Disney's Wilderness Lodge

We stayed for 7 nights in the Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge for the first time. I have always wanted to stay there. I love the calm and quiet setting of Wilderness Lodge. It seems less crowded than other resorts. Sometimes I walked around and I felt like I had the entire resort to myself. My kids and I would do nature walks. We saw lots of deer, snakes, raccoons, owls, and TONS of frogs and lizards. These guys are everywhere. It has gorgeous views of the lake. Sometimes I caught myself just staring at the architecture of the resort itself. Rooms: The Bolder Ridge Studio Villa was pretty much Disney standard. Clean, comfortable, and just enough room. We had a great location right near the bus stop, main lodge, and pool. Pools: These pools are probably my second favorite in Disney, getting beat out by only Beach Club. One thing that was great was that they were refreshing. It's difficult to find a refreshing pool in August that didn't feel like bathwater, but both pools felt great. The main pool has a small water slide and is large. You don't feel like you're constantly bumping into people. Lots of lifeguards. It also has a two hot tubs and kids play area connected. The only downside to the play area is that they will not let older siblings play in there. This is really disappointing because my two older kids wanted to play with my youngest son, but were told they were too big to be in there. The second pool, Boulder Ridge pool, was great as well. It has a zero entry side and is very expansive. We spent most of our time at this pool since it was close to our location. There are no lifeguards at this location. This pool will stay open past 11pm, but you have to be quiet. Make sure you go for a dip when you get back from the parks at night- the water feels great! Amenities: Geyser Point bar is right along the water between the pools. Never ate there but great location. Roaring Fork (quick serve) was kind of a walk for us but nothing extreme. There are table games behind Geyser Point bar which came in handy for the constant thunderstorms every afternoon. We also made use the the arcade between the lobby and Boulder Ridge. We rented the Sea Raycer boats which is always a good time. Staff: Staff was very friendly, but would you expect anything less at Disney?? Transportation: Disney has a great network, but give yourself plenty of time to get to where you are going. Plan on an hour if you have dinner reservations elsewhere. You may have to make connections. For example, to get to Animal Kingdom Lodge you would have to take a bus to AK, then another bus from AK to AKL. Boats will run to Ft. Wilderness, Contemporary, and Magic Kingdom. Busses run to all four parks, Disney Springs, and FW. Seems to run every 20 mins or so. The monorail does not run here. Food: We decided to get the deluxe dining plan. We knew it would be a lot of food but we wanted to try all the restaurants. If you go with the Deluxe DP, bring an extra stomach. You get an appetizer, drink, entree, and dessert. Some of the appetizers look like full meals. It was just too much food. By the 5th day the thought of eating more made us queasy. We'll stick to the Standard DP next time. I'll give a quick review of everywhere we ate- Whispering Canyon Cafe- 8/10 Get the nachos! Hoop Dee Doo- 9/10 Kids thought they would hate it, they loved it! Mama Melrose's- 10/10 Best meal I have ever had in Disney. Flatbread is a must. Primetime Cafe- 5/10 Character Buffet, medicore food Tusker House- 8/10 Character Buffet breakfast. Lots of choices. Yak and Yeti- 9/10 Great food here! Boma- 7/10 Adults will love it. Kids didn't like anything. Cinderella's Royal Table- 8/10 Great for your little princesses, just ok for food. Crystal Palace- 7/10 Character buffet Coral Reef- We forgot this place was almost all seafood. We don't eat seafood. Our mistake. Waste of a meal credit. Should have booked at one of the countries. Le Cellier- 8/10 Good food, but NOT worth two meal credits. Try the cheddar cheese soup! Trail's End- 8/10 Brunch buffet. Everything was tasty. Yachtsman- 10/10 Totally worth the two dining credits. Steak melts in your mouth. Disappointments: It was a great vacation, but I have two disappointments. We were there to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday. Other than at check-in "I see you are here for your 40th birthday", not one acknowledgment of it the rest of our stay. I had heard that Disney goes out of their way to make a special event feel special, but that was not the case. We specifically chose Disney for this special event, but it felt like every other vacation. The other had to do with the dining plan. Be careful of what you are being charged on your total bill. At some places the server charged the kids as adults. Since you are using dining credits, you don't pay for this(and probably won't even notice) but it significantly increases the total bill, which you base your tip on. We didn't notice it until later and said something. Disney staff did take care of it. Overall it was a wonderful trip that went too fast. I highly recommend Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge. Be sure to space out your park days so that you can enjoy your time at the lodge.

We stay here a few times each year. Always a nice room, vintage themed so not modern. Our studio room is big enough for 2 adults and a large child utilising the clever bed that pulls out from the wall. Theres also a decent bed setee for another 2 people. The main bed is only a double though they could easily fit a larger bed in there. Small functional kitchen with microwave, small fridge freezer, toaster and coffee maker. Standard bathroom with tub and shower over and separate vanity area with sink. The AC unit now seems pre-set on 70f even if you turn it lower. Just about a comfortable temperature and quiet system. We have often had to request maintenance to adjust the system to make it cooler. Rooms have small balcony with patio furniture set or small patio on ground floor units. The Lodge itself is awesome especially the tall foyer. All the usual Disney facilities, one basic and one posh restaurant, decent food court, health club, 2 large pools with ample seating. Also a new outside bar/ restaurant where the beach used to be. Shame there's no beach now. There's also laundry and ice facilities on some floors. Great concierge named Kirk in Boulder Ridge and ask for Jack if you want to be on the list to raise the Disney flags on the roof, Great views and an unforgettable experience behind the scenes.