Wilderness Lodge Room/View Questions

[maelstrom]

We finally booked our June 2006 stay for Flower & Garden and Peter Noone at the Wilderness Lodge. This is our second time staying here (first was January 2005). Last time we booked woods view and got upgraded to courtyard thanks to my dad telling the front desk CM it was their anniversary (my parents were kind of celebrating their anniversary then, albeit a few months late) and just an awesome front-desk CM in general. We had a great third floor room on the right hand side (looking at the resort from Bay Lake) of the resort. We've booked woods view again this time in hopes of getting an upgrade to courtyard again. However, if we're not able to get that, what are some good areas to request in woods view? We don't want a solid balcony, so the highest floor is out. On one side of the resort, it looks as though woods view faces the MK (though it doesn't seem as though you can actually see the MK) and maybe the water bridge or something? What about on the other side? Villas? What we're really interested in is a view that has a lot of activity. We liked the courtyard because of the pool, Bay Lake, the geyser, and the overall activity going on in the courtyard. We figured that if we were on the MK side, we might be able to see water traffic. What about the other side? We like to spend a lot of time on the balcony (even more this time, hopefully, because it won't be so cold!) and like to have something to look at. I know a lot of you stay at the WL religiously, so please help me out!

Also, I was wondering about doing the Behind the Seeds tour at The Land. Is it worth it? Do I get an AP discount? Any advice about this would be helpful as well.

:wave: :kiss: :sohappy:

 

[GoofyGuySouthFl]

We've only had the woods view once and we literally just looked out onto the woods and a little pond. We were on the 1st floor (if you could see through the trees you would be looking in the direction on the MK and the Contemporary. If you were up on a higher floor you might be able to see through the trees a little better but down low you couldn't see much just a few rabbits. Definitely not as exciting as looking out on the pool side.
You can check the passholder section of the disney site to see all discounts you get with your pass. I haven't checked recently but you used to get a discount on the behind the seeds tour.

 

[tigsmom]

022 thru 032 face the MK. We've been on the 4th floor once, but we always like 6032...you overlook the little bog outback and we used to be able to see the castle and fireworks (until the trees matured). 032 is right by the little hallway with the elevator that goes down to the laundry room and is near the snack bar.

Facing the Villas is considered Courtyard view and 6151 is the room we stay in there...overlooks the quiet pool and the villas and to the left is Fort Wilderness.

 

[maelstrom]

If overlooking the villas is considered courtyard, there can't be too many woods view rooms then. That seems to make the majority of the rooms courtyard.

I'd want to stay on the 4th or 5th floor, I think. 3rd was nice but I'd rather be higher. I just think it would be nice to possibly be able to see some fireworks from the balcony. Can you see any water traffic from those rooms? Water bridge, maybe?

 

[YankeeMouse]

Another Courtyard view question at Wilderness Lodge

Rooms 022 and 032 do face Cinderella Castle, and you can glimpse the changing of the colors in the evening through the trees, which can provide a bit of magic in the evening.

Reading the reply about room view, it brought up another question for me. We usually stay in the Woods view, but that was unable for our upcoming Wilderness Lodge stay, so we have the Courtyard view. Do all Courtyard views face the villa side of the resort? We have been upgraded in the past from Woods view to across the hall, Pool View, but I'm not familiar with the Courtyard view. Thanks!

 

[KnK]

We've had Courtyard rooms that faced the villa's pool and Courtyard rooms that faced the WL pool. So you could get either.

 

[YankeeMouse]

Thanks for the info. I'm hoping for pool view instead of villa view, so at least that is possible.

 

[maelstrom]

Just request pool view. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it's worth a shot. I'd be very unhappy if I got a room with an unsatisfactory view because, as I said, we spend a lot of time in the room and on the balcony.

 

[tigsmom]

Rooms 022 and 032 do face Cinderella Castle, and you can glimpse the changing of the colors in the evening through the trees, which can provide a bit of magic in the evening.

Reading the reply about room view, it brought up another question for me. We usually stay in the Woods view, but that was unable for our upcoming Wilderness Lodge stay, so we have the Courtyard view. Do all Courtyard views face the villa side of the resort? We have been upgraded in the past from Woods view to across the hall, Pool View, but I'm not familiar with the Courtyard view. Thanks!

When the WL first opened you had a wonderful view of the castle and fireworks from the 4th floor. Last time we were on the 6th floor we couldn't see anything. I was told some of the larger trees were topped during the previous year's storms so maybe you can see again.

I'm not sure about all of the views anymore because they have changed what is a courtyard and woods view is. The best bet would be to check with them directly. Last time we were lucky and got to pick our own room because the WL was just about empty...we checked in at 9 am.


EDIT: from allearsnet...

[FONT=verdana, arial][SIZE=-1]There are 3 room views available. The Standard View generally faces the parking lot or driveway and sometimes the roof; the Woods View faces the woods towards the MK (no view of MK-maybe a glimpse of a monorail) on one side and the Wilderness Lodge Villas on the other side; the Courtyard View looks out over one of the pools or Bay Lake. Some guests report the upper floors do enable you to see the MK fireworks although since the trees have grown, these views have become very limited.[/SIZE][/FONT]

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

We have stayed at WL twice in 2002 2003. Woods view near the otter pond on a higher floor is good as far as seeing fireworks. Some floors the trees are too tall to see. The second time we went they upgraged us to courtyard view (can't remember room#) on the side near the quiet pool. I don't call that and upgrade becuase it is not the main pool and we couldn't see Bay Lake. Personally I like woods view, unless you get courtyard by the main pool. Hope that helps, Nichole

 

[alanindy]

I stayed at WL way back in 95, I had 5032, and yes we could see the castle through the trees and the astro orbiter too. I also remember seeing the monorail in one tiny spot between the trees. By now the trees probably would have grown too tall to have that kind of a view. However, I still would recommend something on an upper floor, West side woods view, and from the elevator (the one that leads down to the snack bar) south. Anything further North in the corridor and you'd definitely have trees and the Contemporary blocking any potential views of the fireworks, though you may have more service driveway/delivery truck noise and parking lot noise. When I was down there in May of 2005 staying a the Coronado, I did notice around the Wildnerness Lodge that the previous year's hurricanes did thin out trees somewhat in the area - maybe enough for better views from the upper floors.

 

[donaldfan]

When the WL first opened you had a wonderful view of the castle and fireworks from the 4th floor. Last time we were on the 6th floor we couldn't see anything. I was told some of the larger trees were topped during the previous year's storms so maybe you can see again.

I'm not sure about all of the views anymore because they have changed what is a courtyard and woods view is. The best bet would be to check with them directly. Last time we were lucky and got to pick our own room because the WL was just about empty...we checked in at 9 am.


EDIT: from allearsnet...

[FONT=verdana, arial][SIZE=-1]There are 3 room views available. The Standard View generally faces the parking lot or driveway and sometimes the roof; the Woods View faces the woods towards the MK (no view of MK-maybe a glimpse of a monorail) on one side and the Wilderness Lodge Villas on the other side; the Courtyard View looks out over one of the pools or Bay Lake. Some guests report the upper floors do enable you to see the MK fireworks although since the trees have grown, these views have become very limited.[/SIZE][/FONT]

The Woods View rooms that face the villas are now in the Courtyard View category. I stayed in Dec 05 under a Courtyard View hoping to face Silver Creek Falls (I think that's what it is called) but instead got the Villas view. They should change the category title to "Courtyards View". I notice they've done something similar at the BoardWalk, water view now includes rooms that overlook the pools.

 

[ypcat]

We stayed in the woods view this January. We were able to see the fireworks fine, although it was through the trees from the 3rd floor. In the mornings, we could see the boats out on Bay Lake, and a portion of the monorail. We were also able to see at least part of the water parade from the balcony. I was quite satisfied with the room.

 

[maelstrom]

We stayed in the woods view this January. We were able to see the fireworks fine, although it was through the trees from the 3rd floor. In the mornings, we could see the boats out on Bay Lake, and a portion of the monorail. We were also able to see at least part of the water parade from the balcony. I was quite satisfied with the room.

That sounds really nice. Do you remember what room number it was?

 

[Fran98765]

That sounds really nice. Do you remember what room number it was?

We stayed in 1014 for the first night and then moved to 3010 for the remainder (ypcat is my husband).

This pic was taken from 1014: http://home.insightbb.com/~vanlar/2006ajan07w.jpg

And our view from 3010: http://home.insightbb.com/~sampics/2006ajan08zi.jpg

 

[maelstrom]

Thank you for those pictures! I'm feeling much more confident about woods view now. Are those rooms close to the end of hallway, closest to Bay Lake, or on the other end?

 

[bgraham34]

I always had views of the pool until this year. I had woods view.

 

[ypcat]

Thank you for those pictures! I'm feeling much more confident about woods view now. Are those rooms close to the end of hallway, closest to Bay Lake, or on the other end?

They were about 1/2 to 2/3 the way down the hallway towards Bay Lake.