What is Wilderness Lodge like?

[glennsineadkatl]

Hi all,
I've stayed at Disney's Grand Floridian 4 times in the past and I'm thinking of returning to Disney however the price of the GF has increased so much I can't justify paying those prices because we spend most of our time out in the parks and really only use the hotel to sleep etc. I got a price for The Wilderness Lodge and the difference in price is roughly the cost of my Airline tickets-We will be flying from Ireland. Have any of you stayed at both?? I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have.
Thanks.

 

[G00fyDad]

(removed by poster. Unhelpful.)

 

[gaga4disney]

My favorite resort. We stay there mostly. Especially during the christmas holiday season. we love the feeling of the WL, it is very cosy. it has no monorail connection but it does have a ferry to MK and the other bay lake resorts. what specifically do you want to know about it?

 

[G00fyDad]

My favorite resort. We stay there mostly. Especially during the christmas holiday season. we love the feeling of the WL, it is very cosy. it has no monorail connection but it does have a ferry to MK and the other bay lake resorts. what specifically do you want to know about it?

That's the way my cousin describes it. Of all the Deluxe it is my favorite. It just feels "right".

 

[durangojim]

I've stayed at both including the Poly and BC and WL is one of our favorites due to its themeing. The pools and grounds are wonderful and it it like a little escape from reality. The rooms are not as large or bright as the GF and the dining options are less. It's not on the monorail loop but it does have a boat that goes directly to the MK. I haven't stayed at the GF in 4 or 5 years because I don't think the quality is there any more and refuse to pay what they ask for it. I don't know if you'd enjoy the WL but many, including myself, think it's one of Disney's best deluxe resorts.

 

[MagicKat103]

The WL is beautiful. The way the theme is carried out there is lovely. The boat to the MK is a nice option along with the bus. The quick service station is good, however not that much seating there. The Whispering Canyon cafe is a lot of fun to do dinner at. The pool is nice as well. It is a very beautiful resort. While staying there, my daughter became ill, and needed to be seen by a doctor. The CM went out of their way to make accommodations for us to be taken to the walk-in. Even though I have yet to encounter a CM that is not helpful, I felt the ones at the WL went out of their way to help my daughter. I would highly recommend staying there. :wave:

 

[bgraham34]

Wilderness Lodge is my home away from home. By far its my favorite resort. I always get the feeling that I have been transported away from Florida. I think you get the best of both worlds there. You get to stay on Disney property but not even know you are staying on Disney property. The lobby is worth just sitting down and having a drink and looking around.
I had a coworker on mine who lives in Howth by you and she loved staying there.

 

[bethymouse]

Welcome Home!

I remember a feeling of being at "home". The CMs greeted our family upon arrival "Welcome Home Hood Family"!
We had a bunk bed room close to both the quiet pool ( has spa-like jets) and themed pool! The GEYSER is neat and goes off every hour! Movies nightly on the beach and a nightly marshmallow roast! The electric water parade goes by w/ music! Boat to MK is relaxing!
The lobby is incredible! The restaurants on-site are good! The quick service area is small though.
All in all, except for the POLY it is my favorite resort!

 

[fmingo36]

The lobby is breathtaking! The pool area is very nice. Food options are good. But the rooms are smaller than other deluxe resorts and I though they were very dark (poor lighting).
I enjoyed being able to take the boat over to the MK and watch the Electrical Water parade from the dock area.

All and all, it's a nice resort. And I don't think you'd be disappointed staying there.

 

[SaolSona]

Oh, I think the WL is one of the best places to stay. The lobby is breathtaking. I can't imagine another that is as beautiful.
The last time I stayed in WDW, we had one of the vacation villas at the Beach Club and the scent of the lobby was amazing. I'd stay there again just for that haha.

 

[disneygirl76]

Hi all,
I've stayed at Disney's Grand Floridian 4 times in the past and I'm thinking of returning to Disney however the price of the GF has increased so much I can't justify paying those prices because we spend most of our time out in the parks and really only use the hotel to sleep etc. I got a price for The Wilderness Lodge and the difference in price is roughly the cost of my Airline tickets-We will be flying from Ireland. Have any of you stayed at both?? I'd appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have.
Thanks.

Hi there! I have stayed at GF and WL before. Of course, GF is our favorite and have stayed there several times. But we really really like WL. We liked the rustic, comfortable, cozy, romantic feel. It was lovely. It is of course not as convenient as a monorail resort so your trip planning will be different but the bus isn't bad. And you can take a boat to MK which is lovely. The dining options are okay. We did not care for Whispering Canyon but Roaring Fork is a good, but kind of on the small size. I have been told that Artist's Point is a hidden gem but we didn't try it. The pool is okay. I would say that it is my 3rd choice compared to Yacht Club and GF where I have stayed before. The rooms do have a cozy cabiny feel and it is really nice. If you have children, the bunk beds are fun. The lobby is breath taking. So lovely! And the grounds are pretty with all the trees and the hourly geyser going off.

This trip, we are staying at PORS which is change for us since we have previously only stayed at Deluxe Resorts, specifically the GF. I knew we just couldn't swing a monorail resort this year so we chose PORS b/c if we are going to have to rely on the buses for transportation, then might as well go to a moderate resort to save more money. I'm excited to try something new too. Not that I could ever get bored of staying at the GF, but it is nice to have a new Disney experience.

 

[glennsineadkatl]

Thank you

Hi
I'd like to thank you all for the comments about my question on The Wilderness Lodge. I much appreciate it.
Glenn

 

[dave&di]

This resort is next on my list, we plan on staying there in 2014, we have done the Poly, and the GF ( going again this Sept) the WL is cheaper than these and in my opinion has excellent theming.

 

[Did Knee]

The WL is my fav resort! I have toured all the Deluxe resorts, and stayed at the Poly (concierge) and two moderates (CBR and POFQ). I love the rustic feel of the place, the theming is extremely immersive. The dining options are excellent. Artists point has GREAT food. Whispering canyon is great too, especially if you don't mind a lot of loud lunacy going on while you are eating! The water transportation goes to MK, Fort Wilderness and the Contemporary. When I go to Epcot I take the long way, going by boat to the contemporary walk through it to the monorail and change at the TTC to the Epcot monorail. This gives me an excuse to do all that! The rooms are very well themed too! In the evening I grab a hot chocolate at Roaring Forks, and there is a sofa next to a fireplace on the second floor right above the lobby front doors. I relax there looking over the lobby and sipping my hot chocolate. I highly recommend this resort!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

While we haven't stayed at GF (on my must do list), we did stay at WL back in 2010. There were pros and cons to the stay. On the upside, the common areas of the hotel are stunning. I mean- the lobby is gorgeous, there are all kinds of neat little artifacts and things to explore, if you can go during the holidays- even better, the pool is pretty neat, we liked the pool bar, and it's just a nice place to walk the grounds. We also really enjoyed the boat to MK (i.e. when we weren't trying to make early morning character breakfasts) and found Roaring Fork to be a decent QS option. It's also nice that they have 2 TS restaurants on site.

On the downside, we felt the rooms were cramped and dark. I'm a bit claustrophobic, but even DH who is not agreed that some of our stress moments on that trip came down to the room being a bit small for our tastes. And while this might sound petty to some, I didn't like the bed linens. I'd probably consider another stay there after the kids are past the stroller phase (since that adds to the cramped feeling) if they renovated the rooms- i.e. brightened them up, nicer bedding, etc. The other negative aspect that impacted our trip was bus transportation. On day 2 of our trip we waited nearly 45 min for a bus to MK (not fun at 7:05a with 38 degree temps outside + windchill), on day 3 we waited close to 35 min for a bus to AK, and on day 4 we waited around 25 min for a bus to Epcot. I know it could be worse, but it definitely put a damper on things.

Sorry, I know it's a very popular place to stay and most love it, but just wanted to offer our feedback to the mix.

 

[glennsineadkatl]

Sorry, I know it's a very popular place to stay and most love it, but just wanted to offer our feedback to the mix.[/QUOTE

Thanks for pointing out both positive and negative on the Wilderness Lodge. I experienced bus delays when going to the other parks on our previous visits while at the GF. I think its a problem with all Hotels.
Thanks again