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

[snogger]

Wilderness Lodge can thank this thread for our family booking there. So much info, so little time

We are going to Disney World for our first time ever December 9th- December 14th. Daughters 8th Birthday is the 11th so that alone will make it magical.

Couple questions:
Wife is on the fence about our first day there. We should be at the hotel around 2pm or so. Being as we will need to leave our house around 5am to get to the airport 2 hours before our flight we are not sure if we will have the energy to go any where once we arrive so..
If I can't talk her into going to Epcot for a few hours and just wander around, what would you recommend we do around the resort/Nearby?

Also, we requested a CourtYard View. Is that good enough or should we have the Travel Agent from Mouseforless request a specific area for the Courtyard view?

Down to 5months and counting.

 

[Va-bear]

WHY IS IT that this show ALWAYS comes on in the middle of the week and in the middle of the day, when I'm at work??!!!

And me with no VCR...

DITTO!!!!!! I am dying to see this!!! Last time I saw the note saying it was coming on - one day late!! RRRRrrrrrrrrr...... angry bear!

 

[Bev J]

Snogger:

I know our family would not be able to NOT go to a park no matter what time we got up that morning! If your room is ready when you get there how about resting for an hour or 2 then head over to the park for a while. Epcot will be open till 9 or even better with the kids take the boat over to the MK and soak up a little magic.
Or make an ADR for Chef Mickeys, take a ride on the Monorail RT Epcot then catch Wishes at the MK and hit the bed for an early morning the next day...

Bev

 

[LisaRN]

Thanks I don't suppose you had a somewhat obscured view of the castle as well?

Nope..no castle..we could only see the fireworks over the tops of the trees. That was way more than we were expecting though

 

[vatchr]

Thanks I don't suppose you had a somewhat obscured view of the castle as well?

We were on 6th floor, standard view - room 6056 - and did have a limited view of the castle. We could see the upper half of the castle through a small gap in the trees. The fireworks above the castle were great. Once it got dark, you could see the different colors of the castle prior to the fireworks show. I'm not sure how many rooms could actually see the castle, there was a small gap in the trees directly in front of our balcony which helped.

Good luck and enjoy, our daughters 4 and 6 loved the fireworks and castle every night!

-Laura

 

[msinformation]

OK, I just booked a standard view room at AAA prices for August 26-Sept 3. So they may still have a few available if anyone's interested! Thank you to everyone who offered me advice on room location. I requested a north wing room on the upper floors. Let's hope we get something similar!

Thanks again.

 

[snogger]

Snogger:

I know our family would not be able to NOT go to a park no matter what time we got up that morning! If your room is ready when you get there how about resting for an hour or 2 then head over to the park for a while. Epcot will be open till 9 or even better with the kids take the boat over to the MK and soak up a little magic.
Or make an ADR for Chef Mickeys, take a ride on the Monorail RT Epcot then catch Wishes at the MK and hit the bed for an early morning the next day...

Bev

I hear you. I'm hoping her mind will change once we land and get to the hotel. We already have 2 full days planned for MK so won't be heading there.

The next day is MGM so it's not like we have to get up real early. With any luck we will get to the hotel before 2pm and by 5pm they will both be set to go and we can get a few hours in at Epcot.
I think I'll just keep sending her links to the Christmas Light display at Epcot.

Still, any ideas on things to plan around the hotel if they don't feel up to going any where?
Thanks,
Snogger

 

[GatorEye]

Wilderness Lodge can thank this thread for our family booking there. So much info, so little time

We are going to Disney World for our first time ever December 9th- December 14th. Daughters 8th Birthday is the 11th so that alone will make it magical.

Couple questions:
Wife is on the fence about our first day there. We should be at the hotel around 2pm or so. Being as we will need to leave our house around 5am to get to the airport 2 hours before our flight we are not sure if we will have the energy to go any where once we arrive so..
If I can't talk her into going to Epcot for a few hours and just wander around, what would you recommend we do around the resort/Nearby?

Also, we requested a CourtYard View. Is that good enough or should we have the Travel Agent from Mouseforless request a specific area for the Courtyard view?

Down to 5months and counting.

Congrats on your first trip. We'll be checking out as you're checking in! Our first trip there last year we got in around noon. We spent a few hours just soaking in the atmosphere around the hotel - the gigantic Christmas tree in the lobby, the fireplace. You can easily blow a few hours just walking around getting familiar where everything is and enjoying the atmosphere. They will have a live band playing Christmas music for you to enjoy in the lobby.

One option we did our first night is to go to the Hoop Dee Do Review at FW. You could take the boat over there and enjoy the show and dinner.

After that we took the boat over to the Contemporary and rode the monorail around for a while. Stay on the resort monorail and you can just stay on it until you want to get off. If you've never done it, it's great and depending how old your kids are, they'll love it. That's all my DS3 wanted to do, so the first night there we rode around (in the front cab) for a while and he was so happy, we could have drove home right then and it would have been worth it. You can also get a chance to see the fireworks from the monorail or the boat on the way back (we saw them with the Contemporary in the foreground - very cool).

You could follow that up with the Electric Water Pagent from the beach at the hotel (or possibly your room depending on the view). Yeah, it's a little hokey, but you have to see it at least once.

Or you could head to MGM in the evening just to see the Osborne family Christmas lights. Get some hot chocolate and just wander around with the crowd enjoying the lights and the "snow" they drop down into the streets and the great mix of Christmas music. We found that put us in the holiday mood more than anything. I know you are going there next day, but you may find it nice not to be rushed and just enjoy that part of the evening without worrying about any rides or attractions you want to see.

They key though is to get to bed early so you can get up early. If I could offer only one bit of advice - get to the parks early! It can make a world of difference depending how young your kids are and how high your patience level is.

The good thing is that you have plenty of time to find out all the things that are going on before you go.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

Couple questions:
Wife is on the fence about our first day there. We should be at the hotel around 2pm or so. Being as we will need to leave our house around 5am to get to the airport 2 hours before our flight we are not sure if we will have the energy to go any where once we arrive so..
If I can't talk her into going to Epcot for a few hours and just wander around, what would you recommend we do around the resort/Nearby?
Also, we requested a CourtYard View. Is that good enough or should we have the Travel Agent from Mouseforless request a specific area for the Courtyard view?

Snogger

First WELCOME to the DIS and to the Wilderness Lodge FAQ Thread.

The best Courtyard View @ Christmas are located off the Lobby 4th floor. You will have a beautiful view of Bay Lake and the ELP from your balcony, and a beautiful view of all the Christmas decorations just outside your door. The Lodge schedules Live Christmas Entertainment in the Lobby. I loved sitting in a rocking-chair just outside my room watching all the holiday festivities.

Remember during you stay they should be doing the Christmas horse drawn Sleigh Rides:

The following information is from Allears prices subject to change as this information is from last year.

Wilderness Lodge

Holiday Sleigh Rides -- Enjoy a leisurely 30-minute carriage ride through the Walt Disney World backwoods from November 30 - December 30! All rides depart from the Porte Cochere in front of the Wilderness Lodge and will return to the same location every half hour between 5:30pm and 10:00pm (December 24th hours are 3:00pm - 7:00pm). Cost is $35 (tax included) per carriage. To reserve call WDW-PLAY; Please arrive 15 minutes prior to ride time. For same-day bookings, call 407-824-2832. A fee will be charged for no-shows or for cancellations within 24 hours. No smoking allowed. You may bring drinks on board. The ride will go out in mist, but not in rain. Trips may be cancelled due to inclement weather and rescheduled in which case you will not be charged.

As you will have such early morning I suggest not trying to visit any of the parks the first day, just plan a relaxing visit around the Lodge or maybe visit the monorail resorts to see their Christmas decorations. The Grand Floridian Resort is a must see during the Holidays.

Beckie

 

[MastaMind]

We were on 6th floor, standard view - room 6056 - and did have a limited view of the castle. We could see the upper half of the castle through a small gap in the trees. The fireworks above the castle were great. Once it got dark, you could see the different colors of the castle prior to the fireworks show. I'm not sure how many rooms could actually see the castle, there was a small gap in the trees directly in front of our balcony which helped.

Good luck and enjoy, our daughters 4 and 6 loved the fireworks and castle every night!

-Laura

Thanks for giving me some hope and something to aim for. I am well aware that the number of rooms with such a view are extremely limited and the odds of obtaining one are not exactly in my favor, but magic can happen at Disney, right?

 

[snogger]

Snogger

First WELCOME to the DIS and to the Wilderness Lodge FAQ Thread.

The best Courtyard View @ Christmas are located off the Lobby 4th floor. You will have a beautiful view of Bay Lake and the ELP from your balcony, and a beautiful view of all the Christmas decorations just outside your door. The Lodge schedules Live Christmas Entertainment in the Lobby. I loved sitting in a rocking-chair just outside my room watching all the holiday festivities.

Remember during you stay they should be doing the Christmas horse drawn Sleigh Rides:

The following information is from Allears prices subject to change as this information is from last year.

Wilderness Lodge

Holiday Sleigh Rides -- Enjoy a leisurely 30-minute carriage ride through the Walt Disney World backwoods from November 30 - December 30! All rides depart from the Porte Cochere in front of the Wilderness Lodge and will return to the same location every half hour between 5:30pm and 10:00pm (December 24th hours are 3:00pm - 7:00pm). Cost is $35 (tax included) per carriage. To reserve call WDW-PLAY; Please arrive 15 minutes prior to ride time. For same-day bookings, call 407-824-2832. A fee will be charged for no-shows or for cancellations within 24 hours. No smoking allowed. You may bring drinks on board. The ride will go out in mist, but not in rain. Trips may be cancelled due to inclement weather and rescheduled in which case you will not be charged.

As you will have such early morning I suggest not trying to visit any of the parks the first day, just plan a relaxing visit around the Lodge or maybe visit the monorail resorts to see their Christmas decorations. The Grand Floridian Resort is a must see during the Holidays.

Beckie

Thanks
Will make notes on the 4th floor info. Going to play it by ear on how we feel the first day, but the carriage ride sounds

I have been to Disneyland before but never Disney World. Wife and daughter have never been to either so working on making this as as possible for them.

 

[snogger]

Congrats on your first trip. We'll be checking out as you're checking in! Our first trip there last year we got in around noon. We spent a few hours just soaking in the atmosphere around the hotel - the gigantic Christmas tree in the lobby, the fireplace. You can easily blow a few hours just walking around getting familiar where everything is and enjoying the atmosphere. They will have a live band playing Christmas music for you to enjoy in the lobby.

One option we did our first night is to go to the Hoop Dee Do Review at FW. You could take the boat over there and enjoy the show and dinner.

After that we took the boat over to the Contemporary and rode the monorail around for a while. Stay on the resort monorail and you can just stay on it until you want to get off. If you've never done it, it's great and depending how old your kids are, they'll love it. That's all my DS3 wanted to do, so the first night there we rode around (in the front cab) for a while and he was so happy, we could have drove home right then and it would have been worth it. You can also get a chance to see the fireworks from the monorail or the boat on the way back (we saw them with the Contemporary in the foreground - very cool).

You could follow that up with the Electric Water Pagent from the beach at the hotel (or possibly your room depending on the view). Yeah, it's a little hokey, but you have to see it at least once.

Or you could head to MGM in the evening just to see the Osborne family Christmas lights. Get some hot chocolate and just wander around with the crowd enjoying the lights and the "snow" they drop down into the streets and the great mix of Christmas music. We found that put us in the holiday mood more than anything. I know you are going there next day, but you may find it nice not to be rushed and just enjoy that part of the evening without worrying about any rides or attractions you want to see.

They key though is to get to bed early so you can get up early. If I could offer only one bit of advice - get to the parks early! It can make a world of difference depending how young your kids are and how high your patience level is.

The good thing is that you have plenty of time to find out all the things that are going on before you go.

Between your suggestion on the Monorail rides and Beckies Carriage ride we may use that first day to recover from getting up so eary(will be waking up around 4am ).

Being as this will be the first flight ever for my daughter, and my wife has only flown once before we may need that first day just to rest and relax and prepare fo rthe week.

Thanks again,
Snogger

 

[yearbook50]

I guess I should hang out on here. I've been to Wilderness Lodge countless times growing up. Getting to go there again twice in the next 6 months.

 

[Cupmom]

I know this is some where but I'll ask again. Does the fridges have a small freezer in them to freeze water bottles. I thought they were dorm fridges which do but then I read they have no freezer of any kind. Which is it?

 

[kimmar067]

I guess I should hang out on here. I've been to Wilderness Lodge countless times growing up. Getting to go there again twice in the next 6 months.

....cool beans!

 

[Ronald Duck]

I know this is some where but I'll ask again. Does the fridges have a small freezer in them to freeze water bottles. I thought they were dorm fridges which do but then I read they have no freezer of any kind. Which is it?

Just came back a week ago...sorry, NO freezer (we missed that!).

 

[Alicnwondrln]

I guess I should hang out on here. I've been to Wilderness Lodge countless times growing up. Getting to go there again twice in the next 6 months.

that sounds good !!

 

[kimmar067]

Just came back a week ago...sorry, NO freezer (we missed that!).

...I didn't THINK so, but I wasn't sure......

 

[ciera321]

I know this is some where but I'll ask again. Does the fridges have a small freezer in them to freeze water bottles. I thought they were dorm fridges which do but then I read they have no freezer of any kind. Which is it?

The past 2 stays we've had good luck with turning our frig as cool as it will go (be sure to turn it back before you check out ) and set our bottles of water on the bottom of the frig. They froze half way over night. May have just been luck, but it worked for us...

 

[GatorEye]

Snogger

First WELCOME to the DIS and to the Wilderness Lodge FAQ Thread.

Wilderness Lodge

Holiday Sleigh Rides -- Enjoy a leisurely 30-minute carriage ride through the Walt Disney World backwoods from November 30 - December 30! All rides depart from the Porte Cochere in front of the Wilderness Lodge and will return to the same location every half hour between 5:30pm and 10:00pm (December 24th hours are 3:00pm - 7:00pm). Cost is $35 (tax included) per carriage. To reserve call WDW-PLAY; Please arrive 15 minutes prior to ride time. For same-day bookings, call 407-824-2832. A fee will be charged for no-shows or for cancellations within 24 hours. No smoking allowed. You may bring drinks on board. The ride will go out in mist, but not in rain. Trips may be cancelled due to inclement weather and rescheduled in which case you will not be charged.
Beckie [/size][/FONT]

Beckie,

Do you know any more about this (I saw this on allears)? I called today to try to book it, but was unsuccesful and had some discrepancies. Specifically...

1) Does the carriage ride leave from FW or WL? They said the ride leaves from FW instead of WL. Obviously since we're staying at WL it would be easier to start and end there.

2) Is this available to book now? I tried to call and today and they said you can't book more than 90 days in advance. She said I couldn't book the ride until mid September.

3) How are the holiday sleigh rides any different than the carriage rides they run all the time? The CM said it's all the same thing.

I emailed the IPO since I'm staying on the CL and didn't hear anything back. I'm getting a little discouraged and after my previous poor responses from the IPO. I'm beginning to think it's not worth the money. Maybe I should have stuck to a courtyard/lobby view room and stayed an extra few days.