Call For Positive Stories & Experiences At Fort Wilderness

[AndyMcV]

Hi Gang

I have a friend and his extended familiy have decided to go to WDW and stay in cabins at Fort Wilderness. Most if not all of them are first timers to WDW. I'm looking for some positive experiences and the great things to do in Fort Wilderness. I want them to have a great time and experience WDW to the fullest. However I have no experience at Fort Wilderness.

We've stayed at the Contemporary and the Swan/Dolphin and had awesome times. I'm a little worried that they won't take away what we did by WDW and camping. Please tell me how wrong I am.

A.

 

[CraftyMouse]

Well...the cabins aren't really camping. They are more like free-standing suites They have two rooms, a full kitchen and a bathroom. Your friends certainly won't be roughing it.

That said, I think Fort Wilderness can be difficult for first-timers. They will have to take two buses to each of the parks and the resort is very spread out. For those of us who consider it a second home these are small prices to pay and actually add to the charm of FW. However for first timers...those who are trying to get a lay of the land, who are unfamiliar with where the parks are and where all of the attractions are in the parks, etc....these things might cause frustration.

I am sure your friends will have a good time wherever they stay. For a stay at FW they should do a lot of advance planning and try to get a feel for how to get around before they actually get to WDW. Have them visit www.allearsnet.com where there is a great Fort Wilderness FAQ, along with links to other FW resources.

I know that you were looking for good stories...and I don't mean to sound negative. FW is among my favorite WDW resorts and one we return to often (we tent camp). It is fairly "unspoiled" and completely beautiful, but it is less themed than other resorts an definitely more removed. IMO advance planning will really make their trip go more smoothly and add to their enjoyment of WDW once they arrive.

 

[susancl]

If they can afford to rent golf carts during their stay, there will be no transportation issue.

FW is about as "Disney" as you can get. It is one of the original WDW resorts along with the CR and Poly. (There was also a Golf Resort which is now Shades of Green). FW is quiet and peaceful. It is a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks. IMO it's much better than staying in a hotel room. It's like having your own place (with mousekeeping).

 

[vickikoz]

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Make sure you do the campfire sing along with Chip and Dale. The first time we stayed there we didn't make time for it. The second time we stayed at POR and had to take two buses to get there. I think it was well worth it. It was the highlight of our second trip.

Also, make sure to ask lots of questions on the transportation when you get there. It takes a little patience to get used to.

There is so much to do a FW I hope you have a blast.

 

[pooh4me]

We love Fort Wilderness and wouldn't stay any place else. It is like taking your own home with you but not having to do dishes ect, they even clean the grill for you, which is right off your own deck complete with a picnic table.
The bus transportation is great ,all you have to do is spend a few minuets reading the info they give you so you know how to get around and where everything is.The internal buses run every 15 minuets and connect at the Outpost(south end of resort where you sign in) for the buses to Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Downtown Disney or the Settlement ( north end near the water)for the boat to Magic Kingdom and the bus to MGM Studios. The settlement also has the Trails End Buffet, which has great food and wonderful servers,ask for Donna.The whole resort has wonderful friendly non rushed cast members who make your stay magical.
Make sure your friends have a good guide book like the Passporter that they can study well before their trip and take with them,it will help make a big difference.
At a Fort Wilderness cabin we are home and can't wait till we are back Jan 15 I'm sure your friends will feel the same way and have a great time

 

[F4disneyfan]

Hi Gang

I have a friend and his extended familiy have decided to go to WDW and stay in cabins at Fort Wilderness. Most if not all of them are first timers to WDW. I'm looking for some positive experiences and the great things to do in Fort Wilderness. I want them to have a great time and experience WDW to the fullest. However I have no experience at Fort Wilderness.

We've stayed at the Contemporary and the Swan/Dolphin and had awesome times. I'm a little worried that they won't take away what we did by WDW and camping. Please tell me how wrong I am.

A.

The cabins aren't camping but FW may not be the best place to stay for first timers the internal bus system may not be a big plus to them and having to wait for another bus to get them to the parks unless they want to walk to the dock and wait for the boat. The pools are not themesd like at the rest of the WDW resorts and I have heard tell that they don't keep them as warm as the other pools either. For my first trip to WDW I would not want to be anywhere near FW sorry for the downer thoughts but it just isn't really conducive to the great Disney feeling first timers look for when going to WDW.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Hey F4disneyfan. Take a look at the posts about the T@B trailer and check out the T@B website. This looks like the perfect RV for you!

 

[Wile E coyote]

We just returned yesterday and it was are first time at Fort Wilderness. As far as my family goes we are hooked. We will never stay anywhere else. We had a cabin and with an 11 year old and a 3 year old it was great. My 3 year old could run around the cabin and be crabby without me having to worry about disturbing other guests. It was peaceful and quiet. You don't here people walking and talking through halls like you get when you stay at a hotel. The one thing I am sorry we didn't do was to take a day and do all of the activities they have there. We loved it. if you have any questions let me know.

 

[F4disneyfan]

Hey F4disneyfan. Take a look at the posts about the T@B trailer and check out the T@B website. This looks like the perfect RV for you!

Thanks I will have to look at it. Ok I went and looked at teh site and all I can say is NOT BLOODY LIKELEY I would snd up in jail because I killed somone from staying in there with them LOL.

 

[snowwite]

PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! Make sure you do the campfire sing along with Chip and Dale. The first time we stayed there we didn't make time for it. The second time we stayed at POR and had to take two buses to get there. I think it was well worth it. It was the highlight of our second trip.

Also, make sure to ask lots of questions on the transportation when you get there. It takes a little patience to get used to.

There is so much to do a FW I hope you have a blast.

definitely make time for this! We had a ball. The kids can get Smore kits or hot dog and stick from chuck wagon to roast in fire pits.Chip & Dale came and we sang songs and heard a story. we watched Disney movie on big screen seated on bleachers.We went Easter week and it was practically empty. Ask a bus driver where to go. When we got off I wasnt expecting to need to walk so far from the bus stop. If you have a flashlght bring it. It was fun!

 

[vickikoz]

Hey F4disneyfan. Take a look at the posts about the T@B trailer and check out the T@B website. This looks like the perfect RV for you!

Those things are so cute!! I've never seen those before, only the Aliner's. We are going to FW in a pop up for the first time. I'm so excited. I'll probably never want to go camping again after 6 nights in the pop up with two small children.

 

[F4disneyfan]

Those things are so cute!! I've never seen those before, only the Aliner's. We are going to FW in a pop up for the first time. I'm so excited. I'll probably never want to go camping again after 6 nights in the pop up with two small children.

It shouldn't be to bad my wife takes our 3 camping tent camping until she bought her tent trailer this summer the kids are 9 5 and 3 and they all liked it and there were no real problems she said.

 

[vickikoz]

Well I take our two small kids in a pop up. So I guess it's not much different. Actually the pop up is probably more work.. We've been camping three times this year with much sucess Can't wait for October 1st

 

[tiggger1]

opps. wrong thread

 

[F4disneyfan]

Well I take our two small kids in a pop up. So I guess it's not much different. Actually the pop up is probably more work.. We've been camping three times this year with much sucess Can't wait for October 1st

What tent trailer do you have the wife has a Jayco.

 

[snyderla]

My very first experience with WDW was staying at Ft Wilderness in 1975 as a kid. It impressed me so much that I took my own kids 20 years later to WDW and chose to stay in a cabin at FW. It was a wonderful experience, but I recommend driving to the parks! Much quicker. Now, 15 trips later, my DH just friday night bought a new camper and wants to take it to WDW because he likes FW so much (just from our day trips there). Of course, as a kid we were not first time campers. I spent several years of my childhood in Phoenix AZ and we regularly camped in the mountains of AZ.

 

[vickikoz]

What tent trailer do you have the wife has a Jayco.

We have a Coleman Montauk. It does the job pretty good We've gone camping twice since we got it. We went to Lion Country Safari. They have a KOA there and it's really clean. So this trip is the big test!!!

 

[pammypooh]

We love FW. On our last stay there we had the good fortune of coming back from the Contempory Resort by boat at the same time Wishes fireworks were going off at MK. There was only my family and another family on our boat. Once we were out in the lagoon the captain asked if we were in a hurry. Both our families said no - we were already watching the fireworks - he turned down the lights and stopped the boat so we could really enjoy the show. It was a magical moment for us.
We have stayed at FW both with and with out golf carts. I have never minded the bus system. Actually it is better than what I remember from our honeymoon at the Caribbean Beach Resort.
How I wish I was at the Fort right now!

Pam

 

[VAN]

I really don't know what all the fuss is about the internal transporation. We stay in the 1500 loop, right in the center of Ft Wilderness, and walk (only 1/2 mile) if a bus is not there. In January I stayed at ASMu and wasn't overly impressed with the buses. Especially when we had to wait in line at the MK for 45 minutes for a bus when I could see the ferries coming and going for FW!!!!

I also disagree with those who say that Ft. W is not "themed" - it is a wilderness theme!! I've stayed at various resorts through the years as well as visited most of the resorts. I don't really understand why something thinks FW is not themed.

The pool itself is pretty basic, but everything from the bus stops, garbage cans, music, shops, restaurants is definitely THEMED.

As someone already said, FW is one of the original resorts and has regular ferry transportation on Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon. We spend a lot of our down-time just riding the ferry and enjoying the sites.

We love it there and given a choice between FW and a hotel, I would definitely choose FW!!

 

[Gillian]

VAN, the cabins are a bit of a haul to any of the park busses or boats. If you have small children or are not able to walk far, it can be difficult to get around. Also, it depends on the exact location of your cabin. The 2600 loop, for example, is very long and narrow. The walk to the internal bus stop is a hike all by itself!

That said, the walk to the bus stop at any of the resorts can also be long. It's far at AKL, but it's all indoors or under an overhang, which is nice in the FL heat & stormy weather.

While the ferries are usually good, we had to wait over an hour to get back to FW from MK one night. I'm not sure what happened, I hope it wasn't normal!