The Cabins have a bedroom, but that room has not only a double bed, but also a set of bunk beds. So, the only room with a door will not allow full privacy if you want the cabin to sleep more than four people. The Murphy bed in the front room is comfortable, but when it is deployed, the room is rather cramped.
The kitchen is very well sized and fully equipped for use, but if you are planing on being there for the
free dining promotion, how much benefit will you get from the kitchen?
We had friends who put all the children in the back bedroom and they slept on the Murphy Bed. This did allow the little ones to head to bed earlier in the night and let the others watch a movie without distrubing their sleep. The parents then had a double bed without any little ones in the room with them, but romance is kept at a damper when anyone can just waltz into your room at any time.
By the time you pay for the cabin, and the VERY NECESSARY golf cart, you have invested the same amount of money as staying at one of the lesser Deluxe hotels and you are staying at a resort without a hot tub or pool slides. The carts were renting for around $40 per day when we were there, and I am sure that number has climbed, but we were so far from everything that they really were a necessity. If we were to go back again, we would bring our bicycles. So, if you are driving, and can pack bikes, that would be a good idea. I would think that flying would make the bicycles a bit prohibative.
On the plus side, if you really enjoy having a BBQ on your deck, sitting around the campfire, and watching the free movie in the evenings, then it still might be worthwhile. The last time we were there, we just headed over to Wilderness for an evening, and enjoyed the outside offerings, during nice weather.
Staying in the Cabins can be the best bet when you want to have a full kitchen, and for a large group, without a meal plan, it can be a cost savings. In the end, however, if you are going to be there during free dining, I think I would recommend getting a family suite in a value resort. With these you get two bathrooms, as opposed to the one bathroom in the cabins, and you get a kitchenette for $34 less per day according to rack rates.
Oh, also of note is the bathroom design in the cabins. The one bathroom has the sink, shower, and commode all in one room. Unlike the value resorts where the sink is outside the shower and commode area. So, if one person is showering or "using the facilities" it is difficult to have someone else brushing their teeth or washing their face unless you are VERY COZY with one another.
I think, for the price, that the family suites offer a better set up for most people. However, it should be noted that in the suite one room has a Queen sized bed and in the other room all the beds are fold out. One is a fold out Double and the other two beds are fold out twins. These beds are not as comfortable as the Murphy Bed provided in the Cabin.
Another option is simply to get connecting rooms. We got connecting rooms at Coronado Springs and had two bathrooms, four beds, and a complimentary fridge sent to our room. We shuttled the kids back and forth between the rooms so that each set of adults had at least one night free of prying little eyes. The kids enjoyed being shuttled back and forth as well as sleeping on the floor.
--Eeyore's Wife
