why is the wawona hotel now called big trees lodge?
wawona hotel, formerly big trees lodge. it was renamed big trees lodge march 1, 2016, because of a lawsuit, but it regained its longtime name in 2019. its located about 30 miles from the busy yosemite valley.
holly: when i was there a few weeks ago and ate at the new sanaa restaurant located at the animal kingdom villas, the bus i rode from epcot stopped at both the villas and the lodge. in fact, i almost got off at the wrong stop, not realizing that sanaa was located at the villas.... so whether you're going to its lodge or the vacation villas, just look for the signs that say animal kingdom lodge/villas at the bus stop and you'll be good to go! (and make sure you listen to the bus driver so you get off at the right stop!) wishing y'all a magical vacation! whitney hi kelly! the wilderness lodge resort is my favorite deluxe resort in walt disney world! i have stayed there four times since 2011. wilderness lodge is so much more than a room, in fact, it is an experience. it is like being in the pacific northwest and it is so well themed that you forget that you are in florida at walt disney world! magic kingdom is just a short boat ride from the wilderness lodge. there are even rooms that have bunk beds. the pool is amazing and there are three wonderful restaurants right inside wilderness lodge. it is one of the least expensive per night of the resorts in the deluxe category and i believe that it is totally worth the extra cost! i hope that your next walt disney world vacation is truly magical in every way! keep dreaming big! marc because they had a huge hold on the agriculture at the time. mainly tobacco and cotton. hi anne, what a pleasure it is to welcome a fellow new jersey resident to the moms panel site! my family stayed on the kilimanjaro club level at disney's animal kingdom lodge in the spring of 2011 and found it to be a very pleasant experience. there's nothing quite like enjoying snacks or a light breakfast in the club lounge while looking down into the massive and inspiring lobby of jambo house. according to the cast members at the resort with whom i spoke this afternoon, adjoining rooms are available on the club level but they are not guaranteed. be sure to make your request when you make your room reservation and the friendly cast members who assign rooms will make every effort to honor your request for adjoining rooms. concierge guests at this resort have the option to take advantage of some very exciting private safaris. the wanyama safari takes place at the resort in the evening and it is for guests 8 and older. this unique experience gives guests the opportunity to see the animals at the resort at a slower pace than on the kilimanjaro safaris in the animal kingdom theme park. it's a fabulous photo-taking opportunity. since you have a seven-year-old in your group, the sunrise safari might be a better option for your family. it leaves on sunday and thursday mornings from the concierge lounge. this experience is available to concierge guests 3 and older and includes breakfast in disney's animal kingdom theme park. wishing you a wild and wonderful experience at disney's animal kingdom lodge! jill extra magic hours are a perk that is only available to guests staying at the wdw resort hotels. if you are staying off site you are welcome to enjoy the theme parks during normal operating hours. have a great visit to wdw. if you're wanting to stay at a value resort hotel, i'd encourage you to look into the family suites at disney's art of animation resort or disney's all-star music resort. they both offer rooms that sleep up to six guests with two bathrooms, kitchenettes, and plenty of room to spread out a bit. hi j, there is a no pets policy at all wdw resorts (only service animals) so you will not have to worry about any pet dander in the rooms. i have a daughter with severe asthma and allergies and i would recommend that you call and have them make a note on your reservation of your son's allergy concerns and request that the room you will be occupying is specially cleaned for your arrival. i do this and we normally end up waiting a little longer than the usual check-in time to get into our room, but it is well worth it to have a fresh, nice and clean allergy free room (they steam cleaned our room at the coronado springs resort on our last trip and put a commercial humidifier in the room as well for my daughter). you probably won't need the humidifier as this was more for her asthma, but i wanted to mention for others that may read this and know that there are many special touches that disney makes to accommodate their guests and make them comfortable no matter what their situation. have a magical trip! best wishes, brigitta hi kathy - sorry you are disappointed. in my experience, what the agent stated is correct - they decorate the rooms after you check in. i think this is just in case there are any last minute room changes made. it's still a huge surprise - especially after a long, tiring day in the parks! have a great vacation! i've had pretty bad experiences at every single restaurant i've been to within walking distance of grand central hi shabana, i completely understand how you are feeling; there's a lot to consider when planning a walt disney world resort vacation, and it can be overwhelming. i'm happy to help you with my recommendations! my first suggestion would be to stay at a walt disney world resort hotel. guests staying at walt disney world resort hotels have access to complimentary disney bus transportation. you can also enjoy extra magic hours where each day, select attractions are open longer at one of the theme parks. i would also recommend purchasing park hopper option tickets. in my opinion, the park hopper option is worth every single penny; especially when you have young children. during my family's many visits, we have loved having the flexibility that a park hopper ticket provides. you can start your day at one theme park, head back to your resort for a nap or pool time, and then end the day at any other resort you wish to. one of my family's favorite value resorts is disney's art of animation resort. each themed section completely immerses you in a beautiful storybook landscape. your kids will love the larger than life characters that are showcased throughout the resort and enjoy splashing the day away in the big blue pool. if by all inclusive you mean adding the disney dining plan to your resort stay then, in my experience, i would only add it if you have big eaters and your family eats 3 meals per day. when my children were younger, we did not add it since our children were snackers and did not necessarily eat three meals per day. they were more focused on the fun and not the food. that said, there is a quick service dining option that you may want to consider. please stop back by the disney parks moms panel should you have any more questions! magical wishes, susan