Wilderness Lodge Lodge Resort in Walt Disney World is located near the Magic Kingdom. It is a deluxe resort that is themed with an atmosphere of the Pacific Northwest with natural and Native American elements and modeled after the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. Includes an erupting Fire Rock Geyser and hot springs.
This resort is themed as a mid-20th-century resort located along the Transcontinental Railroad (be sure to visit the railroad museum located in the lobby of the Boulder Ridge Villas).
When you enter, you will be greeted by two 55-foot high totem poles in the breathtaking 8 story lobby. There is also an 82 foot fireplace that features over 100 different hues of colors and fossilized remains of prehistoric plant and animal life.
Resort type: Deluxe
Price: $406 to $738 and up
Room size: 340 sq feet
Sleeps: 4 adults (charge for each adult over 2) + child in crib under 3 (request a pack n play)
Room count: 728
Room features: 2 queen size beds or a king size bed or a queen size bed with a set of bunk beds, patio or balcony, fridge, ceiling fan, coffee maker, table and chairs and more. There are also club level rooms.
Room views: Standard, Woods or Courtyard.
Wilderness Lodge also has 136 Disney Vacation Club villas referred to as Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. This includes Studios, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom villas. They have also recently added cabins.
Studio Villas – 356 sq feet. Have one queen bed and a full size sleeper sofa, small dining table with 2 chairs, microwave, coffeemaker, refrigerator, ceiling fan and vacuum cleaner. It can sleep 4 adults plus 1 child under 3 in a crib.
1 Bedroom Villas – 727 sq feet. Has a bedroom with a king-sized bed and a whirlpool tub, a queen-size sleeper sofa in the living room, one full bathroom, 2 vanity areas, fully equipped kitchen and a table that seats 4. It can sleep 4 adults plus 1 child under 3 in a crib.
2 Bedroom Villas – 1080 sq feet. They are a 1 bedroom villa and a studio villa that are connected with a shared inside door. It can sleep 8 adults plus 1 child under 3 in a crib.
Cooper Creek Cabins – There are 26 luxurious cabins located along the lake edge. These cabins sleep 8 and feature 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
Food options: Food court, table service restaurant and signature restaurant. Room service is also available from 7-11 am and 4-12 am.
Roaring Forks – This is the quick service food court option. It is open from 7 am to midnight. This is seating available in the small dining room or outside on the patio.
Whispering Canyon Cafe – Located off the main lobby, this table service restaurant is sure to please everyone. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and the wait staff will entertain you for the duration of your meal.
Artist Point – This signature restaurant is only open for dinner. It is incredibly romantic and perfect for couples. You can have a gorgeous view of the woods or pool area while you dine.
Territory Lounge – Adjacent to Artist Point, this lounge serves specialty drinks, coffee, light snacks and appetizers from 5-10 pm.
Geyser Point Bar & Grill is located poolside. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Pools: The pool has a water slide, kiddie play area and hot tub. It is fed by a spring that begins inside the lobby as a bubbling geyser and runs out to the pool.
Activities: Nightly movie on the beach; Pool party at 2 pm; Poolside activities from 1-5:30; Nightly Campfire with Marshmallow Roast; Health Club; Ceramics on Wednesday ($); Arcade ($); Tennis Lessons ($); Guided Fishing Excursions ($)
Ask at the front desk for a Hidden Mickey hunt.
The Electrical Water Pageant comes by nightly at 9:35 pm.
Amenities:
24-hour front desk
atm
beauty salon
check-in and guest service
childcare service
complimentary wifi
daily mousekeeping
designated smoking area
dry cleaning
fridge
gift shop
hair dryers
handicap accessible rooms
ice machine
ironing boards
irons
kiddie waiting area in lobby
laundry facilities
locker rentals
luggage service
Magical Express
mail services
merchandise delivery and pickup
online check-in
outdoor smoking areas
resort airline check-in
safe
spa and health club
valet and self-parking
wake-up call service
Salon by the Springs is located next to the main pool.
Sturdy Branches offers state-of-the-art workout equipment 24 hours a day. You can also book a personal massage or facial. It is complimentary for guests staying at this resort.
When you complete online check-in at Wilderness Lodge, you can pick from the following options:
- Ground Floor
- Fourth Floor
- Sixth Floor
- Near Elevator
- Second Floor
- Fifth Floor
- Highest Floor
I personally would choose to be near the elevator and maybe the highest floor.
Wilderness Lodge Mercantile carries a number of resort specific gifts. You’ll also find popular Disney souvenirs, sundries, snacks and health and beauty items.
Overnight parking is $24.
Transportation: Take a boat to the Magic Kingdom or take a bus to Magic Kingdom, the other parks and to Fort Wilderness
Distance from parks by bus:
- Animal Kingdom – 10 miles
- Hollywood Studios – 6 miles
- Epcot – 6 miles
- Magic Kingdom – 1 mile
Address: 901 Timberline Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 407-824-3200
Featured Reviews:
This review comes from my reader Erin…
Our (then) family of four stayed at the Wilderness Lodge from 6/2/2009 through 6/10/2009. We were able to take advantage of the pay for 4 nights of lodging and tickets and get 3 nights/tickets free promotion that ran that year. We booked at exactly the right time and got a $500 gift card promotion that paid for our dining plan-another luxury we had not taken advantage of in trips past.Even still this trip was expensive. Prior to this stay we had lodged at a couple of the moderates and we are returning to that category for our 2011 stay as well.
While I am so excited that we got to experience a deluxe resort I know that I would never pay full price just to stay in one again. We justified paying that money because I was pregnant and we mistakenly thought that a deluxe would have less walking. Ha! Wilderness Lodge is huge. We had a woods view room on the fifth floor and we were way out on one of the wings. We actually had a decent view of Cinderella’s castle and could watch Wishes each night (that was spectacular). However, that meant that every morning and afternoon was a long walk through many twists and turns on the fifth floor navigating a double stroller past other guests and linen carts and even then the walk to our car, the bus or boat was still a hike. We missed being able to park right outside of our building and get to our car or bus quickly. So if you are staying there be prepared that you can get a spectacular view of Bay Lake, the castle or the beautiful water feature/pool there are some drawbacks.
All of this is not to say that we did not like Wilderness Lodge because we really did. There is so much detail and wonderful back story to the resort. The “rangers” will happily tell you great tales as to why the restaurants are named Artist Pointe and Whispering Canyon. This is resort Imagineering at its finest. The lobby is beyond breathtaking and Silver Springs and the pool are lovely.
Another benefit to staying in Wilderness Lodge is the queen size beds and the extra square footage in each room. We also received turndown each night which is nice. I do wish they did not still have those scratchy old bedspreads. Even Holiday Inn Expresses have duvets now. There is also a lot more storage in these rooms than at the mods and values and that is worth its weight in gold if you pack your entire house into your van and drive down like us.
Some of our favorite things to do at the Wilderness Lodge are dinner at Whispering Canyon. I recommend this for everyone even if a stay at the Lodge is not in your budget. The lobby is a great place to sit on a rainy evening. All of the parents sort of group watch the kids and they just run laps around the bridge over Silver Springs. There are nature trails that lead to Fort Wilderness and lots of watercraft that you can rent. There is a beautiful sand beach with lounge chairs right on Bay Lake. The lifeguards set up really fun dance contests and other activities throughout the day as well.
While a stay the Lodge may not be in everyone’s budget I highly recommend a boat ride over from the Magic Kingdom when you get a chance. As you approach the back of the Lodge from Bay Lake you will see that the roofline and balconies make what appears to be a bear. See if you can spot it! The concierge will be happy to provide you with a list of Hidden Mickeys throughout the resort. There are tons. Grab some dinner at Whispering Canyon and enjoy the lobby and grounds. It is a fantastic place. My family and I are so glad we stepped up to Wilderness Lodge for our last trip and we hope some pixie dust will bring us back there again one day but for now the moderates will do just fine. As a now family of 5 we are in the position that many resorts will not be able to accommodate us anymore. But that is okay because there are plenty of new places to call our Disney home.
This review comes from my reader Kymm…
The first time we stayed at Wilderness my husband had never been to Disney. He was reluctant to go so I let him pick the resort and he chose Wilderness Lodge. He fell in love with the resort and we purchased the DVC on that visit for the Wilderness Lodge villas. We got a standard room which had adirondack type furniture and two queen beds. The room was a good size- bigger than a standard room at the value resorts. Now when we visit the Villas we stay in a studio. The studio has a queen size bed, a pull out couch a small kitchenette and a standard bathroom. The kitchenette has a mini fridge/freezer, a microwave, a toaster and disposable cutlery, bowls and plates. There are real coffee mugs and all the standard kitchen stuff that you would need for the appliances provided. We normally eat breakfast in the room like bagelfuls or breakfast burritos, fruit, cheese, COFFEE or maybe a leftover desert fromthe night before. We always hit the norway bakery and get lefse. Since there are only two of us- the studio is fine. We have gotten a two bedroom villa which has all the bells and whistles. If you want to cook on vacation this or the one bedroom will suit your needs. There is a lot of room in a one bedroom but a crazy amount of room in the two bedroom.
The resort offers many amenities ranging from water sports to a small beach playground. there are bike rentals and two pools with hot tubs. The gift shop has anything you might have forgotten and things you never knew you needed! The Villa and Hotel lend itself to a quieter atmosphere which is very relaxing after a frantic day in the parks.
There are 3 dining options at the Resort. The quick service which is roaring fork. They offer some good salad and sandwich offerings and the standard burger fare, Breakfast is what we eat most here and we love it. It is the standard stuff for a quick service. Whispering Canyon is a 1 credit table service. This is a popular spot for families! There are horse races around the room and sometimes the lobby. If it is your birthday- watch out! They like to have the adults ride the horse singing happy birthday to themselves as loud as they can. This is a lot of horseplay and fun. My favorite dining spot is the Artist Point. It is one of Disney’s signature dining experiences. The cedar plank salmon is standard and everything else is subject to change. everytime I go I order the mushroom soup. I dream about this soup.
The resort busses come frequently with usual delays- loading wheelchairs etc. You also have the option of taking a boat to Magic Kingdom. they are the smaller boats and another great experience. Nothing is sweeter than catching the breeze off the water on a hot day! We also get off the boat at the Contemporary and ride the monorail. You can transfer at the ticket and transportation center to Epcot. The walk from the Villas to the bus stop is one of the shortest I’ve encoiuntered at any resort. It sits between the main lodge and the villas. Perfect for dragging sleeping children back to the room at the end of the day! There were a couple of times that it was standing room only at the end of the night but not often.
I would stay at this resort again- I haven’t for a couple of years because we have been breaking baylake towers in but we are booked at Wilderness over Halloween and I CAN”T wait to get back “home”!
This review comes from my reader Connie…
Wilderness Lodge is my FAVORITE Disney Resort!!!! The rooms are decorated “Cabin Like-Woods”. The rooms are average size and they have a balcony. They are VERY clean as I have found with ALL on property resorts. Some of the Amenities are The Geyser, the Mickey Boats, pool, two sit down restaurants..”Artist Point” and Whispering Canyon Cafe”. They also have the less formal… Roaring Fork Snacks. The “Whispering Canyon Cafe” is one of my VERY FAVORITE of the Disney restaurants….I have ony stayed at the resort twice but have been to “Whispering Canyon” every chance I get. It is a BLAST!!! First of all if you are in the HUGE lobby of the Wilderness Lodge when lunch at the “Whispering Canyon Cafe” starts…A lady comes out, rings the cow bell and screams “COME AND GET IT”….Then when you sit down atthe restaurant you can order offthe menu or get the all you can eat barbeque. I HIGHLY recommend the all you can eat. The Waiters/Waitresses there are very loud and on purpose “kind of rude”. So make sure you bring a sense of humor!!! They sometimes will make a head dress like a cowboy or indian for you and put it on your head!!! If you are having a birthday and they know it. Prepare to be embarrassed!!! The kids get to ride stick horses around the restaurant sometimes too!!! It is sooo much fun! The resort bus is available and you do not have to walk too far. This resort is very well-layed out. You can easily walk the whole resort!!! A lot of the resorts are very spread out, this one is not! I would stay at this resort ANYTIME. I LOVE it!!!! I have sent one pic but for more please go to a friend of mines website..bigfloridacountry.com
You might also consider staying at Coronado Springs.
Learn more about the Walt Disney World Resorts and contact Destinations in Florida to help you book your perfect resort.
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for our first anniversary. we enjoyed it immensely. the rooms are posh, but so is the price. The poll has the feeling of being “somewhere else” and not right in our backyard in Orlando. There was evn a duck swimming there. We enjoyed having the geyser in the background too as it also gave you that feeling of being “somewhere else.” We did not atke advantage of the restaurants on site, but have visited the snack shack in the bottom floor by the pool. The prices seem to be fairly reasonable there. We will probaly not stay there again simply because it is not in our budget! :(
Truly may favorite! I have stayed there 3 times. I am from Florida and went 4-5 times a year not always staying at hotels though, I lived about 2 hours away so we would sometimes come back. The longest we stayed here was 4 days, truly wonderful. I was also dating my husband for my first 2 trips here, in the early stages when all is mushy. The first time I was sneaking his calls when my parents went to watch the boat parade (parade of boats with lights passing my on the lake) because we weren’t serious yet. The second trip 3 months later we were serious and every night I would leave the room and lay on a leather sofa near a fireplace on the 3rd floor I think and talk to him for hours a night! Magical times at Disney :0) I’m not a fan of Whispering Canyon but others may find it fun. The pools are nice but the ambiance is truly unforgettable here!
We chose this resort because it was so close to Magic Kingdom, and we had a toddler. We stayed in September of last year. It was the most affordable of the MK area resorts.
The rooms were just ok–a little worn and dated. They were big enough for our family of 3. We had a view overlooking a swamp-type situation, but at night, we had a view of the MK fireworks. That was awesome, b/c we didn’t have to fight the crowds for our 2-yr-old to see them, and the noise didn’t scare her. We just took her on the balcony, then put her to bed!
We loved, loved the pool. Great theming. Plenty of chairs. Towels there. Very refreshing in the afternoons! My husband also used the gym (Sturdy Branches) and liked it.
The food court had ok food, but it was very small for the resort. A little crowded in there, hard to get into and out of, esp with a toddler. Now the sit-down restaurant (not the formal one, the one right off the lobby) was fun, quick, delicious food, and fun service. We all loved it.
The walk to the bus stop was nice b/c the resort is themed so well and so lovely. So it put us in a great mood for our day. We did have to wait 20 to 30 minutes for some buses. It just varied. The buses were never too crowded — we always got to sit. However, Sept is supposed to be one of the less crowded times.
I would prob not stay here again in the next few years just b/c I’d like to try something else, but eventually I’d like to stay in the villas part. I was surprised at how much our little family needed room for naps, daddy to spread out and watch tv in another room, and for me to prepare snacks (w/o having to go fight the crowds at the food court)! So it’s villas for our family the next time we go back. Prob Animal Kingdom, we’ll try.
We stayed at the Villas at The Wilderness Lodge back in Sept 2009. My parents are DVC members and we still havent stayed at all the resorts. I have been wanting to stay at the WL for a long time. So I got to pick the resort for that trip. We (me and my hubby, my sister and her hubby, and my parents) each got our own 1 bedroom villa each. I fell in love with the décor, me and my hubby love the log cabin country feel. The one bedroom villa was definitely more than enough room for just us two, it had lots of closet space..a full kitchen..living room..and master bedroom with a king size bed, a hot tub and sink area, then the bathroom with a shower..and its own washer and dryer.
The lobby of the Villas is very nice..theres a sitting area by a fire place..and then theres also a room where you can play some chess/checkers and just hang out. The lobby is the main resort is just absolutely goregous!! You have the check in/out desk..the store..two restuarants a huge sitting area in front of there massive fire place..then a little walk down a hall you find there little food court..even though it was small..we fell in love with this food court..we definitely took use of it A LOT. We got the refillable mug and used that through out our trip. I fell in love with the Wilderness Salad..it had apples and walnuts and this awesome dressing. And let me tell you I was 30 weeks pregnant when I went I had at least one a day and was so mad when I got back home and was craving that salad! I hope they havent gotten rid of it!
The transportation to parks and downtown disney was fine..we never had any problems..or any major waits that I can think of. We used he boat a lot to go to the MK and even the Contemporary Resort. I just wish the bus area was covered a bit more..since you do/can get wet if its raining..the walk to the bus stop wasn’t too bad since it seems closer to the Villas than the resort. Walking from the villas to the main lobby was a bit of a hassle but I always enjoyed it.
We are finally going back to Disney in May of 2012 and are staying here again!! I can not wait. We will have our little girl with us and I think this will be a great resort with a child, plus we will be super close to the Magic Kingdom! And this time I hope to get good use of the main pool since it just looks really cool, we only used the pool that was for the villas..it was very nice and very quite. We definitely enjoyed it and my husband and brother-in-law loved the hot tub! Also I still want to see the gyser go off that’s by the main pool.
My husband, the big kid at heart, enjoyed the video arcade..him and my brother-in-law could usually be found in there! It had a decent assortment of games. We also enjoyed at night watching the electric water parade go by.i never got to see it so up close. If you stood on the beach between the villas and the main resort it was a perfect spot!
My family just stayed at the Wilderness Resort a week ago and we LOVED every minute of it. We chose this resort because we had heard it was a favorite of others we knew and we feel in love with the lobby while eating at Whispering Canyon a couple of years back. We enjoyed the boat ride to magic kingdom and it is a wonderful ride and even romantic when heading back to the resort late at night.
We had a main floor room and our patio overlooked the babbling brook right above the waterfall. We love our room and it had great access to the pool, waterfall, and Roaring Forks quick serve. We for once felt like we got our money’s worth with our refillable mugs! We stayed in a bunk bed room and my 10 year old absolutely loved it! We also had a pack n play set up in the room and found plenty of room to leave our stroller up without it being in the way. I thought the rooms were a great size and the storage in the room was great for all our stuff!!
We dined for both breakfast and dinner at Whispering Canyon and this is one of our favorite restaurants! I laughed so hard when I answered a text and our waitress yelled across the room “No book facing at the table!”. She also lectured my husband to not pinch the baby when my little one got fussy at the table. The atmosphere here is just so much fun and the food is WONDERFUL!!! We also enjoyed the food of Roaring Forks as well. The sandwiches were huge and there was lots of options to feed my younger child some healthy fruits. We enjoyed the daily specials that were different than just the burger and fries option as well. The mickey waffles in the morning were outstanding and we loved having so many different options to choose from on how to have them made. My absolute favorite was “Mickey’s Magical Cookie Bar”. I have been wishing I would have brought those home with me!! :)
The bus station was not far and we never waited more than 5 to 10 minutes for a bus to come. We did not find them overly crowded and were thankful for the easy ramp to manipulate getting back to our room. We took the boat to magic kingdom and Contemporary as often as we could.
We will definitely look into staying here again. It was clean, friendly, and made you feel at home. The resort made you feel comfortable and was a great and quiet place to relax after hectic park days. My kiddos also loved the pool and geyser. We just enjoyed feeling like we were away and could relax. The light parade on the lake was also great fun! Can’t wait to go back and we have only been home a week!!!
My husband and I have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge every year since 2004. In 2004, that was my very first time staying there but my husband had stayed there the year that it had opened and convinced me that I would love it. On our first trip, I was really trying to be budget friendly and book at an All Stars resort, but he was insistent that we stay at Wilderness Lodge. I can say now that I’m so happy we did. I absolutely love the resort. There is this magical feeling the second you walk through the entrance doors. I don’t have this feeling at any other resort. We’ve dined at other Deluxe resorts and talked about staying else where, but it never happens. I have heard from others that the resort rooms are small compared to other Deluxe resorts, but for just the 2 of us, it’s fine. We have always had a room with 2 queen beds too so this takes up the most space. I’m sure the rooms with the bunk beds open it up a bit. Up until this year, we have always booked the standard view, simply for budget reasons. I know you are never supposed to bank on getting upgraded once you get to the resort, but we have had such magical pixie dust sprinkled upon us every year that we chance it. We have been upgraded every year, sometimes to woods and the last 2 years to Courtyard. The idea works because this year, we booked Courtyard! This year we had a beautiful view of the lake and the very end unit. It was a bit of a walk, especially when you are tired at night, but the view was well worth it. The sun rose over the lake every morning and it was awesome. We also had a great view of the water parade and the movies on the beach could be watched from our balcony. We love the Wilderness pool. I think it is one of Disney’s best. The theme is what really appeals to me, and the geyser going off every hour is so cool. We always grab breakfast at Roaring Fork in the morning and it is also a great place for lunch and snacks. We have eaten at WCC several times and the food is very good. If you haven’t been there, the waiters joke around a lot with the each other and the guests, and last year for my birthday, they brought me out a piece of cake and sang happy birthday, but before the song was over they all grabbed my cake and ate it! It was so funny! Another think I love about WL is the transportation options. Most people frequent MK the most and WL has either the bus or boat option. We never wait more that 20 minutes for a bus and the boat is typically there every 10 minutes. You can also take the boat to the Contemporary and walk to MK. The buses were only crowded leaving the parks at night at closing but I think that can be expected. My experience has always been great at the WL and this is our go to resort for all of our Disney trips.
I treated my husband to this resort as a surprise last year – we only stayed here for the first 3 nights of our week long trip though since I was having buyers remorse after booking it. We did get 40% off during value season but it was still pricey – we LOVE the resort but were happy to go to a value and not have to walk so much just from our room to our car!! I chose this resort because DH loves the cabin type look and he had been building our house after work & on weekends using our Disney Visa so we had lots of rewards money and I wanted him to have something special out of it.
The rooms were large and more than acceptable!! We liked the double sink feature when getting ready in the morning. Also having a fridge in the room is a nice bonus. We loved the carvings on the bedposts and the balcony looking over the water – hearing the nightly water parade was pretty cool too!!
The food court seemed pretty much the same as all of them, nothing is standing out in my memory
We hated the buses from here and drove most of the time. It always seemed like we waited FOREVER!! We had to share with the campground so it was a lengthy busride. We were on the wing opposite where the buses were so it was an extremely long walk to them – our car was actually closer. THe times that we did ride though, we were close to the park gates – one of the advantages of deluxe resorts for sure…
We were there in the off season so the buses were never over crowded that I recall – again, we didn’t use them all that much til we went to Movies..
I don’t think we would stay here again unless we had an incredibly good deal. We didn’t feel, for us, that it was worth the extra money. I would rather spend that money on other things while we are there. We just didn’t feel like there was anything super special that we needed over the value resorts – in fact by the second day, my kids were asking when we could leave for All Star Resorts lol.. We did LOVE the waterslide into the pool and taking the boat when we’d head to Magic Kingdom though, those were two fun options that you don’t get everywhere…..
My family and I decided to make our 2010 trip resort the Wilderness Lodge. Having visited the resort before for dinner at Whispering Canyon we already knew how incredible the resort was. It was very exciting walking into the Lodge for the first time as guests. There is something so magical about standing in the lobby and seeing how amazing the architecture is. The fireplace alone is worth a trip to the resort.
Unfortunately, that is pretty much where our magic ended. The next seven nights would be different. My husband and I both happen to shower at night to save on time in the morning. We both experienced the shower water running cold. We didn’t think too much of it that night since we just flew across the country and wanted to rest. We chalked it up to a fluke and went to sleep.
The next morning our son would experience the same thing. Strange that our hotel room should have cold water running in the shower.. Alright, a call to maintenance should take care of that. And off to the parks we go. Getting back later that night after a VERY long day to the Magic Kingdom and urgent care all we wanted to do was wash up after the day and head to bed. Hopefully, the water would be hot. Unfortunately..no. Another call, this time to the front desk. Someone would be right up. About twenty minutes later someone did in fact show up and she walked in, turned on the shower, said..”It’s hot water.” And left. We stood there a little dumbfounded. Did that really just happen?
Next morning we were down at the front desk asking to speak to a manager. We were told that someone would be up that day to fix the problem and that they were sorry about the service call. Alright, one more shot. Off to the park we go. When we got back to the room later that evening we were worried. Did anything get taken care of that day? Well, hope for the best and hop into the shower. Finally, it seemed like things were resolved.
When the last two days of our trip were rolling around we wanted to extend our vacation. My husband had enough time at work to call in the next couple of days and we were able to switch our flights. We decided to speak to the concierge at the front desk about our options. In all our trips to Disney World I have never, never met anyone so rude. I still get angry just thinking about it. We were told that we could in fact extend our trip without any problem, however he would only quote us rates at Pop Century or another value. We explained to him that we either wanted to stay there at the Wilderness Lodge longer or to be moved to the Polynesian. He wouldn’t even speak to us about that other than to say, “You can’t stay in your current room, other guests need it.” “Alright, fine. But how much would it cost to be moved to another room if we added two more nights?” “Pop Century would suit you better.” “Well, we don’t want to stay at the Pop Century. We would either like to stay here or at the Polynesian.” “You can’t stay in the room you are occupying now.” “We understand that. But how much are we looking at if we switched rooms or switched resorts.” “Pop Century would cost..X a night.” It was so frustrating that we left without adding any more days. We actually called WDW and booked our nights that way. It was a nightmare having to deal with that man.
While there were some highlights to the resort like the beautiful decor and grounds and the fantastic bellman we had the pleasure of meeting and talking with.. It was not and is not enough to bring us back any time soon. We will be getting our Wilderness Lodge fix while we dine there. Maybe we will try it again in the future, but in all honesty I’d rather go back to the Polynesian where we have always been treated as valued guests.
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge Villas (DVC) in the summer of 2008. We chose it because we’d heard good reviews & wanted the oppportunity to stay somewhere different from our DVC home resort (Saratoga Springs). We were a bit apprehensive about the woodsy-themed, campground-like atmosphere (definitely city dwellers!), but we absolutely LOVED it! We had a 2-bedroom accomodation, which was very spacious. The grounds are really lovely & even after a long day at the parks, it was so enjoyable walking to our room through the peaceful setting. We had such a blast at Whispering Canyon – we’ve never been for lunch or dinner because we can’t get past the spectacular breakfast! And Artists’ Point is phenomenal for fine dining. Taking the boat to MK was the best, period! Gliding across the lagoon while Cinderella’s Castle gets closer & closer is incredible. I’d say the main drawback to WL is the proximity to the other parks – if you’re not headed to MK, you’re on a bus for a bit of a ride. We had a rental car (our son has special needs, so we travel with a lot of gear), so it wasn’t as much of an issue for us. Would we stay there again? ABSOLUTELY – there’s no question about it!
We chose the Wilderness Lodge for the extra room and the quiet atmosphere. The rooms were spacious and they decorated it perfectly for the cabin-like atmosphere. It’s like camping out…just without all of the roughin’ it! :) The queen beds were wonderful and even for my father who’s 6’8″ he was very comfortable (very few beds he’s able to fit in comfortably). We didn’t have any cute towel animals or any other surprised, but the youngest family member was 14 years old, so I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. Otherwise, they were incredibly clean. We originally had a problem where we were placed in a non-smoking room (before they made all rooms non-smoking), but it was obvious the people smoked in there and after about a 15 minute wait in the lobby before they got us another room. They were very good about it and moved all of our luggage from one room to another.
The lobby was very quiet and relaxing. I loved the huge rockers and sitting watching out the big window. The pool was nice, but not the best for kids (it’s been about 5 years, so don’t know if it’s been changed) as it doesn’t have a whole lot of slides or different pool areas to play in.
Whether you stay there or not, you HAVE to visit Whispering Canyon. We went there without having ANY idea of what would happen. I suggest not looking into what the restaurant is about (it’s a much better surprise than if you knew what to expect). As a result, this was the BEST restaurant we have ever eaten in. We can be quite the sarcastic family (some would say we also have a dry sense of humor at times?? LOL) which fits perfectly at this restaurant.
The walk to the buses were short, nothing out of the ordinary, and the lines were never more than a 5 min. wait (which we never really had to wait more than two times the whole trip). You don’t realize how huge the lodge is until you stay in one of the wings further away. We stayed in a room that overlooked the lodge when you walked out, but my aunt stayed in one of the wings and walking to her room was quite the distance after a long day. Either way, I just can’t believe how quiet the whole place was, you’re always in a state of relaxation (and yes, there were plenty of kids around).
We would stay at this resort again, actually it’s one in the running…though we’re just thinking of staying somewhere different since we don’t get to Disney all that often. But we’re also thinking of splitting up our hotels and staying at two places since we’ll be down there for a while and if so, this will be one of them. This is a quiet, laid-back lodge (though the service is still top-notch) but still has the Disney special feel to it. Though we went in the fall (which was really warm still), it made me wish for snow so I could sit in front of the fireplace in a rocker looking out the big glass window with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.
Absolutely love the Wilderness Lodge – its our Family’s favorite place to stay. We have stayed there in 2006, 2007, & 2009!!! Always a magical stay. Well worth the $$.
We stayed at the Villas of Wilderness Lodge in a one bedroom suite last July. It was awesome! We had four adults and two kids under two, and it was absolutely enough space for us. We had a woods view, which was fine. The pool there is awesome, the lobby and grounds are beautiful and Roaring Forks (counter service) and Whispering Canyon Cafe (table service) were both great. The boat ride to Magic Kingdom was amazing! We all loved it. The one downside was all the walking we had to do to get from our room to the bus stops, but that was not a huge deal at all. I would definitely go back.
My husband and I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for 11 days for our honeymoon, for 8 days on our first Anniversary for 7 days last year on the Consierge level and will be staying 7 days this summe for our 3rd anniversary. I have stayed in pretty much every hotel as I have been going to Disney World sometimes 2-3 times a year since I am 4. My husband wanted us to stay in a place where I had never stayed before for our honeymoon, and being that I have been there so many times it was not easy. But this was the one hotel that I had never stayed at. That being said, it is now our favorite. If we can’t stay there, we won’t go. It is such a wonderful beautiful atmosphere there are almost no words to describe it. It is so special for us, it’s our home away from home. When my husband walks through the front doors when we first arrive for our vacation he says, “I’m home.” That’s really special to me because before he met me, he was NOT a Disney person. It’s also special to me because before my father passed away he felt this same exact way about the Polynesian. He used to take us there for 16 days ever summer and 7 days in the winter and he always said the same thing when he walked through the doors.
The Wilderness Lodge is not overly “Disneyfied” like some of the other hotels. It really gives you the atmosphere that you are in a wilderness cabin or lodge. It’s peaceful and scerene there. On our honeymoon we got to be the “flag family” of the day and they took us to the roof of the hotel and we got to raise the flags on the hotel. It was an amazing thing that not everyone gets to do, it was just us and the host up there and from that view we could see all the way to Epcot. We have pictures with Magic Kingdome behind us from the roof of the building.
It’s so magical and we love it there. People often ask me what it is I like about Disney so much and all I can ever say is that it’s my home away from home. How you can put a world of magic and amazingness into words to describe the place that makes you the happiest you’ve ever been in your life? Well, the Wilderness Lodge does that for us now too.
I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge on my honeymoon in May 2007. I picked the resort because I was really drawn to the cabin-like motif, and I knew my husband would be as well because we both like the outdoors, camping, wilderness, etc.
We both were in awe of the decor, especially the lobby with it’s grand fireplace and chandeliers. We even visited a secluded fireplace on one of the upper floors we spotted by chance, and it was a nice, romantic moment for us as newlyweds.
Our room was on the ground floor, right by a little pond, and we just loved sitting out on our porch at night, enjoying the night air and sounds. In the mornings, we had breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Cafe, and really enjoyed the all-you-can-eat skillets. One of our magical moments was spent here when our waitress made us get up and dance while the rest of the patrons sang “Going to the Chapel”.
Another magical touch- we had a picture of Mickey and Minnie dressed in wedding attire with a balloon left in our room one night, and the picture was signed by Mickey and Minnie themselves congratulating us.
The only things I had to complain about, and they were VERY minor, were our room toilet wouldn’t always cooperate when flushing, and once I ordered a latte at the restaurant, which is more expensive than a regular coffee, and they brought me a coffee and a mini-carafe of creamer, and that passed as my “latte”.
My husband enjoyed swimming in the pool with a mama duck and her ducklings, and we would really enjoy going back. We took the water ferry whenever we could, very enjoyable, and the bus rides were as crowded as can be expected but never unenjoyable.
It truly was a magical time and we can’t wait to experience it again!
My husband and I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge when we were just at Disney in November. I absolutley loved it! It was beautiful and well maintained. I love being able to take the boat to and from the MK. I would definetly stay there again!
We stayed at the Grand Californian at California Adventures which looks very similar to the Wilderness Lodge. The best part was being able to go back and forth between our room and the park all day long. The hotel itself was wonderful and had the best buffet ever. Of course the swimming pool was great and our kids enjoyed the storytime in the lobby. If it is Disney – then you know it will be wonderful no matter which resort you are at.
Why did you choose this resort? I have stayed at this resort 3 times: for my honeymoon in 1995, then again in 2007 and 2009. My husband chose the resort because of the Northwest Lodge feel (we were moving to Oregon) and because at the time when we booked it, it was brand new. The subsequent times I stayed because of the feeling the resort evokes. It just feels like ‘home’ to me.I also like that this resort is a Deluxe, yet not quite as expensive as the other Deluxe resorts. It’s great to be just a boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom!
What were the resort rooms like? Were they big enough for your family? Did you find them to be acceptable? The rooms are nicely appointed. I liked that flat screen TVs they had mounted on the walls; during our 2007 trip, we had a room that had bunkbeds for our two boys. They LOVED these! It also made it a bit roomier for our family as the bunkbeds took less space than 2 queen beds. We had a fantastic view of the pool and not too far off the lobby. When I stayed in 2009, we were in a 1 bedroom DVC. Our view was of the woods and it felt like we were miles away from a theme park – very cabin-like. The colors of the room made it feel sort of ‘dark’ as they are not bright colors nor light colors.
What were the amenities of the resort like? What was your favorite one? I honestly love the boat dock out to the boats to the Magic Kingdom. There is something so rustic and quiet about it, it is incredibly relaxing right off the bat to come back from a busy day at the Magic Kingdom and walk along the dock back to the Lodge. The pool is lovely- it starts in the lobby as a bubbling ‘spring’ and winds its way outside, over a waterfall, and then into the pool. It has a small waterslide- fun enough for little kids, but nothing crazy. There is also a quiet pool, a dock, and a path to the Ft. Wilderness campgrounds. There is childcare services available here, a very nice giftshop, and a tour of the Lodge led every morning by one of the Rangers. At the boat dock, you can catch boats to both Magic Kingdom AND a boat to the Contemporary & Ft. Wilderness. So if you want to dine at any of the monorail resorts, take the boat to the Contemporary and catch the monorail. It’s a fun way to start the evening.
What was the food court like? Any favorite foods? The Roaring Fork is a very nice food court; they have this incredible salad and sandwich station where they will freshly toss you a salad or make a sandwich. They also have breakfasts, pizzas, burgers, chicken and desserts. The Whispering Canyon restaurant is a hoot- go here if you want some laughs and belly filling food. You can get the all you can eat skillet that includes ribs, chicken and beans. The milkshakes are INCREDIBLE here- get one! Artist Point is the signature restaurant and serves delicious salmon and has superior service.
How were the resort buses? What was your walk to the bus stop like? How were the resorts bus stops at the parks? How far was the walk to the gates? How crowded were the buses at any given time? Resort busses run on a pretty good schedule, i don’t recall ever waiting too long for a WL bus. It sometimes shares with the Grand Floridian.The busses usually have decent room on them unless you are going at peak times.
Would you stay at this resort again? If not, please provide a reason. YES! I consider the Lodge my ‘home’ base at Walt Disney World. It’s my absolute favorite that I’ve stayed at.
We loved the Wilderness Lodge. Although the rooms were not very big for a deluxe, we had two queens, this resort seems to offer the most activities for kids compared to other deluxe resorts and it’s usually one of the least expensive.
The rooms were big enough and housekeeping was good but not as good as I’ve had in other resorts.
We liked the convenience of the boat ride to magic kingdom. The buses were the same as any other hotel I’ve stayed at. We liked the boat ride to fort wilderness campground also for a fun little side trip to explore.
There was cookie decorating each afternoon as well as games and activities by the pool. The kids club also offered free arts and crafts each afternoon too. At night there were movies, campfires and marshmallow roasting as well as the water parade to enjoy.
The quick service restaurant does not offer much variety but there’s the usual burgers, pizzas, sandwiches and salads which are all typical Disney deluxe resort fare. The restaurant in the lobby offers an all-u-care to eat option and some fun. It’s probably the best meal choice for the money in the resort.
The bus stops were not a far walk which was nice but there were still some long waits.
We have stayed at every resort in Disney with the exception of the Polynesian and the Contemporary. If you are traveling with children I would recommend this hotel over any other due to the activities offered, proximity to the magic kingdom and overall value for a deluxe hotel. Our future trips to Disney will be booked on the Wilderness Lodge or Animal Kingdom Lodge for similar reasons.
My husband and I stayed here and really loved it! After staying at the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian on a previous trip, we wanted to try a different resort and chose the Wilderness Lodge because of its Pacific Northwest theme. I knew when I walked into the huge lobby and was greeted with totem poles and a fireplace that this was going to be at the top of my favorite resorts list! The atmosphere and decor of the resort really suited our tastes. The room had plenty of space, was comfortable, and I enjoyed the patio that looked out over the pool. My husband took a peek in the arcade and I enjoyed the gift shop. We had a wonderful time in the Whispering Canyons Cafe (and were careful not to ask for ketchup!) and got quite a bit of food from the Roaring Forks food court. Riding the boat over to the Magic Kingdom was a first for me and I really liked that; really nice to be able to walk right out to the boat from our lodge! Like all Disney resorts, the Wilderness Lodge has bus service to all parks and Downtown Disney and we used it several times to get around; love that this service makes it so easy to get from place to place on Disney property!
This is certainly at the top of our favorite resorts and we hope to stay there again sometime, especially since we now have two boys that would love the theme!
My family and I stayed there last summer. We love Whispering Canyon! The whole atmosphere in the lodge is so calming after a wild day at the parks! The pool is nice and it relaxing to see watch the ducks swim in the pool. We enjoyed it greatly and I’m sure we will stay there again!!
We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge back in 2009.
Since my husband had just gotten back from deployment, they gave us access to the to floor where they had snacks and drinks.
The room was awesome.
The two restaurants and the food court were wonderful as well. Whispering Canyon Cafe is just plain fun for kids and adults.
Guest services were always polite and helpful. Since we were there right before Thanksgiving, we got to see them begin to decorate for Christmas and it was beautiful. Also, the Cub’s Den is great. Our daughter enjoyed it very much.
You can either take a bus to the parks, or the water taxi.
We are debating on whether or not to stay there again, or, try the Polynesian on our next trip. TOTALLY worth the money!!