Is Wilderness Lodge worth it?

PrincessMagic

PrincessMagic

New Member
I've read reviews on the Wilderness Lodge and they're mostly great. The biggest complaint I see is transportation (seems to be biggest issue with every resort lol). My question is this...Is the Wilderness Lodge worth the extra money from POFQ. I am a die hard POFQ fan and think it's one of the greatest resorts Disney has to offer. That being said, WL appeals to me. I love the way it looks, I love that it's a MK resort. I really want to know if the resort is really worth the extra $$. Please give me your opinions and the biggest pros and cons of WL. Thanks.
 
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tigsmom

tigsmom

Well-Known Member
I've been reading everyone's responses and it really all comes down to this...its only worth the money if you think it is. The only way to find that out is to stay there. You don't have to spend the entire trip there, you can split it between two resorts. This will give you a chance to experience all that the WL has to offer and you can save a bit of money by staying at a less expensive hotel too.

Everyone always complains about the transportation, but to be honest we have never had a problem. Yes, making a stop or two along the way can be a pain (especially at night), but you get that at other hotels also. We are on vacation and not it a rush to get anywhere at all. We love to take the boat to the MK on our first day there, there is no other feeling like the one you get when you round the bend and see the MK come into view! The CMs are always friendly and we have never had a bad meal in the restaurants there. I could let my kids wander around and not worry (thought they are teens now), relax in the beautiful lobby in front of that huge fireplace or have some quiet time tucked away in a little nook upstairs.

We have stayed there 10 times and have tried other hotels, but always come back because there is nothing like hearing "welcome home" when you pass thru the security gate... it really is our Disney home.
 
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W

wishiwzthere

Member
If you wish to be transported to unbelievable atmosphere, with a touch of mountain elegance, peacefulness, yet enveloped in the magic stay at WL. You must dine at Artist Point at least once, whether you vacation at WL or not. If will become you favorite resort.:)
 
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PrincessMagic

PrincessMagic

New Member
Original Poster
I really appreciate all the feedback I received. We still haven't made our decision. The cost is the biggest weight on my mind now. For our six night trip the room only portion for WL is 1580.00, for POFQ it is 890.00. We're trying to weigh whether the resort is worth that much extra. I do know that we anticipate spending more time in our resort this time. We only come down once a year and hate to miss one minute of the parks, but we're always so exhausted and said this time we're having a vacation. More time swimming and relaxing, trying to hit the parks in the morning and evening. Thanks again.
 
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pax_65

pax_65

Well-Known Member
I love Wilderness Lodge but I don't think I'd spend an extra $700 to stay there instead of POFQ. If you have the $700 to spend, you could do a lot with that $$$ to make your trip really special. If money is tight, maybe it makes sense to save that money so you can afford to take another trip sooner rather than later!

That said, Wilderness is really nice when you're visiting Magic Kingdom with young kids. The boat ride is like another ride that the kids really enjoy. So coming and going to the park (as you suggest, which is what we do also) is more fun and less of a hassle. You can also take the boat to Fort Wilderness for the petting zoo, hoop-de-doo and the Trail's End Buffet, all worthwhile kids activities.

We usually stay at DVC Wilderness on points for a few days and do the Magic Kingdom as much as possible during those days. Then we move to Old Key West (our home resort, which we love, fewer points than Wilderness) to relax and enjoy all the other parks.

Good luck!
 
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Kingdom Konsultant

Kingdom Konsultant

WDWMAGIC Board Sponsor
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I've stayed at both WL (5 times) and AKL(6 times) and love them both.
I've never had a problem with transportation at either resort. And I really don't mind that fact that AKL is further away. It's an extra 10 minutes on the bus and it doesn't bother me.

I think the fact that the same architect built both of these wonderful resorts is part of the reason that they are both favorites of mine. They both are beautifully themed. I love the smokey smell in the lobby at AKL from the fire pit and I love watching the water falls at WL.

If you want to stay at WL and you can afford to do it, I say go for it. It's just a boat ride from MK and the buses do run about every 20 mins for the other parks.

Have a great time with whatever resort you choose!

Pam
 
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diddy_mouse

diddy_mouse

Well-Known Member
We just recently stayed at the WL and I couldn't have been happier with the experience. It was probably the coziest resort I've stay in. We ended up going to the MK once everyday of our trip thanks to the boat transportation. And speaking of that, we didn't have any problems with bus transportation either.

Are we going back? Most definitely! We just have to start saving for the next trip :D (hopefully two years from now...:()
 
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ChrisQ

ChrisQ

Member
WL is my favorite among all the ones I've stayed in. It's hard to beat it for sheer beauty. You almost forget you're in Florida while you're there.
 
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Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
We're heading to the World this December for our 5th trip to the Lodge. We were all set to stay at POFQ this trip but we just couldn't do it. We couldn't move from the Lodge so that's where we're staying. On our second trip the first words out of my mouth when we walked through the front doors were that I felt like I was home, and then to have the CMs welcome us home to the Wilderness Lodge, it just felt right. We've actually overheard other guests talking about how they always intend to stay somewhere else but always end up back at the Lodge. To me that says a lot right there but I guess that's just me. :shrug:
 
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durangojim

durangojim

Well-Known Member
The WL is my favorite resort, but this is really a question that you have to answer for yourself, and my guess is that if you are asking the question, then no, it probably is not worth it due to the financial aspect. In other words, what does the money that you would be saving allow you to do or what wouldn't you be able to do if you stay at the WL because you don't have the extra money?
 
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PrincessMagic

PrincessMagic

New Member
Original Poster
I just added a new post. I received a pin# from Disney and booked WL immediately! We saved almost $1,000.00. I'm so excited I can't believe it. Thanks for all your input it really helped.
 
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wvdisneyfamily

wvdisneyfamily

Well-Known Member
Kingdom Konsultant said:
I've stayed at both WL (5 times) and AKL(6 times) and love them both.
I've never had a problem with transportation at either resort. And I really don't mind that fact that AKL is further away. It's an extra 10 minutes on the bus and it doesn't bother me.

I think the fact that the same architect built both of these wonderful resorts is part of the reason that they are both favorites of mine. They both are beautifully themed. I love the smokey smell in the lobby at AKL from the fire pit and I love watching the water falls at WL.

If you want to stay at WL and you can afford to do it, I say go for it. It's just a boat ride from MK and the buses do run about every 20 mins for the other parks.

Have a great time with whatever resort you choose!

Pam
Click to expand...


I have a couple of questions about the WL. We're thinking of upgrading from POR to WL for our June trip. How long is the boat ride? How often does the boat run?
 
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