Wilderness resort

[dolly25]

My husband and I, empty nesters are planning a visit to Walt disney World in early Dec., 1-8th. We would like to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. We can't decide whether to stay in the Wilderness lodge or Wilderness Studio villa. It will be just the 2 of us. Are the villas too removed from the action of the lodge?
Please help.

 

[cwt580]

might want to post in resort forums....

but actually the villas are right next door to main building. no long walks at WL. You would like it there..

PS welcome to the boards. and explore .. you will learn more here than almost any place including wdw website...

 

[lovetoscrap]

Moving to the resorts board.

 

[WDWKOOK]

My husband and I, empty nesters are planning a visit to Walt disney World in early Dec., 1-8th. We would like to stay at the Wilderness Lodge. We can't decide whether to stay in the Wilderness lodge or Wilderness Studio villa. It will be just the 2 of us. Are the villas too removed from the action of the lodge?
Please help.

Howdy and to the DIS, dolly25!

If I were you, I would choose a WL room over a VWL Studio. And, if you can swing it, I would choose either a Club Level room or a Courtyard or Woods View room. All of the WL rooms are being rehabbed and are slated to be completed by the end of September. If you were to stay there, you would have a newly rehabbed room!

VWL is actually connected by a short, outdoor covered walkway to the WL. If you did stay there, you'd be steps away from WL and its beautiful lobby, restaurants and quick serve.

I have lots of photos and information on the first page of the WL thread HERE. We'd love to have you stop by sometime!

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've done multiple stays at WL...over 10 trips and one to the villas in a studio....

We're empty nesters and got a good offer from Disney to try the villas in a studio......first impression......wonderful......room seems larger, wet bar, alittle larger fridge

Second impression after unloading our stuff and getting over the day of travel...not so wonderful.....these are are own impressions.....small amoire (really got used to the flat screens of the regular Lodge)...one queen bed and the sofa sleeper got to be a pain to pull out and make up and not comfortable....the kitchenette was not really that helpful in any way same goes for the bigger fridge (we do fine with the normal fridge they provide in the Lodge)...also, we pool lounge alot, mid day and late night and there's hardly anyone at the villa pool...we sort of like the antics around the main pool and to get there is a good walk....same goes for the Roaring Fork..we do dine there alot, and refill our mugs constantly and it was just too far from our villa to do so.......

From all our stays we prefer the north wing of the resort for closeness to the QS, boat dock and pool (though the pool is eaqsily accessable from either south or north wing)....we found that staying in the villas, we used the bus more than the boat for transportation leaving the resort....boat dock is a long walk from villas.....and for us the boat is the reason we stay at WL...

Okay, to sum it up....since we frequent the WL more than many....we do prefer the regular lodge over the studio villa....just based on convenience and location and what we are used to......but don't let this post turn you away...it was just our feelings from previous trips and staying in the north wing with a quick elevator ride down, right at the RF and out the door to the pool plus quick route to the boat dock for the MK FW and CR.....guess call it creature habits, we like and prefer the Lodge over the villas....

 

[dolly25]

Thank You so much for your honest suggestions. We do like to be the middle of it all. I was afraid the villas would feel more on your own, away from the action.
We are definately staying in the Lodge.

 

[elaw]

I took the following pics during our stay last November. We stayed in the main lodge building but the Villas lobby area has a very cozy feel to it and was a very short walk away.

 

[fla4fun]

I kind of feel the opposite. I have stayed at the Lodge and the Villas pretty much an equal number of times, and for one or two adults (who don't mind sharing the bed) I prefer the studio to the lodge room. I like having the sofa to sit on instead of sitting on a bed. I like having the larger fridge and I like having a microwave. The lobby may not be as spacious as the lodge, but it's equally as lovely, with lots of space to sit and relax. I didn't feel that removed from the amenities of the lodge, and if you walk around the back of the lodge instead of going through it, the boat dock is not that far away. It's not that I don't like the lodge - I do, and I'm actually at WL right now. But I do have a preference for the villas.

Obviously if you can afford club level or one of the suites, then the lodge experience is well above that of the studio villas, but if you are comparing standard room to studio, I just think the studios have more to offer.

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

I am in love with the Wilderness Lodge lobby. Whenever we visit, I ask for a room that opens out onto it.

During my first stay, we were spoiled with a Bear Face room, and I must say, it was glorious! We had the balcony with a view of the courtyard, geyser, and Bay Lake. (We could even see the Electric Water Pageant from our room each night.) And we opened up our interior door and looked out over the magnificent lobby. I was in heaven!

Even with a standard room, if it opened out onto that lobby below, I would be happy as Humphrey the Bear himself!