Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (Guide and Tips)

If you are looking for a unique resort to stay at Disney World then you really should check out Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. It sits on the edge of Bay Lake so it is conveniently located near the Magic Kingdom and offers a fantastic stay themed after National Park Lodges of the Northwest. With amazing views, fabulous dining options and the most beautiful grand lobby, this is a don’t miss resort!

Dining

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has some fantastic dining options depending on what you are looking for. Everything from lounges to character dining with some characters you won’t see anywhere else are offered here.

Geyser Point

If you are looking for a delicious meal with even better views then you have to check out Geyser Point. They have the absolutely BEST burger on Disney property. The Bison Cheeseburger is out of this world. This is a burger that we know many friends will go out of their way for. It is served with waffle fries and a choice of  Marionberry Sauce or our personal favorite Garlic Aioli. The views of the lake from this restaurant is also pretty amazing as well. They even have a mobile order, quick service option right next door. The bar staff here are also amazing and make some great drinks. Check out their menu here.

Whispering Canyon Café

For a great family meal, you have to try Whispering Canyon Café. They offer all you care to enjoy skillets. Whether it be Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner their skillets have something for everyone, even plant based options. Our favorites are The Pig with traditional BBQ offerings for lunch or dinner and the Heritage for breakfast offering all of your favorites as well as Mickey waffles. If you do check this place out, be cautious asking for Ketchup…you may get a shockingly hilarious response. This is a loud, vivacious place so be ready to have tons of fun! Check out their menu here.

Roaring Fork

The roaring Fork is another great quick service option at the Wilderness Lodge. They have a nice selection of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. One of our favorites is the all-day breakfast of Chicken and Waffles. If you are looking for a sweet treat this is the place to go as they have a great dessert selection including some seasonal and occasional treats. Check out their menu here.

Territory Lounge

This rustic bar is a great spot to unwind after a long at the parks. They offer snacks, small plates, sweets, and cocktails. While it may not be something for everyone it is still something that you should at least check out. One of the coolest features of this lounge is a little hidden gem of a room where they have extra seating. There is a room filled with Walt Disney memorabilia, photos as well as 2 of the original cars from the train that he had and rode on in his own back yard! that by itself makes a trip to the Territory Lounge worth it. Here’s their menu.

Story Book Dining at Artist Point

This is such a cool character dining experience and super unique. They offered a prix fixe menu with great themed menu options. You can meet Snow White, Grumpy, Dopey and even the Evil Queen here, all within this restaurant themed to feel like you are right in the heart of the Enchanted Forest. There is nowhere else on property you get to meet Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen unless it’s a separate ticketed event or after hours event. Snow White and the dwarfs rotate around to each table, the Evil Queen has her own dedicated photo meet and greet spot with a cool background. The food here is super themed and delicious, that include individual plated entrees, shared starters and desserts. They also have creative and fun cocktails and cocktails, beers and a fabulous wine list with a focus on the most highly rated wines from Oregon and Washington State! Their menu is here.

Transportation

Like all Disney World Resorts, they offer bus transportation to all of Disney’s theme parks and water parks. When this was built everyone was hoping that somehow it would be included on the monorail loop but unfortunately, it was not. They do however offer water transportation to the Magic Kingdom. How great is it that you can hop onto a boat at the Magic Kingdom and be taken right to the Wilderness Lodge. At the end of a long day, it makes for a nice quick return to your resort. The water transportation also is known to have much lower wait times than the busses making it the most convenient as well. The boats also make stops at The Contemporary Resort and Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. This is also super convenient if you want to hop over to either of those resorts to grab a bite to eat or just to explore the resorts. Personally, the boat ride from here to Magic Kingdom and back is one of my favorite things on property. Especially at night, it is so beautiful and peaceful and the perfect end to a long park day!

Room options

Standard and Deluxe Rooms

Standard rooms at Wilderness Lodge are similar to every Disney Resort. They offer two queen beds and approximately 344 sq. ft. Standard Rooms also have the option of having one king bed with the same space. These rooms are great for couples and small families. Deluxe rooms offer two queen beds and one queen sleeper sofa. These rooms are also slightly larger then the standard rooms. Both the Standard and Deluxe room category offer Club Level rooms at an added cost. Some people love Club level access while some do not see the value. Personally if the cost is something that you can afford I would upgrade because the added amenities can be well worth the cost.

Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge

The Wilderness Lodge also has two DVC areas of the Resort known as Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge. For those who may not know, DVC, Disney Vacation Club, is Disney’s take on Timeshare. You purchase points and can use those points to rent rooms at DVC resorts. If you travel often to Disney and enjoy staying at Deluxe Resorts you can over time save a ton of money with DVC. If you are not a DVC member but would like to stay here, don’t worry, you still can! You can rent DVC points with places like Dave’s DVC Rentals. Both Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge offer the following type of accommodations.

• Deluxe Studio – These rooms offer 1 queen bed and 1 queen sleeper sofa, a kitchenette, and 1 bathroom. Boulder Ridge offers a Studio with an additional pull-down bed making it able to sleep 5.
• One-Bedroom Villa – These rooms offer 1 king bed and 1 queen sleeper sofa. These Villas offer 1 bathroom, a full kitchen, washer & dryer as well as a balcony.
• Two-Bedroom Villa – These rooms offer 1 king bed, 2 queen beds, and 1 queen sleeper sofa. These are great for larger families because they also offer 2 bathrooms as well as the full kitchen, washer & dryer as well as a balcony.
• Three-Bedroom Grand Villa – The largest Villa offers 1 king bed, 4 queen beds, and 1 queen sleeper sofa. With the space to sleep 12, you can bring the whole family and still have plenty of space! They boast a full kitchen with an island, a formal dining area, and 3 full bathrooms.
• Cascade Cabins – If you want the ultimate luxury then you have to check out the Cascade Cabins at Copper Creek. These are absolutely breathtaking! They offer 1 king bed, 1 queen bed, 1 queen sleeper sofa, 1 single pull-down bed, and 1 twin sleeper chair. These gorgeous two-Bedroom waterfront cabins feature a full kitchen with an island, a double-sided fireplace, and a private screened-in porch with a hot tub. You can relax from your porch or hot tub and even enjoy the Electrical Water Pageant and Fireworks!

Things to do

This Deluxe Resort is big enough to have some really cool activities and things to do. They offer 2 fun pools for the whole family. The Copper Creek Springs Pool is the main feature pool for the resort. You can follow the bubbling Copper Creek to discover a heated pool surrounded by nature. There is an exciting 67-foot waterslide built into rocks and you can relax in hot and cold whirlpool spas. This pool is also closest to Geyser point if you need to grab a snack or drink.

The second pool, Boulder Ridge Cove, is more of a laid back oasis located near the Boulder Ridge Villas. It features a zero-entry and a whirlpool that is sure to ease any aches and pains from long days in the parks. Either way you have excellent choices for relaxing by the pool!

Another cool thing to try and catch is the Geyser that goes off every hour on the hour. As with other resorts they offer the arcade for the kids, movies under the stars, and campfires for roasting marshmallows. Even just walking around this resort or just sitting outside on Bay Lake by Geyser Point is something you shouldn’t miss out on!

Conclusion

This Deluxe resort has so much to offer whether you are staying here or not. It is great that even if you can’t afford to stay there or you have another favorite resort that The Wilderness Lodge is accessible enough from the Magic Kingdom that you could hop over and check out this fantastic resort. There are so many cozy spots to sit and relax by a big, beautiful fireplace, prop your feet up or just have a snack or drink.

Don’t forget you can always make dining reservations at Geyser Point or Artists Point to come over and enjoy this resort in your own vehicle. If you are interested in doing a Monorail Crawl to visit the lounges at all the resorts, this is actually a great place to start and finish even though it’s not technically on the monorail loop. Start here, take the boat over to Magic Kingdom and then hop on the monorail for the other three! Makes for a great night!

Have you stayed or visited this resort? Let us know below and what your favorite thing about it was!

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