Cabin at Fort or family suite at AoA

[petunia]

We are a family of 6, including 4 kids, 21, 18, 11, 10. We have stayed at AoA and really liked it, so I booked bounceback free dining for AoA. Im now considering the cabins at Ft Wilderness for a few reasons. I think it will come out cheaper, as right now we only have qsdp for free, and will have to pay to upgrade to regular ddp (which is a must for us). If we get a cabin we will not have to pay to upgrade so i think it works out cheaper. I just don't know if it will have the "Disney" feel. I believe the suites have 20 more square feet than the cabin, but the cabins seems cozy and pretty spacious, and I like that there is room for 4 to sleep in the bedroom, as opposed to the suite where you have to "turn down" the murphy bed and couch. I know its personal preference, but does anyone have thoughts either way? We will do about 8 days, each park once and 2 waterpark days, so not too much resort time.

My main question is, I currently have AoA booked, but would like the option to switch if I choose. Would I be better off having a cabin available in the next few months, or should I switch to a cabin now, if there is a better chance a suite at AoA will be available? We will be going mid August.

 

[fla4fun]

The main thing to consider is that the cabins only have one bathroom, where the AoA suite will have two. With a family of six, two people will be sleeping on a sofa bed in the cabin, just like they would be in the AoA suite.

I have stayed in both, and liked both, but they are very different experiences. The cabins feel very much like a home in a neighborhood. It's very laid back, and the theme is not so much "in your face". AoA feels more like a hotel, and has a very emphatic and bold theme.

Will you have a car? Although I had no issues using the bus transportation at the Fort, it really is super convenient if you have a car, since you can park it right outside your cabin.

No way to know which will have the best availability. I have had success booking both around two months prior to arrival.

 

[petunia]

The main thing to consider is that the cabins only have one bathroom, where the AoA suite will have two. With a family of six, two people will be sleeping on a sofa bed in the cabin, just like they would be in the AoA suite.

I have stayed in both, and liked both, but they are very different experiences. The cabins feel very much like a home in a neighborhood. It's very laid back, and the theme is not so much "in your face". AoA feels more like a hotel, and has a very emphatic and bold theme.

Will you have a car? Although I had no issues using the bus transportation at the Fort, it really is super convenient if you have a car, since you can park it right outside your cabin.

No way to know which will have the best availability. I have had success booking both around two months prior to arrival.

Yes, we will have a vehicle.

 

[HopperFan]

AoA -
- TWO bathrooms, the second one comprised of two rooms so good for sharing
- Parents get their own bedroom
- Kids get double murphy bed and double sofabed
- Microwave, mini fridge and coffee pot
- Resort where all is a fast walking distance
- Access to two real food courts
- Good bus system
- Suites are 565 square feet

Cabins -
- ONE bathroom in one room
- Parents will share small bedroom with two youngers
- Younger get bunk beds, older share queen sofabed
- Kitchen, full fridge
- Internal bus system to get everywhere
- Food options via internal bus system
- Possible cost of renting golf cart to avoid bus
- All parks involve a transfer from bus to another method of transportation
- Cabins are 504 square feet

One is a resort and one is a very nice campground.
Depends on what fits your family best.

 

[maxiesmom]

For the 4 to sleep in the bedroom 2 have to be pretty short. The bunk beds are not as long as normal beds. The oldest two would have to share the fold out in the living room area.

I'd go with AoA so that the adults have their own space, and you get 2 bathrooms. At either place I would pack along an air mattress so that the teenagers don't have to share a bed.

 

[maxiesmom]

Another thought--have you considered the All Star Suites? They are considerably cheaper than the suites at AoA. Plus you would get a queen bed in the bedroom, and 3 other fold outs. So the kids could divide up a bit. And you would still get 2 bathrooms, 2 tvs, and a kitchenette.

 

[RADOPT]

While I fell in love with the cabins and would be staying there on a solo trip if they were not so expensive, that is a lot of big people for the sleeping arrangment. I have to say that while we where at the cabins we had no issues with anything (food, tansportation,etc.) and I loved having the kitchen. You are really 4 adults and 2 kids. I would stay with the suite. In our cabin, the room with the bed and bunkbeds was small. Even if it was you, your spouse and the 2 younger kids in that room, it would be cramped. If your two youngest were 5 and 7, I would have said the cabin but I think everyone would be more comfortable in the suite.
Have a great time.

 

[petunia]

Also, we will be on the ddp, and Im wondering if there are as many options in the cabin as AoA, where we usually have lunch on our off days/grab a "snack" at night..the food set up seems different than other resorts.

 

[petunia]

Another thought--have you considered the All Star Suites? They are considerably cheaper than the suites at AoA. Plus you would get a queen bed in the bedroom, and 3 other fold outs. So the kids could divide up a bit. And you would still get 2 bathrooms, 2 tvs, and a kitchenette.

We have stayed there a few times, we really found the last time (last year on a budget last minute trip) a bit tired/run down..not to mention the time before that where our mattress in the bedroom had to be swapped out in front of us as it was rotting/decaying from underneath with a few bottles

 

[Hopefully]

I personally prefer the Cabins. It is WAY MORE peaceful and quiet. You have been asking many questions on the Camping Forum, haven't you? What are your concerns? How can we help?

 

[petunia]

I personally prefer the Cabins. It is WAY MORE peaceful and quiet. You have been asking many questions on the Camping Forum, haven't you? What are your concerns? How can we help?

My concern is that the cabin won't feel like a hotel/vacation. Also, not sure if having the ddp is worth it staying in a cabin.

 

[maxiesmom]

My concern is that the cabin won't feel like a hotel/vacation. Also, not sure if having the ddp is worth it staying in a cabin.

According to other posters, it won't feel like a hotel. It won't be a hotel room, it will be a trailer/cabin/home. Not that that is bad, but if it doesn't sound like what you are looking for.

 

[Jaimie1911]

I'd take the suite just for the extra bathroom.

 

[Hopefully]

My concern is that the cabin won't feel like a hotel/vacation. Also, not sure if having the ddp is worth it staying in a cabin.

It won't feel like a hotel. For us that is part of the beauty. It is your own "home away from home". It is an individual cabin. No shared walls, No slamming hall doors. You have a deck and a grille and a wonderful environment. To me, it is much more upscale than a suite at AoA.
But it is NOT a hotel. It sounds like it is not what you are looking for.

 

[disneyvoice]

Only one bathroom would be a deal breaker for me. Heck when it's just me, DH, and my teenage son we get the Family Suite at ASMu so we can have two bathrooms.

 

[Tonberry]

I have to agree that for 6 people, especially at those ages, a second bathroom is a must. Just image the 6 of you trying to get ready to go in the mornings all trying to share a single bathroom.

 

[tjmw2727]

AoA - we travel with similar age kids and much prefer the suite.

Two bathrooms (as has been motioned!) are a must but we also feel having all the amenities close at hand are a benefit. The kids can just walk over to the food court to grab a snack and refill a mug, same with the pool/ pool games and even the ping pong and bean bag games. Movies at the pool and the drawing class are another plus. The cabins have a pool of course but no real "quick serve" and a trip to do anything has to be a bit more planned as it is so much more spread out. In the cabins we felt like the kids were always underfoot during our the downtime vs at AOA they are more free to do their thing.

 

[petunia]

Maybe I should re phrase "hotel feel", as I dont mind the actual look of the cabin, it seems cozy yet more spacious to me that AoA. I think I meant does it have the "Disney" feel, as we do like that about AoA. Im not a huge fan of the set up at AoA, I mean we loved the theming, but with 6 of us and bigger kids it seems a bit small, I dont know why the cabin seems more spacious. Also, while the full kitchen is great, we would not use it aside from quick breakfast perhaps, and do like the qsdp options at the AoA. The 1 bath isnt the end all be all for us, but it will tack on some extra time in the am. Maybe its time for us to look at something at a higher price range, which we really didnt want to do, as the jump is almost double for a villa at OKW or SSR, and not sure of the prices of the Junior at Coronado as they are sold out for our date. Maybe I should have a vote at home between the cabin and AoA.

 

[DG25]

My opinion would be cabins. We tried and hated AoA, just us, it is a value hotel, we don't like them. Although I will say the room itself was a little more upscale than a value hotel, the outside, the pools the walkways, the Buick service, the crowds it all screams value hotel. We have never tried any other value, and we only did one night, that is all we could stand.

The cabins, calm, relaxing. You do only have one bathroom which can be a problem, but heck as I told our kids, I grew up only girl with 5 brothers and two parents with only one bathroom, figure it out. As a family we have half take showers at night and half in morning, so that makes it better, also papa takes his right after nap, and I take mine at 5am, so that left two at night, two in morning.

Beyond that we find everything else great. The bedding works out fine for us, dd and DGD sleep on the couch, dd and papa on bunks and me and dgd in bed. That's the way we want it.

I love that you can cook, although I liked it better when there was a stove, but you can make breakfast, snacks and such, you have a deck and picnic table.

There is so much to do, pole fishing, horseback riding, pony rides, sedgeway tour, wagon rides, carriage rides, petting area, archery, just to name a few. Also movies under the stars brings on a new meaning at the cabins.

So I leave you with what I told papa when he didn't like the idea of cabins, we can go again and hate the AoA and spend every second at the parks, run ourself ragged and come home from vacation needing a vacation. Or we can try the cabins and see if we like them now that we are a family of six. Now he complains that we have DVC and can't go to the cabins.

 

[DG25]

Oh does it have the Disney feel, it depends on what feel you are looking for. Me yes, adventure, Davy Crockett, what I remember about Disney as a kid because I had 5 brothers. No it does not have the mouse everywhere, it can be a bit darker like WL rather than BC. But to me it is all about the adventure you watched every Sunday night growing up.

Also, just a thought, which is expensive but no where near the expense I thought it would be. We are now 8 maybe 9 if a step DGS comes because both girls got married. Anyway we were looking into our next trip, and with an AP that only one of you have to have SS two bedroom is only $475 a night. When I use my target card, that would bring it down to $450. We figured it out, that if we get AP gold pass, which we would anyway, we would get lots of discounts, if we eat breakfast and at least one other meal at hotel since we have kitchen, we would actually save money getting our room at SS and have all 9 sleep together (one still under 3). Also it will save our DVC for a trip with just grandkids at a smaller resort for less points and longer stay.