How to Have the Perfect Date Night at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Perfect Date Night at Disney

*Update: Our date night was built around being able to drop our kids off at a children’s activity center and knowing they’d be in good hands and having a great time while we were out. Those activity centers will be closing as of July 31, 2018.  If we were to do this in the future, we’d look into either registering Bella and Jackson for the Pixar Play Zone at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, or possibly using the Kids Nite Out childcare service that Disney recommends.

The Cub’s Den

I adore our kids, but this night was going to be about Lisa and I having some quality time without them.  We had never used one of the Disney children’s activity centers before, so this was a new thing for us.

We made reservations in advance, and when we arrived the Cast Members got the kids checked in. The Cub’s Den not only has plenty of activities to keep the kids occupied, but they will also feed them dinner as well.

It couldn’t have been easier.  It was literally on our way from our room to our next stop.

Territory Lounge

Our first stop after dropping off the kids was the Territory Lounge.  We had seen that they had a cheese fondue and thought that would be a great way to start our night.

Photo: Disney

We chose a small table in the corner with comfortable chairs.  The dark tones of the wood and furniture with the decorative lighting gave the place a warm, intimate feeling.  The bears on either side of the bar help give the lounge its character.

We ordered a couple of cocktails and tried to find hidden mickeys in the giant map on the ceiling while waiting for our fondue to arrive.

The fondue was perfectly portioned for the two of us to share, and came with apples and bread for dipping.

We had informed our server that we would be eating dinner at Artist Point, and they got us checked in and made our transition from the lounge to the dining area seamless.

Artist Point

As we moved from the lounge to our table in the restaurant, we went from inside a log cabin to the beauty of the outdoors.  The ceiling in the main area of the dining room is several stories high, with windows all along two of the walls allowing the sunlight to pour in.

A painted mural on the inside wall depicted a mountain scene with a meandering river and a colorful sky.

Our host was pleasant and our server was extremely knowledgeable about the theming of the restaurant and the menu, both of which draw inspiration from the Pacific Northwest region.

We had noted on our reservation that it was our anniversary.  We received a complimentary champagne toast to help us celebrate.  Here are some pics of our dinner…

Everything was as amazing as it looked!

Before leaving the restaurant, we stepped out on to the balcony to take in the view.

A Walk through the Wilderness

After dinner, we took a stroll along the trail that heads toward Fort Wilderness Campground.  The sun was beginning to fade into a beautiful sunset.

We did actually see a number of animals during our walk, including an owl that was perched in a tree.  I didn’t get a picture, but this owl was almost 3 feet tall!

Trader Sam’s

We still had plenty of time to ourselves and it was getting dark, so we headed over to the Polynesian to check out Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto.  It’s not close enough to walk, so we drove over.  I think taking the boat to the Contemporary and hopping on the monorail might have been more romantic, but we did want to make the most of our time.

We walked right by the entrance, because it’s only marked by a sign on a door.  We thought it was a Cast Member only entrance.

The best way I can describe Trader Sam’s… It’s like the Enchanted Tiki Room becomes a bar that is staffed by the Jungle Cruise Skippers.

It’s a little on the dark side, which is why my pictures aren’t the best.  There’s definitely a lot to see, and the drink menu has a lot to choose from.  Many of the drinks come in souvenir glasses, and certain drinks come with their own special flair!

Trader Sam’s is definitely a fun place.  We finished our drinks and headed outside.

Wishes from the Beach

We finished our drinks and wandered over to the sandy shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon and found some recliners to relax on, just in time to watch Wishes at the Magic Kingdom across the water.

Other people had the same idea, but it still kind of felt like they were setting off the fireworks just for us.

This was one of the rare times I didn’t take any pictures of video.  We just sat back, watched and enjoyed.

The End of a Perfect Night

We headed back to the Wilderness Lodge to pick up the kids and head back to our room.  Bella and Jackson both loved the Cub’s Den.  Bella said her favorite thing about it was the Cast Members. They did a great job keeping the kids entertained.

It was a perfect date night at Disney, and it’s something everybody can do, as everything we did is open to resort guests AND non-resort guests, including the Cub’s Den, which is just one of five children’s activity centers that Disney has!

So what’s your idea of the perfect Date Night at Disney?

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