Category — q. Reviews

(For the first page of this review of the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, see this.)

THE BATH AND MASTER BEDROOM OF A BOULDER RIDGE VILLA AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

The master bath and bedroom is the same in both One and Two Bedroom Boulder Ridge Villas.

They are accessed from a short hall near the kitchen. First on tap is the washer-dryer.

Next is the divided bath, with part accessible from the hall, part from the master bedroom, and a door between the two parts.

The part accessible from the hall includes a sink…

…shower…

…and in its own space, toilet.

The part accessible from the master bedroom has this sink…

…and a whirplool tub.

In the back of this master bath space is another large closet, romantically equipped with a laundry tub.

In the master bedroom itself you’ll find on one side a king bed.

On both sides the bed tables have storage…

…these villas have plenty of storage. But I do miss the desk you’ll find in other such villas.

On the other side of the room you’ll find a small bench, a TV/dresser combo, and an easy chair.

The bench has drawer storage below…

…and the dresser adds more.

A closer view of the chair.

These rooms are just fine for most couples!!

THE ART AND AMENITIES OF THE BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

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(For the first page of this review of the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN AREA OF A BOULDER RIDGE VILLA AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

The living/kitchen/dining area in Boulder Ridge One and Two Bedroom Villas are identical.

As you enter such a villa, you’ll find a large closet on one side.

Pass it and the main living/dining/kitchen area opens up.

The kitchen  has white cabinets and stainless steel.

The kitchen has all the basics required to store, prep, cook and serve meals for the people these spaces sleep. Some of the stuff here…

…more.

The refrigerator.

Deeper in the room–this shot is from the back near the balcony–you’ll find the dining and living space. Note the small breakfast bar at the right…

…much needed as the dining table is only provided with two chairs and cannot fit many more. The two together are fine for a four-person One Bedroom Villa, not so good for a Two Bedroom Villa.

Also on the dining table side of the room you’ll find this small couch. Note the Bambi pillow.

The coffee table has storage within it.

The couch unfolds into a bed that I measured as 60 inches wide by 75 inches long–as wide as, but a little shorter than a queen.  Because of metal rails the bed sleeps shorter than the measurements imply. I got the cushion as four inches deep.  Fine for kids, not for taller or heavier adults.

The other side of the room has a TV/dresser combo and a side chair. In One Bedroom Villas with a connecting door, that door will be where the chair is, and the chair will be closer to the couch, as indicated on the floor plan.

While the dresser has just one drawer, it, the shelf above it, the storage drawer in the coffee table, and the large front closet together provide plenty of storage for the two people this room sleeps.

Seating is another matter. The couch and easy chair are enough for the four a One Bedroom Villa sleeps, but for a Two Bedroom Villa, other chairs will need to be dragged into the living room, and there’s not a ton of space for them.

At the end of the space is a balcony. Most views at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge are lovely.  The one above, from our August visit, not so much.

Here’s the view from our December balcony.

The One Bedroom Villas are great spaces in a wonderful setting.  The Two Bedrooms don’t fit well in the living/dining area all the people they can sleep…

THE BATH AND MASTER BEDROOM OF A BOULDER RIDGE VILLA AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

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(For the first page of this review of the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, see this.)

PHOTO TOUR OF A STUDIO ROOM AT THE BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

There are three-ish basic room types at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge

• Studios, which sleep five on a queen, fold-out couch, and fold down short Murphy Bed
• One Bedroom Villas, which sleep 4 on a king and a fold-out couch, and
• Two kinds of Two Bedroom Villas–one combines a Studio and One Bedroom Villa via a connecting door (called a “lock-off” villa), and another was designed as a Two Bedroom from the start, where the second bedroom has two queens (called a “dedicated” villa).

This page covers Boulder Ridge Studios, but at the end I’ll also make some notes on the second bedroom of a dedicated villa.

When you enter a Studio, the bath and closet are on one side, and the kitchenette on the other.

You’ll find this large closet accessible from near the bath sink.

Just one sink–but another is right outside in the kitchenette. Note the woodsy–twiggy?–treatment around the mirror.

The tub/shower and toilet are in their own separate space.

The kitchenette is across the entry hall. It comes with the mini-fridge and coffeemaker all deluxe rooms have, plus a microwave and toaster…

…and some basic supplies.

It also adds storage to the room.

Deeper in the room on one side you’ll find a queen bed and sofa.

A closer view of the queen.

Note the carving on the headboard.

Deeper on this side is the couch.

The coffee table in front provides additional storage.

The couch folds out into this bed. I measured it as 54 inches wide and 72 inches long–shorter than a full bed.  Metal rails at the head and foot make it sleep shorter than this.  The cushion is four inches deep, and the bed is adequate for shorter, lighter folk.

The other side of the room includes a dresser and a table that folds away when the Murphy Bed here is lowered.

I did not get a close-up shot of the dresser (on the right) acceptable even by my low standards, but it has four good-sized drawers.  These, the storage in the coffee table, and the large closet means there’s plenty of storage here for the five people this room will hold.

Another view of this side of the room…

…a closer view of the table…

…and of it disappearing as the Murphy Bed is unfolded.

The Murphy Bed presents the only reasonably priced way for five people to stay in a Wilderness Lodge room.

I measured the Murphy Bed mattress as 33 inches by 75 inches.  Because it is surrounded by framing, it sleeps shorter than this–otherwise heads or toesies will end up on the wood. Figure 5′ 9″ as the max height of someone who will be comfortable here.  The cushion is a nice 6 inches deep.

Note the darling Bambi art revealed when this bed is down.

Almost all Studios at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge have balconies. Mine was the only one on my floor that didn’t–although I did have a nice view.

Because of the missing balcony, Disney upgraded me to a concierge room in the main Lodge, but when I explained I needed to be in this room to review it for you, they put me back. This is how I suffer for you–no free drinks, no balcony…

HOW THE SECOND BEDROOM OF A DEDICATED TWO BEDROOM VILLA IS DIFFERENT

Many Two Bedroom Villas at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge combine a Studio and a One Bedroom Villa.

Some, however, were designed as Two Bedroom Villas from the start, and their second bedrooms have a number of differences compared to Studios:

1. No entry direct to the hall.

2. Instead, a very large closet in this spot.

3. No kitchenette.

4. No Murphy Bed or couch–instead these rooms have two queen beds and sleep four. See the image–which is from a much older version of the decor here.

Studios at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge present a great option for five person families, or families looking for three sleeping spots!

PHOTO TOUR OF THE LIVING/DINING/KITCHEN AREA OF A BOULDER RIDGE VILLA AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

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OVERVIEW: BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Note: guests in Boulder Ridge Villas are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and have the ability to pre-book as early as  seven days before check-in Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass rides. They are also eligible for its Extended Evening Hours.

Most (but not all…) room options at Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (a Disney Vacation Club resort) are wonderful places for returning visitors to Walt Disney World to stay.

For typical first-time visitors, I don’t recommend the Disney Vacation Club resorts.

That said, these “DVC” resorts can be a great choice for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Among the Disney Vacation Club resorts, the Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge ranks third overall for first-time visitors, bested by Studios in the Polynesian and sister Wilderness Lodge Copper Creek Villas  but specifics vary a bit by room type and family size.

THE DISNEY VACATION CLUB RESORTS

You can have a spectacular visit at any Walt Disney World resort. However, this site recommends that typical first time visitors to Walt Disney World avoid the Disney Vacation Club resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first. (You can find extensive detail on the DVC resorts here.)

The recommendation comes from the simple fact that the distinguishing feature of these resorts–extra space and full kitchens–will not be of much value to first-time visitors following one of the itineraries on this site, as they won’t be used much.

However, the Disney Vacation Club resorts represent more than 10% of Walt Disney World’s total rooms, and are very appropriate for first time visitors with large families, needing extra sleeping spaces, or looking for a more comfortable place to stay.

Because of this, I’m providing a series of up-to-date reviews. This review is based on my half-dozen stays at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge.

THE BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, The Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge comes in third overall among the Disney Vacation Club resorts. (See this for resort rankings.)

The two Wilderness Lodge options–Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek–are tied with the Polynesian for have the best overall kid appeal among the DVC options.

Because the glory of the Wilderness Lodge is the architecture of the main building and in particular its lobby, since Copper Creek is in the main building, Copper Creek generally wins out over Boulder Ridge–although the separate building of Boulder Ridge really does have its own unique charm.

However, there’s a little variability among the Wilderness Lodge options here for larger families:

• Studios: pick between the Copper Creek  and Boulder Ridge studios based on your sleeping needs. Copper Creek studios sleep four on a queen and a fold-out bed that’s as wide as a queen but four inches shorter. Boulder Ridge studios sleep five on three beds–those two beds and a third bed that folds down from the wall–and eliminates the room’s table when it does so.
• One Bedroom Villas at Boulder Ridge have seating at the dining table for only two–there’s two more dining chairs at a breakfast bar that can be pulled over to the table, but the table remains small. Copper Creek  one bedroom villas seat six at their dining table, although they have no breakfast bar. So for one bedroom villas,  Copper Creek is the better choice
• Two Bedroom Villas at Boulder Ridge have the same living and dining room space as one bedroom villas, and thus the same dining table problem. In addition, these rooms have seats only for four in their living room–although dining chairs can be pulled around into the living area. As noted, Copper Creek  has a better dining set up, but it does have the same limits to the living room. The better dining table capacity makes Copper Creek the better choice of the two for two bedroom villas. Larger families might find the overall set up at Kidani Village a better choice for two bedrooms villas.
• The Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are one of only three DVC resorts that don’t offer Grand Villas (The Polynesian and Beach Club Villas are the others), so for families seeking such a space–they sleep 12–the Grand Villas at Copper Creek Villas  are the best choice.

This review has six pages

• The overview page you are on now
• Theming and accommodations at Boulder Ridge Villas
• A photo tour of a Studio at Boulder Ridge Villas
• A photo tour of the living/dining/kitchen space of One and Two Bedroom Villas at at Boulder Ridge Villas
• A photo tour of the master bedroom and bath space of One and Two Bedroom Villas at at Boulder Ridge Villas
• The amenities and art of Boulder Ridge Villas

Kid Appeal. The Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge share the services, resources and lobby of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, plus compatible theming. The spectacular kid appeal of the Wilderness Lodge, especially its lobby, makes it tied for number one on the kid appeal list, and the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge share this ranking.  (For more on the Wilderness Lodge, see this.)

Convenience.  Both sets of Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge are the fourth-most convenient of all the Disney resort hotels, and the third most convenient of the DVC resorts–after the Polynesian and Bay Lake Tower. Boulder Ridge is a little more convenient to the bus stop, which serves Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.  Copper Creek is a little more convenient to the boat dock that serves Magic Kingdom.

OTHER DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF THE BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE

The Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has a number of very strong positives.

• The strongest positive is the spectacular theming of it and its partner resort Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Other shared positives include the nice variety of dining options in the Lodge, and the theming of the main pool
• On its own, positives include the architecture of its lobby (see photo above), the five person capacity of Studios, and the collection of railroad memorabilia in its first floor Carolwood Room–named after Walt Disney’s outdoor model railroad, the Carolwood Pacific (photo below)

The Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge also has some distinctive negatives.

Most significant of these is the layout of the Two Bedroom Villa when used by larger families.

Note in the floor plan the king bedroom on the left, and the  bedroom on the right.

The shared living/dining/kitchen space is in the center.

The shared living space is about a foot too narrow to be fully functional when the sofa bed in it is unfolded. The effect is to make the living area almost unusable when the sofa bed is open, and, given that the connecting door to the room with two queens is on the balcony side of the sofa bed, access to and from this room is somewhat limited as well.

Moreover, the dining table only seats two.

More chairs can be grabbed from elsewhere in the villa, and there’s also a small breakfast bar between the kitchen and living room, but really?

This is awkward enough that I would advise a family so large that is cannot fit into the six sleeping spaces of the two bedrooms to stay in a Two Bedroom at Copper Creek or Kidani Village instead.

BEST AND WORST ROOMS AT THE BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE

See the map. The Wilderness Lodge itself is the larger, green-roofed block on the top left–the Copper Creek Villas are in the Lodge, on its right side. The Boulder Ridge Villas are the smaller, reddish-roofed block at the bottom right.

The villas connect to the bus stop and the Wilderness Lodge lobby through a curved covered wooden walkway.

Best places to stay at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge

The most convenient rooms are 1501-1505 and 1507.

• These rooms are the closest to the Wilderness Lodge lobby, and accessible by an entry door that serves only first floor rooms, making for the shortest walk both there and back, and also the shortest walk to the bus stops.
• They are a mix of studios and one bedrooms; the one bedrooms can be combined with a studio into a two bedroom.
• As first floor rooms, they have patios, not balconies. Note: avoid 1509—though well-located for convenience, it abuts the ice machine and guest laundry and may be subject to noise from these.

Rooms with the best view:

• Odd numbered fifth floor rooms 5533 and up have great views of Bay Lake.  The lower numbered of these are more convenient, because they are closer to the elevator.  One of these is a one bedroom; the rest are two bedrooms.
• Fourth floor odd numbered rooms 4531 and higher also have good views, but with more studios and one-bedrooms available.  The lower numbered of these are closer to the elevator.

Best mix of view and convenience:

• 4511, a two bedroom, has a moderately good view of Bay Lake, and is equidistant between the elevators and a stairwell that presents the shortest walk to the lobby of the Lodge and the bus stops.  You can’t use this stairwell coming back, but need to go to the elevator instead.
• 4507, also a two-bedroom, is the next best.

Worst Places to Stay at the Boulder Ridge Villas at the Wilderness Lodge

All first floor rooms have patios, not balconies.

A certain group of even numbered rooms are in the shorter wing of the Villas, and overlook the walkway between it and the Lodge.

This walkway is planked in such a way to in effect create corrugations.  The roar of the wheels of rolling bags over these planks will keep some up at night.

Rooms with such problems include even numbers 1506-1516, 2508-2514, 3506-3514, and 4508 to 4514.

Disney’s room request form for these villas won’t let you get anywhere near this specific…so you’d need to communicate over the phone.

BEST FOR:

Larger families, families seeking a bit of extra privacy or more beds, families looking for a more comfortable place to stay, families looking for particularly kid-appealing DVC space.

WORST FOR:

Especially large families looking for a  two-bedroom villa for 7 or 8 people (with the exceptions noted above), families on a budget.

THEMING AND ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE BOULDER RIDGE VILLAS AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, see this.)

THE MAIN FUENTES DEL MORRO POOL AT DISNEY’S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

The main Fuentes del Morro pool at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is the best pool among the Disney World moderate resorts–only the main pool at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort comes close.

Here’s what Disney says about it on its website:

“Make a splash at this zero-entry pirate’s paradise, themed like a colonial Spanish fortress. Swashbuckling adventurers can zip by on one of 2 waterslides—including one measuring 102 feet long—and feel the spray of man-of-war-cannons. Little ones can cavort at the shipwreck play area, complete with mini slides, a crow’s nest and a barrel of laughs that dispenses a drenching downpour.

Two 12-person spa pools provide relaxation after a long day on the high seas, as do tropical drinks from the nearby Banana Cabana pool bar.”

The pool is distinguished by the best theming among the moderates, the second-best kids play area after that at Port Orleans French Quarter, and propinquity to dining.

In October 2018, the pool bar Banana Cabana re-opened. The bar menu is here.

The first thing you’ll see is paired fort buildings “defending” the “channel” into the pool.

To the right is one of two hot tubs…

…and most of the lounge chairs–Caribbean Beach lost more than a quarter of its rooms to the completed-in-2018 refurb, so the pool is not as over-pressed as it used to be.

Part of the pool has a zero entry area.

There’s two water slides here, one more than a hundred feet long–you can see the end of it in the background of the image above.

Here’s another view of the pool and of the shorter waterslide.

The pool at night.

More pool images:

THE SMALLER POOLS AT DISNEY’S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

Each village has its own smaller pool, all similar.

These are typically closer, quieter and less crowded than the main pool.  More on them is in the discussion of the villages at Caribbean Beach, here.

Note that the new next-door Disney Riviera Resort will have some attractive pools. Unlike the dining and shops here, which will be open to all, I expect that these will be restricted to Riviera guests.

PAGES IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort: Overview and Summary
• Theming, accommodations and villages at Caribbean Beach
• Photo tour of a four person queen bed room at Caribbean Beach
• Photo tour of a five person queen and murphy bed room at Caribbean Beach
• Photo tour of a four person full bed Pirate room at Caribbean Beach
• Amenities at Caribbean Beach
• Dining at Caribbean Beach
• The main pool at Caribbean Beach

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 160+ stays in them

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(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, see this.)

AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

In early October 2018, Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort (mostly) emerged from an almost 18 month long construction project that has greatly improved the layout and usability of the resort, and added new and/or easier to access to its amenities.

I will have much more to say (and more lousy photos to post) after my November stay at Caribbean Beach, but here’s the basics on most of the amenities (treated separately: the main Caribbean Beach pool is covered here, the minor pools in Caribbean Beach’s villages are covered here, and dining at Caribbean Beach is covered here).

But here’s the basics

• Check-in and concierge services are now located in the Old Port Royal area–the old, distant, and inconvenient check-in facility, Custom House, is no longer being used.
• The same building area also includes the re-imagined gift shop and most of the counter-service dining (one bit of counter-service dining, Spyglass Grill, is in the Trinidad area).
• Just outside this building you’ll find the new table service venue, Sebastian’s Bistro, the bar Banana Cabana, and the main pool–the best among Disney World’s moderates.
• The Island markets in Jamaica and Aruba are still in place–at least for the moment. These means guests in these more distant buildings don’t have to make their way to Old Port Royale for coffee, tea, and simple snacks.

Once you are settled, check the map.  At Aruba and Martinique a different bus stop than “yours” may be closer to your accommodations building–for some Aruba buildings, the Jamaica stop is closer, and for some Martinique buildings, the Old Port Royal stop is closer

There’s fishing holes on Caribbean Cay, just outside Old Port Royale.

On Caribbean Cay is one of the many playgrounds scattered around the resort.

DINING AT DISNEY’S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

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