Known for its rustic cabin design, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge has been enchanting guests with uniquely appointed rooms featuring carved wood headboards on the beds, bright red accent pillows featuring Thumper, and even Chip and Dale tiles in the bathrooms for years now.
Well, it appears that the lodge is currently “testing” out a set of newly remodeled Club Level King Rooms (previously known as Honeymoon Suite rooms, located on the top floor) at the resort, featuring the streamlined, “modern” (dare I say sterile) look we’ve seen applied to many remodels across property, similar to the more recent refurb at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort and new rooms at Gran Destino Tower.
Newly Remodeled Rooms at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
The rooms feature new headboards, all-new furniture, and a newly remodeled bathroom with a large walk-in shower, removing the dreamy stone tub that was the signature amenity of these rooms. Take a look at the new room below!
The room features tones of brown and blue with contrasting fabrics, and wood. Gone are the decorative pillows and runners from the beds.
Marble-topped nightstands bookend each side of the bed.
A staple of the new rooms, the pop-out reading lights on each side of the bed are also present in these headboards.
One side of the room features… Paul Bunyan artwork?
New outdoor patio furniture graces the balcony
The two renovated rooms are located on the 7th floor of the Lodge, offering sweeping views of the forests surrounding the Bay Lake area.
A large Smart TV on one end, by the balcony. Note the USB outlets off to the side. These, I believe, are the one big necessary upgrade, as the older rooms only had regular electrical socket outlets, and not enough of them to meet today’s technological needs.
The vaulted ceiling is graced by… a lamp with sticks on it.
I like that they chose a different wood-style laminate flooring for these. The grain and color of the wood is nice, but I miss the carpet.
The dark brass magnifying makeup mirror and faucets are a nice contrast against the white quartz sink.
As mentioned earlier, the large tub has been replaced with a large, walk-in shower. The dark brass shower elements are present here too, along with a shaving ledge, which I also can appreciate.
The floor of the shower is composed of smooth rocks, giving it a nice, naturalistic touch.
There are only two of these King Rooms available, and they’re both located in corners of the resort, so they actually get windows that comprise the Lodge’s exterior.
A large armoir-style closet features a safety box.
Probably the only other hint of character is this coffee nook, which doesn’t even feature a Keurig, by the way.
In the backdrop, you can see silhouettes of Bambi and Friend Owl. Underneath the coffee bar is a standard, glass-paned mini fridge.
For a better idea of the room layout, check out the full tour of the newly remodeled King Room in our video below.
A Note on “Reimagined” Resort Rooms at Disney World
As you’ve probably noticed by now, wiping out the color and character out of Disney Hotels has been a common theme as of late.
While seeing these refreshed interiors gives me hope that the resort is here to stay and being well taken care of, the changes are jarring, to say the least. For reference, here’s what these room interiors used to look like.
Think what you may, there’s no comparing hidden Mickey lanterns and carved wood headboards with critters on them to the same generic headboard you can basically get anywhere else.
What do you think of these newly remodeled rooms? While these are currently “testing”, it’s a sure sign of the larger redesign that’s inevitably coming to the rest of the resort. In fact, the Cast Member that gave us a tour of this new room mentioned that remodeling would begin on the rest of the resort rooms starting in November or December of this year. To be honest, I’d squeeze in a few stays before the resort-wide remodel fully takes over the old look.
Yuck
Booooooooooo. I actually appreciated the remodel on All-Star and Pop – it improved those spaces. But this is definitely not an upgrade/improvement at Wilderness.
Sterile no Disney might as well stay outside Disney
I agree with Jessica on Disney’s current model of taking the “magic”/character out of their design.
It’s been the most frustrating thing lately to watch a company I love take 5 steps backward for every little one or two steps forward (the bad is lately outweighing the good). The market is showing how much we spend on nostalgia and whimsical things, it’s weird that Disney is ignoring that.
These new room designs and towers (Grand Destino, Riviera Resort) are so homogenized, generic and bland. If I wanted that kind of resort experience, I’d stay at a nice Marriott or Hilton and pay way, way less. If they keep going towards this trend, I may just have to do that.
As much as I love Disney, they are giving me more and more reasons to spend my money elsewhere.
I whole-heartedly agree with your sentiments. They are completely removing what makes staying at a Disney resort unique, the DISNEY! It looks like it could now be part of any hotel chain. The previous room design was much better, perhaps the sink area and technology needed upgrading, but seriously not the headboards and hidden Mickey lanterns!
I don’t like the boring new rooms. I also don’t like the trend they’ve started by going with the hard wood floors in every room.
I think many hotels (not just Disney) are going to faux “hardwood” (laminate) flooring. More allergy friendly, easier to sanitize, & lessens bed bug prblms.
I personally prefer carpet, & think these new floors will cause noise prblms. And I hate the “generic” just another hotel room look.
Noise problems – sadly, yes. My wife and I stayed at our favorite resort, Pop Century, after they put in the hard floors. The increase in noise was so bad that we didn’t get much sleep. There’s no point in staying there if we can’t get a good enough sleep to enjoy Disney World.
I really don’t appreciate the changes,not Disney.
I absolutely hate the new look which as you mentioned is so sterile and generic looking. They’ve removed every bit of character that was the trademark of staying in a WL room. These rooms look like any big chain hotel only with an inflated price tag. Very disappointing to say the least. It’s nice when you stay in a room that has just been refurbished with everything brand new but Disney is removing all the touches that made their resort rooms different from the rest.
Ugh, I feel like while the new trimming are high quality and attractive (at least the new rooms at the Yacht Club are) they really lack the cute Disney touches that most Disney fans enjoy.
We have a reservation for a week in April in a deluxe club level room at Wilderness. I hope they add more personality to the rooms if they move forward with this redesign.
I agree…sterile! Ill add cheap looking to that. The changes are disappointing (have not seen one I liked) but a relief too! I have willingly spent more on premium level stays at Disney than anywhere else. It is the little touches that elavate and bring the magic..a bed with just a sheet on it?? Are you kidding me?! But since the rooms with the special stripped away are just rooms now then Ill save my money and stay at the moderates.
I hate hate the loss of carpet it makes the room seem so cold..but I get the challenges of carpet in rooms. I cant really blame resorts for this change.
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I liked the theming of a the old rooms much better! Especially Chip and Dale in the shower tiles.
This started with the Grand Floridian around 2014 and has only gotten worse since–they should have fired this redecorating team a long time ago.
This is a horrible decision. They already gouge these rooms and now they take out all the charm that justifies it?!
I like the white bedding and “hardwood floors” that Disney is putting in the new rooms. Hotel carpeting is one of the germiest gross things around. The new floors and bedding will be much easier to clean and sanitize. This bathroom is also very nice. The rest of the redesign is very blah. Where’s the magic? Where’s the charm and pixie dust? If I’m staying in a Disney resort, then I want Disney! I want character artwork, themed furniture, hidden Mickeys!! I love the Deluxe resorts but the Art of Animation is starting to look better and better. Why are the “powers that be” at Disney so intent on taking all of the Disney Magic out of Disney World?
I would think a (large) tub would be a must in a “honeymoon” room. Why would they take it out?
That’s a nice shower! But it doesn’t look like a “lodge.” I think they could have freshened it up and still kept a rustic theme. I hope they don’t sterilize the lobby that way.
Since my first visit to WDW in 2005, we have stayed at WL every year until the last few trips. We loved WL for its the theming, boats and proximity to MK. Several irritating changes at WL and WDW in general have led us to change our visits. We have tried off property, value, and moderates. Our family of four to include two young girls, greatly enjoyed the theming of Art of Animation, Pop Century, and the Tiana themed room at Port Orleans. Art of Animation is now our favorite – get a hint Disney. Saving on the cost of WL rooms helps soothe the pain caused by one price increase after another. Staying at the much cheaper Pop yet sterile rooms combined with Uber on our last trip was AWESOME! The easy walk to Art of Animation and the soon to open Gondolas make it even better.
Disney is sucking all the fanciful fun out of their rooms. Big mistake
I love the new shower upgrade! It’s beautiful!
Horrible to say the least. Ashame that my Home has been made to look like a Marriott off property. I should sleep in the lobby
The resorts are being striped one by one of color, design and anything unique. This is a result of Walt Disney World letting the public guide their design. Big mistake. Painting everything three colors: white, tan and grey also simplifies maintenance but at a huge cost. WDW resorts are losing their unique identity. Everybody should write Disney World ASAP.
I loved the character and designs of all things Disney! Besides the new sterile look it is just cheap cheap cheap with and excessive high price that someone will pay.
I don’t understand this bland trend that’s going on at the Resorts lately. It used to be that the reason to stay at a Disney Resort was the unique and diffrent themeing at each resort. Besides the lobbies being diffrent, the rooms are all going to look the same, drab off white, neutral tones with laminite flooring. I guess Disney Imagination is dying a slow death with these designs. But at least there’s no reason to pay Delux or Moderate Room prices if I get the same drab room at an All Star resort that I get at a delux.
The room looks terrible, not Disney at all. It could almost have been any other resort. Why pay to stay at such a great resort when you get a better room at any other resort. 2 thumbs way down!
It looks like Id holiday inn tried making an upscale hotel. Disney has really lost touched with what made it then so unique. It’s sad when universal starts adding more character into their parks and hotels than Disney…