@allisonfamily, so they do show movies and do s’mores on the WL beach? I thought you had to go over to FW for that? just clarifying
also, for all of you who have stayed WL, how was bus service? I have heard it’s shared but not sure how that impacted travel times.
@mjsmomma yes they do s’mores and movies on the beach at WL. It’s just if you want the chip n dale sing a long, that is only at FtW. I also believe that our last trip we were able to find out what videos were showing each night before we left so we could plan for one we wanted to see. We usually do 1 evening off in the middle of the stay to just enjoy the resort.
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When I was there in December WL shared buses with GF. I had no problem in the morning or getting back from AK. I did take a cab back from HS at night because I had an Artist Point ADR and the bus line was really, really long( three bays long). The cab was under 16.00 and worth every penny.
@mjsmomma According to Build a Better Mouse Trip, Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness have separate movies. The WL movies are on the beach and FW is at the Chip and Dale Campfire (which I HIGHLY recommend).
Here’s a link to the monthly movie schedule. A VERY useful resource.
I also strongly recommend Chip and Dale. It was a lot of fun and a short pretty walk from WL.
We stayed at WL in August with DD2 and DD4 and it was amazing. The boat to MK was a favorite for both the kids and adults.
Bus service was good/average to other parks except Epcot. That was crazy long both times. I’d suggest heading to MK or Contemp by boat and then hop over to Epcot from there.
Rooms were nice. I enjoyed the balcony while the girls were napping.
If the pool is bust, walk around to the DVC pool. It’s open for ALL guests but most think it’s only for DVC so it’s nice and empty.
Make sure you walk to the beach or dock for the water light parade one night.
Also. If it’s a rainy day and you’re stuck at the Lodge, ask at the counter for a Hidden Mickey scavenger hunt sheet. My kids loved it!
Enjoy!!! You’ll love WL.
We stayed at the WL two years ago and absolutely loved it! The theming of the resort is so well done that you forget you’re in central FL! Definitely take the time to stroll around the grounds and take pictures, especially of the lobby - it’s breathtaking! We’re hoping to stay there again this fall and I’m really excited!
We had a woods view room and we were on the ground floor and had a patio. The outdoor space was small, you could only fit two adults out there at a time, but it was near the geyser so we could see it erupt through the trees. That was pretty cool. Our room was also very close to the door that went out to the pool (near the bar.) That was convenient since we were used to walking quite a way to get to the pool at the Beach Club. We could also see the water pageant parade at night from our patio which was great.
The biggest con with our room location was it was close to the beach and they show nightly movies. The first night of our stay we were exhausted and we went to bed early around 9. No sooner did we get the kids down and this blaring noise came from outside - the movie was beginning. And it was Tangled, my daughter’s favorite movie at the time, which we knew by heart. We could hear every single word, and the songs kept running through the head, it was awful lol! We finally fell asleep half way through, and didn’t have an issue any other night but we went to bed a lot later the following nights so the movies were probably over.
When we stay this year I may get a studio, but if I don’t I will book another woods view room and request a balcony in an upper floor. It’s just personal preference, but I’d rather have a balcony than a patio.
I have a question.
Top of this WL page says:
“Parts of the Wilderness Lodge & Villas property may be a construction zone from late 2015 through 2016. […] northwest-facing Woods View rooms at the Lodge, may be subject to construction noise and views. If so, expect construction to affect more rooms on the northwest side of the Lodge”
After looking at the TP room-finder, I had chosen the northwest-facing Woods View rooms as “woods view queen w/bunk” is what we booked & those looked best. Then I read the above warning.
Is the construction happening yet?
I can’t seem to find any info on line.
If so, does anyone know when it is scheduled to begin as of yet?
Trip is scheduled for week before Labor Day.
Many thanks.
I had been looking into WL for May 2016, and changed to AoA for this very reason. I saw the TP entry you cut and pasted, but I have also read about the construction plan elsewhere (sorry, can’t remember where).
I haven’t read anywhere that it has already started.
I don’t know the schedule.
I don’t know know if Labour Day is early enough that it won’t have started yet.
If it were me and I’d already booked, I’d probably not change to another hotel at this point, but I would definitely change my room request to be Woods View on the whole other side of the hotel, and would use the TP room request fax function to double down on the same thing.
Thanks.
Got until a week to 10 days before I guess, to change the room request.
It’s frustrating that info seems difficult to find. 
It is my absolute favorite place on property. We took my son when he was two and he loved the bridge to the elevator (with the little stream) just as much as any ride in Disney. In fact, his only melt down the entire trip was when we had to tear him from that bridge. He must have run back and forth over it, giggling, a hundred times.
You are going to love it.
We had no problem at all with bus/boat service. Quick and efficient.
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They had started refurbs on the outside of WL and construction when we were there at the end of May. It didn’t bother us at all, but there was scaffolding near the entrance and spaced out all the way around the left side of the building and wrapping around to the edge of the hotel and around to the very edge near the new splash pad area. Most of the work was done during the day when we were gone to the parks, so it didn’t bother us at all.
The scaffolding has been up since at least April… it was certainly there when we arrived on April 26, 2015. But the construction being referred to here is re. a much bigger project. From what I hear, they are going to put up a whole new DVC building.
I read they were getting the pizza huts like the Polynesian.
FWIW, IMO, the pizza huts at the Polynesian look like they kill the entire vibe/view/appeal of that resort, as they block most of the view of the lagoon along the “beach” except for a narrow part of the shore by the pool area.
At least at WL, it appears that the pizza huts will be slightly west of the main resort, rather than right in front of it?
What is a pizza hut?
They’re view-killers for everyone who stays there except for the pizza-hut dwellers.
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lol!