Wilderness Lodge Villas - UPDATED with a Refurbed Villa Review

note2001

Well-Known Member
For anyone trying to find the stupid power outlet around the fold out desk in a Studio....

We discovered that an ADVANCED fool managed to put these in sideways just below the TV, then block them with the cable box. Solution - drag the cable box out & prop under TV - the wires are long enough.

Love the term "Advanced Fool" - that sort of sums up my feeling about whomever designed the whole table/bed combo to start with.

Please write to member satisfaction regarding the outlet. I'm sure the setup can be modified, and I'd hate to see a child (or adult) whacked in the head by a cable box while sleeping. That TV up there makes me a nervous mom as it is.
 
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Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello, all! My family just returned yesterday from 7 days at VWL! We were in #5541, a dedicated 2-bedroom villa. In brief, here's my "review":

The Good: the new color scheme of soft buttery yellows, muted olives, brown, orange, celery and cream is really lovely. The fabrics in each room are totally different, but they share the same color palette and blend nicely. Bed scarves have been newly added -- heavy, woven ones -- which cozies up the bedrooms. The furniture was all very comfortable, everything worked flawlessly, the new carpet in the bedrooms is very soft underfoot and even the throw rug looks better in person (more nubby and less jarringly contemporary) than in photos I'd seen. There is storage absolutely everywhere (far more than the 6 of us needed), and the new coffee table is on wheels, which makes it very easy to move it out of the way if the sofa bed needs to be unfolded. The stainless steel appliances look terrific (and seemed to work well -- my Aunt even baked muffins in the oven for breakfast), and we were grateful to discover that the coffee maker not only brews speedily and well, but turns itself off automatically if you forget to switch it off before leaving for the day (which we did a time or two.) The villa was also quiet -- we had no noise from neighbors and the beds and pillows were very comfortable, so we all slept well every night. The bigger TV was great for watching classic Disney cartoons, and we made daily use of our balcony (with a distant view of the lake, and the sunrise peeking through the trees) for our morning coffee.

The new Craftsman-style drapery rods from which the drapes in each room are suspended are attractive, and I am delighted that they got rid of the old pin-tucked valences that used to hang across the windows. While the old valences screamed, "HELLO! I COME FROM THE 80's!," the new drapery rods look timeless. (Confession: While I know that many here loved the old decor, I found the photos I'd seen of it to be a total turn-off: dark and dingy, with clashing patterns as far as the eye could see, and more of a 1980's Adirondack/Navajo vibe than a Little House on the Prairie one. While the "new look" does not hearken back to the proper time period any better than the old, it's fresher, cleaner, and even more "woodsy." Had we stayed there with the old decor, it would have been in spite of the decor, rather than because of it. Obviously, those who loved the way it used to look are unlikely to be thrilled by the changes.)

Also, there were early complaints about the fact that the villas were refurbed with shiny chrome bath hardware, which clashed with the dark patina of the light fixtures, etc. Either Disney responded to those complaints, or the shiny chrome was just temporary, because when we returned to the room on the afternoon of Tuesday, 5/6, after part of a day at Hollywood Studios, we discovered that all of the towel bars and racks and toilet paper holders in our villa had been magically switched out in our absence (including spackling/painting of the holes where the old ones had been installed) and replaced with rustic fixtures with a dark silver, hammered iron-type finish. The faucets are now the only shiny chrome/nickel items. We also used the soaking tub, which filled quickly and was wonderful for soothing sore muscles and achy feet at the end of the day. I felt like I was in a Calgon commercial.

The Bad, and the Ugly: As other reviews have suggested, the new flooring (I couldn't figure out if it was a convincing vinyl or a rubbery laminate) looks nice and woodsy but is already beginning to be scratched and scuffed in places. Also, the paint on the kitchen cabinets, master bathroom vanities and villa doors is bubbling up and peeling here and there (and not in a way that gives them a fashionable "aged" look). The breakfast bar in the kitchen/living area was of little practical use, given the close proximity of the entertainment center and the big supports underneath it (just the right height and width for banging your knees no matter where you sit). Still, overall we were absolutely delighted with our room and remarked on more than one occasion that we felt we were discovering "how the other half lives." :)

In no particular order, here are some pictures of our villa:

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Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
And some more (note the "new" towel bars, just replaced this past Tuesday, 5/6):

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Curtains in the secondary bedroom (the leaves show up gray here but are actually more olive):
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Switching back over to the master bedroom:
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All three of the bedside tables (the 2-drawer stand in the secondary bedroom, and in the master bedroom, a large stand with drawers, and a second, cube-shaped cabinet) have electrical outlets, so you don't have to hunt for a place to charge your phone or plug in a night light.)
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Even the robe hook was changed out:
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The bathrooms and the bedroom accent walls are a soothing, color-of-cold-butter yellow.
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Green front door, with paint already chipping off...
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The super-quiet hallway, with a bouncy, plushy carpet and ample "hidden" Mickeys.
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Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
And some more...

The Bambi pillows are reversible, with Bambi on one side and a Bambi/Thumper scene on the other. The drawer in the coffee table, along with 2 big drawers and a shelf in the entertainment center, would provide ample clothing storage for any family members utilizing the living room (with its fold-out sofa) as their bedroom.
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Stepping back into the secondary bedroom...
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I loved the night/reading light on the bottom of this fixture:
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Thus concludes our tour!
 
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Spikerdink

Well-Known Member
Loved the WLV when I was able to stay there...loved the old decor, but I love the look of wood floors even more....

When I first started to read the thread, was concerned that the new decor would not be up to what I would expect in a 'Wilderness Lodge'....glad to see/hear that the new look is still pretty sweet.

BTW - is that your aunt you can spot in the mirror/side of the picture of the master bedroom?
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Loved the WLV when I was able to stay there...loved the old decor, but I love the look of wood floors even more....

When I first started to read the thread, was concerned that the new decor would not be up to what I would expect in a 'Wilderness Lodge'....glad to see/hear that the new look is still pretty sweet.

BTW - is that your aunt you can spot in the mirror/side of the picture of the master bedroom?

Yes -- don't tell her! (I didn't ask her for permission to post photos of her online, but it's the only photo I had from that angle!) ;)
 

psufourn

New Member
We just returned from a wonderful stay at Wilderness Lodge Villas. We were in a studio (1514, great floor level location near front door --just steps from buses -- and across from laundry!)

The room was perfect for our family of 4 (2 adults, 6 yo and 3 yo). With both the pullout couch and the Murphy bed, there was plenty of sleeping options for the kids! My only "disappointment" was that the mini fridge does not have a freezer compartment.

Here are some more pictures of the newly remodeled rooms.

Hope this helps those making travel plans!
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MMDVC

Active Member
Hope that television is securely nailed to the wall. Looks dangerous.

I have started traveling with the thicker freezer zip lock bags to fill with ice cubes (from hotel's ice machine) to make those refrigerators colder. I place them in that bottom drawer in case they melt. Have to replenish daily but it helps for the basics like milk temperature.
 

Disneykidder

Well-Known Member
I agree that the lack of the freezer was a bit annoying as we like to freeze water but it was beautiful room. It was clean, spacious and neat. The convenience to the buses was great and it was nice and quiet. We enjoyed the main pool as well as the quiet pool late at night. We also watched the water pageant from the beach which was relaxing and magical. I have always wanted to stay here and my wish was finally granted. :)
 

note2001

Well-Known Member
Hope that television is securely nailed to the wall. Looks dangerous.

I have started traveling with the thicker freezer zip lock bags to fill with ice cubes (from hotel's ice machine) to make those refrigerators colder. I place them in that bottom drawer in case they melt. Have to replenish daily but it helps for the basics like milk temperature.

If this ever happens to you again, report it and ask for a new fridge asap. I've never had an issue with my fridge not keeping the milk cold. If they give you the run around stating it will take days to get a new fridge ask to talk to the manager. At VWL she's amazing in getting things done fast.
 

journ116

Well-Known Member
We just returned from a wonderful stay at Wilderness Lodge Villas. We were in a studio (1514, great floor level location near front door --just steps from buses -- and across from laundry!)
Thank you so much for the pics! I've been searching all over online for pics of the studio refurbs!
 

Cubs Brian

Active Member
After looking at all the pictures and reading all the reviews I have but one question, does the chair in the 1 & 2 bedroom units fold out into a single sleeper?
 

note2001

Well-Known Member
After looking at all the pictures and reading all the reviews I have but one question, does the chair in the 1 & 2 bedroom units fold out into a single sleeper?
Those one and two bedroom units do not have fold out chairs. It would be nice if some day they will consider adding them, as when we travel with 4 and are in a one bedroom unit, chances are someone is on an inflatable mattress.
 

jenluvswdw

Well-Known Member
Just wondering why they did not put a pull down bed in the 1 bedroom. I have a family 5. While, my little would sleep in the pack and play, my 2 older boys 8 years apart HATE sharing a bed. The studios would be too small. If the 1 bedroom had a 5th sleeping surface WL would be the place we booked next next year.
 

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just wondering why they did not put a pull down bed in the 1 bedroom.

Because that would have made too much sense!!! :) I get where you're coming from -- the practical thing would be to have studios that can sleep 4, 1-bedrooms that can sleep 5, and 2-bedrooms that can handle 8 -- why not get studio-minded families to pay extra for a 1-bedroom, rather than encouraging families of 5 to flock toward the least expensive villa?

The only logical explanation I can come up with is that they figured that parents who want the privacy of a separate "master" bedroom wouldn't want a child sleeping in there with them on a Murphy bed, and there's simply not room to add a Murphy bed to the living room area of the 1 and 2-bedroom villas (because the pull-out sofa extends within a couple of feet of the TV). Families already planning to be all-in-one-room in a crowded studio with no privacy, however, might not mind a little extra crowding and lack of privacy so much...
 

note2001

Well-Known Member
Agreed. The decision not to add the murphy to the 1/2 br units had to have been a space issue.
While there are a few select units in the building that are laid out a bit different and could have fit one, there has to be consistency between the units otherwise they end up with the issues the boardwalk rooms have encountered with some units having a small daybed, while others don't (people start counting on it being there)
 

Disneykidder

Well-Known Member
I just added on points last month because we are a family of 5 and cannot do a studio any longer. We also need the points for the resorts that don't fit us in a 1 bedroom. A 1 bedroom should be able to fit 5-6 people, 2 bedroom 8 people and a 3 bedroom 12...just my opinion.
 

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
how did I miss this before my trip in September?! I didn't realize the villas were being updated until I stepped foot into one...I love what they did!
 

harryk

Well-Known Member
Still -- the rustic, homey appearance is now gone -- now it looks just like an expensive hotel room. Bring back the original décor....
 

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