Should You Stay at Wilderness Lodge?
The best part of booking your Walt Disney World hotel is that you know your vacation will start soon.
As soon as you reserve your room, your countdown clock starts on My Disney Experience.
Disney World
You can track how many days you must wait until you arrive at the Most Magical Place on Earth for your dream vacation.
Before that happens, you must decide where to spend the night, though, and it’s not an easy choice.
So, MickeyBlog is publishing a series of evaluations about the various Disney World resort options. And I love today’s hotel.
Should you stay at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge? Here are several reasons why and even an argument to pick a different location.
The Theming
Boat to Disney Springs
At Walt Disney World, you’ll discover several Disney resorts that pay tribute to classic American vacations of yore.
For example, you can stay at the beach, a boardwalk, a Polynesian island, or a duplicate of Saratoga Springs.
Saratoga Springs
These were all destinations that Americans loved over the past 150 years.
Another is a trip to a national park, which has fallen out of fashion a bit lately but remains an American institution.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney designed and built an entire hotel based on our country’s love of nature.
When you stay at Wilderness Lodge, you’re paying tribute to the national park lodges of yore.
Specifically, Disney designed this one after Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park. So, it’s a tried-and-true theme/style.
You’re leaving civilization behind and escaping to a log cabin in the woods. Abraham Lincoln would be proud.
Disney has somehow constructed an eight-floor Deluxe Tier resort made entirely of lodgepole pine imported from Oregon.
This is the most authentic wilderness vacation you can have in Florida.
The Lobby
You’ll know that the instant you enter the lobby, as the entire building delivers on the premise of a log cabin.
Virtually everything you see primarily consists of wood. The appearance is that of a master craftsperson’s dream project.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge lobby
You’ll feel an innate comfort as you explore the lobby, as you’re at one with nature.
There is one element that’s not wood, though, and you cannot help but notice it.
The primary landmark in Wilderness Lodge’s lobby is a floor-to-ceiling fireplace. You’ll wish you had some s’mores.
While you’re there, you should also pay attention to the authentic totem poles.
They tell a story of Indian American culture and history.
Remarkably, the visuals aren’t the only outstanding parts of the hotel lobby, though. You’ll also find…
The Restaurants
Whispering Canyon
You’ll hear Whispering Canyon Café long before you enter the building.
For many years now, this campfire-themed restaurant has charmed guests with its folksy, brash humor.
Photo: @justinhamana/Twitter
The Cast Members who work here are merry pranksters who delight in your discomfort.
They’ll cheekily tease you in any number of ways, all the while delivering bottomless skillets of hearty campfire food.
Photo: Disney
And the most important thing to remember when dining at Whispering Canyon Café is always order the ketchup!
Another Disney favorite is Geyser Point Bar & Grill, an outdoor, covered restaurant by the lake.
This is an ideal place to grab lunch, nurture a beverage, and savor the great outdoors. It’s an idyllic setting.
Another Quick Service option is Roaring Fork, one of my favorite breakfast spots in Orlando.
For most people, the place to eat at Wilderness Lodge is a character meal, though.
Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White brings the movie to life as you enter the forest with Disney’s first heroine.
You’ll encounter the Evil Queen along the way, as well as some Dwarfs, one of whom is quite Grumpy.
The food here accentuates the story, with dishes such as “Cottage” Beef Stroganoff, A Stroll Through Nature, and a “Poison” Apple.
The apple isn’t really poisoned, and the nature stroll is a clever plant-based dish, both of which accentuate the theming.
For several years now, this has been the hottest character meal at Disney, and it’s right near the hotel lobby!
The Location
Magic Kingdom entrance
Here’s something you may not know about Wilderness Lodge.
Disney lists this property as a Magic Kingdom area resort. That may surprise you if you’re unfamiliar with the geography here.
Magic Kingdom
However, Wilderness Lodge resides a mere 2.8 miles from the front gate at Magic Kingdom.
So, we’re talking about a short bus ride to the park. Google suggests it takes about six minutes, depending on traffic.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Boat Transportation
There’s a more scenic option, though. Wilderness Lodge hosts boat transportation as well.
This form of transportation is actually the superior option in that you’ll get to the park in about seven minutes on every trip.
The location of Wilderness Lodge makes an ideal option when you want to stay near Magic Kingdom but don’t want to splurge on a monorail resort.
The Seclusion
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Finally, we have what I love best about the hotel (other than the theming).
Disney built Wilderness Lodge in a forest by a lake. How great is that?
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
You’ll feel like you’re staying in the middle of nowhere when you vacation at Wilderness Lodge.
The hotel doubles as a nature oasis, yet it’s just a few minutes away from Magic Kingdom.
Photo: Disney
So, you can sleep peacefully at night, head to the park for a busy day, and then escape back to your secluded resort.
This is a utopia Disney has constructed less than three miles from Magic Kingdom.
Why You Should Look Elsewhere
Photo: Disney Parks Blog
When you want to stay at a Magic Kingdom resort, Wilderness Lodge is good, but it’s not great.
We all know which hotels in the Magic Kingdom area are the great ones.
Disney’s monorail resorts will cost a bit more than Wilderness Lodge, but you’ll get what you pay for.
With monorail access, you can visit two Disney theme parks, Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, in a matter of minutes.
Monorail Blue
When you’re already spending this much on a Deluxe Disney resort, you may prefer to be on the monorail instead.
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