Reviews of Wilderness Lodge (Deluxe Resort)

Reviews

78

Rating

9.14 / 10

Recommended By

95%



Reviewed 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 property

Cons:

Roaring Forks is TINY!, Rooms are quite small, especially for Deluxe Hotel, no fun maid service at all
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Reviewed 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.

Pros:

Views, Friendly Staff, Trans. to MK & lake resorts, Pool

Cons:

Trans. to everywhere else, Roaring Forks,
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Reviewed by CLHoward72 Review Date: 07/23/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

My search for the best Disney resort may be over! First stay at WL will definitely not be our last, this resort is amazing! We arrived very late, after midnight, and tired, but our first look was breathtaking. Even though I had done online check-in and we had our Magic Bands, I did not receive a text to go straight to our room so we had to stop at the desk. Our party had 3 and while my Magic Band did not work to open the door, the other two did, and I fixed that in the morning with no trouble. Everything under one roof is a definite plus, and I cannot get enough of that cedar smell walking in from outside.

Room: I had requested a top/upper level floor and we were given 5015, courtyard view. This view was our package view so I could not complain about the location. I will say that napping in the afternoons is very difficult with the pool party (and loud music) that runs pretty much the entire afternoon, and I didn’t know the pool was open until 11:00 pm, but I don’t think this ruined anything for us. The rooms are very much what we’ve expected, smaller than Poly but that’s because there is no pull-out sofa for a 5th bed. The queen beds were great, no complaints. The double sinks were very nice and we always appreciate that the toilet/shower are separated from the sinks.

Mousekeeping: Oddly enough, we were only ever given 2 hand towels, and there were 3 of us, so that was mildly annoying. Only once did they do anything ‘fun’ with our stuffed animals, and no towel animals, but I have learned to let go of those expectations.

Food: Roaring Fork is organized chaos during the peak breakfast times. The ordering area is small and congested and you constantly have to dodge people and kids. The food choices are lacking for breakfast, and I suggested to Disney already that they design a rotating menu so it’s not the same thing each and every day. I know they want people to sit down and pay more for meals, but they really could make improvements in the quick serve area to improve the flow and cut down on the chaos. The seating area is small, and it’s only in peak times that it’s hard to find a table, but we did okay in this aspect. For those days when we did order something, I did appreciate that it was brought right to our table and we didn’t have to stand around waiting.

Pool: We visited the pool during 2 afternoons. Both times, it was hard to find chairs but you have to make it work and sometimes move the chairs around. The pavement around the pool is HOT so wear flip-flops to get in and out of the pool.

Transportation: Buses were overall pretty good. As usual, wait times for buses are the most confounding aspect of Disney transportation. I figured out that your destination determines which resorts share. On our way to EPCOT we stopped at Fort Wilderness every time. And then on our way to Animal Kingdom we stopped at Contemporary. One morning we watched FIVE buses for AK come in a row before our EPCOT bus. But, overall we were never running late to get anywhere. My advice is to plan more time than you think it will take. Coming from Illuminations we waited for about 30 minutes, which was crazy. The boats to the MK were awesome, no complaints there whatsoever.

This resort has become our new favorite Disney home, and we can’t wait to go back!

Pros:

One building; boats to MK

Cons:

Breakfast chaos
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Reviewed by Tracy2kids Review Date: 07/08/2015

Rating: (9)
Recommended

Stayed July 1st for 5 nights as a special 20th anniversary with husband and teen kids. First time staying. Our favorite part of this hotel compared to other Disney hotels we have stayed at was being able to sit and relax on our own balcony. We initially were given a room that we didn't care for the location and the hotel reassigned us one that was more to our liking. We had to wait for it, but it was well worth it. Pool was fun and loved the job the Disney crews do with the afternoon pool parties. Pool does not have much seating. Had to wait for chairs most times. I would recommend that they make the chairs adult only since the kids are mostly in the pool the whole time anyway! Loved the boat service and the electrical parade right there at the beach! Beautiful grounds, props to cleaning and lifeguard staff. Had a great time!

Pros:

beautiful hotel, loved relaxing at pool and balcony

Cons:

price, a little dark in bathroom
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Reviewed by trainman_dave Review Date: 06/23/2015

Rating: (9)
Recommended

Stayed 6/16-6/22 with DW 28. This was our first stay here and we fell in love with the place as soon as we walked through the front door. It is truly a breathtakingly beautiful hotel. The staff here were all extremely friendly and went out of their way to put a smile on everyone's face. The rooms are a bit small for a deluxe, but with just 2 adults this was not an issue for us, nor would I imagine it being an issue unless you tried to cram 4 adults into one room. We loved that everything at the resort is under one roof and it was never a far walk from our room to Roaring Forks, the boats, or the bus stop. Boat transportation is a fun option to Magic Kingdom, as well as contemporary and all of its amenities(including the monorail!). Busses were usually frequent and not too crowded. Our one bad experience came when waiting for a bus to Epcot one morning, we were at the bus stop at 8 Am for a 9 AM opening. Bus didn't arrive until 8:30 and then we had to stop at FT. Wilderness before getting to Epcot 5 minutes after opening. The fact that the Magic Kingdom deluxe resorts are forced to share busses is a slap in the face to some of Disney's highest paying customers IMO. Overall we had a fantastic stay though, and would highly recommend the lodge!

Pros:

Beautiful Resort at a good location

Cons:

Bus transportation shared with other resorts
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Reviewed by disneylover97 Review Date: 04/05/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

Wilderness Lodge is my favorite resort on Disney property. I have stayed at almost all the resorts and this is always my favorite. The service is excellent, transportation is not an issue and it is a beautiful hotel.

The atmosphere of the wilderness lodge is very relaxing, it is out of the hustle and bustle of the parks...It isn't busy. For transportation the bus situation is similar to other Disney resorts, sometimes they are quick and sometimes you have to wait a little but they do share the bus with another resort. The boat to magic kingdom is just wonderful. It's the resorts almost "private" boat...it takes you back and fourth only to magic kingdom and back it doesn't make stops at any other resort. My family really enjoyed the boat epscislly when the driver would sing different Disney songs 🙂

The food options are awesome. Roaring fork is on the smaller side but has really good food! They also have a few treats you can only find there.. Like the magic bars and s'mores cupcakes which we enjoyed. Whispering Canyon Cafe is a very cute resturant and Artist Point is on the expensive side, but is delicious.

Overall the service and cast members are truly amazing here and we have never had an issue. The pool is small and not the best on Disney property but is perfect to take a dip during the day when taking a break from the parks. It is so peaceful at the wilderness lodge and I recommend checking out this resort!

Pros:

Everything

Cons:

Nothing
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Reviewed by CupcakePrincess Review Date: 02/03/2015

Rating: (8)
Recommended

My husband and I stayed here on our Honeymoon from 1/4-1/9. When we arrived, the breathtaking Christmas tree and all the other wonderful Christmas decorations were still up. They remained up until our last night, which was such a treat! We explored the resort one night and found an area above the lobby with fireplaces! It was secluded and we ended up relaxing there listening to the mur murs of everyone below for a good solid hour.

I was worried that the beds would be too hard for us. We are tempur-pedic bed snobs so conventional mattresses really tweak our backs. This was probably the best conventional mattress I've laid on. Probably the best hotel mattress I've ever experienced.

We requested a room near the elevators, and they ended up putting us on the other side of the resort next to stairs. The stairs were convenient, but took a toll on our bad knees. We were situated on the 3rd floor, with a woods view facing the villas. On the left we could see some of bay lake and on the right we could see the villa's pool. It was a gorgeous view. Another positive was the chairs on the balcony. I was nervous that my large bum wouldn't fit, but we encountered all the chairs with armrests at that resort to be plenty big for my large bottom.

Be sure not to miss the electrical water pageant. It was adorable. The night we saw it, it was so cold and so windy. We went and got hot chocolate and plopped ourselves on the beach to enjoy it as much as we could. The music and the lights were cute and enjoyable!

We did have a negative experience with someone at the front desk, but another cast member ended up saving the day for us.

The boat to and from the Magic Kingdom is fantastic. The buses are the worst possible thing though. They are far and few in between and when they do show up, they take you to another resort to pick up more guests. The whole bus situation was frustrating that we took our car to the parks after that.

I hope to stay here again in the future!

Pros:

Confortable Beds, Comfortable chairs

Cons:

buses,
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Reviewed by beilfamily Review Date: 01/11/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

We stayed here on our honeymoon in 1998. We have since stayed in 2004, 2008, 2011, and 2014. Minor things have changed but one thing stays the same....this place always just feels like "home". We have visited several other resorts and just do not feel the "magic" like we do at the Lodge. It's a great location with lots of amenities.

Pros:

Great location to MK

Cons:

None!
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Reviewed by DisneyGrandma68 Review Date: 01/03/2015

Rating: (10)
Recommended

This is the best resort in the WDW family of resorts. It is beautiful at Christmas time. We were there from 11/29 to 12/5/14. Everyone is so great and the new renovations are fantastic. We are ready to book our week for next December already. We've now become Disney Annual pass holders (Florida) so we can visit even more often. The staff at WL was great and housekeeping was so efficient each day of our stay. I didn't have it everyday, however, my son and daughter in law did and it was also good service for them each day. Roaring Fork had some nice food offerings and tasted fresh. We will return next year and every year we are able. We had a breakfast at Trail's End and it was so nice to take a 5 minute boat ride to get there.

Pros:

Absolutely everything and the boat to Wilderness Campground

Cons:

Pool bar was closed the first 2 days Ha Ha
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Reviewed by chiro14 Review Date: 12/11/2014

Rating: (10)
Recommended

This was our 3rd time here during late October/November and we won't stay anywhere else(have stayed in most other resorts).
Gorgeous property, unreal lobby, excellent service, clean, and the boat to MK is fabulous and convenient. When we checked in we were told the pool was under renovation but could use other facilities. When the cast member saw I was disappointed, she offered me a partial refund which was greatly appreciated.
Just driving up to the front entrance gives me goose bumps. Wonderful place, magical place!!

Pros:

Location, Location! Boat to MK! Gorgeous property!

Cons:

None
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