We stayed during the "COLD" spell.. Hotel had nothing to do with that and even though it was 30 degrees outside there were people SWIMMING in the pool and in the jacuzzi so it must have been kept at a great temperature. Rooms were very clean and always neat. We traveled with our 2 grandchildren, daughter & husband and had adjoining rooms which was fab!. We soon discovered that the boat ride to the Kingdom was the fastest and the best way to travel. Never waited more then 10 minutes for the ride. Everyone was very helpful in our questions. We had a sick child during the trip and they arranged for someone to pick us up to take to urgent care. Could not have asked for more. We ate most of our meal via the cafeteria but took the food back to our rooms since it was always crowded. But that worked out much better for us anyhow. We could relax and eat at our leisure. They could of had more variety of foods but I can't complain. We always found something we enjoyed. The gift shop, arcade rooms, Whispering Cafe, Artist Point were great. Would stay there just b/c of the boat ride to the kingdom. You never had to walk far to get either the boat or bus no matter where you stayed in the hotel. I have heard that some of the hotels you have to walk 15 minutes just to get the bus. Not here. Everything was very close and comfortable. Check in was a little long but there were also many people ahead of us. They left messages on your phone and on your door when you needed to at the bus for airport pickup. Definetly give this place a 5 star and would stay there again! Didn't get a chance to participate in any Hotel activities b/c we were busy with the Parks but would have liked to . Maybe next time we stay we will have more time. We needed a microwave in one of the rooms for my grandson's special eating needs and they were very prompt in getting it right up to us. EVERYONE was always pleasant and courtious and helpful.
Recommend 100%.

hi me and my family stayed at wilderness lodge in july 07, the check in was quick and we got upgraded free of charge. the rooms are clean and comfy we payed for a pool view which was worth the extra money. the dining is great we ate at artist point and whispering canyon. we stayed in this hotel for 2 weeks before moving onto the hard roack in universal and we were not ready to move on, could have easily stayed on a while longer. we visit disney every year and therefore like to experience different disney hotels as we feel that each hotel is theamed differently this year we are trying disney port orleans watch out for my review. happy holiday.

Walking into the lodge is an experience unto itself. It's large, open, and kind of takes your breath away with it's Disney Magic. It doesn't look very Disney-ish at first, more like something you'd find at Yellowstone Park. The rooms are clean, nice, with fun rustic touches to make it seem like a lodge. All the amenities are available. Most recently we stayed in the Villas but in the past we've also stayed in the main lodge.
The villas have a kitchen, dining area, living room area and separate bed and bath.
The pool area is amazing. There is a little creek that runs through the hotel, outside, down a rocky waterfall area and then into the pool. Near the pool is also a hot tub.
Our son loved this too (he was just over 2 at the time). I would definitely recommend it.
~Christy

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge for three days in January. This property is beautiful inside and out and considered one of Disney's "Deluxe" hotels. Having stayed mostly at moderates in the past, we decided to try something new. The property itself is gorgeous, I could have stayed in the lodge the entire trip instead of going to the parks and been just fine. There were many activities scheduled throughout the day, but we never actually made it to any of them so I can't vouch for the quality of these. But it was nice knowing they were available.

The room was nice, clean and with a decent view. We had a woods view and could just see the top of the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's castle from a our second floor balcony. There was a small man-made pond in front of our room. Nothing more than a few ducks. The high points of this property are the beautiful design and the proximity to the Magic Kingdom by boat. The convenience that this boat service adds cannot be beat. You literally arrive at the front steps. Anybody who's trekked to or from from the bus drop-off understands the benefit of this, especially after a very long day at the parks.

It is a fun place to explore, there is lots to see and look for inside the lodge, and outside there is a walking trail. The area around the pools and beach is fun to explore, with a geyser and bear tracks on the sidewalks for kids to follow.

The low points for me were the concierge and the dining. Concierge was friendly but had limited knowledge. I had questions about seasonal passes and show times at the Magic Kingdom. Concierge didn't know show times (I was told this was specific to the parks), which I understand but it sure would have been helpful info to help plan my day. They also didn't have info on the seasonal passes and had to Google to get the needed info. This was disappointing after waiting in line for twenty minutes to speak to the concierge.

The snack bar had the exact same items as are available in the moderate food courts, yet there is only one cashier and it's a tiny tiny space. The lines were excessively long and there were very few places to sit. This made breakfast impossible unless you got there really early or else really don't mind standing in line. I don't understand why Disney made the snack-bar dining smaller in the Deluxe accommodations?

The Whispering Canyon restaurant was fun. The kids enjoyed the goofy service and spinning buffet wheel on the table. However, it's not really worth it unless you have more than two or three adults eating. Our waiter disappeared after the first service, so for us, it wasn't really "all you can eat."

In closing, the Wilderness Lodge gets high marks just for being stunning, and we would stay there again - but service is inconsistent.