PrBrandy
Registered: April 2009
Posts: 17
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Review Date: Sat May 11, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Boat to Magic Kingdom and Decor of the Lodge
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Cons:
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Long walk to transportation and self parking
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We are Vacation Club Members and Old Key West is our home resort. This our second time staying at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. We had a two bedroom on the second floor. There were a few minor Mousekeeping issues but these were taken care of fast and friendly by the cast members when they were told about them. One minor maintenance issue also taking care of fast and friendly. The Wilderness Lodge is beautiful and has good food places that Old Key West does not have. The Boat to the Magic Kingdom is much better then the Bus. Bus service in general was good this trip as well.
The room it self is well landed out with lots of room for 4 which we had. I suspect it would a little tight with 8 which the room sleeps. The Villas are quiet and good for sleeping. We had a room facing the lake so not bus noisy.
I would stay here again for sure.
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MrsH42608
Registered: May 2012
Location: NY
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sun April 28, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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theming, location, amenities, service
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Cons:
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noise in the rooms
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We had a wonderful stay at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. We stayed in a studio, which was clean and spacious. The balcony overlooked the woods which was nice and peaceful. The lobby is wonderul and welcoming. We enjoyed a good amount of time in the pool and hot tub. We also rented sea raycers and cruised around on Bay Lake for a while which was SO fun. Every cast member we saw or spoke to was helpful and friendly. I really cannot say enough good things about this resort. It is just beautiful, relaxing, fun and welcoming all at the same time.
The only issue we had was the noise level in the rooms. I think we travel enough to be able to tell the difference between just very loud neighbors and when the walls are just too thin- or whatever the reason, but we could hear our neighbors on BOTH sides, VERY well- too well. Luckily they weren't up too late or too early for it to really disturb us but at one point while we were decompessing one afternoon the noise just got to be too much we actually had to leave the room.
That one negative aspect however, will not keep us from coming back. Wilderness lodge is SO SO SO nice and relxing, we'll defintely be back.
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arielwatcher
Registered: April 2007
Posts: 90
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Review Date: Fri March 29, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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relaxing boats available to the MK
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Cons:
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Circuitous, LONG bus rides
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Made our DVC reservations so late we had to split between here and the BW.
We arrived on the Magical Express around 10am and our 1BR room was ready!
The cast member was a bit too chatty about Disney Labor policies and I had to ask 2x for a receipt for the $500 cash I put down with my Credit card.
The walk to the Villas was short and close to the Bus stop.
Our room, 3314 overlooked the bus stop. Everything was fresh and clean.
We awaited other members of our party at Downtown Disney with some shopping. Imagine my shock at my room card being rejected for my charge! The store cast member made a call to the front desk and it was discovered I could not 'tap and pay', which was just fine, the card could be used when the cast member ran the card through their reader.
We rode the boat to MK and then took the monorail to EPCOT, using the Bus as little as possible because they insist on resorts sharing buses.
We'll happily return to the WLV.
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Andybren01
Registered: January 2006
Location: Illinois
Posts: 19
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Review Date: Sun January 6, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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boat transportation
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Cons:
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dirty room, rude staff
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We stayed here on 12-8-12 for two nights following our cruise. I have always wanted to stay here, so I was really looking forward to it. What a major let down. We had to wait forever for our villa to be ready, it was missing several of the kitchen items, I couldn't tell you when it was cleaned last....the dust had layers. Socks from the previous party were on the floor, furniture was all scratched up. This needed a major over hall, since we only had two nights we made do, I told the front desk when we checked out and the girl didn't even seem to care. Can't say we would ever stay here again.
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BuckeyeBarb
Registered: June 2012
Posts: 14
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Review Date: Fri January 4, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Gorgeous theming
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Cons:
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None
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Stayed there 12/26-1/1. We are vacation club members and this is our home base. We usually rent a two bedroom villa. They had taken a previous suggestion to improve the lighting in the bathrooms and I was pleasantly surprised. They had computer problems when we checked in, but they bent over backwards trying to make it as painless as possible and apologized all over the place. The rooms were clean and we loved the new microwave and washer/dryer.
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ReaderReviews
Registered: November 2006
Posts: 102
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Review Date: Sun October 28, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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Beautiful, great theming, great transportation
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Cons:
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Horrible in dealing with allergy concerns, poor management
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Review submitted by cats_love_me:
I stayed at the Wilderness lodge 10/9/2012 - 10/13/2012 for a quick stay and experience MNSSHP. I stayed at the villas studio.
I have special health problems which require special cleaning of the resort room. The resort was notified by calling the day before and the day of check-in. The information was also noted on my reservation. Again at check-in inquired if the room was cleaned appropriately.
Day 1
Check-in, assigned room. Room not cleaned appropriately. I then was exposed to chemicals which cause breathing problems for myself. 3 hours after notifying the front desk and speaking to a housekeeping manager I was in a safe room breathing wise.
Day 2 Sick from exposure to chemicals..see doc...still try to enjoy vacation.
Day 3 Going to take nap. Drilling and hammering in room above me. Day of MNSSHP. Call front desk.. given run around they don't know anything about work in the room. Later talk to manager - there was work on the room.
Voice mail in room when return from MNSSHP informing alarm testing on day 4 all afternoon. So after being out late in the party and planning to get up and hit the parks and then come back in nap in the afternoon. Plan busted again.
Day4 Went to park. Come back 9pm.
Housekeeping was in the room. Sprayed chemicals for cleaning that I was allergic, which were noted to not be used in my room. Towels replaced were not cleaned accordingly either.
Management's response on the night of day 4, was that nothing was sprayed and I was given appropriate towels. After a long discussion, management finally gave me appropriate towels, and didn't seem to care about the offending chemicals in room.
Management at this hotel does not understand the point of special cleaning. There is a problem somewhere.
Not a relaxing resort, not a quiet resort. Quiet pool was great. The theme of the lobby and pool are wonderful and grand.
Had great luck with the boat and bus transportation.
Did not like the smoking area location. When you go from the main building outside to get to the villas, you have to walk past the designated smoking section, which is in a walkway off to the right. However the smoke of course just floats right in the walkway. Florida is hot humid and smoke just sits in the air, and every time you go from the main building to the villas, it's rough on the breathing impaired.
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OneLtlSpark
Registered: March 2007
Location: Chicago
Posts: 43
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Review Date: Tue October 9, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Theme, lobby, pool area
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Cons:
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Dark, small bed, room in need of updating
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We are not DVC members, but booked a studio villa at the Wilderness Lodge to enjoy a bit of extra room space and a kitchenette.
The Wilderness Lodge itself is a gorgeous, sprawling resort with truly wonderful themeing. There are countless details that really make the surroundings spectacular, from the totem poles, fireplaces and bridge in the main lobby to the flawless grounds of the entire resort.
We checked in at 3 p.m. and were happy to find our studio villa ready. The DVC villas have their own building and lobby area, complete with rocking chairs and fireplace. Our room was located on the second floor at the far end of the building - the view wasn't terrific (partially overlooking a maintenance entrance in one direction), but we're always happy to have a private balcony regardless.
Mousekeeping did an excellent job the entire trip - the kitchen area was spotless, and always stocked with plates, cups, and soap. Our trash was always removed, and the room was well dusted and vacuumed.
I do have to say that I was not entirely thrilled with the room itself. The bed appeared to be more full size than queen and did not have any sort of mattress pad or topper on it, just the standard fitted sheet. Not a huge deal, but I had hoped for a bit more luxury than that.
The furniture was the standard Disney sleeper couch, table & chair set, and dresser with flat screen tv. While it all tied into the theme of the resort, it still looked a bit outdated. All functional and comfortable, but it might not be a bad idea for Disney to give it a bit of a facelift.
The bathroom was also functional, although the sink and mirror area was very dark.
Having stayed at the Poly, Floridian, Contemporary and Boardwalk in years past, I have to say that this room was definitely our least favorite of them all.
However, the resort itself was absolutely gorgeous, fun, and lively. We loved the pool and beach area, enjoyed cocktails in the Territory Lounge, and were thrilled at how quickly the bus and boat transportation worked.
So, while there were a few minor room detail issues, the fabulous amenities truly outweigh them.
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Firegerry
Registered: October 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mon October 8, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Proximity to main lobby
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Cons:
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No food at the poolside bar
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We really enjoyed our first stay at Wilderness Lodge. The room we had was right at the side entrance of the villa building by the walkway to the main lobby of the resort.
I used the health club twice and found it to be excellent.
Food selections in Roaring Forks were great. I only wish they served food at the poolside bar. We did not try Artist Point. Food at Whispering Canyon Cafe was also quite good.
Looking forward to staying there again.
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John
Registered: December 2010
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 49
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Review Date: Sun July 29, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Room close to the elevator
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Cons:
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Problems with Coffee Maker.
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We had another great experience at the Wilderness Lodge Villas. We had a Two Bedroom (4528) near the elevator which was very nice since my wife has bad knees and problems walking long distances.
The only problem we had was with the coffee maker, but called Housekeeping and they sent another one up right away. Unfortunately someone had left the basket out and it didn't work either. So we called again and they sent a brand new one, which did work.
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wattage
Registered: January 2010
Location: Richmond Virginia
Posts: 56
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Review Date: Mon April 16, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great place to stay with family - theming of resort
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Cons:
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None worth complaining about
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My wife, 12yo daughter and I stayed four nights in the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge from April 10 – 14, 2012. We are DVC members and stayed on points. We stayed in a one bedroom room with a king bed and a sleeper sofa. Our room was on the 4th floor overlooking the front of the villas walk-way from the Wilderness Lodge. Our room was very clean when we arrived. The bedroom had a very comfortable mattress that was soft with good quality sheets and bedding. My wife liked the soft pillows. My daughter said the sleeper sofa was fine and she slept well each night.
The bathroom had the toilet in a separate room with its own lockable door. The shower stall was huge with a nice Waterpick shower head. There was a separate area in the bathroom for the large jetted tub and vanity. This is also were the walk-in closet is located. The bathroom was accessed from both the master bedroom and the living area.
The kitchen area was spotless when we arrived. The refrigerator was spotlessly clean as was the sink, stove, microwave and dishwasher.
Disney does an excellent job in the way it “Themes” its resorts. The Wilderness Lodge is themed just like its name – as a lodge/log cabin. All areas show Disney’s attention to detail in how the theme is carried out throughout the report. All posts and beams are made to look like logs (if they are not actually wooden logs), and all metal handrails look like small logs.
My only complaint about the room is how the bathroom is set up – there is no way to lock both doors that enter into the master bedroom from the living area and bathroom. There is a lock on the door from the living area to the MBR, but not on the door from the bathroom into the MBR. This door can be locked from the inside to prevent anyone from entering the bathroom, but not from entering the MBR. Small issue, but one I need to point out.
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WDW Mike
Registered: November 2009
Posts: 9
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Review Date: Sun January 15, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Very Peaceful
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Cons:
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none
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We had our stay at the Wilderness Lodge Villas from Jan 9th to the 13th in a 1 bedroom villa. Upon check-in, we were told they were in the 90% range for occupancy. During our stay we never felt or heard like it was as packed as we were told. Very peaceful is all I can say. We had a great room with an even greater view. It was nice having a kitchen for cooking our own meals, but we also ate at Trails End and Roaring Fork as we like those places a lot. Just walking around the resort is relaxing as you feel transported to another part of the country. The landscaping and surrounding woods keep the whole resort in its rustic theme. Can't wait until our next stay!
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robinstuckey
Registered: January 2012
Location: Columbus, GA
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed January 4, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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everything
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Cons:
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bus transportation
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We stayed Dec 16-Dec 24 in a 1 bedroom villa. It was amazing. We do Disney every year but this was our first year in a deluxe or villa. We like it so much that we have become DVC members. We arrived at Disney at 1 p.m. and were met by cast members who escorted us in to check in. The room was not ready not we received a txt within 30 minutes that our room was ready. The bell service helped unpack everything. Our room was so spacious and amazing. It was very clean and stayed clean the entire time. Housekeeping did an amazing good plus they were so nice. We ate in Whispering Canyon which was so worth it. We also purchased the disney dining plan and loved it. We will never do disney without it. We were so full and both my husband and I gained 10lbs and when we left we had 4 meals left. The pools were so nice. I am not a drinker but the mango margarita at the trout pool bar was wonderful. We used the boats for Magic and it was less than a 5 minute wait. The buses were awful. We waited 10-20 minutes for each bus and then we had to stop by the grand. I kind of thought that the deluxe resorts would have their own bus. Walking into the lobby of Wilderness was breathtaking. We sat for hours just absorbing the atmosphere. The quick service is at Roaring Forks. We loved it. It is a small area with limited seating and limited food selection but the food was good and the staff were very kind. The quick serve was very easy to follow in roaring forks. There is a smaller pool and hot tub for the villa's and we got in everyday. The most amazing thing to us was the peacefulness. With the hotel being 100% booked on several days, we never knew it. We had deer outside our patio every morning. I would say request a room near the elevator. We had ground floor very close to the door and it was worth it. The resort had movies under the stars and campfires every night. Plus you can watch the water parade and fireworks from the beach. Our favorite thing was going to Ft Wilderness and renting a golf cart. We rode through the campsites and looked at decorations. It was such a fun night. The golf cart was $67 but we had it for 24 hours. We did make the mistake of getting our groceries from the store in the lobby. We were too lazy to go to Walmart. We ended up spending $70 for banana's, bread, milk, butter, cream cheese, bagels, and donuts. HAHAHA So you should plan on a grocery trip to Walmart or Target to save money. We could have spent several days just walking around the resort and enjoying the peacefulness. We loved it and do not want to stay at any other resort.
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LOOPYD
Registered: November 2006
Location: Wales, UK
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Sun November 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Fast boat ride to Magic Kingdom
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Cons:
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None
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Spent 8 nights in a one bedroom villa around Halloween after spending 5 nights at Disney's Vero Beach resort, with husband, and girls aged 8 and 13. Great place - very welcoming and friendly. Ate at the Whispering Canyon, which was a super experience. There were lots of Halloween activities going on for all on the 31st, and the pumpkin displays in the lobby were outstanding.
It was lovely to take the boat to Magic Kingdom and then we would take the monorail to get to Epcot. Fairly slow buses to get to the parks, but hey, we were on holiday, so were in no hurry - what we don't get done, we put at the top of our list for next year!
Great accommodation - everything you could wish for. We were in room 5523, which had a restricted view of the lake, due to the trees, but was lovely. Very easy to get to the Lodge - unlike Boardwalk, which is a bit of a hike!
Would highly recommend the Villas at Wilderness Lodge!
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docusmc1
Registered: June 2009
Location: Kutztown, PA
Posts: 31
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Review Date: Tue October 18, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Quiet Villa, Great Location
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Cons:
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No desk or workstation in villa
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Stayed in 1br accessible villa, found it comfortable but a little on the small size. Only one problem while there was at check in at 0015. Was getting off the ME using the wheelchair lift and told my wife to get a bellman to take our luggage since we arrived at the airport after 10pm and could not use the bag delivery service. She was told to go inside to check in with the 2 pieces of luggage along with 4 carryons. Bellman in front of WL would not take the bags. When I got off the bus and approached him about my order from Garden Grocer and Owners Locker, he told me they would already be in the room.(I knew better and let it go). When we checked in, I told the front desk CM that I have 3 packages that I sent down via FedEx along with my GG order and OL he told me to call the bellmen when I got to the room and they would be bought right up. Got to the room at 0045 and called down and the items were not delivered to the room until 0130 missing the OL. Waited another 30 minutes for him to go get it and return. Not a great start but later that day I did speak to a manager and she corrected it the best she could after the fact. We returned to our villa that night to find a white chocolate Donald Duck with dark chocolate shavings around it. Found the bus service very good, did not wait more than 10 minutes for bus to EPCOT or DTD. Weather was heavy rain on Friday and Saturday but did not hamper us. Did MNSSHP in the rain on Friday for the 1st time. It was great and we plan on doing it next year. Saturday we did DTD for the whole day. Sunday was EPCOT and F&W also for the first time. Overall it was a great trip even thought it was a short one to renew our AP's.
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disneymom35
Registered: August 2006
Location: NJ
Posts: 59
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Review Date: Wed October 12, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Quiet, boat to MK, theming
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Cons:
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Bus transportation, Roaring Forks
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First of all, I would have probably gave this resort a 10 if not for the bus transportation issues. Anytime you take a bus to a park, it is yoked with either Fort Wilderness or Grand Floridian bus stops. It seems to take forever just to get to Ft. Wilderness and then, you leave and go to the park. All park rides averaged no less than 20 minutes. Downtown Disney bus is virtually non-existent. A trip to Ghirardelli (and Ghirardelli only) took us 2 and a half hours from leaving our room to getting off the bus back at the resort. On the up side of transportation, the bus to MK seems to always be there ready to transport you over. Great, relaxing way to travel.
Roaring Forks just needs to be bigger. It has to be the smallest food "court" I've ever seen at Disney with little to no grab and go items. Just be prepared.
The many, many positives of this resort is it seemed so quiet. I know we had others in our hallway but you wouldn't know it except for running into people on the elevators. The pool was never, ever crowded and, again, very peaceful. The walk to the bus and boat weren't very long. We found the mercantile to be sufficient and just a beautiful resort. Staff was also very friendly and helpful.
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