Territory Lounge Review (The Lounge at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge)

Territory Lounge is open daily from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Over the years, there have been times when those hours have been extended. If you stay at the resort during a busier time of the year, especially the holiday season, you might double-check their hours for any extensions.

Since Disney’s Wilderness Lodge attracts guests solely for its dining options, don’t be surprised to find the lounge busy during prime hours on nights and weekends. However, it’s not usually as active as Geyser Point Bar & Grill, which sits on Bay Lake. If you arrive at Geyser Point and find a crowd, you might want to check availability at Territory Lounge. Since it’s a walk-up location, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rest assured, the regulars at the Wilderness Lodge are enough to keep the lounge pretty packed most evenings, especially when a major sporting event is televised.

Inside the lounge, you’ll find a variety of tables with chairs and informal seating areas.

A large bar centers the room. Carved wooden bears are poised on both sides of the bar.

Territory Lounge has an Americana vibe mixed with touches of the greater Pacific Northwest. Televisions are subtly part of the decor.

Don’t forget to look up. The ceiling boasts a map of the original Northwest territories.

Here are a few photos of the shadowboxes on the wall opposite the bar.

They reminded me of Lewis and Clark’s exploration of the Pacific Northwest.

One contains a vintage camera with accessories and a few photos of Native Americans.

The menu at Territory Lounge changes seasonally. We used to list the menu items, but they change so often that it’s best to check the menu in the My Disney Experience app. You can also preview the entire menu with descriptions and prices on Disney’s site.

Unfortunately, the seasonal bisque was not available on our last visit. Territory Lounge initially became a go-to destination for us because of its mushroom bisque. A few years back, the Wilderness Lodge was home to Artist Point, a signature dining location that served excellent food, including mushroom bisque. That restaurant was converted to character dining and is now Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. Here is said soup. It may or may not be available when you visit.

Unfortunately, the soup had changed significantly since we last had it. Its cement color and gritty texture were not appealing. After a few bites, I thought it tasted more like pea soup.

So, I wasn’t necessarily sad to see it go this time. We also ordered the charcuterie board, which we thoroughly enjoyed. It included prosciutto, mortadella, duck rillette with cornichons, aged white cheddar, goat cheese, stone-ground mustard, and flatbread crisps. A spoon in the middle contained a bite of honeycomb with fresh honey.

For this visit, we ordered the new version of the charcuterie board. Can you imagine our surprise when they brought out this massive spread?

So, while you’re thinking, wow—this looks amazing, it had some issues. First, it was like someone heavy-handedly arranged these items on the board. I don’t know about you, but I prefer quality over quantity regarding charcuterie. This massive bunch of cauliflower was kind of gross. It had brown spots on it, which is probably pretty standard. But it looked unappealing and challenging to tackle without making a mess.

Our cheese looked like it had been removed from an 8-oz wrapped block, cubed, and thrown on the plate. More than anything, I appreciated the grapes, honey, cornichons, and wedge of blue cheese.

But for the most part, it felt like I had grabbed a few items out of my fridge and thrown them on a wire. So overall, we probably wouldn’t order this again. That said, we received a good amount of food and thought this could easily be shared amongst a group of friends. My issue was more about quality than value.

A Note on Disney Lounges

We often dine at Disney lounges when looking for something that’s a step above quick service that doesn’t require a reservation. When you hear the word “lounge,” you might think “bar.” But at Disney, when I hear the word “lounge,” my mind automatically goes to “good food that needs no reservation” and “family-friendly.” Often, we see guests with their children having dinner in a lounge, and so have we in the past.

We have found that some of our favorite meals come from lounges. For instance, we love the Parker House Rolls at Ale and Compass Lounge. Another favorite is the truffle fries at Enchanted Rose Lounge. Then there’s the clam chowder at Martha’s Vineyard and, my favorite, the roasted prime rib sliders at Crew’s Cup. I could go on, but I think you catch my drift.

So, if you’re looking for a small meal or an early prelude to a dinner reservation, I would recommend Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge any day of the week. It’s a gorgeous venue, and any reason to visit the Wilderness Lodge is a good reason.

Final Thoughts

For more information about the resort, you might enjoy The Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Or you might enjoy some of these individual articles:

• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Review
• Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast Review
• Disney’s Copper Creek Villas Review
• Christmas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge