We chose Disney's Wilderness Lodge to lay our heads on this trip. It was wonderfully themed and we all loved our stay. We were originally going to stay here last September but moved to Animal Kingdom when we learned the pool area was closed for construction. I'm so glad we finally got to try it out!!
Wilderness Lodge is an escape to the rustic majesty of America’s Great Northwest, and is inspired by turn-of-the-century National Park lodges. Like everything Disney, the attention to detail here is awe inspiring.
The grounds are immaculately maintained and you will find countless areas to explore, from nature trails through pine forests to rocking chairs that overlook a murmuring creek.
A geyser inspired by Old Faithful explodes high into the sky every hour on the hour in an impressive display visible from the pool, grounds and some rooms!
Inside the lobby, you will find soaring ceilings in the American craftsman style. There are totem poles, numerous sofas and rocking chairs, a stately fireplace and more!! You can even see the bubbling spring that flows all the way into the pool!!!
We had a woods view bunk bed room but were upgraded to pool view on arrival. The room was plenty spacious for the four of us and we love the set up so that the littles don't have to share a bed. We were on the sixth floor and our balcony is cut out of the roof in a way that didn't allow a regular railing. Instead our balcony had a half wall. I will be honest and say I didn't love this. If I were paying for a pool view (remember we had a free upgrade), I would definitely NOT want this floor. We did have a sweeping view and could see clear out to the lake beyond. However, since the wall was solid, it just encouraged the littles to climb up in the chairs to see over. Not safe and would have terrified me with littler kids.
There are loads of little nooks like this to relax in!!! I absolutely LOVED this feature!! All of the ones we came across overlooked the grand lobby. Some of them simply had a couple of rocking chairs, and others (like this one), had fireplaces, sofas and chairs. We chilled here one night during a big storm and brought pizza up to enjoy our dinner in front of the fireplace. It was just lovely!! This particular one was on the fourth floor just over the main front doors of the lodge.
There are TONS of activities to take part in at all times of the day and night. We enjoyed a Mickey Scavenger Hunt (on your own, pick up paper at concierge), movies in lobby, the arcade and more. One of our favorites was Magic Cookie Hour at the Roaring Fork. Little mouseketeers are given a cookie, icing and sprinkles to decorate and eat!
The quick serve dining here is Roaring Fork. It was okay, but I didn't like it nearly as much as Captain Cooks at the Polyneisan, Contempo Café at the Contemporary or Mara at Animal Kingdom.
I do, however, love Territory Lounge. We did a late lunch here one day and I've been on another occasion for dinner. The food is quite good and the place is super comfy and welcoming overall. When I looked down and saw the baby's note on my napkin, my heart just melted. This is what it's all about.
Wilderness Lodge is an escape to the rustic majesty of America’s Great Northwest, and is inspired by turn-of-the-century National Park lodges. Like everything Disney, the attention to detail here is awe inspiring.
The grounds are immaculately maintained and you will find countless areas to explore, from nature trails through pine forests to rocking chairs that overlook a murmuring creek.
A geyser inspired by Old Faithful explodes high into the sky every hour on the hour in an impressive display visible from the pool, grounds and some rooms!
Inside the lobby, you will find soaring ceilings in the American craftsman style. There are totem poles, numerous sofas and rocking chairs, a stately fireplace and more!! You can even see the bubbling spring that flows all the way into the pool!!!
We had a woods view bunk bed room but were upgraded to pool view on arrival. The room was plenty spacious for the four of us and we love the set up so that the littles don't have to share a bed. We were on the sixth floor and our balcony is cut out of the roof in a way that didn't allow a regular railing. Instead our balcony had a half wall. I will be honest and say I didn't love this. If I were paying for a pool view (remember we had a free upgrade), I would definitely NOT want this floor. We did have a sweeping view and could see clear out to the lake beyond. However, since the wall was solid, it just encouraged the littles to climb up in the chairs to see over. Not safe and would have terrified me with littler kids.
There are loads of little nooks like this to relax in!!! I absolutely LOVED this feature!! All of the ones we came across overlooked the grand lobby. Some of them simply had a couple of rocking chairs, and others (like this one), had fireplaces, sofas and chairs. We chilled here one night during a big storm and brought pizza up to enjoy our dinner in front of the fireplace. It was just lovely!! This particular one was on the fourth floor just over the main front doors of the lodge.
The quick serve dining here is Roaring Fork. It was okay, but I didn't like it nearly as much as Captain Cooks at the Polyneisan, Contempo Café at the Contemporary or Mara at Animal Kingdom.
I do, however, love Territory Lounge. We did a late lunch here one day and I've been on another occasion for dinner. The food is quite good and the place is super comfy and welcoming overall. When I looked down and saw the baby's note on my napkin, my heart just melted. This is what it's all about.
coming soon on etsy!
Our large group of nine enjoyed a festive dinner at Whispering Canyon Café one night!! We had been before just the four of us, but it was SO MUCH MORE FUN with a large group!!! The cast members are sassy and everyone is encouraged to horse around at this old West eatery. If you haven't been, you should! Be sure to look up special things to do or say to get a FUN reaction :-)
As usual with my littles, the pool was a big draw! The Silver Creek Springs pool features a fun waterslide, two bubbling hot tubs and a kids splash pad area (48" or less). We logged loads of time here!! If you are hoping to score one of the handful of umbrellas, get there when they open. There is not really any shade and the lounge chairs fill up fast. Alas, my littles adored this spot and we made it work. The lifeguards do trivia, games and all sorts of fun entertainment throughout the afternoon. The Trout Pass pool bar is just steps away as well.
If you find yourself arriving at the pool at the height of the day (we did most days), you might consider relocating to the Hidden Springs Pool. If you follow the sidewalk along the beach and take the first right, it's tucked away on the left. It's very shady and much less crowded. There are cool bubbling springs spots that the littles really liked and there is also a hot tub over here.
We spent a few early evenings on the beach and loved it! The littes ran wild (there is a playground, volleyball and tether ball also) while we sat in lounge chairs with our toes in the sand!
We did the campfire one night, as roasting marshmallows is a favorite pastime for these rats.
Each night at 9:35, the Electric Water Pageant stops right at the Wilderness Lodge beach. We even had a view of it from our balcony through the trees!
When staying at Wilderness Lodge, you will take bus transportation to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. For Epcot, you could do a bus, or boat then monorail. And for Magic Kingdom, it's just a lovely boat ride away!!! One of my favorite things about this resort was that boat ride. It's magical and relaxing and quick and we took full advantage of them.
We loved Wilderness Lodge and would definitely stay here again!! However, if you ask my littles, the campground is still their #1 of all the places we've stayed. Hmmm.....
I get asked a lot what my favorite place is, and I now have two answers. My very favorite resort by FAR is Animal Kingdom Lodge. You really cannot fathom how amazing it is until you have experienced it. The big downside of Animal Kingdom Lodge, in my opinion, is that it is a long bus ride away from everything. That being said, the transportation options at Wilderness Lodge combined with pretty darn good theming keep it right up there at the top. I think I would say this... no matter where you stay, make time to enjoy it. It is not worth paying for a deluxe resort if you won't be eating at their restaurants, enjoying their pools and taking advantage of their amenities. If you have tons of resort down time, go with Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you will be going in and out of parks daily, especially Magic Kingdom or Epcot, go with Wilderness Lodge. If you are basically only looking for a place to store your bags and crash at night, go with a value!
This brings our trip to a close. We have a few more months left on our annual passes and will make one more trip this fall.
See ya real soon, Disney World!
xoxo
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