Bus transportation within the resort or golf cart?

[sahbushka]

I just can't decide if we should get the golf cart or just deal with the onsite bus system. It is our first trip to FW and we are going to be staying in a cabin and have requested loop 2100. How bad is the walk to the boat launch or the fort itself? How often do the buses run? Is there a bus that takes you from the boat doc to the fort or do you have to go to the cabin first? I know these may seem like simplistic questions but I can't seem to find the answers and I know you guys are the experts so any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,
SarahMay

 

[luckycharm19335]

Again, as we state over and over again, a request is just that. No guarantee.
To be perfectly honest, I just can't imagine being at the Fort without a golfcart.
It gives you so much freedom to go exploring (looping).
For me one the greatest times at the Fort is taking a cocktail and going looping. You meet so many wonderful people. It is such a relaxing experience.
I work so hard thru the year and I want as much relaxation as I can get.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[becky1960]

If you are going to spend much of your time at the Fort a cart might be nice., or if you are going to parks a lot the buses run every few minutes. We have been to fort both in cabins and camper and never had a cart. The fort is about a mile across so its a good walk to the Marina..

 

[BradyBz12]

The buses are regular and reliable and will get you where you need to go.

It's a VERY long walk from most of the cabin loops to the Settlement/Marina. Map HERE - cabins are 2100-2800.

Carts are definitely fun and IMO make exploring and hanging out at the Fort a lot more fun.

If it helps at all, check out the Golf Cart Thread for info on off-site rental companies that can save you a ton over Disney rates if you're looking to rent for a week+

 

[thegoofyfamily]

To be perfectly honest, I just can't imagine being at the Fort without a golfcart.
It gives you so much freedom to go exploring (looping).
For me one the greatest times at the Fort is taking a cocktail and going looping. You meet so many wonderful people. It is such a relaxing experience.
I work so hard thru the year and I want as much relaxation as I can get.
Just my 2 cents.

Amen, and amen.......and amen. If the cost of the cart is not an issue, you will NOT regret it. It is a luxury as convenience goes, but I wouldn't be at the Fort without one.

 

[Lil' Lisa]

Having a cart at the Fort ROCKS!!! I wouldn't go without one. Looping is the best!

 

[Magicbus]

But if you're a poor boy (tightwad) like me, bikes can get you by too.

 

[Lil' Lisa]

But if you're a poor boy (tightwad) like me, bikes can get you by too.

I'll take you looping Lou!

 

[Magicbus]

I'll take you looping Lou!

I call Shotgun though.

 

[mgsmom]

I guess the big question is: how much time do you plan to spend at the campgrounds?

We did a cabin in loop 2100 this summer and there is a bus stop right across the street. I think it's at the entrance to the 2200 loop, so that would be a good 2nd choice if they don't give you 2100.

We had no problems at all using the internal busses. They were great - and there is always one coming! If you are spending most of your time in the parks, the busses are great!

We rented a golf cart for the one day we designated for the Fort and it was awesome! It is nice to be able to buzz around on your own and do some looping.

If budget is an issue, you will be just fine with the busses. We were concerned about the size of the Fort (for some reason everyone on the resort boards freak about this) but we didn't find it overwhelming at all.

The two reasons to definitely get a cart would be (for me, anyway):
1. If you are spending a good bit of time around the Fort.
2. If you enjoy cruising around at the end of day and checking things out.

It really is a nice luxury, but don't break your bank to get one if you're spending most of your time at the parks. Bikes are a great alternative if you have the means to get them there!

 

[luckycharm19335]

I haven't figured out where to put my designated driver on a bike!
We have our own GC so cost isn't an issue. However, before I had my own, we always rented one.

 

[Lil' Lisa]

I call Shotgun though.

Deal!

 

[cheekymonkey]

We considered getting a cart for a couple of days before we got to the fort. It certainly would have been fun but honesty walking was not a problem (we were in the 1500 loop) and the busses were very efficient. We are a fairly active family but my 4 year old does'nt have much stamina and even she didn't complain about the walking.

A few years ago we stayed at Port Orleans. Talk about walking! And there was no option of busses there.

It would have been nice to have a cart but the fort was VERY manuverable without one.
Sandra

 

[fla4fun]

As my trips are typically solo, I can't justify the expense of a GC. I drive, so I take my bike. A GC is a nice convenience, but it's not a necessity.

The buses will get you anywhere you need to go, and if you are going to the Settlement or Outpost, my experience was about a 10 minute wait (since there are two bus routes that travel through the cabins to those destinations). Going to the Meadow complex was a little longer wait, because only the orange buses go there, but I don't think I waited longer than 15 minutes.

Walking in the campground is always an option, but I only recommend it if the heat and humidity are both low. I wouldn't walk in July, but on my January and April stays, I did a lot of walking. It took me about 10 minutes to walk from the Meadow area back to loop 2200 and about 15 minutes to walk back to the 2400 loop on those stays.

 

[dmr19]

How bad is the walk to the boat launch or the fort itself? ... Is there a bus that takes you from the boat doc to the fort or do you have to go to the cabin first?

To be clear, the whole resort is called "The Fort." There isn't an actual fort.
The buses run about every 10 minutes. You take one bus to the marina to get the boat to MK, which is a very nice, relaxing, convenient ride. You take the bus in the opposite direction to the front, where you can get buses to the other parks. Try to request a cabin close to a bus stop. We rented a golf cart for just one day -- we went horseback riding and boating at the fort. It was a blast. But it was certainly not necessary to have it everyday, especially if you spend most of your time at the parks.
We loved our cabin.
Can't wait to go back.