Getting nervous about WL

[Zacksmom]

We're going to be staying at WL for our upcoming trip in a few weeks. I've heard mixed reviews and it seems most either love it or hate it. It seems as though everyone loves the lobby and the grounds in general but I am reading alot of negatives regarding the rooms themselves being dark and gloomy and needing to be refurbished. Also not great reviews about quick service dining options at this resort. I just am afraid of being stuck with somewhere I don't feel comfortable (I am pretty picky when it comes to hotels). I Thanks!

 

[Gorechick]

Any stay will be what you make of it. If you go in with negative views then you'll find every little thing wrong. WL is a lovely resort, I'm sure you will enjoy it.

 

[bornwiththeears]

We have stayed at the WL twice and loved both times. I agree, it is what you make it. The rooms were fine, but we really loved the fact that no matter where your room is, you don't have that far to walk. The pool is fabulous and we loved the ability to ride the boat to the MK. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[jj4]

I took my husband for 2 nights this past Feb because he always wanted to stay there. We had a great time! I doubt you will disappointed. The hotel and grounds are beautiful. went to the fast service dining one morning and it was fine, no different than the other Disney resorts on this level in my opinion. We have stayed at all of the moderate hotels and several in the WL category. Are the rooms a little dark? A bit but that's because of the balcony above blocking the sun. Our room was great because we could see Cinderella's castle through the trees and the river below. Plus it was very quiet. Stop worrying, go and enjoy! You won't be in the room much anyway. Oh and I would without a moment's hesitation stay there again.

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've done over 10 stays at the lodge out of our 44 trips to WDW, and we're headed there again this September......discussion last night at our house was that we've done trying other resorts....we've done most of the deluxes and have ruled them out for one reason or another....

Last trip, past December, first week, we did a OKW villa stay...we were a group of 3 families and we're trying for 3 rooms at WL but no availibility....CM offered us OKW 2 bedroom villa for a great price so we gave it a try.....though the villa was fantastic, the location of our building and resort was not what we're used to and wanted....then and there, we made the decision....no more trying other resorts...go with what you want....

Bottom line, nothing bad can be said about all our stays at the Lodge...yes, the rooms and resort are subdued lit....it's supposed to be lantern lighting to go with the theme.....rooms are themed perfectly....how much light do you need? There's ample, leave the slider drapes open and it's like day in the room....we have no complaints.....resort is very compact...good restaurants, all under 1 roof, great pool, boat and bike rentals, boat to FW, MK and CR....others have complained about the Roaring Forks...it's not a food court...it's quick serve....decent menu but if you want more, head to Whispering Canyon or FW's Trails End....lets not make an issie out of their quick serve....you can not compare a deluxe resort with a vale or moderate, especially food wise.....you'll enjoy the resort

 

[Zacksmom]

Thanks so much for the reassurance. I guess there will always be people that aren't happy no matter where they stay and I shouldn't let those type of people affect my trip.

 

[danny25]

Thanks so much for the reassurance. I guess there will always be people that aren't happy no matter where they stay and I shouldn't let those type of people affect my trip.

I agree, I don't know what kind of luxury you are acostumated, but I can't believe that any person don't like WL, It's a beatifull resort, wonderfull grounds, the boats to MK and Contemporary are incredible, It seems that always is somebody complaining about something, I feel that the problem is not with the resorts and is with the attitude of the families that are the resorts. Listen to me you will have a MAGICAL stay at WL and you will LOVE IT

 

[Kim1964]

We like WL. We first stayed there in 2004 and I did feel that the room was dark, but then we stayed again in 2008 and it had been refurbished. It was much lighter and I really liked the decor. It's a nice place to go back to after the chaos of the parks.

The issue with the quick service isn't the food....I particularly enjoyed their taco salad. The drawback is the size of the dining area...it is very small for the size of the resort. If you are there at peak times, seating can be a challenge.

YC is my favorite deluxe, but I would definitely go back to WL if YC wasn't in the budget.

 

[mom2princesses2]

We stayed at WL last Sept and it was nice for us...not great but not just ok.

The room was fine but we we had an issue with cleanliness..found trash and dirt under the bunk beds when we came in and after two days in the room we had to note it to housekeeping because clearly they weren't going to take care of it (we did throwaway the trash though when we saw it). Of course that could happen anywhere but my DH wasn't happy about it considering the price.

We also had a terrible experience of Whispering Canyon but it gets great reviews consistently so I would hope ours was an exception. I agree that the QS options are very limited but we got groceries delivered for all breakfasts and only planned to eat there once.

The boats to the MK and FW (for the HDR) were awesome. Have the kids ask the captain for trading cards!

The grounds and resort are just beautiful. Make sure you make time to enjoy them and I think you really will! Look around the pool, hang out in the lobby and head to the beach for an outdoor movie and Electrical Light Parade!

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks so much for the reassurance. I guess there will always be people that aren't happy no matter where they stay and I shouldn't let those type of people affect my trip.

I agree . We've stayed at the WL twice and both stays were wonderful . Before our first stay at the Poly, I read alot of not so good reviews and almost changed our resort due to that. But then I decided that we had to give it a try to see for ourselves if it was a resort for us. The Poly is now our favorite resort......and like you said about the WL....people either love it or hate it and that's what I found out about the Poly. We loved the Poly from the minute we checked in....the resort is everything we thought it would be and then some . So I wouldn't worry too much.....if the WL is appealing to you and is a resort you want to try, give it a chance....it may end up being your favorite. And as far as Roaring Forks......that is one of our favorite resort CS places, second to Captain Cooks at the Poly . Have a great trip .

 

[minnie mum]

We're going to be staying at WL for our upcoming trip in a few weeks. I've heard mixed reviews and it seems most either love it or hate it. It seems as though everyone loves the lobby and the grounds in general but I am reading alot of negatives regarding the rooms themselves being dark and gloomy and needing to be refurbished. Also not great reviews about quick service dining options at this resort. I just am afraid of being stuck with somewhere I don't feel comfortable (I am pretty picky when it comes to hotels). I Thanks!

Every hotel and resort on the planet has mixed reviews. Check out TripAdvisor: same resort but ratings from absolutely wonderful to absolutely terrible. And yes, it's usually those with the strongest opinions for or against who will post. Opinions are like bellybuttons: everyone has one so who cares?

I'm sure that before you booked the resort you checked out all the information available on it, including photos of the public areas and the guest rooms. You obviously liked it enough to book it. So relax. Enjoy. If you don't love it, then you will pick a different resort next time. No big whoop.

 

[LuvLDM]

I really like WL, it's a beautiful resort!
The rooms are a bit dark but I definitely would not describe them as "gloomy", I found them to be very cozy.
It's a great place, I hope you like it Op

 

[kapoof]

it is a nice resort ..the pros: close to mk..the bus is a 5 minute bus ride..awesome! way better than the boat. nice lobby, very impressive. good quick dining option..roaring forks isgreat! whispering cayon some love it some hate it..it was a little too loud for us but a good place to eat. artist point is one of the best places to eat on property! the pool is very nice, small but easy to keep an eye on smaller kids. the gesyer is fun to watch too. the cons: kinda remote, this could be good for some who like peace and quiet but is a longer bus ride to epcot dhs and akl. the rooms are really ugly imo, disney could have done a better job. i could not get a good nights sleep at this resort...for some reasons i could not get comfortable in these rooms. i am glad to have stayed there once but can't say i would stay there again just due to the rooms. just offering another side, my sisters family only will stay at wl..it is there favorite, and they love the rooms.

 

[traylorc]

Thanks so much for the reassurance. I guess there will always be people that aren't happy no matter where they stay and I shouldn't let those type of people affect my trip.

Exactly....there is not a single hotel on property that has not received negative review and/or comments at some point in time.

If I listened to every single negative comment regarding a Disney resort, restaurant, rides, etc... then I would have missed out on some great experiences.

Sometimes you just have to ignore what others say and just experience it yourself.

Now...go have a great time at the WL. Personally I would never stay at WL because I have heard it's the absolute worst hotel at Disney!! In fact, it may be the worst hotel in the whole country!!


Just kidding.....

Have a great time!!

 

[LlamaMamaof2]

We stayed at the WL last January and loved it! The grounds and pool are lovely. The boat to disney is great! Movies on the beach were fun! The quick service is small but enough choices for a meal. My husband, the picky one of us, liked it because it has inside cooridors, the bus stop has a cover, and the balcony. We have stayed at POR, POFQ, CR, and Pop and my husband like the WL best. Due to costs, we are staying at Pop next!! And hubby is bringing ear plugs!!

 

[tinkandpete]

We stayed there 4 years in a row love it!!!! My DS8 and DH call it their second home.

 

[AlexWyattMommy]

I am one who did not have a super magical time on our last stay. AND I would still go back to the WL if I could convince my DH to go.

When you get tired of the quick serve there, hop the boat to the Contemporary. They have enough different things on their menu to help.

The rooms are dark, just leave the sliding curtain open.

My advice is to check over your room before you unpack your stuff. I didn't. It was a stormy night/evening when we check in and I just wanted it all to be done. It was the falling down wall border and weird stuff growing on the balcony that did for my DH to say no more. [because we paid so much, I bet if I can get a good discount or they referb the rooms, I can get him to go again] And the balcony stuff, that wouldn't be there on most balconies. We had room 4079. The one wall is like a plaster and it was covered in the mildew/mold stuff from the constant rain. Only the end room balconies would have that kind of wall.

There are so many good things about this resort that you can't get at the others. All under one roof. Easy walking inside the air conditioning. Boat and bus transportation. Awesome public areas. And decently sized rooms.

Go and make some magical memories!!

 

[GoofyFairie]

We are a WL family here. It is the only resort we have stayed at. We have no desire to stay anywhere else. We love the national park theme and the boat ride to MK is relaxing. The resort grounds are beautiful and fairly peaceful after all the stimulation of the parks and you don't have to walk far to get to food options, pool or transportation. The rooms have plenty of light or just close the curtain if you want it darker. Take the time to explore the resort and do the hidden mickey tour. Have a great trip!

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

We have stayed at the WL several times and really love it. The rooms may seem a bit dark, but the last time we stayed at the Poly I think our room was darker. The lobby, the grounds, the beach are all beautiful. We love to sit on chaises on the beach at night and watch the fireworks and the Water pageant. it's never crowded and a perfect way to relax.

I agree with other posters, you are always going to find people complaining about resorts. The GF is too snobby, the Poly has no lobby, etc. I guess it's the "glass half full vs half empty" syndrome. Get excited for your trip, you will love the WL!

 

[Atchley]

We love WL. We have stayed there twice. Before last visit, we purchased DVC so we decided to stay at BLT, our home resort. It did not have the same feel to it. I like to stay in a themed resort. I actually liked BLT less than WL and CBR. I just loved the themed feel. I didn't feel BLT had a theme.
When we walked into WL on our last trip to eat at WCC, the smell, the sounds, the look, I turned to DH and wanted to move "home".
I really hope you'll love it. We do.