Wilderness Lodge

[Tinker Bell Fan]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this...however, I would love some info on the Wilderness Lodge.

DH & I will be staying at WL (our first time there) and would like to know the "ins & outs" of the resort. We'll be staying in October (1st week) in a 1 bdrm.

Which room has the best view?

Pictures would be great too!

Thanks in advance!

PS: We'll have an ECV with us too - anything special we need to know about that?

 

[Deb & Bill]

None of the villas at the VWL have that great a view. Mostly woods, woods and more woods, maybe with a peek at the lake in the distance.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Mostly the view from the rooms will be of trees. This was our view which was looking towards the walkway from WL to VWL.

A few rooms do look over the quiet pool.

And this shows more of what most of the rooms will look over.

There are lots of great nooks and crannies around VWL and WL for you to sit and relax. This is the villa's lobby and one of the fireplaces.

Overall it's a relaxing place to stay!

About the only I can think of to mention about staying there with an ECV will be the boat transportation. They operate both a small and a large boat to the MK but the ECV will only be able to go on the large boat. There is also a bus to the MK. It's not shared with any other resort so it's very fast and may be your best transportation to the MK unless you're ok waiting for the larger ferry if it's a small launch that shows up first. Also, the boats going between the CR/WL/FW are all the small launches so you won't be able to use those with the ECV if you are going between resorts.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[backyardponder]

None of the villas at the VWL have that great a view. Mostly woods, woods and more woods, maybe with a peek at the lake in the distance.

I guess it depends on what you define as a "great view". To me, being in central Florida, looking out at woods that feels like the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic view!

 

[weswife]

Great pics.!!!!!!!! Can't wait to get there!!!!!!!

 

[ToddyLu]

I think the view at WLV is exactly as it should be. It is amazing that just with lanscape and great theming they can transport you to another part of the country...with AKV it feels like it is another continent.

 

[sleepydog25]

No doubt someone will post a link to a discussion of the superlatives surrounding VWL. Until then, take heart that you've made a wonderful choice. The resort isn't too spread out, yet is quite tranquil compared to other resorts. The Hidden Springs pool is generally uncrowded, though you might enjoy the accompanying hot tub better. As you can tell by the excellent pics provided above, the architecture in the main lobby and the exterior of the main buildings is majestic.

Roaring Forks is the "fast-food" type eatery at WL, and you can take the large ramp down to it from the main lobby. Just off the other end of the lobby is Whispering Canyon Cafe which is a hit-or-miss place to eat. I'm not fond of it, but many others on this board love it. My personal preference is the signature restaurant on site--Artist Point--which sits between Whispering Canyon and Roaring Forks. Great food, great service, and easy access.

Both the boats and buses provide good transportation alternatives to the theme parks. Occasionally, the bus wait is a bit longer than one would like, but I've personally never had a serious issue there. Boats can be tough to catch at the time you want them, but do offer a great way to get to the Magic Kingdom.

Though the views might be considered hum-drum, they are relaxing. I prefer the views of the pool since you can sit on the balcony and people watch. I've never had any noise problems being near the pool. Most folks with kids prefer to go to the main pool since it has a slide, is much larger, and has a pool bar.

Hope this helps. Enjoy your stay!

 

[Anal Annie]

This was our view from our studio...VERY peaceful.

If you look at the property on the website and compare it to recent pics you can really see how those pics were taken many years ago - the trees have really grown up now and it is surrounded by tall pines.

If you are a fan of Hidden Mickey's there are some really good ones here too. Here's one of my favs:

 

[Deb & Bill]

I guess it depends on what you define as a "great view". To me, being in central Florida, looking out at woods that feels like the Pacific Northwest is a fantastic view!

Gosh, as an owner at VWL, I totally agree with you. We bought there because we are fans of Yellowstone and other national parks.

However, when most guests talk about the great view they usually mean able to view the MK and Cinderella's Castle, Spaceship Earth or Illuminations, Fantasmic, wild animals on the savanna, etc.

 

[fieldsfamof4]

We will also be there the first week of October for our first stay and cant wait!!

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

Thank you all for your thoughts & input. Friends & I were there last year but only for breakfast at Whispering Canyon so we didn't get a chance to explore. I'm sure DH & I will do a bit of exploring. A view of the trees sounds so relaxing!

We'll have a car too for resort hopping. but will try and take the boat to MK and the bus to other parks. Knowing us we probably won't mind the wait!

We usually stay at SSR, but friends of ours will also be staying at WL and we wanted to try something new. So we can't wait.

Two questions that came to mind:

1. Would we be able to see the MK fireworks?
2. Is there a difference between VWL & WL?

Thanks much!!

 

[bookwormde]

Here is a link that has tons of information

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1710310

bookwormde

 

[Deb & Bill]

...

Two questions that came to mind:

1. Would we be able to see the MK fireworks?
2. Is there a difference between VWL & WL?

Thanks much!!

We've seen the fireworks from the boat dock.

VWL is a DVC resort composed of studios, one and two bedroom villas.

WL is considered a deluxe Disney resort composed of hotel rooms.

They are two separate locations at one resort. They connect via the main lobby area. There is a covered walkway from the main lobby to the villas.

 

[sleepydog25]

I, too, have seen MK fireworks from the boat dock at WL, but it can be seen only over the top of the trees from there. You can see the electric water parade from any number of locations at WL. As mentioned above, the Wilderness Lodge is sort of the overall designation for the resort which includes deluxe hotel rooms in the main building where the huge lobby is located. VWL is shorthand for the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, and those rooms (studio, 1BR and 2BR suites) are associated with the Disney Vacation Club. Either way, the resort is wonderful.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Two questions that came to mind:

1. Would we be able to see the MK fireworks?
2. Is there a difference between VWL & WL?

Thanks much!!

1. Yes. From the beach at WL

2. The room styles are different. The WL has an outdoor, woodsy, national park lodge theme. The Villas theme is around an 1800's railroad camp (or something like that). Similar but different.

 

[TimeforMe]

Thanks for starting this thread and for all great info and pictures! That link was awesome, too! We will be staying at VWL for the first time at the end of May and are really looking forward to it.

 

[Tara]

There are some lovely nooks and crannies at WL in the main building. Just as you walk through the front doors, around the corner to the left is a staircase. This leads to a sitting area with fireplace - I bet 90% of people at WL overlook it! There's also a deck with a great view of the lake and resort on the...4th floor? I forget which floor it is. Smaller sitting areas are scattered about. You can also walk out to a front deck (over the porte cochere/arrival area). This area isn't exactly pretty, but it's a neat view.

 

[CandyMandy]

FYI - some of the 2BR units at the far eastern end of the villa complex have an infamous "dumpster view" from their balconies. Avoid!!!

 

[Tinker Bell Fan]

Thanks again for all the info (and the link).

I LOVE the fireworks pictures - very cool! Thanks for sharing.

As you can tell we are very excited and can't wait. I'm guessing we'll be staying at the Villa part since we're DVCers. But either way - it probably won't matter since the main this is I won't be at work and I'll be on vacation!

 

[wildernessDad]

This thread is killing me! I own 300 points at VWL and go way too little! I need a VWL fix! Stupid me. We're skipping our usual May/December vacation plans to load it all up for December. Mistake!