Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge — Hotel in Bay Lake

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is approaching 30 years old.. our accommodations were in the main building. However, in an area called Copper Creek, which is part of the Disney Vacation Club staying in a one bedroom villa. With a lake view/upper floor villa request. I completely understand requests are not guaranteed, however we have the polar opposite, low floor, facing a walkway with frequently screaming unsupervised children, well into the evening. I just expected for a two week visit a request or two would be honored.

The resort has transformed since built quite acutely.

Certainly, structure, cosmetic and appearance wise the lodge has been meticulously maintained.

However just as with virtually all Disney owned and operated resorts.. the services of what are claimed to be 4 + star resorts have become, frankly pathetic.

In the last 27 years or so I have stayed here well over 100 times and have witnessed what was I would equate, service/amenity wise from a Ritz, to a simple standard no frills resort.

There is no longer room service, the “cast” employees have very little knowledge of the resort.

Pulled in to check in, for a two week visit. A 700 plus room/villas resort, there were two, yes only two valets who basically were robots with no personality whatsoever, nor any desire to assist with luggage, let alone even offering to acquire a luggage cart for two weeks of belongings. Claimed they were out of carts? Didn’t even offer to help remove luggage from our vehicle.

I made three separate trips and took everything to our room myself.

I had items delivered to the resort, that were lost, by the resort. Finally located mid-evening. However the resort had no staff to bring these items to our room.

So I marched down to the front desk, Saturday night at 9 pm, one person working a 20 plus station front desk and she had no idea what I was there for, and could not locate my items. To boot could not locate the employee that contacted me our parcels were on site.

If you call the front desk, you do not get the front desk, your call goes to a call center in either Tampa or someone working at home? There is no way to reach anyone at the resort on the phone.

Housekeeping or anything. Missing amenities, I called for, never arrived.

To put this in perspective, the Swan-Dolphin and Swan Reserve are on Disney property, however, operated by the Marriott company.

The Walt Disney Company should really review Marriott’s model of service as those three resorts are far superior in service and amenities.

Stating that also, pricing for a similar accommodations, room wise, etc. are less pricier than what it’s called a deluxe Disney resort.

Don’t get me wrong, The Wilderness Lodge is a beautiful resort, on the surface, however, if your expectations regarding a full-service, pampering style excursion with a staff that turns themselves inside and out to accommodate their guests, you will be extremely disappointed.

Especially if these are your expectations.

Walt Disney World Deluxe Resorts sorely need to re-invent their approach to what they feel is a deluxe resort. This is across the board from the Grand Floridian, to the Yacht/Beach, Poly, Contemporary and the Boardwalk… have stayed at all including club level, the smoke screen in staffing cuts and service is becoming much more evident each year.

In 1996 when the Wilderness Lodge opened, and the 1991 the Yacht and Beach Club resorts opened for example, complementary coffee each morning in the lobby with a staff that were extremely knowledgeable of not only the resort, but the entire property itself.

And it is extremely disheartening as a guest, being much more knowledgeable about the property. An example regarding this is I witnessed a cast member telling a guest first hand, that they could take watercraft as transportation to Typhoon Lagoon.

For those of you familiar, even slightly familiar with the Walt Disney World property, this is impossible.

This was a longer review than most, however, I felt extremely important to state...

Not a 4 person room. We booked a one bedroom villa that said it would comfortably sleeps 4. My husband, I and our two children(14&10). It stated that there was a queen bed and the couch folded out to a queen bed. The first night my son and husband took the bed, my daughter and I took the fold out couch. After a few minutes we were incredibly uncomfortable. This is not a fold out bed. It was like lying on boards. We ended up folding the couch back into the couch position and my son slept there- on a couch-in a “deluxe room” The whole trip we had to have 3 in the bed and my son on the couch. We had been traveling in our RV and since it’s impossible to get into the campground we booked this resort as we wanted to stay at a Disney property. The last night my son and husband went out to sleep in the RV so he could get a good nights sleep before our long drive home. I was also disappointed on the amount we were charged for having a vehicle parked in the lot during our stay. $25 a night. We were here for a total of 6 nights and only once was our room serviced. Rooms need a better sound barrier as you can hear everything going on it the rooms beside, above and below. For what we paid I would have expected the beds to be more comfortable. The balcony is very narrow and not comfortable to sit on. The pool was nice and heated for the kids in the copper creek side. Hot tub was cold though. And the pool over at Boulder ridge was ice cold. Also I would like to point out that not once during our entire stay-and this includes the 3 parks we visited- did we ever see anyone wiping down high contact surfaces. We spent 5 hours at the pool one day and saw people get up from lounge chairs, new people would come, and they were never cleaned. Gates we never being cleaned and public restrooms were dirty. We won’t be returning to...

While the room itself is nicely done it is not for 5 people. We just checked in today and I was told we would have a crib and the second bed made since there are 5 total people in a studio room and we were informed when I booked that it was more than enough room for us. LIES! Only maybe (queen) bed made, no crib ( pretty sure it would not fit anyway) and we are literally on top of eachother. DELUX room! I don't think so! If you are going to stay at a delux resort and pay delux prices look elsewhere! Hotel is cool but the room is too small for a family. Don't listen to the people on the phone. And to top it off I ask if they have a larger room and the response. Yes I can get you the same layout but a king bed instead of queen...... oh and that's $2,000 more. Plus I can't say enough about my great view of water pipes on the porch....... waste of money! Really disapointed here. Payed the same amount last time and stayed at the grand Floridian.... WAY BETTER!

UPDATE. Check out Day.... Check out is at 11 we go eat breakfast at the whispering Canyon (very good) go back to my room now 9:50 and the cleaning lady is in there and says we no longer have access to our room it has been cleaned for the next guess and we can not go back in...... well done Disney you officially have made me never want to stay at your resort again. 40+ minute for a bus, MANY issues with the room, resort concierge under staffed and complete lack of what used to be Disney spirit. I will happily find another way to spend $4,000 for 6 days! Stay off Disney property you can stay an entire month for the price you would pay for 6 days and have your own house rented. Disney is no longer what is...