The Carolwood Pacific Railway Room: An Off-the-Beaten Path Resort Lobby

I don’t know about you but I always enjoy a good two-for-one, and that’s exactly what you get when you visit the Carolwood Pacific Railway Room at Disney’s Boulder Ridge Villas. First, you’ll get a dose of nostalgia. The hidden lobby radiates Walt Disney’s love for trains. Secondly, you’ll have stumbled upon one of the very best places to relax in all of Walt Disney World.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rested my weary legs in one of the oversized rockers by the fireplace. It’s the perfect place to explore (and nap) after a busy day. In fact, you might want to do just that on your next visit. For short, the train room, isn’t too difficult to find. You’ll first need to visit Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. If you’re not staying at the resort, the easiest way to get there is to take a boat or bus from Magic Kingdom. See the options for traveling from Magic Kingdom to Wilderness Lodge for specifics.

a full view of the length of the Carolwood Pacific Railway Room

From the Wilderness Lodge’s lobby, you’ll take the side exit to Boulder Ridge Villas. The side exit is a small hallway that sits adjacent to Wilderness Lodge Mercantile, the resort’s gift shop. Boulder Ridge Villas is in a separate building. It’s one of two Disney Vacation Clubs at the resort. Once outside, you’ll continue down the long covered walkway to the entrance of Boulder Ridge Villas. (If you arrive at the Wilderness Lodge by bus, the bus stop is directly in front of the villas building.)

Covered Walkway to Boulder Ridge Villas and the Carolwood Railway Room

When you enter the villas lobby, the Carolwood Pacific Railway Room is to the right. You’ll probably notice this sign that says Carolwood Pacific Fair Weather Route. If you’re a fan of Walt Disney, you likely know that he lived on North Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills, a subdivision in the Los Angeles area. There, Walt and his wife Lillian built their home, which included a barn and a one-eighth scale steam railroad. The semi-miniature train traveled over a half mile of track around the Disney’s backyard.

a metal sign that says Carolwood Pacific Fair Weather Route

the foyer of the lobby leading into the train room at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

The train’s route was deemed the Fair Weather Route. It is also historically noted as contributing to the inspiration behind Disneyland. While the Disney’s home no longer stands, guests can still visit Walt’s Barn where it was re-erected in Griffith Park. It’s also near the park where Walt Disney took his daughters to ride the merry go round on Saturday’s. (Sadly, we visited a few years ago and the merry-go-round had closed.)

The idea for Disneyland came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy’s day with the two daughters. I’d take them to the merry-go-round, and as I sat while they rode, I felt that there should be something built where parents and children could have fun together. So that’s how Disneyland started.

Walt Disney

Unfortunately, the Carolwood Railway Room doesn’t have near the memorabilia as Walt’s Barn. But it does house one very special treasure. A glass display case contains two of the train cars that traveled the Fair Weather Route.

two of the train cars that were part of Walt Disney's backyard train when he lived on Carolwood on display in the Carolwood Railway Room at Disney World — Two of Walt Disney’s Backyard Train Cars

Now, that’s not something you see every day. During your visit to the train room, you might take some time to explore the space or the adjoining Boulder Ridge lobby, play a table game, or just sit by the fireplace and soak in the moment. But a word of warning. We like to call those rocking chairs in front of the fire, sleepy chairs. You’ll soon find out why. Here are a few photos of the space.

An electronic game table with chairs surrounding it in the train room for guests to enjoy. — Chair Setting with Electronic Game Table

a map of the Scenic Line of the West — Map of the Scenic Line of the West

areas with tables and chairs where guests can dine or enjoy a game — Carolwood Pacific Railway Room

A display with a train set and black and white pictures of Walt Disney with trains. — Walt Disney Train Memorabilia

a corner setting with a bench seat and artwork in the Carolwood Train Room — Corner Seating Area

a painting of a photographer photographing a steam train — Train Artwork is displayed throughout the room.

a negative and print of Disney running his train in his backyard — A negative and print of Walt Disney running his train. Taken by Roger E. Broggie.

an informational about Walt Disney's Magical Barn — Walt Disney’s Magical Barn Information Signage

a painting of Walt Disney in his Barn working on trains — Walt Disney Painting

While you’re at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you might also take the time to tour the magnificent lobby and check out a few other hidden spaces around the resort. Of course, all of these activities will be better enjoyed if you include food. The Wilderness Lodge is one of our top choices for dining locations among the resorts. You may remember I recently placed a to-go mobile order from Geyser Point and enjoyed my meal at a table and chairs in the train room.

Tip: If you need to use the restroom while you’re visiting the lobby, you’ll find it to the right of the fireplace area in the photo below. It’s just beyond the cove.

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you enjoyed this tour of the Carolwood Pacific Railway Room at Boulder Ridge Villas. For more on Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you might enjoy one of the following:

You might also enjoy our list of Favorite Disney Resort Crowd Escapes. (It includes a free guide you can save to your phone at the end!)