Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Club Level Concierge Review, February 2013 – Walt Disney World

 

 

Not long after we finished breakfast, refreshments (snacks) were served from 11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. House made chips, Gummi Bears, Goldfish, a nut mix and freshly made cookies were offered. Fresh fruit was available all day. There were sodas, iced tea, lemonade, milk, coffee and more to enjoy alongside. This always seems to be the least utilized of all the concierge food service offerings, since most guests are in the park.

Drinks During the Afternoon

Nut Mix

House Made Chips

Cookies and Chocolate Milk

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweeteners in a Bear Boat

We spent the afternoon at the Silver Creek Springs Pool. The views from the pool and jacuzzi tubs of the resort and geyser are always stunning, and we enjoyed using one of the few free cabanas on a near-empty beach. We have a video here of the pool, jacuzzi tubs and geyser!

Cabana on Beach

Stream

Silver Creek Springs Pool and Jaccuzi Tubs

Geyser

Waterfall

Waterfall

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Jeff on Stairs

Silver Creek Falls

Looking at Pool Area

Sturdy Branches Health Club

Deer on Path to Disney’s Fort Wilderness

After a few hours, a light meal was being served from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. in the Old Faithful Club. The service is called “Wine and Cheese”, but includes both hot and cold items – not just wine and cheese. One evening there was black cod chowder and spicy chicken skewers, along with a tomato caprese dish and a yummy (cold) potato & bean salad. The second night, Venison Spring Rolls and sushi were popular items. Each service included sourdough bread, a cheese platter, crudite platter, along with wines, beers and soft drinks. It’s not necessarily meant to be dinner, but it was more than enough for us – and I don’t eat venison or seafood. We have a video of the Old Faithful Club offerings here.

Chicken Skewers

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shooters

Beer

Sourdough Bread

Pesto for Bread

Cheese and Crudite Platters

Tomato Caprese

Sushi

Bear Holding Bottle of Wine

Jeff With Beer

View Out of Lounge Window

Old Faithul Club

Stagecoach Decor

From 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., desserts and cordials were offered. Wine was still out, beer could still be requested, and fresh fruit was always available when the room was open. Both nights there was a cobbler – one night there were two types of berry cobbler available (one at a time), and our second night, apple cobbler was out the entire 2 hours. Freshly baked cookies, magic bars and delicious fudge-covered brownies were out each night. Grand Marnier, Kahlua and another cordial or two complemented the desserts.

Berry Cobbler

Brownies

Magic Bars

Grand Marnier

Moosehead Beer

Unlike other concierge lounges we’ve been to, the Old Faithful Club fully closes each night at 10 p.m.  We’ve been to both Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort club levels in the past year, and fruit and sodas were left out all night.

Bear Face

For 2013, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Club Level Concierge begins at $455.00 during weekdays in value season without any discounts. Compare that with a Woods View room at $309.00 on the same days, and that is about a $145.00  plus tax difference (Club Level offers Woods or Courtyard Views). While there are a very limited number of concierge floor rooms, it’s always worth checking the price difference when booking a resort, in case club level has a discount and standard rooms don’t (Passholder, Florida Residents, AAA, etc.).

This Bear Reminds Me of Merida’s Mom

Is it worth staying in the Old Faithful Club? It depends on how much time you plan to be at the resort. If you take advantage of breakfast and the light dinner with beer and wine, I think it can be worth it for a family of 4. And it’s nice to be able to get a drink and piece of fruit during the afternoon hours, without having to pay extra for it. While I don’t care if I’m pampered during an extended vacation, I do like the extra exclusivity and offerings during a night or two at one of Disney’s deluxe resorts. And Disney resorts do offer better theming than most hotels!

All Disney resorts now include free wifi and a mini-refrigerator.

I spent 6 years as a Disney specialized travel agent, and while that isn’t my job anymore, I recommend Fairy Godmother Travel. I used to work with Theresa, and she or her agents can look for the best deal for your Walt Disney World vacation. Let them know that Denise at Mousesteps sent you!

I have a photo walk that includes Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, but we plan to offer a more detailed look at the resort itself in the near future. We usually spend a lot of time documenting everything, but we like to fully experience our resort stays, so I only took 500 photos over 2 days!  There are so many wonderful nooks and details at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, including Hidden Mickeys and public fireplace rooms.

Jeff With Totem