[Halloween in the Wilderness 2015] Day 3 - In The Wilderness

[Mrs Pumpkin]

Halloween in the Wilderness 2015 Trip Report Index! (And here is the Pre-Trip Report!)

Day 3 - In The Wilderness
Landscapes of Flavors (CS Breakfast) | Check in at Wilderness Lodge | Whispering Canyon Cafe (TS Dinner)
October 25th, 2015

Today we were moving on to Disney's Wilderness Lodge, so we woke up early to pack the few things we'd used during our two nights at Art of Animation.

When moving from resort to resort, Disney can move your luggage for you, but we decided to just move our stuff ourselves. We didn't have anything planned for the day, as we were not activating our park tickets till tomorrow. It was another day to just chill out and not do very much.

We packed up the car, and drove around to Animation Hall to have breakfast at Landscapes of Flavors. But not before looking at all the great artwork on the walls.

Service for breakfast was just coming to an end, with some lunch items starting to be put out. We all went to different stations for breakfast – me to the French Toast Shop, Liam to the Waffle Shop, and Steve to the Pancake Shop. It wasn't very busy – I guess most people had already had breakfast by the time we decided to rock up!

As well as the stations (or shops), there were cabinets with baked goods, and fridges with drinks and other snacks. I thought it was all very well laid out, and the menu screens rotated as the meal times changed. You could also pick up a card which showed what was on offer.

After making our choices, we paid at the tills, and went to find a table to sit. As I said earlier, it wasn't busy so this wasn't a problem at all.

Me: World Flavors Breakfast Platter - scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, Portuguese sausage, bacon and mini naan bread ($7.59)

Him: Chocolate Chip Pancakes - with fresh fruit topping and choice of bacon or sausage ($8.39)

The Boy: Character-shaped Waffles + a Choc Chip Muffin - with Fresh Fruit Topping and Bacon ($7.79 + $2.99)

The food was standard breakfast fayre – nothing to write home about. I remember my naan bread being a bit raw dough tasting, and the potatoes being a bit overcooked. Liam and Steve seemed to enjoy their breakfasts – the Simba waffles were cool!

It was nice to eat from proper plates, with proper knives and forks – and not paper, and plastic! We probably bought a bottle of fruit juice each too, but I don't seem to have any photos of that.

We paid out of pocket for this breakfast, as we don't start the dining plan until we check-in at Wilderness Lodge.

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Landscapes of Flavors

Bill Total: $31.37

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After breakfast, we drove to Wilderness Lodge. It was all rather exciting to see the signs as we got closer!

We have been to Wilderness Lodge once before – on our 2014 trip – when we had dinner with friends at Whispering Canyon Cafe. It was then that I fell in love with the place, and knew I wanted to stay there one day.

After the stressful time at the airport, the stressful months we'd been having, when we drove around, and the magnificent building came into site, I was already starting to get quite emotional! By the time we pulled up, and Cast Members said "Welcome Home" I just lost it and started crying happy tears. There were a lot of those on this holiday for some reason this year!

With our luggage placed on one of those trollies, we went inside, and were greeted by, what I think, is one of the grandest hotel lobbies at Disney. It feels so huge, and I just love the style of it. It feels so comforting and homely, you definitely do feel like you are coming home.

While Steve went to go and check us in, I took some photos, and then sat on one of the very comfy sofas with Liam.

Attention to detail is something that Disney do very, very well. I love the artefacts and art dotted around the resort, and the light fixtures are just gorgeous.

[Continued in next post…]

[Mrs Pumpkin]

We were at the resort before the official check-in time, so was not expecting to be able to check-in just yet, but it turned out our room was ready. Nice. We took the elevator up to the 5th floor, and began, what turned out to be a very long walk to our room – 5164. It always happens to us! We had taken the elevator that is in the main lobby area, but later discovered another one, tucked out of the way, which gave the illusion of a shorter walk to our room, because the long walk was split in two. It's hard to describe, but it made sense to us when we were there!

Fortunately, there was no one in our room this time around! I'd heard that the rooms at Wilderness Lodge are the smallest of the deluxe resorts, so we were pleasantly surprised to find that they were not as small as we had feared! Sure they're not as big as the huge room we had at Old Key West in 2014, but there was ample space for the three of us.

Once again, the attention to detail and the themeing was spot on: The rustic bedsteads, with wood carvings on the posts; the rich, warming colours of the carpet, and curtains; the wooden table, chairs, and TV unit; the Thumper motif on the scatter cushions; and the Chip 'n' Dale, Meeko, and Bambi tiles in the bathroom (to remind you, you are at a Disney Resort Hotel), everything just felt perfect for this resort.

The double sink unit was separate from the shower/toilet, which was handy. And the space under the unit provided us with some extra storage space too.

The fridge, was in a cupboard recessed into the wall, with a coffee machine above it. The safe was quite small, and also needed a key, rather than the larger, digital safe we had at AoA. That said, there was enough room for our valuables.

The closet was nice and big – but there are never enough hangers! We brought some cheap ones of our own, knowing we didn't have enough when we stayed at OKW last year.

I'd booked a Woods View room. I thought, since I'm staying in a resort called Wilderness Lodge, I want to be able to see the wilderness! Plus we had such a rubbish view at OKW (air-conditioning units) I wanted to make sure we had a better view this year!

Out on the balcony were two chairs, and a small table. The latter of which was procured as a bedside table for me!

Our view was of the Hidden Springs Pool, directly in front of us, with lots of trees – gorgeous! To the left, if you leaned over a bit, you could just see Bay Lake through the trees, and to the right, again, just a little lean over, you'd see the scaffold for the construction work that was going to be starting during our stay.

Liam and Steve went off to get our refillable mugs from the Roaring Fork – the counter service place at Wilderness Lodge, while I started to unpack our stuff. Our shopping (bottled water, and lots of drinks) from Garden Grocer, was not due to be delivered until after 5pm, and we were all gasping!

They also picked up our first snack of the holiday – a bag of Chip 'n' Dale Mountain Mix, which contains peanuts, raisins, almonds, cashews, and milk chocolate buttons. It's a huge 10oz bag, and available to buy on a snack credit.

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Chip 'n' Dale Mountain Mix

Total: $4.95 (1 Credits)

DxDDP Running Snack Totals: $4.95 | Snack Credits: 1/84

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Once we were all settled, we went on a little tour of the resort. To my eyes, everything was just stunning – I love the waterfall, the rocks, the geyser (never did get a photo of that!), the trees, the plants, the flowers – it did feel like we were in the wilderness.

The main pool area was lovely, with the kiddies splash area having a huge bucket that filled up with water, before dumping it out. And there was a slide too. Awesome!

We grabbed another drink in our refillable mugs, and sat outside (plenty of tables and chairs) the Roaring Fork, before continuing back inside for more of our tour, and familiarising ourselves with the layout of the resort.

Since Wilderness Lodge has DVC properties, there was a Cast Member set up to chat to about it. There was also a Disney Pin stand, which I thought was pretty cool, as I got to fawn over all the lovely pins! The Cast Member here had a service dog with her, as she explained to us that she had epilepsy. I've never seen one before at Disney, and actually ended up seeing a few more during our holiday.

Another pit stop, this time to marvel at the amazing Grand Canyon Fireplace. The plaque that is laid into the floor in front of it reads:

It took 1.6 billion years to build the fireplace at Wilderness Lodge. At least that's how long it took the earth to create the layers of rock that are represented in our eighty-two foot replica of the Grand Canyon's strata. Tour the various levels and discover remarkable fossil replicas as you jump millions of years ahead in time with each ascending floor.

There are rocking chairs in front of the fire, and it's a lovely space to just relax – I bet it's gorgeous here at Christmas time.

[Continued in next post…]

[Mrs Pumpkin]

As compensation for the construction work going on at the resort, Disney gave us $100 for every night of our stay that we would be affected – so we had a $1300 credit on our Magic Bands upon our arrival.

I have to say, that while we were there any work going on was at a minimum, and the scaffolding was at the back of the building. This may change, going forward, but it didn't spoil our holiday at all. The only thing it did affect was the Hidden Springs Pool which was closed a few days after we arrived.

We did try out the pool a couple of times, before it was closed off, and it was such a lovely spot – peaceful, and secluded.

The $1300 courtesy of Disney went towards paying tips in restaurants, and treating ourselves – so naturally a lot of Disney shopping was done! The Mercantile at Wilderness Lodge is deceptively big, and they had lots of great things on sale – I came away with Wilderness Lodge EVERYTHING – mugs, totem poles, picture frames, magnets, pins. I didn't buy the soaps though…

I then received a text to say our Garden Grocer delivery had arrived, so we headed back up to our room, where it was brought up to us. I hadn't realised I had ordered so many drinks! That space under the sink I mentioned earlier? That's where a lot of it had to go as there was not enough room in the fridge! If I recall, I know I didn't order enough drinks last year, and we ran out, this year, I over ordered, and we ended up bringing them back home to the UK with us!

We got ready for dinner, and went back down to the lobby, to just chill out before our reservation time. I just loved sitting down here – just marvelling at the grandeur of the place.

We checked in at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and were given a buzzer that would go off to indicate our table was ready. No sooner had we walked back to sit on the sofas, did it start to buzz. We were led through and shown to our table.

WCC is a themed restaurant – the servers are slapdash, throwing napkins and straws on the tables, but this is intentional. As is the, I don't want to say rudeness, maybe abruptness is a better word - they ain't got time for yo nonsense! They are there to pull as many of your legs as possible! Oh it's loud too, so be prepared for that! Not just the customer chatter, but also the servers shouting at the tops of their voices!

You can opt out of this by flipping the coaster to red – then you get service as normal, without all the themed elements, but you can watch from the sidelines. We've been before, so know what to expect, but if you don't know this, it can come as a bit of a shock!

We were given menus, and had our drinks order taken – no question about it, it was milkshakes all round! They are the most delicious, creamiest milkshakes ever! And they are refillable too – not that I can manage more than one. The boys on the other hand…

When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage per person (usually refillable) for one credit per person.

When looking at the menu, Steve and I said we would share the tortilla chips, but it turns out it only counts for one of us, so I also ordered an appetizer. We ended up switching and sharing this lot of apps.

The soup was really tasty, and full of flavour. Liam really like the soup, and finished the bowl off for me. Of course, the chips were for two to share – but even then it was a huge bowl of chips! It seemed never ending! Steve really like the chili, I wasn't a fan, but the salsa was delicious. The shrimp were huge, and whilst Liam finished them off, he didn't entertain the salad, so that was mine, and it was delicious.

Appetizers…

Me: Ranger John's Chicken Tortilla Soup ($8.49)

Him: Gold Rush Western Chips – with Chili, Queso Dip, and fresh Salsa (serves 2) ($11.99)

The Boy: Chilled Applewood-Smoked Shrimp – with Jicama Salad and Avocado Horseradish Sauce ($12.99)

In my notes, I've written that the servers decided to bring out our main course before we had even finished our appetisers. Then they were in a real rush to take away the salad that came with the skillet that Steve and I had decided to share.

The food on the skillet wasn't as hot as it could have been either. But then, we noticed this a lot this year, with food not always being piping hot. The salad also had blue cheese in it, which I am not a fan of, so kind of picked my way around it. If I had known it was on there (it doesn't say on the menu) I would ask for it to be left off. The cornbread was lush though!

Then when asked if we wanted top ups on the skillet, to which we replied yes on a couple of things, they forgot to bring them out. So the service on this part of the meal was not very good at all I'm afraid to say. Such a shame, as it was our first night, and service had been good the first time we visited WCC.

Liam had steak – but instead of all the sides that came with it, he just had fries.

Entrées…

Me + Him: All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Skillet – Starting with Family-Style Mixed Greens tossed in an Apple Vinaigrette Dressing and Fresh-Baked Cornbread. Featuring Slow-Smoked Pork Ribs, Barbecued Pulled Pork, roasted Chicken, Oak-Roasted Beef, and Western-Style Sausage served with Seasonal Farm Fresh Vegetables, Mashed Yukon Potatoes, Corn on the Cobb, and Cowboy-Style Baked Beans ($29.99)

The Boy: Steak-Your-Claim-Char-Crusted New York Strip – with Roasted Potatoes, Fresh Garden Vegetables, Blue Cheese Butter, and Cabernet Demi ($32.99)

By the time dessert time rolled around, we couldn't manage it, so we took them to go. Liam didn't want a dessert at all, so we didn't order one for him. Steve had his eye on the cobbler, but the server said they couldn't do that to go. So he picked something else instead. We took them back up to our room, but they ended up going in the fridge, and being eaten a few days later! The apple pie was packed full of apples, and flavour – I imagine it would taste even better hot, with some ice cream.

Overall, it was a bit hit and miss this time at Whispering Canyon Cafe, but it won't put us off going again.

Desserts…

Me: Apple-Caramel Pie – Fresh Granny Smith Apples, Sugar Cookie Crust, Streusel Topping, and Caramel Drizzle ($7.99)

Him: Cheescake of the Season ($6.99)

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Whispering Canyon Cafe

Bill Total: $177.09 (3 Credits) {Tip: $29.93}

DxDDP Running Totals: Bill: $177.09 | Credits: 3/126 | Tips: $29.93

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Read about the day before:
Day 2 – Look At This Stuff:
Resort Tour - Art of Animation | Bahama Breeze (Lunch)

Read about the day after:
Day 4 - Eat Around The World:
Farm Fresh, Scotland, Hawaii, Desserts & Champagne, Brazil, Belgium at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival | La Cantina de San Angel (CS Lunch) | Le Cellier (Signature Dining) | IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Read ALL the days!

[Pumba75]

Another great read. Brilliant photos of Wilderness Lodge. We would love to stay there. Agree about the corn bread. Totally delicious. Thanks for sharing.

[Milner]

Great read and fantastic photos.

[collybird]

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge for the first time this year too and just fell in love. I actually felt quite emotional seeing your pictures as it was just such an amazing place

[Tartan Tigger]

Great read. We've stayed at the Wilderness Lodge a few times, it's a beautiful resort. Your photos are brilliant.

[TheHunts]

Another fab day. How nice to start off your Disney holiday so relaxed! Amazing photos once again, WL looks gorgeous! Abbie x

[Redrach1903]

Wow Wilderness Lodge looks stunning! Love all the detail!

Amazing credits you got from Disney for the building work! Hope you had fun spending them

[AnnieB]

Your reports are so fun to read! So much information, detail and lots of photos and helpful tips. Thank you!