Wilderness Lodge: Why so (relatively) cheap?

[Kodachrome_Dreams]

Very excited to have just booked a big birthday trip to WDW in May! I definitely wanted a Deluxe Resort with monorail or boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom, and Wilderness Lodge was the cheapest. I checked TripAdvisor, and there it is ranked second only to the Grand Floridian, so obviously people really like it. Just wondering why then it is the cheapest Deluxe Resort--is it due to the construction?

 

[DaisyDuck001]

For many years WL and AKL have been the cheapest deluxes. Other deluxes are either on monorail line or within walking distance of Epcot and DHS. Location, location, location.

 

[Kodachrome_Dreams]

Ohhhh.... I knew the Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian have easier access to the Magic Kingdom (hence their higher rates), but I didn't realize the other Deluxe Resorts that are priced higher might be closer to one of the other theme parks. Thanks!

 

[MermaidMommy]

Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodges are the cheapest deluxes. As PP said, it's partly location/transportation. All the other deluxe resorts have monorail/boat transportation to at least one park, and some are in walking distance to a park. WL does have boat transportation to MK, but it's not on the monorail, like all the other deluxe MK resorts.

Also, WL and AKL have the smallest rooms in the deluxe category.

 

[Kodachrome_Dreams]

The Contemporary would be my first choice, but it's just over $100 per night more. Are rates pretty much fixed? Or should I keep checking back to see if prices come down?

 

[soniam]

Also, the current construction at WL could be having some affect.

The Contemporary would be my first choice, but it's just over $100 per night more. Are rates pretty much fixed? Or should I keep checking back to see if prices come down?

Depending upon when your trip is, you might keep checking back. New discounts get released all the time. I think the current ones only go through early June.

 

[Kodachrome_Dreams]

Ah. My trip is in May, so I guess the promo rates are set then. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Sweettears]

Also, the current construction at WL could be having some affect.



Depending upon when your trip is, you might keep checking back. New discounts get released all the time. I think the current ones only go through early June.

Rates at WL are consistent. I've never seen a discount being offered anywhere on property due to construction.

 

[Amelia :)]

Wilderness Lodge is amazing, lovely and quiet right now because they are renovating half the rooms, transportation was excellent whilst we were there. Enjoy!

 

[A State Of Autumn]

I'm going in May too and found the WL rate to be the cheapest, I ended up booking AKL but WL would have been one of my picks too.

 

[chiisai]

We have only been to wdw once.

Wilderness lodge is fantastic. The boat ride to MK may have been my favorite part of the trip. . Territory lounge was great; food from there and room service was delicious. I canceled many adrs so we could just relax in the lounge or by the pool with our food.

If it were between that or contemporary I would always choose WL. I suppose unless I had an under-1 yo. I love the theming at WL.

Our next stay is at poly, because I've always loved it and want to try it out.

Once copper creek opens, we will likely rent there. I like the very close proximity to the main pool and the lounge.

Editing because I didn't answer your question! I got sidetracked by my blinding love of WL.. I agree with the room size and not being on monorail as drivers of the lower price.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

People have mentioned the smaller room sizes. Other than location, this is a very real pricing consideration. Standard WL rooms have a max occupancy of 4, all other Deluxes (except AKL) are 5. That factors into the overall pricing equation as well.

 

[Kodachrome_Dreams]

When are renovations slated to end? Is it just rooms, or restaurants and common areas as well?

 

[patty57]

When are renovations slated to end? Is it just rooms, or restaurants and common areas as well?

Check out the Wilderness Lodge thread for the most up-to-date info on this.

 

[chiisai]

Here is a link to that thread: http://www.disboards.com/threads/di...las-information-and-questions-thread.3372315/

 

[cruiser21]

300+dollars for a room cheap? LOL. It's a lovely resort. Not sure cheap and Disney should be uttered in the same sentence though. Enjoy your stay.

 

[DG25]

300+dollars for a room cheap? LOL. It's a lovely resort. Not sure cheap and Disney should be uttered in the same sentence though. Enjoy your stay.

My AP rate for May at WL is $242, POR for preferred room was $227, POFQ was $232. I know that the rooms are smaller, I know it is a boat ride away, but WL seems to be a lot cheaper to me than it was lately, at least when they have a discount. AKL I think was the same price or close, I did not look closely but it seemed to be in the same ball park. The next closest was BWI and CR which was $330, and then the rest were $440. To me WL is closer to a moderate than a deluxe in price.

 

[Kodachrome_Dreams]

It's $286 per night for our dates. Contemporary Garden Wing is just under $100 more per night. Will think about switching for the next 60 days....

 

[chiisai]

It's $286 per night for our dates. Contemporary Garden Wing is just under $100 more per night. Will think about switching for the next 60 days....

Good luck!

 

[soniam]

Rates at WL are consistent. I've never seen a discount being offered anywhere on property due to construction.

Actually, Poly discounted their rooms when they were doing construction. I have also read on the WL thread that rates were a little lower or didn't go up as much as other resorts once the construction started. So, I think for large construction, not refurb, especially if the pool is closed for a significant time, they will sometimes discount. However, they never call it a discount.