Staying at the Wilderness Lodge!

[disneyfan123]

I have been to Disney world 6 times before and always stayed offsite - as a present for my 21st Birthday my dad is paying for me and my family to stay at the Wilderness Lodge between the 2nd and the 16th Sept!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait!

As I have never stayed onsite at the WDW resort before I was just wondering if you guys could answer a few questions that I have?

- How long does it take to walk from the Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom?

- Where is the best place to view the Electric Light Parade on the Seven Seas Lagoon? Can you see the Wishes Fireworks in the Magic Kingdom from the beaches around the Lagoon?

- As a guest at a Disney Resort Hotel can I visit the other hotels around the lagoon?

- Can anyone suggest a good restaurant in any of the hotels on the Seven Seas Lagoon?

- Will there be extra magic hours in September?

Sorry for all of the questions
df123

 

[imagineer99]

Originally posted by disneyfan123
I have been to Disney world 6 times before and always stayed offsite - as a present for my 21st Birthday my dad is paying for me and my family to stay at the Wilderness Lodge between the 2nd and the 16th Sept!!!!!!!!! I cannot wait!

As I have never stayed onsite at the WDW resort before I was just wondering if you guys could answer a few questions that I have?

- How long does it take to walk from the Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom?

- As a guest at a Disney Resort Hotel can I visit the other hotels around the lagoon?

- Can anyone suggest a good restaurant in any of the hotels on the Seven Seas Lagoon?

Sorry for all of the questions
df123

All answer the questions I'm sure of....

Question 1.) You cannot walk from Wilderness to Magic Kingdom, so don't try. All access is either by boat or bus.

Question 2.) You can visit any hotel. That shouldn't be a problem.

Question 3.) There are some great restaurants in this area....mainly California Grill (always a Zagat award winner), Artist Pont, Citricos, Narcosses, Ohana....I could go on and on!

Have a great time!

 

[swordsman_24]

Enjoy your trip.

Have a great time. WL is my 2nd favorite hotel on property.

1. The boat ride to MK is about 5 or 6 minutes (not including the wait time for the boat). Its really cool to be coming back to the Lodge at night and see everything illuminated.

2. I'm not sure they are still running the boat parade on the lagoon. I'm sure other members of the board can answer that one for sure. I also have not seen Wishes so I can't speak to how visible it is from around the lagoon.

3. You can go see any hotel that you would like to see.

4. Artist Point is a can't miss for my family. We make sure to have one meal there every trip. I can't personally speak to the other restaurants around the lagoon. Allears.net has some great reviews and menus for restaurants at WDW so I'd recommend heading over there for some research.

5. I'm not sure the magic hours for Sept. have been announced yet.

On a side note....check and see if your family can do the flag raising ceremony one morning at the lodge. I hear it is a really cool experience. You can also get tours of the lodge that point out a lot of architecture and other design elements of the hotel. Its worth it if you have the time. Enjoy your trip!

 

[MouseRight]

While at the WL, you have to have dinner at Whispering Canyon Restuarant. Be prepared for a great time, of waiter shenagans, stick horse racing, and fun humiliation. Be careful if you ask for Ketchup (no they won't throw it on you) and ask for a Diet Pepsi. :lol: :lol:

Watch out for flying straws.

Oh yeah, the food is a all you can eat barabecue of ribs, chicken, shredded pork, sausages, etc. Good stuff.

My favorite 4 star restaurant is Narcoosee's at The Grand Floridian. Make a PS for around an hour before the scheduled start of wishes. They pipe the Music and soundtrack into the porch surrounding the restaurant and you can watch Wishes from there. Then after Wishes, you can see teh Seven Seas Lagoon Light Parade. GReat Foof, GRest Service and atmosphere. If they have he veal chops get them - "To Die For"

Be warned, even with the music and soundtrack, watching Wishes from anyplace but the MK (and perhaps teh California GRill) is not as dramatic and the view is blocked by the trees that have grown too tall over the years (That's a topic for another thread).

 

[tigsmom]

Take the boat to the MK from the dock or take the boat to the Contemporary and hit the monorail. The bus transportation isn't all that bad & we use it for the other parks.

The WL is great & we will be making a return trip this July (our 5th I believe).I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
You can watch the electrical water parade from the boat dock or beach at the Wilderness. You will have plenty of company. :lol:

We always have a skillet breakfast in the Whispering Canyon Cafe its one of our favorites. Artist Pointe is very nice, but its not really our taste. (I have 2 kids). O'hana in the Poly is very good (& $$), but well worth the price. You should be able to see Wishes from the restaurant (ask for a window seat when making PS). We watched the fireworks (and water parade) from the beach when we stayed there 2 years ago; again very crowded.

You can visit any Resort you would like to while you are there. You will get a Parking Pass to keep in the front window of your car & you will receive free parking.

If you have any more questions feel free to PM me & I'll do my best to answer.

You are going to have a great time. :wave:

 

[SlideOperatorCP]

Maybe you could try The Hoop-de doo revue at Fort Wilderness campground, it's a dinner show, and it is lots of fun! And there is always Trails end buffeteria which is right next door and has the same food as the Hoop de doo (ribs and fried chicken, and so on) but it's very inexpensive! Have fun!!!!!!!!!

 

[lukacseven]

Artist Point s a very nice restaurant, located right in the WL intself. Nice quiet atmosphere, great views, interesting menu. It's sometimes interesting to check out the other hotels, each has it's own unique features and it's a good way to scout the place otu for further trips. Don't forget, you can also use the free bus service to visit any hotel on the property. And defintiely make a point of going to Pleasure Island!