Reviews of Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe Resort)
Reviewed by liberrygal Review Date: 02/05/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
Husband and I stayed at WL from 1/29/18-2/3/18. We had a courtyard view room 6037. This resort is peaceful and beautiful. The pool was clean and water was heated. We used Roaring Forks for quick breakfast and late night snacks. Artist Point was top notch, one of the best meals we have ever had at Disney. Water Taxi to MK was perfect and Security at MK at the dock was super easy. Bus service to other parks was fine always nice when it comes quickly and you timed it right, only waited 15 minutes twice at EPCOT. We biked over the Fort Wilderness and it was fun and a must do. We will return to this resort.
Pros:
Absolutely Beautiful ResortCons:
Some noise from other rooms, walls might be a little thinReviewed by GNesty Review Date: 09/07/2017
Rating: (10) Recommended
My family and I just got back last Saturday (Sept. 2, 2017) and we were at the lodge for a week. Our standard view was upgraded to a garden view and we were able to view the Magic Kingdom fireworks from our room. The addition of new DVC cabins did not make the resort feel over crowded as the ones at the GF made us feel.
With new topiary and lounge added plus a new zero entry pool the lodge still has a very relaxed feel. Spotlessly clean and each and every CM we encountered was fantastic.
The Roaring Forks rehab was done and though we enjoyed it I would have loved to see a veggie burger on the menu LOL. The rooms are smaller than other deluxes as we did miss the pull out couch however we still absolutely loved the Lodge and would happily return.
Pros:
Love the changesCons:
—Reviewed by Cheesetony Review Date: 11/21/2016
Rating: (7) Recommended
The Wilderness Lodge has been on my bucket list for a long time, so perhaps my lower rating should be taken with a grain of salt. I'd built up expectations for years. The resort is beautiful. The theme is great, and you really feel like you're in the Pacific Northwest from the moment you enter the lobby. We especially loved the pool, and the splash area was perfect for my 3 yr old DD and 8 month old DS.
Unfortunately, I was really surprised by how thin the walls were, especially for a deluxe resort. Our neighbors were night owls, and they woke us up every night when they returned from the parks and the cranky kids argued about going to bed. One morning, I had to call down to the desk because we could hear their alarm going off for about 15 minutes.
I loved having the option of taking a boat to the Magic Kingdom, which we did several times. They also had boats to Ft. Wilderness and The Contemporary. We took advantage of this one night to eat dinner at Chef Mickey's.
If we decide to stay at a Deluxe Resort again, I will probably save a little longer and try to choose something on the monorail loop.
Pros:
Location, Transportation, BeautifulCons:
Construction, Thin wallsReviewed by tsteckert Review Date: 11/13/2016
Rating: (8) Recommended
I've lost track of how many times we've stayed at Wilderness Lodge, but this was at least our seventh visit. While it suffers from not being on a monorail (I will say that bus service has improved immensely), we enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. Our room has always been in excellent condition (note that refurbishment is going on as I write this), Artist Point is among my very favorite Disney restaurants, and even the Roaring Fork quick-service restaurant has scrumptious sweet rolls at breakfast. (Hey, I burn off calories at Disney World!)
However, during our past stay, management changed the opening time of Roaring Fork to 8:00. With parks opening no later than 9:00, and sometimes earlier, that just doesn't leave enough time to eat breakfast, take bus/boat/monorail transportation, and arrive in time for that early FastPass+ you requested months earlier. This shows a disregard for customer service that is rare for Disney, especially in a "deluxe" resort with a price tag to match, and seems to me to reflect a penny-pinching attitude. (Our room also didn't have a clock radio this time around. Coincidence?) Granted that half the resort was closed for renovations, but how much money does the late opening save at the cost of customer service? Compounding that, Whispering Canyon, the full-service family restaurant, opens at 7:30 but of course takes longer, and reservations appear to be limited.
Although seemingly a small thing, that late restaurant opening left a bad taste in my mouth, and next time we may check out other resort options.
Also, my wife, in particular, and I objected to the volume of a loudspeaker used for pool-area activities. This made it very difficult to take a nap, and parents with young children needing naps should take notice.
Pros:
Pleasant atmosphere; improved transportationCons:
Food service availability; noisy pool area (loudspeaker)Reviewed by DePasquale Review Date: 07/06/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
The delicious food choices and interior space are consistent with the relaxing mood of the Wilderness Lodge environment.
Pros:
A total experienceCons:
The couple of tables near the entryReviewed by IowaSammy Review Date: 01/10/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
This was our first stay at a Deluxe resort. We stayed for 10 days, club level, with our family of 4. (Kids were 13 and 10). We fell in love with the lodge! We had a courtyard room and I loved listening to the water at night. We stayed in room 7117, and we could even see the tops of Wishes on the opposite side of the resort! We'd never stayed anywhere with a balcony before and we loved it!
The mattresses were new and the room was very clean. I loved the double sink and vanity area with the convenient shelf above. The shower was large and had cute tiles. The fan automatically came on with the light and was quite loud.
The room had a ceiling fan, which was nice. We had plenty of closet space. We used the light above the mirror by the table as a night light, as it is on a dimmer switch.
Mouse keeping was excellent, the staff was helpful and friendly, and the resort is stunning. We loved the lobby and often found a cozy spot to sit for a few minutes and take it all in.
Transportation was fantastic. A+. Busses were so fast! We loved the covered walkway to/from the busses. We took the boat a few times to the Contemporary and it was a nice, short ride. Overall, the busses are much faster. This was a huge difference from our value resort stays and even better than POFQ!
If I had to pick the most important difference from a value or moderate it's that our room was in a main building. Yes, it's very large, but the convenience was amazing. The rooms themselves aren't huge, the restaurants aren't awesome, but the resort itself was wonderful. The kids loved the arcade, adults loved Territory Lounge. The main building really sold us on the value of the price. (We had a pin code, too!) We are unlikely to stay at another resort with only outer buildings.
Our only complaint was the very loud afternoon pool parties with a microphone. This is so not in keeping with the peaceful and relaxing vibe the rest of the time. Microphone was used from 2-5pm DAILY. Ugh. Hated it.
We were extremely happy at WL and highly recommend it. I am curious to see what it is like after the construction.
Pros:
Theme, staff, transportation, bedsCons:
Afternoon pool partyReviewed by MWS Review Date: 11/04/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We just returned from a 6 night stay at the Wilderness Lodge. It’s a lovely resort inside and out, all the Cast Members we encountered were very friendly and helpful. The room was kept clean and large enough for the two of us, but it might be a tight squeeze for a family of four. Only a couple of minor complaints with the room - the ledge that extended over the sink in the bathroom made it hard to use the sink and the paint in the shower/toilet area is hospital beige. I get the WL is going for an earthy feel, but the bathroom was depressing. We also didn’t receive any towel animals the whole trip, but it wasn’t a big deal. We didn’t notice noise coming from the adjacent rooms or the hallways. We never had to wait long for a bus or boat, except on Halloween evening. The boats were running slow and the lines were long since everyone was attempting to get to the Magic Kingdom for the Halloween party or the campgrounds for Trick or Treat. Overall, this resort is beautiful and we will definitely be staying here again. There was construction going on, but it was never an issue.
Pros:
Lovely grounds, close to Magic KingdomCons:
—Reviewed by shellbates Review Date: 10/07/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
There was some construction during the day while we were there, but other than that this resort is wonderful. It is beautifully themed, spacious rooms, not a bad view, and watching fireworks from Magic Kingdom and the Electric Water Pageant is a bonus. It was a quick boat ride to Magic Kingdom. For being a huge resort it is very quiet...with the exception of Whispering Canyon (those of you that have been there will understand) which is not supposed to be quiet. Would definitely stay here again
Pros:
close to Magic Kingdom, beautiful resort, spacious roomCons:
constructionReviewed by pamleblanc4 Review Date: 08/17/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
Just came back from our first trip to WL. Loved "almost" everything about it. Lobby is wonderful. Lots of places to sit and relax. Guest service and shop workers were fantastic, pleasant and warm. Whispering Canyon had excellent food (though got sick of the shouting for ketchup every 3 minutes). Pool is nice, having a small sandy beach was a bonus.
Boats to MK and Contemporary are the real jewel. So much easier than going to the TTC first. Never more than a 15 minute wait and never had a boat that was over full.
Downside... Rooms are quite small. Didn't really bother us all that much, but with 2 adults and 2 teens, it got a bit...close.
Roaring Fork is tiny and always busy. Overcrowded and difficult to get to the refill stations for drinks. (Many Bonus points for having them come out and serve your meal.)
Pool is LOUD! I get that you have fun, but don't feel the need to have music and microphones blaring all afternoon.
We have stayed at Polynesian (would NEVER go back after the destroyed the beach with the "villas"), French Quarter (love it) and Riverside. This is probably our new favorite hotel. Ambiance is just exceptional.
Pros:
Beautiful Grounds, Boat to MK, Not a ton of walking to go anywhere on propertyCons:
Roaring Forks is TINY!, Rooms are quite small, especially for Deluxe Hotel, no fun maid service at allReviewed by brian222202 Review Date: 08/12/2015
Rating: (7) Recommended
Second stay at Wilderness Lodge. We had a great room (5167 if anyone wants a primo view of Bay Lake). But with WL rooms, expect significant noise from pool, boats traffic, movies on beach, and water pageant. Rooms were adequate but sparsely decorated. And furniture looked worn and old. WL rooms surely need an upgrade, and quick. AND, most disturbing, was lack of adequate charging stations for electronics and phones. Most hotels now have as standard charging stations on desks for multiple electronic devices.
Check-in/out and concierge staff was efficient and friendly, bag handlers at beginning and end were talkative, attentive and friendly.
Pool was nice, and well-staffed by lifeguards.
Whispering Canyon this trip was good, not great. No wait staff on our night seemed really into it, not just ours, just seemed a rather dead night. Roaring Forks is adequate, but nothing to rave about, in the least.
Boats were a hidden joy, riding the boats back from MK at night while watching WISHES may have been the highlight of our trip. Buses on other hand were sporadic and often crowded, and I cannot believe the amounts you pay for DELUXE RESORTS and you cannot get your own bus. Deluxe Resorts should not have to share buses in my opinion.
All in all, still a great resort, just nothing that stood out. There were no magical moments--for instance the one towel animal received was a simple one-rag mouse (adequate but not memorable)--although there were really good moments. This resort still is impressive, and I would even say worth the Deluxe prices, BUT there needs to be an upgrade in service to provide those magical DISNEY memories.
This seemed to be a theme throughout our vacation. Everything was very good, but nothing this time around that was truly magical--with exception of Yak & Yeti, San Angel Inn, and Rose & Crown. WDW was great, just needs that extra little bit that they are known for, it seemed missing this trip.
