Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World

Summer of Disney 2024 – Disne Y World

August 2024

Rooms
Resort Layout
Amenities & Dining

Wilderness Lodge, Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida, 2024

Over the last decade we’ve enjoyed many short stays at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World. Our summer 2024 trip was our first time to stay in Club Level. At any stay level, or for just a visit to enjoy the resort’s dining or scenery, The Wilderness Lodge has always offered a peaceful escape from the busy Walt Disney World parks, and the outside world in general.

Rooms

Our Club-level two queen room for our 2024 stay was in a quiet corner of the lodge. Our top-floor room had a pool view balcony that was tucked into the roof. The bathroom was updated with a shower and included deluxe-level Disney bathroom toiletries.

Old Faithful Club, Wilderness Lodge, Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida, 2024

For most of our stays we have been in 2-queen rooms in the main lodge area. On one of these stays we were upgraded to a Fireworks view, and it was fun for our then four-year old to wake up to The Cinderella Castle in the distance. One night we booked a room in Boulder Ridge that overlooked the bus stop, but we learned was not ideal for light sleepers due to the loud transportation commotion.

Resort Layout & Amenities

We used both of the resort’s pools during our stay. The Copper Creek Springs Pool was a more bustling center of activity, with early afternoon children’s activities and a slide. The Boulder Ridge Cove pool was quieter but still good for families with young children with a zero entry side of the pool.

The reception area and center of the Wilderness Lodge was styled after the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park,

Like other Deluxe Level Resorts, The Wilderness Lodge’s Lobby has been a great destination (even without staying there) for Holiday Season decorations. In 2019 a Disney PhotoPass photographer was available to capture a photo that was perfect timing for our family’s Christmas Card.

The seven-story and three-sided fireplace was designed to represent the layers of the Grand Canyon. Interpretive signage on each floor (including the Club Level lounge) explained the geologic history of the Grand Canyon. Display cases showed real examples of the rocks that make up the natural layers.

The Boulder Ridge section of the resort was created to resemble an 1840s town at the intersection of railways that joined the East Coast to the West Coast of the United States via the Intercontinental Railroad. In this adaptation, the old railway town had become a bustling tourist center.

According to the storyline, the old rock quarry became a swimming area (Boulder Ride Cove Pool), and the railroad depot was turned into a restaurant (Geyser Point Bar & Grill). On the “Wonders of the Lodge Art & Architecture Tour” offered at 9am daily, I learned about the small details that Disney Imagineers built into the landscape, from artwork styled like that of famous folk artists to intentional “errors” in construction that would have existed in the hastily built buildings.

The resort extends along the water in each direction with the Copper Creek Cabins. Tennis courts and outdoor grills are available for guests.

We learned that the cartoon bear that is depicted around the resort with well-known Disney characters was named Humphrey and was one of The Walt Disney Studios’ earliest cartoons. The activity center “Humphrey’s Hideaway” offered daily arts and crafts activities for an additional charge.

Dining

Whispering Canyon Café was a popular table service option, known for its hefty skillet meals and the comical antics of the wait staff. Even without dining at the restaurant we could hear badly off-key renditions of “Happy Birthday” from all around the lodge.

The Roaring Fork was the most convenient quick service option for guests staying in the Wilderness Lodge main building. Seating options were available both inside and on an outdoor patio. Geyser Point Bar & Grill also offered a quick service take-out window.

We can remember visiting the Wilderness Lodge nearly a decade ago when Artist Point was still a Signature Dining restaurant.

In 2019 we dined at at the newly re-themed Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. The restaurant has remained a popular spot for character dining outside of the theme park.