Wilderness Lodge, tips and tricks?

[PMC0849]

My wife, 1 year old (at time of trip), and I will be staying at Wilderness Lodge for the first time this fall; October to be exact. We tend to travel down to WDW for F&W/Dapper Day/Halloween, this year we will unfortunately miss Dapper Day, but be there for F&W and Halloween. My wife works in the wine industry and I work in the cheese industry so it really is the perfect time for us. Normally we stay at Boardwalk Inn, the proximity to Epcot, the general charm of the Boardwalk area, plus the ability to walk to Hollywood Studios have made BWI the resort of choice for us. Sadly the price of BWI this fall (along with Beach and Yacht Club) have made us look elsewhere. We decided on Wilderness Lodge, now my question is for season WL veterans, are there things to do at or see at this resort that are not to be missed? Can you walk anywhere relevant from here, and if so how far of a walk is it? Should we request a room at a certain wing? Or any generally experiences staying here that we might find useful that may make us want to change resorts, or confirm we made a good choice. Thank you!

 

[Starlight67]

You made a good choice! I only stayed here twice (and it's been a few years) but loved the ambiance. By chance we were put in a room overlooking the pool side, loved sitting out there in the evening, the view on that side is really pretty all lit up at night.

One tip I have is that there is a boat that runs between the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge (and also to Fort Wilderness.) Sometimes rather than taking the bus to Epcot or MK we would take the boat over to Contemporary and then the Monorail to the parks. (You can also walk to MK from the Contemporary.) We didn't realize this boat connection to Contemporary was available until halfway through our first trip, but it's a cool option to have and the boat ride isn't long. Just be sure to check the flag color on the boat to make sure it's the correct one.

I usually stay at Port Orleans, in comparison the Food Court at WL is much smaller. Which isn't such a big deal--it has the usual offerings, but know it seating area is fairly small. I know there was a recent refurbishment there however, so they may have made some changes to this.

The Whispering Canyon Cafe is the table service restaurant located just off the lobby. It's Western themed with a lot of interaction with waiters and waitresses; games and campy silliness. So if you are looking for a quiet dinner, this wouldn't be the best choice. But if you are traveling with kids they will love it for sure!

Enjoy your trip! This is a really nice place to come 'home' to at night. You do get the feeling like you are away from it all! The attention to detail and theming make even just relaxing in the lobby (the rocking chairs near the fireplace are great) a nice experience. Have fun!

 

[larryz]

Here's a tip: get breakfast at The Roaring Fork, then carry it out on a tray to the alcove above the lobby at the back of the hotel. It's a great place to enjoy a meal while people watching and enjoying the courtyard view in an air-conditioned setting.

 

[Jim BigThunder]

Whispering Canyon is a sarcastic name for the main restaurant because it is incredibly loud (fun, but loud). I always recommend taking a break and eating in the small Roaring Fork counter-service restaurant.

My son enjoyed going up the stairs to each level to examine the fossils in the giant fireplace. Each level reveals a different era of dinosaurs and early mammals.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Wilderness Lodge has a trail (10-15 min. walk, depending on your pace) that runs to the "Pioneer Hall/boat dock" end of Fort Wilderness. That's a pleasant way to get to FW for dining at Hoop-Dee-Doo or Trail's End, if you are so inclined.

 

[humphreys lodge]

You should follow us at Humphrey's Unofficial Wilderness Lodge Pages on Facebook for tons of info on the resort. We also have a forum page for fans of the Wilderness Lodge.

 

[wagner1225]

We have been there several times, its always been our favorite, one year we reserved a Standard room, when we arrived we were upgraded to a nice Courtyard view of the lake and Geyser, its seems the Standards fill up fast and are overbooked...

 

[LAKid53]

With regards to room location, ask for a woods view room on the north side on the highest floors. If you're lucky, you will be able to see the fireworks from your balcony and the nighttime water parade. Plus those rooms tend to be quieter than pool or lobby facing rooms.

Geyser Springs is another great spot to eat. Big bar, good food and an amazing view of Bay Lake.

You can rent bikes and boats. Several hot tubs and two nice pools. And the Geyser. Head over to the lobby at Boulder Ridge and see Walt's trains. Or just park yourself in front of the fireplace in the lobby and chill.

We always take the boat to Magic Kingdom. Quicker than the bus.

Great resort. The lobby is stunning. Only place I stay - I'm DVC and it's my home resort.