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wilderness lodge tips? anyone.
- Thread starter wiskband
- Start date
dizneykev
Member
We have stayed at almost every hotel in the "world" and our worst experience by far was at wilderness lodge last year. Our rooms were awful (dirty) with our rooms lamp shade ripped off the lamp and sitting on the floor, our friends right next to us only had 1 vanity out of 2 which had water coming out of it. We called maint. and it took them 3 days to fix the vanity and they never replaced our shade. Plus, they had a power outage (planned) during our trip and had to move us to the Polynesian for the night. The manager said he would handle all the baggage, etc. Well, they lost it, the bellman wrote our names wrong on the ticket and they sat in the Wilderness lodge storage room until 12 am. We were traveling with 3 small kids and all their necessities were in that bag. They offered us nothing in return for our problems. Plus, the laundry facilities looked like they were 20 years old and only half of the dryers worked. Although it is pretty there, I coulkd not recommend this hotel to anyone. I would try any moderate or the Polynesian if you want a nice comfortable stay.
Dizneykev
Dizneykev
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moonchild
New Member
I absolutely LOVED the WIlderness Lodge! The lobby is awesome. Out room had a view of the lagoon, right by the boat docks. Ya have to eat at Wispering Canyon. It was hysterical!:lol:
Our room was very clean, and the maid left towel animals every day. ( I love that). We are staying there for our honeymoon.
Our room was very clean, and the maid left towel animals every day. ( I love that). We are staying there for our honeymoon.
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Mr. Tom Morrow
New Member
My 2 cents!
The Wilderness Lodge is awesome! Sorry to hear things didn’t go so well for you on your stay disneykev. My wife and I stayed there on our honeymoon night and the following two nights. I concur with moonchild, the lobby is spectacular. Our room was also very clean and extremely large. Then again we were in the honeymoon suite on the top floor over looking the lobby. Convenient boat service will take you directly to the Magic Kingdom. The pool has one of the most scenic areas of any resort at WDW. There are two great restaurants at the Wilderness Lodge, Artist Point and the Whispering Canyon Café. Artist Point has a very nice atmosphere with great food that is on the high end of fine dinning at WDW. Whispering Canyon Café is a must on any trip. Arrange for the first lunch priority seating reservation available and order the all you can enjoy lunch. Even if you decide not to stay at the resort, you have to visit and have lunch!
The Wilderness Lodge is awesome! Sorry to hear things didn’t go so well for you on your stay disneykev. My wife and I stayed there on our honeymoon night and the following two nights. I concur with moonchild, the lobby is spectacular. Our room was also very clean and extremely large. Then again we were in the honeymoon suite on the top floor over looking the lobby. Convenient boat service will take you directly to the Magic Kingdom. The pool has one of the most scenic areas of any resort at WDW. There are two great restaurants at the Wilderness Lodge, Artist Point and the Whispering Canyon Café. Artist Point has a very nice atmosphere with great food that is on the high end of fine dinning at WDW. Whispering Canyon Café is a must on any trip. Arrange for the first lunch priority seating reservation available and order the all you can enjoy lunch. Even if you decide not to stay at the resort, you have to visit and have lunch!
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goofyfan13
Well-Known Member
great resort!
Disneykev, I'm really sorry to hear about your stay. I haven't experienced anything like that in my last two stays there. Well, back to the topic. Both times my family stayed at the Wilderness Lodge we loved it! The themeing, the pool area, and the rooms were all great. Wispering Canyon Cafe is a blast, and if you eat there you absolutely have to ask for ketchup. :lookaroun :lol: If you have a room on the left side of the resort a couple floors up you can watch the MK fireworks too, which I thought was cool. Wilderness Lodge is a great resort and ranks in my top 5.
Disneykev, I'm really sorry to hear about your stay. I haven't experienced anything like that in my last two stays there. Well, back to the topic. Both times my family stayed at the Wilderness Lodge we loved it! The themeing, the pool area, and the rooms were all great. Wispering Canyon Cafe is a blast, and if you eat there you absolutely have to ask for ketchup. :lookaroun :lol: If you have a room on the left side of the resort a couple floors up you can watch the MK fireworks too, which I thought was cool. Wilderness Lodge is a great resort and ranks in my top 5.
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leeocean
New Member
Wilderness Lodge is, by far, the best resort on property. The lodge is beautiful. It's more secluded from WDW than any other resort - when you pull, up there are pines and fir trees, you feel as if you are actually in the Pacific Northwest. When you get back to the resort, it's a soothing site from a long day at the parks. The rooms are smaller than other deluxes but the courtyard view can't be beat. The Whispering Canyon Restaurant has great food.
The pool area is perfectly themed. The nighttime hot tub is fantastic. I highly recommend staying here!
The pool area is perfectly themed. The nighttime hot tub is fantastic. I highly recommend staying here!
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Yellow Shoes
Well-Known Member
I know that I am always the lone voice in the Wilderness (Lodge) here, but here is my philosophy about views in a hotel.
There is nothing I want to see that is worth an extra $20 per day.
Yes, the courtyard is beautiful. But we took "standard" and got a room overlooking the lobby. For the money I saved, it was a pretty good compromise. Our balcony view was of the bus stop.
However, we were there in an unusually cold week in January (highs in the low 50's), so balcony sitting was not an option.
It is oh, so relaxing to sit in a rocking chair sipping coffee and watching the traffic in the lobby and the fireplace.
If you choose to go standard, ask for a lobby view.
There is nothing I want to see that is worth an extra $20 per day.
Yes, the courtyard is beautiful. But we took "standard" and got a room overlooking the lobby. For the money I saved, it was a pretty good compromise. Our balcony view was of the bus stop.
However, we were there in an unusually cold week in January (highs in the low 50's), so balcony sitting was not an option.
It is oh, so relaxing to sit in a rocking chair sipping coffee and watching the traffic in the lobby and the fireplace.
If you choose to go standard, ask for a lobby view.
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mwitkus
New Member
We stayed at the WL last fall and had an incredible experience. There were no problems with our room, service was perfect, the atmosphere was incredible, transportation issues were non-existant.. I am hesitant to stay anywhere else! I strongly recommend the WL to anyone who is looking for a nice place to stay. Also, we only ate at Whispering Canyon but it was a great experience, definitely a fun time.
I wouldn't hesitate to stay at or recommend WL to anyone. I honestly believe the incidents that dizneykev experienced were isolated. Although I don't doubt that dizneykev is telling the truth, I can't believe it is the same place that I stayed at last fall. Definitely nothing even remotely similar happened during our stay.
I wouldn't hesitate to stay at or recommend WL to anyone. I honestly believe the incidents that dizneykev experienced were isolated. Although I don't doubt that dizneykev is telling the truth, I can't believe it is the same place that I stayed at last fall. Definitely nothing even remotely similar happened during our stay.
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Horizons38
Premium Member
We absolutely love it ! Great rooms, great pool, love the lobby, the restaurants, and the music as well in the pool/lobby area ! They always play " Dances with wolves " ! I adore this resort ! Sorry DizneyK, i am sure yours was a bad experience and i am sorry , hopefully it only was a fluke ! 
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disneydarling
Banned
I stayed here w/ my best friend. We stayed at OKW first and then here. I liked the resort but it's pricey! The lobby is so beautiful! I found it a little noisey. But my firend broght her kids along so that could have been the noise! :lol:
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BRER STITCH
Well-Known Member
Hmmmm.....
Sounds like maybe dizneykev was staying at the Days Inn Wilderness Lodge down the road......:lol:
Thats absolutely the first negative comment I ever heard about WL. I'm heading back there in April and can't wait!
I'll be sure to watch for falling lamp shades!
D'OH!
:brick:
Sounds like maybe dizneykev was staying at the Days Inn Wilderness Lodge down the road......:lol:
Thats absolutely the first negative comment I ever heard about WL. I'm heading back there in April and can't wait!
I'll be sure to watch for falling lamp shades!
D'OH!
:brick:
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Yellow Shoes
Well-Known Member
Here's a good selection of photos to get you in the mood.
This should give you an idea of the overall theme. The place is gorgeous.
(addendum to my previous post regarding views)
Pictures #16 & 19 are from the hallways of those rooms that overlook the lobby. Although the caption says concierge, and it is concierge (which is the entire 6th floor), that view is also what you get with standard view on floors 3, 4 & 5. If your room is out in the wings (courtyard view), you get a standard hotel hallway outside your door (photo #43).
This should give you an idea of the overall theme. The place is gorgeous.
(addendum to my previous post regarding views)
Pictures #16 & 19 are from the hallways of those rooms that overlook the lobby. Although the caption says concierge, and it is concierge (which is the entire 6th floor), that view is also what you get with standard view on floors 3, 4 & 5. If your room is out in the wings (courtyard view), you get a standard hotel hallway outside your door (photo #43).
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dizneykev
Member
Like I said before, the hotel is beautiful. We enjoyed the boat ride and the atmosphere was wonderful (especially since we were there right before Thanksgiving and the Christmas decorations were up). I was just surprised at how the management handled everything. Once we were over to the Polynesian for the night, and they didn;t have our bags, they were appalled. I was told it was my fault because I didn't tell them where to take my bags(this was before they even found them). Luckily, I remembered the bellhops name and they called him at home to loacte my bags. Once they found them they saw it was thier fault. THe Polynesian staff apologized (even though it wasn't their fault) and offered us free breakfast at O'hahna's the next morning. We declined becuase it wasn't their mistake and we felt guilty.
When I asked about the faucet and lamp shade problems, I was told that I had only called about it once and I should have kept calling to complain (wasn't once enough?). I have never been told so many times that it was my fault at any resort or place of business. When I went to the front desk and told them the dryers were taking my money ($7.50 total), she said she would have maintenance take a look at them, but didn't offer to return my money. FInally, after spending the next 4 days talking with the manager, they finally refunded us 1 night of our stay for both rooms. They wouldn't have even done this if it wasn't for my constant contact. I just got a feeling there that I had never had before from a Disney hotel. The attitude seemed to start at the manager and went down from there. We had heard nothing but compliments on the hotel in the past that is why we chose it this time, but my mouth is still a bit soured by the taste of my experience. Perhaps they are on a better track now, but it is too soon to tell for me. I'll stay somewhere else next time. But, enjoy your stay anyway. We are going back at the end of April, so don't think we are not still huge Disney fans, we are just not fans of this resort.
Disneykev
When I asked about the faucet and lamp shade problems, I was told that I had only called about it once and I should have kept calling to complain (wasn't once enough?). I have never been told so many times that it was my fault at any resort or place of business. When I went to the front desk and told them the dryers were taking my money ($7.50 total), she said she would have maintenance take a look at them, but didn't offer to return my money. FInally, after spending the next 4 days talking with the manager, they finally refunded us 1 night of our stay for both rooms. They wouldn't have even done this if it wasn't for my constant contact. I just got a feeling there that I had never had before from a Disney hotel. The attitude seemed to start at the manager and went down from there. We had heard nothing but compliments on the hotel in the past that is why we chose it this time, but my mouth is still a bit soured by the taste of my experience. Perhaps they are on a better track now, but it is too soon to tell for me. I'll stay somewhere else next time. But, enjoy your stay anyway. We are going back at the end of April, so don't think we are not still huge Disney fans, we are just not fans of this resort.
Disneykev
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BRER STITCH
Well-Known Member
Whatta bummer Kev!
That sounds like a horrible experience! The last thing anyone needs is for poor Hotel management to ruin your vacation!
Hopefully they have all been replaced! Doesn't sound like the "Disney" style of management we have all come to appreciate!
I have also stayed at the Carribean Beach resort and liked it, but this will be my first time in a "deluxe" resort.
Have you decided where you'll try this time? I can recommend The Caribbean Beach resort without hesitation!
Planning an expensive disney vacation should not be a crap-shoot and you definitely deserved better!
Good Luck to us all!
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I tried to open the link for the photos and it wouldn't open. :veryconfu Is there another link? I would love to see your pictures. This is one of my favorite hotels.
Pam
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Yellow Shoes
Well-Known Member
Hmmm--I couldn't make it open either
go to www.ourlaughingplace.com and click "resorts", then "resort rates and reviews"
go to www.ourlaughingplace.com and click "resorts", then "resort rates and reviews"
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KathyG/poohbear
New Member
DisneyKev, my family had a similar problem at the AKL last September. They were storing our luggage and lost it before our car came to pick us up. That is the kind of response I got from the disney relations people....if you tell us you have a problem while on site, we will fix it and make it up to you. I couldn't stay there and complain, by the time they found our luggage we had to go or miss our plane.
It is so wierd to me that people like you and my family have problems and complain in a nice way and then more or less are told it's our fault...and basically get nothing in return. Yet other guests have slight things happen and they get upgraded and compensated so much.
I am trying again in February for the Polynesian and if it doesn't work out...I will never stay on Disney property again. We have annual passes and go to the parks alot but AKL was our first try at staying on property.
Good luck with your next hotel choice. Thanks for the post and info.
It is so wierd to me that people like you and my family have problems and complain in a nice way and then more or less are told it's our fault...and basically get nothing in return. Yet other guests have slight things happen and they get upgraded and compensated so much.
I am trying again in February for the Polynesian and if it doesn't work out...I will never stay on Disney property again. We have annual passes and go to the parks alot but AKL was our first try at staying on property.
Good luck with your next hotel choice. Thanks for the post and info.
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