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HulaJenny
Earning My Ears
Registered: April 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 8Review Date: Mon April 27, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): wonderful theme, perfect for Christmas Cons: small giftshop
My family and I stayed in a 1 bedroom villa for Christmas 2008. We loved it. My first time staying in a villa after joining DVC. My home resort is AKL but decided to try WL for a more seasonal feeling. I used the grocery fax order service with great ease and convenience. It was nice having a washer & dryer, since I never pack enough of the right things to wear. DVC resort entrance is close to the bus stop and it is a scenic walk to the boat lauch to MK. 
dvcfamily41801
Has realized you can NEVER have too many DVC points
Would love to be a teachers assistant in an elementary school
Florida Project station takes me to my Happy Place
Registered: September 2001
Location: Echo Lake Apartments, Disney MGM Studios
Posts: 8057Review Date: Tue April 28, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): The theme will blow you away Cons:
From the moment you turn on to Timberline Drive, you will forget your are in Central Florida. The lobby of the main building is breathtaking and that carries over to the Carolwood Pacific Room at Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge. This is a wonderful spot to curl up on the couch in front of the fireplace and enjoy the background music and maybe even take a nap!
The bus stop is a few steps away from the Villas or you can catch the boat to Magic Kingdom (and Ft. Wilderness) by taking a nice walk around the back of the resort along Bay Lake. In the evenings you have a perfect location for the Electrical Water Pagent along the beach. There is a quiet pool right outside of the Villas and the main pool is just around the corner.
The studio and 1 and 2 bedroom villas are outstanding with views of woods or the quiet pool.
TheBeadPirate
Button Maker Magician & Blinkie toting Sherpa
Registered: August 2006
Location: next door to the Magic- Finally!
Posts: 3058Review Date: Wed April 29, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Themeing; Excellent Guest Service Cons: Sometimes hard to get into
As soon as I saw this resort we bought DVC. This is my home home resort- so I am biased, but the theme is everywhere! The rooms are spacious and mousekeeping has been excellent everytime we are there. Love the washer/dryer in the room and the full kitchen always helps- since we enjoy a few nonpark days. The Pool area for the Villas is relatively quiet and the hot tub is generally HOT!
cherylse
Cherylse
Registered: May 2005
Location: 2 hours form the Mouse
Posts: 10Review Date: Fri May 1, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great theme as usual! Cons: We stayed in a studio WAYYYYYYYYY at the end of a hallway!
We came off a 7 day cruise and stayed in the villas for two nights to extend the Magic! Our studio was the very last one at the end of a hallway that seemed to go on forever. When we opened the balcony doors we had a view of the dumpsters with the accompanying trash truck noises in the AM. We tried tp switch but they had nothing available. This stay was 6 years ago and we have not been back since. I am going to try again in August for a weekend, but are going to go with a one bedroom in hopes that we will not have the same view.
kim532
DIS Veteran
Registered: February 2000
Location: Racine, WI
Posts: 590Review Date: Sat May 2, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Themeing of resort Cons: Long hallway
We stayed in a studio that was at the end of the resort. The walk to the room was a killer sometimes after a long day at the park. It felt pretty far. The resort itself is beautiful and I loved the themeing and landscaping of the exteriors. The room interior wasn't my cup of tea, but that was OK. I was pleasantly suprised with how much the fridge in this unit holds. We had tons of liquids in there.
mcrabeck
Mouseketeer
Registered: January 2005
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 497Review Date: Sun May 3, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great theming, close to Magic Kingdom Cons: no monorail,
We are new owners at VWL and love it! You really feel like you are out in the woods- which is a great break for the business of the parks.
The villas are seperated from the main lodge but it is not a far walk from the lobby and restaurants.
The rooms are recently refurbished and everything looked fresh and new. We can't wait to go back.
DarkWingFan
Earning My Ears
Registered: May 2008
Posts: 3Review Date: Sun May 10, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): The theme and the boat to and from the Magic Kingdom Cons: No dedicated bus transportation
My family and I stayed in the Villas at Wilderness Lodge in July 2008 and we absolutely loved it. The Wilderness Lodge is a great place to stay -- we especially enjoyed Whispering Canyon Cafe and the boat to the Magic Kingdom. The boat to Fort Wilderness also made visiting the Hoop De Doo Review much easier than driving your own car! We had a one bedroom villa and enjoyed the added room, the kitchen, and especially the washer and dryer. We visited both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach during this trip and having the washer and dryer in teh room really helped. In fact, we returned home with nothing but clean clothes... which was a first! The Villas are off to the side of the main building and has a cozy lobby with rocking chairs.
stampinshauna
Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line--Been there, done that, GOING BACK!!!
Registered: August 2005
Location: Utah
Posts: 2665Review Date: Sat May 23, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): close to MK, great themeing Cons:
Before becoming a DVC member, I always dreamed of staying at the Wilderness Lodge. I just love the lobby and the design of everything. It is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the parks, but it still has a great Disney theme. Now that I am a DVC member, I can stay at the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. We love the quiet pool and also love being able to walk over to the big pool for the lodge.
The boat ride over to the Magic Kingdom is nice and convenient. We love not having to take a bus over there.
The grounds are beautiful and offer great views of the lake. We often see ducks and birds wandering around.
There aren't a ton of villas, so this DVC resort is not hard to navigate. No forever long hallways or endless rows of buildings.
Another bonus of this resort is the proximity to the Whispering Canyon Cafe which is a fun restaurant to eat at in the Wilderness Lodge.
bsusanmb
DIS Veteran
Registered: July 2004
Location: Near Hershey PA
Posts: 2039Review Date: Sun June 7, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): beautiful theme Cons: hummm, can't think of any
This is one of my home resorts and I love it. It is so beautiful. We have stayed in a one bedroom which was just wonderful, and a studio, which we liked, but I prefer a larger bed. I really feel like I am on a vacation when I stay here. Very relaxed atmosphere.
TAKitty
I will make it work with the ones you have!
It must be real if the tag fairy says so
Registered: July 2005
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2706Review Date: Wed June 24, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Not too big Cons:
I thought I would hate it at the WLV because we are from the north, but I love it here!
The villa pool is just the right size. I love that the villas have their own building. It is a very relaxing and peaceful atmosphere. This is actually the kids favorite DVC.
MommaluvsDis
DIS Veteran
Registered: May 2001
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 3189Review Date: Tue June 30, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Small, Close to MK Cons: Dark Interior
While I love this resort, the dark coloring can be slightly depressing.
I love the fact that it's so compact in it's layout and that it's a wonderful boat ride from the MK.
I had a couple run ins with some not very friendly CMs at the front desk but everyone else was very nice and helpful.
Watch for bunnies and ducks around the property.
The villa, a studio, was big enough for us. We were a party of 3 adults and the patio overlooked beautiful woods.
safetymom
Have
will travel
ABD trips = clothes optional
Registered: August 2001
Location: Now living near the parks!
Posts: 41853Review Date: Sat July 11, 2009 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Love this resort Cons: little dark in the sink area
Loved the theming but did think they need more lighting at the sink area. I loved the fireplaces, the music playing. We had a studio and the sofa bed was quite comfortable.
It would be nice if they had a soda station in the Villas.
jsm715
I can't wait to go back to Disney World, where everyone calls me "Princess"!
Registered: May 2009
Location: Virginia, USA
Posts: 17Review Date: Tue August 31, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Resort theme, boat ride to Magic Kingdom, Whispering Canyon Cons: Water smell and taste
We stayed at VWL in March 2010 and absolutely LOVED the resort! The architecture with all the stone and wood, as well as the many fireplaces were all just beautiful. The lodge (inside and out) is so eye-catching for both adults and children. We enjoyed the quiet nature of the Villas building, and although our room was at the VERY end of the long hallway, we only had about a 5 minute walk to Roaring Fork. I do wish - like another reviewer - that there was a mug refill station a bit closer to the Villas, but it still wasn't too terrible. Since it rained some during our trip, I did appreciate that we could easily walk to the quick-service dining and other areas within the lodge without ever having to get wet. (We are staying at SSR this fall, and I am hoping for a dry week!)
We have two young children, ages 3 and 7, and a studio worked out just fine for us. With the kitchenette and the small table, we were able to eat oatmeal and cereal in our room for breakfast. At night, our children were so tired that they fell asleep even while DH and I watched TV in bed. My only complaint is that the tap water smelled and tasted bad. Don't know what the deal is with that, but drinking the water from the tap was just out of the question, and you know how much a bottle of water costs at Disney! Needless to say, the refillable mugs were quite handy.
We ate dinner at Whispering Canyon the day we arrived, and it was a fun way to kick-off our vacation. The food is good, although not amazing, but the overall restaurant experience was fun for our whole family. The kids loved their milkshakes!
We also loved the boat ride to MK. With young children, that's where we spent most of our time. It was so quick, and we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a boat. (Maybe we just had good timing. I don't know.)
I highly recommend the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. It is one of our favorite vacation spots. We will be visiting Saratoga Springs around Halloween this fall. I hope to be able to write a similarly positive review after that trip!
disneygirlmass
Mouseketeer
Registered: December 2005
Posts: 252Review Date: Wed September 1, 2010 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 0
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Cons:
i love this resort, awesome atmosphere...make sure to check out the geyser!! and the whispering canyone restaurant iside is awesome!1
MichaelAter
Earning My Ears
Registered: June 2011
Posts: 1Review Date: Wed June 15, 2011 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Great staff adn most helpful Cons: smaller rooms
Greatest praises to the staff at Disney World, especially over at the Wilderness Lodge.
I just arrived back home after a disastrous end to our recent DW vacation. On Sunday morning, I had a disk blow out in my back partially paralyzing my left leg. The staff of the Wilderness Lodge were immediately there to help my wife and I. First to our door was Alex the head of Housekeeping, asking what had happened and how he could help. Directly behind Alex was Andrew the daytime resort manager. I assured both of them that I was having a personal medical problem. The firemen and paramedics were not far behind.
Note: The Paramedics are based out of the station near Animal Kingdom, placing them equal distance from all parts of the park.
I was transported to Celebration Hospital. Celebration from what I experienced is a well maintained and very modern hospital. It is mostly aimed at the tourist population, so severe cases are moved to Florida South in Orlando. They ran a battery of tests and determined I needed to see a neurosurgeon but the staff doctor was not available and they were going to transfer me to Orlando.
Andrew, the resort manager, kept in constant contact with my wife while she waited for the Cubs Den to open so that she could put our two children into daycare. He gave my wife a voucher for the taxi ride to and from the hospital. Andrew also arranged for the resort to pick up the expenses for the daycare at Cubs Den. My wife made it to Celebration Hospital before they transported me to Florida South. Andrew kept in touch with my wife while he was on duty and updated the night shift manager, Matt to our situation.
Matt had the staff at Cubs Den, especially Robin, calling around to see if they could arrange babysitting for our children in case we couldn’t return to the resort before Cubs Den closed. They spent over two hours calling various daycare facilities.
After finding out that we were going to be cancelling our vacation and heading home, Matt took it upon himself to contact DVC and have our account credited for the points for the unused vacation time. He also had our passes converted to future passes to the park. After we arranged our flight, Matt managed to get us on the Magical Express back to the airport with only 3 hours’ notice.
Even after returning to California, the Disney staff kept in contact with us. Andrew even arranged to have the few things that we were unable or forgot to pack shipped home to us at their expense.
I have always enjoyed my time at the Disney resorts but I will always be thankful for the help they gave to my wife and I in our most trying hours. The employees care and the company backs them up. I thank them, each and every one.
DisEye
Mouseketeer
Registered: July 2006
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 77Review Date: Mon January 23, 2012 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Very convenient location to Magic Kingdom Cons:
We stayed for 6 nights in January 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We stayed in a 2-bedroom villa which seemed very similar to the ones we have stayed in at other DVC resorts. Location is very convenient to Magic Kingdom--the boat ride there was fun.
If I was going again, I would try to get a villa on a higher floor. We stayed on the second floor at the end of a very long hall and couldn't see much more than trees from our balcony. I think if we had been on a higher floor, we might have been able to see more.
We would definitely stay there again.
lisakramer
Mouseketeer
Registered: April 2011
Posts: 242Review Date: Wed January 9, 2013 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Beautiful resort! Cons: stinky bushes
We stayed here so that I could check it off my to-do list. I honestly didn't expect to like it. I'm not a "wilderness" type girl. Much to my surprise it's now my 2nd favorite resort!
We stayed in a 1 BR room. It was very well kept and nicely decorated. Same layout as most other dvc 1 br.
The lodge is gorgeous! The landscaping is lovely. The pool was very nice as well.
The boat launch to MK was a great choice. Nice captains, nice view. We also took a boat over to the campground for Hoop-De-Doo and that was also very enjoyable.
We ate in both the main restaurants and enjoyed them. The shop in the lobby is well stocked and has a good selection of food and souvenirs.
The ONLY complaint I have is that some of the bushes they have planted around the walk ways STINK. They smell like BO. They are the same ones planted along the walkway from BLT to MK. I hope they are for pest control or some other good reason because they reek.
Other than that minor issue, we LOVE staying at Wilderness!
kate2961
Mouseketeer
Registered: July 2005
Location: NE, US
Posts: 266Review Date: Sat February 2, 2013 Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 10
Positive aspects of the product (pros): Cons:
Beautiful architecture; Wooded area; Serene; Cozy with fireplaces; On lake; Transportation by boat to MK; Trails for walking or biking; One of my favorite resorts
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