Any cons to Fort Wilderness/cabin stay?

WiscoMom

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 16, 2017
Looking at booking a 3 night stay in March with two park days. 5 of us traveling together - myself, DH, DS5 and DS4, and grandpa. Previous trips have only been myself and DS5. Found it best to go to park in morning, come back in afternoon for rest and pool time, then back to park for evening. Pool time and down time were very necessary. :)

With 5 of us together, I'm thinking cabins will be best. Kids do not co-sleep well together so I think the bunks will be good to give them each a separate bed to sleep in. Grandpa can sleep on murphy and DH and I on the bed.

We will be in MK at least one of the two park days. Possibly both days in MK. Disney Springs is also a favorite stop during our time. (Is transportation to DS easy from Fort?).

Any cons to staying at cabins? Any other resorts you would suggest given what I've shared?
Thanks for your help!
 
Cons for me is it lacks that "resort feel", food can be very very far away if you don't rent a golf cart, and the pool is big but not themed. Other than that the outdoor areas are amazing and room size wise it's like getting a deluxe at moderate prices. It's also nice to park your car right in front of your unit if you drive.
 
^THIS

One of the nicest campgrounds you will ever see, but it's still a campground. It is very large so you will need to rent a golf cart or depend on the internal bus system. You can not drive anywhere, you can't walk most places without a long walk. We prefer a resort atmosphere where we can walk easily to food court etc. When staying here it is strictly for kitchen and good rates. We use our car to drive everywhere and don't participate in any of the amenities.

To parks you will have to get to end of your loop, then catch an internal bus. You will either take to boat for MK or Outpost and then transfer to another bus that will go to the parks. The perk for us of staying onsite is transportation but at cabins, we end up driving so save lots of time and transferring.
 
I love the cabins at FW! The one downside IMO is the bus system. We never waited long for buses, but navigating the extra inner-loop stop could be a little annoying/complicated. Definitely recommend a golf cart if you can afford one. It makes it easy to get around and it’s a fun way to explore.
 


One bathroom would be a con. Depending on how far you are from a comfort station, you are far from other bathrooms as well. (The times I've had 5 people have to share a bathroom, we were in a deluxe resort room, so someone could go to the lobby)

I would consider AoA suites or two rooms at a value resort.
 
Rent. A. Golf. Cart. Best money you will spend the entire trip! The place is HUGE! We liked the cabins and riding around was great. If you’re driving, it’s nice to be able to park right at your cabin. Though there is only one bathroom, it is good size. The pool is not the greatest. We did horseback riding and that was a lot of fun. Be aware, it’s not really a Murphy bed, but a sleeper sofa, so it’s not quite as comfortable. Food options are so so.
 
I think for your situation, it might depend on how Grandpa feels about his sleeping arrangements. As DisneyGirlMI pointed out, they renovated a couple years ago and now it's a pull out sofa instead of a Murphy bed.

My family stayed in a cabin about a year ago and Dh and I (in our 40s) slept on the pull out sofa. I felt it was comfortable enough, but it was kind of a pain to "put it away" each morning and set it back up each night.
 


I also am considering the cabins for a group of 5, but all 5 in my party are adults.

Can anyone confirm if Lyft/Uber can pick you up at the front gate/Outpost? We usually use a car service to get to/from dining rather than wait for buses.

My one big concern is having one bathroom for 5 people. At most resorts you have the sink area split from the shower/toilet, which is a huge help. And one of the reasons I thought we would book a 1 bedroom at Coronado Springs. But they appear to be sold out for our stay, at least right now. And most other room/resort options would require the fifth adult to sleep on the fold down twin, which is certainly not ideal. Should I just plan on requesting a loop next to a comfort station so some of the party can shower and such over there?
 
I also am considering the cabins for a group of 5, but all 5 in my party are adults.

Can anyone confirm if Lyft/Uber can pick you up at the front gate/Outpost? We usually use a car service to get to/from dining rather than wait for buses.

My one big concern is having one bathroom for 5 people. At most resorts you have the sink area split from the shower/toilet, which is a huge help. And one of the reasons I thought we would book a 1 bedroom at Coronado Springs. But they appear to be sold out for our stay, at least right now. And most other room/resort options would require the fifth adult to sleep on the fold down twin, which is certainly not ideal. Should I just plan on requesting a loop next to a comfort station so some of the party can shower and such over there?

Don't forget about the kitchen sink. Someone can be using that to wash/brush teeth, etc, while someone else is in the main bathroom.

Biggest downside to the fort is definitely getting around the fort. A golf cart really makes getting around easier and is a lot of fun, but it's an added expense you'll need to budget for. The internal buses work, but we found it a bit of a downer on our first trip watching everyone else zoom around in carts while we waited for a bus.

Other than that, we love the place. There's no food court, but there's more quick service options than previously and with good variety, as well. Trails End is cheap (by Disney standards) for a buffet, and if you have a Disney Visa card, you get 10% off as well. I think the main pool is actually quite nice. It isn't luxurious, but there's a great slide and a fun kids play area in addition to a regular kiddie pool and hot tub.
 
I also am considering the cabins for a group of 5, but all 5 in my party are adults.

Can anyone confirm if Lyft/Uber can pick you up at the front gate/Outpost? We usually use a car service to get to/from dining rather than wait for buses.

My one big concern is having one bathroom for 5 people. At most resorts you have the sink area split from the shower/toilet, which is a huge help. And one of the reasons I thought we would book a 1 bedroom at Coronado Springs. But they appear to be sold out for our stay, at least right now. And most other room/resort options would require the fifth adult to sleep on the fold down twin, which is certainly not ideal. Should I just plan on requesting a loop next to a comfort station so some of the party can shower and such over there?

Make sure there are adults who can fit in those bunk beds.
 
We stayed there in October. My kids had an absolute blast. It’s a very special place. Campfires, cookouts, picnics, marshmallow roasts. That said, the beds were terrible! I was on the pullout couch with my son. Didn’t get one good night’s sleep. The other beds were very, very soft. You sunk right into them.

We rented a golf cart and that was a trip highlight. The kids are anxious to go back. While I loved it, I’m not anxious about returning to those beds.
 
@ilovebassets Yes I'm sure we will use the kitchen sink. I just know we are all bound to wake up at the same time and want to get in the shower haha. So I'm thinking maybe the comfort station could help speed up the process. And we are indeed planning on getting a golf cart. They have good rates right now for their summer deal, and we are used to spending deluxe resort prices, but wanted to spend a bit less this year. But even with the golf cart, it will still be cheaper than a deluxe room.

@HopperFan Yes we do have adults who can fit on a twin!
 
I also am considering the cabins for a group of 5, but all 5 in my party are adults.

Can anyone confirm if Lyft/Uber can pick you up at the front gate/Outpost? We usually use a car service to get to/from dining rather than wait for buses.

My one big concern is having one bathroom for 5 people. At most resorts you have the sink area split from the shower/toilet, which is a huge help. And one of the reasons I thought we would book a 1 bedroom at Coronado Springs. But they appear to be sold out for our stay, at least right now. And most other room/resort options would require the fifth adult to sleep on the fold down twin, which is certainly not ideal. Should I just plan on requesting a loop next to a comfort station so some of the party can shower and such over there?
most of cabin loops are not near comfort stations and are not walkable from what we found. you will need to use internal bus/golf cart to the front to get your car service and again in reverse to get back to cabin. I am not sure if Minnie Vans are allowed to pick up and drop off at cabins but Lyft/Uber are not allowed to pick up and drop off at the cabins. I would think about 2 rooms in a value
 
These factors may or may not be cons for your family. Ft. Wilderness being woodsy tends to have more mosquitoes than some other areas, but if you're not the type to get mosquito bites frequently, you might not encounter any. Also the cabins allow pet dogs, which depending on your situation may be a con, a pro, or a non-issue.
 
I also am considering the cabins for a group of 5, but all 5 in my party are adults.

Can anyone confirm if Lyft/Uber can pick you up at the front gate/Outpost? We usually use a car service to get to/from dining rather than wait for buses.

My one big concern is having one bathroom for 5 people. At most resorts you have the sink area split from the shower/toilet, which is a huge help. And one of the reasons I thought we would book a 1 bedroom at Coronado Springs. But they appear to be sold out for our stay, at least right now. And most other room/resort options would require the fifth adult to sleep on the fold down twin, which is certainly not ideal. Should I just plan on requesting a loop next to a comfort station so some of the party can shower and such over there?
Uber can pick you at the outpost, I used them frequently in June. I used Lyft once and won’t be using them again in Orlando, the cost difference was pretty big.
 
@Betty Rohrer it looked like from the maps that Cabin loop 2500 (or the start of 2600) would be close to the comfort station by the pool. 2500 is less than a five min walk per google maps. That is the loop I was considering. And then take the nearby bus, or more likely golf cart, to the outpost. Thanks for confirming that car services will pick you up there @Clockwork !

The value resorts just dont appeal to us. I think we will keep the cabin reservation since everyone will get a real bed and we will save a ton of money, and if a suite at Coronado opens up then we will consider switching.
 
@Betty Rohrer it looked like from the maps that Cabin loop 2500 (or the start of 2600) would be close to the comfort station by the pool. 2500 is less than a five min walk per google maps. That is the loop I was considering. And then take the nearby bus, or more likely golf cart, to the outpost. Thanks for confirming that car services will pick you up there @Clockwork !

The value resorts just dont appeal to us. I think we will keep the cabin reservation since everyone will get a real bed and we will save a ton of money, and if a suite at Coronado opens up then we will consider switching.
what would happen if you do not get the loop you want which happened to us at it was a long walk to comfort station
 
@Betty Rohrer it looked like from the maps that Cabin loop 2500 (or the start of 2600) would be close to the comfort station by the pool. 2500 is less than a five min walk per google maps. That is the loop I was considering. And then take the nearby bus, or more likely golf cart, to the outpost. Thanks for confirming that car services will pick you up there @Clockwork !

The value resorts just dont appeal to us. I think we will keep the cabin reservation since everyone will get a real bed and we will save a ton of money, and if a suite at Coronado opens up then we will consider switching.
It is not a full comfort station, no showers.

I think if you plan on having a golf cart and ubering everywhere there is no downside - for us the only issue was taking two buses every time we had to go somewhere. I am a rope dropper and the waiting stressed me out lol

Pull out bed is comfortable, plenty of space, my kids loved seeing wildlife - the pool by the 2500 loop had a hot tub which my husband appreciated at the end of a long day instead of having to bus back to the main pool.

Our family of 7 is split on their opinion on the cabins but I definitely think it is worth checking out for yourself! The camping section on disboards has a lot of good info on the campgrounds.

Have fun!!
 
We just returned from our first stay in a cabin. 2 adults, 3 kids. It was a lot of fun, and I am so glad we got a golf cart! Can’t imagine riding all those buses.

Some things to consider:

If you like to refill your mugs often it is much more difficult to get to a refill station quickly because of how big the campground is. Can’t always just walk there like you can at a regular resort.

Also, consider the weather during the time you will be there. We happened to be there when there were a couple of very stormy days. We still had a blast, but those golf cart rides were wet and cold, and with no windshield wiper it was tough at night to see clearly when it started pouring. Also, when it really started raining we kind of were trapped in the cabin. Couldn’t really go anywhere without getting drenched. That was a bit tough when we were hungry for lunch and didn’t have any snacks in the cabin yet.

Next trip will be back a regular deluxe resort, but we liked the cabins and will probably go back again in the future. We had a nice time!
 
Since you said you’d get a golf cart I’d absolutely go with FW cabin. The experience is amazing! The playground, Marina, nightly s’mores campfire singalong with chip n dale...pools, horses, pony rides...there’s so much to do! It’s like another world but you are still in Disney. You could do so much and not even go to the parks lol! Check out the walk between FW and WL- there are so many deer usually. If you are concerned with the one bathroom perhaps you can request a cabin close to a comfort station.
 

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