Disney Character Totem Pole in the Atrium Lobby

Planning a visit to the Great West in the near future? Me either. (Oh, how I wish, though.)

Why go all the way to the actual “West” when you can stop in to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World in Orlando? The outside of the hotel is manicured with pine trees, moose statues, and the building appears to be sided with logs from the Great West. Inside the hotel is a GRAND atrium with Disney character totem poles, a ginNORmous stone fireplace, and an actual creek running through with an actual bridge as only Disney can do.

The family and I haven’t stayed a night in the deluxe resort hotel, but we’ve been to the hotel for lunch at their all-you-can-eat BBQ restaurant, Whispering Canyon Cafe. Mucho delicioso, and at Disney World, finding a reasonably-priced restaurant can be a chore.

Outside the back of the hotel is a massive lake where you can rent boats, swim in the creek “reservoir,” and take a stroll on the boardwalk through the forest. There are many decisions you have to make when choosing a Disney hotel (ie. to stay on property or off), and if one of the decisions you’re making involves needing on-site activities that are family-friendly, check out Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, even if it’s only for the day.