[bribert]

We'll be there in 30 days, but who's counting? Anyhow, I know about the geyser, that Whispering Canyon is awesome, & the flag family. What can you experienced WL people tell me that I wouldn't know. Transportation info, room requests & info, or anything you might be able to share is much appreciated!!
I'm also kinda second-guessing the decision to ditch the free dining at POFQ for the AP rate at WL, so any "you made the right call" stuff would be great.
let's save the "are you crazy" posts for another time!!

[lovemysons]

I think, since you have not stayed at the WL before, you did make the right call. It really is a beautiful resort. Taking the boat to the MK is really nice, and you can also take a smaller boat to the Contemporary, which is a nice option. The buses are about as good as they are at any other resort, so I wouldn't worry about it. Also, don't forget the electrical water pageant can be seen from the beach area at night.

[mwalter]

Don't forget to ask for ketchup when dining at Whispering Canyon. Don't ask why here, just do it and enjoy!

[ARIEL]

Originally Posted by mwalter

Don't forget to ask for ketchup when dining at Whispering Canyon. Don't ask why here, just do it and enjoy!

hhmmm I am the only the one who is intrigued here?!?
WL is gorgeous! That is the only word to describe it. GORGEOUS!!!!
We loved staying here and found the rooms to be very spacious. I cannot remember our room number unfortunately though but I do remember it was described as one of the best rooms as it overlooked the lake. When you stood on the balcony you could see so much and every morning the 'gardener/caretaker' would brush over the sand below and draw a mickey mouse head into the sand. A lovely greeting to start your day. At night, we would often get an lluminated float sail by in time with the parades. Another awesome surprise.
The boat trip from the resort to the park is great.

The best way to relax of an evening though is by far, getting a hot chocolate and sitting in front of the beautiful fireplace on a rocking chair in the lobby. Aaahhh I feel like I could be right there now

[BuzzLightyear]

You made the right choice!

Anyway's if a balcony is important to you, don't request anything on the top floor. Those balconies are semi-enclosed (you have to stand up to see the sights)

[chris24]

wl is amazing. you will absolutely love it.....

[Cavey]

WL is awesome, but I'm not sure I would have sacrificed free dining. I guess it all depends on how much you saved on the room. For my family (3 kids all under the age of 5), we were spending between $80-$150 per meal [of course, being on the dining plan it was much cheaper.]

[MissDisney]

WAter sports! What a great lake for boating... you will love it!

[Syracuse DW]

We just returned from WDW and the WL two days ago. WL is amazing and extremely relaxing. Use the pool by the villas instead of the lodge itself, much more secluded to the point where you may be all alone. If you are going to EPCOT by bus, if the TTC bus comes before the EPCOT bus take that to catch the Monorail. My wife and I used the dinning plan and found it to be sooooooooooooo much food. We would get back to our room at night and feel sick from eating so much, I guess we could of stopped but felt like we needed to get the biggest bang for the buck. Oh yeah if you request a room ask for one off the main lobby. It's great to walk out and see that every morning and all the other wings are so cramped and gloomy. I walked down one and it felt depressing after being right off the lobby like there were heards of people being stored here-LOL. Hope this helps. By the way the crowds weren't bad at all. The longest we ever waited was 20 minutes for a ride and that was once during night EMH for Buzz(just a dumb move on our part really).

[PrincessPooh]

Take note that there is construction going on around the bus stops at MK now, so you will not be able to take a bus dircectly from WL to MK. You would have to go from WL to TTC then monorail over. But the best option here is just to take the boat launch from the resort to MK.

[dhoughton]

Don't forget to explore the resort itself! There is so much to see there! Using the boat to get to MK is so much fun! We usually stay on the 6th floor and are able to see the castle just through the trees--kind of nice to see it changing colors all night.
Remember the ketchup!! LOL! I am sure you will have a great time!

[bribert]

Originally Posted by Cavey

WL is awesome, but I'm not sure I would have sacrificed free dining. I guess it all depends on how much you saved on the room. For my family (3 kids all under the age of 5), we were spending between $80-$150 per meal [of course, being on the dining plan it was much cheaper.]

It was a tough choice to give up the free dining, but we did it last Sept., & looking back, the 1-2 hours we spent waiting & eating at a sit-down restaurant dragged on my kids. We have a 3 & 4 year old. Plus, it was hard to stop going on rides & shows & hope they would be hungry at a certain time each day. I believe we ended up saving about $70 per night on the room.
The way we looked at it, the kids will get more out of this trip by having more time in the parks than eating at Le Cellier & the Plaza Restaurant, etc. We still have our ADR's for CRT, Chef Mickey's, & Liberty Tree & I have the DDE card, so that's another 20% off.
& reading about WL, I think we made a good choice, but time will tell!

[slist]

My favorite resort, it so relaxing make sure that you go see the electric parade on bay lake the time is posted in the lobby. Also they have a sheet at the reservation counter that gives you clues for the hidden mickeys around the resort. My DS and DH rented a water mouse last time they we were there, they explored river country and all over bay lake. I choice to sit by the pool and enjoy an adult beverage. I love the boat transportation to MK and the Contemporary

[Cavey]

Originally Posted by bribert

It was a tough choice to give up the free dining, but we did it last Sept., & looking back, the 1-2 hours we spent waiting & eating at a sit-down restaurant dragged on my kids. We have a 3 & 4 year old. Plus, it was hard to stop going on rides & shows & hope they would be hungry at a certain time each day. I believe we ended up saving about $70 per night on the room.
The way we looked at it, the kids will get more out of this trip by having more time in the parks than eating at Le Cellier & the Plaza Restaurant, etc. We still have our ADR's for CRT, Chef Mickey's, & Liberty Tree & I have the DDE card, so that's another 20% off.
& reading about WL, I think we made a good choice, but time will tell!

Looks like you thought it through pretty well! Go, and don't second guess any more! WL is a beautiful resort (from what I've seen of it).

[honeypot]

Originally Posted by bribert

We'll be there in 30 days, but who's counting? Anyhow, I know about the geyser, that Whispering Canyon is awesome, & the flag family. What can you experienced WL people tell me that I wouldn't know. Transportation info, room requests & info, or anything you might be able to share is much appreciated!!
I'm also kinda second-guessing the decision to ditch the free dining at POFQ for the AP rate at WL, so any "you made the right call" stuff would be great.
let's save the "are you crazy" posts for another time!!

We'll be there too! It's our second time staying at the WL. Love it. Love the water activities, the atmosphere, the boat to MK and Contemporary, walking to Fort Wilderness, exploring the resort, Artist Point and too much to list.