Wilderness Lodge... Sterile Reno?

[DisneyJColeMom]

In the middle of planning our first Disney trip for our son’s 7th birthday in the fall. Obsessed with planning at this moment & took me forever to decide on a resort. Went with Wilderness Lodge bc i love the THEMING. Love the rustic rooms & woodsy headboards & Chip & Dale accents & woodland creatures, all that good stuff. I literally have just stumbled across (after months at looking at this resort) 2 different blogs that are showing rooms being renovated to plain headboards, white beds, neutral bathrooms... that bland minimalistic hotel look that’s popular now! Has anyone stayed in a standard room with this new look? Any photos?? Anyone know if all the rooms will look like that come fall? I cant believe I might miss staying in one of the rooms with the rustic look Ive been obsessing over for months .

 

[firefly_ris]

 

[Miffy]

I haven't stayed at WL in a few years, but that photo in the post above has convinced me that I probably won't stay there again. I loved the former decor. This is so generic and all the color is gone. The only thing I like is the walk-in shower in the bathroom. Very sad, although I understand that others will totally disagree with me.

BTW, I think they did a better job on the room renovations at AKL. I stayed in a renovated room there last December and although I have an aversion to laminate flooring and much preferred the carpet--and, btw, for those of you who are wondering, the noise from room above is indeed much more prominent--the AKL rooms are still distinctive and interesting.

For me, a lot of the enjoyment of staying at a WDW resort is the theming inside the rooms. I don't mean "Mickey all the time" when I say "theming." I mean the decor is carried out to reflect the theme of the resort. As they take this sort of thing away, it becomes less and less desirable (to me) to stay there.

 

[Minnie1222]

I actually prefer the "sterile" clean looks. WL is the only deluxe resort that I've never stayed in because I thought the rooms looked too "dusty". Seeing that video makes me want to stay at the resort now. The lobby and ground should still give you that rustic vibe.

 

[Deb & Bill]

In the not too distant future, all WDW resorts, including DVC resorts, will all look like Hampton Inns in various shades of blue and gray.

 

[LilyWDW]

I like the updates. With how much theming is done all over the resorts in general, I like the calm and clean look of the rooms. It helps me rest and relax better. There are still plenty of little details in the rooms. It's just not as in your face as it used to be.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I like the updates. With how much theming is done all over the resorts in general, I like the calm and clean look of the rooms. It helps me rest and relax better. There are still plenty of little details in the rooms. It's just not as in your face as it used to be.

I agree....the rooms look so much cleaner. We never stayed there due to the room decor. Much too busy...imo. We also love the AKL reno.

 

[DisneyJColeMom]

Watching that video above actually did make me feel a little better, even if its not the look I was hoping for. The pictures I saw in the blogs originally were of the renovated honeymoon suites, and they did not have the nice wall behind the bed that looks like trees and has the Chip & Dale silhouettes. They were just plain walls with a couple framed pictures on the walls. I do also like that backlit “rock window”, its pretty. The room does look clean & refreshed. However, I prefer more obvious theming. I agree with post above, I dont need you to hit me over the head with Mickey, but I love hidden mickeys and feeling immersed in “Disney magic”. If Im making a conscious decision to overpay for a hotel so I can have Disney perks, I wanna feel like Im at a Disney resort, carried right into the room! They should have put something cute in the bathrooms too. I thought the old Chip & Dale tiles on the wall were adorable.

 

[DisneyJColeMom]

But definitely this room doesnt look as stark as the honeymoon suite did. I do love all the usb’s plugs and room looking more spacious! The nesting tables are a good idea. The streamlining is nice, efficient. Chairs are prettier.

 

[Mzpalmtree]

I like the look of the new rooms. I absolutely love Wilderness Lodge but after staying there last July I vowed I would not do so again until it was renovated as the room was not in the condition that a deluxe priced room should be in and was not worth what we paid IMO. We had several issues to include a non operational faucet, water issues in the shower, and a non functioning mini fridge plus the room was overall beat up. The staff was wonderful and took care of all of our issues and I will be delighted to return to the lodge to stay in a renovated room. Based on our experience I would gladly have a bit less charm if it meant the room was more functional and less shabby. Based on the current state of affairs, I wonder if they renovations will be complete by fall? I bet you could request an un-renovated room. Also, DVC’s Boulder Ridge offers the same type of charm and may not have started their renovations at the point. You could look at booking Boulder Ridge.

 

[Farro]

I actually prefer the "sterile" clean looks. WL is the only deluxe resort that I've never stayed in because I thought the rooms looked too "dusty". Seeing that video makes me want to stay at the resort now. The lobby and ground should still give you that rustic vibe.

Agree 1000%!!! It's actually on my list now!

 

[DisneyJColeMom]

I would not do so again until it was renovated as the room was not in the condition that a deluxe priced room should be in and was not worth what we paid IMO. We had several issues to include a non operational faucet, water issues in the shower, and a non functioning mini fridge plus the room was overall beat up.

This is good to know and was one of my concerns. I’ll take the new room over this! I wonder if with whats happening now, if that would mean things wont be renovated in September When it comes down to it Im hoping to be put in a certain section anyway, I booked a nature view room and am hoping for a view of the castle and fireworks! So whether the room is renovated or not, thats where I wanna be!

 

[tgropp]

My first stay at WL was a bunk bed room during Christmas 1994. I have seen many room renovations over the years and have never been disappointed. The themeing of the entire hotel grounds is the reason that I have always returned to the Lodge.

 

[Mzpalmtree]

This is good to know and was one of my concerns. I’ll take the new room over this! I wonder if with whats happening now, if that would mean things wont be renovated in September When it comes down to it Im hoping to be put in a certain section anyway, I booked a nature view room and am hoping for a view of the castle and fireworks! So whether the room is renovated or not, thats where I wanna be!

We had one of those rooms and the view was great! I really do love Wilderness Lodge

 

[westie55]

I actually think they did a pretty good job on the new rooms. I also prefer carpet and, although I know it's less sanitary, I liked the look of the bedrunners in the resorts. All white is too stark. Still, I think this new look does pay homage to the wilderness theme while still adding in some cute Disney touches like Chip & Dale and Bambi. I stayed at WL years ago and thought it felt tired then.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

I love the renovations. The old decor was the reason I would not stay there. I love the new look. I booked it for the fall but not sure if the rooms will be done by then?

 

[Mainsail Minnie]

If we wanted the Hilton, we'd stay at the Hilton (and for a lot less money). When we stay at a Disney resort, we look forward to the charm of a well-themed room. I agree that some of these renovations are robbing resort rooms of their character. It is sad. I'm very glad we had the chance to stay at Wilderness Lodge this past Christmas season, before they bland out all of the resort rooms.

 

[DisneyJColeMom]

If we wanted the Hilton, we'd stay at the Hilton (and for a lot less money). When we stay at a Disney resort, we look forward to the charm of a well-themed room. I agree that some of these renovations are robbing resort rooms of their character. It is sad. I'm very glad we had the chance to stay at Wilderness Lodge this past Christmas season, before they bland out all of the resort rooms.

So Ive never stayed here before & only based it on pictures. I has happy with how the rooms looked & didnt find them busy, but charming. Perfectly themed. But Im seeing a lot of feedback that they were worn out & not offering any amenities people appreciate now, like keurigs & usb outlets. So definitely, I can see why this reno would appeal to people! It does look cleaner & more modern! I just like color & cuteness lol.

 

[DisneyJColeMom]

Considering that Im hearing about the old rooms not being in good shape, now I WANT the renovated room

 

[3threebabies]

We stayed in this exact same room Christmas week. It was our 1st stay at WL and planned specifically for holiday and club level. We enjoyed so many things about our visit, but YC is our Disney home. We left saying we probably wouldn’t stay there again. However, after I made DH and DS watch this video when it came out, we all said we would like to stay again someday soon.