Wilderness lodge pros and cons?

[Jdg7141]

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?

 

[TivoQueen]

The Wilderness Lodge is our favorite resort. The only con I can think of is it is not on the monorail, you can take the boat directly to the MK or take a boat to the Contemporary to have access to the monorail. The pros would be the location, decor, grounds, pool, and dining choices. You can't go wrong, this place is the best!

 

[johnvree]

There is a noticeable difference between the WL and the moderates and, while you are not on the monorail, you can take a boat directly to MK.

It's not as "deluxe" at the other resorts. But you are not paying the same price as the Poly or Grand Floridian either.

For me, I'd go WL.

 

[letsgoreds]

No comparison. Once you walk into the main lobby at WL, you will get it. Especially for December, go WL.

 

[vbarry]

Stayed at POR one night before moving over to the Wilderness Lodge a week ago. Absolutely no comparison to me. I love the WL! Beautiful and all under one roof which is nice in case of cooler weather or rain. I do miss the monorail but the boat was very quick over to the MK. Good luck making your decision!

 

[Wood Nymph]

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?

You can't really compare the WL to the monorail resorts because the monorail resorts cost much more than the WL. So if you compare the CBR you get the following:

Transportation:
CBR - internal buses, transportation to parks - buses only
WL - boat to MK, boat to CR which will give you access to the monorail, boat or walk to Fort Wilderness; direct bus to MK which takes about 5 minutes; buses to AK and Epcot are shared with either FW or GF

Rooms:
WL rooms have balconies and are very nicely furnished;

Resort:
CBR - separate buildings, walk in rain to get to room, some buildings located very far away from main building
WL - compact, everything under one room, can go from bus to room without getting rained on

Pools
WL - main pool with slide, quiet pools with bubbling springs (very cool), children's splash pad - awesome!

Restaurants:
WL - Roaring Forks counter service, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Artist Point, and Territory Lounge - plus room service is available

Wilderness Lodge is just gorgeous. You really can't compare it to any other Disney resort, since it is set in a wooded setting and has the best walking path of any of the resorts, in my opinion.

 

[MsThumper]

We've had many stays at WL, which we loved, until I finally convinced DH to try one of the boardwalk area hotels.

We tend to eat at signature restaurants several times during our trips, so we have just grown tired of the limited eating options at WL. That's probably not a consideration for most people.

WL is a lovely hotel with an incredible lobby, but we probably won't stay there again unless we are priced out of the other deluxe hotels.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Our favorite Disney resort is WL. Our least favorite is CBR.

Easy decision for us!

 

[xlsm]

I"m another in favor of WL. We've never stayed anywhere else because we just can't bring ourselves to do it! It is home.

It's just a very special place.

Good luck making your decision...but I think you see what everyone here thinks, LOL!!

 

[dkrauss]

There is a noticeable difference between the WL and the moderates and, while you are not on the monorail, you can take a boat directly to MK.

It's not as "deluxe" at the other resorts. But you are not paying the same price as the Poly or Grand Floridian either.

For me, I'd go WL.

Exactly

Doug

 

[Trekkie]

I'm not sure I can think of any "cons" about WL.

OK, it's not on the monorail. But then, a monorail really wouldn't fit the theme, either. And it would no doubt make it cost quite a bit more. And I really like the boat ride from MK to WL. To me, it's a really smooth transition from hustle and bustle and crowds, to quiet and seclusion.

I'm not real happy of them building their time share so close to the lodge. (But I confess I've never had a room with that view, so I really don't know how much it affects the view.)

Compared to Contemporary or Poly, the rooms sleep 4, as compared to 5. And I understand they're smaller.

I think Poly used to have a slightly more magical pool. (Well, my nephew liked the water slide there better.) But they're improving Poly, so it's possible that WL has the best pool, now.

Pros?

I think the most magical moment at WDW, the biggest feeling of "wow", is walking into the lobby at WL for the first time. (Or any other time.) (AKL has a similar kind of feel. And Poly used to be a really magical lobby, but they've "improved" is, and ruined that.)

I think it's just a fantastic feeling, this incredible sense of seclusion and restfulness, just a few minute's boat ride from Magic kingdom.

(Do you get the impression that there's just a few WL fans, in here?)

 

[dkrauss]

No comparison. Once you walk into the main lobby at WL, you will get it. Especially for December, go WL.

Visited the WL this past September!!!! Unbelievably beautiful..........!!! Comparing it to any Moderate is unfair.........they can't even come close.

Doug

 

[danikoski]

If you are going in December, my choice would be WL all the way. It is a dream of mine to stay there with all the Christmas decorations up. We will be there in about a week (the time that worked for us), but someday, I will be there at Christmas time. If you are into Christmas and like that magical feel, and the money different isn't an issue, go WL.

 

[johnvree]

...And I really like the boat ride from MK to WL. ...

I like the convenience of the direct boat. But for me, it's the scariest ride at MK. At night, the lake is pitch black and the boats are loaded to the point I am surprised they stay afloat.

 

[GrumpyBelle]

While it's not on the monorail, it does have the boat to MK as others have said. It also has the convenience of everything under 1 roof. You do not have to pay extra for a preferred room to be close to the pool or dining. The reort lobby and grounds are beautiful. Having stayed at both and liking both, I would certainly choose WL over CBR.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Okay, while the water itself may appear extremely dark (an illusion based on water being colorless) the sky/air/atmosphere doors provide some light. The boats have lights as well, and if not navigation systems, at least captain's who know what they're doing.

As for the boats floating, http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/question254.htm

I like the convenience of the direct boat. But for me, it's the scariest ride at MK. At night, the lake is pitch black and the boats are loaded to the point I am surprised they stay afloat.

 

[Aurora0427]

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?

While WL is not my favorite Disney deluxe resort, it is leagues above Caribbean Beach in all categories. It's a beautiful resort, with lovely amenities. The rooms are on the smaller side of deluxe hotels. The boat to Magic Kingdom is pretty efficient, and the bus service was quick. My understanding is that CB is a huge motel.

Artist Point is a great signature restaurant at WL. The only negative for me is the other dining options- we were not fans of Whispering Canyon Cafe or Roaring Foarks, but most people love them. WL is one of the most beautiful resorts on WDW property, and definitely a huge improvement over any mod or value resort.

 

[4Spen]

We stayed at WL last month. My only complaint would be the room size. We have stayed in many of the resorts (Pop to Poly) and the WL room was one of the smallest. That being said we had excellent mousekeeping, no transportation problems and no food complaints. The theming and the tree kept us reminded it was Christmas time since the weather outside said something else. . Not sure we will stay there again but I say it's definitely worth a go at least once.

 

[nkereina]

WL by a landslide over CBR. We stayed a CBR this past November and were not happy with it. We normally stay moderate, and have stayed at all the other moderate resorts, and this was our least favorite one. We hope to stay at WL on our next trip. We would have before but it's been hard for us to justify the extra cost.

Only con of WL, other than the extra cost, is that the QS options aren't as robust as the moderate resorts. We eat QS breakfasts almost daily, and sometimes dinners too, so we might miss the options.

 

[IBLarsen]

We LOVED WL as well It feels so charming, and quaint, not massive. Easy to navigate, we liked the food options, and loved the boat to/from the MK. It is a beautiful resort. We have booked POR for our March trip because we got a great deal on it, and my dd is excited about the Royal Rooms. But DH and I still kind of want to switch over to WL since we loved it so much.