4 Things You Should Know About Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of the most well-themed resorts on the Walt Disney World Resort property, making you feel like you’re in a lodge within a national park. It’s no wonder it’s one of the most popular park resorts.

I stayed in one of the hotel’s original Disney Vacation Club villas in October 2024. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d definitely love to come back to this resort!

Here are a few things you should know before you check in to help you become much more knowledgeable about the property before your stay.

1. Boat Transportation

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of the few resorts on Disney World property that offers complimentary boat transportation to and from a theme park. On the backside of the main building is a set of docks with boats regularly departing for Magic Kingdom.

The boats run about every 20 minutes and go nonstop to Magic Kingdom, docking right in front of the theme park. The travel time is about 15 minutes, and the boat passes Disney’s Contemporary Resort on its right as it heads to the park. There’s a mix of outdoor and indoor seating, and if you find the boat full, another one should be along within a few minutes.

If there’s inclement weather or you prefer air conditioning, complimentary buses run regularly between Magic Kingdom every few minutes.

2. There Are 3 Main Buildings

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a big resort complex, complete with 3 main buildings, each with a different purpose. While most services (front desk, store, restaurants) are in the main lodge, there are 3 distinct areas you can stay in. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge itself is attached to the main lodge, and these are hotel rooms that you can rent, similar to any other hotel. There are 1- and 2-bedroom villas and suites.

A short walk away from the main lodge is Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Copper Creek rooms are actually an extension of the main lodge. Both are Disney Vacation Club properties, so you can use DVC points to stay in either. Copper Creek is one of the newer DVC resorts at Disney, so the rooms still feel more up-to-date than others.

At Copper Creek are Deluxe Studios with different shower combinations (tub and shower), as well as 2-bedroom lock-off villas (essentially a 2-bedroom villa with a door that leads into a regular studio room). Copper Creek also offers individual cabins, and each features 2 bedrooms, making them the perfect place if you want privacy and room to spread out. All this said, the rooms at Copper Creek tend to accommodate fewer guests, as the Deluxe Studios and 1-bedroom villas can each only accommodate 4 guests, as opposed to many DVC resorts where this number is at least 5, sometimes 6.

Boulder Ridge is slightly older than Copper Creek, but the rooms are still laid out nicely, and the theming is on point. Deluxe Studios here can sleep 5 guests, making them much better than the Copper Creek Villas, which only accommodate 4. Boulder Ridge rooms have recently been refurbished, making them a great place to stay for a newer room experience.

If you don’t have Disney Vacation Club points, you can rent them to book both Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge.

If you’re into roughing it, The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort is an entirely separate part of the resort where you can pitch a tent and sleep in the great outdoors. Just keep in mind that the humidity in Florida can be really extreme in the summer months, so even though this is one of the cheapest ways to stay at Disney World, it also may be one of the most uncomfortable!

3. Lots of Dining

One of the great things about Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is that there is lots of dining, so you certainly won’t go hungry:

• Geyser Point Bar & Grill: Known for its bison burger, this restaurant is right along the lake and offers great views.
• Roaring Fork: If you’re looking for a quick bite to eat or something relatively cheap, Roaring Fork offers a fast-food-style atmosphere and is at the end of the resort’s hotel wing. This is a great place to utilize your Disney Dining Plan or to pick up a simple pastry or coffee.
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White: This is the character dining restaurant, and you can book a reservation to dine and see your favorite characters all at the same time!
• Territory Lounge: This bar is just off of the lobby and features small bites as well as a full bar.
• Whispering Canyon Café: This restaurant is also right off the main lobby and features hearty skillet meals.

While Disney’s Wilderness Lodge isn’t known for any super popular restaurants, Disney regulars seem to frequent Geyser Point and Whispering Canyon when they can get a reservation.

4. Activities Abound

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has a number of activities you can participate in, including:

• A geyser that goes off hourly near the pool area
• 2 pools
• Bike rentals
• Fishing expeditions, where you can take a guided boat out onto the water to try your luck
• Fort Wilderness Archery Experience, which allows those 7 and older to try their hand at archery
• Nightly campfires
• Nightly movies held under the stars outdoors
• Tri-Circle-D Ranch, if you’re interested in riding horses or visiting the stables

Unfortunately, this resort no longer has a boat rental area, but you can go on a guided fishing tour that departs from the original boat rental launch.

If you’re staying at this resort over Christmas, be sure to visit the lobby, where you’ll see the entire building decorated for the season. An enormous Christmas tree will stand tall in the center of the lobby, and the resort often attracts tons of visitors from other resorts to see the decorations firsthand.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking to spend a few days at Disney World but want to feel like you’re in the Northwest in one of America’s iconic national parks, then staying at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is just for you. With geysers, waterfalls, and lush scenery, the resort really makes you feel like you’re hiking in the woods. With 2 Disney Vacation Clubs at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, it’s a great place to use Disney Vacation Club points and spread out in a roomy villa!