My 2 cents on golf carts

[NorthCarolinaDisDad]

I am at FW now. Yes, RIGHT NOW!!! We are staying in a cabin in loop 2700. I could not imagine staying here without a golf cart. If your cabin is not just in the back, but just not in the front of a loop, you could do some hefty theme park-like walking just to get to a bus stop.
Besides, you would never see all of this place without a cart. It is a biggun of a place.
Now if you will all excuse me, I have to get some homework done while the kids are napping. We still have to check out the pool later, and prepare teh belly for some of this Trail End all you can eat ribs and chicken I have heard so much about.

[Born 2 Fish]

I agree, a buggy is a must. I hope ya'll have as good a time as we would if we were there !!Swimm'n sounds pretty good bout now too.
A long tome ago we stayed in the 2700 loop,,bout as far as you can get from everything !
Have a great time and take pics,,we'd love to see them !

[SandrA9810]

I find the purple route to be a good choice for a golf cart. But I don't find I need one if I'm on the orange or yellow. Of course my outings usually consist of going to the meadows on my scooter or bike riding to the settlement. The expense is just not worth it. Plus I love the fort and have a hard time making myself leave from it. So even if it take a bit more time, the bus is alright with me.

[braclark]

The expense is just not worth it. Plus I love the fort and have a hard time making myself leave from it. So even if it take a bit more time, the bus is alright with me.
Since I have a tight budget, I have the choice of either renting a cart or staying at the fort for almost twice the time (pop up/tent rate). Every time I think about it, a longer stay always wins. :love:

[des1954]

u can haz cheezburger too. golf cart wai nessessary at Wildernez of teh Fort.

[DisneyBishops]

Part of my fun at the fort is riding around on the cart and drinking all the beer i want. As long as i bring enough that is, i can't afford the fort beer. LOL

[fla4fun]

I am at FW now. Yes, RIGHT NOW!!! We are staying in a cabin in loop 2700. I could not imagine staying here without a golf cart. If your cabin is not just in the back, but just not in the front of a loop, you could do some hefty theme park-like walking just to get to a bus stop.
Besides, you would never see all of this place without a cart. It is a biggun of a place.
Now if you will all excuse me, I have to get some homework done while the kids are napping. We still have to check out the pool later, and prepare teh belly for some of this Trail End all you can eat ribs and chicken I have heard so much about.

Sounds like the whole family is feeling much better!

I stayed in a cabin without a golf cart, but I was in the 2200 loop, which is small to begin with, and has a bus stop at it's entrance. I didn't have trouble at all. But I know some of the loops are huge, so I can totally understand wanting the cart. I just couldn't justify the cost since it was a solo trip (plus, I had my bike with me to use if I was just going around FW).

[Born 2 Fish]

Part of my fun at the fort is riding around on the cart and drinking all the beer i want. As long as i bring enough that is, i can't afford the fort beer. LOL


You think the Fort beer is expensive,,one year we stayed at the All Stars Music, my DS bought two beers, the girl rang it up at $2700.00 ! :lmao:
He told the girl there wasn't enough MAGIC in all of Disney to make those beers that special. :lmao:

[VAN]

We've stayed at the fort many, many times and have yet to rent a cart. I think it is wonderful for those folks who have the extra $$, but I think you scare all of those who don't into thinking a stay at the fort is not doable without one.

If you are an able bodied individual, you do not NEED a cart. Sure they are fun, but only you can determine if your budget can fit one in.

My perception is that most people do not rent carts and still seem to manage just fine.

[Shan-man]

I certainly agree with Van. In my various trips to the Fort I have only rented a cart for one day, and though it was a blast that day I wouldn't say that it was a necessity. But then again, I'm the guy who keeps saying that the bus system works perfectly fine for us, and the one who likes blowing an hour to get to EPCOT via a launch and two monorails! You can have a wonderful stay at the Fort if you will make up your mind to slow your pace and enjoy the place you're at rather than constantly rushing to try to see and do EVERYTHING! If you can't afford to rent a cart, don't. Pack a little extra patience and prepare to have a great time. If you can afford to rent a cart for a day or two, get it on days that you plan to hang around the Fort and enjoy looping and running to the pool and posts. If you can afford to rent a Disney cart for 3-4 days, look at the off-site guys who can give you a week for the same price. Whatever you choose, remember, the Fort rewards those who choose to slow down and really experience it! That's my 2¢ on golf carts.

:santa:

[des1954]

No, carts are not necessary. We camped at FtW for 20 years without a cart & got along fine. Now, I'm old & I like the mobility a GC offers me. My day at the Fort would get off to a bad start if I couldn't roam around first thing in the morning on my cart with a cuppa joe.

Hmmm....something just occured to me!! I have acquired copious amounts of fat cells in my body since we first bought a GC in 1996!! Does anyone think there might be a connection here?? :rolleyes1

[stacktester]

No, carts are not necessary. We camped at FtW for 20 years without a cart & got along fine. Now, I'm old & I like the mobility a GC offers me. My day at the Fort would get off to a bad start if I couldn't roam around first thing in the morning on my cart with a cuppa joe.

Hmmm....something just occured to me!! I have acquired copious amounts of fat cells in my body since we first bought a GC in 1996!! Does anyone think there might be a connection here?? :rolleyes1

I used to get around by bikes at the fort. Bought a cart last September and gained 10 pounds so yes, there is a connecton. I love having the cart but I wish I'd just kept my electric one and put a seat on the back and called it good. I plan on more bike rides in the future.

[bama_ed]

I agree that some of those cabin loops can be the longest walk in the Fort to places like the Marina or the Meadow TP especially if you are in the back of the loop. We go almost annually and have never rented a GC because we bring bikes from home. This gives the kids some mobility themselves (so I can sit in the campsite and they go somewhere) .

We also bring a short cable/lock to secure them at places like the marina when we take the boat to the MK for the day. Not that I think anyone would steal them ;) but coming back at night in the dark I don't want my bike to be taken by someone else by accident.

Also, since there is so much shade at the Fort and it's level walking is a pleasure.

Bama ED :upsidedow

[liv luvs disney]

I agree that some of those cabin loops can be the longest walk in the Fort to places like the Marina or the Meadow TP especially if you are in the back of the loop. We go almost annually and have never rented a GC because we bring bikes from home. This gives the kids some mobility themselves (so I can sit in the campsite and they go somewhere) .

We also bring a short cable/lock to secure them at places like the marina when we take the boat to the MK for the day. Not that I think anyone would steal them ;) but coming back at night in the dark I don't want my bike to be taken by someone else by accident.

Also, since there is so much shade at the Fort and it's level walking is a pleasure.

Bama ED :upsidedow

Thanks Bama ED, you answered a question I was planning on asking a little closer to our trip. I was wondering if people lock their bikes up when parked at places other than their camp sites.

[njcamper95]

We loved carting around the fort so much we bought our own

[shasta31]

On one of our weekend trips last year I told my wife "no cart" thinking we could be content with just our bikes, well sitting around friday night watching all the other people looping I couldnt stand it and got a cart the next morning. Renting a cart from Kenny for the first time for the week of the Fourth.

[jbh1993]

We went at Christams and are headed back on the 30th of June for 6 days and after staying there thought it was something we needed.I have some mobility issues and I highly recommend it for that reason alone.

[lorac4disney]

I totally agree about needing the golf cart. We stayed on 2800 loop last week and we didn't have a cart on the last full day due to a mix up at the outside cart rental place.

Walking to the bus stop was quite a haul especially when you're tired from the parks. I wouldn't have felt up to looking around the Fort had it not been for the cart.

[iluvstitch]

I'll be at the fort for 2 weeks in January and thought about renting a cart... Turns out for less money, I can go rent a car, go to Walmart and buy a decent bike and ride it for 2 weeks. It will be good exercise too! Don't get me wrong, those golf carts look wicked cool to ride around in, but I'd definitely prefer to use the money saved on a few more days at the World.

[nikkipowell1]

I am at FW now. Yes, RIGHT NOW!!! We are staying in a cabin in loop 2700. I could not imagine staying here without a golf cart. If your cabin is not just in the back, but just not in the front of a loop, you could do some hefty theme park-like walking just to get to a bus stop.
Besides, you would never see all of this place without a cart. It is a biggun of a place.
Now if you will all excuse me, I have to get some homework done while the kids are napping. We still have to check out the pool later, and prepare teh belly for some of this Trail End all you can eat ribs and chicken I have heard so much about.

We were the from may27-june 5 and stayed at cabin 2735. Hope your having a great time.

[tjcat]

We will be coming down july 25 til august 2 and still can't decide on a cart. We had one last year and hardly used it. We like to stay in the cabins at the 2100 loop which is central to the fort. We have to rent a car since we fly into Sanford. It was fun driving it around but at over $405 for the week, it is hard justify especially since our car is only $300! I think we may just rent one for the days we stay at the fort, which will be wednesday til sunday, the other days we will be at the parks. We are definately planning some relaxing time not like last year which we went to a theme park every day ahhh! when we got home we needed another vacation!

[Shan-man]

I would say getting one just for the Fort days is a great idea, it's advice I give often. You might also want to check out the off-site rentals, renting a week from them is still cheaper than renting 5 days from the Fort even with the delivery charges.

:santa:

[Minnie&Mickey]

Speaking of golf carts, I have two questions...

1. Club Car or EZ Go?
A friend of ours that is a fellow DISer (Hi Cheryl & Jeff) said to go with the Club Car because the body won't rust, but today we went to a golf cart place where they customize them for you. We fell in love with a lifted EZ Go that had lots of extras on it, was the perfect colors (red & black...Go Dawgs!), and they would put a Georgia Bulldog emblem on the front. Although we didn't know this before we went to the store, my husband realized that the owner is someone that he has known for years. Would buying an EZ Go be a big mistake?

2. I have already arranged with Kenny to rent a golf cart for our trip next month (July 22-26). Does anyone know what his cancellation policy is if we do end up buying this golf cart? My credit card has already been charged. Will there be a problem if we cancel?

[Shan-man]

I believe it is a 20 day free cancellation... pretty sure it is in the first post of the Golf Cart Info thread.

:santa:

[Shan-man]

Nope, it's a 30% cancellation fee within 2 weeks of scheduled delivery. So it's a free cancellation if more than 2 weeks.

:santa:

[Minnie&Mickey]

Nope, it's a 30% cancellation fee within 2 weeks of scheduled delivery. So it's a free cancellation if more than 2 weeks.

:santa:

Thanks for the info, Shannon. Any thoughts on the comparison between EZ Go vs. Club Car?

[stacktester]

Thanks for the info, Shannon. Any thoughts on the comparison between EZ Go vs. Club Car?

both carts are good products. I have a club car precedent gasser but I know plenty a fiend who has a ez blow, I mean go lol. The ez go electrics tend to corrode under the batteries because the holder is steel while the club is aluminum. If you keep a good coat of rustoleum on the holder I think it will be a fine cart for you. Good luck.

[AuburnJen92]

i am sure he was referring to me....

i have an '85 ez go, the old bessey kind that goes a max of 15mph...

funny thing is that when they need a tow, i am always there, slow and sure!:rotfl2:

[LONE-STAR]

Not that you asked but I like (and own 2 ) YAMAHA

[tungpo1]

Both carts are nice, yes the CC has a rust free frame but i also had tons of problems with bolts snapping due to corrosion of the steel bolts against aluminum. If you take care of it ez-go's are super nice also. As for a the battery box on the ezgo's rusting out from the batteries they do in time if you dont take care of it. I sell plastic boxes that go in the battery box that will stop that.

[NLPRacing]

Do you need a golf cart at FW? The answer is no, you don't need one. But, does having a cart make the experience at FW more fun? IMHO, YES YES YES! So much that I bought my own cart and will drag it there all the way from Texas on our next trip. I bought a old electric Club Car DS for $200 that I am in the middle of completely redoing. If you like walking or riding the bikes, then continue to do that. But if you have never experienced the fort from a golf cart, then I highly recommend NEVER trying it. It's like crack, highly addictive. You'll never be able to go the fort without getting one... :banana:

[NorthCarolinaDisDad]

Early in my trip I said I thought you needed a cart, especially if you were in the back of loops.
Well, now that I have been here about a week, I will say this. The cart makes the Fort so much better.
I LOVE LOVE getting up just before dawn and just riding around with a cup of coffee and looking at all the deer, armadillos, rabbits, etc.
Its nice to ride past the tent people the morning after a storm (BIG one here Tuesday night) and laugh at them (just kidding...I think the tent and RV people have the most fun).
And oh how much fun it is to ride down the middle of the road holding up traffic as the guy in the truck behind you calls you every name in the book. Ahhh, happy times.
I have loved this trip. I love the Fort. And I love having a golf cart!

[NLPRacing]

Early in my trip I said I thought you needed a cart, especially if you were in the back of loops.
Well, now that I have been here about a week, I will say this. The cart makes the Fort so much better.
I LOVE LOVE getting up just before dawn and just riding around with a cup of coffee and looking at all the deer, armadillos, rabbits, etc.
Its nice to ride past the tent people the morning after a storm (BIG one here Tuesday night) and laugh at them (just kidding...I think the tent and RV people have the most fun).
And oh how much fun it is to ride down the middle of the road holding up traffic as the guy in the truck behind you calls you every name in the book. Ahhh, happy times.
I have loved this trip. I love the Fort. And I love having a golf cart!

Once you've sampled the golf cart crack, there's no going back... :)

[BradyBz12]

Agreed!

DH and I did several trips without a cart - never thought we needed one, and since we were always in 300 or 500, we were always close enough to walk to lots of the places we needed to go.

Those were all 2 week trips, and then last year we finagled adding a 3rd, and found one of the off-site companies with cheaper rates (Golf Cart Enterprises - mentioned in the golf cart thread (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2148754)).

We are absolutely 100% hooked! For starters, being there for 2-3 weeks at a time, we like to spend time just hanging around the Fort, and the GC makes that SO much easier and more fun. Since we usually go during the holiday season, looping with an adult beverage to look at all the decorations is absolutely one of our favorite pasttimes.

And I gotta say, laundry is far less a chore when you're buzzing back and forth on a cart and not having to lug anything. :laundy:

[des1954]

And I gotta say, laundry is far less a chore when you're buzzing back and forth on a cart and not having to lug anything. :laundy:
Preach on, sistah!!

Golf cart crack!! That's what I'm talking about! Once you get hooked on GC Crack - you never go back!!

[Minnie&Mickey]

Thanks for all the info on Club Car vs. EZ Go. I think we will wait a little bit longer and see if we really feel the need to buy one. We might just rent one for a while and keep on looking. DH says that he would rather tow the car right now than a golf cart for most of our trips...I wish he would just make up his mind on what he wants! :confused3

[LONE-STAR]

What you need is a trailer that will hold the cart and the car.

[Shan-man]

What you need is a trailer that will hold the cart and the car.

I dream :cloud9: of one of these...
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w359/SLSettles/01.jpg

:santa:

[des1954]

I dream :cloud9: of one of these...
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w359/SLSettles/01.jpg

:santa:

Su-Weeeeeet!!!

[tungpo1]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture077-1.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture076-1.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture080.jpg

[NLPRacing]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture077-1.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture076-1.jpg
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture080.jpg

So that's how you do it... :)

[Minnie&Mickey]

We talked about getting a long trailer that we could put both on, but he says we don't have any place to put it when we aren't using it. We live on 4 1/2 acres! I'm sure we could find somewhere! :confused3

I'm going to show him that one setup, Shannon. He might like that!

[Shan-man]

The pic I posted if of a TandemTow brand dolly. The wells for the towed car are adjustable front to rear so you can dial in how much weight the cart exerts on the tongue. They are available with brakes, too. Just trying to anticipate questions your hubby might have. The main drawback I see of this kind of dolly is that you can't really use it to haul either a car or a cart, but really need to haul both. With just a cart there would be too much weight on the tongue, with just a car there would be too little weight on the tongue. But, when you want to have it all, this seems a good solution to me.

:santa:

[Minnie&Mickey]

I dream :cloud9: of one of these...
http://i523.photobucket.com/albums/w359/SLSettles/01.jpg

:santa:

I just showed my husband this setup and he is very interested! Who makes a trailer like this? Also, do you have any idea how much something like that costs?

[Minnie&Mickey]

The pic I posted if of a TandemTow brand dolly. The wells for the towed car are adjustable front to rear so you can dial in how much weight the cart exerts on the tongue. They are available with brakes, too. Just trying to anticipate questions your hubby might have. The main drawback I see of this kind of dolly is that you can't really use it to haul either a car or a cart, but really need to haul both. With just a cart there would be too much weight on the tongue, with just a car there would be too little weight on the tongue. But, when you want to have it all, this seems a good solution to me.

:santa:

LOL! Looks like you are a step ahead of me! I was just asking who makes it. I'll google it and see if I can find out how much they cost!
Thanks so much!

[Shan-man]

Mind you... I never said they were cheap!

[BigDaddyRog]

50% of the fun of the Fort for ME is driving around on the cart...looking at RVs I'll never be able to afford...looking for ideas to make my camping easier...looking for green mickey head signs......the carts are a blast....but thats a "camping" thing...not so much a Disney thing. If you're at the fort just for a place to stay while visiting the parks...you'll never know what your missing out on and it wont bother you a bit.

my baby (2004 48V Club Car):
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t296/dj_bigdaddyrog/golf%20cart/p_00047-1.jpg

[lorac4disney]

Sweet wheels, Rog!

I agree that the carts are highly addictive. The first time we stayed at the Fort, we didn't have a cart.

This last time, we rented one. Now, DH has decided he has to get one of his own. I'm definitely not stopping him.

[Minnie&Mickey]

Mind you... I never said they were cheap!

LOL!!! You are absolutely correct! They are quite pricey...and then you have to pay shipping on top of that! Yikes!

[datgrt@fw]

We also 'Love' having a Golf Cart at FW! These are some pictures of my Brother-In-Law's Camper, Truck and GC. We really enjoy vacationing together and we always have a great time at Fort Wilderness looping around in the GC!

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt350/datgrt/DSCN2077.jpg

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt350/datgrt/DSCN2949.jpg

This is a picture that we took on our return trip home to NC last May. We spent one night at the KOA in Florence, SC.
http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt350/datgrt/DSCN2181.jpg

Doug / datgrt@fw

[des1954]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture080.jpg

How are you getting away with doing this??? I thought tandem towing was outlawed in Florida??? Also, why is it MH, GC trailer, truck? My mind tells me to tow the truck behind the MH & then the trailer with golf cart behind the truck. Inquiring minds want to know!!

[tungpo1]

Riding the carts at the fort is fun!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXkVKtQR_bU

[tungpo1]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture080.jpg

How are you getting away with doing this??? I thought tandem towing was outlawed in Florida??? Also, why is it MH, GC trailer, truck? My mind tells me to tow the truck behind the MH & then the trailer with golf cart behind the truck. Inquiring minds want to know!!

:lmao: Im not towing the truck thats my brothers truck parked behind me I was only towing the trailer

[Tiggntaz]

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb201/tungpo1/Halloween%2007%20at%20the%20Fort/Picture080.jpg

See this is why I took my roof off.

Glad I wasn't behind you when that roof blew off your cart. :rotfl2:

[Tiggntaz]

Here we are at the fort waiting for Tigg to come out with our spot.

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/members/tiggntaz-albums-misc-picture2267-untitled.jpg

[BigDaddyRog]

...

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/members/tiggntaz-albums-misc-picture2267-untitled.jpg

Ive heard of BACK SEAT DRIVERS...but THATS ridiculous!!!!;)

[Tiggntaz]

It wasn't to bad. the wind and road noise on I95 made it hard to hear him screaming.

[freshlybarked]

I'm a slightly chuncky 47 year old woman with a 53 year old husband and we spend about 3 weeks a year at the Fort w/o a golf cart. We also enjoy riding the loops and seeing everything, including the path between FW and Wilderness Lodge. The deer at sunset are our favorites. We ride bikes we bring from home. We sometimes ride for a couple hours a day (not all at one time). We ride to the pool, we ride to the beach, we ride to the Check-In up front, we have been back to the cabins and every place in-between. It's like a home town community for us. We check out decoration and RVs we only wish we had. We stop and talk to people and can bring drinks with us. Having a golf cart would be fun, but to anyone who can't afford one you can have just as much fun and travel just as far without one. I'm no less thin when I leave, but I can have a few more treats along the way.