Wilderness Lodge
|
Reviewer's Name:
|
Ken Hughes |
Reviewer's Email Address:
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khughes@musicplayer.com |
Rate / Night (for your stay):
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234.00 |
Date(s) of Stay:
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10/5-10/12 |
Accommodation Used:
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Standard Room / Studio |
Accommodations Review:
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Nice room. Clean and comfortable. Resort relatively quiet, although
courtyard-view rooms can be a little noisy; the pool is open until
11pm and while we were there , folks were taking advantage of it.
Not at all annoying to us, but if you require complete quietude, request
a room without a courtyard view. |
Why Did you Select This Resort for your Stay?
|
Both Birnbaum's book and Sehlinger's Unofficial Guide said it was
among the most romantic. MousePlanet folks said the same thing - we
were celebrating our 5th anniversary as well as taking the honeymoon
we never had. |
Room # and Location Description:
|
6037, 6th floor, on the left side of the courtyard with sweeping
lake views. |
Room Location Pros & Cons:
|
Pros: Lovely view. Electrical Water pageant visible from the balcony.
Close to elevators near Roaring Fork. Cons: Far from lobby elevators.
A little noisy in the evenings. |
Check-In / Check-Out Comments:
|
Fadi from Damascus, Syria helped us check in. He was very helpful
and friendly. He silently upgraded our room when he saw the note on
our reservation that it was our honeymoon/anniversary. He didn't say
a word, but I know I only paid for a wooded view. Bay views were more
expensive. |
WDW Transportation Comments:
|
Boat to Magic Kingdom truly keeps you in the Disney bubble. Buses
to other parks pretty much hassle-free. Transport from resort to resort
(we visited the Grand Floridian for a massage and dinner at Victoria
& Albert's, and Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner at the amazing
Boma) was a pain. We didn't like having to use Downtown Disney as
a resort-to-resort hub. On the other hand, a (non-WDW) taxi from Victoria
& Albert's back to the Lodge took no time at all an cost only
$5.00. |
Restaurant / Lounge Review:
|
Artist Point is wonderful. Homey, friendly service, really good
food and a nice selection of wines. Worth the money. Whispering Canyon
was a little disappointing. Maybe because by the time we ate breakfast
there on our last day, neither of us was feeling well (travel colds),
but the over-the-top, good-natured abuse the staff was giving the
diners was tiresome and the food wasn't all that great. The biscuit
gravy tasted like Mrs. Smith's canned white sauce to me. Roaring Fork
exceeded our expectations. Nothing fancy, but tasty and satisfying.
Sometimes a greasy pizza sounds so good, y'know? |
Pool Description / Comments:
|
Pool felt a little small. We liked the way the water seemed to flow
all the way from the lodge to the pool and then out into the lake.
Lifeguards had to shout constantly at kids running on the deck. Never
enough deck chairs, and this is the off season with even lower crowds
after 9/11. Hot tub nice and hot. Didn't know the other spa was cold
- too many folks already in it when we went down to use the spa. Just
assumed it was full because all the people in it were traveling together.
There was a towel attendant one day, but we never saw her again. Curious
. . . |
What Suggestions Would you Give Anyone that is Considering This
Resort?
|
Spring for a courtyard view on an upper floor if you don't mind
a little (happy) noise. Go sown to the boat dock and watch the appealingly
dated Electrical Water Pageant, with its patriotic epilogue. Have
dinner at Artist Point, order a California wine, and try the mixed
grill. Take your kids to Whispering Canyon. The families we saw there
were having a good time. I would suggest that anyone staying on property
anywhere never use IBEX Towncar to get to and from the airport. |
Other Comments:
|
Liked it so much we bought access to a Villa. Can't wait to return. |
