Wilderness Lodge Part Two

My continued exploration of the Wilderness Lodge: winding upper levels, cozy Vacation Club Villas, and a glimpse of the only Disney park to ever close.

In my first post about the Wilderness Lodge, I mentioned that I caught sight of seats on the second floor. Months later I'm back and ready to explore.

But first, to get to the lodge I had to take a boat. I decided to cruise from the Contemporary to the lodge, and passed by some of the remains of River Country. River Country was the first Disney water park; it closed in 2001 and has been sitting there ever since. It is squeezed between the Fort Wilderness Campground and Wilderness Lodge. While the park itself is officially closed, urban explorers find their way in. 

See maps, photos of the decay, and read about nostalgic memories at this awesome post

So now that I've sufficiently distracted everyone with River Country, here's the upstairs cubby I explored at the lodge. 

Go up the stairwell...down the hallway...and voila!

 

Chairs, rugs, a fire place and a spectacular overhead view of the lobby.

But the rest of the floors are filled with seating areas as well. The furniture is dark brown and black, paintings of Chiefs and warriors hang on the walls and the seats give great views of the outdoors and the lobby. It's basically everything I can dream of. Except for outlets.

This desk looks ready for a study group or a small committee meeting. Or maybe just an eager writer looking for a seat. Unfortunately power wasn't available on the wooden headboard or on the floor.

Rocking chairs! I don't know how else to describe this but as: romantic. Two rustic chairs, the steady rocking rhythm, the cavernous lobby unfolding below...it's perfect except for the lack of power.

                                                There are outdoor spaces as well, and tables scooted against floor-to-ceiling windows. Unfortunately, the outlet outside is just out of reach for my power cord. I mark the spot as somewhere to come to if I reach the Desperate phase, and feel like moving the bench closer to the wall. Or, you know, deciding to sit on the floor.
The next floor is filled with small treasures as well: a fireplace, a small bridge to the patio, and a magnificent view. I don't know if it was just the air conditioning or an intended sound effect, but as a crossed the wooden bridge, I could hear some ominous wind-whistling. Yikes!

And then I venture to the next floor, and that's where my adventures are cut off.

A door sign tells me quit dreamin', I'm never accessing the final floor. Why? It's fancy concierge lounge Old Faithful Club only. I see lots of tables and chairs, so I'm a bit disappointed, but apparently it's an all-day buffet for those staying club level.
 



I'm still not satisfied with the seats and outlets, though (even if there are little seating areas on every floor by the elevators ). So in the end, I venture into Vacation Club territory. Vacation Clubs, as far as I've noticed, tend to have smaller, cozier lobby areas. This thankfully holds true for the Wilderness Lodge DVC Villas.

The Wilderness Lodge is grand, for sure; but the vacation club villa more closely resembles that of a mountain home or personal ski lodge. Wood paneled walls, stone archways, chairs with flannel accents, thick blankets and the fresh scent of tree pine immediately immerses me in memories of my past mountain home from years ago. I half except it to start snowing.

The greatest thing about this place is, of course, the availability of outlets. Eventually I choose somewhere away from the main doors, and funnily enough, has cup-holders built into the material of the chair. Ha! I'm not sure what else could be fancier, really. So for a handful of hours I sit and write in peace and comfort, with the smell of the mountains in the air. This has quickly become one of my favorite places.