***Updated January 2024,The geyser is now operational once again!
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a deluxe resort themed after America’s Pacific Northwest. It is woodsy, cozy, warm, and rustic. The lobby has totem poles, teepee chandeliers, native headdress displays, buffalo decor, and massive beams anchored by humble rocking chairs and an 82-foot tall fireplace. My husband jokes that one could cook a caribou in it.
It also pays homage to the American pastime of piling your family in the car and visiting national parks. I mean, it has its own creek, falls, springs, *and* a geyser. Make no mistake, Disney touches are everywhere, and it is still very distinctively Disney.
Copper Creek begins its gentle babbling in the lobby over a small bridge and cuts through an open courtyard, and materializes into Copper Creek Falls before anticlimactically feeding into the Copper Creek Springs pool and splashpad area. It’s such a playful way to bring natural elements into the resort and Disney’s way of separating itself from staying at just any old resort.
And a geyser?! Firerock Geyser is modeled after Yellowstone National Park’s famous Old Faithful geyser and located between the pool and Bay Lake, near Geyser Point Bar & Grill. It can erupt up to 120 feet in the air every hour on the hour from early morning until the evening. Its height and frequency of eruption can vary depending on the weather and wind and is deliberately controlled by the resort.
At the time of writing this article, Firerock Geyser has not erupted, Sturdy Branches Health Club has not opened, and the “Wonders of the Lodge” Tour of the resort’s art, history and architecture has not resumed since pre-pandemic days. I spoke to kind Cast Members about this during my recent stay, and they are hopeful that it will return soon, as many cool things have been returning to Walt Disney World. Wilderness Lodge’s pros still outweigh the cons of this resort by a landslide (pun very much intended)!
Update, January 16, 2024: It was confirmed that the geyser is now operational once again!
Wilderness Lodge is also home to Whispering Canyon Cafe, which deserves its own article. It offers up surprisingly affordable breakfast, lunch, and dinner “Western fare with all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets and shenanigans,” which is quite the understatement. Without spillin’ the beans, I will say that they are famous for their skillets, Granny Smith apple pie… and ketchup (be sure to ask for it when you dine there; you won’t be disappointed).
Also onsite at Wilderness Lodge are its quick service options: Roaring Fork (which I’ve yet to try, but I’ve got to admit the Bananas Foster French Toast keeps calling my name) and Geyser Point Bar & Grill, the waterfront watering hole that I’ve made mention of already. Territory Lounge is Artist Point’s lounge, of which I’ve only enjoyed the ice on the rocks while waiting to meet The Queen. The setting is absolutely gorgeous and relaxing.
Wilderness Lodge Mercantile is the on-site gift shop with resort-specific merchandise, apparel & accessories, gifts & housewares, pins, toys & plus. Because it is a DVC property, guests can find food and spirits.
Wilderness Lodge: Home of Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
I’ve got to admit that before becoming a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder, I had only ever set foot inside Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to eat at Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White.
Before then, when did any Disney guest ever have the opportunity to meet The Evil Queen? I say “Evil” loosely. One could argue that the popularity of Disney’s 2014 Maleficient was a catalyst for the popularity of Disney Villains when being bad… became good. And a little fun.
Meeting The Queen is one of the best character meet-and-greet opportunities on Disney property.
During this visit, I had to explain to Her Highness that I was wearing apples on my collared shirt because I simply like apples. I also thanked her for her *gracious* hospitality as I very cautiously rolled my eyes and walked away. I didn’t want The Huntsman searching for me that night as I slept.
Disney guests can also meet Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy at Artist Point. All very fun, especially if you have fans of any of these characters in your life.
Aside from having arguably one of the best character meet-and-greet opportunities on Disney property, the food alone shines. Artist Point offers a dinner-only menu and has a fixed price for a shared appetizer, an entree, and a shared dessert. All food items are whimsically themed to the Snow White storyline, for example, the “Poison” Apple dessert. I am a creature of habit, so time and time again, I order (and recommend) the Royal Prime Rib Roast.
There is also a respectable wine, beer, and very cleverly themed cocktail menu available.
Proximity to Magic Kingdom and the Monorail Resorts & Extended Evening Hours
Wilderness Lodge is sooooo close to the Magic Kingdom, without all of the hustle and bustle of the monorail resorts.
If you have small children that need a quiet nap in the middle of the day, plan on spending two days or more at the Magic Kingdom, or if you plan on spending rest days or a good amount of time at the monorail resorts, it’s wise to stay at Wilderness Lodge.
It’s so close to all of these things and is accessible via a quick boat ride. Want to get to Epcot? Just hop on a boat to the Magic Kingdom and catch the monorail to Epcot.
It offers bus transportation to the theme parks, Disney springs, and water parks.
In July, we loved taking a cool-off break in the middle of the afternoon and would head back to the resort. We swam or napped, and would maybe even have a refreshing drink at Geyser Point Bar & Grill by the lake. Once we were recharged, we’d hop on a boat to the Magic Kingdom, catch dinner at a monorail resort for dinner, and then head to the Magic Kingdom to finish the evening.
It’s really a joy to enjoy the Extended Evening Theme Park Hours benefit of Disney’s deluxe resorts, especially to beat the summer heat, or if your family doesn’t enjoy rope dropping in the morning. We routinely opted to skip fireworks in front of the castle and instead walked onto the rides behind the castle, which typically have zero wait and amazing fireworks views (think Splash Mountain, People Mover).
A new benefit for Disney deluxe resort guests that was introduced this summer was an extra opportunity to join the virtual queue at 6:00 pm on extended evening theme park hours nights at EPCOT for the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. I told myself that I’d be happy riding it once this last trip, and somehow found myself riding it multiple times because of this unexpected new perk.
Wilderness Lodge Accomodations
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Room Rates are actually considered to be on the lower-end of the deluxe resort pricing, so if you can land on the right side of the right promotion, it can feel like you’re paying for a moderate resort with all of the deluxe perks. (Remember, Smart Moms Travel agent services are free, which include monitoring for these types of deals.)
Wilderness Lodge Resort’s lodging is broken up into Wilderness Lodge, Boulder Ridge Villas, and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins, both of which are Disney Vacation Club- Disney’s timeshare properties.
So, what does this mean for most people is that Wilderness Lodge has accommodations for families sized between 2 and 12. For anyone that has stayed on Disney property, you know that if you are not a family size of 4, it can sometimes be difficult to find the perfect fit. Next time you’re considering staying on Disney property, take a peek (or ask your travel agent to take a peek) at Wilderness Lodge. It might have what you’re looking for.
This property offers rooms that range anywhere from Standard View with a King Bed and Deluxe Studios to 3 Bedroom Grand Villas and Suites with Club Level Service, some with fireworks views… and what wilderness themed resort would be complete without cabins?
Those cabins? Think Polynesian Bungalows. They are on the highest of the high end in terms of Disney luxury as they are situated on the lake, have views of fireworks, indoor/outdoor hot tubs, are absolutely posh, and look like something straight out of an architectural design magazine.
We stayed at a 2 bedroom villa, which could be considered utterly humble as compared to the cabins (pictured, above) that sleep up to 8 adults, include 2 full bathrooms, full kitchen, living and dining areas, washer and dryer, and balcony. It was just right for our group of 8 travel agent friends.
Club Level and Christmas Lodge Perfection
Because Wilderness Lodge is a Disney deluxe resort, it offers the Club Level room category. Its respective lounge is called The Old Faithful Club (of course it is!), which is located on the 7th floor. It offers views of the lobby and of the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks, with the music piped in on the balcony.
I’ve yet to enjoy this particular Club Level lounge, but I do have a Club Level stay booked here next year so we can do exactly that. Club Level is the only way my husband will do Disney when we do Disney as a family simply because it’s just more convenient with a toddler to come back to the resort, have a dedicated place to relax and grab prepared food and drinks. When mom and dad are spoiled, it’s so much easier to spoil our princess.
I loved Wilderness Lodge so much during my recent stay with girlfriends, that before unpacking even, one of the very first things that I did when I got home was book our family holiday vacation. It looks like it will be the absolute *coziest* place to stay during the holidays!
To put things in perspective, the Christmas tree in the lobby set up during the holidays is about the same size as its massive 82-ft fireplace. I can totally imagine sipping on hot cocoa on the lobby’s rocking chairs in front of the fireplace.
I also love that we’d be so close to the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom and the giant gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
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