If you are looking for a vacation within a vacation, Disney's Wilderness Lodge is your place. Taking a family vacation to Walt Disney World is a whole lot of fun, but it can also be very tiring. After a busy day of going to the parks, you need a resort that will help you unwind and recover. Wilderness Lodge is an amazing resort for just that.
As soon as you enter the Wilderness Lodge, you are transported to the Pacific Northwest. Surrounded by trees, Bay Lake, and a waterfall, this resort makes you feel like you are truly experiencing the great outdoors. Inspired by National Park lodges, the resort is full of beautiful architecture, art, and Instagram worthy scenic views. One of the most unique things found at this resort is the Fire Rock Geyser. Every hour on the hour, the geyser goes off and is a special site to see. If you want to learn about the resort's architecture, you have to take a 1-hour art and architecture tour at the resort! We loved this tour so much that it was the highlight of our entire trip (more to come on that later).
The Wilderness Lodge Lobby
The second that you walk into this resort lobby, I can almost guarantee you will be saying, "WOAH". From the high ceilings, to the totem poles, to the gorgeous fireplace with rocking chairs, this lobby has it all.
One of my favorite things in the lobby is the Disney themed totem pole outside of the Wilderness Lodge Mercantile. It makes me smile every time that I see it! I mean come on, isn't it adorable?
In the Wilderness Lodge lobby, you will also find the Whispering Canyon Cafe. This restaurant is a dining experience like no other. According to our tour guide, Walt Disney loved old Wild West movies. Walt wanted you to walk into the lobby and feel like you were in the Wild West with fake gunfights and all. Obviously, that did not happen. Instead, you get a taste of the Wild West with the Whispering Canyon Cafe. Your waiters and waitresses will be nagging and teasing you throughout the entire meal. You will be guaranteed to have a good laugh and a full tummy. More to come on the Whispering Canyon Cafe later.
If you are looking for a character dining experience, you can go to Story Book Dining at Artist's Point. Here you can meet Snow White, the Evil Queen, and the Seven Dwarves. This restaurant is absolutely gorgeous and has some amazing views of the resort itself.
Boulder Ridge Rooms
Boulder Ridge is a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Because of this, there are more room types than a traditional Disney resort. You can stay in a Deluxe Studio, 1 Bedroom Villa, or a 2 Bedroom Villa. For this stay, we stayed in a 1 Bedroom Villa. We love to stay in the villas because they come with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, living room, balcony, and a master bedroom. This 1 Bedroom Villa can sleep up to 4 adults. Personally, I think this room type is wonderful for a family of 3 or 4.
With all of these room features, you can really make these rooms feel like home. You can even save some money and cook your own meals. Those dining experiences throughout the week can really add up fast.
My favorite part of this room was our view outside of our room. It was serene. Each night when we came back from the parks, we truly forgot we were at Walt Disney World and felt like we were out in the wilderness. Because we were separate from the lobby, our room was nice and quiet.
The Perks of Staying at Boulder Ridge and the Wilderness Lodge
Location, location, location! Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort is one of the few resorts found on Bay Lake. Not only does Bay Lake provide you with some amazing views, but it also provides you with immense convenience. If you are looking to go to the Magic Kingdom, you can hop right onto the boat and ride directly to the park. There is no need to worry about going to the Ticket and Transportation Center. After getting off the boat, you can walk right to the park.
One added perk is that the boat ride over is chalked full of stunning views of the resorts and of Magic Kingdom!
*If you are wanting to go to other parks, there are shuttles to each and every park.
Activities at the Resort
While Boulder Ridge is connected to the Wilderness Lodge, it has its very own pool and whirlpool spa. The pool is a zero entry pool which is a great feature for the little ones. The hot tub is the largest hot tub I have seen at a resort and there is plenty of room for everyone. The best part is that only DVC members or people staying at Boulder Ridge can get into this pool. When we stayed in June, there was almost no one in this pool at multiple points in the day.
While staying at Boulder Ridge Villas, you also have access to the Wilderness Lodge pool. It has a fun water playground, a slide, and is right by the resort lobby.
Like other DVC resorts, there are nightly movies under the stars, activities scheduled throughout each day, and even a hidden Mickey scavenger hunt. Our favorite activity that we participated in was the the Wonders of the Lodge Art and Architecture Tour. This tour occurs daily at 9 AM. Your passionate and excited tour guide will walk you around the resort, tell you all about the special features and history of the Wilderness Lodge, and teach you all kinds of interesting Disney facts. We LOVED this and strongly suggest for everyone to go.
You can also make a Mickey Tie-Die, make s'mores by the campfire, go to the arcade, watch the Electric Water Pageant, and go fishing at the Lodge.
With all of these activities offered at the resorts, I always suggest having a fun built in resort days so that you can have a day to relax and recover.
Our Favorite Place to Eat - Whispering Canyon Cafe
If you are looking for a unique and fun dining experience, Whispering Canyon Cafe is your place. Found in the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge, this restaurant is fully themed like the Wild West. From the endless nagging and teasing from your waitress to the all you can eat plates, your dining experience is always going to be a fun one.
When you first meet your waiter, don't be surprised if they happen to pull up a seat to your table. They might complain about their aching feet or their annoying table next to you. They may even take your order and ask, "What do you want?" Don't worry, it is all in good fun!
We love to come here because of their allergy friendly dining options. I can order something on the menu without having to make any adjustments. It always feels pretty great to be able to do that!
I personally love to order the Pan-fired Red Quinoa Cakes. They are truly unique and filling. If available, I also love to order some of the allergy friendly cornbread.
My husband is a vegetarian and loves their All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Signature Plant-based skillet. It comes with cornbread, BBQ jackfruit, vegan sausage, beetles tips, chicken, roasted potatoes, carrots, green beans, and peppers. If you can't tell already, its A LOT of food!
As we got our food, we quickly realized there was no ketchup on the table. Like any other normal person would do, we asked our waitress for some ketchup. Unbeknownst to us, we had to stand up and yell, "WE NEED KETCHUP!" Before we knew it, there was another family headed towards us with about thirty bottles of ketchup. We could not stop laughing. What we didn't realize was that next time someone else needed ketchup, we would be the ones bringing them the ketchup!
Close to the end of our meal, they announced that it was time for the pony ride. Kids could join in a pony ride around the restaurant. As they rode a wooden pony on a stick, we put our napkins in the air, spun them around, and yelled, "YEEHAW". It is quite the fun experience.
We always walk away from this restaurant laughing and smiling. The food is delicious and the atmosphere is truly one of a kind.
All in All
The Wilderness Lodge is an absolutely gorgeous resort at Walt Disney World. Because there are three resorts in one (Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge, and Copper Creek), there is always something to do on property. Whether you want to relax on balcony with beautiful trees surrounding you or watch a movie under the stars, Disney's Wilderness Lodge has it all.
There are several restaurants on property, the resort is just one short boat ride away from Magic Kingdom, and the pools are amazing!
The Wilderness Lodge is the perfect resort to take a load off and relax after a busy day at the parks.
Interested in staying at the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World? I would love to make that happen for you!
Contact me
felicia@chaseyoursunshine.com
(689)-247-8124