Wilderness lodge pros and cons?

[moonshadow]

We are heading back to the WL this September for a second visit. We fell in love with the resort the first time we stayed there. Everything is easy to get to: food, pool etc... The theming is beautiful and so tranquil. Transportation is good especially getting to MK. There is nothing not to like at the WL. One day we would like to go during the holidays and see all the decoration up. It most look spectacular.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

Im a deluxe resort snob. I stayed port orleans and art of animation last trip. I wont do less then a deluxe from now on. Dont get me wrong, riverside and art of animation were great and fun BUT it wasnt a disney vacation to me. It wasnt an extension of the parks. It didnt feel like i was staying in a room on mainstreet (grand floridian) or in adventureland (polynesian). It was just a place to sleep. WILDERNESS LODGE WILL MAKE YOUR TRIP MAGICAL. You will look forward to coming back at night and indulging in the lodge's atmosphere. You are going to have an amazing trip

Sorry for the late reply but I'm new to this resort thread. We've always stayed at values but I'm planning a big celebration trip a couple years out and am looking at deluxe and moderates for the first time. I started showing my DD pictures and videos of the Polynesian (we've been to Ohana and she loves Stitch, etc.) rooms, GF, and WL--and she's not thrilled with any of them! She thought they didn't feel like a Disney vacation! And I kind of agreed with her.

But what you said is very interesting, that these resorts are a extension of the parks if you imagine living on Main St. or in Adventureland. Of course! Now that you mention it, it's so obvious. But it's definitely the way I'm going to sell it to a family who enjoys animation-related theming. Thanks for sharing!

 

[wildernessfreak]

I am planning our trip for December and I am having trouble deciding which resort to stay at. I am looking at the Wilderness Lodge and Caribbean Beach. We stayed at POR on our last trip and wanted to try something new. I really want to stay at the wilderness lodge because I heard it is beautifully decorated at Christmas, but from everything I've seen so far I'm not sure if the price is worth it. It is not on the monorail like the other deluxe resorts and it seems like the room are about the same size as the Caribbean beach. I guess I am looking for pros and cons of the resort to help me make my decision. Can you talk me into it?

WL rocks. Beautiful place, not too big (walking the grounds is a breeze compared to other resorts). Quick/easy trip to MK & resorts near MK. Boat ride back to the lodge after a long day is very relaxing

 

[mickeynut1]

WILDERNESS LODGE WILL MAKE YOUR TRIP MAGICAL. You will look forward to coming back at night and indulging in the lodge's atmosphere. You are going to have an amazing trip

Everything is easy to get to: food, pool etc... The themeing is beautiful and so tranquil. Transportation is good especially getting to MK. There is nothing not to like at the WL.

ITA with both posts .

 

[HappyCoder]

We always stay at WL. Will be there again in November.

Only Con I have:

Buses to AK seem to take forever. Next time we will probably go to the Transportation Center first.

 

[dansdad]

We always stay at WL. Will be there again in November.

Only Con I have:

Buses to AK seem to take forever. Next time we will probably go to the Transportation Center first.

Hmmm....why would you do that? There's no direct way to the TTC from the Wilderness Lodge and there's no direct way to get to Animal Kingdom from the TTC. You would be wasting a ton of time doing that.

 

[HappyCoder]

Hmmm....why would you do that? There's no direct way to the TTC from the Wilderness Lodge and there's no direct way to get to Animal Kingdom from the TTC. You would be wasting a ton of time doing that.

Personally I'd rather take the extra time and be moving, than standing around waiting. I know it's crazy, but I really hate waiting.

 

[WhoDatDisney]

We are heading back to the WL this September for a second visit. We fell in love with the resort the first time we stayed there. Everything is easy to get to: food, pool etc... The theming is beautiful and so tranquil. Transportation is good especially getting to MK. There is nothing not to like at the WL. One day we would like to go during the holidays and see all the decoration up. It most look spectacular.

I agree, the WL is so convenient, less crowded and peaceful. I would definitely try to get there during the holidays, the decorations and tree are spectacular.

Stayed at POR once and felt like cattle heading to slaughter when trying to eat at the quick service restaurant. Beautiful grounds but everything is so spread out and to be honest way too many guests for me

 

[moonshadow]

I agree, the WL is so convenient, less crowded and peaceful. I would definitely try to get there during the holidays, the decorations and tree are spectacular.

Stayed at POR once and felt like cattle heading to slaughter when trying to eat at the quick service restaurant. Beautiful grounds but everything is so spread out and to be honest way too many guests for me

I often think that we should try a moderate like POR but always thought I would not be happy. Reading your post confirms why I have stayed with the Deluxe resorts.

 

[JACKNAG]

The wilderness is great , you won't be disappointed, Look for Jack the greeter and ask for the tour.
Or sign up for Flag family, going to the roof for the flag raising was awesome for us and the kids

 

[michelle1]

I have stayed at almost all of the resorts except WL because it never really appealed to me. Well, during our trip in July we were staying at OKW but really didn't care for it so switched mid trip to WL (it was one of the only available resorts on short notice) and absolutely loved it! It is a beautiful resort..I loved everything about that resort and can't honestly think of one con. If money isn't a factor, I would recommend WL over CBR..there is no comparison for me

 

[nkereina]

We are not fans of CBR but love WL. WL is smaller and easier to navigate, very well themed, and stunning at Christmas. The boat launch gives you easy access to MK, Contemporary and Fort Wilderness so it opens up more dining options that are easy to get to. CBR does have more/better options for QS than WL does, but that's typical in moderate vs. deluxe. The pools at both are nice, but we thought WL's was better. CBR felt too big for us and the 7 bus stops was time consuming and made for crowded buses, in our experience. And if you're staying this December, one of the pedestrian bridges at CBR is closed which cuts off one whole side of the resort from easy access to the pool and QS.

 

[sotoalf]

Personally I'd rather take the extra time and be moving, than standing around waiting. I know it's crazy, but I really hate waiting.

Sure, but no TTC bus to the AK exists anymore. I know on some busy mornings it's easier to take a mule to AK.

 

[2kidsForMe]

We stayed at WL this August, and the only cons for us were the QS restaurant (not enough variety and very very crowded), and the pool chair situation. No matter what time of day we looked, we could never find chairs available at the main pool. But we were there during the busy summer season when everyone wants to swim. Everything else was fantastic.

 

[Lsyves]

We always stay at the lodge. Switching to beach club this year to avoid the construction at the lodge...have a very stressed out husband who didn't want to risk it lol. That said, we all LOVE the lodge. I love that it's one building so it feels easy. I love the sounds and smells when you walk in-there's something peaceful about it. It's a great pool too...we always do park mornings, pool afternoons, and dinner in the parks at night, so the pool and the transportation is important (love taking the boat to MK--those guys are some of the happiest and most interesting CMs). On off-peak times, the bussing gets annoying (they make more stops and seem to take longer to show up), so we are one of the crazy families running to get a taxi after fireworks instead of cramming into the bus lines lol (again, stressed out husband will do anything to get back to the lodge and sleep). I can't recommend the lodge enough. We will be back unless we fall in love with the beach club

 

[pepe of ohio]

We're died in the wool WL people...over 12 stays there, last was this past May but with the as said construction beginning October, on villa section, villa pool closed, rental boat dock and beach closed....I won't stay there until construction is complete....it does ruin the ambiance of the resort, jams all the villa guests into the main pool...noise, material handling....nope, we're done till the remake is over...onto BLT for now

 

[dkrauss]

We stayed at the WL last September and just loved it! Its so beautiful. When you walk the grounds you'll forget your at WDW.......but then you walk in to the store and you see that Mickey totem . Amazing. Now the regular rooms are a touch smaller than other deluxes but the beauty and ambiance of the rest of the resort make up for it. We're back at WDW in December, staying at AoA for a quicky Disapalooza trip. We have lunch scheduled at Whispering Canyon on our first day hoping that the lobby will be decorated for Christmas!

We can't wait to return but because our next 3 trips are planned for other resorts we'll be impacted by the construction.......which could extend now into 2018 The Poly construction was a disaster from a resort feel perspective.........I'm not spending money to have that. So we will go back, after the construction is done......earlier if they've learned from the constructionpalooza (thanks Pete ) that occurred at the Poly.

In the end WL is just a beautiful resort............highly recommended!!!

Doug

 

[TexasTSL]

I am here at WL now. We stayed here in 2012. Then at PORFQ in 2013, CBR in 2014 and back to WL this year. The only resort we did not care for was CBR. It may have just been an off trip, but our room was dirty, the customer service was really bad and the buses were not great. Like I say, it may have just been one of those off trips, but we won't be returning to CBR. We love PORFQ and WL though! There is some construction going on right now, but it is not bothersome. Of course, I know this is just the beginning of it. We love the boat, the bus service is good, very friendly CMs, a relaxing atmosphere. We got here Saturday and I have to say this is our best trip so far!!!

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

I am not going to be a broken record to everything great to be said about WL, but I will take the time to say WILDERNESS LODGE!

There are two reasons I would vote against WL, if it breaks the bank and/or you do not make the resort you stay at a destination in itself.

By that I mean; is the resort only there for breakfast and sleeping? Or will you actually spend some time there exploring the lodge, the grounds, the pool, and the restaurants. It is a beautiful resort; we have taken enough trips to the parks that we also will spend time at the resort. Because you are there for the Christmas decorations I am sure you will be spending some time enjoying WL. We were there in December and it is beautiful, you and your family won't regret it.

 

[vinotinto]

From what i gather there is NO construction work at WL resort ,no starting date has been announced .The planned changes look like WL will not be affected .There is a lot of building ground around that area ,which would be used.......

This was posted a while back and gives a few details of WDW plans for the resort hope you find it interesting.

We enjoyed our stay at the WL and were considering it for next year. The transportation was pretty good (sharing with Gf to AK, DHS and EP) and the restaurants on site were good.

My understanding is that there is significant work planned for WL from the end of 2015 through at least early 2017. Does anyone have a link that summarizes the expected work? This is what I have gathered. Please feel free to jump in and add/modify:

• Beach is closing as they build the water cabins.
• Villa pool will close and villa guests will use the main WL pool.
• Resurfacing/siding work to the WL
• Noise/construction inside the WL as they refurbish and convert units to villas