Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Review (From Someone Who’s Stayed Here Many Times)
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a deluxe resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. This review of the resort will provide an overview of our last stay. We’ll discuss everything from the Wilderness Lodge’s magnificent lobby to little-known details that you’ll want to be aware of during your stay.
We have stayed at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge many times. But no matter how many times we’ve visited, the lobby and grounds always offer a breathtaking effect. It’s a resort that welcomes guests home with its exquisite details. As soon as you step inside, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the Pacific Northwest or, at the very least, a National Park. Few places rival the resort.
As we continue, we’ll discuss rooms, dining, transportation, recreation, and other resort amenities. This review applies to anyone staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, whether it’s the main Lodge, Copper Creek Villas, or Boulder Ridge Villas. The latter two are Disney Vacation Club Resort. For this stay, we reserved a room in the main lodge. So, our room will be entirely different from what you would receive in one of the deluxe studios at the villas.
Whether you are visiting for a week-long vacation or only a meal, the Wilderness Lodge has a way of making you want to stay a little longer. From its rustic vibe to its proximity to the Magic Kingdom, the resort is one of the most tranquil places to reside during your vacation.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge was modeled after the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park. Other design influences include Frank Lloyd Wright’s Prairie, Craftsman, and Mission Styles. You can see the resemblance to Old Faithful Inn when you arrive at the resort’s front entrance. A mix of wildflowers and stunning landscaping adorn the walkway to the lobby from the parking lot.
When you arrive by boat, all hints of Florida’s landscape vanish. Suddenly, you are enveloped by large, towering trees reminiscent of great Redwoods. Spanish Moss, a Florida native, hangs romantically in the balance. The dock steps off onto a wooden walkway that journeys through the woods as it wraps its way to the hotel.
When you enter the Lodge, expect to be greeted with a “welcome home” from the cast members attending the area. Soon after, you’ll feel a cool, comforting breeze and realize you’re not in Florida anymore. At least, it doesn’t feel that way. A fireplace crackles on the far side of the lobby. It’s hard to remember you just escaped “a feels like a 110-degree” temperature outside. The idea of the Disney Parks being only a short boat or bus ride away seems even more absurd.
If you’ve visited the resort before reading this review, I can only imagine the goofy smile on your face right now. You know it’s true. Every deluxe resort at Disney provides some sort of transitional feeling upon arrival. But the Wilderness Lodge mesmerizes guests. Maybe it’s the sheer starkness of the atmosphere combined with a bit of Disney magic. Whatever it is, you’ll know it as soon as you enter. The only comparable resort I’ve encountered is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and I think most will agree.
Now that you’ve got an idea of the appeal let’s look at the details in the lobby that contribute to this mood. Inside, there is an open seven-story lobby with balconies and viewing galleries on most floors.
In the far corner, an 82-foot fireplace sits. The stone is designed to resemble rock formations from the Grand Canyon. I woke up early one morning to take most of the photos around the lobby area. So don’t be surprised if you find these rocking chairs full during the rest of the day.
Multiple ceiling-to-floor totem poles are part of the lobby’s decorative artwork.
Make sure to notice the wood carvings and details throughout the resort. Most of the work features intricate, hand-crafted designs.
Several displays feature artifacts and pieces of Native American culture. If you enjoy these types of things, you’ll likely want to spend some time searching these things out in the lobby and upper floor galleries.
Fresh flowers are always on display throughout the lobby. They usually contain a mixture of sunflowers and wildflowers.
When I originally wrote this review after a stay a few years back, I mentioned how the lobby invites guests to linger and that you probably wouldn’t spend much time in your room. But since that stay, the resort has refurbished its room, and they did an excellent job. So much so that I spent more time in our room than usual. We’ll look at a few more photos before we preview the rooms.
In addition to the main fireplace, several upper floors have sitting areas that overlook the lobby. One of my favorites is this private space with a sofa, chair, and fireplace. Anyone staying here or visiting the resort is welcome to enjoy these areas.
The back corner of the Wilderness Lodge’s lobby is where you’ll find the origin of Copper Creek. It bubbles up from the ground and overflows into the lobby, where a wooden bridge crosses it. Children love to cross the bridge.
The creek flows underneath the window and makes its way from the resort’s lobby to Bay Lake. Along the way, it forms a waterfall (Copper Creek Falls) and then runs into the pool area. It picks up on the other side of the pool near Fire Rock Geyser, where it feeds the lake. You can follow its path from the lobby to the lake.
Here is a photo of the sidewalk that leads outside adjacent to Copper Creek.
An alternative view from an upper floor shows the sidewalk and the creek.
An outdoor overlook provides views of Copper Creek before it goes over the falls.
You’ll walk through a giant boulder.
Then, you’ll come out at the base of the falls.
Those with accessibility needs can take the interior walkway that runs parallel to the outdoor path. Both paths lead to the same areas. You’ll take this route when visiting the Copper Creek Springs Pool and when walking to and from the boat dock.
Unfortunately, our room was not ready upon arrival. We like to get to the resort fairly early to see how check-in works. Most of the time, we arrive close to 10:00 a.m. and have had good luck getting a room almost immediately. However, I’ve noticed that the later we arrive, the longer we tend to wait. For example, I arrived at the Wilderness Lodge at 12:30 p.m. for this stay. We weren’t sent our room assignment until a few minutes before 3:00 p.m.
That said, our room was impressive. It was one of the most peaceful stays we’ve had to date at Walt Disney World. We reserved a king-size bed since we recently photographed another Wilderness Lodge room with two queen beds and a fireworks view. We have a separate article that shows photos of both rooms at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. All of the standard guest rooms at the Lodge were completely refurbished a few years ago.
Our mattress was comfortable, and we had plenty of pillows. Here is an alternate view of the room’s layout. The king bed allowed for more space around the room. We don’t stay in too many king rooms and could feel the difference.
Here is a photo of the guest bathroom. It offered plenty of storage space, a makeup mirror, toiletries, two sinks, and a ledge above the sink.
We had a walk-in shower, which worked well for us. Most rooms with two queen-size beds have a shower with a tub combination.
This was a resort-view room with a full balcony. We could see the fireworks from the room at night, but it wasn’t as good a view as we’d previously seen from higher-level floors.
As far as other accommodations at the resort, Copper Creek Villas is part of the main lodge. Those rooms have an entirely unique layout, but they are in the main hotel. Boulder Ridge Villas is in a separate building from the main lodge. A covered outdoor walkway connects them to the hotel.
Lastly, the Cascade Cabins are two-bedroom, single-family detached cabins that sit on the waterfront on both sides of the hotel. They are among the most exclusive accommodations at Walt Disney World.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend as much time at the pool as I would normally have liked during this stay. We usually like to plan an entire day at the pool. But I had a few events to cover during our stay that kept me behind the camera. I have found that even as a local, it’s more convenient to stay on the property. If I have several things to do, I can return to the room for a break instead of seeking out a shaded spot in the parks.
My only reservation about the pools at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is the crowds. I was going to have lunch by the pool one day and had a difficult time finding a seat. I also noticed a line of guests waiting outside the pool gates each morning. This is common at most resort pools during the summer months, but this was in February!
The Copper Creek Springs Pool has a 67-foot-long waterslide at its center.
The slide is gentle, with a 3’6″ depth at the exit. Complimentary lifejackets are provided at the pool. This is one of the more child-friendly pools at the Disney World Resorts.
An aquatic play area sits inside a separately fenced area behind the pool.
A hot tub is located to the immediate left of the children’s splash area, between the feature pool and the Fire Rock Geyser. The geyser is designed to look like Old Faithful. It erupts every hour between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
The Boulder Ridge Cove Pool is on the Boulder Ridge side of the resort. However, it’s only a short walk away from the primary pool. This pool features a zero-entry and a whirlpool spa.
It has a few cabana-like seating areas that are available to guests on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Showers with toiletries and a changing area are available near both pools. These are great places to take advantage of on an early check-in day before your room is ready or on a checkout day if you have a late flight. Guests have access to the resort’s amenities from the moment they arrive until midnight on their checkout day. Of course, that access depends on the hours of operation per the amenity.
Reunion Station sits between the Boulder Ridge Pool and the lakefront. This is a recreation area for Disney Vacation Club members and villa guests. An outdoor grilling area is available.
Teton Boat and Bike Rental no longer offers bicycle rentals. Unfortunately, the path between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Campground closed a few years back. But you can still rent bikes at The Meadow at Fort Wilderness. You can take the resort bus to get to Fort Wilderness. While there, you might also enjoy touring Tri-Circle D Ranch.
Sturdy Branches Health Club is the fitness center for all guests of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It’s a fully-equipped gym in the Boulder Ridge section of the resort.
Related: List of Fitness Centers at Disney World
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has plenty of dining options. We’ve eaten at each of the resort’s restaurants multiple times and think that many other resorts could learn a thing or two from it. Roaring Fork is the resort’s primary counter-service restaurant. It’s a few steps off the lobby and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They serve items like burgers, sandwiches, and chicken tenders. (This location has a soda refill station.)
A few weeks before this stay, I met some friends here for dinner. We had a wonderful time, and the food was great. We have a review of everything we tried if you want to learn more.
Related: Roaring Fork Review at Wilderness Lodge
Geyser Point Bar & Grill sits along the lake behind the feature pool. This location serves as a stand-alone lounge with a full menu. It also doubles as the resort’s pool bar and quick service restaurant. Guests can order food at a walk-up window or place a mobile order. This location also has a soda refill station for guests with a Rapid Fill mug.
Geyser Point is a trendy dining location that does not take reservations. Therefore, you might have to join a walk-up list to enjoy a meal here. The restaurant serves anything from a charcuterie flatbread to a fried chicken sandwich with fries. It’s a popular place where typically everyone can find something to enjoy.
Related: Geyser Point Bar and Grill Review
Back inside, Territory Lounge is an excellent place to enjoy a meal. The bar and lounge are not only stunning but have delicious food offerings, making it an attractive place to dine without reservations. (Territory Lounge Review)
Additionally, the former Artist Point sits adjacent to Territory Lounge. It’s a signature dining restaurant turned Disney character meal that goes by the name of Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White.
Related: Storybook Dining at Artist Point Review
Lastly, Whispering Canyon Cafe is the resort’s primary table service restaurant. They serve breakfast, brunch, and dinner. We always plan at least one breakfast here during our stay. But I will warn you. This restaurant involves a little friendly horseplay and a few shenanigans, so make sure to go with a good attitude and be prepared. Oh, and don’t forget to have someone ask for ketchup at some point during your meal!
Related: Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast Review
If none of these restaurants strikes your fancy, you can always pick up something to eat in the resort’s gift shop, Wilderness Lodge Mercantile. The gift shop is located off the resort’s lobby. A totem pole at the entrance features a few classic Disney characters.
Wilderness Lodge Mercantile is an excellent place to pick up souvenirs and resort-branded merchandise. I rarely stop in at the Lodge without browsing the gift shop. The resort also has an arcade called Buttons and Bells. The arcade is located in the breezeway directly behind the gift shop.
Related: Wilderness Lodge Mercantile
As far as coming and going, the resort offers two forms of transportation: buses and boats. A walkway from the lobby’s side entrance leads to the bus stop. Buses travel to and from the resort to the following locations:
- Magic Kingdom
- EPCOT
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney Springs
- Blizzard Beach
- Typhoon Lagoon
- Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
It’s typical to wait approximately 15-20 minutes for a bus. The Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness buses tend to run more often because they are only a short distance away.
Guests can also take the resort watercraft launch to a couple of destinations. The red flag launch travels to Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is a short boat ride away from the resort.
The blue flag launch runs daily from 3:00 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. This watercraft will take you from the resort to Disney’s Contemporary and Fort Wilderness.
If you want to travel from the resort to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian, you can take this boat to the Contemporary and then take the monorail to those resorts.
Before we wrap up, I wanted to mention a few other things. You can watch the fireworks at night from the viewing area behind Geyser Point. It’s not a great view but a pretty peaceful spot. It’s also an excellent spot to watch the Electrical Water Pageant each evening. During your time at the Wilderness Lodge, you’ll also likely see the geyser erupt. It’s kind of cool to see from the boat.
But it’s also magical to see it from a close-up view.
Extra: Wilderness Lodge Resort guests are privy to the early morning theme park benefit extended to all Walt Disney World Resort guests. Additionally, guests of deluxe and deluxe villa resorts have access to the extended evening benefit offered typically twice a week.
We hope you enjoyed this review of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay at the resort several times, and I always look forward to returning, even if it’s only for a meal.
For more information about Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you might enjoy the following:
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Christmas
- Copper Creek Villas Review
- Laundry Facilities at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Transportation Options at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Restaurants Guide
What Do You Think?
What do you think of this review? Have you ever visited Disney’s Wilderness Lodge? Do you have any questions about staying here? We are happy to answer anything based on our experience. Leave us a comment below with your thoughts, questions, or experiences.
