Our Vexing Visit to Wilderness Lodge
We’re back at Walt Disney World again, this time from Wilderness Lodge for a look at the resort hotel after a couple weeks of operations, on the eve of Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom reopening to guests. In this quasi-trip report, we’ll share photos, dining details, and commentary about the vexing nature of the visit.
It’s been over two weeks since Our Surreal Stay at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Suffice to say, a lot has changed since then. At that point, new daily cases were on an upward trajectory, but as much was to be expected with businesses reopening. With more people venturing beyond their homes, an increase was a predictable inevitability. However, two weeks later the daily case numbers are between double and triple their previous numbers.
That moved this visit from “surreal” to “unsettling” territory. Erring on the side of caution, we didn’t go out in the roughly two weeks following our previous stay (or do anything for Fourth of July weekend), save for dining outdoors at the All-Star McDonald’s and a quick visit to Target earlier this week. Nevertheless, all of this still leaves us conflicted–it truly is surreal being in Central Florida right now.
We previously addressed this in our Should Walt Disney World Stay Closed? post, and if you were one of the 4 people who read that before commenting, you already know our perspective is “it’s complicated.” We’re not going to rehash all of that here, but the challenges facing Florida are multifaceted. Too much of the discussion has been myopic, reductionist, and devoid of nuance, offering simple solutions to a complex problem.
Our view remains one of risk mitigation and harm reduction, making reasonably informed and responsible decisions while trying to strike the right balance between staying home and venturing out for our sanity. We continue to read studies, daily numbers, and commentary from epidemiologists to keep apprised of changes. More than anything, we’re trying to avoid making what turns out to be the wrong decision in hindsight. Like everyone else, we feel overwhelmed, uncertain, and just plain tired.
Escaping to the Wilderness (Lodge) was a nice reprieve from all of that, even if the real world contrast felt more pronounced this time…
Upon arrival at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, we’re greeted by a health liability disclaimer and quick rundown of the temporary rules and protocol.
For those keeping score at home, Wilderness Lodge adopted the “BoardWalk approach” (as opposed to the Riviera style) of the health liability disclaimer on the left. Safe to assume this is a matter of American versus European sensibilities.
We’re not going to fixate on all the warning signs and protocol here. For photos of that, see our Health & Safety Protocol at Walt Disney World Resorts post. Same idea here, but transposed to Wilderness Lodge.
About the only interesting difference was this liability disclaimer affixed to one of the support beams. Definitely the most ‘organic’ appearance of this that we’ve seen. Not sure if that’s a good thing, though. I like the other signage having a very temporary look as it suggests it’ll be gone at some point in the not too distant future.
Also on a ‘things are different’ note, here’s a look at the closed entrance to Artist Point and Territory Lounge. No word on when these will reopen.
Otherwise, we’re going to focus on the ‘familiar feeling‘ of Wilderness Lodge here. After all, we are visiting as a break from the real world, so it’d be self-defeating to obsess over the temporary abnormal aspects.
Inside Wilderness Lodge, we’re greeted with a largely empty lobby. There’s no Photoshop trickery here nor were the photos taken late at night. These were captured mostly during what would be the dinner rush.
The lobby seating area is totally devoid of people–and was pretty much our entire time at Wilderness Lodge.
Whispering Canyon Cafe was the primary exception to this, and it was reasonably busy. We didn’t dine there, so I didn’t capture photos of the seating area for obvious reasons, but Whispering Canyon was close to half capacity (or nearly full temporary capacity).
While it smelled as delicious as always, Whispering Canyon was much quieter than normal. I hadn’t thought of this before, but it would make sense for the hijinks to be temporarily suspended. Servers can’t exactly go bananas while wearing masks and keeping a safe distance.
The pools were also fairly hoppin. (Busy enough that I didn’t feel comfortable taking a photo…hence this walkway shot.)
Not crowded to regular summer levels, but they also not abnormally low. Let’s call it a comfortable level, all things considered.
I love this hallway leading up from Roaring Fork to the main lobby. The light fixtures, rock walls, windows, overhead beams, gentle incline–it’s all just pitch perfect.
I’ll take this over the Red Hallway at the Overlook Hotel any day.
One thing that really captivated me on this particular visit was the carpet.
It was poppin.’
Maybe it’s the lack of people around, but I’m guessing it received a deep cleaning (or several) prior to the reopening.
It looks really clean and crisp, and kept catching my eye.
Some more sweet, sweet carpet action.
Isn’t this what keeps us all coming back to Walt Disney World?!
Joking aside (it wasn’t really a joke), the atmosphere in the lobby of Wilderness Lodge was exquisite.
While there was a mildly eerie Overlook Hotel vibe in some of the quieter spots, there were just enough people around to keep it from being downright surreal, plus a good guest to Cast Member ratio. Still quiet enough that the background music was clear, with the bubbling brook and crackling fireplaces providing a layer of ambient noise.
These rocking chairs are among the most serene seats at Walt Disney World.
This also exemplifies the discordance between Walt Disney World and real world Florida. Our brief forays into stores over the last month-plus have been stressful and uncomfortable, with crowds and non-compliance. By contrast, nothing of the sort at Walt Disney World (or Universal, for that matter).
It’s easy to sit at home and armchair quarterback what’s happening with Walt Disney World and what shouldn’t occur–it’s another to experience it as compared to other things in Central Florida. The contrast is stark.
Again, this is not meant to actively encourage visiting from out of state right now. We’d caution against that for a number of reasons that we’ve previously discussed in detail.
However, for locals wanting to do staycations, nearby Disney Vacation Club members needing to use their points or lose them, and others, it’s a nice escape that offers a temporary reprieve and certainly feels much safer than literally anywhere else we’ve been.
Obviously, there is no magical pixie dust bubble that makes Walt Disney World completely safe. It is absolutely not.
It’s also fair to say that unless you’re prepared to sequester at home for the next year-plus, you are not going to be completely safe. (And doing so is likewise unhealthy for its own reasons.)
Conversely, this doesn’t mean we should throw our arms up in the air and do whatever. It’s not an exercise in all or nothing futility. Hence our risk mitigation and harm reduction perspective.
To that end, we’re now only dining outdoors. With the exception of Topolino’s Terrace, which we quickly came to regret, this has been our approach with restaurants.
While not yet conclusive, there’s plenty to corroborate the belief that bars and indoor dining are one of the key differences between outbreaks in America’s Sunbelt and a lack thereof in Europe (here’s an interesting new-ish WSJ article on the topic).
Prolonged indoor exposure—as opposed to more fleeting encounters or outdoor activity—is more conducive to transmission. That’s why we put together this List of Outdoor Dining Options at Walt Disney World.
We won’t rehash everything covered there, but thought it was worth reiterating this in case you missed it.
We also don’t want to sugarcoat it and pretend outdoor dining in Florida during the middle of summer is pleasant.
Evening at Geyser Point Bar & Grill is probably the biggest exception to that. A nice breeze and lovely views of Bay Lake. The only thing that could’ve made it better? Electrical Water Pageant.
Another thing we won’t sugarcoat is the ‘pleasantness’ of wearing masks. However, they are effective. As much has been shown by incredibly low daily case numbers from democracies such as Japan, the Czech Republic, and Hong Kong.
Those success stories are predicated on masks, as those countries did next to nothing else differently or better than the United States. That’s the closest to a case study as you’ll get on real world efficacy of masks.
We’ve touched upon this before and it’s not our intent to be preachy about it. Unfortunately, public health messaging has been so poor on the topic throughout this that even intelligent and informed people have been confused. (It’s not just a matter of ‘evolving knowledge and research’ here–the CDC and WHO have repeatedly bungled communications.)
Masks reduce the distance of exhaled aerosolized particles by the wearer, which in turn reduces spread. For visualizations, click here and here. As illustrated there, my mask helps protect you and yours helps protect me. This coupled with asymptomatic transmission should convey why mandatory mask policies are being enacted throughout the United States.
Anyway, bringing this back to the fun stuff, we had an exceptional meal.
We’ve updated our Geyser Point Bar & Grill Review with items from this visit. Suffice to say, this is one of the best spots to eat at Walt Disney World right now.
On another positive note, construction walls! Okay, so normally construction during your resort stay would not be a positive, but this could explain why the hotel side of Wilderness Lodge does not yet have a reopening date.
With the Old Faithful Club Level being out of commission (and the only floor finished) plus two more floors currently under construction, it makes sense that the hotel side of Wilderness Lodge would simply remain closed until this work is finished. Hopefully this means the reopening date for Wilderness Lodge is simply TBD based upon construction progress, and not ‘closed indefinitely’ until demand picks back up.
In other news, here’s a look inside the gift shop. There were a couple of new-to-us items, including an awesome canteen (bottom middle), coffee cup (top middle), and a leather-billed hat (not pictured).
Everything else (including a lot more that’s not pictured) is just the same stuff covered in our Wilderness Lodge Update: New Rooms, Merchandise & Photos.
Ultimately, it was a great visit to Wilderness Lodge that, like BoardWalk Inn before it, was a chance for relaxation and hitting reset. With more guests at the resort, it was less surreal, but still far from crowded or discomforting. Quite simply, it was peaceful–which is hardly surprising given that serenity and tranquility are Wilderness Lodge’s normal strong suits. Those assets are especially appreciated right now!
Finally, a brief note. This post ended up focusing more on our frame of mind, justifications, and safety philosophies than initially intended. Going forward, we’re going to try getting away from that. As is, our middle ground perspective is probably alienating the vocal voices at each end of the spectrum–but this is how we feel and hopefully at least some of that is worth sharing. We’ve stressed that no one is going to change anyone else’s mind on controversial or polarizing topics via the comments section of a Disney blog…and that’s probably true of the body text, too.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, 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 clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your thoughts on visiting Walt Disney World right now? Are you eagerly awaiting your next vacation ‘escape’ to Walt Disney World, or still apprehensive about everything going on right now? Think Wilderness Lodge would be a good place to stay? Do you have any questions about the current resort experience at Walt Disney World? Will you be attempting to visit Walt Disney World this summer or fall, or are you waiting until 2021 or beyond? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
With an upcoming trip in August we greatly appreciated the article. Also the last paragraph as always find self awareness to be a gift not everyone receives. We come here for escapism as we can read about pandemic mitigation elsewhere. Not at all faulting the intent but wholeheartedly endorse your desire to get back to your core topics.
Nuance, pop culture references, and carpet.
It’s what the people want.
It’s hard not to get political when the feds have been completely asinine the whole way through. Disney on the other hand has listened to the health experts and have taken the necessary precautions. If they rest of the country had done this 3 months ago the country would be in better shape. Being g from Canada, we wont be down until a) the numbers are better and b) the border actually reopens. Hoping for 2022 with some sort of vaccine in play. Stay well!
Thanks for the beautiful photos, allowing us to be a bit escapist even from our homes. Wilderness Lodge and Port Orleans are the only two WDW resorts that we have never set foot inside. We should at least eat a meal there to remedy that some day.
I wouldn’t worry about alienating people with your tone. Though comments probably don’t reflect it, I suspect the vast majority of your readers aren’t extremists on either side. I would mention that the WSJ article you linked is behind a paywall, but it sounds interesting. And I think the more people that send out the mask message, the more effective it will be. I admit to being a late adopter – it wasn’t required at our work for the first month or two; a couple people wore them but it just seemed weird to me. but after a week of wearing it, it just becomes normal and as you say the case studies (both small and country-wide) are pretty compelling.
“I would mention that the WSJ article you linked is behind a paywall, but it sounds interesting.”
If you have Apple News (even the free version), it should now be available to read on there.
Also, how have you never visited both Wilderness Lodge and Port Orleans? Those are arguably *the* pinnacles of resort themed design at Walt Disney World!
According to the new statement issued on July 1st, “Vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, and also licensed to offer food service, may continue to operate as restaurants.” This means that the restaurants that are licensed to sell both alcohol and food are able to operate with an indoor capacity limited to 50% with social distancing measures in place. The booths are also allowed at this time.
I appreciate your perspective here! It does indeed sound surreal to compare the Disney bubble to the realities of the current situation in FL–and I’m glad that you’re being realistic about the risks rather than showing just the upsides.
I really appreciate a middle of the ground perspective. I always think that you guys have great advice and well thought out rationale. A voice of reason is greatly appreciated right now. I also really enjoyed the info shared about masks!! I have been trying to find reliable sources to share with people who don’t believe masks “work” and I thought that the visual representation was great!
Well Tom, I’ve never been to the wilderness lodge in the past 30 years that I have been going to Disney with my wonderful family, making so many memories. So thank you for this post. I’m just so scared as to what is happening in this world and nervous about so many things, especially how long it might take for Americans to be healthy and for us to enjoy the full walt disney world as we all know it. Bless everyone and be safe.
Redrum! Love your Overlook reference. (I feel like I’ve been living there the past 3+ months.) Imagine the joy you could bring to cast and guests if you broke out the Big Wheel for a photo op! Just the thought made me smile. Thank you!
Tracy, came here to say the same thing! Tom, I appreciate your reasoned and nuanced commentary. Like you said it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We are trying the risk mitigation approach as well. After all, you not what happens when it’s all work and no play…”
Here’s Johnny!
“This post ended up focusing more on our frame of mind, justifications, and safety philosophies than initially intended. Going forward, we’re going to try getting away from that. As is, our middle ground perspective is probably alienating the vocal voices at each end of the spectrum—but this is how we feel and hopefully at least some of that is worth sharing.”
For what it is worth, I appreciate you sharing your perspective and your experience on this issue. We need to adopt some common-sense approaches to living with the virus, and people need to see others they respect “normalizing” responsible virus behaviors. I certainly understand, though, if you are tired of taking abuse or want to just enjoy your vacation without entering what has become a needlessly political battle. In any event, thank you for all you do, and for enabling those of us who don’t live in central Florida to vicariously enjoy Disney right now.
I really have loved your take on everything and your updates. I’m from VA – our governor has made masks mandatory since May 29th. It’s not perfect as there are some that feel it unnecessary but at least when I venture out – overwhelmingly over 80-95% of people here are wearing them. It seems they may be working as out state has not had a huge uptick in recent weeks. That being said we are just hair to far to visit this summer and can’t wait until next year which will likely be our next trip.
I for one like the tone and content of your posts during this time! Realistic and sensible. Please do keep reporting on all aspects of this during this unprecedented time!
Those are the Suay masks right? Heading over to their site right now!
Yes, they are the Suay masks. So far so good with them.
Thanks for the update!!
I am a Florida resident (Tampa) and at the last minute last week, decided to spend the holiday weekend in Disney. I chose Wilderness Lodge mainly because of Geyser Point (and Whispering Canyon AND Roaring Fork) were all open. I originally booked at Animal Kingdom, but really wanted Geyser Point – and the Disney Staff – particularly Bren and Kidani – accomodated.
Wilderness Lodge has in the neighborhood of 900+rooms. A bit less than have are DVC (Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge). I expected it to be the most crowded of all Disney accomodations last week. That may have been the case, but it was not even a little bit crowded.
We arrived on Thursday, July 2 and departed on Monday, July 6. I expected the place to be packed on Saturday and Sunday, but that was not the case. My educated guess was that there may have been 150 rooms occupied on Friday and Saturday (Maybe 200?). When we departed on Monday at 11 AM – that there was nobody at either pool. My best guess – and this is by ‘gut’ feel, that maybe 20 – 30 rooms were occupied in the entire hotel last Monday. It was very, very strange.
I know that the parks open this week and that going forward, occupancy will be higher But I can confirm that the photos Tom Bricker is showing here were the ‘normal’ for the past week.
Occupancy is definitely higher than that now–but the parks are also about to open.
Still, I would’ve expected more people over the holiday weekend!
I think you should consider keeping this tone and style to your posts for now. This the strangest time of our lifetimes thus far, and your documenting how it actually *feels* to be at Disney World is absolutely fascinating, and is as close as most of us will be able to get to being there for a likely long time.
Yes I agree! I appreciate your honest and thought out perspective. I writing from NY and couldn’t imagine being in a hotel right now. But I think your posts recently have been authentic.
Agreed as well, it is interesting to get a feel for your experience with the way Disney feels vs the outside world. We are all just doing our best in dealing with so much uncertainty it’s nice to hear your perspective.
I also agree with this! And I may be biased because I largely agree with your data-driven views (although some of my personal risk assessments have been different), but I suspect the vast majority of your readers are loyal enough fans that they won’t abandon ship over you encouraging them to wear a mask.
That hallway, wow. Is there a room 237 there ;D
Are you and Sarah wearing the Disney brand masks? Or, have you? I read a review saying the material seems too thin. I’d like to get some, and frankly if they are thin they’d actually be great for wearing while running…which would be helpful here in a busy Central Park.
Under Armour is selling sports mask. I ordered some for my husband and I am and I am hoping they are as amazing as they say they will be.
@Cathy Thanks for the info! Didn’t know they were making these.
Unfortunately, I read they sold out instantly and the next batch won’t come until August 17. Hopefully that is wrong – I’m sure at $30 per mask they have plenty of incentive ti make them faster!
These are Suay masks: https://suayla.com/collections/masks/products/suay-mask-surgical-wrap
We plan on trying the Disney branded ones at some point (also, thanks for the Under Armour mention–hadn’t heard of those) as well as a variety of other options to see what’s most comfortable. Thus far, Suay masks have been our favorite.
Tom,
While I no longer live in the US and and am not planning a near-future trip to any Disney park (my latest visit was Tokyo in December 2019), I continue to read this blog. You’re doing a wonderful job at the nearly impossible task of simultaneously commenting on reality and the escape-from-reality that is native to this blog’s content. Bravo for the balanced perspectives! Best wishes from Australia!
Thanks for the kind words!
We are watching The Shining tonight. The gorgeous photos of a mostly-empty Wilderness Lodge made a perfect appetizer!
Thank you for sharing your perspective. It’s always well stated and calm, both enjoyable and reassuring to read!
Haha, perfect that you read this before watching the Shining. Such a great movie, and it probably takes on “new meaning” amidst all this.
(On a related note, Doctor Sleep is at the top of my movie queue–just need to convince Sarah to watch!)
We were at Copper Creek the week before the 4th for 5 nights. We went to Universal two days and the pool the other two. Went to dinner at two resorts and Disney Springs. We had a great time. Being from Chicago, we are used to the masks. We felt safe the entire time especially being used to the safety protocols in Illinois. This was our test run for a trip in September. We even flew. No regrets. And I even bought the canteen!
Wilderness Lodge does seem like a nice getaway/ Thank you Bricker Family. Be safe
We had an awesome time at Disney for the pass holder preview today. Everything was perfect even with face masks since I found these wonderful ones on Etsy. It was 100 degrees out so very hot. Disney took all precautions. Temperature checks when we got in. Monorail seating was by family so only 4 people in our car. Two on each side. All rides were social distanced with markers all over the ground. When you got to your ride they were seating with 3 seats between you so that was pretty awesome. Although the event was sold out the park seemed empty. We didn’t wait more that 10 minutes for any ride. It was wonderful. Disney with less capacity probably is not good for Disney but it was awesome for us. I would love it like this all the time. lol We ordered our food online and when we got the notice it was ready we went in and ate in the restaurant. All the cast members were amazing and welcoming everyone back. We saw all the characters. They had parades riding down Main Street. The castle has been repainted in pink and gray. All in all a great day and well worth the trip. Loved the marching band and all the new merch in the stores. Can’t wait till the 30th when we check out Epcot.
Thanks for this. I’ve been looking for an account of what the park was like today and hadn’t seen much. We’ll see how it goes on Saturday, I’m hoping the reduced crowds continue to mean reduced wait times despite reduced capacity.
I’m also very impressed with Disney’s precautions. From what I can tell in the photos it seems much safer than even a grocery store run (at least where we live in CO).
I have a question concerning the liquor being served at the wine and food festival. Is the new liquor rules going to impact the festival. I have a trip planned for October but unless the quarantine rules change, I will not be allowed to come from NJ. And if the liquor rules change the festival, it is not worth going. Mickey Halloween has already been cancelled and I have Park Hopper tickets also. My party is now debating postponing our trip until next October.
Sounds like a great day! I wonder if passholder preview days have a lower capacity than they will have starting on Saturday?