Wilderness Lodge, HELP need ?'s answered...

[lisajoe98]

We are staying at the Wilderness Lodge (the one with the rooms, not cabins) in July. I have never satyed at this resort before. Can anyone tell me if it is nice and worth the money? :confused: It will be 2 adults and a 3 year old. They told me that I can take a bus to the cabin area for the camp fires and movie at night. Anyone know if you can see the fireworks from Magic? We stayed at Old Key West last year and had a great time. We wanted to change things up so we are staying here this year, they said we will have our own balcony or patio. Other than that I have no clue about this resort. Any help would be greatly appreciated. :D

[lisajoe98]

I forgot to say that we have a woodland view. Is there any area better than others? Thanks.

[Keith]

It's an AMAZING Resort :) probably my favourite of all of them.

You can see the fireworks (just) from some rooms but you'll love the whole place. GREAT location, nice boat ride to MK or to fort wilderness etc.

[Keith]

I forgot to say that we have a woodland view. Is there any area better than others? Thanks.


The woodland views are better than the standard view yeah... with standard you can look out over a carpark or something.

[lisajoe98]

Is there anywhere on the resort where you can see the fireworks? I would much rather stay at the resort and watch the fireworks than fight the crowd at the park. Especially with a 3 year old.

[Keith]

Is there anywhere on the resort where you can see the fireworks? I would much rather stay at the resort and watch the fireworks than fight the crowd at the park. Especially with a 3 year old.

hmmm I'm trying to remember if you can see them from the dock.. I should say though, they're a LOT better when watched in the park. You just don't get the whole idea without the sound and you'd only see the high up fireworks.

[Scoootch]

Not sure if you can see fireworks all that well but ....the electrical water pagent comes by nightly which is just as much fun...just have to go down to watch from the beach;)

As for the rooms...they're comparable in size to the moderates although you will have the added bonus of a balcony and indoor corridors :)

The resort is very nice and convenient to MK by boat. There's also a walking path between WL and the FW campground where the campfire and Hoop-De-Doo dinner show are held. The hoop-De-doo is alot of fun if you can get a ressie!

You'll love the WL! Enjoy!:wave:

[lisajoe98]

Electric water pagent? What is this. Never heard of it. Sorry to ask so many questions. This resort is totally new to me. I've stayed at CBR, OKW, BC and port orleans. This is new territory to me.

[Scoootch]

It's a parade done on the water that comes by at night with music and lights ...it's really fun!

Don't be sorry for asking questions...that's what these boards are for! Ask away and Have fun!! :)

[my2sons]

You can see the pictures on allears if you want to check it out, I had never heard of it before and was very impressed with the pictures.

[wdwgrandma]

We were able to see the fireworks over the treetops that constituted our woodland view. They are, however, much more exciting when seen in the park - as stated before.

[lisajoe98]

Can anyone tell me how true this is? They told me that the room with one queen and 2 dunk beds are a little bit bigger. Is this true or does the room just look bigger because there is more space? Just wondering:confused:

[SorcererMickey]

I really like the woods view at WL. Gives you the feeling of really staying at a State Park resort.

http://www.disneyguest.com/images/boards/wilderness_lodge-03.jpg

There are just a handful of rooms where you can see MK's fireworks from, but this is not intentional. Since the theming of the resort is set in the NorthWest, the intention is not to see fireworks but to be immersed in nature.

The Electrical Water Pageant happens on Bay Lake and can be seen from the dock of the WL and the east side of the Contemporary tower and its dock.

http://www.disneyguest.com/images/boards/bay_lake-01.jpg

[luvthemouse]

We stayed in a queen/bunk bed room and it was quite roomy. I have to say you've made a great choice. WL is our absolute favorite resort.... You're going to have a great time!!! :thumbs:

[Tammi]

We stayed here in Nov/Dec and you can definitely see the fireworks from the boat dock. Transportation to/from all of the parks was wonderful, either by bus or by boat.

[MY KIDS MOM X3]

I have to agree with everyone else's comments. WL is my fav resort as well, with AKL a very close second. We had a room overlooking the pool. Nice, but a little noisy in the afternoon if you're on the balcony. We could see a few fireworks over the trees from our balcony.

The theming at WL is incredible. If someone dropped me in the midst of the resort I would never guess I was in central FL.

The food court has a good selection and Whispering Canoyon Cafe is a great place for families. Transportation was good too. Just a quick boat ride to MK or Fort Wilderness. To get to EPCOT we took the boat to MK and hopped the monorail for a change over the bus.

You'll have a great time there.

[lisajoe98]

Are there things for kids to do? My daughter is 3 and very active. The only thing I know about this resort is what the lady has told me. Seems like it is going to be very fun. From what I've seen it looks like it is a very quiet resort. Kinda laid back looking. Are the pools nice? How many do they have. Thank you all for all the help, it really helps.

[Ilovetink]

The pools are nice. They also have daily crafts for kids in the afternoon. My kids made sun magnets and visors.

[BigThunder]

You want Wilderness Lodge help? Well, look out! You're about to get bombarded with my opinions! :D

First of all is the lobby. You will be hard pressed to find a lobby in any resort at WDW (& I include the GF in this statement) that is as breathtaking as the one at WL. The first time I saw it I swear I just stood there w/my jaw dropped. Take the time to look around & check out everything. The huge fireplace w/rocking chairs. yes the fire goes even in the middle of summer. The Mickey totem pole, a favorite of my kids. The bridge over the water that leads out of the lodge & into the pool. The balcony w/rocking chairs that overlooks the back area. The Indian artifacts. It's all so gorgous.
If you want bunkbeds you will need to put that as a request right now. It isn't a guarantee but we lucked into it both visits. But I do know of people who have not. Getting there early is a big help in getting any requests. We've had a "standard" view both trips & both times they have looked out to a wooded view. One trip (room 4050) we could see the fireworks from our balcony but barely. I can't remember how many floors there are but if you could get in that section but get up a couple floors you would be able to see better. I agree w/whoever said there is nothing like seeing them in the park, that is best.
Let me warn you. My first visit I had a very hard time with one thing at the WL. The darkness. I mean, I had a really hard time. I hated it. The lobby is dark, the hallways are dark & the rooms are dark. My camcorder had a hard time focusing when I tried to tape the room w/all the lights on it is so dark. This is part of the theming though & I did get used to it. But coming from light & bright OKW & CBR this may be a shock to your system so get ready.
The pool is so much fun. A 3 year old will have a blast. Don't forget the geyser too! There is also a sandy beach that is a lot of fun & there used to be a nice playground, not sure if it's still there or not. There is another pool at the villas too. I guess those are for guests of the WL too.
Eat at Whispering Canyon at least once & make it for dinner when the CMs are so much fun. It's one of the best places on site!
Watch the Electric Water pageant from the dock. It's a blast for kids. Just keep an eye out. Unless they've changed it, it's pretty scary as there are lots of areas for kidlets to drop off easily. I had to make mine sit & wait as I was so afraid one would fall in.
Ride a boat over to The Contemporary & have a look around. Maybe do Chef Mickeys. Why not? You're only a short boat ride away!
Rent a pontoon! It's a great way to relax & just get away from the crowds.
And if you can actually get in for it, be a FLag Family. You get to go on the roof & raise all the flags on top of the WL. It was a major memory for my family!
Shoo, ok, hope i didn't wear anyone out but there is so much I want to recommend or comment on when it comes to my 2nd favorite resort at WDW!
BTW, this IS the edited version :wink:

[Franny]

I'll go along with everything BigThunder says! We absolutely love WL. We are taking the nephews there for a few days and can't wait. The theming is absolutely awesome, the lobby is incredible. I love the water pageant, I think it is one of the best kept secrets of Disney, I had never heard of it before staying at WL, we were having dinner one evening at the Artist Point (amazing restaurant) and just looked out towards the bay and there it was! It was magical. Whispering Canyon cafe is brilliant for children. They do lots of fun things, wooden horse races round the restaurant, hokey cokey, make sure you don't go all lovey dovey as a couple or they will come over and sing the theme from the Love Boat to you - very funny and embarrassing! 0h and make sure to ask for tomato sauce!! Wait and see what happens, your 3 year old will love it! They used to have a character breakfast at Artist Point - not sure if they still do that also don't know if they still do it, but the Bears Den Club used to do story time in the evening in front of one of the log fires, it was really sweet to see. The pools are great, the one by the DVC rooms is fairly quiet and the main pool is busier with a slide. We were lucky enough to have the duck and ducklings join us in the pool a few times!. We had a woodland view last time we stayed and it was great, we had a great time animal watching. Birds, squirrels and one night even an Armadillo - which is great, never see those in the UK!

Hope you have a brilliant time

[lisajoe98]

Yeah when I made the reservations the lady told me about the ketchup thing. She is also the one who told me the rooms were a little bit bigger if you got the one with bunk beds. I have requested them so hopefully it will all work out. We are really excited about going back. We go every year and every year we stay at a different resort. Our goal is to stay at every one disney has, so every year its like a whole new world of disney.

[Tammi]

We had a room with bunk beds and my parents had a connecting room with 2 doubles (or queens?). There was no noticeable difference in size, and until you said something I didn't even know there was supposed to be a difference.

[lisajoe98]

I don't think there is much of a difference. I think that since the beds are set up different it makes the room appear bigger. I'm just going by what the people at disney said. I have no clue how big they are, I'll find out in July.

[Mickeymac]

The rooms are the same size, and you are right, it's the furniture make up that gives you more floor space making it appear larger. The standard rooms of various views are apx 340 square feet each. Hope that helps! :D

[lisajoe98]

Thanks for the clear up. I didn't think that there was a difference. Hey but if it makes you think it's bigger that's all I'm worried about. Leave it to Disney. More space just means more room for my daughter to play.

[Mickeymac]

Thanks for the clear up. I didn't think that there was a difference. Hey but if it makes you think it's bigger that's all I'm worried about. Leave it to Disney. More space just means more room for my daughter to play.

LOL - taht's what's important. My daughter plays out on the balconies, with little figures. Best $5 I ever spent was a little tube of animals from the gift shop. When she got sick, it was her little 'spot.' I think those were some of my fondest memories from that trip. *sigh*

Now I want to go. :hehe:

[jacquiE]

hi everyone just wanted to ask if anybody has stayed at the homewood suites on IDrive we are staying there in Nov this year and it's our first time there so need some information from the people who know(mainly you) thanks lookforward to see you there.:)

[lisajoe98]

Yeah last year we stayed at OKW and had a blacony. We had a blast. We requested one at WL, hopefully we will get one. I would much rather a balcony than a patio. At least I know she can't run off anywhere. LOL

[BigThunder]

Our first year at WL our room was on the 4th floor & the kitchen for Whispering Canyon was beneath us. Oh, what tantalizing smells drifted up to our balcony. Mainly barbecue smells! I can still smell it now. Balcony's are great until a toy falls off. Yep, had it happen.

[lisajoe98]

Oh yeah the whole toy thing. Happened last year at OKW, that wasn't bad just that they we had a whole garden/jungle under the balcony. Plus the a/c units. Took forver to find the toy. Oh, the joys of kids.

[Alison3]

My favorite resort. It just makes you feel good. Had the room with the bunk beds and it was nice. Should be quite a lot of room in there for the 3 of you. :wiggle:

[jetboy]

While I've never stayed at WL, I have frequented it for dinner at Whispering Canyon. Wonderful. The boat ride to the Contemporary Resort is just a short relaxing trip away. This leads me to my intent of this post. Early on in this thread, you asked about the fireworks from MK. If you want a wonderful view of the fireworks without the hassle of the crowd, try taking the boat to the Contemporary and perhaps taking in Chef Mickey's for dinner and then walking down to the other end of the resort. It is there that you can walk out the glass doors on to the large balcony area, you can move far to the left side to avoid the monorail tracks blocking the view of the fireworks, and that is where they have the speakers piping in the music from MK.

Enjoy