Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Information: Rooms, Pools, Dining, and More

On this page is information on Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, including pictures of the view from every hotel room, pictures and video from inside Boulder Ridge Villas rooms, a list of amenities, restaurant reviews and dining menus with prices, pool photos and reviews, reader comments, childcare options, and more. Last updated: November 18, 2024

Use our exclusive Room Finder to see a resort map and find a great room!

This is our page covering the Boulder Ridge Villas at Wilderness Lodge. Wilderness Lodge also has a main building, as well as second Disney Vacation Club wing, which we cover in-depth on their own pages. See Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Copper Creek Villas & Cabins for more information.

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Overview

Wilderness Lodge resort is inspired by national-park lodges of the early 20th century. The Wilderness Lodge ranks with Animal Kingdom Lodge as one of the most impressively themed and meticulously detailed Disney resorts. Situated on the shore of Bay Lake, the hotel features exposed timber columns, log cabin– style facades, and dormer windows. The grounds are landscaped with evergreen pines and pampas grass. The lobby in the main building boasts an 82-foot-tall stone fireplace and two 55-foot Pacific Northwest totem poles. Timber pillars, giant tepee chandeliers, and stone-, wood-, and marble-inlaid floors accentuate the lobby’s rustic luxury. Although the resort isn’t on vast acreage, it does have a beach and a delightful pool modeled on a mountain stream.

The the 136 Boulder Ridge Villas are studio and one- and two-bedroom units in a freestanding building to the right of the lodge. Studios have kitchenettes; one- and two-bedroom villas have full kitchens. The rustic decor features pine furniture, textured rugs, curtains, and woodland creatures from Disney’s Bambi decorating the pillows and bedding. Boulder Ridge has its own pool but shares restaurants and other amenities with the main lodge.

The villas’ studios have fold-down sleeper sofas. All villas have armoires and flat-panel TVs, and one- and two-bedroom units have stainless-steel kitchen appliances.

We think more updates are needed. This reader from Buffalo, New York, agrees:

Absolutely hated the room at Boulder Ridge—any Hampton Inn I’ve ever stayed at for half the price had better rooms. The furniture was mismatched and outdated, the rugs were worn, and the pullout sofa bed was worse than the one we owned in the 1970s! Most upsetting, there were no grab bars in the showers, which are a hotel-industry safety standard. Perhaps because the bathroom was so small, Disney figured we could just hold on to the walls?

A Plymouth, Massachusetts, family found a way to make the room more comfortable:

The sofa bed was improved greatly after we requested an additional mattress for it. We couldn’t use the sofa, but the extra mattress made for a much better night’s sleep.

How Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Compares to Other Disney Resorts

The major advantage of Wilderness Lodge Villas is that the Magic Kingdom is short boat ride away. Wilderness Lodge does offer a fitness center, salon, and a spa.

Where To Check-In, Get Theme Park Tickets, and Make Dining Reservations

A security gate guards the entrance to Wilderness Lodge's grounds. If you arrive by car, you'll need to provide photo ID at the gate; it's not necessary to provide your reservation number or paperwork. A dedicated parking lot across from the lobby serves as temporary parking for those who need it while checking in.

Guests keeping a car at the hotel overnight will be charged $25 per day. (This fee is waived for DVC members staying on points.)

Check-in time at Boulder Ridge is 4:00 PM, and check-out time is 11:00 AM. Wilderness Lodge participates in Disney's Online Check-In program, which allows you to you provide name, address, and credit card information up to 60 days before your arrival. If you've checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether. Wilderness Lodge's registration staff can provide MagicBands for your stay, if you don't already have them. Beginning January 1, 2021, guests will no longer receive complimentary MagicBan

If you've not registered online, look for signs pointing you to the Registration/Check-In area. You'll need to provide a government-issued photo ID and credit/debit card when you register. While parents are completing the paperwork, kids can unwind in a nearby play area decorated with child-sized furniture, and a television showing classic Disney animated films.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge's registration staff can provide MagicBands for your stay (free MagicBands were discontinued in January 2021), if you don't already have them. Get theme park tickets and dining reservations at the Concierge Desk, to the right of the Registration Desk. If you need to check in and obtain theme park tickets, you can save some time in line if one adult gets in line for tickets just after another adult starts the registration process. The Concierge Desk can also make Disney dining reservations, and you can avoid a wait there by making them online prior to arrival.

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Rooms

Boulder Ridge Studios: Studios sleep up to five people following 2014 renovations; they now include one queen-size bed, and a queen-sized sofa bed. The total Studio room size is 356 square feet, with about half of that being dedicated to the kitchen and bathroom area

Boulder Ridge One-Bedroom Villa: The one-bedroom villa sleeps 4 and provides a formal kitchen and a living room in addition to the studio bedroom, which contains a king bed. The living room's sofa folds out to provide a queen bed. One-Bedrooms Villas are 727 square feet.

Boulder Ridge Two-bedroom villas: Two-bedroom villas sleep 8 and include all of the kitchen amenities found in a one-bedroom, plus an extra bathroom. One of the baths is attached to a second bedroom with two queen beds or a queen bed plus a sleeper-sized sofa. As with the one-bedrooms, a sofa bed in the living room provides an extra place to snooze. Two-Bedroom Villas are 1,080 square feet.

For dining, shopping, recreation, and other amenities, see our main Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort page.

Blog Posts About Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

• DVC Deals in 2023 at Boulder Ridge Villas

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?

Hotel	Definitely (+/- since last year)
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge	79% (+4%)
Average for WDW hotels	76% (+0%)
Average for off-site hotels	57% (+0%)

Would you stay at this hotel again?

Hotel	Definitely (+/- since last year)
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge	85% (-15%)
Average for WDW hotels	92% (+2%)
Average for off-site hotels	79% (-7%)

Hotel Photos

Hotel Video

Boulder Ridge Villas Studio Room Tour

Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Best and Worst Room Views at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Villas

TouringPlans offers pictures of the view from any Disney resort room on property. click here for the disney's wilderness lodge resort map and to choose a room to see the view.

Except for a few rooms overlooking the pool, these rooms offer woodland views. The best are odd-numbered rooms X531–X563 on floors three through five, which open to the lake (northeast) side of the resort (you usually can’t see the lake, though). Rooms on the opposite side of the same wing offer similar views, but with some roads and parking lots visible, and with traffic noise.

The view from your window for the most part includes landscaping and trees. but some rooms look on to a walking path or a the resort's pool.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	Weaknesses
National park lodge theme is a favorite of kids and adults alike	Transportation to Magic Kingdom is by bus or boat only
Excellent lounge for adults	Bus transportation to Magic Kingdom sometimes shared with Fort Wilderness
Close to recreational options at Fort Wilderness	Room furnishings feel dated
Great views from guest rooms
Exceptionally peaceful location and public areas
Large pool with cabanas

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Dining

• Geyser Point Bar & Grill (Quick Service)
• Miss Jenny's In-Room Dining (Room Service)
• Roaring Fork (Quick Service)
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White (Table Service)
• Territory Lounge (Bar or Lounge)
• Whispering Canyon Cafe (Table Service)
• Wilderness Lodge Mercantile (Market)

Commuting Times to the Parks

Park	Boat	Bus	Personal Automobile
Magic Kingdom	15.0 min	24.0 min	–
EPCOT	–	24.0 min	20.0 min
Hollywood Studios	–	27.0 min	22.0 min
Animal Kingdom	–	28.0 min	20.0 min
Disney Springs	–	27.0 min	18.0 min