Disney's Wilderness Lodge — Hotel in Bay Lake

We stayed at Disney's Fort Wilderness Lodge from July 31 to August 2, coming to celebrate my son’s 9th birthday as a family. We had booked a dinner at Whispering Canyon Café inside the hotel. Our party consisted of 7 people – 4 adults and 3 children (ages 9, 8, and 7).

It was late, the restaurant was closing, and while we waited for the check, the kids were playing quietly in the hotel lobby, within our sight. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a man – approximately 40 years old – stormed toward us, furious, claiming that a small bubble stick the kids had been playing with had accidentally hit him. The children immediately apologized, repeatedly asking if he was okay. His response was shocking – he yelled that he would call the police, crushed the bubble stick into pieces on the floor aggressively, clearly trying to intimidate not only the children but us, the parents, as well.

What followed was even more distressing. Our three children were crying uncontrollably, terrified that they might be taken away by the police. Yet instead of comforting us or ensuring our safety, hotel staff surrounded us as if our children were the threat, while this man – visibly unstable and possibly intoxicated (he later threw away his beer cup in a bathroom trash can, seemingly to hide evidence) – continued walking freely around the lobby, approaching us again with an intimidating demeanor. Shockingly, there was no security escorting him or keeping him away from our family despite his aggressive actions.

We insisted the police be called, and eventually, an officer arrived. Unsurprisingly, it was reduced to a “conversation” where it was explained that this man should not have approached us the way he did. Yet the hotel’s “solution” was to relocate our family to a room on the 2nd floor, while this man remained comfortably on the 6th floor – the same floor we had originally been assigned – even though he was clearly the aggressor and a danger to our peace of mind.

On what should have been my son’s magical birthday celebration, he is now scared that this man might knock on our door or come after us again. This is not the Disney experience I believed in for the last 15 years. My children have been coming to Disney since they were 2 months old, we are pass holders, and we have countless cherished memories here – but this experience has shaken that magic to the core.

We were not protected, respected, or supported by the resort in a moment when a family – with three terrified children – desperately needed it. Instead, we were made to feel like the problem, while the real threat walked away unchecked.

This is not the “Dreams Come True” that Walt Disney World once stood for. It breaks my heart that my son’s birthday ended this way, and after so many years of loyalty to Disney, today my family feels unsafe and deeply let down inside a place that should be all about joy, family, and unforgettable memories. Today, I feel this review will be just another one in a long list, whereas 10 years ago, we would not have been treated as just a number to this company.

A truly indignant and...

We stayed at Disney's Fort Wilderness Lodge from July 31 to August 2, coming to celebrate my son’s 9th birthday as a family. We had booked a dinner at Whispering Canyon Café inside the hotel. Our party consisted of 7 people – 4 adults and 3 children (ages 9, 8, and 7).||It was late, the restaurant was closing, and while we waited for the check, the kids were playing quietly in the hotel lobby, within our sight. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a man – approximately 40 years old – stormed toward us, furious, claiming that a small bubble stick the kids had been playing with had accidentally hit him. The children immediately apologized, repeatedly asking if he was okay. His response was shocking – he yelled that he would call the police, crushed the bubble stick into pieces on the floor aggressively, clearly trying to intimidate not only the children but us, the parents, as well.||What followed was even more distressing. Our three children were crying uncontrollably, terrified that they might be taken away by the police. Yet instead of comforting us or ensuring our safety, hotel staff surrounded us as if our children were the threat, while this man – visibly unstable and possibly intoxicated (he later threw away his beer cup in a bathroom trash can, seemingly to hide evidence) – continued walking freely around the lobby, approaching us again with an intimidating demeanor. Shockingly, there was no security escorting him or keeping him away from our family despite his aggressive actions.||We insisted the police be called, and eventually, an officer arrived. Unsurprisingly, it was reduced to a “conversation” where it was explained that this man should not have approached us the way he did. Yet the hotel’s “solution” was to relocate our family to a room on the 2nd floor, while this man remained comfortably on the 6th floor – the same floor we had originally been assigned – even though he was clearly the aggressor and a danger to our peace of mind.||On what should have been my son’s magical birthday celebration, he is now scared that this man might knock on our door or come after us again. This is not the Disney experience I believed in for the last 15 years. My children have been coming to Disney since they were 2 months old, we are pass holders, and we have countless cherished memories here – but this experience has shaken that magic to the core.||We were not protected, respected, or supported by the resort in a moment when a family – with three terrified children – desperately needed it. Instead, we were made to feel like the problem, while the real threat walked away unchecked.||This is not the “Dreams Come True” that Walt Disney World once stood for. It breaks my heart that my son’s birthday ended this way, and after so many years of loyalty to Disney, today my family feels unsafe and deeply let down inside a place that should be all about joy, family, and unforgettable memories. Today, I feel this review will be just another one in a long list, whereas 10 years ago, we would not have been treated as just a number to this company.||A truly indignant and...

We’ve stayed at Wilderness Lodge several times (4 or 5) in the last 5 years and thoroughly enjoy every aspect of this hotel!||There are great options regarding restaurants; roaring fork for a quick pickup and go snack or breakfast, whispering canyon for a longer sit-down breakfast, lunch or dinner or geyser point & territory lounge for an afternoon cocktail or evening bite. For us, Roaring Fork has spotty service and food quality, especially for the price. We’ve experienced good results, but also a lack of attention to detail such as order accuracy or inconsistent portion size. Whispering Canyon has been a solid choice for us every time. Geyser Point and Territory Lounge have been simply amazing! The staff is attentive, food options are solid and delicious and the cocktails are great. Our only negative comment regarding the Lounge is that it closes entirely too early (10pm). Geyser Point isn’t much better from this aspect (11pm). We haven’t dined at Story Book which is character dining, but haven’t heard anything negative.||Transportation to the parks is usually very good. Buses to all of the parks, leaving from the bus stop between Wilderness Lodge and Boulder Ridge, plus the boat(s) to Magic Kingdom! There are two sizes of boats and only the large one accommodates wheel chairs and strollers that aren’t folded. This is the only negative point regarding the boats. Sometimes you have to wait longer for the larger boat. Morning boats fill up quickly, so don’t arrive late to the dock if you’re not willing to wait.||Something we’ve learned recently; if you take the bus to Hollywood Studios, you can walk to Epcot’s International Gateway (France entrance). We found this very helpful for rope drop to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. International was very busy at security, unfortunately, so be forewarned.||The rooms and theming are wonderful! We really love the feel of the Lodge, all of the attention to detail regarding the architecture and thoughtful details in the design such as the animal prints in the walkways. We would recommend the architecture tour and researching various books regarding entertainment architecture, 4240architecture…, and the design themed by the National Park hotels.||Improvements; availability of the room at check-in can be spotty. We’ve waited until 6 pm for our room to be available. The waterpark passes help alleviate this issue, but it can still be challenging. It’s also time to update the pools in the next few year or so and add heaters. The water can be very cold in the Fall and Winter months. Another hot tub at the Boulder Ridge pool would be a great addition!||Things we love that are overlooked; boat service from MK in the evening is wonderful!! The lines are short, it’s quiet and seamless. We secretly smile to ourselves as we look over at the skyliner line and the hordes of people heading to the transportation center. Wandering around the resort in the evening with a cocktail is so relaxing. A chair down by the lake with a cup of coffee makes all of your...