Travel from Wilderness Lodge

[S. Paridon]

I am in the early stages (very early) of planning our next WDW trip which will take place in 09. I was wondering from those who have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge...what is the travel to and from the Parks like?

I know you can take a boat to the MK, but what is the travel/wait time like? Do the boats fill up rapidly? Do the boats just make one stop at WL or do they stop at other resorts as well?

The busses...how are they for WL to the other parks? Do they stop at other resorts as well or does the bus system have it's own bus for WL?

We stayed at All Star Movies the last couple of times and while the rooms are fine, the bus service out there is appalling. Movies is always the last resort to be picked up and dropped off and after a long day at the parks that can be a bit irritating.

We have always wanted to stay at WL, and will in 09, but I was hoping to get some feedback from some of you who have stayed there in the past. Thanks.

 

[boulderdgrandpa]

WL Transportation is Great

My wife and I, daughter and son-in-law and two grandchildren stayed there in August. We found the transpiration great.

One set of boats serve MK and another set loop between WL, FW and CR.

As I recall, the boat trips to the MK were under 15 minutes with a maximum wait time of 20 min. MK boats are large so, the seldom fill up.

All the bus trips to the other parks were quite quick also. As I recall the trip to Downtown Disney was not quite as quick an frequent. Also, early bus service is provided to the parks for before opening character breakfasts.

Use, http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/twiz.aspx for estimated travel times.

Also, a tip. If you can get your room on the ground floor of the wing next to the boat dock, do it. That makes both the boat dock and the snack bar very convenient.

 

[righttrack]

We love the lodge. The transportation is shared. The boats to MK stop at Fort Wilderness. They seem to have plenty of capacity, its just the stop that may bother you. Buses are shared too. A few share with Fort Wilderness and one, I'm not sure which, shares with The Grand Floridian. They are both quick stops.

That said, minus the transportation sharing (our transportation was much faster at Pop Century!) the lodge is a beautiful, must be experienced resort. Service is wonderful and hopefully you'll get to enjoy all it has to offer. I'd go again and again (and will!)

 

[emmersandjack]

As DVC members, I can say with great confidence that WL is our favorite resort. It is absolutely beautiful and the Whispering Canyon Cafe is reason enough to stay there in my opinion.
I have found that when you stay at the Deluxe Resorts that the buses don't seem to be as full as the other resorts. An additional plus I think is the boat transportation to the MK.
I highly recommend the WL and don't think that you will be disappointed. The only other resort that I enjoy as much is the Boardwalk, but only for it's proximity to Epcot and DHS, and mini golf.

I could be biased about WL--it's where we spent our honeymoon!

 

[bgraham34]

When I go the boats are about 15-20 mins apart. A few times I waited much longer than that.

As far as boats filling up in depends on the time of day and how many people are already on the boats. I only remember once having to wait for a second boat.

 

[DisneyJoe]

You can also take the bus from the WL to the MK - sometimes much faster than the boat.

 

[tigsmom]

You can also take the bus from the WL to the MK - sometimes much faster than the boat.

But not as much fun!

We've stayed at the WL 10 times and have never had a problem with transportation. We always take the boat to and from the MK (shares with FW) and you can also take a launch over to the Contemporary to hit the monorail. Wait times for the boat to the MK are hit and miss depending on the time of the day, but its never unmanageable and yes, I have seen them fill up and people have to wait for the next one.

Bus is shared and can get crowded at night, but still, not too bad. When we are going to be out very late or go to DTD we drive ourselves. Sometimes the wait for the bus seems like forever, but I think thats more anticipation to get to the parks than anything else...the trip back seems very quick. :lol:

 

[Little Green Men]

During our trip we enjoyed our stay at WL, but we found the boats very slow. While we loved the view, I'd rather be in the park on the rides. We always took the bus back at night, when we were too tired to take such a slow ride back. The boat also stops at FW. The busses were good, but we thought Epcot's was too slow. I think it's because we've stayed at either a restort that has a monorail, or boat to Epcot. You should have a good time,don't let what I say bother you. I was just trying to share my experience. Thanks!

 

[diddy_mouse]

We stayed at the WL for the first time in December and absolutely loved it. The transportation was great. One boat goes directly to MK another heads to FW. The buses tend to stop at another resort, or FW but we never had a problem. I think our DTD bus stopped at the GF before heading over. On the way back from the parks WL is usually the first stop. I know we were heading back from somewhere and stopped at FW before the Lodge.

I definitely look forward to going back on our next trip! :wave:

 

[S. Paridon]

A big thanks to all who replied. We are going to stay there definitely, but I wanted to get some opinions from some WL Vets.

We can't wait to stay there, we have visited WL a few times when we have been at WDW and fell in love with it the first time we stepped into the lobby. We can't wait! The only bad thing is that it's almost two years away!!!! Good thing we are going to Disneyland this coming May! Thanks again!

 

[Tinkwings]

Sometimes we caught the bus immediately and it was a zippy 5 minute ride to the gates....othertimes it was a good 15 minute wait for the bus to MK. The boat ride was nice for the rides home at night...relaxing....fun way to arrive too. Found the bus system worked pretty well to visit the other parks, sure beat the cost and hassle of a rental car any day!!!! Can't wait to ride the newer buses!!

Have a wonderful visit...there's nothing like walking into that magnificent lobby and getting a "welcome home".....:king:

 

[Tiggerfanatic]

We were at the Contemporary two weeks ago, and our bus to MGM and AK were shared with the Wilderness Lodge. CR was the 1st pickup in the morning, and WL was the first drop off on the way back. The day we were to go the MGM, the bus was about 1/2 full from the CR, and when we stopped @ WL, there were 2 ECV's waiting to be loaded. By the time they and their parties were on, the rest of the people waiting had to wait for the next bus.

 

[DAKOTADISNEY]

Does anyone know/remember how long it took to get to DAK by bus from Wilderness Lodge? Thanks

 

[oldshovelhead]

Yep...

Does anyone know/remember how long it took to get to DAK by bus from Wilderness Lodge? Thanks

My family and I stayed at the WL for the first time exactly one year ago. I say this because I'm working with a 47 year old memory here... I think the trip via bus once you're on and seated was 10-15 minuets or so.:shrug: They were holding the marathon though and that tended to screw up traffic from time to time.

Anyway..it's a great place to stay, and now that we're DVC members, I'm sure we'll be returning. I can't wait to sit in the sun at the Trout Pass Bar and enjoy another frozen mango margarita again. Do that once and it won't matter how long it takes to get anywhere...you're on vacation.:sohappy:

 

[DISMOM]

I know that the trip to DAK from WL depends on the time of year and traffic. I think about 15-20 minutes. One other 'bus memory'...we had just enjoyed Fantasmic and on the way back to the Wilderness Lodge, we could see Wishes out the front window of the bus. It was great!!! Everybody became very quiet when Wishes was pointed out. It was an 'OH WOW' moment.

 

[KaliSplash]

On getting to DAK from WL, I think you do stop by Blizzard Beach on the way, but this is not a big deal. Don't recall stopping by there on the way back, but perhaps we did.

Otherwise, it's a straight shot if I remember correctly (it's been a couple of years). About 15-20 in-bus time.

 

[jt04]

WL transportation

Wouldn't it be "cool" if they installed a modern ski gondola system that tied Wilderness Lodge with a platform tied to the 4th floor of the Contemporary similar to how the new Contemporary DVC will be connected to the main tower. It would greatly simplify the transportation issues and be VERY cost effective. Plus guests at both resorts and DVC's would have easy access to each resorts amenities. It would also tie WL with the monorail system and it would fit the theme of both resorts. Just an idea I would love to see happen.