Disney's WILDERNESS LODGE Information & Questions

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I'm staying at WL early February and trying to figure out how much time I should give myself to get to the parks.
For example:

1) we plan to sign up for jedi training at HS on a Monday morning. How early should we leave WL? I think they start letting people into HS around 8:30 or so for sign up so would like to try to get there for around 8:15 I think? So should I be at the bus stop around 7:30?
2) How long would it take to get to AK? We want to RD Navi River so I think we need to get there for around 8:15? So should i be at the bus stop around 7? or maybe 7:30?
3) Do the buses usually stop at multiple resorts? What resorts do the buses share with?

Any first hand experience would be greatly appreciated; or please let me know where I can find this info :)
 
I'm staying at WL early February and trying to figure out how much time I should give myself to get to the parks.
For example:

1) we plan to sign up for jedi training at HS on a Monday morning. How early should we leave WL? I think they start letting people into HS around 8:30 or so for sign up so would like to try to get there for around 8:15 I think? So should I be at the bus stop around 7:30?
2) How long would it take to get to AK? We want to RD Navi River so I think we need to get there for around 8:15? So should i be at the bus stop around 7? or maybe 7:30?
3) Do the buses usually stop at multiple resorts? What resorts do the buses share with?

Any first hand experience would be greatly appreciated; or please let me know where I can find this info :)

We have experienced the morning park buses going straight to the parks and not making other stops. Later in the day and at night the buses stop at another resort.

Epcot bus shares with Fort Wilderness
Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs buses share with the Contemporary
Magic Kingdom bus only goes to Fort Wilderness-Settlement stop for the dinner hours - for Hoop Dee Doo and Trails End, otherwise it is direct to MK

I read somewhere that the park buses start running 45 minutes before park opening, but I would play it safe for any park you want to rope drop and be at the bus stop about an hour ahead of time. The bus rides are in the 20 minute range, except for AK, which is more like 25 minutes, but you have to add waiting time to it. :)

The WL buses are pretty good, not too crowded except for evening hours for Disney Springs. That is when it gets full with people going to the Contemporary from Disney Springs. Otherwise, we've had good luck with the buses, in general. There are always exceptions with any bus at every resort.
 
Here we come!! I just booked a 2 br villa at Boulder Creek for June 8-14, 2018!! It's been a while since we stayed at WL and this will be our first villa stay ever!!!

SO flipping excited!

and to top it off my 180 day mark is TOMORROW!! :banana::banana::eek::eek::jumping1:

it's a good thing I had already made a dining plan for that "just in case DH changed his mind"! HA!

so, my first question is.....do we check in at the main lobby for WL or is there a check in desk in Boulder Creek??

thanks!!
 


Hello!
We will be doing a split stay in early June (with BWV) I am having a dickens of a time trying to decide between Copper Creek studio or Boulder Ridge studio. There will be four of us, 2 adults 2 tweens, so the murphy not necessary.

Does anyone have any information on the Tub vs. Walk in shower at Copper Creek? Are both options all through the resort? Would selecting one over the other reduce your chances of an upper floor? Hope this question makes sense!

I really like the fresh, new look of Copper Creek. Does being in the main building make it more fun? Any benefits with Boulder Ridge I might not know of? I know it's less likely there will be discount for Copper Creek, right?

So many questions! Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. :)
 
Does anyone have any information on the Tub vs. Walk in shower at Copper Creek? Are both options all through the resort? Would selecting one over the other reduce your chances of an upper floor? Hope this question makes sense!
As far as I know, only Copper Creek offers the walk in showers. BRV and WL have the regular tub/shower. From the Copper Creek room layout that Grand California posted, it looks like there are a lot of studios on the lower floors. But you could still ask for a higher floor. :) Making two requests might reduce your chances of getting both of them, but that is just a guess. :)

I really like the fresh, new look of Copper Creek. Does being in the main building make it more fun? Any benefits with Boulder Ridge I might not know of? I know it's less likely there will be discount for Copper Creek, right?
The main building is closer to the restaurants and the boat dock. BRV' is closer to the buses. Copper Creek villas would have more rooms with a good view than BRVs rooms. Many of the BRV rooms face the woods, whereas almost all of the Copper Creek rooms would face either the main courtyard or the villas pool.
 
As far as I know, only Copper Creek offers the walk in showers. BRV and WL have the regular tub/shower. From the Copper Creek room layout that Grand California posted, it looks like there are a lot of studios on the lower floors. But you could still ask for a higher floor. :) Making two requests might reduce your chances of getting both of them, but that is just a guess. :)

The main building is closer to the restaurants and the boat dock. BRV' is closer to the buses. Copper Creek villas would have more rooms with a good view than BRVs rooms. Many of the BRV rooms face the woods, whereas almost all of the Copper Creek rooms would face either the main courtyard or the villas pool.

Thank you for this information! This helps.
I do see that there are two bookable Copper Creek studio options, Deluxe Studio or Deluxe Studio with Walk In Shower. Which I find really interesting. This is on the Disney site, so with cash, not points.
 


As far as I know, only Copper Creek offers the walk in showers. BRV and WL have the regular tub/shower. From the Copper Creek room layout that Grand California posted, it looks like there are a lot of studios on the lower floors. But you could still ask for a higher floor. :) Making two requests might reduce your chances of getting both of them, but that is just a guess. :)

The main building is closer to the restaurants and the boat dock. BRV' is closer to the buses. Copper Creek villas would have more rooms with a good view than BRVs rooms. Many of the BRV rooms face the woods, whereas almost all of the Copper Creek rooms would face either the main courtyard or the villas pool.
Re-read your post and realized you were comparing the tub/shower layout with BRV and WL. Sorry I misunderstood! I thought you meant CC has ONLY walk in showers. LOL.
 
Thank you for this information! This helps.
I do see that there are two bookable Copper Creek studio options, Deluxe Studio or Deluxe Studio with Walk In Shower. Which I find really interesting. This is on the Disney site, so with cash, not points.
We do not have good information on where the studios with tubs are. I have noticed that the studios with tubs run out of availability before the shower ones. Also it appears that most of the tub ones are part of 2 bedroom lockoff villas, since they have the same tub vs shower options and tend to have similar availability.

As @woodnymph noted, there are a lot of studios on the first floor of the Copper Creek wing, but there are others scattered throughout the other floors.
 
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Can someone comment on the prices of groceries at the store. I am debating if I should order a grocery service or just get some items from the store. Milk, water, cream, cream cheese, juice, etc..

Thanks!!
 
The nature trail to FW begins right next to the park bus stop - which is right next to the villas building. It is a 20 minute walk to FW and Pioneer Hall. We really enjoy taking this path. Once you get to the pony stable head left to Pioneer Hall. Just don't take the path at night. It doesn't have any lights on it.

You can also take the boat to and from Hoop Dee Doo from the WL.

We walked this trail last month and it was open and will remain open during the construction, since it runs along a major access road to both the villas construction area and Fort Wilderness.

Hi! I came to this thread to look for information on the best way to get to Hoop Dee Doo from the WL. We are getting to the WL around 4 for check in, and were hoping to have a little time to relax and unpack before heading off to our 6:15 HDD show. I am looking for the quickest way to get there, and I was curious about whether the walking path would be faster then dealing with the boat. However, it will most likely be dark so what you said above probably rules it out, right? Also I have two small-ish kids (6 and 8) who will have had a long day so not sure a 20 minute walk would go over well. If we go for the boat, what time do we need to be on the dock?

Thank you so much if you can provide any info!!
 
Hi! I came to this thread to look for information on the best way to get to Hoop Dee Doo from the WL. We are getting to the WL around 4 for check in, and were hoping to have a little time to relax and unpack before heading off to our 6:15 HDD show. I am looking for the quickest way to get there, and I was curious about whether the walking path would be faster then dealing with the boat. However, it will most likely be dark so what you said above probably rules it out, right? Also I have two small-ish kids (6 and 8) who will have had a long day so not sure a 20 minute walk would go over well. If we go for the boat, what time do we need to be on the dock?

Thank you so much if you can provide any info!!
There is a bus that usually runs between WL and campground, at least there has been when we have stayed there. The bus drops you off at front so you have to wait for the internal bus to get to the HDD

The boat to the right runs continuously between WL - Contemporary- FW Campground and intervals are around 15-20 minutes. The dock is a short walk to the HDD.

We walked once, nice view but not recommended after dark, it’s about a 20 - 30 minute walk

We usually take the boat, it’s pleasant and relaxing

There is a nice playground outside the main area, the kids play and meet other kids while waiting

Hope this helps
 
We arrived today from a great Beach Club 1/2 trip. The Lodge is decorated for Christmas as good as any of the resorts - as always.

Unfortunately a few disappointments -

Artist Point was a miss for us (we usually love it here). The buffalo 3 ways was replaced some time back by a tiny (3oz?) Bison filet, a potato, and a couple of prawns. I felt it was too expensive. The Mac and cheese didn’t have much flavor. Lastly- my wife’s usually perfect salmon lacked flavor too. Just too bad as we will probably take a break from Artist Point going forward.

The chef was supposed to greet us with sparkling wine(guests are given a form at checkin if you visit AP) but that never materialized either.

At club level - We found out the cobbler recipe changed a few months back in an effort to thicken the consistency. Today was apple and it was incredibly dry. We were told it gets better from Apple so hoping that’s the case. Disappointing as we really look forward to the cobbler at night.

On the bright side- as I mentioned the Lodge looks great and the dinner service at the club lounge looks more intricate than before. Looking forward to a better tomorrow!
 
Can someone comment on the prices of groceries at the store. I am debating if I should order a grocery service or just get some items from the store. Milk, water, cream, cream cheese, juice, etc..

Thanks!!

While it isn't perfect by any means, you can see some of the prices in the store from these pictures.... well maybe haha... you may have to download and then zoom in, the quality of the pics on my end are good!

cikLt8F1kiq9CXye7Grdu9TxXv0dh-t24cW2ZBiApHvqYnZKSTTkV6LepGwYW6XwO2UDcB1Bwi9R_6HFb9NFyJEuy3d6WAlb91ojXSg-HyyLfC60CEe4Vy5tR9preirPzj0D0hhwoQ


aG1q8crBjWNqB9cq-6If5rlhdjkWbjS0LL5aV3yfsFhuPcnMknN1uqsGKFzmFZmiHUXrRK35_U6qyeqi-1LXcbKe89uaOOPVl48tr13W2qfRGwXwiRnRyC59g8bnb5E759aUsBTs_A
 
We were there last week, did a split stay between a studio at Copper Creek (1 night) and 6 nights in a Boulder Ridge studio. We preferred Boulder Ridge hands down. The BR studio is larger (wider) and we just preferred the decor (plus it is our "home" so may be somewhat sentimental). We had the walk-in shower at CC which was very nice. The bathroom area is larger overall at CC and the lighting is better in the vanity area. There is a sliding barn door which is nice if some are sleeping while others getting ready. We arrived late and upon entering the room, I flipped the light switch and got nothing. We went around and tried all the lights but none came on. DH then used the light from
his phone and found I had flipped the "master switch" which shut everything off. I've never seen that in a room before. We found the CC room a bit less soundproof. We could clearly hear our neighbors' conversation when they returned in the evening. Never heard a peep at BR but maybe we just had quieter neighbors. The only room request was "close to lobby" for the CC stay and we got first floor about 6 rooms down from the lobby facing the BR building.

Our BR studio was also on the first floor, two doors down from the exit to pool next to Sturdy Branches. We really liked this location. The patio at BR seemed larger but I'm not sure it was. I noticed a nice gas BBQ over by the cabins just across from our patio. The living space seemed larger than at CC. I didn't pull down the wall bed, but from it's length, it appears it would easily hold a (not tiny) adult.

Our main disappointment (other than DH having a kidney stone episode while we were there) was the transportation. We frequently had waits for buses of 45 minutes at the resort and parks. We waited for an hour one night at Epcot. There were a lot of unhappy people and I was surprised that they weren't on their "best transportation behavior" considering they are actively trying to sell DVC there. One night we were trying to get from MK to Saratoga for dinner. After waiting 45 mins. we gave up and got on the bus back to the Lodge. We ended up changing the reservation to later (thankfully they had an opening) and took a taxi ($20). I would allow 2 hrs. from leaving your room to getting to your destination for scheduled dining or trying to get to FP+'s on time. The construction near MK seemed to be causing some delays. Most of the buses we got on either back tracked to the campgrounds or went around in front of Poly regardless of which park we were headed to. Several times at the parks we had a bus pull up only to have the driver tell us s/he was just stopping there for some other reason. Often there was cheering when a bus did arrive.

The boat transportation was somewhat better. We went to MK a few times and to Contemporary a couple of times. I once arrived when the boat to Contemporary was just pulling away, and it was over an hour before I finally made it there. They do have a larger boat now going to MK which holds a lot more people, but still have some of the older boats as well. We saw a couple with a scooter have to wait for another boat because they were told it couldn't go on the small boat and had to wait for the larger one. I felt really bad for them because it seemed they had already been waiting a long time. If you have a scooter, I think you might be better off with the bus for transport to MK.

Long story short, both CC and BR are nice, but we preferred BR for the size, location, and more traditional lodge feel. Allow yourself plenty of time for transportation whenever and wherever you are headed.
 
Can someone comment on the prices of groceries at the store. I am debating if I should order a grocery service or just get some items from the store. Milk, water, cream, cream cheese, juice, etc..

Thanks!!
I would get the items at the WL shop. They may be more expensive than the grocery store, but ordering you’re paying a delivery fee. So unless you want items not stocked in WL store you may as well pick them up at resort. Your list isn’t too extensive.
 
We were there last week, did a split stay between a studio at Copper Creek (1 night) and 6 nights in a Boulder Ridge studio. We preferred Boulder Ridge hands down. The BR studio is larger (wider) and we just preferred the decor (plus it is our "home" so may be somewhat sentimental). We had the walk-in shower at CC which was very nice. The bathroom area is larger overall at CC and the lighting is better in the vanity area. There is a sliding barn door which is nice if some are sleeping while others getting ready. We arrived late and upon entering the room, I flipped the light switch and got nothing. We went around and tried all the lights but none came on. DH then used the light from
his phone and found I had flipped the "master switch" which shut everything off. I've never seen that in a room before. We found the CC room a bit less soundproof. We could clearly hear our neighbors' conversation when they returned in the evening. Never heard a peep at BR but maybe we just had quieter neighbors. The only room request was "close to lobby" for the CC stay and we got first floor about 6 rooms down from the lobby facing the BR building.

Our BR studio was also on the first floor, two doors down from the exit to pool next to Sturdy Branches. We really liked this location. The patio at BR seemed larger but I'm not sure it was. I noticed a nice gas BBQ over by the cabins just across from our patio. The living space seemed larger than at CC. I didn't pull down the wall bed, but from it's length, it appears it would easily hold a (not tiny) adult.

Our main disappointment (other than DH having a kidney stone episode while we were there) was the transportation. We frequently had waits for buses of 45 minutes at the resort and parks. We waited for an hour one night at Epcot. There were a lot of unhappy people and I was surprised that they weren't on their "best transportation behavior" considering they are actively trying to sell DVC there. One night we were trying to get from MK to Saratoga for dinner. After waiting 45 mins. we gave up and got on the bus back to the Lodge. We ended up changing the reservation to later (thankfully they had an opening) and took a taxi ($20). I would allow 2 hrs. from leaving your room to getting to your destination for scheduled dining or trying to get to FP+'s on time. The construction near MK seemed to be causing some delays. Most of the buses we got on either back tracked to the campgrounds or went around in front of Poly regardless of which park we were headed to. Several times at the parks we had a bus pull up only to have the driver tell us s/he was just stopping there for some other reason. Often there was cheering when a bus did arrive.

The boat transportation was somewhat better. We went to MK a few times and to Contemporary a couple of times. I once arrived when the boat to Contemporary was just pulling away, and it was over an hour before I finally made it there. They do have a larger boat now going to MK which holds a lot more people, but still have some of the older boats as well. We saw a couple with a scooter have to wait for another boat because they were told it couldn't go on the small boat and had to wait for the larger one. I felt really bad for them because it seemed they had already been waiting a long time. If you have a scooter, I think you might be better off with the bus for transport to MK.

Long story short, both CC and BR are nice, but we preferred BR for the size, location, and more traditional lodge feel. Allow yourself plenty of time for transportation whenever and wherever you are headed.
Seems like bus transportation is a problem thru WDW. We had bad bus service similar to yours at Pop with typical wait bring 30-45 min. I wonder if there has been some transportation cuts?
 
We prefer to rent from an outside company (we use Orlando Stroller Rental) bc it’s cheaper and for the convenience. The city mini folds up very easily for the buses, if need be.

We have rented in the past also. Make sure you rent a from a company that provides a rain cover. I can be invaluable depending on the time of year you go. The single City Mini has never given us a problem, I am not sure what kind of clip would be missing. The biggest thing with folding any stroller is making sure all the "stuff" that gets tossed in it is removed. When entering a park, do you really want to have to wait to get a rental every day? Also, the walk from some entrances to the busses can be much longer then the walk from the bus into the hotel, plus holding a tired child while waiting in line for the bus is killer on tired parent legs.

We have found that keeping what we carry in limited to one bag makes bag check faster. DH would go through with the stroller and DD, and I would go through with the bag. I also organize what is in the bag into ziplock baggies. For example, I squish all our rain jackets into a gallon bag. That way they aren't in the way when they are checking the bag. It also helps to keep snacks in a baggy to keep them fresh and safe from rain, spills, etc. We usually go in Sept, so carrying bulky warm clothes isn't an issue.
 
We have rented in the past also. Make sure you rent a from a company that provides a rain cover. I can be invaluable depending on the time of year you go. The single City Mini has never given us a problem, I am not sure what kind of clip would be missing. The biggest thing with folding any stroller is making sure all the "stuff" that gets tossed in it is removed. When entering a park, do you really want to have to wait to get a rental every day? Also, the walk from some entrances to the busses can be much longer then the walk from the bus into the hotel, plus holding a tired child while waiting in line for the bus is killer on tired parent legs.

We have found that keeping what we carry in limited to one bag makes bag check faster. DH would go through with the stroller and DD, and I would go through with the bag. I also organize what is in the bag into ziplock baggies. For example, I squish all our rain jackets into a gallon bag. That way they aren't in the way when they are checking the bag. It also helps to keep snacks in a baggy to keep them fresh and safe from rain, spills, etc. We usually go in Sept, so carrying bulky warm clothes isn't an issue.

Thanks so much for the advice. I think that this solidifies my decision to rent a city mini gt for our trip. You make such a great point about the walk from the park to the bus stop...didn't even think of that. :)
 
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