There are over 20 tours at Walt Disney World and most are widely known, but there are few that most people don’t know about. One of my favorites is Wonders of Wilderness Lodge, a 1-hour FREE, yes, I said FREE tour that shares the backstory of the Wilderness Lodge Resort and its counterpart the Boulder Ridge Villas.
Guests will spend an hour, starting at 9:00 am, wandering around the key points of this resort with a very knowledgable guide (most likely Ranger Jack). The tour will cover a brief history of the lodge and where the inspiration came from for it’s design. Moving onto the Carolwood Pacific Room you will get a glimpse into Walt Disney’s fascination with steam trains before moving onto Territory Lounge home of an amazing piece of history.
The U.S. flag from 1861 hangs in the Territory Lounge and what makes it unique? Abraham Lincoln was the only president to serve under the 34 – star flag.
Overlooking the Lodge’s outdoor waterfall and Bay Lake is Artist’s Point, home to a wonderful mural hiding a Hidden Mickey. Here you will learn about the furnishings of the restaurant and other unique features of it.
After taking in an aerial view of the lobby and the pool from the 5th floor the tour will promptly conclude at 10:00 am with an eruption of Fire Rock Geyser (modeled after Old Faithful from Yellowstone Park).
While getting to Wilderness Lodge is not just a walk down a pathway, this is one of the most beautiful and heavily themed resorts of Walt Disney World. Any opportunity to take a behind scenes tour and learn even more about this amazing resort is on the “do not miss” list.
Erin Benge has been a lover of all things Disney since she honeymooned there in 2001. Since then she has traveled there multiple times, enjoying it as honeymooner, a young couple, with small children and now as a DVC owner she travels with multiple generations. She has participated in runDisney events and is training for her first half marathon. Please feel free to contact her at 832-233-4468, via email at erinbenge@destinationsinflorida.com or click here to request a quote.