Booked today! 9/30-10/6 Wilderness Lodge Villas

[Howdy]

Got out the old change jar yesterday and got to counting, planned on going to Coinstar and getting a gift card, but couldn't make it work out. Took the jar to my bank today and cashed it in for $160! Straight to the Disney Store to pick up a Disney Gift Card and headed home. Since the other half of our party lives 2 hours away, I called and gave them the information to put their cut to the card and I was ready to book our 7 day stay in Bay Lake Tower for around $8,000. Got home and checked the mail and as if Walt Disney himself knew my plans and intervened from above, I had a Disney Destinations PIN in my mailbox waiting for me.

I went online to find that the PIN wasn't good for BLT but was good for the Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. I was able to book our trip for 4 adults and 2 kids, their 4 year old daughter and our 1 year old son at a $1,700 savings! Now I have three months to figure out exactly what ADRs to make and drive my wife crazy while I plan this trip!

This is our first time staying in a deluxe and we've never even seen the WL so any suggestions or feedback would be appreciated!

I'm freakin PUMPED!!!!

 

[Skibum1970]

First, color me green as I am envious. Second, set time aside to enjoy the resort. Walk the trail to Fort Wilderness, sit in a chair overlooking the main lobby and just relax, walk around the resort at night, ride the boats between the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. Walk around the resort at night and see just how awesome it looks.

 

[bgraham34]

Have a great time and I am jealous, not only are you staying at WL but you will be there for Food and Wine fest.

I would have breakfast once at Whispering Canyon Cafe, fun and loud place for breakfast.
The day you get there ask to be the flag family during one day on your trip. You will go up and hoist the flags on top of the lodge.

 

[Howdy]

First, color me green as I am envious. Second, set time aside to enjoy the resort. Walk the trail to Fort Wilderness, sit in a chair overlooking the main lobby and just relax, walk around the resort at night, ride the boats between the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. Walk around the resort at night and see just how awesome it looks.

I most definitely will wander the grounds. I like to get up around 5-5:30 and get moving while everybody else sleeps so I should have plenty of time to explore and find neat stuff to show the others.

Have a great time and I am jealous, not only are you staying at WL but you will be there for Food and Wine fest.

I would have breakfast once at Whispering Canyon Cafe, fun and loud place for breakfast.
The day you get there ask to be the flag family during one day on your trip. You will go up and hoist the flags on top of the lodge.

Any experience with F&W? Is it going to make the crowds significantly heavier? I didn't realize WCC did breakfast, I'll have to look into that because I really want to eat there but don't know if I'll be able to fit it into the dinners.

I've never heard of this "flag family", I can't decide if the wife would love it or want to kill me for taking the baby up on the roof! :ROFLOL:

 

[petey]

Hi Howdy, They are not as loud for breakfast, but still good fun. The breakfast skillet offers allot of food. If you get a chance ask to be
seated in MT's section, as she is a hoot, oh and even though it is not
as loud as dinner time still ask for ketchup!!!!!! If you do make it their
for dinner ask for Sergio's section (Senor Dusty Trails) and the kids will
enjoy the (wood horse) pony rides!!!!

 

[disneyWX]

Intervention indeed! How'd you manage to get a pin this early for fall use???

I'm actually planning a trip for similar dates so maybe we'll cross paths! I'm excited for your stay at Wilderness Lodge. Our family has always wanted to stay there but room availability has always been against us. (Saratoga is our "home resort".) Who knows...maybe this year I'll find "pin favor" as well and we'll be neighbors! :sohappy:

On the subject of Food & Wine, if you and your fam have any hint of culinary curiousity about you, you'll absolutely LOVE it. By chance we happened to be at WDW during the 2009 F&W festival and we now plan our future trips FOR it. As for crowds, it's been my experience that they're not outrageous. Of course I've never attended during the festival's opening days (this year it starts on 9/28). I recall hearing from others on the boards that it can get a bit rowdy the first weekend, but don't hold me to that.

 

[Howdy]

Intervention indeed! How'd you manage to get a pin this early for fall use???

I'm actually planning a trip for similar dates so maybe we'll cross paths! I'm excited for your stay at Wilderness Lodge. Our family has always wanted to stay there but room availability has always been against us. (Saratoga is our "home resort".) Who knows...maybe this year I'll find "pin favor" as well and we'll be neighbors! :sohappy:

On the subject of Food & Wine, if you and your fam have any hint of culinary curiousity about you, you'll absolutely LOVE it. By chance we happened to be at WDW during the 2009 F&W festival and we now plan our future trips FOR it. As for crowds, it's been my experience that they're not outrageous. Of course I've never attended during the festival's opening days (this year it starts on 9/28). I recall hearing from others on the boards that it can get a bit rowdy the first weekend, but don't hold me to that.

I filled out a survey about a week or so ago and said that we were planning our next trip in September. Didn't think anything of it at all until I checked the mail and saw it there! I wish I could remember where the survey was so I could pass the information on, but I'm one of those weird people who says "people never fill these things out, so maybe I'll win something" and does every survey on every receipt that I get.

I'm pretty sure that I'll love the F&W, not sure about the rest of the group, but I'm excited about going! Staying in a Deluxe is something that I've always wanted to do, and if it weren't for the fact that we're splitting a 2 bedroom villa with another couple I would have never even considered one and we'd be staying in POFQ

 

[worldfanatic]

I most definitely will wander the grounds. I like to get up around 5-5:30 and get moving while everybody else sleeps so I should have plenty of time to explore and find neat stuff to show the others.

I do the exact same thing.
I love waking up early and exploring while most people are still sleeping.

My tip:
Remember the Hidden Springs Pool located over by the Villas Building is available to everybody staying at the Wilderness Lodge.
It can be a real relaxing haven when the main pool is packed.

 

[Clamman73]

Nice...Don't forget Epcot 30th Oct 1. :sohappy:

 

[heartodisney]

You will absolutely love the W.L.! Our stay there weeks ago was so wonderful! SO many things there to see and do! Artisit Point is a must for an ADR, 9:25 pm is a must on the docks(with hot chocolate) for the water parade, and try to go over to the DVC lodge to see Walts old train collection...we missed the moring tour on this for explanations along with all the pics...have fun planning!

 

[Howdy]

My tip:
Remember the Hidden Springs Pool located over by the Villas Building is available to everybody staying at the Wilderness Lodge.
It can be a real relaxing haven when the main pool is packed.

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Nice...Don't forget Epcot 30th Oct 1. :sohappy:

I honestly completely forgot about this. Are they going to do anything special?

You will absolutely love the W.L.! Our stay there weeks ago was so wonderful! SO many things there to see and do! Artisit Point is a must for an ADR, 9:25 pm is a must on the docks(with hot chocolate) for the water parade, and try to go over to the DVC lodge to see Walts old train collection...we missed the moring tour on this for explanations along with all the pics...have fun planning!

I know not of this train collection of which you speak! More info? I freaking LOVE model trains

 

[heartodisney]

Sorry I do not have info, there are just three trains in the room, but tons of pics of Walt on some and around trains...I missed the 0900 tour for more info and I really wish I could have made this!

 

[Howdy]

Got some exciting stuff in the mail yesterday so I figured I'd add a couple of pictures. Feel like it's a bit early to do a pre-TR just yet.
Anyways, here is the initial PIN offer that they sent out at the beginning of January.

Then yesterday we received this...

which included another packet of park maps, one of which I found interesting...

I don't know if this is circulated already, it's the first I've seen it. :shrug:

We are all getting really really excited for this trip, sucks that it's still 8 months away!

 

[Howdy]

and here is my happy little family

Logan's tree has nothing but our Disney ornaments on it that we have collected since we got together in 07