For those who have stayed at Ft. Wilderness

[jweb20]

I am thinking of staying at Ft. Wilderness on our first WDW vacation. 2 adults, 2 small children

I LOVE the Wilderness Lodge and was there as a kid but if we stay at Ft. Wilderness we can cook almost all of our meals and save.

PROS
- more space
- skip the dining plan (full kitchen)
- closer to the Chip & Dale campfire
- still has WL feel.

CONS
- How much longer is it to get to MK from Ft Wilderness VS wilderness lodge

Any other cons???

Thanks in advance

 

[WDWKOOK]

I am thinking of staying at Ft. Wilderness on our first WDW vacation. 2 adults, 2 small children

I LOVE the Wilderness Lodge and was there as a kid but if we stay at Ft. Wilderness we can cook almost all of our meals and save.

PROS
- more space
- skip the dining plan (full kitchen)
- closer to the Chip & Dale campfire
- still has WL feel.

CONS
- How much longer is it to get to MK from Ft Wilderness VS wilderness lodge

Any other cons???

Thanks in advance

The boat ride is maybe only a few minutes longer to the MK from FW. WL has a direct bus to MK which is only about 5 mins. The FW bus does take longer, but I don't know how much longer, maybe a few minutes longer?

Some differences:

There isn't a health club at FW or massages.
There isn't a food court. (Are you sure you want to cook everyday on vacation? You'll have to factor in the cost of ordering groceries.)
There is only one Table Service Vs. two at WL, but there is HDDR dinner show at FW and MBYB.
You can (or might need to) rent a golf cart at FW.
The beds at FW are only doubles and single bunks, not queens.
You can park right in front of your cabin.
There's no one else's room attached to your cabin.
Everything is under one roof at WL, which is convenient and nice if it's raining.
WL also has VWL which you can book on a cash reservation.
FW has ponies, horses and canoe rentals.
Is a geyser erupting on the hour important to you?




Not trying to sway you one way or another, just pointing out some differences

 

[jennab]

I have never stayed at WL but we did stay at FW and the boat ride wasn't long. There is a table service restaurant and also a walk up counter that has cs options we got fried chicken and pizza one night and it was good (I believe there is one by the pool too but we didn't go to that one)

 

[trishadono]

I am thinking of staying at Ft. Wilderness on our first WDW vacation. 2 adults, 2 small children

I LOVE the Wilderness Lodge and was there as a kid but if we stay at Ft. Wilderness we can cook almost all of our meals and save.

PROS
- more space
- skip the dining plan (full kitchen)
- closer to the Chip & Dale campfire
- still has WL feel.

CONS
- How much longer is it to get to MK from Ft Wilderness VS wilderness lodge

My dd was 4 when my I laws stayed in the campground. She like the fire better than any ride. I stayed later in a cabin when dd was 11 and ds was 9. Us girls liked sleeping on the Murphy bed, very comfy because regular mattress. My son rotated top and bottom bunk and my Dh slept in bed . It was nice having 2 TV's and a full kitchen . I only had breakfast foods and snacks there. We liked the big bathroom and seating outside was nice too. Truly if you take the time to figure out the Loops of the busses you will like it. Little disney details in the cabins were so nice .
NOW if you are staying in the campground my in laws loved it. it was very peaceful and convenient to bus routes etc. either way it is worth a try.

Also we took boat to WL and ate some meals there for fun too. Roaring Forks has great options!

 

[wdwmom3]

When we stayed at wl in June the boat to the cr would stop at fw as well. It didn't seem much longer then when we went right there with no stop. So I would say they trip is close to the same length. Maybe a couple of minutes difference.

 

[Disney Dad 88]

Stayed at both last year. Had to rent a cart which added $56.00 to the bill because you either wait for a bus or you are two miles away from the boat. We did cook some meals, but less than we thought we would. Don't get me wrong it is secluded and different, but having everything under the same roof especially in the summer at WL was priceless!!