Taking The Tour of Wilderness Lodge
One of the most popular and beautiful resorts on Walt Disney World property is Wilderness Lodge. Its majestic wooden structure, located on the shores of beautiful Bay Lake, is a reminder of the pioneer days gone by and a time in America’s history that was wild, and filled with adventure. Inspired by the Great American Northwest National Park lodges from the turn of the 20th century, there are so many hidden gems located inside of this resort that you could spend a week searching them all out, and still not even scratch the surface of all the Imagineers designed into it!
But there is one hidden secret that I am about to reveal to you: there is a tour that you can take, of the entire Wilderness Lodge, that costs you absolutely nothing but 1-2 hours of your time!
This past weekend, Parkhopper Sarah-Irene and I took this tour and learned many of the secret, and not so secret, stories of Fort Wilderness and I’d like to share some of that experience with you…
We arrived at the Lodge a few minutes before 9:00am on a Saturday. The lobby was already busy will guests checking out, kids running around, and people just admiring all the amazing décor located throughout. We could hear laughter from Whispering Canyon, one of the most unique dining experiences on property, but we needed to check in at the concierge desk to sign up for the tour.
We were directed to a gentleman who was introduced as Ranger Joe from Ohio. He had an engaging smile and very bright eyes, you could just tell he was full of Disney magic, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves.
Sarah and I joined 3 other guests to take the tour, which was great. We were hoping that we didn’t have to fight a large crowd of people to better ask questions and be able to hear our Ranger describing the hidden nuances of the Lodge. We started close to the check-in desk and made our way to the Native American headdresses and learned the difference between articles within the Lodge that were authentic (with NO label or signage) and those that were replicas (with labels or signage describing the items). We also learned about a few Hidden Mickeys located around the lobby.
We moved upstairs and learned about the fireplace that was built to replicate the many layers of the Grand Canyon. We also learned, while staring at the floor of the lobby, that the design in the floor represents animals, nature, and how it relates to the universe.
Ranger Joe also explained the story behind the Raven Totem and the Eagle Totem and why they are not quite facing each other in the lobby. He went on to describe a group of Native Americans who would not enter the Lodge until those totems were put into a position that would not result in war within the Lodge itself.
We next traveled outside to an open-air porch that overlooked the waterfall, pool, and Bay Lake. Our Ranger talked about more Hidden Mickeys, Discovery Island (which can still be seen from the Lodge), Fire Rock Geyser, and the history of how the area surrounding Bay Lake was chosen to be the heart of Walt Disney’s new theme park. And then, we moved to my favorite part of the tour, the Villas at Wilderness Lodge and the Carrolwood-Pacific Room!
The main room, what I call a lobby, of the Villas at Wilderness Lodge is built to replicate a wheel house on a railroad line. Decorated with animal carvings throughout, you may even find a mouse, or two, hidden in the beams themselves. But the main draw for me was the room dedicated to Walt Disney and his love of trains: the Carrolwood-Pacific Room. Named after the railway that Walt built to run in his backyard, this room is filled with pictures and artifacts from Walt’s home and Disneyland. It is warm and comfortable, and almost impossible to climb out of the overstuffed armchairs! It is here that Ranger Joe’s love of all things Disney could not be contained.
It was our great luck to not only get a great tour guide, but our Ranger also helps teach new cast members the Legacy of Walt Disney. We stood in this amazing place, surrounded by the spirit of Walt, and talked about the places and people that he loved the most. For a Disney Geek like me, it was perfect!
But all good things come to an end, and our tour ended back in the Lobby with a new respect for Wilderness Lodge, Ranger Joe, and all the amazing Imagineers who designed this phenomenal resort.
We cannot recommend this tour enough. It is available to anyone, resort guest or not, Wednesdays through Saturday at 9:00 am. All you have to do is check in to the concierge desk and you’re on your way! So take the challenge and travel back to the turn of the 20th Century and take your own Wilderness Lodge Tour and let the adventures begin!
12 Comments
Becky
I came over from the blog hop and added your site to my RSS reader. I hope to be able to stay at the WL some day…
admin
Thanks so much from stopping by, and I would love for you to stay at WL…I’d love to stay there! It’s on my Bucket List! Come back again and let’s share some more Disney Magic!!
Jud
Wow! Thanks for that! Guess what my next visit will be? 🙂
admin
I would guess….taking the tour at Wilderness Lodge?? It really is a great tour and it’s totally free! This place is huge, beautiful and amazing! Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of the tour and who your Ranger was!!
Jud
Heading down later this week for a few days without an AP, so hoping to remember to do this then and will try to remember my Ranger’s name! 🙂
Diane M
I have stayed here many times and it is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking resorts in Disney. the high ceiling combined with the feel of a lodge in Mountains and best food ever at Whispering Canyon.
admin
I’m jealous that you have stayed there so often. It’s turning into one of my favorite places to just visit when I’m on Property. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Whispering Canyon. It’s usually where everyone congregates after 5K’s at Disney.. Raphael, one of the servers, is turning into a really cool friend. Plus, where else can you get 5 gallons of Diet Coke with a straw that fits? And don’t get me started on the Ketchup!
lacehaystack
Thanks for the tour. Found you on @TravelwithRick @Rick_Howard Expedition Everest episode and am now enjoying your http://www.parkhoppers.com adventures! My business is to provide ingredients for the BEST gathering by using our Pacific NW Gourmet Dip, bread, soup mixes, & cookie cutters – I am personally a Disney Enthusiast and have been so blessed to be able to interact with so many like minds.
Your site is so fun and I’ve enjoyed spending literally hours here !! Thank goodness I have Fridays off 🙂 Many thanks for the amazing information and entertainment. Hope to meet you in person some time.
admin
Thanks so much for the kind words and we are very glad that we can supply you with your Disney fix for a few hours. Thanks for being a believer in Parkhoppers, and I will also forward this on to Rick Howard, over at http://www.TravelWithRick.com and his NEW blog, http://www.RicksTravelBlog. He’s a GREAT guy and has been a true friend to us over here at Parkhoppers. I know there will be more adventures with Rick in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!!
Sue M.
I found you on Travel with Rick too! Enjoyed your Tour of WL. We have been lucky to stay there twice, and took the Tour Of The Lodge with Ranger Stan, now retired. WL is one of our fav resorts. Love it. We enjoy trying different resorts, but WL & POR are the 2 we keep coming back to.
Denise Degliobizzi
Thank you so much for reporting on the “Lodge”. It is our favorite place to stay at WDW. We have probably stayed here 4 or so times including the villas. And….we never took the tour. Always running around too much I guess. We will definitely do this next trip. Totally love your website. Found it through Cassworld and then Rick.
admin
You are welcome. We love spending time at the Lodge, but have not YET stayed there. I can also understand the running around, but sometimes, you just need to slow down and take a tour or two…And thanks for finding us, we hope you stay around a long time! We have a HUGE announcement coming this Wednesday, you do not want to miss it!!