ASMu Suite or FW Cabins?

[badblackpug]

We have 3 kids 11, 8, and 1. We usually stay at ASMu in a family suite. Last year we went to FW for the HDDR and to eat breakfast at Trail's End. Well my 11 (will be 12 on next trip in Nov) really fell in love with Ft. Wilderness and asked if we could stay there, because "it is sooo pretty." I am considering it because 1 year (before baby) we sucked it up and stayed @ AKL because my son loved the animals.

I already have a reservation for ASMu, but I would be willing to change it. My questions are: Is it too spread out? Are the buses a PIA? (we will not have a car and won't even consider renting one we have never minded the buses from the other resorts ASMu, POR, AKL) Is it hugely spread out, so that we will be doing a ton of walking? With a stroller and a baby? What are the swimming facilities like? Lake? Pool?

WWYD? It looks like a nice place to stay and it looks like there will be a lot of fun things for the older kids to do.

 

[islangrl]

I've never stayed in a family suite, just a regular room at ASM, so I can't really compare the 2.
But we have stayed, (and now only stay) at FW in the cabins. It is my kid's favorite place in the world! There is a lot of space, plus a deck with picnic table and BBQ grill. You have a full kitchen, so you can cook some meals if the mood strikes.
If you bring a car, you can park it at your front door, and never deal with the busses. If you don't, you can rent a golf cart and cruise around in that. (definitely get one, it's fun and useful)
Every night is the free campfire/sing-along/movie, where you can roast marshmallows and eat popcorn, the kids LOVE it. The electrical water pageant comes by every night, and that's a lot of fun too.
There are a lot of playgrounds and 2 pools. They are not really themed like the other resorts, but they have activities everyday a few times a day.

I wanted to make reservations at AKL, but DH and my oldest 2 DDs, would not hear of it.

 

[tmarquez]

We've stayed at both many times. For us it all depends on if we can afford to rent a golf cart at FW...if we can...we pick the cabins. If it's not in the budget that trip we stick with ASMu.

 

[lklasing]

We've never stayed at any of the All Star resorts, but we so love the FW Cabins! We used to always stay at the Poly but now opt for the cabins due to the amount of room we have, the full kitchen and just the fabulous resort. There are lots of activities for kids and the main pool is currently being renovated to now include a slide and I think a hot tub. I agree with the PP about getting a golf cart of possible. We always do and it makes for lots of fun, not to mention the ease in getting around. And while I don't cook full meals by any stretch of the imagination, I do think that eating breakfast everyday at the cabin, plus a couple of lunches and maybe one dinner more than defrays the cost of the cart.

If you want lots of FW info, go to the camping board. There are lots of FW lovers there that will answer any question you may have. Also, feel free to check out either of my 2 TRs from our trips to the Fort (see signature if interested...)

Have a great trip!

Leslie

 

[tiggger1]

Love the cabins!

 

[sarahk0204]

...because we stayed at FW last year and loved it! Our girl/boy twins were 4 that trip, so we didn't have to deal with a stroller, and we had our car. Others have had no problem with the buses. We are planning on renting a golf cart this year, which could be an option for you. The pools include a basic one near the cabins (which was totally walkable for us) and the larger Meadows Pool that is being upgraded with a slide even as we speak (estimated completion March 20). There is a nice beach at the lake (no swimming though). You can get more (biased) opinions from the Camping board here as well

 

[Lovin' Disney]

We've never stayed at ASMU suites, but did the FW cabin last summer. They are really nice inside with 1 room with a big bed and bunk beds and a murphy bed in the living room.

Depending on where your cabin is located, there could be a lot of walking involved. They go on a big loop and if you're at the far top of the loop, there are no side roads or anything and you will have to walk to the main road, about 50 cabins or so. We found it hard to walk with a stroller because the ground was muddy after all of the storms, and we couldn't cut through the grass because there was a foot of water covering all of it. It's not that pretty in the late summer, unless last year was an exception.

One thing I like at the all-stars, the pool is close by. The pool by the cabins was about a 20 minute walk from our cabin. It was ok, nothing special. Like a pool at the holiday inn...no special theme or anything. That is where the laundry is too.

We had a car so we didn't have to use the busses too much, but IMO they are a little bit of a PITA. It's nice at ASMu where everything is close together. It's not like that at all at Ft. Wilderness.

Golf carts are nice, but pricey...I think about $75 a day or so.

 

[bellebud]

i stayed in the cabins and loved them. we have 2 kids and rented a golf cart. we also had our car. if we didn't have the golf cart, i wouldn't have liked it. we used it all the time. we also stayed together most of the time, as my kids are 2 years apart. w/ your ages, I'd think sometimes 1 of you might take the baby back for a nap? If so, it would be easy at the asm, but not so easy at ft. wilderness. i'd save the fort for a couple of years from now.