Wilderness Lodge Mess

[disney meema]

Here's where we ended up ...
I called the day I got the letter and wanted a CL room like I had booked at WL for November, nothing was available online except 1 bedrooms. But after 1 1/2 hours on the phone and being on hold most of the time the CM got a supervisor to look for me ... They got me 10 days at AKL CL at a bit less than what I had paid at WL CL so I was happy. Honestly I'd rather have stayed at WL but not during construction, no way.
Before the letter I had already moved to GF theme park view room at an additional $1200 which I booked online ... But once I got the letter I called and got the AKL CL and a better price : )
I'm not happy about the way the construction was handled as far as getting the information out quick enough, but I am happy that disney is working to please those not happy with their stay and making other arrangements or discounted rooms at WL Hoping everyone is ending up where they want to be and have a fabulous vacation!!

 

[disney meema]

Can someone please provide updated details on construction? I have read somewhere that not only is there a pool renovation but also work being done on the lobby? And stream? We are staying on property for 1st time in late September and trying to make decision about rescheduling trip or booking another resort. We were hoping to return to room in afternoon to let our youngest nap, and I'm wondering if we will have any chance at that.....thank you!

Check out the first post on the wilderness lodge thread for exact and most current information ... But here's the general pool refurb./ construction info. Main feature pool will be closed Sept. 3 through November 27th. The quiet pool by the villas will remain open for use by all guests as well as the contemporary resort & Fort Wilderness pools. Extra boats are planned to take guests from WL to contemporary & Fort wilderness pools.
As far as the lobby and stream it was scheduled to be complete the first week of this month ( July ) but it still is not complete when I looked yesterday on the wilderness lodge thread. I can't even fathom that it would not be done by September? Since it was suppose to be done a week ago.
I would suggest looking at the wilderness lodge thread for more info. : ) hoping this helps some and you have a wonderful trip with your family!

 

[MamaBear58]

I also took the $50 off per night ($400 savings). I was only interested in the MK area resorts when I called and was not offered an even exchange to switch to CR or GF (only a discount) so I went with the $50/night. Good luck making your decision.

Did they offer you a discount off the increased cost to move to CR or GF? If yes I am interested in details, because I too want to stay in the MK area. Thanks.

 

[missbeckd]

Did they offer you a discount off the increased cost to move to CR or GF? If yes I am interested in details, because I too want to stay in the MK area. Thanks.

MamaBear, I booked with a travel agent who got no where with Disney last week. Monday I used the email address I found in this thread and sent an email to guest services expressing my concerns. I also gave them my agents (AAA) phone number and extension. They called her five minutes before she left for the day. They offered me the $50.00 off a night, they offered me a switch to either Yacht or Beach Club for the same cost as our Wilderness package (Gardenview room) or they offered me the GF or CR at half the price increase. (GF was an increase of $1600 & CR tower room was $1700 so I would add $800 or $850 to my total.) We opted with the YC because my daughter loved the pool and because we could have easy access to Epcot and HS. HS is our 2nd favorite park so boat and bus time actually evens out. Hope that helps!

I wanted to thank everyone here to for their advice and for sharing. We never received a letter about the pool closure and I'm sure my daughter would have been heartbroken if we showed up to a resort without a "fun" pool. Thank you so much for making our trip a better one.

 

[Aurora0427]

Can someone please provide updated details on construction? I have read somewhere that not only is there a pool renovation but also work being done on the lobby? And stream? We are staying on property for 1st time in late September and trying to make decision about rescheduling trip or booking another resort. We were hoping to return to room in afternoon to let our youngest nap, and I'm wondering if we will have any chance at that.....thank you!

Read two or three posts up. PP just returned from a stay at WL.

 

[sharibrat]

I also took the $50 off per night ($400 savings). I was only interested in the MK area resorts when I called and was not offered an even exchange to switch to CR or GF (only a discount) so I went with the $50/night. Good luck making your decision.

What is CR?

 

[joecavalier]

What is CR?

Contemporary Resort

 

[sharibrat]

Our trip is 11/13-11/21…..
wondering if we should just chance it being done at WL….thoughts?

 

[MamaBear58]

MamaBear, I booked with a travel agent who got no where with Disney last week. Monday I used the email address I found in this thread and sent an email to guest services expressing my concerns. I also gave them my agents (AAA) phone number and extension. They called her five minutes before she left for the day. They offered me the $50.00 off a night, they offered me a switch to either Yacht or Beach Club for the same cost as our Wilderness package (Gardenview room) or they offered me the GF or CR at half the price increase. (GF was an increase of $1600 & CR tower room was $1700 so I would add $800 or $850 to my total.) We opted with the YC because my daughter loved the pool and because we could have easy access to Epcot and HS. HS is our 2nd favorite park so boat and bus time actually evens out. Hope that helps!

I wanted to thank everyone here to for their advice and for sharing. We never received a letter about the pool closure and I'm sure my daughter would have been heartbroken if we showed up to a resort without a "fun" pool. Thank you so much for making our trip a better one.

Thank you. I too have a TA who couldn't get anywhere with Disney. But I am RO and reserved sone other rooms so I'm thinking that I should just wait until (if) room discounts come out and have her call Guest Services then? Seems like until then I really won't know the true increase of moving to another MK resort room with a balcony and whether or not we can afford it. They offered her AKL Savannah (although not bunk beds, which we had), with a $50/night discount, but we want to be in the MK area so that's not accepable. If Disney can't make it work for us in the MK area we'll need to cancel. So disappointed but can't really do anything now except wait.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Our trip is 11/13-11/21….. wondering if we should just chance it being done at WL….thoughts?

I am chancing it for our 11/17-25 dates. Finally payment is due 10/3 so I have until then to see how progress is going and make a decision.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Did they offer you a discount off the increased cost to move to CR or GF? If yes I am interested in details, because I too want to stay in the MK area. Thanks.

I was offered half off the upgrade cost for GF TPV and CR GW. It was only about $235 for the 8 nights at CR and $1000 for GF....both after the discount.

 

[curlysw]

Our trip is 11/13-11/21…..
wondering if we should just chance it being done at WL….thoughts?

Our trip is 11/18-11/23. We are chancing it. Not even sure if we'll have time to use the pool, so it's not a huge deal if it's not done by then, but I am being hopeful- even if just the last day of our trip

 

[undertheradar]

Honest, I just wish that they would just give any stay that hasn't been adjusted or discounted by GS, a $50 per night resort credit. Wouldn't that be a nice gesture at check-in?

 

[MamaBear58]

Honest, I just wish that they would just give any stay that hasn't been adjusted or discounted by GS, a $50 per night resort credit. Wouldn't that be a nice gesture at check-in?

From a businsess perspective, I can see Disney not doing this unless asked. Why would it when it affects the bottom line?

But from a customer servicer standpoint, I don't get the inconsistencies here. I'm coming from the most expensive room at WL below club level, and my TA couddn't get me anything with respect to a Comtemporary Tower Bay View room (that I've already got a hold on but no longer want because all the WL folks can now use the CR pool). It's not even an availability issue in my case--it's purely whether Disney will work with the price. Yet others are getting discounts off Grand Floridian rooms? Seriously? Where is the "magic" in that disparate treatment?

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

Thank you. I too have a TA who couldn't get anywhere with Disney. But I am RO and reserved sone other rooms so I'm thinking that I should just wait until (if) room discounts come out and have her call Guest Services then? Seems like until then I really won't know the true increase of moving to another MK resort room with a balcony and whether or not we can afford it. They offered her AKL Savannah (although not bunk beds, which we had), with a $50/night discount, but we want to be in the MK area so that's not accepable. If Disney can't make it work for us in the MK area we'll need to cancel. So disappointed but can't really do anything now except wait.

I wouldn't wait for the RO..they gave me a very VERY hard time transferring the ressie from the other GF room I booked as a back up. I think it's bec it took an hour to get the basics of the ressie fixed and then another day to fix the financial end of it and settle the bill. My ressie was not totally complete and fixed on MDE for 24 hours.

 

[nyrebecca]

I have been lurking on this thread for a bit now, reading everyone's experiences. Thank you all for sharing. I just got off the phone with Disney and since we wish to stay at the WL, we were given the $50 a night credit for the length of our stay. We have a room only and it hasn't been paid off so it just gets applied as a payment to our amount that is still due.

Thank you all again for sharing your information, as I like to say...another $1 saved on the Disney reservation is a $1 towards our next trip !!

 

[misskerri]

I have been lurking on this thread for a bit now, reading everyone's experiences. Thank you all for sharing. I just got off the phone with Disney and since we wish to stay at the WL, we were given the $50 a night credit for the length of our stay. We have a room only and it hasn't been paid off so it just gets applied as a payment to our amount that is still due.

Thank you all again for sharing your information, as I like to say...another $1 saved on the Disney reservation is a $1 towards our next trip !!

How did you get them to offer this credit? I just got off the phone with them (haven't read this entire thread) to find out if I have ANY options, and she said I have none, and that Disney is offering nothing except use of CR or FW.

 

[misskerri]

I took the $50 off...which was $400 total for us too. I am probably going to use it for a couple date nights for me and DH while we are there. Will cover wilderness den for the kids and our meal. Also looking forward to the waterpark admission.

Please let me know which number you called.

 

[nyrebecca]

How did you get them to offer this credit? I just got off the phone with them (haven't read this entire thread) to find out if I have ANY options, and she said I have none, and that Disney is offering nothing except use of CR or FW.

The first person I talked to said that to me. I said, "Thank you for that answer Cindy, however, I would not mind speaking to someone else, possibly a Guest Services Rep?" She said not a problem, she understood, and would connect me over.

I spoke with a wonderful rep named Kennedy. She started with telling me all the same stuff, and then also added in about giving me a water park ticket. I told her that all sounded nice, but we were actually not pool people. We were people watchers, and scenery enjoyers, and after going to the WL for at least 8 years and over a dozen times we were hoping that we would be offered the same $50 a night I have heard of being offered to others for each night of their stay. She said she understood completely, and it will show as a payment in the next 15 to 20 minutes.

** I saw you ask what ph # someone else used, I dialed 407-939-7675

 

[misskerri]

The first person I talked to said that to me. I said, "Thank you for that answer Cindy, however, I would not mind speaking to someone else, possibly a Guest Services Rep?" She said not a problem, she understood, and would connect me over.

I spoke with a wonderful rep named Kennedy. She started with telling me all the same stuff, and then also added in about giving me a water park ticket. I told her that all sounded nice, but we were actually not pool people. We were people watchers, and scenery enjoyers, and after going to the WL for at least 8 years and over a dozen times we were hoping that we would be offered the same $50 a night I have heard of being offered to others for each night of their stay. She said she understood completely, and it will show as a payment in the next 15 to 20 minutes.

** I saw you ask what ph # someone else used, I dialed 407-939-7675

Thank you for this. I'm back on the phone with them now. On hold waiting for GS. Hoping it works for me, as well. I explained to the CM I talked to initially that I understand there is nowhere else for me to go, so I'm hoping that someone else can do something for me. We shall see.

ETA: So she offered to move me to another room (including GF outer building Lagoon view and a deluxe savannah view studio at AKL...that won't work for us b/c I'm not going to make the kids sleep on a sleeper sofa) for the same price OR take the $50/night credit. Now I need to decide what to do. One of the reasons I was looking forward to staying at WL was so that the kids could have the bunk beds. I know they'll be excited about that. GF rooms look particularly stuffy and un-kid-like to me. But their pool will be open. So now I need to decide what to do.