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Description: The Concierge Rooms and Service at Disney's Wilderness Lodge


Blog Review with Photos: http://land.allears.net/blogs/guestblog/2010/08/wilderness_lodge_birthday_trip_1.html


jsharpky

Registered: November 2012
Posts: 1
Review Date: Tue November 13, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 6 

 
Pros: Atmosphere, Location, Free Food/Alcohol
Cons: 7th Floor location with open balcony.

We just returned from a 6 night stay at the Wilderness Lodge in a Junior Suite (formerly Deluxe Room, I believe). We stayed Club Level for the entire time, but were not on the 7th floor.


Staying in the suite gave us a very peaceful and quiet view on the third floor next to the Villas. While the room was great, it was a long way from the actual Old Faithful Club itself, but considering it as a suite we had requested, I cannot give the location a negative report.


We stayed a week at the Polynesian Club level earlier this summer, so I was constantly comparing the Wilderness Lodge club level to the Poly club level. In my view, the Polynesian is hands down the better overall club level experience due to view, location, staff, and quality of food. That's not to say that we thought the Wilderness Lodge club was bad by any means; had we stayed first at Wilderness we would have been happy.


The food was very hearty but greasy. It was okay for the cooler weather in November, but perhaps maybe too much for the summer. Breakfast was fairly typically muffins and cereals; dinner was okay, lunch was just snacks only. Our family of 5 (2 adults and 3 little ones) easily ate breakfast and dinner there, but found lunch offerings very lacking. Again, not unexpected.


The main issue I had with the Old Faithful Club is the physical location. It's on the 7th floor of the Wilderness Lodge, and the Lodge itself is designed with a large open lobby in the main building. (think Embassy Suites or something). It's beautiful, awe-inspiring, and impressive, but for the Club dining purposes, all the tables and chairs are against the railing looking down from the 7th floor into the lobby. This was a complete nerve-racking experience when dining with 3 active and curious children under the age of 7. Again, you're right on the railings; the tables are lined in a row along the sides. It caught us by surprise but luckily, we all made it back home safely.


As far as staff, they were neither bad nor outstanding. Bonnie was the exception, as she was attentive, wonderful and helpful. Most of the other staff did their jobs, but just didn't seem as happy to be there as the staff in the Polynesian Club.


Nothing we experienced during our stay was bad, but it just wasn't as pleasant as the Polynesian experience for the club. The location and along the railings is probably not an issue for most folks without young children (and paranoid parents). Overall, we enjoyed our stay and had a good experience. I would stay at the Wilderness Lodge again but probably would not spend the extra for the Club level access. I would at the Polynesian though.
Crow

Registered: June 2006
Posts: 22
Review Date: Tue June 12, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: CMS, atmosphere
Cons: view looking down from rm, buses

CMs were very good, and I complimented a mgr about them. I asked for a rehabbed room and got it on 7th floor, was told they were still doing details of rehabs as they saw what they looked like in rooms. The rm looked down on smokehouse, but looking across I could see the Contemporary, Some of MK and Wishes. The color scheme seemed a little dim as did the lighting esp in bathroom. the toilet did not flush well. The tiles in shower were nice. WIFI didn't work that well.


The food supplanted some of my meals, breakfast was ok, croissant one day seemed dry. Bagels, mini muffins, mini sticky. Snacks were trail mix, goldfish, sodas, cookies,juice. Apps were 4 cheese, wine, bread, crackers, salad and something hot like chili, venison spring rolls, sushi or such, beer. desserts were cobbler, cookies, magic cookie bar, Grand Marnier, Courvassier, wine..I saved a lot on the alcohol by drinking that there and could take beer to room. Sitting at tables overlooking the lobby was nice. They offer dvds to watch on player in rm, will help w ADRs, food offsite delivery, etc. I don't know if i would stay CL again due to cost, if I had the $ I would, but I would stay at WL again.


Buses are sometimes a wait, but boat is nice.
RandyBeaty

Registered: December 2008
Posts: 1
Review Date: Thu June 7, 2012 Would you recommend the product? No | Rating: 3 

 
Pros: Food in club, Whispering Canyon, Lobby
Cons: Roaring Forks, small pool, poor service, bad view from room,

Over the last several years we have stayed at All Star twice, Pop Century 4 or 5 times, Port Orleans once, Caribean Beach twice, Animal Kingdom Lodge (once or twice standard level and club level two or 3 times), and Wilderness Lodge twice. The last couple of summers we have stayed at AKL club level, but the food is not very good, with their odd African taste, so we decided to try WL. WL's club level food has gotten good reviews.


After staying club level at AKL, we came to expect the same level of service and luxury. WL was a very big disappointment and we will probably never stay there again. First, the club level rooms have almost no view whatsoever. The rooms are on the 7th floor, and the architecture of the building gives the rooms an enclosed balcony. Our youngest is 12 and short, so for him to even see out of the balcony he would need to stand on a chair. From the room we could see a little sky, but no courtyard, trees, or anything else. The concierge desk is tiny compared to AKL, and the club seating is spread out along the walkway of the 7th floor. We were moved to a room on the 6th floor, which gave us a great view, but now we were away from the club level and had to ask, several times in several cases, for the basic amenities that we had paid for with the club level room. Half of our packages were delivered to the room, the others we had to track down in the gift shop.


The food was very good- venison chili, beef stew, meat balls, etc... breakfast had cereal, pastries, and lots of fresh fruit. So the food was everything we had read about. You could easily eat breakfast and dinner at the club. The cobler in the evening was also very good. Unfortunately, the food was all that was very deluxe.


The pool is undersized for a deluxe resort, especially compared to AKL. There is a second, much smaller pool, between the lodge and villas. The lobby is beautiful, and the dinner that we had at Whispering Canyons Restaurant was a lot of fun.


Basically, my wife and I had to put aside the fact that we had paid several thousand dollars for a deluxe resort, but were getting much, much less of an experience then we would have at AKL. Once we put that aside, we had a fair time. Our sons have a good time anywhere, so they loved the tetherball, pool slide, surrey bike rental, boat rentals, and pool. We were able to see some of the fireworks from the beach. They have the 7 pm marshmallow roast and 9 pm movie on the beach.


We had a decent time, but will never stay there again. If we had paid for a moderate resort, and had expected a moderate resort, then we would have been satisfied. But we paid AKL club level prices for a resort that offered nothing different from Port Orleans or Caribean beach.


If AKL could have WL's food, we would never stay anywhere but AKL. Next year we will probably be back at AKL and just put up with the weird food.
MissKitty

Registered: May 2012
Location: Jupiter, Fl
Posts: 1
Review Date: Wed May 30, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: The Old Faithful Club
Cons: None

We just returned from a 4 day visit to the Wilderness Lodge at Club Level. The food was wonderful and the staff treats you like royalty. The money you pay is worth every penny. We actually cancelled dinner reservations because we ate too many snacks. We got to stay in one of the newly renovated rooms and it has much brighter decor. Made return reservations while we were there. Can't wait to return!
WDWKOOK

Registered: August 2008
Location: NoVA
Posts: 3
Review Date: Sun April 15, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: SERVICE, MANAGEMENT, STAFF, VALUE, THEMING
Cons: ENCLOSED BALCONIES

We last stayed club level at Wilderness Lodge for six nights over spring break. We have stayed at all the Deluxe Resorts except GF and BC, and have stayed club level at BoardWalk Inn, Contemporary and Yacht Club.


I can't recommend the Old Faithful Club enough! From the attentive, friendly and efficient staff, to the warm and hard-working manager, Randy S., to the immaculate and roomy lounge and food service area, club level at Wilderness Lodge is an absolute joy!


Old Faithful Club amenities include:


~Exclusive KTTW card access to the 7th floor. All WL standard club level rooms, four Honeymoon Suites and both the Yellowstone and Yosemite Suites are located on the 7th (top) floor. The entire floor is dedicated to club level/concierge. Additionally, there are 25 Deluxe club level rooms that are located on floors 1-6. Standard club level rooms at WDW are the same size/configuration as non-club level rooms. Though club level views can't be guaranteed, they include: Woods, VWL Courtyard and WL Courtyard views. WL balconies on the club level floor (and part of the 6th floor) are enclosed balconies, meaning you have to be standing to see out and below. While this is architecturally pleasing, it's not ideal for those who want to sit while taking in the beautiful views.


~Pre-arrival itinerary planning: The Itinerary Planning Office is actually located at the Poly. They will assist you prior to your arrival, generally via email, but you can also call them. After arrival, on-site concierges at the Old Faithful Club will assist you.


~On-site concierge assistance: The staff are available to assist guests from 0700 - 10:00 daily. They are located on the club level floor next to the main elevators and are always happy to help answer questions, make or change dining, recreation or resort reservations, give directions, ask about your day and offer a friendly smile. It's especially nice knowing that if you have a problem you can call directly to the OFC concierges for help, rather than calling a call center elsewhere in Florida in order to contact the front desk.


~Automatic nightly turn-down service: Housekeeping will turn-down your bedding, leave WL chocolate mints, empty the trash cans, remove used towels and replace them, replenish toiletries/amenities as needed, and close the curtains.


~Two robes, though more can be requested.


~Old Faithful Club "welcome box" of two delicious truffles, a piece of chocolate with the WL logo on it and a delicious solid chocolate totem pole modeled after the one in the lobby near the Mercantile.


~Access to the club level lounge. It's so convenient eating breakfast in the lounge and having access to drinks throughout the day/night. We usually eat our biggest meal late in the afternoon and then go back to the resort for appetizers and dessert in the evening. You can even take food or drinks back to your room and store them in your fridge or take them outside to the pool or beach. There are "to-go" cups with lids that can be filled with tea, beer, coffee, water, milk, etc… WDW club levels no longer provide individual bottles of water.



The Old Faithful Club lounge:


Coffee service: 0630-0700.
Breakfast: 0700-1030.
Snacks: 1130-4:00.
Appetizers: 5:00-7:00.
Desserts and cordials: 8:00-10:00.


The Old Faithful Club has an amazing variety of food and drinks. We love that the delicious appetizers change nightly and usually 2-3 hot items are available, such as:


Chicken skewers, ancho chili chicken skewers, salmon chowder, satay, venison meatballs, venison spring rolls, duck pot stickers, pulled-pork shooters, bacon-wrapped scallops, crab rangoon… They also always have a tasty variety of cold items such as arugula salad, potato and bean salad, buffalo salad, tomato caprese, antipasto platter, crudités, cheeses (the bleu is delicious), hummus, baba ganoush, sun dried tomato pesto, bleu ranch dip, turkey and cheese roll-ups, PBJ shooters, breads…


Breakfast is the same everyday. They have cut-up fresh fruit, including delicious fresh pineapple every morning. Apples and bananas are also out all the time. They also have fresh chocolate chip and blueberry muffins, croissants, pastries such as cinnamon buns, cereals, bagels (with cream cheese, jelly and peanut butter), yogurt, and oatmeal (only seasonally). Unlike the Epcot resorts, they don't have hard boiled eggs. There is brewed coffee in a pitcher from from 0630 - 1030 and there are two coffee machines which offer a variety of plain and specialty, regular and decaf. coffees. In the fridge there are cartons of skim and 1% milk, canned tomato juice and sometimes apple juice boxes. There is also 2% milk and cream, apple juice, cranberry juice and OJ.


Snacks consist of gummies, a sesame cracker mix, goldfish crackers and cookies. They also have sodas in the refrigerator and water, iced tea, lemonade, coffee and tea bags. If you'd like beer or wine, but it's not out yet, just ask one of the friendly Cast Members. About four different bottled beers are put in the fridge at 5:00 and three different wines, usually a cabernet, merlot and white. At 8:00 cordials are available, too.


Dessert time means it's time for cobbler! Every evening a delicious cobbler is available. Usually it's an apple, peach or berry cobbler. There are also Magic Bars, brownies and cookies and the portion sizes are generous. Milk is always out, unlike some lounges where you have to ask for it.


The staff work tirelessly to ensure that the food and drinks are always replenished, that the serving area is always clean and that utensils, cups and dishes are always available. They bus the tables quickly after guests leave or guests have the option of bussing their own table. There is a set of trash cans and a tray where guests can throw out their trash and leave their dishes. We really like that this option is still available to guests as some WDW lounges no longer have trash cans.


We love that at the OFC the food area is in a separate room from the lounge seating area. It makes the seating area so much more cozy and tranquil. The food area even has a sink for guests to wash their hands. The lounge seating area is shaped like a "U" and wraps around the lobby below. The views down to the lobby are breathtaking and in our experience, there is always a place to sit.


There are tables near the food area, offering views down to the lobby. At the end of this area there is a child-sized table and chairs where kids can watch the Disney Channel and/or color and adults can sit nearby on a comfy sofa. On the opposite side of the "U" is more seating and a TV with usually a news program or ESPN on. The volume on the TVs is always low and never disturbs guests. There are many comfy love seats and chairs in this area. It's nice to relax here in the evening with an adult beverage. At the top of the "U" are more tables, most of which have a view of beautiful Bay Lake, the geyser and WL courtyard. You can even watch the Electric Water Pageant here nightly at 9:35.


WL just started a room rehab that is slated to be completed by the end of September 2012. All rooms will be updated with new flooring, bathroom fixtures, bedding, curtains and paint and fabric will be replaced on the existing furniture. All carpeted areas will receive new carpeting. WiFi is now free and available throughout the resort. In my experience, it was very reliable outdoors and in most interior areas.


We've already booked our next stay at the Old Faithful Club. The resort's theming, amenities, location and value combined with the Old Faithful Club's excellent service and staff, make it our overall favorite WDW Resort.
ctshps2011

Registered: February 2012
Location: Savannah, GA
Posts: 2
Review Date: Wed February 15, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Location, Concierge Staff, View, Food Offerings
Cons: None

Stayed there Feb 10-13, first time Concierge. We were greeted as we walked in and promptly taken up stairs and checked in. Quick tour of the amenities by our host and a walk through of our room to make sure everything was in order. We will definitely be doing this again.


Food offerings I recall were oatmeal, various cereals, fresh fruit(whole and cut), venison meatballs, bbq pork, bacon wrapped scallops, fresh deli meats and cheeses.
SheriBMC

Registered: October 2011
Location: Florida
Posts: 2
Review Date: Fri October 28, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Beautiful resort - great concierge staff
Cons: No hot cereal for breakfast

Just returned from a few nights at the WL. This was our second stay there, first time on the concierge level. CM's were great, very friendly and attentive. Thanks to Rob for doing a great job checking us in and getting us settled. We were a bit disappointed with the lack of hot cereal for breakfast (we like our oatmeal) and the dessert selection at night was not as good as other Disney concierge level resorts we've stayed at. What they did offer was tasty though and certainly sufficient. The property itself is beautiful and we enjoyed roaming the grounds. Our room overlooked the MK fireworks and we were thrilled with the view we had each night. I had originally wanted a courtyard view but we were very happy we did not get one! Overall our trip was fantastic. We are partial to the AKL and Boardwalk concierge but think we will try the WL concierge again.
cheripra

Registered: October 2011
Posts: 17
Review Date: Tue October 25, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: excellent service and food offerings
Cons: bus service

We just returned from a 5 night stay ( Oct 18th - 22nd )in the Honeymoon suite (2074) on the club level. The views of the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom were great! Mousekeeping was wonderful. The only problem we saw with the room was trying to get in and out of the jacuzzi bathtub in the mornings to get a shower ( a very WIDE step in ). The staff were very helpful and courteous.


The food offerings at the concierge lounge were incredible. The breakfast offerings included cereals, hot oatmeal, fresh fruit, bagels and muffins. Snacks throughout the day. From 5-7pm they offered unique dishes such as buffalo chili, chicken skewers, chili verde and all the beer or wine you could drink. In the evening, they offered desserts and cordials. The staff did a great job of keeping the offerings replenished.


As always, the bus service here is lacking at best. Very long trips when you have to share service with the campground.


Overall, I would definitely recommend staying at this beautiful resort...especially on the club level. They really go out of their way to make you feel special!
Hannamom

Registered: March 2009
Posts: 17
Review Date: Fri October 21, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Quick breakfast and head to the parks!
Cons: none

We stayed at the concierge level Sept 29-Oct 3, 2011 for the first time. We loved every minute of it. The staff was so friendly. They made us feel very welcome. Coffee/drinks/snack available all day long. Rooms very clean.
gipper

Registered: August 2009
Posts: 5
Review Date: Thu August 18, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 10 

 
Pros: Wonderful service
Cons:

We stayed Aug 8th - Aug 13th. We had a wonderful stay. The CMs were outstanding! Every wish, request and want was granted. My husband accidentally took our cell phones swimming. When we returned to our room we asked the cm if there was anyway we could get a bowl of uncooked rice. The CM had a bowl of rice in our room within 5 mins. That was just 1example of many special things that the CMs did for us. The Old Faithful lounge was always neat and clean. It had nice selections at breakfast and cocktail hour were good, but a little disappointing at snack and cordial time. We absolutely loved our stay and have not one complaint. The room was the cleanest room we have stayed in at Disney in years. It was one of the nicest stays ever at Disney. I think we have found our favorite resort... Big thanks go out to CM Gianna who really went out of her way to make us feel so special!
Disney-Lover

Registered: November 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 9
Review Date: Sun August 7, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 8 

 
Pros: photos don't do room justice
Cons:

We stayed in the Yellowstone Suite. We wanted to splurge on the Presidential Suite at one of the deluxe resorts for our anniversary and this was the least expensive of all of the Presidential Suites on WDW property. Our plane was very late so we checked in at the front desk but the cast member was gracious and enthusiastic even at 3am. She gave us anniversary buttons, oohed and ahed about the suite we would be in and generally soothed our delayed souls. I'd seen photos on allears and suitedisney but they did not do the suite justice. It is even larger than I had imagined and feels very luxurious. They left us a gift basket so we relaxed by staying up until 4am and nibbling treats from that. We set the alarm for 8 so that we could enjoy the suite before we had to check out at 11 to leave for our cruise. There is a powder room by the front entrance but the master bathroom area alone is bigger than my bedroom at home with two completely separate sink areas, walled off toilet/bidet room, etc. We had breakfast in the concierge lounge so we could get back to enjoying our suite and the offerings were sufficient. We had a gorgeous view of the water from the five balconies in the suite. We also overlooked the pool and saw the geyser go off.
DisneyLover72

Registered: May 2008
Location: Ruston, LA
Posts: 24
Review Date: Tue July 5, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 6 

 
Pros: Beautiful Decor
Cons: Buses

We stayed at WL for a surprise birthday trip for our 7 years old. It was also a surprise for of 13 years old son who had the same kind of surprise birthday two year prior. We usually stay at Boardwalk Inn but since this wasn't as long of a trip as we usually take, we decided to stay at WL.


Our stay was pretty average. The resort itself is great. Artist Point was wonderful (Dizzy Issie was great). Whispering Canyon is always fun but it was just an average stay.


The staff in club level was very helpful as we had an issue with our WiFi but nothing really magical happened. It was average service at an average resort. Nothing really bad it was just average. For quick trips, we may stay there again but we are truly Pro Boardwalk Inn.
ReaderReviews

Registered: November 2006
Posts: 102
Review Date: Thu January 20, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: Club Level
Cons: None

Review submitted by shelystar:


We stayed here Dec. 17-21st & the hotel was wonderful. We stayed club level, & asked for a view of the park. We could see the monorail, smoke from the train, & the Castle. We could sit & watch the fireworks from our balcony & hear the music. Every morning we woke to the train whistle. It was a wonderful experience & the decorations were beautiful. Pictures do not do it justice. We loved staying club level & will return there again. We saved allot of money & spent some of our meal times eating there. The crowd level during this time that we stayed was much worse than anything we have experienced so we will never return during this time of year again. Very long wait times for the buses & at the parks for rides.


The only complaint I have with the hotel is the bathroom was not as clean as I would have liked for the money. But overall we would go back to this hotel again, loved it!
donna8286

Registered: January 2008
Posts: 1
Review Date: Tue January 18, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Rating: 9 

 
Pros: food presentations throughout day/evening, friendly staff
Cons: none

I was a little nervous about our stay at the Wilderness Lodge club level after reading some of the recent posts. Our experience was positive from start to finish. Check-in was a breeze compared to past registrations at Disney hotels. As you walk thru the doors, the club level bell desk is on the right and he immediately had someone come and take our bags and us to room 7058. From there, we went to the concierge desk by the elevators to actually register. Quick, easy. Our room, (which was listed as regular, I think, not delux) was about the same size as other rooms we have stayed in at the Lodge, but the decor was a bit different. We could see the upper third of the castle in the Magic Kingdom from our balcony and were able to see the fireworks at night.

To address the 2 things I was concerned most about in the reviews here: (1) The staff: They could not have been any nicer, friendlier or more helpful. My husband was not feeling well one morning and I told the housekeeping staff as they were on their morning rounds. They showed concern and suggested a later room clean up time for us. We had the evening service with things spiffed up and the beds turned down, curtains drawn, a light on and a couple of chocolates on the bed every evening. (2) The evening appetizer: The food presentations were always different and delicious with little salmon patties, buffalo sausage, chicken and/or beef on skewers with yummy sauces or rubs, delicious soups as samples of the hot hors d'oevers. Chilled food included smoked salmon salad, portobella/onion salad, edamame salad, and an Asian chicken salad. Every evening were cubed cheeses & crackers, raw veggies with dip, and one or two other cheese based dips. The wine and beer came out, too and there were 2 reds and a white wine and usually 2 choices of beer brands. Oh, the day we got there we were a little early for the appetizer/wine time, but one of the attendants got me a glass anyway when she saw us looking at the times the Old Faithful Club would be open. The continental breakfast had the usual assortment, but everything was fresh and plentiful. There was always juice or lemonade, coffee, tea, sodas, milk (whole and 2% were in carafes, the skim is in the fridge), juice boxes, etc. to drink. I really liked the one-cup coffee maker that had latte, cappucino, expresso and a mocha flavor in reg or decaf besides a coffee urn. I have heard that coffee in Disney World is all instant, but I saw them pour it from a carafe into the urn and if was instant, it was the BEST instant I have ever had. All in all, we were more than pleased with the food choices, presentation, and the food itself.
The seating is around the upper level and you can peer over and see the hustle and bustle in the lobby, but feel removed and relaxed. There is a tv on one side for kids with cartoons and one on the opposite side for adults with news or sports. There are 3 cozy sofa and chair areas and about a dozen table and chairs along the perimeter and some have views of the pool, lake and geyser. It was always clean and the staff does a good job of removing dirty dishes.

The only negative I can come up with is having time to enjoy all that is offered. My husband and I have been to Disney World maybe a dozen times since the late '70's. Our boys were with us for most of the trips and we would hit the parks in the morning and not come back till late afternoon or maybe early evening. I wonder if the club level would have been worth the extra money with kids. All those food and beverage presentations would have been lost. I know it is not a meal replacement, but when you only are able to take advantage of the continental breakfast and maybe a snack or wine in the afternoon, you have to wonder if it is worth the extra cost. Especially if you get the meal plan.

Would we do the club level again? Since we do a much more relaxed pace at the parks than we would have with our kids, I would say we might do it again. This was a splurge for my husband's birthday and the package cost made it doable.

I have to mention the food plan, too. It is a LOT of food! Counter service lunches are huge. The snack offerings are more than a Coke, an ice cream or a cookie. It also includes a serving of soup, yogurt, and fresh fruit and veggies. So, add all that with the concierge level and it is a LOT of food!

The Wilderness Lodge Club Level was a delightful experience for us.


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