Like all good Disney fans, I had visited the Wilderness Lodge Resort many times. Unfortunately I had never had the opportunity of staying there. Luckily for me, that changed a few short weeks ago and I got to finally experience the charm of this unique property. What made it even more special was the fact that it was (and still is) Christmas time. What make is more special? If I gave that away now, you wouldn’t read the rest of this.

I am fully aware that my fellow blogger Tom Bricker wrote about the wonders of Wilderness Lodge at Christmas last year. I assume that no one reads his posts and, even if you did, mine are presumably much more entertaining (his pictures may be slightly better than mine…very slightly). Either way, this is a message worth repeating.

Wilderness Lodge has a strange and wonderful trait in that its main building is a gigantic, soaring, multi-story open area, yet can feel quaint, cozy, and remote at the same time. What this trait supplies is an intimate feeling that…well, feels Christmassy. Simply by walking up a few steps can take you from the loud, bustling lobby into a quiet nook with cushy leather chairs and a roaring fire. From there you can warm your chilly parts, relax in comfort, and look down on all the suckers who don’t know how sweet your spot is.

As a born and raised Pennsylvanian, I associate Christmas with cold, snow, heavy coats, blankets, hot cocoa, drinking enough wine that your crazy relatives start to become less annoying…oops, too much sharing. Anyway, it is hard for me to get too into the Christmas spirit in Disney World because it feels weird to be looking a a giant, decorated Christmas tree while I am wearing shorts and sunglasses. At Wilderness Lodge it feels…less weird (that’s high quality wordplay right there).

The reason for the lower weirdness (I think I need a thesaurus) is the fantastic and practically flawless theme of the Wilderness Lodge Resort. More than any other Disney resort, Wilderness Lodge makes me feel like I am at a cabin in a National Park. This is done through the abundance of stone, woodwork, and water as well as the perfectly placed location that makes “civilization” almost unseen. Regardless of the temperature outside, being in the Wilderness Lodge with a roaring fire, listening to the churning water from the in-lobby “geyser” just feels right.

Of course, as with all resorts, Disney does a fantastic job with Christmas decorations at Wilderness Lodge. The towering “icon” tree in the center of the lobby rightfully draws the most attention with its lovely teepee and canoe ornaments. The secondary wreaths, garland, and light strings are often just as pretty and, much like the other side areas, offer a more quaint feeling than the massive centerpiece.

While not as heavily decorated for Christmas, I would be remiss if I failed to mention the outdoor areas of Wilderness Lodge. At any time of the year, wandering amongst the superb rock work, streams, waterfalls, and wildflowers brings peace and serenity. With the often cool (for Florida) mornings of November and December, these simple features can transport you to a faraway location in a western park such as Yellowstone or Yosemite. Much like the little fireplace nooks, there are also small balconies on the fourth and fifth floors that offer breathtaking views, especially at sunup.

Fifth floor lookout

Even if you are not staying at the Wilderness Lodge Resort, I cannot recommend enough stopping by to visit, especially at Christmas time. Give yourself an hour to walk the halls, sit by the fire, gaze at the tree, wander through the rocks, follow the stream, and look out over Bay Lake. It feels a world away from the theme parks, in the best way possible.

Thanks for reading!

If you want even more about the holiday season at Walt Disney World, pick up the Walt Disney World: Holiday Season TouringPlans eGuide 2012, co-written by myself and Tom Bricker. I would suggest a game where you guess who wrote which parts, but it is too easy (mine are the good parts). If you are more of a west coast kind of Disney traveler, there is always the Disneyland: Holiday TouringPlans eGuide 2012, although that is only written by Tom, so fair warning there (I’m kidding, it’s pretty good, just not as good as my writings).  

Seriously, with the steam coming from that building it feels like there should be snow on the ground.

Wilderness Lodge: A Christmas Getaway is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

For the purposes of this post, I am going to go ahead and lump the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness campground together. The reason is simple; they both have the word “wilderness” in their names. Okay, they also occupy semi-adjacent spaces on the shores of Bay Lake, and the themes of both resorts are complementary, but it is really because of the names.

Wilderness Lodge

Honestly, before visiting this resort I did not think I would like it. I have been to the American West and seen the great cabin hotels that obviously inspired the Wilderness Lodge. I also grew up in Pennsylvania, in an area in which it is common to find forests, streams, and wildlife. Therefore, I was expecting to be underwhelmed by Wilderness Lodge, thinking it to be a second rate version of things I was familiar with. The story of my first visit is a boring one, but that particular tale ends with my now thinking that Wilderness Lodge has my favorite theme of any of the Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World.

While Deluxe Resorts, in general, do not lend themselves well to exploration due to their compact nature (with regard to land – the buildings are gigantic), Wilderness Lodge is a little bit different. The area it sits on is still not large, but the building and grounds are incredibly detailed. One could spend hours in the lobby alone looking at the fantastic woodwork and simply enjoying the soaring heights of the space (and the comfy chairs that inevitably have some napping patrons). Stepping outside brings you face to face with even more beauty.

The exterior area of the Wilderness Lodge is absolutely gorgeous. Designed to look like a section of Yellowstone National Park (I’m guessing here, but 97% sure), it contains foliage, huge (fake) rocks, waterfalls, streams, and a sprawling pool. With the log cabin-styled Lodge in the background, there are great vistas all over the area.

Walking out toward the shores of Bay Lake reveals what I feel is one of the coolest add-ons to any Disney resort…geysers. Well okay, they’re man made, but they still bubble and erupt and look just like the real thing. Standing on the path with the pool and Lodge on one side and geysers backed by the lake on the other is something I can do for hours (I haven’t because I’m way too antsy, but I could).

Fort Wilderness

There is no more unique Disney World accommodation experience than Fort Wilderness Resort. I am no camper, preferring hotels and beds to tents and sleeping bags (bugs and I have irreconcilable differences). That said, I have camped many times in both tents and RVs, and my extended family are very fond of their RVs, so I know what a campground looks like. Fort Wilderness is, without question, a campground.

When you are on the grounds of Fort Wilderness you would be hard pressed to even know you are in Walt Disney World (except for the multitude of Disney themed decorations on campsites). There are general stores, ponds, woods, meandering paths, ranches, and lots and lots of space. You can easily get lost at Fort Wilderness (trust me), and finding the right bus routes can be a chore, but the peacefulness and serenity that abound are worth the trouble.

Near the Bay Lake edge of Fort Wilderness are the Tri-Circle-D Ranch & Farm, where horses can be found, and Pioneer Hall, which is home to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (see menu). With the log cabin construction, plethora of rocking chairs, and the view out toward Bay Lake, it is a calm spot in an otherwise hectic vacation.

Speaking of calm, your primary mode of transportation to the Magic Kingdom from either of these resorts is a wonderfully relaxing boat ride (although you may get a little sad seeing Discovery Island in its unused state). Arriving to the park via Seven Seas Lagoon makes a magical place even more special.

It is probably pretty obvious that I am a huge fan of both of these areas. If your vacation is all about getting the optimum time in each of the parks, these may not be the best choice. However, if you want to mix park touring with relaxation and peaceful afternoons, there are few better places (if any) than either the Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness. Either way, I strongly recommend taking a little bit of time to wander and explore both of these fantastic spots.

Resort Exploring: Vol 5 – “Wilderness” Area Resorts is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

We’ve posted photos of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to the photo gallery and uploaded video of a standard room to YouTube.

Wilderness Lodge photos and video posted is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.