WL - some concerns

[gillenkl]

In August we're staying at the WL for the first time - standard room. This is a splurge for us and I'm even surprised that DH suggested it. I don't expect a great view, nor am I concerned with it. I was, however, on travelocity and reading recent reviews - and they aren't very good. Small dingy dark rooms, bad food at Roaring Forks, ducks pooping in the pools. I don't believe everything I read, but there were quite a few recent reviews along these lines. This will be our first time staying deluxe in 16 years and I want it to be nice.

is there somewhere I can find a list on disboards of nice standard rooms at WL. In other words, when they assign me a room I could look at my list of "not the best rooms" and request another before we get all the way to the room. DH wouldn't want me to ruffle any feathers once we'd already gotten our room assigned and had our luggage in. How do you get an upgrade - do you ask? or it just magically happens?

 

[Donaldswife]

In August we're staying at the WL for the first time - standard room. This is a splurge for us and I'm even surprised that DH suggested it. I don't expect a great view, nor am I concerned with it. I was, however, on travelocity and reading recent reviews - and they aren't very good. Small dingy dark rooms, bad food at Roaring Forks, ducks pooping in the pools. I don't believe everything I read, but there were quite a few recent reviews along these lines. This will be our first time staying deluxe in 16 years and I want it to be nice.

is there somewhere I can find a list on disboards of nice standard rooms at WL. In other words, when they assign me a room I could look at my list of "not the best rooms" and request another before we get all the way to the room. DH wouldn't want me to ruffle any feathers once we'd already gotten our room assigned and had our luggage in. How do you get an upgrade - do you ask? or it just magically happens?

Don't be concerned, there are always good and bad reviews! We have stayed at the WL two times and they were both fantastic! One time was a woods View room (which was really just some trees and part of the parking lot, but we didn't care!), and once with a Courtyard view which was lovely. We would have booked standard to save some money but they were sold out.

As far as upgrades, most people say don't ask unless you are willing to pay. I also wouldn't try to request specific rooms.....the specific and numerous your requests are the more likely you are to be disappointed. Just pick one thing that is important to you and request that (ie-high floor, quiet area, near lobby, etc.) Relax, enjoy, and see if any pixie dust comes your way!

 

[MareSINY]

I stayed at the WL two weeks ago for the first time and LOVED IT!! It's such a beautiful resort and the CMs working there are very friendly and helpful.

We ate at Roaring Forks several times and never had a bad meal. Funny thing is that my niece is VERY picky and my family always knows that they have chicken & french fries at Roaring Forks so on past trips to DW we've actually gone to WL just to get her dinner (if we weren't in the parks but wanted to use a CS credit).

As for the ducks, they are at all Disney resorts, and they are around more when it's cooler out than they are once it's warmer. They like to bathe in the warm heated pool water. We actually had a duck come and start poking us in the leg while we were eating. I refused to let my niece feed him. Then another bird swooped down and stole a fry off her plate (told her it was better than him stealing her chicken cause that would be a bird eating a bird and really nasty LOL) She stopped eating at that point, said her food at bird germs. I agreed with her on that point. ROFL We ate in doors after that. We didn't see any ducks in the pool on the days we were swimming.

The room was a tad on the dark side, the lighting in the rooms isn't the greatest, but it wasn't like we were in a dungeon.

I honestly don't think you'll be the least bit disappointed with your decision to stay at the WL. Go have a great time.

 

[CanadianGuy]

To set your mind at ease..

Go read the reviews for the Poly, the Grand Floridian... heck.. even for some swanky place in NYC..

You'll learn the number 1 rule of the internet.... when it comes to travel sites..

People are 99 times more likely to log-on to complain.. than to log on to a site and say "Everything was fine. No problems."

And in any event.. if you are assigned a room that you don't like for whatever reason, just go to the front desk and ask for a different one.

If you truly hate the resort - ask to be moved. Lots of folks have done it before. Not every place is for everyone. That's partly why Disney offers so much variety and choice in their accommodations.

 

[shafke]

We loved the WL when we stayed there. The resort never felt crowded and we were relaxed the whole time. My only complaint with Roaring Forks it that it is a bit small and during busy times can be a bit tight. I have never worried too much about the view at any hotel I have stayed at. I would say that most of the time the curtains are closed anyway.

 

[Corwin]

We absolutely love the WL. We've stayed there twice (6 nights and 8 nights, respectively), and just bought into DVC with VWL as our home resort.

We absolutely love the look and the feel of WL. It's a very peaceful, relaxing resort. The theming is amazing, inside and out. The lobby is just breathtaking. I love everything from the music in the lobby to the animal tracks in the paths. My son was just about devastated when we didn't stay there on our last visit--he loves it, too.

We had a Woods View room for our first visit, and a Standard View room for our second. In both cases, we were upgraded to inner Courtyard View rooms! We've never had an issue with the rooms being too dark.

Some of our best memories of our trips were sitting on the balcony watching the ducks swim in the pool as the sun came up.

We also like Roaring Fork. It's a little small, but we've never had trouble getting a table, and the food is great.

 

[LilGMom]

You will get good and bad reviews on every resort. WL is really a beautiful resort and has a very nice homey feel to it. The colors in the rooms are more earthy (think browns, greens, and tans) than a resort like CR. We've stayed at WL before and have never had a problem with bad food at Roaring Forks or WCC. As far as the ducks... to be honest you'll see that at any of the resorts and it isn't always only the ducks wasting in the pool that you have to think about.

I also believe that most, if not all, of the rooms at WL were recently renovated (recently as in the last 3-5 years). While there take the time to go up to each of the floors and check out the artifacts, quiet seating areas, enjoy the grounds (check out the animal tracks in the sidewalk) and just soak in the atmosphere of the resort. Whenever we have stay there I can feel myself relax as soon as I walk through the doors.

As far as rooms - we've had all views. The pool view was ok but sometimes people that are in the pool really late at night aren't mindful that there are guests that would actually like to sleep. We had a woods view that faced VWL and it was so quiet because the pathway was hardly ever used. We also had a room that was over the dumpster/service entrance. While it wasn't the prettiest view during the day we had an amazing view of the castle and fireworks at night. DH & I loved filling our mugs up with cocoa and sitting on the balcony to watch the fireworks each night while the kids slept.

 

[iloveeeyore]

In August we're staying at the WL for the first time - standard room. This is a splurge for us and I'm even surprised that DH suggested it. I don't expect a great view, nor am I concerned with it. I was, however, on travelocity and reading recent reviews - and they aren't very good. Small dingy dark rooms, bad food at Roaring Forks, ducks pooping in the pools. I don't believe everything I read, but there were quite a few recent reviews along these lines. This will be our first time staying deluxe in 16 years and I want it to be nice.

is there somewhere I can find a list on disboards of nice standard rooms at WL. In other words, when they assign me a room I could look at my list of "not the best rooms" and request another before we get all the way to the room. DH wouldn't want me to ruffle any feathers once we'd already gotten our room assigned and had our luggage in. How do you get an upgrade - do you ask? or it just magically happens?

We really loved the WL. DH would call it his favorite resort!

The rooms are relatively small compared to Disney's other deluxe rooms, they are closer size-wise to the CBR. In our opinion, they were plenty big for our family of four; we had bunk beds, which may have added just a few square feet to the floor space. Every room has either a patio or balcony, which allows you to extend your space a little more. The only thing missing from the room IMO was a couch or lounge chair type thing. There is a small table with two chairs, but that is really the only sitting space, aside from the outside balcony or the beds. We luckily had beautiful weather during our trip, so we didn't mind. The bathroom is a little on the small side, but there is a beautiful area outside the bathroom with double sinks, great lighting and plenty of room to spread out your toiletries.

With respect to "dark or dingy," it is the decor of the room, which is a very well-executed theme. The color scheme is earth tones, including brown, dark green and ochre, which make sense in a woodsy-themed room. The Poly and the AKL get bad raps for the same reason, and we think those resorts are beautiful as well. I IS a matter of taste; if you don't like rich earth tones in your decor, you might want to pick a different resort. GF, CR, BC, CBR, BWI come to my mind as resorts that offer a brighter and airier look.

We thought Roaring Fork was great. It is NOT a "food court," nor is it intended to be. In fact, NONE of the deluxe resorts have food courts, because they have multiple table-service restaurants. RF is a counter service restaurant, and we found the food there very fresh and tasty. The menu is relatively limited compared to a food court, but we found it to be very adequate for our needs and a broader selection than your average theme-park QS restaurant (except Sunshine Seasons)

If you are drawn to the WL, I say you have to give it a try for yourself. Don't let the opinion of others stop you from doing your vacation the way YOU want!

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

The WL does have a darker feel to it b/c of the rustic design. In our opinion WL is the best resort we've stayed at. The cm's are fantastic, mousekeeping is super, the buses are prompt, the boat to MK is a real treat, the geyser is fun for kids, you can ask about being the flag family and so much more. Yes, Roaring Forks is rather small, but not something that would keep us from going to WL. Yes, ducks get in the pool....ducks can go into anyone's pool but there is no duck droppings floating with you. When we stayed club level at the Poly, we were wishing the whole time we could have stayed at WL.

 

[bytheblood]

My sister and I were there in December and we loved it. The rooms are a little dark, but once you open the shades, it is quite lovely.

We were on the 6th floor. We requested a standard room, but I believe we recieved an upgrade. Our room overlooked a wooded area, the DVC building and a quiet pool.

We enjoyed our stay very much. Our room was exceptionally clean, our mousekeeper was so kind and wonderfully sweet and we felt our room was comfortable.

I will say this - if you have a family of 4, these rooms might be a bit tight. They are smaller than most deluxe rooms, but still cozy.

We had no issues at Roaring Forks. The only place we found that has bad food is Whispering Canyon Cafe. We tried it twice for dinner and once for breakfast - we will not do that again.

 

[Fairywings]

Of the three of four times we went to Disney,we stayed at WL, and we never had anything to complain about.True,the lighting is a little on the dim side, but I always felt that as another magical part of the resort. We have been upgraded for free without a request each time, but it's possible it may be different for you.

 

[topmonkeygirl]

We stayed at the WL for our Honeymoon and it was really nice. DH liked it better than I did. The rooms are kind of dark, my DH loves it. I call him bat man because when I get home all the curtains are closed and all lights are off except 1 lamp, it's like the bat cave. I thought it was a little too dark, but I like sunshime and light furnishing just lots of light. It was still a very nice place, the resort is absolutely beautiful, and roaring forks is a pretty decent place to eat. I'm trying to decide between WL and Poly, Poly can be pretty dark also but the resort is so beautiful.

 

[jess20k]

We loved our stay at the WL. We had a woods view room, and it was a view of the trees and the roofs of the buildings, nothing great, but it was very peaceful and relaxing sitting out on the balcony. The rooms were fine for us. They aren't as big as some of the other deluxes, but we surely thought it wasn't too small for the three of us. I loved the pool area. It was so beautiful. We enjoyed the hot tubs as well. I did see ducks swimming in the pool from time to time, but there would only be one or two at the most. It did not bother me. The only disappointment was Roaring Forks. It was very small inside and did not have a huge selection to choose from. But, we only went there on two occasions other than to get refills for our mugs. So, it really wasn't a major problem. I would not hesitate to stay at WL again!

 

[famsen]

We stayed at WL way back when it first opened and was lumped at that time in the "moderate" category; Disney caught on and realized how awesome it really was even without the monorail and changed that pretty quickly.
We loved it.
Earlier this month DH and I spent 4 nights there and I think I liked it even more. The rooms have been refurbished and I didn't feel they were too small or too dark at all. We paid and got a standard view room on the 5th floor. It was a view of the roofs but it was a corner room and when we walked out our door we walked right up to the rail and had a full view of the gorgeous lobby and many times we just people watched.
Never saw bird poop in the pool, in fact if anything I saw it constantly being tended to by CMs at all hours of the day and night.
The only thing I will say is that the geyser is not what it once was. When we stayed there over 10 years ago, it was really like a geyser at Yellowstone erupting. It was a large, gushing plume of water really reaching for the sky. This time when we watched the geyser go, it was like water streaming out of a cheap squirt gun. I was a little disappointed in that change.

Oh, and I defy anyone who loves the movie "Dances With Wolves" to not tear up when they hear the theme song billowing throughout the lobby. I had a lump in my throat every time I heard it!

 

[tgropp]

While you are getting a standard room, you are also getting a room that faces the lobby. Nothing nicer than waking up in the morning and being greeted by the beautiful lobby. Also you are so close to the 4'th and 5'th floor fireplaces and all the cozy nooks and crannies. Nothing nicer than sipping on a glass of wine while relaxing on the leather furniture in front of the fire while people watching down below. These rooms are the best but....ask for a standard room above the Whispering Canyon Restaurant and you can watch the firewoks from the MK. There are ducks in most of the Disney pools. The WL was my first deluxe stay....and also my favorite. You will LOVE it.

 

[TxRabbit]

We stayed at WL on our most recent trip. It is a beautiful resort. Like all resorts, there are positives and negatives.

Like others have stated, the decor of the rooms is strongly themed, with dark stained wood, deep colored bedspreads, deep colored carpet, and a neutral wall color that isn't too reflective.

The rooms themselves, along with AKL, are the smallest in the deluxe resorts. With two Queen sized beds, there isn't a whole lot of extra floor space. If you are used to a home with a minimum of 3' wide traffic areas (min. recommendation for often used pathways in a home), then the room will probably feel somewhat cramped.

If you were in a room that didn't get much direct sunlight, then they might feel dingy. But this is largely subjective, and probably more of a personal response to the decor and sunlight. Certainly, it should not be interpreted as a reflection of the QUALITY of the decor. The furnishing are in excellent shape. I think the tvs are new. I think we had a flat screen...and someone else mentioned that the rooms were fairly recently updated.

Roaring Forks is what it is. It has a couple of stations. One has cold food and one has hot. Only ate hot food once, and for breakfast. It wasn't made to order. It was chose from what is already cooked and being kept hot and ready to serve. I remember one man was really complaining because he didn't care for how well cooked the scrambled eggs were. Why couldn't the people make him some eggs? Well. It's not the way it was done. If you want a made to order breakfast, go to WCC. A person like this, who doesn't understand what RR really is, could call the food "bad."

From the cold food station, we had the best sandwiches. They WERE made to order, with the topping we chose and a side that we also chose, if I remember right. A very good, fresh sandwich.

Birds and ducks are all over Disney resorts. You see the same thing in the BC/YC Pool, SAB, but it's rare to hear complaints about it. The lake is right there. The fowl comes to the pool water. What are you going to do? I think any outside pool in FL with all the water features all around could suffer the same fate. You just imagine the best and enjoy the antics of the ducks.

Get your positive, happy mind set back on. The resort is beautiful, as others have affirmed. There are nooks and crannies EVERYWHERE. Little sitting areas with fireplaces (and fires going, even during record heat in June) all throughout the lobby area on all the different floors. There are desk areas. There is the lovely balcony overlook of the courtyard area. The water feature down the courtyard area is beautiful, especially at night. If you can handle the birds outside, it's a lovely, peaceful spot to eat lunch.

The boat to MK and the other resorts is such a nice way to travel.

The resort grounds are lovely and worth exploring.

My DM always says that the funny thing about vacation is that you take yourself with you. People who generally have things to complain about in life will generally find something to complain about on vacation too. If you aren't one of those people, and generally see the brighter side of life, then rest assured, you will find plenty to enjoy at WL.

Editted to add:

You asked about rooms...

http://users.hartwick.edu/heydukr/wlrooms.htm

This link is a map that has what rooms located where are considered to be what view...I think that the ones that are on the 4th floor that open into the lobby are the ones with the famous "roof top" views, but I'm not sure. I think the other ones, one leg up from the woods view are the ones that overlook the loading area? or something, but have a possible fireworks view. The closer you are to the end of the resort, the better the fireworks view...likewise, I think the higher your floor, the better the possible view? Except if you get to the floor with the other kind of balcony railing which is harder to see through...

 

[eliza61]

.

is there somewhere I can find a list on disboards of nice standard rooms at WL. In other words, when they assign me a room I could look at my list of "not the best rooms" and request another before we get all the way to the room. DH wouldn't want me to ruffle any feathers once we'd already gotten our room assigned and had our luggage in. How do you get an upgrade - do you ask? or it just magically happens?

Take all reviews with a grain of salt. Good or bad. My worst stay ever was at the Grand Floridian and it's supposed to be the Grand Dame of the deluxes so

Anyway, we love WL. the rooms are darker but they are supposed to be. Lots of wood, lots of greens, browns and dark maroon. take a look at the pictures here and on allears.net.

Are there ducks. definitely, but we love them adds to the overall theme of the lodge. Never seen them poop in the pool and I'm willing to bet small kids going in the pool is probably a more frequent occurance. either way the pools do have a cleaner (I know it's not chlorine but can't remember what they use)

 

[3floridarays]

We were at WL a few weeks ago - our 2nd time to stay there - and we love it! The rooms are absolutely not dingy. The dim lighting is part of the theme of the room, but you can get a lot of light when you open the blinds. the "woodsy" decor in the rooms is really neat - check out the animal carvings at the top of the headboards.

As pp's have said, don't let some negative reviews stop you from going. It is an amazing resort and you will have a wonderful time!

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

We were there last November and we LOVED it.

The pool at WL is not the only one with ducks in it and I am sure they are all getting pooped in. Including pools at non-Disney resorts if they have an outdoor pool. And then there's the kids.

We had no complaints with the food service, as was stated by a PP in Roaring Forks the food is made in advance and kept warm but we had no problem with that. Still good and for us large enough portions. Loved Whispering Canyon the CM were great.

We had a woods view room with bunk beds. Had a good view of the castle, and could watch the fireworks from our balcony. Loved the boat to and from the MK. Don't miss the geyser. Great service from the CM. Beautiful lobby, great theme.

Stay at the WL and form your own opinions. I have read plenty of negative reviews for each of the resorts we have stayed at. If I based my opinion on if I should or shouldn't stay at a resort from what I read; I would have missed out on some great vacation memories at a WDW resort.

 

[tami82]

I would think the dark rooms just go with the theme of the Wilderness Lodge. Like others have said take it with a grain of salt. We are going in August and i cant wait!! We stayed at CR last year but i think im really going to like WL.