The Best of Disney World: Villas at Wilderness Lodge

The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge are part of the Disney Vacation Club, Disney's timeshare program of Disney Vacation Club Resorts. Set in a natural setting that is meant to pay homage to America's National Parks and Native American influences, this wonderful deluxe rustic retreat is a favorite among Disney Vacation Club owners.

The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge number 136 units, a fairly small sized resort for the DVC resorts. The Villas share all the amenities at the Wilderness Lodge, but are set back from the main lodge, adjacent to the hotel. There is a feeling of privacy and peace granted to the guests at the Villas, with a sense of separateness from the main hotel. A smaller private pool and jacuzzi is located in the Villas at Wilderness Lodge area, exclusively for Villa guests.

The Villas

Accommodations at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge include studios with an efficiency type kitchen area (sink, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and cupboard area), one bedroom villas and two bedroom villas. Both the one and two bedroom villas include a full kitchen, a master suite with private bathroom and whirlpool tub, and a living room area. The difference between a one and two bedroom villa is the additional room which is actually a studio room with a queen bed and pull-out sofa.

The studios are 356 square feet, and the one and two bedroom villas are 727 and 1080 square feet, respectively. Studios can accommodate up to 4 people and a child under 3. The one-bedroom villas accommodate 4 people plus a child under 3, though some have reported being allowed to have 5 people in the one bedroom villas. Two bedroom villas will host up to 8 people and a child under 3.

The Wilderness Lodge Villas are designed with a woodsy theme, complete with dark red and green colors to accent the room decor. The Villas are far from "rustic," but that is one of the descriptions that Disney has used to differentiate the theme from other Disney Vacation Club Resorts. The Wilderness Villas are 5 stories tall, with some of the best views located on the upper floors, though some may be blocked by trees. There is an overall sense of peace with the surrounding tall pines and woods. This is a resort for those who like the outdoors.

Amenities and Perks

The Villas at Wilderness Lodge are considered to be one of Disney's Home Away From Home resorts. The amenities are like those found at a deluxe resort, with the added benefit of full kitchens, living rooms, balconies, and additional space and a washer and dryer in the one and two bedroom villas. Villa guests may use all of the Wilderness Lodge Resort features.
The Wilderness Pools

Silver Creek Springs Pool is the main pool, complete with a flowing stream that rushes into one side edge of the pool and a fun water slide. There is a shallower area for children. Life jackets are provided free of charge to guests. There are lounge chairs and towels available, as well as the Trout Pass Pool Bar for thirsty adults. Located near the pool area, with a view of the lake, is Fire Rock Geyser, a geyser that sprays water high into the air on a timed schedule.

The Beach Area

Bay Lake Beach is a nice place to view the lake and sunbathe, but swimming is prohibited. Just around the corner from the beach area is rental hut for watercraft and bicycles. Surrey bikes are popular with families. Trails surrounding the resort offer bikers a designated path to follow. The beach is not as busy as the pool area.

Dining Options

There are no dining options located directly at the Villas at Wilderness Lodge, but guests can take the short walk over to the main resort lodge for a variety of dining options. Roaring Forks is located near the main pool area for basic food court style fast foods and refrigerated items to go. Refillable mugs are available for length of stay for $11.99 plus tax. The Territory Lounge, inside Wilderness Lodge, has a full bar and snack items. Whispering Canyon Cafe, also inside the Wilderness Lodge, is a rip-roarin' sit down restaurant that encourages loud and rambunctious antics by the cast member servers. Kids can join in on wooden pony races and other lively games. The Whispering Canyon Cafe offers an all-you-can-eat barbeque skillet and similar menu choices. Artist Point is an upscale sit-down restaurant, geared more toward adults.

Other Amenities and Perks

The Sturdy Branches Health Club is open to Villa guests free of charge, and it includes standard workout machines and fitness gear. A dry sauna is also housed at this location. The Iron Spike Room provides an area to sit down and relax in. In-room sitting and room service are both available to guests for a fee. The Cubs Den is a supervised babysitting program for children 4-12 located at the Wilderness Lodge. The rate is around $10/hour, but may also include a children's meal. For Villa guests, laundry facilities are available free of charge. The one and two bedroom villas have their own washer and dryer in the room. There is no daily housekeeping for those that rent points for the Villas. Every fourth day a trash & towel service is offered and a full cleaning on the eighth day. Daily cleaning is an extra cost.

Rates

The Villas at Wilderness Lodge may be rented by Disney Vacation Club owners at any of the 7 DVC Resorts (Beach Club Villas, Saratoga Springs Resort, Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West Resort, Hilton Head Island resort, and Vero Beach Resort) for a set number of timeshare points that varies with season. For the Villas at Wilderness Lodge, Point costs range from 12-19 points per night on weekdays for a studio; 22-40 points for a one bedroom villa on weekdays, and 30-50 points per night for a 2 bedroom villa, depending on season. Weekends cost about double the weekday points.

Villas may also be rented directly from Disney at a range of $295-459 per night for a studio, $400-600 per night for a one bedroom villa, and $570-1,040 per night for a two bedroom villa plus tax. Interested renters might consider renting from a Disney Vacation Club owner to save some money. The general going rate for DVC points is about $10 per point. This includes all taxes and for a studio during value season, this would equate to $600 total for a studio for 5 nights (Sunday through Thursday). Rental points are often available on the boards at www.wdwinfo.com or sometimes on ebay. The best use of points is always for a Sunday through Thursday stay.

My Wilderness Villas Experiences and Recommendations

I really love the tranquility of the entire Wilderness Lodge Resort. The Villas are a nice addition to an already scenic and popular resort. The fireplace in the Lodge, the rockers, and the totem pole truly make you feel like you stepped into one of the Great Lodges of the Northwest. One of the highlights of our last trip was renting a 4-person Surrey bike and riding the path to Fort Wilderness Campground.

The Villas at Wilderness Lodge are a popular destination for Disney Vacation Club (DVC) owners and those who rent points. Larger families will benefit from the size of a two bedroom villa. The neighboring Wilderness Lodge Resort is less expensive to stay at otherwise. I highly recommend a visit over to the Wilderness Lodge for day guests, just to see the amazing architecture and splendor.