Have You Been to This Disney Spot in Yellowstone?

Disney has destinations all over the world.

From its theme parks at Walt Disney World in Florida, Disneyland in California, Disneyland Tokyo, Shanghai Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disney Resort, and Disneyland Paris, to its Disney Cruise Line itineraries, there’s no end to the Disney magic for Guests.

But did you know that Disney has a little spot in Yellowstone National Park?

Let’s start near the Magic Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is a Deluxe Disney Hotel that features restaurants, a spa and fitness center, themed pools, jacuzzi hot tubs, a kids’ zone, a babysitting center, and fun and educational activities for Guests young and old.

The popular Disney Deluxe Resort Hotel opened back in May 1994, and sits in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area on Bay Lake near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. If the design looks familiar to Disneyland Guests, a similarly themed resort, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, is located in Anaheim, California.

But where did the theming come from for the beautiful Wilderness Lodge? Well, there’s a magical hotel in Yellowstone National Park that all Disney fans need to see!

Disney Imagineers worked hard to make the Disney Resort feel like you’ve really stepped foot into the American West, complete with geysers, rustic influences, and log cabins. Guests can dine at Storybook Dining at Artist Point, Whispering Canyon Cafe, Geyser Point Bar & Grill, Roaring Fork, and Territory Lounge, the Resort’s bar. Pools include Copper Creek Springs Pool, featuring a 67-foot waterslide, and Boulder Ridge Cove Pool.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge hotel was designed by Peter Dominick, the son of an environmentalist. He modeled the Disney hotel after the national parks of the western United States. The building is made up of both natural and Native American elements, complete with artificial thermal features like geysers and hot springs.

But where did the incredible architectural design come from? Well, the main building was modeled after the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park!

Look familiar? Once you step into the Old Faithful Inn, you’ll immediately recognize the design and feel of the Wilderness Lodge in Walt Disney World.

The Yellowstone hotel is steeped in history. Initial construction of the Inn was carried out over the winter of 1903 using local materials including lodgepole pine and rhyolite stone. When the Old Faithful Inn first opened in the spring of 1904, it had electric lights and steam heat – unusual for the time.

Disney’s Wilderness Resort was also built using lodgepole pine, as well as 55-foot authentic totem poles and an 82-foot fireplace representing the colorful rocks of the Grand Canyon.

The Old Faithful Inn is the largest log hotel in the world; possibly even the largest log building in the world. The Inn is a National Historic Landmark and a member of Historic Hotels of America. A fun little tidbit is that in 2007, the American Institute of Architects conducted a survey to determine the 150 favorite buildings in America; the Old Faithful Inn ranked 36.

Did you know that you can stay at this famous hotel on a Disney vacation? Not many people are aware that beyond the theme parks, the magic of Disney can be found with Adventures by Disney!

There may not be parades, attractions, and churros, but there is Disney magic, Disney exclusives, and the wonders of nature! The Adventures by Disney website describes the Wyoming trip as:

Feel your spirits soar as you head into the Great Outdoors on the Adventures by Disney Wyoming family vacation. Bask in the rugged beauty of the West while you horseback ride, raft and hike through Yellowstone National Park and other spectacular sites on your amazing adventure.

Across Jackson Hole, Brooks Lake, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park, Guests can enjoy the services of two Adventure Guides, admission fees to attractions, VIP access, and cultural experiences with local experts. This Western adventure includes some wonderful hotels, including a stay at the Old Faithful Inn.

Often the most anticipated part of the trip, Yellowstone National Park is currently celebrating its 150th anniversary. Sat on a caldera volcano, the world-famous national park is full of thermal features and beautiful surprises.

Adventures by Disney Guests get to see the geysers, mud pots, fumaroles, and hot springs of the West Thumb Geyser Basin, before heading to National Park Lodging within walking distance of Old Faithful Geyser. Lodges in this area are constructed to reflect the natural beauty of their surroundings, feature no air conditioning, and, of course, inspired Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at the Walt Disney World Resort.

As part of the Adventures by Disney trip, Disney provides a private National Park guide who takes Guests on a tour of the Lower Loop of Yellowstone National Park to see what captured the imagination of artists and adventurers alike. Discover Artist Point, the Upper and Lower Waterfalls, the blue pools and pink mud pots of Fountain Paint Pot Trail, and Lake Yellowstone, all while looking for Hidden Mickeys in nature.

If going on a Disney cowboy adventure sounds like your thing, get ready to shout “Yee-haw” and head to the Adventures by Disney website to book. The minimum age for the Wyoming adventure is 5 years old, with a suggested age of 7+. For the Adult Exclusive, the minimum age is 18.

Adventures by Disney recently announced a new magical itinerary dubbed “Adventures by Disney Private Jet,” with its first trip departing to every Disney Park around the world in July of 2023.

The inaugural “Disney Parks Around the World Adventure” is a 24-day magical journey that takes Guests to all 12 Disney Parks and three Disney studios (Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland), plus three legendary bucket-list landmarks –  the Taj Mahal, Pyramids of Giza, and the Eiffel Tower.