Wilderness Lodge, April 2002

[mickey-nut]

Hi everyone!

My family & I will be down at WDW on April 14. We will be spending 6 nights at the Wilderness Lodge. I was wondering if
anyone has stayed at the WL and could give us some info. Rooms? Places to eat? Special activities that happen there? I have 2 boys ages 3 & 5. Also, could anyone give me info about that time of year. Avg. temp? Rainfall? Crowds? Are we going to
miss spring break crowds or be there during them? Lines, short/medium/long? Sorry for all the questions, we have been to WDW many times but never at this time of year. We usually go during the fall. Also, thanks for all the great info from all of you. I am new to this site and have been thankful for all the great tips from all of you.

Thanks again!

 

[brer big bear]

wilderness lodge

:sohappy:
the lodge is awesome! my wife and i stayed down there for 12 days in august. as soon as you walk in your mouth just drops. it looks like a cabin in the woods. we had a double queen bed and it was very roomy. the view from the patio was great. there was pine trees and a large lake. we were on the 6th floor. there are tours through out the day at the lodge. the tour guy will take you up to the roof to put the flag on the pole.
now as for snacks and goodies my wife and i found a placethat sells apples,cake,bugers,hot dogs,cereal,etc theres is a snack bar in the lodge but follow a ramp from in side that leads you down to it. don't by drinks at the gift very high price go to the snack shop that i was telling you. you can by a large mug for 9.00 and you can have all the soda you and the kids want. well worth getting. oh drinks at the gift shop run about 2.50 for a 16oz coke or pepsi. we went with the mug. they have an arcada the bus does not matter where you go you are always first drop off and picked up.
they also have a pool and day care and a nice selection of bikes and jet skis to rent

 

[brer big bear]

wilderness lodge

A relaxed, Northwestern-style retreat, this five-story, studio, one-, and two-bedroom villa resort is inspired by the tall timber and majesty of National Park geyser country.

Guests staying at this resort will relax in peaceful surroundings while enjoying two heated pools, the Sturdy Branches Health Club and all the amenities of Disney's Wilderness Lodge, located right next door.


Packages and Pricing

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Studio: Rooms accommodate up to four guests, plus one child under the age of three (in a crib). Rooms have one queen-size bed and a double-size sleeper sofa. Features include a kitchenette with microwave oven, under-counter refrigerator, wet bar, coffee maker, celing fan, TV, hair dryer and either a private porch or balcony. The approximate size of a Studio is 356 square feet.
Studio Floor Plan
One-Bedroom Villa: Rooms accommodate up to four guests, plus one child under the age of three (in a crib). The master suite features a king-size bed, a whirlpool tub and hair dryer. There is a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living area as well. Features include a fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, ceiling fans, a TV in each room and a VCR in the living room. All rooms provide either a private porch or balcony as well. The approximate size of a One-Bedroom Villa is 727 square feet.

Two-Bedroom Villa: Rooms accommodate up to eight guests, plus one child under the age of three (in a crib). The master suite features a king-size bed, a whirlpool tub and hair dryer. The second bedroom offers one queen-size bed and a double-size sleeper sofa, as well as a private bath with a hair dryer. There is also a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living area and either a private porch or balcony. Features include a fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, ceiling fans, a TV in each room and a VCR in the living room. The approximate size of a Two-Bedroom Villa is 1,080 square feet.


Artist Point is an early 1900s-themed restaurant serving dinner with a market-fresh menu. Whispering Canyon Cafe is a family-style dining location serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Territory Lounge offers drinks and appetizers while Roaring Fork is a counter-service restaurant. Trout Pass Pool Bar features beverages and snacks located in the pool area. Room service is also available.

The Club's Den is an adult-supervised, western-themed entertainment club for children between the ages of 4-12. The fun includes kids movies and video games. A kids menu is available for an additional fee. Reservations are required. The resort also has an arcade for the children's enjoyment.

The resort features a heated pool, a kiddie pool, bicycle and boat rentals, and easy access to Bay Lake beach. Sturdy Branches Health Club is also available to guests.

There are additional activities for you to take advantage of nearby, including:
Access to five Disney Championship Golf Courses
Access to Disney miniature golf courses


The Wilderness Lodge Mercantile features a mix of Northwest merchandise, groceries and Disney gifts. If shopping on a larger scale is desired, you can hop aboard the Walt Disney World® Transportation System for a visit to Downtown Disney®, where you'll find a wide variety of specialty shops!

Guests of The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge can take advantage of complimentary transportation to the Disney Theme Parks via motor coach, as well as direct ferry service to the Magic Kingdom® Park and selected Walt Disney World® Resort Hotels.

Rooms are available for guests with disabilities (subject to availability).
contact me for any other info :sohappy:

 

[The Mom]

Thank you, brer big bear! It's one of the few resorts where I haven't stayed, but from your desription it looks like a must see! I didn't realize that all of the rooms had a kitchenette...that makes a big difference to me; I hate getting dressed early just to get a cup of coffe and some cereal.

 

[Debbie]

It is on my next "to stay at" list. Everyone loves the place. go to Rich's Wilderness Lodge.com (sorry, don't know how to do the link thing).

 

[Disney4648]

The Wilderness Lodge is a great resort. The main lobby is very quiet and you will see guests reading and talking and its a nice place. In the back of the lobby there is a waterfall. This waterfall leads to the pool and around the paths and sidewalks and leads into the 7 seas lagoon and it is really interesting to see. The transportation is very good altough there is no monorail to service that resort. The Wilderness Lodge is near Ft.Wilderness Campground, River Country Water Park, The Contemporary Resort, and The Polynesian Resort. The Rooms are nice and if you get a Garden view, those are the best.

 

[Smee]

I've said it before, the Lodge is the best. Great value for the price.

We resort hop on all our trips to WDW, but we finish at the Lodge every time.

 

[mickey-nut]

Thanks everyone for the info. We are starting to get really excited! 21 days and counting!

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

I stayed at the WL in Feb.2002 and I absolutely loved it.
If you can help it, don't go to the Whispering Canyon Cafe because it is downright strange, the cast members there just frighten me I loved eating at the Roaring Fork for breakfast, go there to eat. They have a nice Pin Trading Station, cross your fingers that you will get the nice old foreign cast member who works there, she is nice! The Rooms are very nice, (I stayed at the villas) and so is the gift shop, The Northern Mercantile. Well, Hope you have fun

 

[sigsegv]

Originally posted by The Mom
Thank you, brer big bear! It's one of the few resorts where I haven't stayed, but from your desription it looks like a must see! I didn't realize that all of the rooms had a kitchenette...that makes a big difference to me; I hate getting dressed early just to get a cup of coffe and some cereal.

Well, it's just the Wilderness Lodge Villas that have the kitchenettes. The WL Villas are in another building to the side of the WL. The decoration of the Villas is a little more rustic than the WL, but still very nice. My wife and I were thinking about adding some DVC points for the WL Villas, but after we spent a week at the WL and realized just how isolated it is from most of WDW, we passed. That side, both the WL and the WLV are very beautiful. From what I've seen of the WDW resorts (and I haven't seen them all), it's probably the best theming in WDW. (I have a feeling that the AKL will give it a run for it's money, but that looks even more isolated than the WL.)

--sig

 

[Jodigrl328]

I haven't been to WDW in april but have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. It is wonderful. The theming is excellent. The gift shop carries a lot of interesting items. It is also very festive during christmas time from late november til christmas. If anyone is going at that time of the year I highly recommend staying at the lodge, you won't be dissappointed!!!

 

[Huggups]

Originally posted by mickey-nut
Hi everyone!

My family & I will be down at WDW on April 14. We will be spending 6 nights at the Wilderness Lodge. I was wondering if
anyone has stayed at the WL and could give us some info. Rooms? Places to eat? Special activities that happen there? I have 2 boys ages 3 & 5. Also, could anyone give me info about that time of year. Avg. temp? Rainfall? Crowds? Are we going to
miss spring break crowds or be there during them? Lines, short/medium/long? Sorry for all the questions, we have been to WDW many times but never at this time of year. We usually go during the fall. Also, thanks for all the great info from all of you. I am new to this site and have been thankful for all the great tips from all of you.

Thanks again! [/QUOTE

Hi Mickey-nut Hope you had a great trip at WL. I was thinking of staying at the WLV in December of this year and was wondering how you liked your stay at WL.

 

[mickey-nut]

Hi Nancy,

We had a great time at the WL. It's a beautiful resort. The only complaint I had was that for it being a deluxe resort, the rooms were tiny. We had stayed at the Poly and the GF and those rooms are HUGE compared to the WL. You said that you were loking into the WLV so that shouldn't be a problem for you. The characters came to the resort, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. There are boats that take you to the MK and the Contemporary and bus service that takes you everywhere else. We felt the bus service was good and never had a problem or a long wait. The ferry ride to the Mk is nice and relaxing. The WL has three places to eat. 1) Roaring Forks-Snack bar/cafeteria 2) WHispering Caynon Cafe-themed restaurant that is a really fun time -we ate here several times ( If you go and have kids make sure to ask for ketchup and straws ) 3) Artist Point-Fine dining-we never ate there but I heard it was very good. The pool is very nice with a rock slide along with an outside pool bar/snack stand. There is also a geiser that blows every hour. At night you can go down to the boat dock and get a great view of the electrical water parade. You can also request to be the flag family one morning , which we did. You go to the roof of the resort and you raise all of the flags for the day. You have spectacular views from up there. At the end your family is presented with a certificate. I highly recommend this resort. My son wants to stay at the Contemporary the next time we go ( I'm toying with the idea if we can stay in the tower) but if we don't I would go back to the WL . I would probably try the concierge or villas though, since the regular rooms are so small. Have a great trip!

Mickey-nut

P.S. - Our maid everyday made our towels and facecloths into different animals (turkeys, bunnies, trees).

 

[Huggups]

Originally posted by mickey-nut
Hi Nancy,

We had a great time at the WL. It's a beautiful resort. The only complaint I had was that for it being a deluxe resort, the rooms were tiny. We had stayed at the Poly and the GF and those rooms are HUGE compared to the WL. You said that you were loking into the WLV so that shouldn't be a problem for you. The characters came to the resort, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. There are boats that take you to the MK and the Contemporary and bus service that takes you everywhere else. We felt the bus service was good and never had a problem or a long wait. The ferry ride to the Mk is nice and relaxing. The WL has three places to eat. 1) Roaring Forks-Snack bar/cafeteria 2) WHispering Caynon Cafe-themed restaurant that is a really fun time -we ate here several times ( If you go and have kids make sure to ask for ketchup and straws ) 3) Artist Point-Fine dining-we never ate there but I heard it was very good. The pool is very nice with a rock slide along with an outside pool bar/snack stand. There is also a geiser that blows every hour. At night you can go down to the boat dock and get a great view of the electrical water parade. You can also request to be the flag family one morning , which we did. You go to the roof of the resort and you raise all of the flags for the day. You have spectacular views from up there. At the end your family is presented with a certificate. I highly recommend this resort. My son wants to stay at the Contemporary the next time we go ( I'm toying with the idea if we can stay in the tower) but if we don't I would go back to the WL . I would probably try the concierge or villas though, since the regular rooms are so small. Have a great trip!

Mickey-nut

P.S. - Our maid everyday made our towels and facecloths into different animals (turkeys, bunnies, trees).

Thanks for the info Mickey-nut,

I'm glad you had a wonderful time. I'm all excited now about staying there now.:sohappy: I visited WL when I was in WDW a couple of years ago and fell in love with the place.:dazzle: I've also eaten at the Whispering Canyon and will definitely try that again and I'm dying to try Artist Point. Thanks for the tips!

Nancy