Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge Review
Copper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge are DVC accommodations at Walt Disney World with modern rustic and railroad themes. This review features room photos, thoughts about this Disney Vacation Club resort, how it compares to the hotel rooms and Boulder Ridge, and the pros & cons of staying here.
Let’s start by breaking down what’s what at Wilderness Lodge on the Disney Vacation Club side of things. The new villas in the main lodge and the waterfront Cascade Cabins are known collectively as the Copper Creek Villas. What was previously the Villas at Wilderness Lodge has now become Boulder Ridge Villas (pictured above adjacent to the Boulder Ridge Cove Pool).
This is a bit confusing since the Cascade Cabins are closer to Boulder Ridge than they are the main lodge, but this was done to put everything “new” under the umbrella of a single Disney Vacation Club resort, which has a significantly later expiration date (hence the distinction). This review focuses on Copper Creek Villas in the main Wilderness Lodge, where hotel rooms are also located…
For this review, we’re going to gloss over any common amenities already covered in our Wilderness Lodge Review. Since these rooms are located in the main lodge, that review of the hotel rooms also in the main lodge covers pretty much everything outside of the guest rooms, which are different.
One thing we will dispense with quickly is the backstory for the Copper Creek Villas. The premise here is that the prominence of Transcontinental Railroad faded over the years, with the new developments showing how modern locals pay homage to the area’s legacy while building a leisure industry development. This backstory is unnecessarily to begin with, convoluted, and gets in its own way.
As is pretty well known, Wilderness Lodge is themed to the Pacific Northwest and U.S. National Park Lodges. It’s unclear why any fictional backstory beyond that needed to be contrived for these Disney Vacation Club developments, but whatever.
Anyway, let’s take a look inside the studio villas at Copper Creek…
Studios sleep up to four adults thanks to a queen and a fold-out couch. In their kitchenettes, these rooms come equipped with a coffee-maker, mini-fridge, toaster, and microwave.
Size-wise, the Copper Creek studios are the same size as Wilderness Lodge’s regular rooms, 340 square feet, which makes sense given that they were converted from (gutted) Wilderness Lodge rooms.
If you look at our Hotel Room Sizes at Walt Disney World, you’ll note that this is on the smaller side for a Deluxe Resort. It’s definitely noticeable, but having the couch rather than a second bed does make the room feel more spacious than a standard Wilderness Lodge room.
Some things have been done to maximize space, such as the slide-out pantry in the kitchenette, under the bed luggage storage, and bedding storage in the chest/coffee table.
A lot of the decor in here I feel works reasonably well in striking that delicate balance between modern luxury and the rustic sensibilities of Wilderness Lodge.
The mirror seems to evoke a hot spring (such as the famed Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park), the rug resembles layers of sediment (such as those in the Grand Canyon), artwork depicts mountain scenery and ‘merit badge’ style logos for the resort’s various features. There are bed runners!
There’s also a lot of wood. The headboard is detailed and cool, table is substantial, and end tables are all robust and very…woody.
I’m not a fan of this dresser. I guess you could say the color and variety of handles gives an eclectic look that evokes the mismatched style you’ll often find in cottages and cabins.
That’s not my take. I think it’s a bit too cutesy, going for an inappropriate shabby chic look. A little sign with cursive, “I’m not a camper, I’m a glamper” (blech) would be right at home.
In the end, I’m am still fairly ambivalent towards the Copper Creek studios. The design is better than the uninspired look of the new villas at Beach Club and BoardWalk and they’re a thematically “close enough” fit, but they’re fairly safe choices for Wilderness Lodge.
With that said, the American Arts & Crafts movement is a treasure trove of elegant and timeless interior design inspiration. Likewise, Native American decor offers endless possibilities for rich texture and visual details. Instead, the designers here chose a blander path, either because it was safer or less expensive. Some people may like this style, but I think Walt Disney World’s most richly-themed resort deserves a bit more.
As for how Copper Creek compares to Boulder Ridge, the biggest difference is going to be room design, which you can judge for yourself. Other than that, the Boulder Ridge rooms are about 15 feet larger and located in a different building. Personally, I like Boulder Ridge’s rooms better and I’ll take the longer walk to the lobby (it’s not bad at all) for the size and superior design.
Overall, Wilderness Lodge is my favorite or second resort (depending upon the day you ask!) at Walt Disney World no matter how you slice it. Of the three types of regular rooms, Copper Creek has my least favorite rooms, but they’re still “not bad.” The conversion of Wilderness Lodge from hotel rooms to Copper Creek could’ve been done better, but if recent Disney Vacation Club expansion and room renovations are any indication, it also could’ve been far worse.
For where to eat, try out our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews page. If you want to save money on tickets or determine which type you should get, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at unconventional things you should take on your trip. Once you arrive at the parks, our Walt Disney World “Ride Guides”are great for determining what to do and when to do it. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
YOUR THOUGHTS…
Are you a fan of the Cooper Creek Villas at Wilderness Lodge? What are your thoughts on the refurbishment and expansion plans? Are you excited, or wishing Disney would leave well enough alone? Planning on staying here someday? We love hearing from readers, so if you have any tips, thoughts, or questions, please share them in the comments below!
Staying at Copper Creek (or at Wilderness Lodge) one is subjected most of the day to an overly enthusiastic recreation staff at the pool. Someone gave them an electronic megaphone, which broadcasts what they are saying to perhaps a half dozen kids in their group to EVERYONE sitting outside (including those on their balconies). When the recreation staff stops, the view is lovely and sitting on one’s balcony is very relaxing. When they have a mike in their hands, it is a toxic environment that is about as far from relaxing as I can imagine.
We’ve stayed at many WDW resorts and appreciate the efforts of the recreation staffs at most of them. But most of them don’t seem to feel the need to blast whatever they have to say to the entire resort.
If you care about relaxation, avoid Copper Creek and Wilderness Lodge.
You get the same stuff at BLT if you are on the lakeside of the building. It’s non-stop during the day. Forget about taking a nap.
Hi Tom, long time reader! I’m hoping you’ll do a piece on what to do at Disney that doesn’t require a ticket. Like a listing of things and your ratings for these. We are planning to go for a week in August and do the parks only for Not So Scary and a Moonlight Magic.
We did a no-park trip in January for 4 days and loved it. We are planning another no-park trip at the end of May. This is going to be a split stay of 4 nights at Coronado Springs and 3 nights at Caribbean Beach (thanks to an amazing article on finding great deals through Priceline). These tips are awesome to just relax and enjoy the pools. We have a Disney Visa and toured resort restaurants that are 10% off the bill with Visa. We road transportation, taking the long way, just for the heck of it. Seriously, this is my new go-to for vacationing. I think in the fall we still get tickets for just a few days and spend the rest of the time relaxing. 🙂
Bottom line for me is…
I don’t want to pay that much money to sleep on a couch bed! I know it’s spacious but if I’m going to fork out that much money, I want a queen bed and not a double.
I agree. There’s only the two of us but we like our own bed space on vacation.
Why did you only post photos of the studio? I want to see the 1,2, & 3 bedroom rooms!
Why would someone do that to a perfect resort . Boulder ridge is already a vacation club. I got to know the resort like the back of my hand in getting the room I wanted or there about. Now we don’t know where standard rooms are verses courtyard it’s terrible.. as seniors our time at parks are very limited so the layout of the hotel is important so we have the best access to the lobby to enjoy. Last year our rooms were so far away my husband who has a problem walking long distances had to stop several times and rest . Forget any chance requesting a room near the lobby ! I’ve been going to Disney for years must say last years not the same wilderness. We do love it!
Rooms were converted to DVC villas because they were never full. Disney had to discount the rooms to fill them all the time.
Ann
I agree, some things are better left alone. We had our favorite rooms also, but are going to try Copper creek this March. Will let you know what we think of it.
My wife found the sliver of a closet unuseable at Copper Creek. However, we did enjoy the stay and we were there for the Christmas Tree going up which was amazing. They have it down to a science. Due to the maze of the corridors, I call CC The Overlook Hotel.
Agree with everything WDW1974 said. WL is my favorite at Disney. And they are succeeding in ruining it.
And it’s not the only thing they are succeeding in ruining, including the Whole Park! I find it amazing the throngs of people who throw down the cash for a day there to join stifiling crowds and hrs. Long lines…….Crazy!
I wish there was better theming… The hotel was nice when we went to the Artist Point Snow White dinner. The stream inside was a nice touch. I hadn’t been there before, but we got another invitation to join the Copper Creek DVC in the mail today. $3k off if we join this month it says. I don’t know much about the program but can’t see it saving us that much on our trips? We are passholders and usually stay onsite at a moderate resort, the cabins at Fort Wilderness being a favorite when my husband needs to stay behind and work since they’re so roomy and quiet. Anyway, I wish I knew more about the DVC program as obviously they’re looking to fill up spots… *Eye roll*
I think a comparison to the Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian would be a better measurement, and I think compared to that resort it falls short. That DVC resort has the richly theamed furniture and arts and crafts touches that this resort lacks. Since the resorts are so similar the deficiencies of
Copper Creek are striking. It really feels like Disney may be dialing back quality of finishes and theme to help the bottom line.
I don’t think a comparison to the Grand Californian is wrong, since they were both (along with DAK Lodge) designed by the same man/firm. But it is also not needed. The resort has stood on its own now for a quarter of a century. It also should be more rustic and less refined than the G.C. As the very nature of its theme and placement, it is. … That said, the bigger point and the one you nailed, is regarding Disney dialing back on quality to save money and make the bottom line look better. Gee, what is Disney’s market cap today versus 1994 (or 2000 when the Grand Californian debuted?) It’s all about the money and ONLY about the money to this company today. Wish the bloggers and lifestylers and social media ‘influencers’ that claim to be huge fans nailed them on that. But … well, just like Disney is a business, so is living in Disney’s theme parks and resorts and blogging about them.
We absolutely love Copper Creek. We became DVC members in 2017, and Copper Creek is “our home.” We have stayed in the one bedroom villa and will be staying there again in 4 days . It’s perfect for our family of 3. We all have enough space to feel more than comfortable. As a family that enjoys going to Disney at least once a year, it’s been more than worth the investment. The kitchen is incredible and having a washer and dryer in the room is great. We have also taken your advice Tom, and ordered groceries from garden grocer on more than one occasion. I don’t think we will ever do another trip again without taking advantage of this service. They are terrific. We love your blog! Keep up the good work!!
Thank you for your helpful review. My family and I will be staying in a 1 bedroom villa at Copper Creek this Thanksgiving. Which would you say is the best view to request? Bay Lake? Thank you in advance.
I don’t disagree with any of your opinions, per se. … I just find them, like the villas, to be bland and lacking substance. Sorta like the difference between a themed resort and rooms (see: the WL prior to this bastardization) and a decorated one (the mess you have now).
Let’s be blunt: Peter Dominick is rolling over in his grave over what Disney has done in a brazen attempt at milking the DVC cash cow beyond belief. Walk to the hotel side and look at the carpeting, the light sconces with wildlife on them, the stenciled room doors. Now, walk across to ‘the DVC side.’ … Look at the bland Marriott Anywhere light fixtures, the doors with the stenciling removed, the wood beams now looking like faux wood from a Spring Hill Suites in someplace in Montana, carpeting that is busy (so they can clean it less) and simple (backstory is its supposed to represent the layers of rockwork in the fire place … don’t worry if you didn’t know as Thea, the resort GM didn’t either.)
I worry as this site attempts to be everything for everyone planning any possible Disney vacation that it becomes like these villas. Bland, superficial and not really saying anything. You aren’t a big fan, but you won’t rip them either. As you say, they could have been worse. Wow, that’s the bar we’re shooting for now, Tom?
These villas are offensive to anyone who loves the WL. I have been staying here since opening week in 1994 and consider it my ‘home’ at WDW. We own at WLV … oops, now it’s something with rocks in the name … but were ‘upgraded’ to one of these units during our stay last month (yes, upgraded to a smaller unit, only Disney …) They reek of cheapness in design, in thought, in action. They are nice, again if you are staying at a mid-level suite property from Marriott or Hilton, somewhere out west. They in no way fit the grandeur of the WL. They are to the Lodge what IKEA is to fine furnishings and design.
And the convoluted storyline? How many man hours and how much money did it take to contrive such BS? The real storyline was simply WDW can’t command the kind of rates its hotels charge, so instead of more logical price points (we can agree that Disney would make a fortune if those rooms went for $250 a night or less, right?) they went for the rubes and their money option of more timeshare.
With Boulder Ridge due for a major hard goods refurbishment, we strongly expressed our views to management on what we didn’t want to see repeated across the pool.
You left the cabins out, but I would be remiss if I didn’t rip them for the sheer destruction of wilderness they left behind. All of that gone for luxury cabins that could be anywhere. Of course, when Reflections: A Disney Vacation Club Resort and Pixie Dust Treatment Center opens, the entire forest will disappear (about the only land that still harkens back to Walt’s day, yet not one blogger has attacked this project, nor will they.), so does it matter at all?
I think we’re at a tipping point (perfect on the day we say goodbye to former CEO, and Walt’s son-in-law, Ron Miller) between what Disney used to be, and what Bob Iger, Bob ‘Chappie’ Chapek and so many of today’s simpler fans (and social media influencers) want it to be.
You can see that on any floor of the Lodge now by simply standing over the lobby and looking at the vast differences between the old side and the new.
One side is classy and detailed … and the other looks like it belongs in a Homewood Suites by Hilton in Bozeman or Boise.
Some of us do recall what WDW was all about. And product like this is flat out insulting.
A Scathing response, but so very True! Today’s Disney is like that old Rock song “Money for Nothing”
Bloggers will only go so far…..This Is there Life Blood.
I don’t for a second understand your snark. If this is a blog that has content you consistently don’t agree with, toodles!
Of the many blogs out there these days, Tom’s remains one of the most objective. If he isn’t as negative in his reviews and opinions as you feel he should be, go somewhere else.
There are places I have not stayed, and places I have not eaten due to his reviews. He is not always positive. And the flip of that is by taking his advice we have had many excellent experiences based on favorable reviews. His reviews are neither bland nor lacking substance as in your first sentence.
The beauty of this blog is the massive amount of information on many subjects that does help with trip planning, and yes that requires a lot of time spent in the parks. And, I suspect begins to feel a lot like work for Tom and other bloggers.
Another amazing thing is that Tom takes the time to respond to questions. This past trip in December he responded to a question I had regarding busing to HS that saved my husband an insane amount of walking.
And despite permitting and encouraging comments by Tom, very few people feel the need for high school level bashing on here as I have sadly seen on other forums.
And last, why do people who are so unhappy with Disney and DVC not just sell their membership and quit coming to Disney? Vote with your feet and spend your money on something that will make you happy.
I always appreciate thoughtful responses. I suspect that Tom feels the same way. I consider him a friend in the real world and we have spent time together. I have no clue if he has seen this or not, but I stand behind every word. I think as the volume of content has increased on this site, the quality has gone down. Trying to be everything for everyone is a fool’s task.
And while Tom can be critical, he is trained as a lawyer and parses his words — especially his critical ones — as a lawyer would. While I admire many of Tom’s traits, this wouldn’t be one. At the end of the day, this is a business and Tom is way too savvy to not understand that. He has worked for Disney in the past and may still be supplying photos for the DPB. One phone call from Burbank and that will stop. So, there’s only so critical he can be … or chooses to.
Oh, and thanks for the advice, but I’ll keep my DVC and demand Disney lives up to the promises and marketing hype. They entered into a real estate contract with my wife and I, and they have certain obligations. The sad fact that WDW is a pathetic shell of its what it was in the 20th century is not something I enjoy and I intend to continue to hold management’s feet to the fire.
Unfortunately, by the time they do the first renovation of this resort, the Grand Prismatic picture will be gone as will the map runner on the bed. The picture will be replaced with a picture of Minnie and Mickey camping out. The runner will just be gone. Renovations tend to remove all the theme from the villas just like they just did at OKW.