For anyone who has stayed in the Fort Wildnerness cabins...

[AdventurerKat]

What did you think? How bad was the transportation? Would you recommend them to someone?

 

[OhioTony]

We stayed in 2001 and had a very nice experience with the cabin. There was a lot of space & the kitchen was a major plus for the breakfast meal & a lunch away from the parks. Keep in mind,we were here in late Sept ( shortly after 911 happened) and people were still not traveling much, so the parks were, for the most part, empty and transportation was no issue. A lot of times we were the only people on a bus or boat. My only complaint is the pools, as they are somewhat reminiscent of a local park pool! The price for the cabins is comperable to a moderate resort and the pools at the campground are rather "NON-Disnyesqe" ..The kids LOVED the boat ride to the MK and the campfire movies and I would stay here again!

 

[Pryncess'mom]

I would recommend them to you if you are looking for a quiet place to spend your downtime. We stayed there in 2000, and loved them, but we had 3 children under the age of 13 and the extra space was great. The younger kids could go to bed, and we could still watch tv in the living room. The kitchen was nice for breakfast, snacks, etc.... but there is definately a more quiet atmosphere. You don't get the bustle of the resorts, and things are definately more spread out. I didn't have any problems with the transportation, but you do need to take a bus to get almost anywhere. The area where the buffet and Pioneer Hall are is far away from most of the cabin loops. Whatever you decide, have a great time.!!


deb

 

[nliedel]

we absolutly love them. We move in and it feels like home but the Trails End Restaurant is close when I don't want to cook and is one of the better values. The room is great and the setting is lovely. There is tons for the boys to do and the boat to the Magic Kingdom is a highlight.

 

[shrpgrl]

We have stayed there 3 times and love them. Nice and quiet.Transportation really wasn't that bad. Lots of activities for the family and lots of space to spread out. We saved quite a bit on fixing breakfast and snacks. Want to do them again in the future.

 

[tar heel]

We thought the transportation was pretty bad and my kids didn't think the pools were worth bothering with. I thought the cabin itself was great, though. It would be very nice for a family with young children planning to have short park days.

I think a lot of it depends on what you're looking for and what you've done before. If we had only stayed at values with bus transportation and pools with no slides or hot tubs, I think we would have liked FW better. As it was, we were there following a couple of YC trips. It's hard to compare catching two buses with walking to Epcot. With a family of 5, we also have sometimes had a member to use the lobby restroom -- can't do that at FW!

 

[UrsulasShadow]

It's been a while since I've been there, but I found the transportation fairly quick and reliable, even during Christmas-New Years week. We never had to wait long for a bus (either internal or between parks), and the ferries are a blast! The only problem was that you have to ride 2 busses to get anywhere, or a bus and a ferry. The only way around that is to rent a golf cart for the whole time. That way, you can avoid the internal (infernal?) Chip and Dale busses.

 

[WDW LOVR]

We absolutely love the Cabins. The extra space is great and the campground is so quiet.

We never really had a problem with the transportation, but we did find that having a golf cart made everything quite a bit easier. Having a golf cart was especially nice at the end of the day. After you get off at your bus stop, the walk to your cabin can sometimes be a hike. If you have a cart, you can take it directly from the boat dock (settlement depot) or the out post (where the park buses drop you off) to your cabin door. If you don't have the cart you then have to wait for an internal campground bus to take you back to your cabin loop. It is possible to walk from the Outpost drop off site to your cabin if you're not too tired from the day, but most people wait for the bus.

Like Tar Heel said, the pools are just pools. The always worked for us as we really only went to them at the end of a long day to cool off and refresh. If you're looking for a themed pool with water slides etc, you'll be disappointed in that regard.

 

[krbq]

We stayed there in 1998 and it was peaceful and quiet with lots of room, including a kitchen. We didn't have much luck taking the bus to Pioneer Hall (it was slow going and the driver was surly), but we had a car so we could drive to the theme parks. It would be a great place for a family with kids.

 

[AllyGirl_79]

I love Fort Wilderness. The cabins are really comfortable -- especially if you're going with kids and need the extra space/a little room for running around. My parents liked having juice, light snacks in the cabin for breakfast so that no one was starving and/or whining about eating on the way to the parks.

Transportation may take a bit longer on average than at other resorts, as there is an internal bus loop, but I imagine it depends on your timing, crowds, etc. I don't remember ever being bothered or inconvenienced. That said, I'd rather be on Disney transportation than most other places in the world...

 

[dpic]

The cabins are roomy and remote. We did them our first trip and loved them. However, the next trip we stayed at WL, and we found out what we missed out on. The cabin pools were pretty distant and therefore unusable to us. The store was quite a ways with very little parking around it. We had to take a bus to the boat launch for MK. And forget about a quick trip to get something to eat.

The plusses are (as mentioned) the size of the cabins. It's nice to have a kitchen (but who wants to cook on vacation?), and you can park right next to your cabin.

All-in-all, we'll never stay there again. After comparing cabins to WL, we felt too removed from the "action" and amenities. The transportation was less convenient at the cabins. No refillable mugs, and no lobby to hang out in while the kids went for a swim. We understand many people love the cabins--and we did our first trip--but we have since found we prefer being in a lodge atmosphere.

 

[PeterPanFanWDW]

I stayed there in June. One thing I love about Fort Wilderness is the ability to rent a golf cart. We can drive around Fort Wilderness, see all the stuff that is there. We have never had an issue with transportation. It is no worse than any Moderate Resort.

The cabins are great. The kitchen is a bonus, even if you don't do much cooking, the ability to have cold drinks at hand -- ice maker, lots of glasses -- is a big plus for me.

I never thought about the pools being so boring, but I don't do much pool time. If I need a pool fix, I usually go to a water park. Maybe they will enhance them, but it does fit the rustic theme.

PPF

 

[Gillian]

If you think you may need an extra bathroom, some of the FW cabin loops are near tent loops where there are bathhouses. I don't know which ones, but people on the camping board can tell you!

The cabins are nice, a little remote. The transportation issue didn't bother us as much as the distance to a store/restaurant. We have a trailer now, so we're going to try the FW campsites, some of which are walking distance to the marina or the pool.

 

[HopperFan]

Loved the cabins themselves....lots of room, great decor, nice to have a kitchen. Would stay again if the rate is good and it is a trip that I only need a home base. Thought transportation was awful, we ended up driving to all but MK. Pools were not anything we wanted to use, shocked at prices in the "store" (be sure to shop before going in) and while they offer activities they were too much trouble to get to. I know you can get a golf cart, but they are not inexpensive. If you love to camp and be more isolated than you may love the entire experience. I prefer a hotel with more activity and ease in getting to pool, food, shops etc.

 

[AdventurerKat]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Looks like overall people had good experiences there. I am still thinking it may be a bit too "rustic" for me but my MIL is really interested in them so we might have to check them out. Maybe she can stay there and I can stay at the WL. hee hee.

 

[jpeltier]

I'm probably one of the biggest sissy girls ever -spoiled too. However, I love FW. The extra room more than makes up for the lack of room service and other indulgences. If I were you, I'd send MIL to WL and enjoy the sing-a-longs,hayrides, and motor launches to MK with my kids!

 

[Skroops]

We loved it. The cabins are really rustic looking, and they look close by to each other. Although there were cars at every cabin near us, we never heard any noise from the other cabins. We didn't go to the pool, but it closed when we were there for repair.
The features we enjoyed were the kitchen (for our breakfasts), the porch (for our toddler to be outside), the seperate bedroom (so we didn't have to go to bed at 9) and the ability to park right at the cabin.
The transportation wasn't an issue for us, the buses seemed fine. It would be more of a challenge for the physically disabled because you transfer from the bus that loops around the cabins to the buses that take you to the parks.
We drove one evening to the MK, and it was a bigger pain to park and take the parking shuttles and a lot farther to walk than the FW bus.
We would totally do it again, and plan to!

 

[colleen costello]

The cabins have a special magic all their own. I am NO camper (a hotel is "roughing it" for me!) but with A/C and maid service, that is my kind of camping! If you enjoy downtime with the kids, FW is perfect. It is probably best if you have your own car or rent a golf cart, because then you can drive to other resorts or parks if you like, and get around easily within the large resort. It is loop #2100, Bobcat Bend, that is close to a public toilet facility. We requested that loop when we last stayed, and every morning the menfolk would walk to the Comfort Station to take their showers. We got moving more quickly that way!

We bought DVC that trip, and now we stay in some very lovely rooms -- yet my kids STILL beg to go back to those cabins!