This blog post is a cautionary tale! It’s one of those little-known nuances of the Wilderness Lodge that you won’t find out until you stay there, but that could easily ruin your dream vacation: the Courtyard View Room fiasco.

Courtyard View Rooms Are Great…
If you’ve done your research, you know that Wilderness Lodge has several room views, and that costs go up depending on room view desirability. For example, standard rooms have the lowest prices, and courtyard view rooms have the highest prices.

Up until just a few years ago, paying for a “courtyard view” room meant that you would automatically receive a room looking out onto the gorgeous Silver Creek Springs Pool, Bay Lake, and the Wilderness Lodge interior courtyard. And most importantly? You’d have that awesome view of Firerock Geyser spitting dozens of feet into the air every hour! Also, courtyard view room guests have an incredible view of Disney’s Electrical Water Pageant each evening as it floats through Bay Lake on its way to Fort Wilderness!

…But Beware the Bait and Switch!
So, what’s the problem, you ask? Well, rumor has it that some folks who’ve paid for a courtyard room have been placed in rooms looking out onto the Wilderness Lodge Villas courtyard. This means a view of Hidden Springs Pool (the Wilderness Lodge Villas pool)…and pretty much nothing else. There’s very little, if any, lake view from these rooms, and absolutely no geyser view. Not quite worth the same premium if you ask me!

Disney even says as much on their website when describing the standard room with courtyard view: “Standard room with courtyard view offers view of courtyard at The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, a pool, waterfall or of Bay Lake.”

Now, I am writing this post a little tongue-in-cheek in the “drama” department, but it never hurts to put in your request for a great geyser view, or “interior courtyard view,” the next time you book a courtyard view!

By the way, if you have more information or experience with this situation, let us know your story! Chat with us on our brand new Wilderness Lodge Tribute Facebook Page!

This blog post is part of the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival! Check out more fantastic Disney websites and articles over at the Carnival.

One of our favorite, and most difficult to answer, questions here at Wilderness Lodge Site is, “How can we be the Flag Family?”

For those who don’t know what I’m talking about when I mention the Flag Family, here’s a primer. Each and every single day at the Wilderness Lodge, one family is chosen to be the “Flag Family.” This “family” (could be a solo person or a group of any sort — it doesn’t have to be a family) rises very, very early in the morning to accompany a Wilderness Lodge cast member to the roof of the resort to raise the five flags that fly over the hotel: the American flag, the Florida State flag, the Walt Disney World flag, and two Wilderness Lodge flags.

However, it’s not easy to get a spot as the Flag Family! Reservations to take part go fast, so the best way to increase your chances to participate is to ask about being the Flag Family when you check in at the Wilderness Lodge. Ask the front desk cast member to check the schedule and see if there are any Flag Family openings during your stay!

We’ve never had the opportunity to take part in the fun ritual, but this video should give you a better idea of what takes place:

Good luck! Be sure to drop us a line and let us know if you’re one of the lucky ones!

Even though the Wilderness Lodge opened recently — in 1994 — the resort is steeped in history and culture. Imagineers and architects spent years developing the intricate details of the resort, including the famous sentinels of the lobby — the totem poles.

Eagle and Raven Clans
When you first walk into the resort, you can almost feel the presence of two massive, 7-story, authentic totem poles. They’re located on either side of you as you look toward the back of the lobby out onto Bay Lake.

The 55-foot poles are known by the animals that top them — the Eagle and the Raven. Traditionally, Native Americans in the Northwest were able to trace their lineage back to either the Raven Clan or the Eagle Clan, and so these two have represented many of the tribes throughout the years.

The poles are true works of art, and were commissioned by Disney from one of the world’s preeminent Native American historians and totem pole artists. They took over a year to complete! And below the Eagle and the Raven, the totem poles are decorated with dozens of carved animals depicting stories and myths from Northwestern Native American culture.

And the Mickey Clan?
What’s that? You want to know about the other totem pole in the lobby? Well of course!

Over by the Wilderness Lodge Mercantile sits a piece of art that just about any Disney fan would love to have sitting in their living room! Humphrey the Bear provides the base of this innovative totem pole, upon which sit Goofy, Donald, and Mickey — all ready for a trip to the great outdoors!

And guess what — you CAN have it in your living room…well, a smaller version of it, anyway! You can purchase it in the Mercantile!

You can see more fun info about the Wilderness Lodge on our Secrets and Facts page!

This post is part of a Disney Blog Carnival over at DisMarks.com! If you like reading Disney blogs and articles — head over to the carnival to take a look at some other great posts!