Staying onsite at Walt Disney World is always a personal treat, but there are of course certain resorts that I enjoy more than others and my absolute favorite so far is Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. I’ve long been a fan of the WPA-style National Park aesthetic, which is what the Lodge captures so expertly. Aside from the outside appearance though there are many reasons to choose Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, including these most important factors.
Copper Creek Villas Ambiance and Amenities
In my opinion there are few better Disney World moments than one’s first entrance into the main lobby of Wilderness Lodge. Designed to be an amalgam of several Western destinations, the beautiful arts and crafts details found throughout the property nicely tie everything together. To reinforce this Western Parks theme, there’s even an active geyser and massive 55-foot Totem Poles in the lobby itself. This though extends throughout the grounds of the resort with pine trees and rustic outcroppings completing the illusion of being transported far and away from Florida.
Service at Wilderness Lodge & Copper Creek Villas is incredible with two full- service restaurants, although with COVID-era changes the experiences may be slightly different than in years past. As with all Disney resorts, there is a game room onsite with the latest arcade games, a photo booth and air hockey. There are two pools at the Wilderness Lodge: the main pool near Copper Creek Falls has a waterslide as well as an adjacent hot tub and a special fenced-in splash pad for younger children. At night, there are campfires and S’Mores kits to purchase with many more special events and activities offered throughout the week.
Reflecting the incredible color palates and design of the West and Pacific Northwest, Wilderness Lodge is one of the best resorts onsite for a real opportunity to get away from it all.
Ease of Park Access
Of course one of the main reasons to stay onsite at Walt Disney World is the ease of getting to the parks themselves, and Wilderness/Copper Creek Villas is one of the best located on property. Located along the banks of Bay Lake, it’s officially in the Magic Kingdom area of Walt Disney World which is one of my favorite spots of course. Buses connect guests to all areas of the property, but for something a little different be sure to take the boat connecting Wilderness Lodge with the Magic Kingdom.
The Copper Creek Rooms!
Wilderness is a little different than other resort properties in that it’s divided into different sections. Wilderness Lodge itself is just a normal Disney resort, which anyone can easily book. The two other areas though are part of the Disney timeshare program: Copper Creek Villas and Boulder Ridge. In spite of this though non-members can book space in these somewhat nicer rooms and villas directly through the web site, as I did for my incredible Copper Creek Villas stay. To be clear, these rooms are still located within the main Wilderness Lodge building, they’re just slightly larger and more recently renovated than some of the other rooms onsite.
The 220 villas are studio, one-, two-bedroom, and grand villa units in wing on the right of the lodge. Studios offer kitchenettes; one-, two- bedroom, and grand villas come with full kitchens. The lodge’s rustic decor extends to the villas, with subtle touches throughout that reinforce the dramatic statement pieces first encountered in the lobby.
Disney Magic
Finally, the reason why many people elect to stay on Walt Disney World property is one that can’t really be articulated fully; it’s to be enveloped by the Disney Magic. When you stay at a Disney resort property like Copper Creek Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, no detail is forgotten and at every turn you’re reminded why they’re the best in the world at this. For many, sometimes (but not always) paying slightly more is well worth never leaving this happy bubble; it’s why they travel to Walt Disney World in the first place. I’ve experimented with properties both on and off property over the last couple of years and I couldn’t agree more with the allure of staying in the bubble. It’s not how I always choose to visit, but when I do the trips are made all the more special for it.
