Reviews of Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Disney Vacation Club)
Reviewed by Fishfamily Review Date: 08/29/2017
Rating: (10) Recommended
We are DVC members, but renting the points was in the $1700 range. Boy is this place worth it! First you start with the theming, which is everything it's cracked up to be. The lobby is spectacular. Now it is true that being in Boulder Ridge you're a little disconnected from the main building, but it's a short walk over.
We ate breakfast at Whispering Canyon, that was a blast. We ate lunch at both Roaring Fork (good food, very pleasant dining area) and Geyser Point. Geyser Point is right on the water and it's spectacular, I wish I'd gone back for drinks at night but we were there in August and the heat was oppressive.
Having two pool options is great, the smaller pool was almost deserted and the showers are sparkling new.
The thing I underestimated about the Wilderness Lodge is proximity to the parks. I knew we would have the boat option to Magic Kingdom, and that was great, but they go to the Contemporary as well. And the bus rides to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood studios were 15 minutes or less! That is a huge deal in the morning when you have excited kids or at night when everyone is tired. Pile on top of that that this is a deluxe hotel and there are fewer people at the bus stop (1st bus is yours and you get a seat) and the premium is easily justified.
One night we stayed outside for the movie and you could see the fireworks from MK and in true Disney style, they piped in the music. It was really special.
We've stayed at All Star movies, Port Orleans French Quarter, Animal Kingdom, Saratoga Springs and Boardwalk and the only one that comes close is AK. But the transport times for WL put it a cut above AK which has the long bus rides. This is a fantastic hotel. I can't wait to go again.
Pros:
Location, theming, poolsCons:
NoneReviewed by lauri Review Date: 06/26/2017
Rating: (9) Recommended
We just returned from a week stay in a two bedroom villa. The villa was roomy, comfortable, and beautiful. We were very close to the bus stops, and not far from the main lobby. Unfortunately Roaring Forks was not open, so our main quick service option was Geyser Point. It was okay, but a fairly limited menu. The main pool was not terribly interesting, and I guess I expected it to be better. The newest pool opened the last night we were there, so we did not get to check it out. We had no problems with transportation, and had great experiences with the cast members there.
Pros:
Beautiful and RoomyCons:
Main pool is a little blahReviewed by annat856 Review Date: 02/17/2017
Rating: (8) Recommended
My family of 6 stayed here December 11th through 16th last year. We rented points. We stayed in a 2 bedroom villa. It was recently refurbished and we loved the rustic wilderness theme. Now that our kids are becoming young adults this was a great place that we could spread out and feel relaxed. We did get woken up a couple of mornings from construction around 8:30 am. But for the most part we were not disturbed by the construction going on. The walk from the elevators was pretty long. The villa lobby was very cozy and a great place to hang out and play games or sit by the fire. The Wilderness Lodge itself is one of our favorite resorts and getting to see it all decorated for Christmas was wonderful! Overall one of the best disney vacations ever! Can't wait to go back!
Pros:
Lots of space and pretty decorCons:
constructionReviewed by Michelle Norris 67 Review Date: 09/07/2016
Rating: (10) Recommended
Stayed in 2 deluxe studios first week of August. Absolutely loved it. Nice quiet place to get away from the bustle of the parks. The seating for the quick service has been expanded. Even though we were in close proximity to the construction, we were never bothered by the noise. Will definitely stay here again.
Pros:
Quiet, proximity to MKCons:
—Reviewed by John Review Date: 12/05/2015
Rating: (10) Recommended
We love the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. I always find the staff to be very courteous and helpful with any questions of problems that I might have. We have always found the rooms to be very clean and even though we normally arrive about 10:30AM we are able to get into our room right away. The only downside is that sometimes the bus service is a little slow.
Pros:
Great Ambiance and excellent StaffCons:
Bus serviceReviewed by tinkiebell Review Date: 11/10/2015
Rating: (9) Recommended
We love the ambiance of the WL and were happy to be able to stay here again. This really is our favorite DVC property at WDW. I can spend hours walking the grounds or hanging out in the lobby. Our 1-bedroom villa was comfortable, clean, and well-stocked. We only ate at Roaring Fork and it was fine. The grounds were always clean and well-maintained. If you drive as we do be prepared to use the bell services or spend several trips hauling your bags a long way as there does not seem to be any close parking here as there are with other DVC properties. Also, be aware that the tub, while luxurious, is part of the master bedroom and not completely private. I was disappointed that one cast member at the concierge desk seem to argue with me, in a courteous manner, about my request (I was pursuing the request based upon another cast member's instructions). I think he just wanted to be "right" but it was very aggravating.
Pros:
Easy trip to MK, quiet and relaxingCons:
It's a long walk to your car; bus service is slowReviewed by slapps Review Date: 01/08/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
We stayed at a wilderness lodge studio on December 26th and 27th. We requested a room close to thenbus stop and first floor. We received both and we loved the decor. We are DVC members and our home resort is Old Key West, which has very large studios. We had a family of four and we had plenty of room. We loved it. We had great bus service and we did not ever have to wait long. I loved Wilderness and will stay there again. Beautiful resort and theme.
Pros:
wonderfully decorated for the holidays and loved the studioCons:
noneReviewed by WarEagleAuburn Review Date: 01/03/2014
Rating: (10) Recommended
The Wilderness Lodge is our home resort and we are so happy it is. The lodge is absolutely stunning. We usually reserve a two bedroom villa and it is quite comfortable for a week long stay. I especially like two bathrooms for our family. We love the convenience of having both boats and buses for our transportation. If you aren't able to stay at this resort you should at least try to visit just to see the lobby.
Pros:
Beautiful lodge!Cons:
NoneReviewed by RoccoS Review Date: 11/13/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We just got back from a 3 day stay at the Villas. Very pleased. Our first time staying at the Villas (had stayed at the main Lodge before). No major complaints. Easy to get back and forth to Magic Kingdom in the boats but everywhere else needed to use the buses which were hit or miss.
Pros:
Atmosphere, activities, diningCons:
Access to transportationReviewed by gener222 Review Date: 08/25/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our party of 11 across 3 families stayed here from Sun 8/18 to Fri 8/23. My sister is a DVC member and made all the arrangements. Our rooms were studios which for us - 2 adults and 2 children - was just fine. For 4 adults I think it might be tight, with the one bed and the sofa sleeper. We stayed at the hotel section 5 years ago and we absolutely love this resort. As much as I'd like to try other resorts, I'd find this one tough to beat. The theming and landscaping are stunning, and except for the heat you really don't feel like you're in Florida. We even saw deer feeding in the woods. The boat to Magic Kingdom is a huge plus. The staff was very friendly and helpful. At night after all the craziness of the crowds at the parks, the resort was quiet and very peaceful and relaxing. I highly recommend this resort and can't wait until my next visit.
