Wilderness Lodge is an escape to the Pacific Northwest and draws inspiration from some of America’s national parks. This resort is considered a deluxe resort and like everything Disney created, the attention to detail here is incredible and immense. The lobby is massive with its totem poles, stately fireplace, plush sofas, and old fashioned rocking chairs.
Room with a View
The rooms at this resort have recently been updated with hardwood floors, bright colors, contemporary bathrooms, and modern amenities. I was happy that our room had a balcony with a castle view and a coffee machine.
Park Access
Wilderness Lodge is located closet to the Magic Kingdom, which can be accessed via bus or boat. This resort is very convenient in that regard. A walk to the back of the resort, along an elevated boardwalk and through the trees, lands you at the dock where you board a ferry for a quick 15 minute ride to MK.
Restaurants
There are multiple restaurants at Wilderness Lodge including Whispering Canyon Cafe, Geyser Point Bar and Grill, Artist Point/ Storybook Dining with Snow White, and Roaring Fork. We chose to eat dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe and what a delicious meal it was.
For anyone familiar with Whispering Canyons Cafe, you will remember that it was a lively restaurant with lots of ketchup bottle throwing shenanigans. We didn’t see much of that going on during out visit but it was still very loud and very kid friendly. I especially liked the kids parade through the dining room while riding their pony sticks. The highlight was when half of the kids decided to go left rather than right and the servers had to get them and redirect them back into the dining room… a bit like herding cats : )
My salmon and farro was excellent and we especially enjoyed the brownie and ice cream dessert.
This place is not quaint and quiet so if that is what you are seeking, I’d look elsewhere. The food was very good and the menu focused on Western themed food with lots of skillets.
Recreation and Grounds
There are numerous recreational activities here including 2 pools, fishing excursions, a shooting geyser (just like Yellowstone), ping pong tables, corn hole, movies under the stars, and a campfire for smore’s roasting.
Fire Rock Geyser is located just behind Copper Creek Pool and erupts every hour starting at 7:00am – 10:00pm.
One of my favorite things to do was to walk the grounds of this lovely resort and talk in the views. I especially liked the river and water views. This is an excellent place to grab a drink and relax a little at one of the outdoor tables next to the water.
Fireworks and Electric Water Pageant
An additional bonus to staying at this resort includes viewing the Electric Water Pageant right from the resort. You can also view Magic Kingdom fireworks from your balcony if you have one facing the castle. I found the absolute best firework viewing location was from the ferry taking us back to the resort as we were leaving MK. It was a beautiful night and from the boat, we could see the entire show.
Summary
This was my first time staying at this resort and I highly recommend it. Yes, you will pay a little more for it than other resorts on property but I found that the rustic theming, proximity to MK, and variety of restaurants and amenities to be well worth the cost. It was a magical stay.