The Disney Wilderness Lodge Experience

A Great, Rustic Themed Resort

Disney might as well be its own country at this point. You can take many trips to each of their parks and still not see everything though you can’t actually become a citizen of Disney yet!

You can, however, become an annual passholder and unlike a passport, this pass gives you access to exclusive sales. 

I decided to take advantage of a recent summer sale and, get this: it was super hot in Florida in July.

Can you believe it? Anyway, since the last thing I wanted was to create Florida’s newest swamp in my armpits, I opted for more of a resort vacation instead of one where I’d be walking around in the deadly heat.

And so it was that I booked a stay at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Room with a Water View

I booked a water view room and king bed from which to enjoy that view. The balcony was right above a waterfall and looked out on the lake and pool.

I could also see and hear the Electric Water Parade loud and clear which is a major plus or a major minus depending on your preference.

One of the coolest things about my room was actually right outside of it. There was a window looking down on a restaurant called Artist Point where storybook characters like Snow White, the dwarves, and the Evil Queen would interact with the diners. 

I hope no one took an apple from the Evil Queen!

Yes, I know that’s a different Disney Villain but I doubt you should take an apple from anyone with “Evil” in their name.

The room had a wilderness theme and Bambi, Chip, and Dale were hidden among the designs.

Staying Fueled 

Staying energized and hydrated in the Florida sun requires a careful blend of different foods and drinks, most of which have no alcohol at all, if you can believe it. 

The room had a Keurig coffee maker and I brought my own K cups since I don’t like the Joffrey’s Brand they have at Disney. 

Whenever I’m heading to a Disney resort I like to place an order from Winn Dixie on the way from the airport through Uber Eats. I tell them to leave it with Bell Services in the order instructions.

They have refrigeration and will bring it up to the room for a small charge if you call down. And now for my standard Disney Survival Rations. You can adjust to your preference.

First of all, I make sure to get lots of water. It’s easy to get dehydrated very quickly if you aren’t careful. I also can’t risk going through Coca-Cola withdrawal so I make sure I’m well stocked in that department as well.

While there’s no shortage of food at Disney, sometimes you want a snack for under fifteen dollars. My go-to is Chicken in a Bisket crackers with spray cheese. 

I also get grapes, French Vanilla Coffee Mate, a sweet treat, and some milk to pair with any cookies I bring back from my excursions.

Upon arriving at the resort gift shop I treat myself to a new mug which I use to drink my coffee each morning. This is one of my favorite Disney traditions!

Getting to the Point

I made a reservation at Artist Point for their storybook dining so I could experience it up close. To be honest, I was feeling a little uncomfortable going as a lone adult.

Fortunately I had nothing to worry about. I wasn’t the only solo adult and the cast members were very welcoming. I was worried it would be weird if the characters felt obligated to spend a lot of time with me, but they did an amazing job, just coming by quickly to say hi and take a selfie before going back to the kids.

Speaking of which, it was really nice getting to see the joy of the kids meeting the characters while I held back, enjoying some lovely drinks.

I’d say if you have kids and you’re considering booking an experience like this it’s definitely worth it. The kids get A LOT of face time with the cast members so you can get lots of pictures. There are also photographers there that will take pictures and upload them to your Disney account.

Obviously different kids are going to feel different ways but if you have the kind of kids who love to interact with Disney characters this is a great way for them to get more attention from their faves than they might get in the parks where cast members could be torn between lots of different little ones.

The kids I saw were having a ball! Wait! I guess that’s Cinderella, not Snow White!

I found the cast members really talented and entertaining. The dwarves and Snow White did a funny dance at one point and when the Evil Queen saw me drinking a cocktail by myself she made some funny jokes about how she prefers to be childless as well and that she would also be “imbibing some poison” later that night.

As for that cocktail, I started off with “The Smoking Mirror” which is made from Johnnie Walker Black 12 Year Whiskey, wild berry, and lime. They infuse the whole thing with rosemary smoke under a glass dome, which gives the drink its name.

The restaurant offers a prix fixe tasting menu themed around Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” Everyone gets the same appetizers and desserts, along with a special surprise dessert, but you can choose which entree you want. 

Everything was so delicious!

The appetizers consisted of a meatball, mushroom bisque, and a shrimp cocktail. For my main I got the Royal Prime Rib Roast with wasabi mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, and Yorkshire pudding.

There were three small themed desserts followed by the surprise, a smoking box with a chocolate “huntsman’s heart” inside.

My server knew I was staying at the resort, so she offered me a glass of wine to take back to my room, which was very nice. I guess she knows my brand, LOL. 

Fork Yeah!

While it was nice to enjoy the full production of Artist Point, sometimes you’re looking for a quicker option. The Wilderness Lodge has a restaurant called the Roaring Fork that was perfect for breakfast.

Some of my favorite offerings were the smoked cheddar grits and croissant with bacon, egg, and cheese. They also have great iced coffee which is the best way to start the day in the summer.

I loved that I could place a mobile order from my room and then head down to the Roaring Fork and it would be ready for pick up.

Multiple times I picked up my coffee and took it to the wilderness lodge boat so I could enjoy it while we sailed between the different resorts and the Magic Kingdom. It’s very easy to hop on and off the boat and if you time it just right, you can see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the water.

I also had a great view of the fireworks from the window at the end of my hallway. 

Getting to the Point, Again

Another great fireworks viewing location is Geyser Point Bar and Grill. I ate there twice. 

Aside from the lovely views, they have the honor of serving Tipsy”s Best Burger at Disney. It’s a Bison Cheeseburger with bacon, sweet crispy onion straws, marion berry sauce, and garlic aioli.

I also had edamame and wine. 

It was so good, I ate there twice!

Around the Lodge

The resort itself was the very picture of rustic splendor. The lobby features an 82 foot tall stone fireplace and they offer a walking tour of the resort every morning at nine. 

The decor was so warm and welcoming. It reminded me of our lake house in Michigan.

It was nice to be in such a comfortable, relaxing environment while still having easy access to the Magic Kingdom. The gift shop also had offerings I hadn’t seen elsewhere. I bought a vintage “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute” sweatshirt.

My only minor criticism would be the pool, which was nothing special. The only significant feature was a water slide which seemed fun for kids but was not for me, even if they’d let me on it.

In fact, I liked the lodge so much that I switched up a reservation I have in November so I can stay there again since I HAVE to see how they decorate it for Christmas.

There are also some activities I didn’t get the chance to try this time around, like an art class with wine and appetizers where you paint a charcuterie board and a BBQ restaurant. Maybe I’ll get to experience those when I return!

I love aspects of all of the Disney resorts, but if I’m being honest, I think this one is my new favorite!

If you want to read about more of my travels, you can read about this resort I stayed at in Mexico or a one day, whirlwind Disney trip I took. 

My Top 5 Highlights from Disney's Wilderness Lodge

I would highly recommend staying at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and if you do, take note of these highlights!

1. Storybook Dining at Artist Point

Enjoy a delicious Prix Fixe menu among the Snow White characters. A real treat for kids but they make it fun for adults as well!

2. The Decor

While the weather might be Florida humid, the lodge and surroundings are designed to make you feel like you're right in the woods. It really gave me those Northwoods feels... at least when I was inside!!

3. The Fireworks

The lodge featured so many amazing places to watch the fireworks. Between the restaurants, my hallway, and the wilderness lodge boat, I had my pick of views!

4. The Bison Cheeseburger

The bison cheeseburger at Geyser Point wasn't just a Wilderness Lodge highlight. I believe it to be the best burger in all of Disney World! Don't believe me? Try it yourself!

5. Enjoying Breakfast on the Water

Is there a better way to start your morning than grabbing a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant with an iced coffee on a boat? If there is, I haven't found out about it and I don't want to! The Roaring Fork had the breakfast menu to make it happen.