Review of Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Boulder Ridge Villas is a well-themed resort at Walt Disney World that sits in a convenient location near Disney’s Magic Kingdom Theme Park. Visitors to the Wilderness Lodge and Boulder Ridge Villas truly feel like they have been transported to a mountain oasis.
With its rugged architecture and rocky landscape, Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas offers scenic views of Bay Lake and the surrounding woods. In addition to the unique atmosphere of the resort, Boulder Ridge Villas is home to resort-style pools, delicious restaurants, and lots of fun things to do. Plus, the renovated rooms offer modern decor with deluxe amenities.
If you’re wondering whether or not Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas is right for you and your family, continue reading below for our ultimate guide to this impressive deluxe resort. The Disney Boulder Ridge Villas reviews below include our honest options of the rooms, dining options, activities, and entertainment options at this hotel.
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Rooms
Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas Resort offers three different room types: Deluxe Studio, 1 Bedroom Villa, and 2 Bedroom Villa. These guest room options feature views of the pool, Wilderness Lodge Resort, or woods.
As mentioned above, if you book one of the studios through David’s Vacation Rentals, you can often pay the same price that you would for a room at a moderate resort. Additionally, the one and two-bedroom villas, which feature full kitchens and laundry machines, are typically offered for hundreds less than on other websites.
The room refurbishments at Boulder Ridge Villas have really given the spaces a modern feel without losing the rustic vibe. We love the updated decor and the lack of carpet in the main areas.
On a recent stay at the Disney Boulder Ridge Villas, my family and I stayed in a two-bedroom villa. We had originally booked a one-bedroom villa, but the cast member checking us in notified us that we had been upgraded to a 2-bedroom.
The villa we were assigned was an accessible room, so the spaces are a little different than the regular rooms. The biggest difference we noticed was our main shower was much smaller in our accessible unit.
Our large balcony overlooked the woods, which provided a really quiet respite for morning coffee. The kitchen contained pretty much everything we needed to cook a full breakfast in the morning.
We were able to grab some grocery items downstairs in the shop near the lobby at the Wilderness Lodge Resort. The pots, pans, toaster, etc. were all super clean and ready to be used.
My kids loved the surprise of having a huge bedroom and a bathroom all to themselves. And they each got their own bed!
Additionally, we really appreciated the convenience of being able to wash clothes right in our room. This allowed me to return home with a suitcase full of clean clothes rather than with a giant bag of laundry to wash.
Prices at Boulder Ridge Villas
Before we get into our full review of Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas, we want to share our favorite tip for finding really great rates at this resort. The Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is classified as a Disney Vacation Club Resort, which means you can easily book a room through the Disney Vacation Club timeshare owners.
My family and I use this really great website called David’s Vacation Club Rentals to reserve rooms at the Disney deluxe villas. This super reputable company allows you to book a room at a villa for literally hundreds of dollars less than you usually pay on other hotel websites. Just use the cost calculator on David’s website to determine the exact cost of your resort for the dates you need.
The savings are so remarkable that my family and I often book a one or two-bedroom villa instead of a studio sized room. This allows us access to a full kitchen, separate living room, and washer/dryer. If you would like more information on learning about how this process works, you can check out our guide to DVC rental sites.
Pools
Guests at Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas have multiple options for water play areas to enjoy during their visit. The main pool that’s located at the Wilderness Lodge Resort is the most popular pool for guests.
This large pool, known as Copper Springs Pool, features plenty of spaces to swim, including a shallow area that’s great for younger kids. You’ll also find a medium sized water slide at this pool that kids and adults love to slide down. The Copper Springs Pool is the location for the poolside games and activities each afternoon.
The Boulder Ridge Cove Pool is another large, resort-style pool for guests to use. It’s located just outside the Boulder Ridge building. This is a great spot to hang out if you are looking for a less crowded atmosphere. You’ll also find cabanas available here that are first come first serve.
If you are visiting the resort with toddlers or small kids, you’ll also want to visit the smaller splash area. This splash pad is located just off the main pool deck and is gated off so that little ones can play in a contained space.It features super shallow water, fountains, and small water slides.
Don’t worry about packing pool towels or floaties as the pools at Boulder Ridge Villas have plenty of towels and life jackets for guests to use for free.
Restaurants
One of our favorite features of Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas is the dining options offered on property. From character dining to quick service restaurants to unique dining experiences, the resort has it all!
The dining spots you’ll find on property include:
Story Book Dining at Artist Point – Guests can enjoy dinner with characters from the movie Snow White. This character experience features classic Disney characters like Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and the Evil Queen.
Roaring Fork – This restaurant offers counter service options at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll also find some grab and go items available as well.
Geyser Point Bar & Grill – This is a quick service option where you can order to-go items or be seated for full service. The open-air restaurant features beautiful views of the lake.
Territory Lounge – This bar sits in the lobby of Wilderness Lodge and is the place to go for cocktails and beverages. In addition to the full bar menu, you can find a small selection of appetizers here.
Whispering Canyon Cafe – This is a full service restaurant located in the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. The dining experience includes a unique menu along with wait staff who humorously give guests a hard time.
23 Things to Do at Disney Boulder Ridge Villas
One of my family’s favorite features of the Disney Boulder Ridge Villas is that the resort offers so many fun things to do. This is a great hotel to reserve if you plan on spending an extended amount of time at the resort.
Since the Boulder Ridge Villas (and the Copper Creek Villas) are located on the same property as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort, the sister hotels share restaurants, activities, and amenities with each other. Below, we will include our favorite things to do at Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas, so you can see just how many entertainment options are available!
1. Play on the water slide at Copper Creek Springs Pool. The main pool at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, which is called the Copper Creek Springs Pool, features a medium sized water slide that is perfect for kids of all ages to enjoy.
2. Dine with Snow White. If you attend the Storybook Dining character meal, you can meet characters from Snow White, including the Evil Queen, Snow White herself, and some of the seven dwarfs.
3. Request Ketchup at Whispering Canyon. The Whispering Canyon dining experience is truly unforgettable. In fact, it’s always one of the highlights for my kids. We highly recommend asking for ketchup after you get your food. The response from the servers and other diners is lots of fun!
4. Explore the Jogging Trails. The jogging trails and walking paths allow you to explore Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas and sister properties.
5. Visit Fire Rock Geyser. Fire Rock Geyser is a large geyser that’s located just behind the main pool. The spewing geyser, which occurs each hour on the hour, makes a great photo op.
6. Play Games at the Pool. Each afternoon the main pool offers games and activities that the whole family can enjoy for free. You’ll find things like hula hoop contests, “fishing” competitions, and more at the Copper Creek Springs Pool.
7. Watch a Movie under the Stars. Each evening (weather permitting), Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas and its sister resorts show an outdoor movie for guests to enjoy. You will find the month’s movie schedule on the resort recreation calendar that’s posted throughout the hotel.
8. Watch the Electrical Water Pageant. If you hang out at Geyser Point Bar and Grill in the evening, you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant. This nighttime show usually runs at around 9:30 on the lake.
9. Shop for Memorabilia. Just inside the walkway from Boulder Ridge Villas, the Wilderness Lodge features a shop where you can find grocery items, Disney toys, and merchandise.
10. Take Photos with Characters. The main lobby at Wilderness Lodge sometimes features surprise character visits. During our last visit to the resort, we met Chip and Dale in the lobby during the mid-afternoon.
11. Go on an Animal Scavenger Hunt. Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas and the sister resorts are home to all kinds of wildlife. You can search for tiny lizards, bunnies, squirrels, ducks, and snakes during your stay.
12. Tour a Cascade Cabin. During certain times, you can visit the Disney Vacation Club desk to ask for a tour of the impressive Copper Creek cabins. These spacious cabins are great for families looking to vacation in style.
13. Go on a Fishing Excursion. You can board a boat for a fun fishing excursion just off the dock at Wilderness Lodge.
14. Play Arcade Games. The hotel arcades are great places to spend time when it’s raining at Disney World. The Boulder Ridge Villas arcade is located just off the walkway toward the Wilderness Lodge.
15. Make a Craft. While not a free activity, you can partake in the Craft of the Day event that takes place daily at 4:00 in the afternoon.
16. Exercise at the Health Club. This fitness center, Sturdy Branches Health Club, is located in the Boulder Ridge building and can be accessed from the outside or near the entrance to Boulder Ridge Villas.
17. See the Magic Kingdom Fireworks. If you head down to Geyser Point Bar and Grill, you can watch the Magic Kingdom’s fireworks show each evening.
18. Roast S’mores. Visitors can attend the campfire for free each evening. You can also purchase kits to make s’mores by the fire.
19. Join the Wonders of the Lodge Art and Architecture Tour. You can join an informative architectural tour of the hotel daily at 9:00 AM.
20. Take Selfies. The beautifully designed Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney World is full of great spots to take photos. One of the best backdrops is the waterfall and boulder near the main pool.
21. Swim in the Boulder Ridge Cove Pool. The Boulder Ridge Cove Pool is typically much quieter and less busy than the main pool area. That being said, this pool is still huge and serves as a great place to cool off from the heat.
22. Ride the Water Taxi. Even if you don’t have park tickets, you can take the short boat ride from the hotel to Disney’s Magic Kingdom and back again.
23. Splash in the Toddler Play Area. Just off the main pool, you’ll find a really great splash pad area for younger kids. This includes small water slides and little fountains to run through.
Boulder Ridge vs Copper Creek
If you are debating between staying at Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek, we really don’t think you can go wrong with either choice. Both resorts share the same amenities, restaurants, and activities, so you will have equally as much fun at both hotels.
The Copper Creek rooms are attached to the main Lodge, which means you don’t have to walk outside to get to the lobby, restaurants, etc. This also means it’s a shorter walk to those common spaces.
That being said, the walking path between Boulder Ridge and the main building at Wilderness Lodge is super short AND covered, so we wouldn’t base our decision on that alone. In all honesty, we recommend pricing out rooms at both resorts and going with the cheaper option.
If both hotels happen to have the exact same rates for your dates, you can choose which hotel has the room type and decor that you prefer. Either way, we think you’ll be happy at Copper Creek or at Boulder Ridge Villas.
Final Review of Disney Boulder Ridge Villas
Overall, my family and I really enjoyed our time at Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas. The initial surprise of being upgraded to a two-bedroom villa really set the tone for the remainder of the trip.
We have visited numerous hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort, and the Wilderness Lodge (and sister resorts) have some of the friendliest cast members we’ve met. Even if we had stayed in a deluxe studio or 1-bedroom suite, I’m confident that the updated interiors would have been just as spectacular as the villa we were in.
The theming of the hotel has been impeccably implemented into every aspect of the property, and you truly feel like you are at a mountain oasis in the Pacific Northwest. The pools and activities on sight were perfect for our family, and the restaurant options as a whole may be our favorite in all of WDW.
Plus, you can’t beat the easy access to Disney’s Magic Kingdom or the ability to watch the nightly entertainment from the resort. If you are considering a stay at the Disney Boulder Ridge Villas, we highly recommend checking out the cost calculator at David’s Vacation Rentals to see just how reasonable the prices can be!
We hope you have a magical stay! What are your favorite things to do at Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas? Comment below to share with us!
