Why is Wilderness Lodge so much cheaper?

[stitch79]

From what I have seen I think that the WL & AKL are better themed over all than the deluxes as far as the rooms go. The picutres I have seen of the YC/BC and the BW the rooms are rather plain looking but the rooms at AKL lodge especially seemed to be themed to the resort.

 

[tar heel]

Another difference between the lodges and other deluxes is that a standard room only sleeps 4 people.

 

[dparksfan]

But the WL and AKL are actual hotels (enclosed hallways) vs. the mods where you can drive close to your room, possibly this is why they are boosted up to the deluxes.

 

[SalandJeff]

We are DVC members at Boardwalk, but have stayed at every Disney resort from the value All Stars to Grand Floridian. My feeling is that WL and AKL are kind of between a moderate and deluxe, but closer to the deluxe. The rooms are a bit smaller. We liked AKL, but loved WL and would definitely stay there again. As a matter of fact, we tried to use our vacation club points at the WLV in Sept, but there was no availability.

 

[hookedup]

We like to stay at the GF and made a point during our recent stay to spend a day and see some of the resorts we have not visited before - one of which was the WL. What a beautifully themed resort! Very warm and inviting. We found the boat service to be convenient and there is also a separate smaller boat service that went over to the Contemporary too.
I have to say that our short visit there made me leave thinking that this was a resort that we would consider in the future!

 

[budwmn]

I keep hearing how much smaller the rooms are at AKL. I've stayed in a deluxe room there as well as a room at YC. The YC was the same size. Obviously, I haven't seen all the hotels deluxe rooms, but AKL's seemed pretty average sized to me.

As far as luxury goes, I think AKL is just as nice as any of the other deluxes, but it is different. Having travelled to luxury lodges in Africa, I can say that AKL does an excellent job of capturing the feel of a safari hotel. The furniture, art, and even wood moldings were all hand carved in Africa. The lobby is stunning and the restaurants are top notch. It may not be to your taste (it's nothing like the Victorian feel of GF or the nautical feel of YC), but it is a deluxe hotel.

Having said that, I didn't get the same feel at WL. The lobby is gorgeous. The pool and grounds are spectacular. But in my opinion, the rooms are just okay.

 

[erikthewise]

Thessaly nailed it. AKL and WL have smaller rooms and less central locations. Also other deluxes generally sleep 5 with a day bed in a standard room. AKL and WL do not; you need a room upgrade to sleep 5.

Although differents sources give different numbers, the comparisons are consistent. Approximate standard room sizes in sq ft:
Monorail resorts (GF, PR, CR): 400-440
Epcot resorts (BWI, BC, YC): 385
AKL, WL: 345
CBR: 340
POR: 315
AS: 260

Many people find the theming and unique features of AKL and WL make up for the smaller rooms and location, and that's fine! I like them too. But with a family of 4 or 5, room size is a consideration.

 

[Geoff_M]

I had heard that WL was intended as a moderate, and I can believe that from the room size,...

I really question that rumor. Aside from the room size (which is larger than most of the WDW Moderates), WL shares little else in common with the Moderates. The rooms have interior hallways, the themeing is unparalleled with the Moderates, the number of rooms at WL is far below the number of rooms at an average Moderate, and the amenities are on par with a WDW Deluxe. Perhaps when the WDW planners decided to put a resort on that location they first thought it would be a Moderate, but it's pretty clear that once the architects started putting pens to paper, it was to be a deluxe.

As for the question about room pricing versus other Deluxes, I think to boils down to the room size and the fact that it doens't have the cache of being a "monorail resort" or being directly connected to a theme park like YC/BC/BWI.