Am I crazy to think about changing reservation from Poly to FW Cabin?

[buzznina]

First; the cabins is not "camping" and my DW does not like camping but would stay in the cabins again. Unlike some posters, we have actually stayed at both resorts and I can tell you, for us, I would switch, we could do so much with the extra $1400. I also disagree with a post that said "if you are planning on doing stuff at the resort then stay POLY", there is soooo much more to do at FW. Check out both resorts, photos, activities, etc. get everyone's opinion and go from there, also discuss what else you could do with the $1400 Maybe look at a split stay between the 2 resorts, this way you get 2 totally different types of stays all in 1 trip

 

[Hopefully]

I have to totally agree with @buzznina. Staying at a FW Cabin is NOT CAMPING. It is not even " glamping". It is so much more. Unlike many respondents I too have experienced both.
Yes it will be a rustic theme. It's wonderfully quiet and private. The room in the Cabin is wonderful for being together and relaxing. There is more to do at FW than any other resort on property, including boat, canoe and bike rental. There is horseback riding and archery. There are volleyball courts and swimming pools. There are restaurants and stores. There is a bar.
Yes it is very different and it is not for everyone. You need to consider what your family will enjoy.
Folks who have never experienced it and arbitrarily dismiss it because it is camping at a campground are just plain wrong.

 

[maxiesmom]

No way. For me it boils down to transportation. You would be going from being on the monorail line, which is very handy, to someplace where you have to take 2 buses to get to some of the parks. No thanks.

 

[HopperFan]

I have to totally agree with @buzznina. Staying at a FW Cabin is NOT CAMPING. It is not even " glamping". It is so much more. Unlike many respondents I too have experienced both.
Yes it will be a rustic theme. It's wonderfully quiet and private. The room in the Cabin is wonderful for being together and relaxing. There is more to do at FW than any other resort on property, including boat, canoe and bike rental. There is horseback riding and archery. There are volleyball courts and swimming pools. There are restaurants and stores. There is a bar.
Yes it is very different and it is not for everyone. You need to consider what your family will enjoy.
Folks who have never experienced it and arbitrarily dismiss it because it is camping at a campground are just plain wrong.

That is the key component if you plan to have resort time. What would YOUR family enjoy?

I am one who is not interested in boating, horses, archery, campfires, volleyball ....

I also like to walk out my room and in a couple minutes be everywhere. I want to be able to leave the pool for a few minutes to go to the room or walk in just a few for an ice cream. Needing to take buses or rent golf carts just to get around within the resort completely removed the "resort" feel for us.

I agree totally that it depends on what you want from your trip and go from there. What is fun or relaxing for one, is not for another. If at the end you saved money and had a great time - awesome!!

 

[snowmedic]

Staying in the cabins is different experience than staying in ANY resort. Campers are the most friendliest people you will ever meet. Sure it's big, 750 acres big, or 1 mile from Settlement ( boat launch area) to Outpost ( check in area) as the crow flies. There are 2 swimming pools, one in the cabin loop area and the main pool in the middle of the campground (Meadows pool) which has a snack bar and arcade and one of the mug refill machines. There you will also find the Meadows Trading Post, (store). There is also another store at the Settlement area. There you will find Pioneer hall, home of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, and Trails End restaurant.

There is plenty to do and see, and since you would be renting a golf cart, you would be able to see it all: wild life including deer and turkeys, and even decorated campsites in one way or another.

If you have stayed at other resorts before, I would say to give it a try, and if you don't like it, at least you can say you gave it a try. It is something different and sometimes change is good.

 

[MrPTato]

Just wondering...can you take the golf cart from your cabin and park it next to where the bus would pick you up for the parks?

 

[snowmedic]

can you take the golf cart from your cabin and park it next to where the bus would pick you up for the parks?

Yes, there is cart parking at the main bus stop at the front of the resort as well as pool area's and the boat launch area for Magic Kingdom.

 

[Kevin355]

Loved the cabins. Full kitchen, and WDW will have someone do your dishes, although we did them ourselves. Boys slept in the living area and wife and I had the bedroom. Saved tons of money making our breakfast and lunch. Size is large, but we liked the peace, especially at night. And nice view of MK fireworks.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Personally, I couldn't do it. I really like having amenities (restaurants, transportation, etc.) close by and so does DH. Granted, I've only visited Ft. W and haven't stayed there, but it seems like a lot of work getting around to everything. Have you priced out any of the other deluxes? The EP resorts and CR garden wing typically price out less than Poly, as does AKL and WL. You might also consider the Swan. You will lose a few WDW perks (DME, MB's, charging back to the room), but it is a full-service, deluxe hotel with great restaurants and a great pool within walking distance of EP and DHS and it typically prices out much less than Poly.

 

[rosiebean]

I agree that if FW doesn't seem like the atmosphere your family would enjoy that you should prize other deluxes. Poly is generally one of the more expensive ones, so slightly lower rates might be found at WL and AKL, and even BC and YC, saving some money if not $1400. But $1400 savings is hard to dismiss...maybe a split stay, a few nights at a mod and the rest at Poly?

 

[Hisgirl]

We only stay at deluxe...usually GF or AKL and stayed at the fort back in 2014 in Feb. We loved the cabins. I was shocked at how cute the decor is and how spacious. Plenty of sleeping room for several folks and a fully stocked kitchen and...mousekeeping will wash your dishes if you have cleaning come in! We had groceries and made our own breakfasts and even grilled out one night. We loved the buffets and the boat ride to MK was great each morning. The bonfire and cook out, the pool, horses, fun sports activities, all of it.... We loved it and yes, we also had the golfcart. I say give it a go as a fact-finding trip and save that money to pay off your bills.

 

[Amelia :)]

During our recent trip we visited Fort Wilderness and the Poly for meals, we thought the Poly was beautiful but really disliked Fort Wilderness. Very rustic, not luxurious at all , just not my cup of tea really. Whilst it's a lot cheaper than the Poly, I think it's still very expensive for what does feel like a campsite to me (just my opinion). I'd definitely stick with the Poly.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

I wouldn't want to do it. Don't like theme and my kids would be most unhappy. The Poly is amazing. Would ty and find somewhere else to cut.

If you like theme, go for it!

Good luck!

 

[Nancyg56]

I think it depends on how that $1400 will affect you. If it means that skrimp to stay at the Poly, I'd move. If it is an inconvenience, one that means you reduce your spending leading up to the trip, but that the trip itself is still within your budget, than stay where you booked.

I think that anyplace you choose is going to affect you you vacation, and the trip itself will be different from resort to resort. I know that a monorail line trip differs from a moderate resort vacation for us. It's not bad, but it is different.

The cabins vibe and the Poly vibe is going to be a major contrast, as will be transportation strategy, so keep this in mind as yuou plan.

 

[Miffy]

Are the Poly and the FW Cabins your only 2 choices? There are things in between those two that would save you money over the Poly but would still be a deluxe hotel. AKL and WL come to mind immediately, although WL is undergoing construction right now, which makes it a no-go for us.

AKL is beautiful, the bus transportation to the parks is great (it's not on the monorail line, but the bus service is excellent), it has great restaurants including the QS, let's not forget the animals!, and it's definitely cheaper than the Poly. You've probably already looked at renting DVC points, but you can't cancel or change your paid-for-up-front reservation, which is always what stops me, since I've had to change plans in the past. Much easier if you've booked through Disney reservations.

I've never stayed in the cabins, but I usually go over to the fort at least once during a trip. It's lovely there. I've thought of staying in the cabins, but are the cabins soundproofed? And what if your camping or cabin neighbors are outdoors, smoking? Smoking's allowed at the fort (at campsites and on cabin porches). This isn't an issue at a deluxe, where smoking isn't allowed on the balconies or in the rooms but only in designated areas.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Micca]

I'd guess the cabins at FW are really cool, but I'd probably rather stay just about anywhere else. Stick with the Poly if you can. If you're going to worry about money the whole time you should probably consider the cabins, or as others have suggested a different resort entirely.

 

[mjtatman]

Fort Wilderness is our families absolute favorite! We've stayed at ASM all the way to a one bedroom villa at Kidani Village, but Fort Wilderness is our favorite. Sure, the villa was AMAZING, but it also bit into other parts of our budget. We prefer to stay at FW, rent the golf cart, and enjoy all of the space! WE are a family of five, so it works great for us! And no, I am not a camper AT ALL!!!!

 

[mjtatman]

I have the dilemma of whether I should switch from a one bedroom at BCV for four people to two rooms at POFQ for a $400 savings. I just don't know if being able to walk right into Epcot is something I can live without????

I wouldn't change....the one bedroom gives you actual defined space to sit in (instead of sitting on beds) when you are just at the hotel.

 

[mjtatman]

First; the cabins is not "camping" and my DW does not like camping but would stay in the cabins again. Unlike some posters, we have actually stayed at both resorts and I can tell you, for us, I would switch, we could do so much with the extra $1400. I also disagree with a post that said "if you are planning on doing stuff at the resort then stay POLY", there is soooo much more to do at FW. Check out both resorts, photos, activities, etc. get everyone's opinion and go from there, also discuss what else you could do with the $1400 Maybe look at a split stay between the 2 resorts, this way you get 2 totally different types of stays all in 1 trip

Totally agree! We love the Fort

 

[Surgie2]

I just visited both last week as we wanted to see the resorts in person before booking for our 2018 trip and were in Orlando anyway. I was intrigued by the cabins as we will have 10 family members traveling together and will need 3 rooms. But the reality of seeing where the cabins are located was a deal breaker for me. It just seems so isolated - which could be great if one were looking for the "away from it all" experience. But for us, with four kids under the age of 6 in our group, we need convenience, convenience, convenience. The location and amenities of the Poly are hard to beat for someone planning several trips to MK as we will be doing.