Disney's Wilderness Lodge reviews

Written by Robert Niles
Theme Park Insider Editor
Posted: December 29, 2007

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Readers' rating:

Probably our favorite hotel at WDW. Love the ambience and could sit in the lobby forever listening to the music that's piped-in. It's just a little convoluted to get anywhere since you're limited to bus or boat but that's never stopped us before. Going to try WLV this April. Looking forward to the peace and tranquility of staying there. Love Artist Point restaurant. - Keith Forrest

Arrived in early December and found the lodge beautifully decorated for the holidays. Arrival was easy as I performed advance checkin at home which made it very easy to get our room, which was available immeditatly, four hours prior to typical check-in time. No upgrades were available, however they were able to provide us a room that had a view of Magic Kingdom fireworks and otters in the pond outside our room. All food from the Whispering Canyon cafe was outstanding, and I highly recommend Bob as a server, also known as Gepetto, he looks like he carved Pinnochio, as he was fantastic. My kids loved the "horse races" and performing the Hokey Pokey during dinner. Food was amazing and more than plentiful. The staff was amazingly upbeat and helpful, and the site itself was just amazing. All four of us enjoyied exploring the lodge and enjoying the ammenities. Would happily recommend this location and stay here again without hesitation. Truly worth it. - Shannon Finn

My favorite part about this hotel is the Whispering Canyon Cafe. My family loves that almost everywhere we go at Disney the vegetarian menu options are creative and delicious, and this restaurant is no exception. The Red Quinoa Cakes were absolutely delicious. We went there with our kids and my parents. There are some seriously picky eaters in our family and everyone loved it so much we already want to go back! - Heather Olson

With certainly one of the most breathtaking lobbies in Walt Disney World, Wilderness Lodge instantly sets a tone of majestic relaxation second only to actually being at the Grand Canyon or in Yosemite itself. While gorgeous any time of year, the Wilderness Lodge really works its grand magic around the Christmas holidays, especially when the weather is cooperating with low temperatures and cloudy skies. The massive log edifice and interior craftsman touches emulate the grand hotels of the Western North American national parks to the minutest detail, and the visual effect is surpassed only by the warmth, friendliness and professionalism of the hotel staff and cast. You haven't experienced the Holidays at WDW until you've spent a few nights at the Wilderness Lodge during mid-to-late December. The dining options range from a quite passable quick service venue to very fine dining with a Northwest Pacific flair, and the pool and geothermal area fit the theming perfectly! You can't go wrong at Wilderness Lodge, one of the least expensive of the Deluxe resorts at WDW, and one of the most convenient, with quick and frequent bus and boat service to just about any place on property you'd care to go. Try it, and you'll be convinced -- and you'll be back! - Larry Zimmerman

6/10 - Fair. The lobby and landscaping are beautiful, but our hotel rooms were uncomfortably small and somewhat dilapidated, especially considering how much we paid for them. Perhaps we were staying in a section of the hotel that was undergoing reservations. The walls were paper-thin; we could hear both sets of neighbours' conversations. Transportation to the theme parks was mediocre. The restaurants were excellent and the service was top-notch, as expected for Disney. However, until we can afford to pay for more than the standard studio room, we won't stay here again. - Joshua Counsil

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