Disney Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Disney Wiki

Disney's Wilderness Lodge is a Deluxe Resort hotel at Walt Disney World in Florida. Located near the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds, it is modeled after National Park lodges and hotels built in the wake of the Transcontinental Railroad in general. The lodge's backstory itself places it near the fictional Silver Creek Springs (renamed Copper Creek Springs in 2017) in northern California.

Two Disney Vacation Club properties adjoin Wilderness Lodge, the Boulder Ridge Villas which were introduced in 2000, and the Copper Creek Villas and Cabins introduced in 2017.

History[]

Wilderness Lodge opened on May 28, 1994, located on a site originally proposed to house a hotel known as Cypress Point Lodge in early master plans for Walt Disney World. Much of Wilderness Lodge's design is inspired by both the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park and the Ahwanee Lodge at Yosemite National Park.

The 2000 addition of Disney Vacation Club Villas, originally known as The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, took a greater inspiration from early railroad hotels with a simpler clapboard and shingle approach that was intended to give the effect of having been built before the original Wilderness Lodge. In 2017, the Villas were renamed as the Boulder Ridge Villas, when they would receive additional placemaking in the form of props for a "Boulder Ridge Railroad and Mining Company".

In 2017, the southern wing of Wilderness Lodge was refurbished and rebranded as the Copper Creek Villas, with a series of cabins being built alongside the lake shore, known as the Cascade Cabins. The interior designs of the rooms in the Copper Creek section were given a contemporary overhaul, with the design intent of these new offerings being to represent modern living in the Pacific Northwest in contrast to the 1800s setting of Boulder Ridge and the early 1900s setting of Wilderness Lodge.

Backstory[]

Wilderness Lodge's backstory begins in the early 1800s and was primarily told in the Silver Creek Star, a newspaper that served as Wilderness Lodge's hotel guest guide, though these articles would be phased out in favor of just focusing on guest services.

Colonel Ezekiel Moreland, a widowed field commander during the War of 1812, set out to survey the great Northwest in 1822, though his expedition of 50 men faced disaster from storms, floods and bison stampedes and Moreland was left to go it alone. Writing to his daughter Genevieve, he proclaimed "I take to the wilderness alone. The good earth will provide me with everything I need to survive. I have my gun, I have my courage and I have my determination. What need I of anything else, especially of cowardly scoundrels who turn ashen in the face of the smallest adversity."

He would not be heard from again until two years later when he returned to St. Louis with a great bounty of beaver pelts and furs to make him wealthy. He invited his daughter Genevieve to a beautiful place he discovered on his long journey, Silver Creek Springs. In time, she would establish Wilderness Lodge as an outpost for artists, scientists and nature enthusiasts in 1848 as well as a wilderness preservation area surrounding the Silver Creek Springs area.

Silver Creek Springs runs through the resort, starting from a hot spring found towards the back of the lobby. From this hot spring, a stream runs under a bridge, down a waterfall, and enters the hotel pool before running into Bay Lake. Additionally, an artificial geyser known as Fire Rock Geyser, can be found along Silver Creek. Silver Creek's hot springs made it a common stop for different native tribes in the area during winter, with a particular rock formation being a popular place to start campfires. According to legend, during a particularly harsh winter, a hunting party found themselves trapped in the valley by the snows. Forced to keep their campfire going continuously, the hunters wasted much of their firewood and kept trying to find more fuel to feed the fire. After about a week, the fire rock cracked and quaked, with a geyser of water extinguishing the fire and sending their teepee flying away. Believing this to be a bad omen and the Earth's response to their wasteful use of fire, the hunting party fled and never returned to the valley. The geyser has been regularly erupting ever since.

Dining[]

The resort has several dining options, including room service. There are two main restaurants at the resort:

  • Artist Point — Restaurant serving food prepared in the style of the American Northwest, featuring meals from Washington State, Oregon, and British Columbia. These include dinners such as cedar plank salmon, and grilled buffalo. In 2018, Artist Point was overhauled into a character dining location with characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
  • Whispering Canyon Cafe — Restaurant geared primarily towards families with younger children. Known for a rambunctious and mischievous atmosphere where waiters engaged in various hijinks with guests, though these have recently been toned down.

The resort also features quick snack eateries, including Roaring Fork Snacks, Territory Lounge, and Trout Pass. Guests staying on the 7th-floor Concierge level can access the Old Faithful Club, which offers continental breakfast, cheese and wine tastings, and beverages and snacks throughout the day.

Shopping[]

The Wilderness Lodge contains one store named Wilderness Lodge Mercantile, located in the main lobby of the resort. The store sells many Disney items available throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, as well as items specifically themed to the Pacific Northwest and the hotel itself. Since the addition of The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, the shop has begun selling limited grocery items as well. A Disney pin trading booth is located across the lobby from the store.

Recreation[]

Teton Boat and Bike Rentals rents boats for guests to use on Bay Lake, and bikes to use on the trails around the resort.

Gallery[]


v - e - d
Walt Disney World
Theme Parks
Magic KingdomEpcotDisney's Hollywood StudiosDisney's Animal Kingdom
Water Parks
Disney's Typhoon LagoonDisney's Blizzard Beach
Other Attractions
Disney SpringsESPN Wide World of Sports ComplexWalt Disney World Monorail SystemDisney SkylinerClub 33
Resorts
Disney's Animal Kingdom LodgeDisney's Beach Club ResortDisney's Beach Club VillasDisney's BoardWalk ResortDisney's Contemporary ResortDisney's Grand Floridian Resort & SpaDisney's Polynesian Village ResortDisney's Wilderness LodgeDisney's Caribbean Beach ResortDisney's Coronado Springs ResortDisney's All-Star Movies ResortDisney's All-Star Music ResortDisney's All-Star Sports ResortDisney's Pop Century ResortDisney's Art of Animation ResortDisney's Old Key West ResortDisney's BoardWalk VillasBay Lake TowerDisney's Fort Wilderness Resort & CampgroundDisney's Port Orleans ResortDisney's Yacht Club ResortDisney's Animal Kingdom VillasDisney's Saratoga Springs Resort & SpaDisney's Riviera ResortStar Wars: Galactic Starcruiser
Former Areas
Disney's River CountryDiscovery IslandPleasure IslandWalt Disney World SpeedwayWalt Disney World Airport
See Also
The Walt Disney World ExplorerAs Told by EmojiDisney TransportTransportation and Ticket Center


v - e - d
Magic Kingdom-logo
Main Street, U.S.A.
Walt Disney World RailroadMain Street VehiclesDapper DansNight of Joy
Fantasyland
Cinderella CastleIt's a Small WorldPeter Pan's FlightMickey's PhilharMagicPrince Charming Regal CarrouselDumbo the Flying ElephantThe Many Adventures of Winnie the PoohMad Tea PartyCinderella's Royal TablePinocchio Village HausSword in the StoneSeven Dwarfs Mine TrainAriel's GrottoUnder the Sea: Journey of the Little MermaidBe Our Guest RestaurantPrincess Fairytale HallPete's Silly SideshowThe BarnstormerCasey Jr. Splash and Soak StationCheshire CafeEnchanted Tales with Belle
Adventureland
Swiss Family TreehouseThe Magic Carpets of AladdinWalt Disney's Enchanted Tiki RoomJungle CruisePirates of the CaribbeanPirates LeagueA Pirate's Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas

Seasonal: Jingle Cruise

Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland SpeedwaySpace MountainMonsters, Inc. Laugh FloorAstro OrbiterTomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMoverCarousel of ProgressBuzz Lightyear's Space Ranger SpinPush the Talking Trash CanTRON Lightcycle / Run
Frontierland
Tiana's Bayou Adventure (Opening on June 30, 2024) • Big Thunder Mountain RailroadTom Sawyer IslandCountry Bear JamboreeCountry Bear Musical Jamboree (Opening in 2024) • Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
Liberty Square
The Hall of PresidentsLiberty Square RiverboatThe Haunted MansionMemento Mori
Current Entertainment
Disney Adventure Friends CavalcadeHappily Ever AfterMickey's Magical Friendship FaireFestival of Fantasy Parade

Seasonal: Disney's Celebrate AmericaMickey's Boo To You Halloween ParadeMickey's Once Upon a Christmastime ParadeHocus Pocus Villain SpelltacularDisney's Not So Spooky SpectacularMinnie's Wonderful Christmastime FireworksVillain Cursed CaravanMickey's Most Merriest CelebrationFrozen Holiday Surprise

Former Attractions and Entertainment
Mickey's Toontown Fair (Donald's BoatMickey's Country HouseThe BarnstormerMinnie's HouseToon Park) • Mickey Mania ParadeMain Street Electrical ParadeCelebrate A Dream Come True ParadeCinderella's Surprise CelebrationCinderellabrationDisney EnchantmentThe Magic, the Memories and YouWishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney DreamsMike Fink Keel BoatsMove It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street PartyThe Muppets Present... Great Moments in American HistoryDavy Crockett's Explorer CanoesCircle-Vision 360°SkywayMission to MarsPenny ArcadeStorytime with BelleCaribbean ArcadeExtraTERRORestrial Alien EncounterIf You Had WingsDelta DreamflightPixie HollowThe Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management)Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle BoatsThe Legend of the Lion KingMickey Mouse Revue20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine VoyagePooh's Playful SpotSnow White's AdventuresSnow White's Scary AdventuresMagic JourneysMr. Toad's Wild RideThe Walt Disney StoryPlaza Swan BoatsAdmiral Joe Fowler RiverboatSplash MountainStitch's Great Escape!Once Upon a Time

Seasonal: Disney's Magical Moments ParadeDream Along with MickeyCelebrate the MagicHappy Hallowishes • Holiday Wishes • Celebrate the Holidays • Country Bear Vacation HoedownCountry Bear Christmas SpecialA Totally Tomorrowland ChristmasVillains Mix and MingleA Frozen Holiday WishMickey and Minnie's Very Merry Memories

Resorts
Disney's Contemporary ResortDisney's Grand Floridian Resort & SpaDisney's Polynesian Village ResortDisney's Wilderness Lodge
Advertisement