The WL to FW bus drops off at the Settlement, where the stables and food are. If you want the stables where the trail ride horses are, you can take an internal bus to the Outpost, the front of the resort.This is sad but 5 minutes is only to the front of the resort, correct? If planning to head back to the stables or food, that’s a journey, one I much prefer to be by boat.
Welcome, Hubalorian! As Granny says above, the entire WL resort is marvelous, a second "home" to many. Most of us on this thread own at VWL (Disney insists on calling it BRV) and tout its quiet appeal, the serenity, and the beauty of the architecture and landscaping. And there is a sister thread dedicated just to CCV (which you may have already visited) if you have more questions. But, in short, CCV is a lovely addition to the WL family, only as mentioned, they're tucked entirely into one side of the main lodge building, as well as those gorgeous cabins. Anyway, you asked for pros and cons, specifically relating to CCV, so here is my short list.
Thank you! I really appreciate that insight. We’re staying at AKL in June and one of the draws to AKL was the theming, the grandness of the lobby and the overall vibe. From what we’ve seen on the lodge it made us feel that type of grandness as wellWelcome, Hubalorian! As Granny says above, the entire WL resort is marvelous, a second "home" to many. Most of us on this thread own at VWL (Disney insists on calling it BRV) and tout its quiet appeal, the serenity, and the beauty of the architecture and landscaping. And there is a sister thread dedicated just to CCV (which you may have already visited) if you have more questions. But, in short, CCV is a lovely addition to the WL family, only as mentioned, they're tucked entirely into one side of the main lodge building, as well as those gorgeous cabins. Anyway, you asked for pros and cons, specifically relating to CCV, so here is my short list.
PROS
- It's the Lodge: perhaps the most stunning architecture of any Disney resort. And the holidays? Best. Decorations. Hands. Down.
- Geyser Point: a fine restaurant that doesn't quite have enough good seating, but the food is solid to good, as are the drinks
- Serenity: though much of the wilderness is now gone from the Wilderness Lodge, it's still a very peaceful resort that sits on the water. It's one of the best, most enjoyable resorts from a walking point of view, though the resort isn't huge and sprawling.
- Flickering lanterns and majestic music: they transport you
- Transportation: it used to be even better when boats ran over to FW and CR. Now, it's just boats to MK, though that's still a great perk. And buses generally run well from there, too.
CONS
- The rooms aren't as thematic as I'd like them to be, sort of a nouveau west theme. Not a huge fan of that nor the shotgun kitchens in the 1/2 BRs. But, that's a preference thing.
- Restaurants: while I like Geyser Point, Whispering Canyon is just okay. Roaring Fork is decent, but a shell of its former self before the renovation a few years back. And the resort used to have one of the top signature restaurants on property--Artist's Point. Now, it's a storybook character meal. So, for a supposed luxury resort, it has no really nice place to eat. Territory Lounge is a good bar; however, once the storybook restaurant opened, it became the prime spot for families to wait to get seated--not sure if that's still true.
- As much beauty as there is around the resort, I miss the walkway and nature path (two separate things) that have been permanently closed. You used to could walk just under a mile and be at FW.
There is a uniqueness to the Lodge that's hard to find in the current spate of Disney architecture. They committed to theming when they built it and AKL. WL is still a grand dame of resorts despite losing some of her sheen. How important those things above are to you is what matters.
The same architect designed Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge (Jambo House) so they do tend to impart a similar feeling of majesty and grandeur. I think you will like Wilderness Lodge if you like the transportative experience of wonderful detailed theming.
Hey and Welcome to the Groupies!!
Well, Sleepy, Granny, & Jimmy really did a spectacular job of explaining our love of Wilderness Lodge!
Welcome!! You've gotten some great tips and pointers about our 'home'. I do have one thing to add....
Yes I am! I've spent the last few days trying to decide how it's different from the woods view though.
They always had that bus before too. It does take seem that the CR is the dissenter on the boats. As a last hope I'm crossing fingers that DVC doing the cabins might bring the boats back.
Wow, Im tearing up seeing this photo and so wishing I was there!! Thats a fine group of some of my favorite people in this world right there
KAT, I think its high time we start a petition, down by the boat docks, to bring back the resort hopping Steamboat Willies. Y'all have a good group there now to get the ball rolling
I was awesome spending time with such a wonderful group. And everyone was so cheerful even though we had to change the venue multiple times!Wonderful evening catching up with you all!
We stayed at OKW - I just remember being in awe over the room and the grounds and the whole feeling of ‘Welcome Home’….growing up, I never thought I would actually ever be in the position to ‘own’ a piece of Disney! (Even though it’s only a postage stamp size)
Wishing you were here Jimmy!Wow, Im tearing up seeing this photo and so wishing I was there!! Thats a fine group of some of my favorite people in this world right there
