Would anyone not stay at WL

[Laurajean1014]

I would say "never." But although it is a beautiful resort, I'm not as sold as others on the resort. We stayed there and thought the transportation was a bit laxed. The ferry wait was over an hour in December and the ferry itself was about 10/15 minutes.

I would rather stay at Poly or Contemporary (and walk from CR) or stay at AKL than WL.

But that's just me.

 

[keishashadow]

I would say "never." But although it is a beautiful resort, I'm not as sold as others on the resort. We stayed there and thought the transportation was a bit laxed. The ferry wait was over an hour in December and the ferry itself was about 10/15 minutes.

I would rather stay at Poly or Contemporary (and walk from CR) or stay at AKL than WL.

But that's just me.

Did you wait an hour for the ferry to show up or was your time spent waiting in line to get on?

When in December did you go that it was so crowded?

Did you have better results w/bus?

 

[brando5111]

We stayed in Feb. 05' and to be honest we were disappointed for the extra $950.00 spent to do so... Normally we stay at POR in either Bayou or Mansion section and much prefer this resort. The food court at WL is sub-par to POR and the sit-down restaurant Whispering Canyon, while cute once is not for us. We much prefer the outstanding breakfast/dinner at Boatwrights. Honestly for that much extra money we expected sooo much more than we received. Yes the lobby is lovely, but who cares? The rooms at POR were actually nicer and much quieter and cost soooo much less! Give us a moderate at POR or POFQ anytime over a room @ WL...

Just our opinion!

Best,
Brando

 

[DVCPAT]

Thank you all so much for your input...... I really love hearing all the different views and opinions of the resort and I never even considered staying at AKL, but maybe I will look into it.

We of course would love to stay at OKW, Poly or GF... but they are so expensive.

Thanks again for all your responses..... and I would love to hear more opinions if anyone elses wants to share

We love staying at the WL. The resort takes on a different atmosphere at night and it’s really nice to have access to have boat transportation to the surrounding areas. We usually visit the camp grounds for dinner and my daughter loves to ride the horses. The boat rentals are the best on WDW property.

The AKL is also nice but is located in a very remote location. You might want to look into renting points from a DVC member. It’s much cheaper than Disney rack rates.

 

[Song bird]

aw: aw: aw:
Wilderness Lodge is one of my favorites! We will be celebrating Christmas there, and I can't wait to see how it is decorated. I want to check out as many hotel decorations and Christmas trees as I can and see who has the best. I am sure they are all unique to the resort. We love the Wilderness,
Artist point Yumm! I just wish they would connect it to the momorail, that would make it ideal.

 

[PamNC]

unless I just lucked up on a really good rate. We stayed at WL 3 years ago and we weren't that impressed overall. We were impressed with the outside of the resort, and the grounds but the rooms are quite small and dark. We didn't think the CM's were up to snuff with the CM's at other deluxe resorts. The boat transportation was so sloooooow. So, I doubt we'll go back unless, like I said, we get a great rate. I did like the geyser and the trail to Fort Wilderness. I love to visit WL, and it is gorgeous for the holidays. I'm just in no hurry to stay there again. I'm probably in the minority.

PamNC

 

[blondemom]

We stayed at the Polynesian twice and our budget dictated that we needed to stay somewhere less expensive (two children now versus one). We let our older son pick a resort from the books, internet, etc. He chose the Wilderness Lodge because it looked like "lincoln logs." We had read all the pros, the cons, the horror stories, and the love stories - but we don't put too much stock into them. We like to see for ourselves. We went from August 21 through August 27. We had a fabulous stay. The boys loved the pool - it was never crowded when we decided to swim. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus or a boat - could be just our good fortune. We were upgraded to a courtyard view (with fireworks view, too) when we booked a standard. We got bunkbeds, too. I thought the room size was perfect for our family of four (two adults, a 7-year old boy, and a 2-year old boy). We enjoyed the food in the resort - from the full-service to the quick-service. We had towel animals every day. We never heard a peep from surrounding neighbors. My biggest regret was not being able to stay a few days longer. And, yes, I was nervous when we checked in. Although I don't pay too much attention to the negative attention - it is still in the back of my mind. For my family, this was a very good choice. I am planning our second visit for August of 2007! Best of luck to you in making your choice. Remember - for every bad experience, there is a good one. And, WDW is so vast that there is a perfect place for all guests. We are happy to say that the Wilderness Lodge is our perfect place.

 

[wdwlver]

I like the WL alot, the whole theme really appeals to me. But I will say if I had one complaint, it would be not enough choices at mealtimes. We ate last year at WCC ALOT and although we liked it, we'd have also like another sit down choice for lunches, etc.

 

[ctrabada]

Jen, you did more than I did! I started my trip report but kind of lost steam and never finished it... Sort of thought nobody would really care so why bother?

 

[lynr]

We went this summer and it was ok, I pefer the Polynesian. With that being said I will be staying there Dec 8th - 12th (spur of the moment trip) because the Polynesian doesn't have anything available but I really don't mind because it is beauitfully themed for Christmas.

Lyn

 

[AnaheimGirl]

We wouldn't go back, either, unless we got a great rate or something. First of all, we live in Colorado, so we see enough mountain lodges and like something different for a vacation. Secondly, the rooms were tiny. At the time we vowed that we'd stay at a mod "next time", because "the rooms couldn't possibly be any smaller". Well, come to find out, they actually are, so we stayed at the Poly on our next (just recent) trip. Some of the things I liked about the WL were the same at the Poly: sandy beach for kids to play, seeing the Electric Water Pagent from the beach, surrey bikes and boats to rent. We didn't have trouble with transportation from the WL. We never waited long for a boat to/from MK, and we enjoyed relaxing on the trip -- it was almost like another ride. We didn't care for the food at Whispering Canyon, although Artist's Point was excellent, and Roaring Forks, while not good, I didn't feel was any worse than any other fast-food type meal.

Good luck deciding.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

love WL and would stay there everytime

 

[SorcererDonald16]

The WL does not appeal to me in the heat of the summer. I just can not get into the unique theme with that great fireplace when it's 100 degrees outside. Even though they really crank up the cool air over there.

You aren't kidding about the air conditioning! I went in June, and it was about 105+ degrees some days with humidity. And yet I had to wear a jacket from my room until I got outside to the parking lot and put one on when returning at night!

Anyway, as for the original topic, if you really need a place with a good food selection, this might not be for you. Roaring Forks (their equivalent of a -- very tiny-- fast food court) was def. nothing to write home about. The food courts in POR, CB, and CS are a million times better, but that's natural since they're bigger and thus can offer more food. It didn't matter to us though since we only got breakfast there once and had dinner there the night we checked in. Aside from that STAY THERE! It's gorgeous, even when not decorated for the holidays. I really felt like I was in another world. I'm already sad that next time I go back, I have to stay in a mod... can't afford WL again for a long while.

 

[snowbunny]

The WL does not appeal to me in the heat of the summer. I just can not get into the unique theme with that great fireplace when it's 100 degrees outside. Even though they really crank up the cool air over there.

I feel just the opposite - WL lodge appeals to me in the summer as a way to escape the heat and sun. In the winter I crave light and would prefer the Beach Club.