Wilderness Lodge Area - Things To Do

[TinkAgainU]

In mid-December, we are meeting for late lunch at Whispering Cafe. I've never been to that area of WDW and wondered what sights and things we should be sure to see if there a couple hours. I saw horseback riding (will probably put that on my Next to-do list) but wanted to be sure to see the Holiday decorations that are there (and if the campground area is worth going to see?) If the horseback riding takes us past sights would add it this trip, but assume there are bicycles or some other mode of transport to consider. Will not have a car. Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Marthasor]

It really depends on how much time you have. Whispering Canyon is at Wilderness Lodge, but the activities you are mentioning are at Ft. Wilderness Resort which is a completely different resort area. You can access Ft. W from Wilderness Lodge by boat and do some activities over there, but, again, it just depends on how much time you have to spend in the area. If you take the boat to Ft. W, you can walk to the stables to see the horses, go horseback riding etc. - I believe they only do horseback riding in the morning and early afternoon. If you want to see the decorations, consider booking a holiday sleigh ride after sundown - the carriage ride will take you through some of the areas that are decorated. You can rent bikes, canoes and kayaks at the Ft. as well, but the rental area is a bit of a walk or a bus ride from the area where the Wilderness Lodge boat will drop you off. If you want to just explore Wilderness Lodge, the lobby decorations will be gorgeous. You can also see some of Walt Disney's backyard train cars in the lobby of Boulder Ridge Villas which is right next to WL.

 

[CarolynFH]

In mid-December, we are meeting for late lunch at Whispering Cafe. I've never been to that area of WDW and wondered what sights and things we should be sure to see if there a couple hours. I saw horseback riding (will probably put that on my Next to-do list) but wanted to be sure to see the Holiday decorations that are there (and if the campground area is worth going to see?) If the horseback riding takes us past sights would add it this trip, but assume there are bicycles or some other mode of transport to consider. Will not have a car. Thanks for any suggestions!

As above, the activities are at Ft. Wilderness. The boat from WL (there’s a bus, too) will take you to the Settlement, where you’ll find the gift shop and the stables where you can visit the ponies who draw the Cinderella carriage, the horses who appear in parades, etc.

If you want to ride horses, they are in the stables at the other end of FtW, the Outpost. There’s a bus between the two areas.

 

[Mle8308]

Right now, the boat to FW starts at 3pm. Bus starts around 6:45am and takes less than 5 minutes. Boat is more relaxing and fun.

 

[Stratman50th]

The campsites at the fort are spread out in different loops. Looking at the decorations at the campsites is called "looping". The decorations put up by the campers are amazing and worth seeing. Without transportation, you'll need to walk the loops. Best way for you to get around is to take the internal busses and get off at each loop bus stops. Walk around, see the sights get back on the bus to the next loop. Rinse and repeat as many times as you can stand. Looping is best done after dark. Go to the camping forum here at the DIS and do a search for Christmas Decorations to get an idea of what you'll see.