room or if she'll be able to find a place to smoke in peace.