Advice for staying in a cabin at Fort Wilderness

TTFNTigger

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Sep 20, 2013
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We’re doing a quick (3 nights/2 park days), somewhat last minute trip, in early November. We opted for a cabin because we wanted separate sleeping area for husband and I from our teenage daughter and the price of the cabin was more budget friendly than villas or two hotel rooms. It has also been on my list of places I’ve wanted to stay. The size of Fort Wilderness for such a quick trip has me somewhat concerned now that we’re locked into staying there. Please help tame my second guessing this decision by answering these questions and giving any helpful advice for making our trip as stress free as possible without purchasing add-ons (golf cart, park hopper, genie+, etc). We’re planning to spend day one at Disney Springs and at the resort. Next two days will be at a park- Magic Kingdom one day and either HS or Epcot the other.
Are you able to park your vehicle at the cabin?
Would you drive or use Disney transportation to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Disney Springs?
Is the campfire with Chip and Dale worth the effort to go to for an “older family” and do you need to bring your own s’more making items?
Is there anything at the resort that you just wouldn’t want to miss if staying there? Or something you’d avoid?
TIA!!
 
We’re doing a quick (3 nights/2 park days), somewhat last minute trip, in early November. We opted for a cabin because we wanted separate sleeping area for husband and I from our teenage daughter and the price of the cabin was more budget friendly than villas or two hotel rooms. It has also been on my list of places I’ve wanted to stay. The size of Fort Wilderness for such a quick trip has me somewhat concerned now that we’re locked into staying there. Please help tame my second guessing this decision by answering these questions and giving any helpful advice for making our trip as stress free as possible without purchasing add-ons (golf cart, park hopper, genie+, etc). We’re planning to spend day one at Disney Springs and at the resort. Next two days will be at a park- Magic Kingdom one day and either HS or Epcot the other.
Are you able to park your vehicle at the cabin?
Would you drive or use Disney transportation to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Disney Springs?
Is the campfire with Chip and Dale worth the effort to go to for an “older family” and do you need to bring your own s’more making items?
Is there anything at the resort that you just wouldn’t want to miss if staying there? Or something you’d avoid?
TIA!!
It's been awhile since we stayed and that is because it just isn't for us. It was for a week in January. My sister's family had the cabin next to us.

We parked right at our cabin which was great. We drove to all the parks except MK because the multiple buses was not for us. Between walking to the bus stop, waiting, every bus was crowded (and we were during a LOW crowd time), then having to get off and transfer to another bus being fed by more than our bus .. we quickly opted to only drive.

With MK you ride a boat from FW or if you drive, so might as well enjoy the FW boat.

We did not do any of the activities because of the bus system and we focused on the parks. I think if we were going again we might check out the stables (and we are not horse people) but photos look like it's cool. And maybe book Hoop Dee Doo.
 
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while it has been awhile for us, I can answer some of these questions:
1) yes you can park at your cabin
2) I would suggest you take the boat to MK, noting you can’t drive your car to the boat nowhere to park
3) I would take the car to Disney springs, buses to/from DS are terribly slow and infrequent
4) I would bus to either HS or Epcot rather than drive
5) chip n dale for a short time but only if you want to see CnD
6) hoop dee do is recommended entertainment
 
Fort Wilderness has an internal bus system/bus stop that will pick you up and take you either to the boat dock (at the back of the park) or the bus stop (at the front of the park). Before we first went to Fort Wilderness, I expected the internal bus system to be daunting. It is not. It will take you all of one minute to understand.

You do not need a golf cart. In all of our times at Fort Wilderness, we rented a golf cart one time (for a day) just to try it out. Have never felt the need to get a cart again.

Yes, you can park your car at your cabin. One car per cabin.

To get to the Magic Kingdom you can either take the boat or drive your car. There is no bus. I would take the boat.

To get to Disney Springs and the other parks-we always take the bus. The buses at Fort Wilderness are as reliable as the buses at any other resort-meaning, cross your fingers.

Depending on where your cabin is, you could even walk to the front bus stop and not take an internal bus.

We have never been to the Chip and Dale campfire, but I believe that you can buy smore fixings or bring your own.

If you have never done the Hoop Dee Doo Review and have the time and money and the energy after a day at the parks, it is a dinner show that most people enjoy. The Hoop Dee Doo Review is near the boat dock at Fort Wilderness. However, this show fills up pretty quickly. It might be too late to get a reservation.

Will you like Fort Wilderness? Well, if you don't, it's only a three day trip. And, while it might not be your cup of tea, I don't think you will hate it.

Best wishes. Let us know how the trip goes.
 
If you have more questions you should post in the Camping at Disney World forum.
https://www.disboards.com/forums/camping-at-disney-world.24/
We have never not had a golf cart, but we tend to do stuff at the Fort. Plus, we find it quicker to get to the marina or main bus stop. We don't bring a car so driving to parks isn't an option.
Truth in advertising, we have never stayed in a cabin. We have a motorhome and are on one of the pads.
 
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We've done about 4 staycations at the cabins and FW.

Parking at your cabin is easy and there is an outlet there just in case you do decide to get a golf cart.

Although not a necessity, the golf cart rental is the experience. Even if you only rent for one night, there is something about the breeze going between the various campsites to see how many guests take pride in their decorations. At night is when the campsites really start to come alive with decorations.

They do sell smore kits at the campfire, but we bring our own. There is a Publix just a few miles north of FW for most/all your food/drinking needs. There are also grills (not gas) at the base of the decks at each cabin.

After the campfire, they typically show a movie right there. It is basically a small outdoor theater with benches and a few grandstands (like 4-5 rows high).

The internal bus loops and stops are available, but we've never ridden them. Again, the golf cart made riding down to the boat dock to go to MK a real treat, plus the added benefit of returning back to the cabin in the dark surrounded by those, again, decorations.

There is food available to purchase for grilling/cooking in your cabin onsite. However, it is very pricey so if you are driving in, I would highly suggest stopping at a grocery store for your needs.
 
sorry to hone in on OP's thread - but @hertamaniac and @Stratman50th seem like they know FW well - could either of you (or others reading this ) recommend which blocks or areas in FW may have the most halloween decorations? I know some guests reserve their same spot for years and really do it up! (I checked w/WDW and it's still allowed to come see the decorations for those not staying at the Fort.)

We LOVE doing this - but aren't allowed to rent a cart - so need to focus all our walking on the best likely spots :)
 
To get to the Magic Kingdom you can either take the boat or drive your car. There is no bus. I would take the boat.

Actually, there is a bus to MK. From the cabins take an internal FW bus down to the Settlement Bus Stop down by HDDR, Trails End, and Bay Lake. A bus runs back and forth from the Settlement Bus Stop straight to the MK bus stop area and back.

In the mornings when we've ridden it, the first bus of the day to MK leaves the Settlement AFTER the first boat to MK does but both are planned to arrive at MK at approximately the same time before the gates open, Early Entry, and Rope Drop.

We usually take the boat back to the Fort in the evenings.

Bama Ed
 
sorry to hone in on OP's thread - but @hertamaniac and @Stratman50th seem like they know FW well - could either of you (or others reading this ) recommend which blocks or areas in FW may have the most halloween decorations? I know some guests reserve their same spot for years and really do it up! (I checked w/WDW and it's still allowed to come see the decorations for those not staying at the Fort.)

We LOVE doing this - but aren't allowed to rent a cart - so need to focus all our walking on the best likely spots :)

Traditionally, IMO, there are usually good displays in 100, 400, 300, and 700 which are all down close to Bay Lake/Hoop Dee Doo/Trails End and are walkable.

The other, IMO, good decorations are in 1600 and 1800 which you can get to by internal bus and then walk them as they are adjacent to each other.

Bama Ed
 
Traditionally, IMO, there are usually good displays in 100, 400, 300, and 700 which are all down close to Bay Lake/Hoop Dee Doo/Trails End and are walkable.

The other, IMO, good decorations are in 1600 and 1800 which you can get to by internal bus and then walk them as they are adjacent to each other.

Bama Ed
really appreciate it - thanks :thanks:
 
Thank you everyone! I feel much better about this decision. I think I’m mostly concerned about only having 2 days- we’ve never done less than 5- and then when I stated looking at the size of the resort I got more concerned.
 
I think it’s not outside the realm of possibility that once you’re there you may find yourself canceling or modifying your park plans to spend more time at the Fort. 😇

But in seriousness, if you ever get the chance to do a longer Fort trip, do it (assuming you didn’t hate your short stay). I find it best for longer trips where we can really slow things down and enjoy the unique setting.
 
I just stayed at a cabin a week ago. And thought it was a lot of fun .
It was for just one night but I did visit the Tri- Circle Horse Barn and ChipnDale and also the Water Pageant .
We did have a golf cart which was a big part of the fun but not necessary.
I am pretty sure you are going to be glad you visited before all the changes begin . I’m looking forward to staying as soon as the new Cabins are available too !
I couldn’t believe how clean everything was .
Disney has really perfected the camping experience for their guests.
 
sorry to hone in on OP's thread - but @hertamaniac and @Stratman50th seem like they know FW well - could either of you (or others reading this ) recommend which blocks or areas in FW may have the most halloween decorations? I know some guests reserve their same spot for years and really do it up! (I checked w/WDW and it's still allowed to come see the decorations for those not staying at the Fort.)

We LOVE doing this - but aren't allowed to rent a cart - so need to focus all our walking on the best likely spots :)

You don't need the cart to enjoy FW. But, for the Christmas campsite decorations at night, to me, it's a high priority.
 
I'd rent one if I could...WDW doesn't allow visitors to rent carts: you have to be staying on-site.
Yeah, that's too bad. When friends and family would come to visit we would rent a cart, park at the marina and take the boat over to MK. From there we'd resort hop till dinner time and come back for the buffet dinner at Trail's End, which also doesn't exist any longer. After dinner we would go looping and enjoy the decorations. Drop off the cart at 11:00ish and drive home. We did it during Halloween and Christmas. At one point they ran out of carts for resort guests. I know they bought a bunch more but the Fort guest only rule is still in place. Might be the overflow lot got filled up and there was a lack of parking for folks at the fort. Don't know for sure.
 
I'd rent one if I could...WDW doesn't allow visitors to rent carts: you have to be staying on-site.
That policy was enacted during the pandemic and I think hampered potential sales for visitors trying to get a sense of what FW was like. But, I never checked if a 3rd party could drop off a cart for a day visitor.
 
We loved our stay in a cabin at the Fort. It was one of our family’s favorite trips. We planned it as more of a relaxing trip than a parks trip, on purpose, and it was perfect for that. We still got to do the same things we always do but also got in a lot of R&R and unique fun. It reminded me of our stays in NH but with a lot more to do, and closer. :lovestruc

I agree with a pp that having a golf cart was part of the fun. We had a late flight and arrived after midnight, so we were surprised that we were able to get the cart then, at check in. Needless to say, after we parked our car and took in our bags, we took the cart out and drove it all over the place. What a blast! We saw wildlife and decorations, figured out where things were, learned our way around, etc, with almost no one else on the roads. Pretty magical. Prior to that, the Fort was a bit of a mystery to us (like it seems to be for others!). We’re looking forward to another stay some day but have decided already we will always have a golf cart when there. OP, I would consider it for at least your resort day (but if that comes before your park days, I doubt you’ll want to give it up).

We went to Epcot and drove our car. We also enjoy going to DS and other resorts, and drove. We never had to use the internal buses, but there was a stop just a very short walk from our cabin (at the beginning of the loop), and it seemed like any other Disney bus stop I’ve ever seen, with buses steadily stopping by. We enjoyed the Tri Circle D Ranch a lot, and also viewed the horses at the front of the Fort - several times. We enjoyed the quiet and main pools, and drove by the dog park to see the dogs playing. We enjoyed shopping at both outlets. We visited the charming bike/boat rental area that has a lot to do. We rode bikes around the fort which was nice (bringing two of our own portable bikes). Restaurants weren’t fully functional when we were there but there were food trucks (good) and quick service (decent). We hit the grocery store and made breakfasts and snacks/lunches in the cabin, and even grilled out one night. They do have some camping type supplies in the store and basic foods. Friends visited us and we grilled burgers and hot dogs (they had to leave their car at the check in area parking lot and we went and picked them up in the golf cart).

I thought the bathroom was spacious and loved the kitchen/dining area set up in the cabin. We didn’t sit out on the deck much but I think that would be nice, too. (We usually went to the pool instead.) Our cabin was surrounded by a pine grove which brought back a lot of good memories from my youth. We saw a lot of deer around during the day, and occasionally the horses and carts would clip-clop down our street - not sure if they still do that, at that time they were getting them ready for rides again for the first time post-pandemic. We had brought some decorations but never got a chance to put them up. We found a big family on our loop with lots of kids and asked them if they wanted them and they were thrilled. I felt like people were pretty friendly there. I think the only negative for us was the room service (which seems to be everywhere), but I had no trouble finding people around on carts to ask for clean towels or toilet paper, and even a broom and dustpan, and they were very accomodating. One really sweet CM, when we asked for supplies, cleaned the whole place for us, without asking. She even wished me a happy birthday.

HTH, and I hope you have a nice trip! :goodvibes
 
Yeah, that's too bad. When friends and family would come to visit we would rent a cart, park at the marina and take the boat over to MK. From there we'd resort hop till dinner time and come back for the buffet dinner at Trail's End, which also doesn't exist any longer. After dinner we would go looping and enjoy the decorations. Drop off the cart at 11:00ish and drive home. We did it during Halloween and Christmas. At one point they ran out of carts for resort guests. I know they bought a bunch more but the Fort guest only rule is still in place. Might be the overflow lot got filled up and there was a lack of parking for folks at the fort. Don't know for sure.
I 100% understand - if I stayed there, I'd want that rule in place too. It's only right that resort guests are prioritized. Plus, I enjoy walking - it's cooler and so beautiful this time of year. (It just helps to know if the best Halloween decor is usually concentrated on particular blocks, as there's no way to cover the entire place and I'd hate to miss the best displays.)

Maybe one day cart "sub-rental" will be a mini side hustle for resort guests: rent your cart to a guest for 1-2 hours and make some $ to cover dinner. (Or host a personalized tour for couples.) :rotfl:
 












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