Our family stayed here over the Memorial Day holiday, and had a great time! The lodge is beautiful, especially the lobby and grounds. I was also impressed with the little common sitting areas overlooking the lobby or overlooking the courtyard. The couches, rocking chairs, and fireplaces were a nice touch!

We were checked in by Mary Ann who was very friendly and accommodating. We were pleased to find that we had been given an upgraded room at no charge. We had forgotten to request bunkbeds for our two kids, so I had written a note to the hotel before our arrival. Not only did they grant the bunkbed request, but they upgraded us to a courtyard view.

The rooms are on the small side, but you really don't spend much time in them, since Orlando is chock full of other things to do. The balcony outside our room on the 4th floor was nice, and it gave us a chance to enjoy some fresh air read the paper, and enjoy some peace and quiet early in the morning. I was afraid that I might hear noise from bathers in the pool in the evenings, but when we shut our balcony door and pulled the curtains, I couldn't hear a thing from outside.

We ate at Artist's Point one night (killer piece of halibut!) and a few times at Whistling Canyon Cafe and Roaring Forks. The Lincoln Logs were a big hit with the kids while waiting for our table at Whistling Canyon. As with most resorts, food is Very Expensive, and make sure you have a reservation during peak times. Buying the refillable mug at Roaring Forks is a good idea.

We were able to see the Electric Light Parade each night from the dock, as well as the fireworks. The ferry to the Magic Kingdom and the Contemporary was great. We rode the ferry to the Contemporary and then jumped on the monorail one night just to take the loop around the different properties. I think one of the best things about staying at a Disney resort is the transportation system. We never waited more than 5 or 10 minutes for the buses, and they take you everywhere "disney" you'd like to go, including Downtown Disney. Also, this was our first time using the Magical Express, and not having to worry about our bags getting from the airport to the lodge was great.

My kids (9 and 4 years of age) particularly liked the pool slide. (We adults liked the bubbling hot tubs!) We also had the kid's characters drawn by an artist in the lobby. There were a bunch of planned activities for kids during the day, but we could never participate since we were at the parks all day long.

Would we stay here again? Sure! It was a nice getaway. The rooms weren't luxurious, but were entirely adequate for our stay, and the amount of time we actually spent in them!

This was an amazing experince. The food on the club level was to die for. The staff was more then helpful and transportation was easy. We can not wait to go back. Any couple who wants a truly rustic and romantic experience must stay in one of these honeymoon suites. Addtionally the mini fridge in the room was perfect for storing and extra glass of wine to enjoy in the large romantic tub.

For a family vacation / reunion to Walt Disney World at the end of March, our family decided to spend the weekend at the Wilderness Lodge near the Magic Kingdom. We visited during the peak time of March 28 – March 30, 2008.

The Hotel / Arrival: Upon approach to the hotel, you definitely get the feeling that you are entering a forest or a National Park out west. With the hedges cut in shapes of animals and tall pine trees, it was a very festive and unique atmosphere in the middle of Florida. I arrived under the porte-cochere and found our other family members had already arrived. The bellmen offered no assistance, but since I was only traveling with one bag, assistance was clearly un-necessary. However, the outside of the hotel and the architecture was striking and pleasant, and what was more pleasant, was that the hotel seemed relatively quiet for being in the Peak season.

Lobby: Wow! What a lobby! Upon entering the seven-story lodge, you are greeted by tall totem poles, a bubbling hot spring, comfortable seats and a fireplace. The atmosphere of the lobby was quite inviting and truly made me feel a world away. However, check-in wasn’t as smooth as expected. I had reserved a room with club-level access and was supposed to be greeted and checked in by a specialized agent. After fifteen minutes of confusion, I was finally taken to the room and shown the club lounge.

Room: Because more family was meeting me later in the evening, we had reserved a Deluxe Club Level Room. The room is large for Disney standards. It has a large balcony overlooking the pool and geyser from the large living room. Attached to the living room with French doors is the bedroom with two queen beds. Then, finally, there is the bathroom, with easy access to the bedroom and the living room. The shower and the toilet are separated from the sinks. Furnishings could use a little bit of an “update”, but for the purposes of sleeping after a day in the park, the room would suffice. Housekeeping, or Mousekeeping, was great, leaving special towel animals on the bed or the floor every time we returned to the room.

Club Lounge: The Old Faithful Club located on the top floor of the hotel is for the exclusive use of those who have booked a club-room. The floor is basic, with concierge desks (this is the reason to get club level, since they can help with everything Disney and with those Priority Seating times), five food presentations, and quiet seating areas. No one ever seemed to be in the lounge, so it was very quiet. The food is great for travelers like us, who wake up early and go to bed late to maximize time in the park. However, the food could not replace a meal for those who are hungry.

Fitness Center and Spa: There was a fitness center on property, but come on, this is Disney, the daily walking / running though the park is enough exercise. A spa was advertised at the Grand Floridian Resort nearby.

Dining: Since we spent most of our time at the park, dining at the Lodge rarely happened. However, I did notice a wild restaurant called Whispering Canyon Cafe in the lobby, which sounded exciting. Most people I talked to highly recommended the restaurant, and I suggest reservations / Priority seating since there appeared to be a wait. In addition, there is a semi-formal restaurant called Artist Point. There is also a cafeteria-style place toward the pool of the hotel, which served light items and items to-go.

Cost: The Lodge is considered a Deluxe property of Disney’s and therefore is part of the most expensive category of hotels. Again, since this was peak travel for Disney, the room rates were expensive. I don’t recall exactly what was spent on the room, but I believe the total for the room and park tickets for three days totaled over a thousand for three people. I only wish that I were able to spend more time in the room and the club for that cost.

Service: I was shocked by how poor almost all of the service of the Cast Members was. I have been to Disney more times than I can count on both hands, and this was the first time that I felt like a burden to the staff. No one seemed happy and they all appeared to be highly stressed out. I understand that it was Peak season, so I’m giving them all the benefit of the doubt, but almost all of the other guests I talked to felt the same way about the service at the hotel and the parks.

Transportation: Disney Transportation at the Lodge included a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness, and the Contemporary Hotel. A bus is required for all other parks and resorts. The busses, we found, were less than reliable on this trip, but it always seems to take 30 to 45 minutes to get to the parks.

Overall: A very pleasant stay. My advice: If you can avoid the peak time, you should. I have had much better experiences with the staff and overall happiness during value times. Enjoy your trip!

WE stayed here in 06 and absolutely loved this resort! The service and staff impeccable, the gournds beautiful, transportation great. We stayed at the Poly in 08 ( a more $$$ hotel) and were disappointed after staying at the Wilderness.
Different strokes for different folks I guess.
I would love to return to the WL, we loved it.