The front of the Wilderness Lodge
Since we had already been to several of the deluxe resorts to see the decorations, and would at least stop at Beach Club later in the week, we decided we'd head to Wilderness Lodge first, which we had never been to before. Now we are hoping to stay there for our April 2009 trip.
The first impression I got walking up to the Lodge was of a mountainside lodge. It felt weird, because I KNOW I'm in Florida which is incredibly flat - but for some reason, I had a sense of altitude.The front of the Wilderness Lodge
Inside, you see the immense lobby. Four or five floors, all with the appearance of a log cabin style, with an immense Christmas tree in the center, and an 80-foot fireplace to one side. If it was colder, I'd think I was at a ski lodge, and I should be defrosting my toes in front of a fire with some cocoa.
We took a walk outside, following the Silver Creek Falls, which starts as a bubbling geyser inside the building, down into the pool outside. We also walked around to the Wilderness Lodge Villas, which are adjacent to the Wilderness Lodge but not connected, and looked at the foyer area with its tree and sitting area.
Since we were there, we decided that we would check out the Whispering Canyon Cafe for an early lunch. If you are unfamiliar with this place, this is a little different than your typical dining establishment. If you don't like being teased, this is not the place for you. Shirt, shoes and thick skin required.
The servers are all in character, and will generally be gruff with and tease the guests - vocally so, so that everyone around you can enjoy it at your expense. If you are lucky (assuming you don't crave that sort of attention), someone at another table handled by your server will be more appetizing to their humor. We didn't get too much aimed at us, but at a table next to us was a large group, and after an exchange one man mentioned that he worked as a restaurant manager. That's like trying to put a fire out with jet fuel. At another table, someone asked for a refill on a soda (which is served in Mason jars), and out came the waiter with another soda - in a giant Mason jar. It had to be at least 2 gallons. I think the person had a few sips of it before leaving. They also periodically do group things with the kids, like galloping around the room on those old horse-head-on-a-stick-with-a-wheel toys.
That's a tall tree...
Our server was OK, but the one handling the large table was funny. We noticed that her name badge said, "Patriot, MA", which we knew didn't exist, so we asked her about it. She said that she was from Florida, but they allow anything to be put on the badge, and someplace other than in Florida would sound more interesting. She was a Patriots fan (who were in the midst of their 16-0 regular season), so she had that put on her badge. We chatted on and off through the rest of our meal.
After that, we stopped at the Polynesian again to find our brick. We finally located it on the short path from the Poly that leads to the Ticket and Transportation Center. It is easy enough to spot now - we have the only brick in the area - and perhaps in the entire Walk Around The World - that is rotated 180 degrees from all the surrounding bricks. I have no idea why, although it does make it easier to read since its up against the wall of the pathway. We then stopped inside Captain Cooks for a quick Dole Whip. For Dole Whip fans, this is the only other place on property you can get it aside from Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom, although they don't offer it as a float. For those who don't know what a Dole Whip is, imagine pinapple-flavored soft-serve ice cream, except its non-dairy, and very yum. It's especially refreshing on a hot summer day as a float in pineapple juice.
After that, we went back to the resort, and we checked out the High Rock Springs pool, which is the main pool located behind the main building at Saratoga Springs. It had a zero-entry area, a small and large water slide so both kids were covered, and there were regular activities handled by cast members. At night a couple times a week they will show a movie on an inflatable screen poolside.
There is another active pool area in the Grandstand section which is fairly new, but we didn't get a chance to check it out.
After that, the in-laws kept the kids at the resort and DW and I headed to Downtown Disney to the Adventurers Club. If you are unfamiliar with it, you can check out Day 2 of our July 2007 Report. Being the holiday season though, some of the elements are a bit different. In particular, the Radiothon show is replaced with a Holiday Broadcast, with the characters singing various songs, such as "Dominick the Christmas Donkey", so we were glad to catch this show. And interestingly, although the cast members have changed over the years, I'm pretty sure the maid this time was the same maid we had seen several times when we first found the Adventurers Club 8 years earlier. Also, the part of Otis T. Wren was played by the same actor who played Hathaway Browne when we were there in July.
[Alas, this is very probably the last time we will be able to go to the Adventurers Club, as Disney has announced that all the clubs of Pleasure Island will close and be replaced with more shops and restaurants - a mere week before we are able to get down there again. This is very sad, as this is probably the most uniquely Disney establishment in all of Downtown Disney, and the last thing they really need down there is more shops and restaurants. Fans are hopeful, however, that the AC will be spared, or perhaps rumors are true of it being relocated and part of something bigger...]
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