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| Fast
Facts |
| Resort
Address: |
901 W. Timberline
Dr., Lake Buena Vista, 32830 |
| Resort
Phone: |
(407) 824-3200 |
| Resort
Fax: |
(407) 824-3232 |
| Number
of Rooms: |
181 |
| Resort
Category: |
Home Away
From Home |
| Resort
Location: |
Magic Kingdom
Resort Area |
| Check
In Time: |
4:00pm |
| Check
Out Time: |
11:00am |
| Room Types
(maximum capacity): |
Studio (4),
One Bedroom Vacation Home (4), Two Bedroom Vacation
Home (8). |
| Room Service: |
Yes |
| Valet
Parking: |
Yes |
| Laundry
Service: |
Yes |
| Fully
Handicapped Accessible: |
Yes |
| Semi-Handicapped
Accessible: |
Yes |
| Wheelchair
Roll-In Showers Available: |
Yes |
| Hearing
Impaired Conveniences: |
Yes |
| Non-Smoking
Rooms Available: |
Yes |
| Room Safes: |
Yes |
| VCR Available: |
Yes |
| Data Port
Available: |
Yes |
| Coffee
Maker Available: |
Yes |
| Microwave
Available: |
Yes |
| Refrigerator
Available: |
Yes |
| Full-Kitchen
Available: |
Yes |
| Concierge
Service: |
No |
| Monorail
Service: |
No |
| Table
Service Restaurant(s): |
Artist Point,
Lobby Coffee Bar, Whispering Canyon Cafe |
| Character
Meals: |
Breakfast
at Artist Point (Pooh and Friends) |
| Counter
Service Restaurant(s): |
Roaring
Fork |
| Lounge(s): |
Territory
Lounge, Trout Pass (pool side) |
| Services
(Salons, etc.): |
No |
| Shopping: |
The Mercantile
shop sells character merchandise, souvenirs, and sundries
and provides film developing service and is usually
open from 7:00am - 11:30pm. |
| Pool Description: |
Pool is
themed to look like a natural pool in one of the Western
national parks (complete with waterfall, hot and cold
spas, and a small slide). A smaller quite pool
is located closer to the Villas building. |
| Children's
Clubs, Programs: |
Cub's Den
(4-12, $5 per hour, dinner is $8 extra, includes Disney
movies and craft projects, 4:30pm - midnight, 4 hour
maximum.) |
| Fitness
Center: |
Sturdy Branches,
the new fitness center built in the Villas building,
features Cybex equipment, steppers, bikes, and a sauna. |
| Other
Recreational Facilities: |
Biking,
Water Mice, Canopy Boats, Pontoon Boats, Roaring Fork
Arcade, Children's Playground, Iron Spike Room (a combination
lounge and game room). |
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Overview
Wilderness Lodge Villas, a Disney Vacation
Club resort, has been built right next to the popular Wilderness
Lodge resort. In fact, all of the Lodge's amenities are available
to Villas guests. The main Lodge building itself (where the
Villas shares check in and guest services as well as other common
resort facilities) is a log lodge, reminiscent of those built by
the national park service in the early 1900's. The lobby is
huge. A fireplace stands in one corner and the check-in desk is
services by park rangers...everything looks, feels, and smells like
the Western national parks!
The villas building, though, is said to "pre-date"
the Lodge next door by several years. Built by the railroad
work crews that came through laying rails across the continent at
the end of the 19th century, the villas building is a bit more rustic
and definitely themed toward the transcontinental railroad.
The building lobby is much more rustic than the lodge lobby next
door and the Iron Spike Room, a combination game room and living
room for guests staying at the villas, both give nods to the rails
and ties of the era.
Room Description
The rooms at the Wilderness Lodge Villas Resort are
decorated in an old West, railroad theme.
There are four categories of rooms:
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In a Studio you'll find a typical hotel room set
up with a queen bad and sleeper sofa or daybed, bathroom (with
a single sink in the vanity area), desk, television in a cabinet
with some drawers underneath, and a small table with a couple
of chairs.
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The One-Bedroom Villa are much larger with a master
bedroom suite with a king-sized bed, a full bath (with shower),
and a whirlpool tub. There is also a full living
room with a sleeper sofa and a kitchen and dining area adjoining.
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The Two-Bedroom Villa is essentially an adjoining
One-Bedroom Villa and Studio with a connecting door.
Note that there are no "Grand Villas" at
this resort (unlike at Old Key West and Boardwalk Villas).
In a studio, only limited "kitchen" facilities
are provided. You'll find a wetbar, coffee maker, and small
under-counter microwave, and small refrigerator. The kitchens
in the one- two- and three bedroom accommodations are full ones
with all appliances (refrigerator, stove and oven, microwave, toaster,
blender), dishes, glassware, pots and pans, silverware, and utensils.
You'll also find paper towels, dish soap and a sponge in either
"kitchen."
One tremendous feature of all of the Villas rooms
except the studios is the washer and dryer (full size in the Grand
Villas and a stacked pair in the others).
Preferred Room Locations
The three room views available include the standard
view which faces the parking lot or other less-sightly parts of
the building, the woods view which faces out from the building,
and the courtyard view looks out toward Bay Lake.
Food and Drink
Wilderness Lodge Villas boasts several nice restaurants.
Artist Point is the hotel's best. Barb and I have our best WDW steaks
ever at this restaurant. The buffalo sirloin is good too! Whispering
Canyon Cafe is a family-style service restaurant with lots of atmosphere.
Activities
Boat rentals allow the guest to traverse Bay Lake.
Swimming in the themed pool, hot tub, and cold spa are also popular.
A small arcade can keep your Nintendo nuts happy (although this
is a very small game room compared to the one at the Contemporary).
A small gift shop is available, too, to buy resort themed goods
as souvenirs.
Disney Transportation
Although a premium resort, Wilderness Lodge Villas
is rather secluded, so it doesn't have monorail service. Boat and
bus transportation, though, provides transportation to all points
in WDW.
Other Comments
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There are a pair of lodge tours offered each day.
The first is at 9:15am and the second at 3:15pm. The morning
tour describes the architecture, construction, and landscaping
of the lodge. The afternoon tour takes you to the resort's
restaurants to sample the goods. Both tours take 45 minutes
to an hour.
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Each night, generally at 8:30pm or so, there is
a storytelling time for children in the lobby.
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There is a Lincoln log table at the Whispering
Canyon Cafe entrance, to keep the smaller kids busy while waiting
for a table.
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Fireworks Cruises are available from the boat
dock (check with guest services for prices).
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