Nostalgia is at the center of most Disney vacations. Families bring several generations on their trip and enjoy experiences that they have cherished throughout their lives. The man responsible for creating such immersive experiences is Walt Disney.
Guests visiting the Disneyland Resort can immediately feel Walt’s presence as soon as they set foot in Disneyland Park. Walt was able to see his park grow for 11 years before his passing, which is why it has become the go-to historic destination for Disney fans.
Even though he did not live to see his Florida dream come to fruition, he has a strong presence in several areas of the resort. Some may immediately think of the original locations, such as Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, or Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, as typical places to find Walt’s footprint.
In addition, several attractions that he had a major role in developing throughout his life at the Magic Kingdom, such as “it’s a small world”, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, and Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, may be your first choice.
However, his most prominent presence today is actually in a location that opened its doors on May 28, 1994.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge opened its doors to the first guests during the height of the Disney Decade. At the time, CEO Michael Eisner brought the company to heights it had never reached across several divisions.
The animation studio was in the midst of the most successful run in its history, releasing films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. Just one month after the Wilderness Lodge opened, the studio released its most successful film of all time, The Lion King, which took home two Academy Awards.
In the theme parks, Eisner and his team were riding the success of their third gate at the Walt Disney World Resort, the then-Disney’s MGM Studios, which opened in 1989. This park was an immediate smash hit, and the company wasted little time investing in it, green-lighting expansions like Sunset Boulevard, which opened just two months after Wilderness Lodge.
Amid all of this excitement and expansion, the company looked back on its founder when designing its new resort. This resort would be constructed in the Magic Kingdom area and alongside Bay Lake.
Hotel Architecture and Background
The Wilderness Lodge is inspired by the natural environment of the Pacific Northwest. As soon as you set foot in the lobby, you are greeted by several columns made of wooden logs and poles that reach to the top floor of the main building. In the logs, “eagle-eye” guests can spot several creatures typically found in this area of the United States, such as a beaver, a bald eagle, and a bear.
Around the lobby, guests walk on a carpet that is inspired by Native American culture that symbolizes the unity and connection between the “four seasons, wildlife, man, and the cosmos”, according to Disney, as explained on The Wonders of the Lodge Tour.
Another highlight of the lobby is the majestic fireplace, which features rockwork from the Grand Canyon.
As guests venture outside, they can see Copper Creek Falls and Firerock Geyser, inspired by Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Every hour, this geyser erupts, shooting water up to 120 feet into the air, creating a unique experience unlike any other on Walt Disney World property.
So, how does a resort inspired by the great frontier relate to Walt Disney? While Disney had a love and passion for entertainment and film, he also had just as much excitement and a drive to explore the natural world.
Walt Disney’s Love and Appreciation for the Natural World
Disney’s love of nature was prominent in several forms of his early work. The fifth full-length film produced by the animation studio, Bambi, depicted several aspects of nature, both good and bad. For example, the film shows how human intervention in the natural world can cause significant harm, but, more importantly, it showcases the beauty and splendor of nature, as seen in several of the spring scenes.
Walt’s appreciation and interest in nature would become even more prevalent a few years later. In 1948, Disney released On Seal Island, a True-Life Adventure film, the first in a series of short films honoring and celebrating animals in their natural habitats. These films provided viewers with an experience that allowed them to appreciate the natural world from a different perspective. Other installments in this series were titled In Beaver Valley, Bear Country, and The Vanishing Prairie, all of which shed light on various forms of nature and regions that exist within the United States.
Mr. Disney’s love for the great frontier was especially prevalent in The Vanishing Prairie. In this Academy Award-winning documentary, Disney showcased several animals, including buffalo, prairie dogs, and elk, all of which are featured on the totem poles in the resort lobby. Disney depicted the raw nature, showing its beauty and dangers, similar to Bambi.
In the 1950s, Disney’s passion for the West continued to grow, and it became a trademark of the studio, especially in its live-action portfolio. During this decade, Disney produced several western-inspired feature films, including Old Yeller, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, and Westward Ho the Wagons! All of these films took great inspiration from the old frontier.
In the film Westward Ho the Wagons!, a group of families travels to Oregon during the mid-1800s. In 1846, the United States and Great Britain agreed to the Oregon Treaty (of 1846), which gave the United States a majority of this land. During this time in American history, thousands of people migrated to this region to settle and begin new lives. This film draws direct inspiration from that era of American history and depicts the relationships between Native people, especially the Sioux tribe, and settlers.
Throughout the resort’s lobby, guests will find many ties and connections to Native American cultures. One of the most prominent displays in the center of the lobby is a grand headdress inspired by those worn by members of the Sioux tribe of the 19th century. While it may appear as thoughtful set dressing to the common visitor, the Imagineers chose this specific piece as a direct nod to Walt Disney and his interest in history and the American West. By including these incredible artifacts, the Imagnieers are not only adding more story to the resort but also celebrating cultures often overlooked and that played a significant role during this period of American history.
Additionally, the lobby fireplace might, at first glance, look like it’s simply inspired by the Grand Canyon. While this is true, when looking more closely, the respect and love the Imagineers had for the frontier are beyond apparent. Disney explains that their team utilized several varieties of stonework that directly resemble those of the Grand Canyon, as told on The Wonders of the Lodge Tour. The Imagineers included several colors, such as red and brown, and even designed it as an “unbroken sequence” to provide guests with the most realistic depiction possible. In addition, near the fireplace are actual rocks and fossils taken directly from the Grand Canyon.
If you take a left from the back of the lobby, you will find the Territory Lounge. This lounge celebrates the spirit of exploration in the Northwestern United States. This is a theme Disney heavily emphasized in several of the live-action films they produced in the 1950s. For example, in the lounge, you will find a large map on the ceiling that pays direct homage to Lewis and Clark, the first explorers who ventured west, following the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
Also, throughout the lounge, visitors can spot nods to President Theodore Roosevelt. One of his legacies is his love and appreciation for the National Parks, a belief he shared with Walt Disney. If you visit EPCOT, the scene featuring President Roosevelt in The American Adventure depicts him exploring the great outdoors, which ultimately led to his creation of the National Parks.
Taking a quick detour from Walt’s love and appreciation for nature, there is a more unique tie to his career. To the right of the Territory Lounge, guests can dine at Storybook Dining at Artist Point, which features an assortment of characters from the animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
This film was awarded the iconic eight Oscar award for its ability to establish an entirely new aspect of the film industry. It was the project that kick-started Walt Disney’s legendary film career. Being able to interact with characters from the movie that launched The Walt Disney Company in the resort that pays homage to his love for the natural world and exploration is a wonderful connection that most guests do not realize.
While the design and architecture of the resort have such incredible ties to Walt’s passion, there is one corner of the resort that ties all of these themes together. There is no other place in all of Walt Disney World where you can feel a connection this close to Walt Disney than the Boulder Ridge Villas.
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
The Boulder Ridge section of the resort was an expansion that opened on November 15, 2000, as part of the Disney Vacation Club. This section of the resort is themed as a hotel that would have been found along the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1800s.
While this building features a lobby with aspects similar to the main building, like several intricate wildlife carvings in the center of the atrium, it also includes a small library dedicated to one of Walt Disney’s passions.
In the Carolwood Pacific Room, guests can spot numerous artifacts that connect Walt Disney’s love of trains and the railroad. When he was in the early stages of developing Disneyland, Walt always planned to have a railroad surrounding the park.
At his home in Los Angeles, Walt actually built a miniature railroad in his backyard, which he named the Carolwood Pacific Railroad. In this room, guests can find an official car that was used on this railway. This is an incredible artifact of Walt’s passion that guests overlook every day.
The Carolwood Pacific Railroad was a true inspiration for the foundation of Disneyland. When discussing Disneyland in the early stages, Walt said, “I want it to look like nothing else in the world, and it should be surrounded by a train.” His love for trains was always at the center of his initial ideas for a theme park, and it now resides in the Wilderness Lodge.
While the main building features strong connections to Walt’s love of nature, Boulder Ridge provides a direct connection to Walt through a museum. The Wilderness Lodge resort is a love letter to the company’s founder, capturing his passion for nature, exploration, conservation, and wildlife.
Several of these ideas also exist in the Disney Conservation Fund and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Conservation Fund is dedicated to restoring habitats, protecting endangered species, and inspiring others to protect their environment. The Wilderness Lodge showcases the beauty of nature and encourages its guests to share Walt Disney’s care and respect for it.
Much of the information I discussed, especially about the design and architecture of the resort, I learned on The Wonders of the Lodge Tour, which takes place daily at 9 AM at the resort. I recently stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in a two-bedroom villa in Boulder Ridge back in August and was able to take part in this tour.
I highly recommend all Disney fans of any age to take part in this free one-hour experience. You will gain not only a greater appreciation for the resort you are calling home during your vacation, but more importantly, Walt Disney’s love for the outdoors and passion for the frontier.
While the Wilderness Lodge resort should be the must-stop location for all true Disney fans on their next vacation, there is another project on the way that will bring Walt Disney into the Walt Disney World theme parks closer than ever before. Earlier this year at Destination D23, the company announced that it would be adding a Walt Disney animatronic to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in the Magic Kingdom.
Disneyland Park recently welcomed back Walt in the summer during its 70th-anniversary celebration, with the opening of Walt Disney – A Magic Life, which takes place in the Main Street Opera House. This state-of-the-art animatronic will not only inject some much-needed life into the Carousel of Progress but also encourage younger guests to learn more about Walt Disney’s life.
If you consider yourself a fan of Walt Disney or are looking to start your historical journey, I would suggest spending some time on your next visit at the Wilderness Lodge. You not only gain an appreciation for Walt Disney’s legacy but also for the care and honor the Imagineers took in designing this resort around his drive for exploration and adventure.
While Walt Disney’s passion was typically expressed through themed entertainment, his love of the outdoors, nature, and exploration can always be found at the Wilderness Lodge.
