New info on Wilderness Lodge pool/restaurant

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

7 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

That's how much rooms will cost once they finish the remodel.

Sent from my handheld doohickie

I would say LOL, but what you say is probably close to the truth.

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

43 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

That's how much rooms will cost once they finish the remodel.

Sent from my handheld doohickie

I heard that's how much a dinner with 2 drinks and dessert will cost!

[PghBob 31]

The rope fencing is up, but seems shorter than at the Fort.  Perhaps to maintain the view.  The animals will get you sign is up as well.

We talked to a suit (with a DISNEYLAND name tag) roaming around the outdoor vacant space adjacent to the restaurant and inquired as to its intended purpose.  His reply was it is to be used for an outdoor game/recreation area.

I told him that the new bar/restaurant seemed to be doing very well.  He replied that it is far exceeding expectations and that there are preliminary discussions about expanding it.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Love the train track details. We'll be checking this out on our next trip for sure. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

There are a few threads here discussing Geyser Point.  I have a bunch of photos I took last weekend that show the layout of the place and its surroundings, so I'll post them here.

As has been discussed, the original Wilderness Lodge quick serve location, Roaring Forks, is currently closed for renovations.  Everything I've read says that it will be coming back and will reopen as the main quick serve food location for the resort.  There is currently a construction wall enclosing the outdoor seating area adjacent to Roaring Forks, and you can see that they are adding a covered area for seating:

Interestingly, they had CM's stationed at the gates for the pool with iPads to scan Magicbands to keep out pool hopping freeloaders:

The grounds of Wilderness Lodge are beautiful:

This is the old Trout Pass pool bar.  It is also closed, allegedly for renovations, but it is not fenced off, and there doesn't seem to be any renovating going on.  The restrooms for the pool are located in this building, and they were still open and available to use, even though the bar was closed:

Take a moment to look at the architecture and theming of the Trout Pass pool bar.  Very rustic, and authentic to the theme of Wilderness Lodge- like an old National Park lodge built out of logs.  It matched up perfectly with everything else at Wilderness Lodge.

The new Geyser Point building is right around the corner from, and visible from Trout Pass:

There have been questions about the fate of Trout Pass.  Will it be closed?  Torn down?  Are they going to have two bars within sight of each other?  What about restrooms? There are restrooms in the Geyser Point building, but that's kind of a long walk from the pool.

Also, the architecture and theme of the Geyser Point building is clearly a departure from everything that used to be at Wilderness Lodge.  It looks more like something at the Grand Californian Hotel in Disneyland:

It's beautiful.  But it doesn't match up with the log cabin theme of the Lodge.

The design is modern. The quick serve location is over there.  As is the case with some of the other deluxe resorts, the concept here is that you go to the window and order, and you are issued a number sign that you take with you to place on the table where you'll be sitting.  A CM will then bring your meal to you.  Beverages are self-serve, and you can see the beverage station to the right of the order counter in this photo:

One thing about the beverage station that I found significant was that the soda dispenser is the style used in the other Disney quick serve restaurants, and not the Coke Freestyle machines that they recently installed in the FOFQ food court.

This is the original Villas at Wilderness Lodge building. It's kind of shocking to see it out in the open like that, as it used to be hidden behind a forest:

This is the south/west side of the new Geyser Point building- the side opposite Bay Lake- there is a large, open area enclosed by a privacy fence.  It sounded like maybe the kitchen or dishwashing facilities were located behind that fence.  I found it odd that it wasn't completely enclosed or screened in:

There are fake railroad tracks incorporated into the pavement back here, and there's that old railroad car that we saw in DIT's photos. That water tower next to the old bike and boat rental shack is new:

The railcar is loaded with fake boulders from the fake abandoned quarry that supposedly used to be here:

The base of the new water tower is still enclosed by a construction fence.  That building to the right is one of the new DVC cabins.  The building right behind the tower is the old bike and boat rental shack:

Another look at the fake train tracks:

This is the original bike and boat rental building.  Its style matches that of the Trout Pass bar and the rest of the lodge.  But it kind of looks out of place now with the modern-looking Geyser Point  building and the adjacent DVC cabins:

What's cool to me is that this building was part of the original Wilderness Lodge. It has stood here since 1994 when the Lodge opened, and was here before they built any of the DVC stuff.  I've told the story before that Mrs. TCD and I stayed at the Lodge the summer it opened in 1994.  We just had our oldest DD then, and I rented a bike from here and rode it over to Fort Wilderness.  That's something I'll never forget, and it's cool that the little bike and boat rental shack is still here in its original place.

The signage is the same- Teton Boat and Bike Rentals.  The Tetons are in Wyoming.  I wonder if they are going to change the name?:

Here's the signage for the back part of the Geyser Point building, which has something called Reunion Station in it:

There hasn't been any kind of official announcement about what Reunion Station is going to be.  The general consensus from those speculating about it seems to be that it will be a community hall recreation facility for DVC members.  If that's true, it's odd to me that they have it in an area accessible to regular guests, and not in an area that they have fenced off to exclude non-DVC members.

There's a large patch of fake grass here for some reason.  This is the same stuff they used in the Wishes Fastpass viewing areas in the MK.  The cool kids call it Hub Grass:

There's a patch of Hub Grass at the Polynesian Resort, near the Dole Whip stand.  I've seen recreation CM's use it for kids' activities.  Maybe that's what this is here for.

This is a shot peeking through the construction fence that is still up next to the bike and boat rental shack.  This area used to be a beach.  Maybe it will be a beach again:

Now we are looking back at the new Geyser Point building.  It's beautiful.  But, it doesn't quite fit in with the original Wilderness Lodge theme and architecture:

The deck area between the Geyser Point building and Bay Lake is nice.  It would make sense for them to add some more seating out here:

It's going to be a long walk to and from some of the new cabins that they're putting in here:

The view looking toward the Fort is beautiful:

This has already been discussed, but it's surprising that they did not use their rock and fence treatment here to keep guests separated from the Bay Lake gators:

This sign on the seawall warns guests to keep back.  I would think they don't want anyone close enough to read that sign:

Now that I've had a chance to look at it, I think this seawall was already here- it wasn't built to prevent gator attacks:

I like that wall they built on the Bay Lake side of the building- perfect for sitting and enjoying the view:

Here's a look back at the bike and boat rental cabin:

There is an open area on this side of the building too, but without the privacy fence.  I am not sure what this space is for. It looks like it could be a play area for kids, and it is adjacent to the Reunion Station entrance.  But, there's an AC unit back there, and ventilation duct work from the kitchen up above.  Plus, that fence is kind of low.  It seems like a weird place for a kids' play area:

That's not AC duct work- it's a ventilation system for the kitchen, and it was putting out the greasy smells of a grill cooking food:

They included fake animal footprints in the pavement here:

Now we are on the other side of the Geyser Point building, getting a look at the whole back of it:

The water tower advertises the Boulder Ridge Railroad, and tells us it was established in 1871- exactly 100 years before Disney World opened:

I still haven't figured out the significance of the number 749 on the railroad car, but I'm sure it's not a random number:

The seating area around the bar looks great:

As DIT has already reported, there are definitely retractable screens hidden above the openings around the perimeter of the seating area:

Here's that outside area on the Bay Lake side again, as seen from the other side:

The bar is big, and has much more seating than the Trout Pass bar:

There is a fire pit on the side of the Geyser Point building closest to the original Lodge buildings.  I am not sure when this is used, or if there will be any kind of storytelling or entertainment accompanying it when it is used:

Overall, they did a great job with the new building.  But, it doesn't quite fit in with its surroundings.

TCD

[dvccamper 32]

TCD, you did a great job with those pictures. You were really thorough in getting all the details. I have to say I think yours was the first picture I've seen looking at the whole DVC villas building from that angle with all the trees gone. That made me sad. But so far the other areas look good so I'm hoping that when all is said and done we'll be happy with the final product.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Great photos. 

I just don't get why they went from the original theming of a "Yellowstone" lodge to the Pacific Northwest lodge??? 

I agree the building s are lovely but it just doesn't make sense.  But maybe the railroad tracks represent the path one would have taken over the Rockies.  

But then why mix up the two locations by putting Geyser Point, reference to old Faithful, in the Pacific Northwest themed area. 

Iirc there is. Reunion station in the Colorado Rockies ski area outside of Denver. You can take a train from Denver to winter park ski area and I believe you get off at reunion station.  But that's in the Rockies so again I don't get it. 

 

Anyways thanks for the pictures and the info.  

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Oh and the 749...that's how much a 4 day pass will cost when they finish the remodel at the lodge. Lol. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I have been looking for what the significance of the number 749 posted on the "abandoned" Boulder Ridge RR car might be.

The number apparently has some significance to the train nerds who belong to the Carolwood Pacific Society.

Here's a clip from an article I found on their website:

A variety of Disney engineers appear throughout the exhibition. For example, Donald Duck straddles his railroad from the short Out of Scale. This image is composed of zigzags of wood marquetry, like a miniature ballroom floor on its side. Fred Stark, a Studio employee for many years in the Music Library (according to records in the Walt Disney Archives), crafted this and gave it to Walt. Walt hung it in his Studio office. Also special is what is stamped into the wood on the side of the train: “CPRR” and number “749.” Out of Scale was released in 1951, while the Carolwood Pacific was in operation at Walt’s Holmby Hills home.

http://carolwood.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/chron60r.pdf

So that number 749 means something to the Carolwood Pacific people.

Is there anyone reading along who is a train buff?

I feel like I'm close to the answer here.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Duh.

I got it!

Visiting Walt’s Train Cars in the Carolwood Pacific Room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

WendyP | October 28, 2014 | Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World | No Comments

10Share

 

I’d like to share one of my very favorite corners in all of Walt Disney World with you: the Carolwood Pacific Room.

The Carolwood Pacific Room — also known as the “Iron Spike Room” — might best be defined by its other nickname, which is quite simply “The Train Room.” It’s a peaceful, beautiful room tucked in the Villas of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge which holds a true treasure: two railroad cars from the Lilly Belle, the one-eighths scale backyard train owned and operated by none other than Walt Disney himself.

While the train cars are the centerpiece, there are tributes to Walt and his well-documented love of trains all around the room, including a small model of Walt’s Lilly Belle, as well as photos displaying the train in action.

http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2014/10/visiting-walts-train-cars-carrolwood-pacific-room-disneys-wilderness-lodge/

There it is!

749 on the side of one of Walt's original Carolwood Pacific railroad cars.

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

5 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Duh.

I got it!

Visiting Walt’s Train Cars in the Carolwood Pacific Room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

 

WendyP | October 28, 2014 | Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World | No Comments

 

10Share

 

I’d like to share one of my very favorite corners in all of Walt Disney World with you: the Carolwood Pacific Room.

The Carolwood Pacific Room — also known as the “Iron Spike Room” — might best be defined by its other nickname, which is quite simply “The Train Room.” It’s a peaceful, beautiful room tucked in the Villas of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge which holds a true treasure: two railroad cars from the Lilly Belle, the one-eighths scale backyard train owned and operated by none other than Walt Disney himself.

While the train cars are the centerpiece, there are tributes to Walt and his well-documented love of trains all around the room, including a small model of Walt’s Lilly Belle, as well as photos displaying the train in action.

http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2014/10/visiting-walts-train-cars-carrolwood-pacific-room-disneys-wilderness-lodge/

There it is!

749 on the side of one of Walt's original Carolwood Pacific railroad cars.

TCD

Good job.   

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

2 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

Good job.   

Thanks.

But, I'm not done.

There was another number I noticed on the bus ride over.

The other "abandoned" mine car was still outside the construction gates:

I noticed that they had slapped the new Boulder Ridge logo on it.

And they also gave it a number.  Look at the bottom left of the car:

 

They put a number 173 on this one.

Since the 749 was linked to Walt's Carolwood Pacific RR, I figured this one might be too.

It is.  Check out what Wikipedia says about it:

In 1949, Walt Disney moved his family to 355 N. Carolwood Drive, adjacent to the still city-owned bridle trail and stream, in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Inspired by his animators Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston who had backyard railroads, Disney launched construction of a 1:8-scale live steam locomotive, rolling stock such as gondolas and a caboose, trackage, and a small storage barn modeled in miniature from one in Marceline, Missouri of his youth.^{[citation needed]}

The locomotive was patterned after the Central Pacific No. 173, a historic wood-burning engine brought aboard ship from the East Coast "around the Horn" and assembled in California to begin construction of the transcontinental railroad eastward through the Rocky Mountains.^{[citation needed]} To keep the initials identical on the CPRR No. 173, he named his railroad the "Carolwood Pacific", in reference to his residential location on Carolwood Drive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolwood_Pacific_Railroad

So, 173 is the number Walt gave to his toy locomotive.

There are models of it:

Today is February 28, 2017, and this is the first place I've seen anywhere on the internet that has identified the significance of those two numbers on the mine cars.

If there's an earlier post anywhere, let me know.

Otherwise, I claim BRRMCMCBR!  (Boulder Ridge Railway and Mining Company Mine Car Bragging Rights).

TCD

 

[djsamuel 322]

The difference in design between the Wilderness Lodge and Geyser Point is very similar to the differences within the National Parks themselves (not that it is intentional).  For example, the Wilderness Lodge itself is very similar to the Old Faithful Inn:

Old Faithful Inn

When we walk into the Wilderness Lodge it is very much the same as walking into the Old Faithful Inn; and both are log construction. 

When we stayed at the Old Faithful Inn we would walk to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge for meals, and it was a short walk.  The design of the Snow Lodge is very different from the Inn, and the open frame design of Geyser Point is somewhat reminiscent of the Snow Lodge.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge - exterior

Old Faithful Snow Lodge - interior

Not saying it is intentional, but the diversity in architecture is not uncommon.  Same can be said about comparing lodges like the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon to the Bright Angel Inn.

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

17 minutes ago, djsamuel said:

The difference in design between the Wilderness Lodge and Geyser Point is very similar to the differences within the National Parks themselves (not that it is intentional).  For example, the Wilderness Lodge itself is very similar to the Old Faithful Inn:

Old Faithful Inn

When we walk into the Wilderness Lodge it is very much the same as walking into the Old Faithful Inn; and both are log construction. 

When we stayed at the Old Faithful Inn we would walk to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge for meals, and it was a short walk.  The design of the Snow Lodge is very different from the Inn, and the open frame design of Geyser Point is somewhat reminiscent of the Snow Lodge.

Old Faithful Snow Lodge - exterior

Old Faithful Snow Lodge - interior

Not saying it is intentional, but the diversity in architecture is not uncommon.  Same can be said about comparing lodges like the El Tovar at the Grand Canyon to the Bright Angel Inn.

 

Very interesting.  I am not familiar with the Snow Lodge, and it does have some similarities with the Geyser Point building.

It think from the very beginning, there was some borrowing from other National Parks in the Wilderness Lodge design.

The fireplace rocks represent the strata of the Grand Canyon.

The spring bubbling inside the lobby is similar to a lodge in Oregon (I think).

TCD

 

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

3 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Duh.

I got it!

.....

749 on the side of one of Walt's original Carolwood Pacific railroad cars.

TCD

My first thought is that it might be tied to how many rooms were available at the Wilderness Lodge, but what you turned up was excellent info.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

There is a very nice book that tells all about Walt's love of trains and his backyard railroad. The book is Walt Disney Railroad Story, we found out about it when we took the Behind the Steam tour.

[djsamuel 322]

2 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Very interesting.  I am not familiar with the Snow Lodge, and it does have some similarities with the Geyser Point building.

It think from the very beginning, there was some borrowing from other National Parks in the Wilderness Lodge design.

The fireplace rocks represent the strata of the Grand Canyon.

The spring bubbling inside the lobby is similar to a lodge in Oregon (I think).

TCD

 

Absolutely there is a lot of various National Parks in Wilderness Lodge.  The overall feel of the lobby is very much like Old Faithful Inn, yet as you stated, the Grand canyon is represented in the fireplace.  I am also reminded of the El Tovar when walking through Wilderness Lodge, since that is also log construction.  In addition, there is an Artist Point at both Yellowstone and Yosemite, and Roaring Fork is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The Ahwahnee Lodge at Yosemite is also part of the basis for the design.

I mentioned the different architecture at Yellowstone because as I looked at the pictures you posted and read your observations regarding the differences of the designs, I immediately was reminded of Yellowstone and the two different Lodges. Maybe that was what they were after, who knows.

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

5 minutes ago, djsamuel said:

Absolutely there is a lot of various National Parks in Wilderness Lodge.  The overall feel of the lobby is very much like Old Faithful Inn, yet as you stated, the Grand canyon is represented in the fireplace.  I am also reminded of the El Tovar when walking through Wilderness Lodge, since that is also log construction.  In addition, there is an Artist Point at both Yellowstone and Yosemite, and Roaring Fork is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  The Ahwahnee Lodge at Yosemite is also part of the basis for the design.

I mentioned the different architecture at Yellowstone because as I looked at the pictures you posted and read your observations regarding the differences of the designs, I immediately was reminded of Yellowstone and the two different Lodges. Maybe that was what they were after, who knows.

 

I am not sure what they were after, but one of the thoughts mentioned by the Disney Parks Blog is that the new amenities at the Boulder Ridge and Copper Creek DVC's are supposed to represent a "rejuvenation" of the old quarry and railroad reminiscent of the mid-20th century Rails to Trails movement.  That gives them some leeway to move away from turn of the century log structures and to build these new buildings with a different look.  They obviously put a lot of thought and effort into it, and I think the final product is going to look nice.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 7:31 PM, dvccamper said:

 I have to say I think yours was the first picture I've seen looking at the whole DVC villas building from that angle with all the trees gone. That made me sad. 

For those following along who may not know about the trees, here's the photo I took the weekend before last showing the DVC building:

This might be hard for folks to believe, but here's a photo I took back in 2012 from just a bit to the right of where I was standing when I took that photo:

The sidewalk you see in this photo is the one that went between the main hotel building (on the right), and the DVC building (on the left).  If you look carefully above the trees to the left in this photo, you can barely see the roof of the DVC building.

Now, every single one of those trees is gone, and the DVC building sits out in the open.  That clearing made room for all of the new stuff, and the views of Bay Lake from the DVC rooms must be great on that side of the building.

TCD

[keith_h 420]

A tip of my hat to your train sluthiness TCD.