(CLOSED) Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE and VILLAS INFORMATION THREAD ~2014~

[pixarmom]

Make sure you catch the bus as early as possible. Two years ago we were at VWL and my husband, our son and their friend almost missed the start of the race because the bus was late. If they had gone with me in the car, I would have gotten them there in plenty of time. But at the time, we weren't sure I would get there first.

Good to know. I have the race retreat for the full marathon, and plan to arrive early. When using race retreat for the Princess Half earlier this year, I boarded the bus at 3:15am (yikes!) I'll definitely plan to do the same in January.

 

[jenniferyawn]

Hey! Might be dumb questions, but...
1- is there a rule about using the regular WL pool if you are staying in the villas? I saw there is a separate pool, bug I think the kids will enjoy the WL pool (once it's finished)!

2- do you have to be part of the old faithful club to watch fireworks from the roof? I would loved to do that! How much does it cost to be in the club?

Thanks for your help!

 

[bluecastle]

53B3B6CFB681_zpsiahbgq1i.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Testing

 

[bluecastle]

53B3B6CFB681_zpsiahbgq1i.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Testing

Please ignore the above. I didn't think I had that right.
Hi all! Sorry to be MIA for so long. We had a wonderful visit in August, which included my DD getting engaged at Cinderella's wishing well near the castle! It was all photographed by a Photopass photographer and it was so wonderful to watch my daughter's reaction.
I had to go back to work 6 days after the trip and, add to that, my DD went into full wedding planning mode! Lots of research, meetings, and finally the signing of a contract with a date for next summer. Needless to say, no WDW trip for us for a while!
I wanted to share pictures of the lodge, but when I occasionally checked in here there were so many people upset about the refurb that I thought it would be insensitive to post what it was like in August! I also haven't quite organized my photos on photobucket yet.
I have a lot of catching up to do and by the time I do that, my thoughts on my trip will be old news.
But I had to share the engagement news. Also, we loved our 2 BR villa! We did feel a little strange when we were in the lodge lobby though- it wasn't the same feeling of it being ours. I don't know how to express it exactly. It was all familiar, but since the villas were our home for this stay, we didn't feel as connected as we usually do. I wouldn't call it a negative, just a difference.
Eating at the Territory Lounge on our last night was so relaxing and enjoyable. The Habanera Margarita was enjoyed by 2 of our group, and I liked my Agave one.
I did almost all my souvenir shopping at the Mercantile! I bought the coffee mug that says "Bear with me, it's morning." There was a nice blue long-sleeved shirt that I saw in the beginning of our week (8/11), but by our last night (8/18), it was not out anymore- I think they had to make room for Halloween stuff. I asked about it and a very nice woman at the register went into the back and got me one out of the box it had been packed into! I also bought a mini totem pole so I can rub Humphrey's nose at home, as well as see something from the lodge everyday in my kitchen.
We made it over to Trail's End for breakfast and everyone loved it! (especially the juice, the cheesy grits, waffles, and the Dis Visa discount!)
It was, as usual, wonderfully quiet and relaxing there. I loved having my dishes done for me every day. ( even if she never put them away- that was so weird! She just kept adding dirty dishes to the clean ones and running it again) Having a washer dryer was not just a convenience. Because of the heat, I discovered that I was only comfortable in a few of the shirts I had brought. I was able to do small washes and have my most comfortable clothes each day.
I know that most people are more interested in what's going on there right now, but I would be happy to answer any questions not time-specific.
Now, I better get reading!

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Hey! Might be dumb questions, but... 1- is there a rule about using the regular WL pool if you are staying in the villas? I saw there is a separate pool, bug I think the kids will enjoy the WL pool (once it's finished)! 2- do you have to be part of the old faithful club to watch fireworks from the roof? I would loved to do that! How much does it cost to be in the club? Thanks for your help!

Both pools at WL are allowable for guests of WL and VWL to use. They are actually quite close together, just around the South wing from each other.

I believe any guest can request to be chosen for rooftop wishes viewing, similar to how the flag family is selected, based on limited availability.

Old Faithful Club is the name of the club level at WL. These rooms are generally on the seventh floor (except the Deluxe rooms which are on a floors) and have access to extra amenities including a lounge with free drinks and snacks. The cost is substantial, but you can price it out for your vacation by selecting club level as the bookable category.

Happy planning!

 

[dpswift]

My kids get in on Wednesday. They are really excited. Their ADRs are coming together nicely. Last night I noticed that the boys would not be able to make their Buzz Lightyear fastpass so I went to change it for them. They had full availability for A and E. So I got the girls an FP for right before BOG. And the boys can do Buzz while the girls are eating. The only ADR that I was unable to get them was for the dessert party.


How is the noise level? We have a friend that is down there now but I am not sure that we will see him before we leave.

 

[jenniferyawn]

Thank you Grand for clearing that up for me!

 

[dkrauss]

Hello folks. We just returned from our 5 days at WL. More trip report later..........but I did want to share some construction photos. NOTE: the construction didn't really bother us..........but we were on the Woods view side facing the Contemporary............and we were rarely at the Lodge during the day












The construction is moving along.

Doug

 

[Sandy321]

I made it through the thread! It is a kewl thread with lots of helpful information! (Thanks to all the posters!! )

Looking at the pictures in this thread makes me SO excited! I am currently planning a June 2015 trip to WDW. This will be our first stay in a deluxe resort, and we are planning on staying Club Level. Are there specific rooms that are better than others to request? Any suggestions?

This is me! We are also planning a June 2015 trip. and we've never stayed CL, we must tho this trip! (Fingers crossed it works) I debated about waiting for codes and discounts, then just called to add it, why not? I'd be terribly upset if I waited, there were no codes, and CL was full! June is going to be busy! and probably hot - so I wanted some peace, and WL does it for us!

Thank you, mickeystoontown. Geez, I think that sign's a moot point now...


Welcome! Some prefer the North Wing/Woods View rooms because you might be able to see some of Wishes/CR/monorail. Some prefer the Inner Courtyard View rooms because you can see the geyser and Bay Lake. There are also two rooms, one in each wing, that directly face out toward the geyser and Bay Lake and those are our favorite CL room views. You can also request a bunk bed room. Let us know when it's official!


Welcome to the thread and congratulations on booking!


Glad you had a nice wonderful trip and I hope you get to book another trip soon.


WL pool rehab information is located in POST 2 HERE. There is also a link at the top of the first page of the thread.

ah, the North wing for possible Firework view- but sounds like all views are magical! <3 Thank you for all your information and attention to detail WDWKook! We stayed at the Lodge years and years ago - dh is a big fan of Mt Rainier, is planning the outer rim trail in a few weeks, and the WL is modeled after something near there! His birthday will be while we're at the Lodge, and we'll be celebrating #34!

Ahh. Cool. So this is with nail polish or paint? Great idea.

We did nail polish, paint, and tattoos between the different bands. All seemed to work on the topcoat base. The topcoat just makes a nice flexible base to paint on, and can be thrown away if it doesn't turn out how you want before you mess up the band.

There is a terrific (albeit LONG) thread on the Theme Park Community board that has lots (and lots and lots) of pictures and tips for decorating the Magic Bands. One tip was to paint (usually nail polish, a few used the Acylic paint found in Michaels for wood projects, but you need a sealer to waterproof it) ANYWAY - place the band around something, like a baseball bat, instead of painting and adding the tattoos with the band flat - with it round like you will wear it...

the temporary tattoos were better than stickers, and there was so many reports of different polishes... I want to do one up purple!

 

[WDWKOOK]

1800 Watts (maybe even 1850) of drying power! No need to bring your own!

We had a great day at the lodge today.

Really honoured to be the flag family for the day, and had a beautiful birds eye view of the stunning area around the lodge. We could also see how the pool refurb was coming along. The pool is completely drained and they were working on the children's splash area. Not too much noise today either.

I highly recommend the lodge tour. It was great to meet Ranger Jack and learn about the history of the lodge. He also shows you all the little details that make the lodge so special that you might not notice yourself. The geyser still erupts on the hour, but the walkway has been closed due to the refurb, so we watched it from the 6th floor. Can't wait to stay here again.

Did you take any CV photos from the roof? Ranger Jack sure has his tour timed well so that the geyser erupts on the hour when the tour is over

Fantastic offering info for us Disney newbies!

Welcome to the DIS and to the WL/VWL thread!

*sigh* I feel like a jumping bean right now.

We have decided to save money and drive down in January and use some of our DVC points for the BC part of our stay. Still staying CL at WL for the second half.

Since we are driving, we decided to cancel our Christmas trip and re-instate our cruise which we were going to,cancel.
So, we need one line of the log removed for Christmas.

Now that it is all settled, I feel better, even though I had to cancel.

You're still staying at the OFC so all is well

Hello WL Fans! We have a split stay coming up in January and we're waiting for room-only discounts. Looks like Marathon Weekend is sold out for our reservation dates at BWI and, therefore, a discount there is unlikely. So we started shopping for an alternative and are thinking of a return to WL! That means a deluxe CL room, since we're a family of five, and that extra space would work out well for our different running schedules over marathon weekend.

Couple questions:

1) KOOK, your deluxe room review was really helpful. I know it wasn't your favorite, but it may be a good fit for our family and your review helped me know what to expect. Anyone else have recent experience in a deluxe CL room to report?

2) Anyone participated in Marathon Weekend events while staying at WL? Reports regarding bus service, etc?

Thanks so much!

Having the bedroom behind doors is really nice, but keep in mind that you'll still only have one bathroom and you won't be on the same floor as the lounge. But, other than the suites, it is the largest CL room at just over 500 SF.

Please ignore the above. I didn't think I had that right.

Hi all! Sorry to be MIA for so long. We had a wonderful visit in August, which included my DD getting engaged at Cinderella's wishing well near the castle! It was all photographed by a Photopass photographer and it was so wonderful to watch my daughter's reaction.

I had to go back to work 6 days after the trip and, add to that, my DD went into full wedding planning mode! Lots of research, meetings, and finally the signing of a contract with a date for next summer. Needless to say, no WDW trip for us for a while!

I wanted to share pictures of the lodge, but when I occasionally checked in here there were so many people upset about the refurb that I thought it would be insensitive to post what it was like in August! I also haven't quite organized my photos on photobucket yet.

I have a lot of catching up to do and by the time I do that, my thoughts on my trip will be old news.

But I had to share the engagement news. Also, we loved our 2 BR villa! We did feel a little strange when we were in the lodge lobby though- it wasn't the same feeling of it being ours. I don't know how to express it exactly. It was all familiar, but since the villas were our home for this stay, we didn't feel as connected as we usually do. I wouldn't call it a negative, just a difference.
Eating at the Territory Lounge on our last night was so relaxing and enjoyable. The Habanera Margarita was enjoyed by 2 of our group, and I liked my Agave one.

I did almost all my souvenir shopping at the Mercantile! I bought the coffee mug that says "Bear with me, it's morning." There was a nice blue long-sleeved shirt that I saw in the beginning of our week (8/11), but by our last night (8/18), it was not out anymore- I think they had to make room for Halloween stuff. I asked about it and a very nice woman at the register went into the back and got me one out of the box it had been packed into! I also bought a mini totem pole so I can rub Humphrey's nose at home, as well as see something from the lodge everyday in my kitchen.

We made it over to Trail's End for breakfast and everyone loved it! (especially the juice, the cheesy grits, waffles, and the Dis Visa discount!)
It was, as usual, wonderfully quiet and relaxing there. I loved having my dishes done for me every day. ( even if she never put them away- that was so weird! She just kept adding dirty dishes to the clean ones and running it again) Having a washer dryer was not just a convenience. Because of the heat, I discovered that I was only comfortable in a few of the shirts I had brought. I was able to do small washes and have my most comfortable clothes each day.

I know that most people are more interested in what's going on there right now, but I would be happy to answer any questions not time-specific.
Now, I better get reading!

I was wondering what happened with your daughter. Thanks for filling us in and that is great news! So much fun planning to do.

How did your back hold out during the trip? Did you make it for a massage at Sturdy Branches?

That is so funny about the dishwasher! Wonder what would have happened if it had ever gotten full?

I hope we get to see some of your photos soon and congratulations to DD! Any chance there will be a Disney wedding or Disneymoon?

My kids get in on Wednesday. They are really excited. Their ADRs are coming together nicely. Last night I noticed that the boys would not be able to make their Buzz Lightyear fastpass so I went to change it for them. They had full availability for A and E. So I got the girls an FP for right before BOG. And the boys can do Buzz while the girls are eating. The only ADR that I was unable to get them was for the dessert party.

How is the noise level? We have a friend that is down there now but I am not sure that we will see him before we leave.

Hopefully, someone will be able to answer your question.

Hello folks. We just returned from our 5 days at WL. More trip report later..........but I did want to share some construction photos. NOTE: the construction didn't really bother us..........but we were on the Woods view side facing the Contemporary............and we were rarely at the Lodge during the day












The construction is moving along.

Doug

Thanks for checking in with us and I'm going to post a link to your photos in POST 2. Looking forward to reading more about your trip, Doug.

I made it through the thread! It is a kewl thread with lots of helpful information! (Thanks to all the posters!! )

ah, the North wing for possible Firework view- but sounds like all views are magical! <3 Thank you for all your information and attention to detail WDWKook! We stayed at the Lodge years and years ago - dh is a big fan of Mt Rainier, is planning the outer rim trail in a few weeks, and the WL is modeled after something near there! His birthday will be while we're at the Lodge, and we'll be celebrating #34!

Welcome, Sandy321 and congratulations on making your way through the thread

Make sure DH's birthday is noted in your reservation

 

[MaggiesMomNJ]

I am happy to hear everyone's trips are going well despite the construction.



Does anyone know which entrees from Artist Point you can order from the lounge? Is it true you can't use the meal plan?

73 days to go!

 

[BlueFairy]

I am happy to hear everyone's trips are going well despite the construction. Does anyone know which entrees from Artist Point you can order from the lounge? Is it true you can't use the meal plan? 73 days to go!

I don't think they take DDP in the TL, but it seems they should. Maybe I missed it. They had a special menu which I believe was the entire AP kids menu and the apps. I did not ask about entrees. KOOK has more experience there.

 

[BlueFairy]

Is Whispering Canyon Cafe ever "walk up" for lunch or dinner, or do I need an ADR at all times? Was hoping to not "plan" one night of our trip so we didn't have to rush back at the end of the day for an ADR. Would be nice to just stroll back to our hotel and dine, even if it means a minimal wait. The nights I am thinking of are mid-week next week, if that makes a difference.

It was our experience in Aug that they were not taking walk ups at dinner. I was turned away one night. However, at around 4 pm I was able to make ADRs with the app for that same evening 2 nights in a row. Once was a 6pm ADR and the other was 8:30. Seems like I had good choices for times. I also remember the night I was turned away at 6:00, we looked then and couldn't find an ADR with the app. So it may vary, but I would try to get a last minute ADR with the app once you decide.

 

[bookgirl]

Thanks for the construction pictures. It'll be interesting to see how far they get on the pool by my late Oct checkin.


So I decided to tag along on my parents Vegas trip. I'm not a huge gambler but I've been coming out here since I was 17 so it's a nice low maintenance vacation. But I to laugh. My mom was checking in the VIP lounge and so they had given her a $250 resort credit and they were trying to explain that she needed to charge everything to her room and sign a receipt but she kept asking but isn't it on my key? I think my mom misses the magic bands.

However the clerk was super nice and arranged for a fridge in our room when I asked about emptying the mini bar for allergy stuff. And she gave us a room with a coffee pot and a view of the new High Roller Ferris wheel. If you go to Vegas you know how rare it is to get a fridge or a coffee pot, they want you walking the casino to get to the starbucks not lounging in your room.

Lots of 'pixie dust' but still not quite disney, I think I'm down to 36 days till I arrive at the lodge.

 

[cmstpierre]

So it may vary, but I would try to get a last minute ADR with the app once you decide.

Ooo - good advice, thank you! Only 2 more days until we arrive for our first stay at WL!

 

[Divaofdisney]

I am happy to hear everyone's trips are going well despite the construction.



Does anyone know which entrees from Artist Point you can order from the lounge? Is it true you can't use the meal plan?

73 days to go!

Been following the construction updates so far as well...but I also think that a vacation is what you make it too. A positive attitude going into it really helps as well. Really hoping all is completed in time for our December trip This is a great thread...and many thanks to everyone for all the updates!!!

 

[Smileybug]

Good morning ya'll. I just booked our next trip. It will be our 4th stay at the WL Hubby and I are sooo in love with this resort. It just feels like..... coming home. This will also be our first stay CL. And I can't tell you how excited I am about that!!

 

[jtowntoflorida]

It was our experience in Aug that they were not taking walk ups at dinner. I was turned away one night. However, at around 4 pm I was able to make ADRs with the app for that same evening 2 nights in a row. Once was a 6pm ADR and the other was 8:30. Seems like I had good choices for times. I also remember the night I was turned away at 6:00, we looked then and couldn't find an ADR with the app. So it may vary, but I would try to get a last minute ADR with the app once you decide.

I've seen this reported by a few people at several restaurants--not just WCC. I read one account where the guest walked up and asked if they were taking walkups and were told no. He left the restaurant, went to MDE found an open reservation for 5 minutes later, and then walked back in, said he had a reservation, and was seated! It's crazy, but anyone who is told no walk-ups should check MDE for same-day availability for any restaurant.

 

[KTexas]

We are heading out in a few days for our first stay at the Lodge, and our first stay on property. We are super excited, and are planning for a great time despite construction! We have two young children and are hoping to rent bikes to ride to FW. So: (1). I saw pictures that looked like you could rent bikes with a seat on back for a young child, is that correct? (2). Do they have kid-sized bikes, too, for our older child? 3). How long would it take us to bike from the Lodge to FW? We were hoping to bike and use FW pool during construction. Once we bike to FW can we continue on biking to the pool? Is it close? Thanks so much!!

 

[Robinw0506]

We are here now. Room 4050 standard view north wing. Our view is a parking lot and smoke house. However each night we watch wishes (or hallowishes) from the balcony. It's awesome! We have two little ones so we are in our room in plenty of time to see from the door/window to balcony. Construction hasn't bothered us at all. I came back to put dd down for nap and there was some noise from pool, but we quickly walked by and entered the north wing building and could no longer hear it. Honestly it isn't any louder than the pool would get with games and kids. Noise level is about the same to me, it's just a different noise. Hope to share some pictures later!