Disney's Wilderness Lodge

I thought it would be fun to explore one of my favorite resorts today. Disney's Wilderness Lodge!!  I like this resort for a few reasons but it has it's downfalls too. Since a lot of clients ask about it, I thought I'd share a little more about what the resort has to offer!!

For those unfamiliar here is the description from Walt Disney World's website:

Escape to the rustic majesty of America’s Great Northwest. Inspired by turn-of-the-century National Park lodges, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge celebrates American craftsmanship and honors the beauty of the untamed wilderness. Soak in the splendor of the great outdoors, from nature trails through pine forests to rocking chairs that overlook a murmuring creek. Inside, discover towering totem poles, headdresses and more, and sink into a plush leather armchair in front of the roaring fireplace. 

from waltdisneyworld.com

Location
This is both a pro and a con!  While the Wilderness Lodge is located very close to the Magic Kingdom...it's located very close to the Magic Kingdom. My husband's comment after our stay here was, "This might be one of my favorite resorts but I feel like we are always traveling to get anywhere!". While it's easy to hop on a boat to the Magic Kingdom, you'll be taking the bus to every other destination.

Amenities
We loved everything the resort has to offer! The last time we visited I was pregnant with Kennedy. I vividly remember a long day of park touring and we just wanted to rest our feet. We headed back to the resort and had dinner at Whispering Canyon (where I got put in jail...but that's a story for another day!). It was nice to have so many options!  The Wilderness Lodge has a Quick Service location as well as two Table Service Locations (Whispering Canyon and Artists Point).

Bottomless Milkshake from Whispering Canyon

Besides the dining options, Wilderness Lodge offers a variety of recreation including renting water craft, bikes, an arcade, jogging trails, playground, movies under the stars and more! Plus you are very close to the Fort Wilderness Campground for Campfire Sing-A-Longs with Chip and Dale! Oh and I forgot to mention that the Wilderness Lodge also offers a Child Activity Center if you are thinking of having a Date Night!  The Cubs Den is for kids ages 3-12 and is open from 4:30 p.m. to midnight!

Rooms
At the Wilderness Lodge you have a variety of room types available.  There is of course standard rooms with varying views (standard, courtyard, woods)...

...but there are also bunk bed rooms!! I love this option for families with 2 kids! What a fun way to stay!

The Wilderness Lodge also offers Club Level rooms with all the amenities of the concierge services (nightly turn down as well as a Club Level lounge that serves refreshments!!)

The Wilderness Lodge is also home to Disney's Vacation Club! The Villa's at Disney Wilderness Lodge is home to Deluxe Studio, 1-Bedroom and 2-Bedroom Villas.

When we stayed here a few years ago we were lucky to book a standard room on the Magic Kingdom side of the resort. If you looked DOWN off our balcony you saw a parking lot, garbage cans and more.

But if you looked up we had a fabulous view of the Magic Kingdom and Contemporary.

We even got to watch Wishes from our balcony!

Themeing
This is one of the reasons we love this resort so much. The Lodge feels homey and relaxing. We love to walk around the property and just take in the sites and sounds.  It's a unique offering and Disney spent a lot of time on all the little details.

Overall this is one of my favorite Deluxe Resorts! If you don't mind a little travel time, then you might want to try it out!  Plus a bonus is, this is one of the least Expensive Deluxe resorts, giving you more bang for your buck!!