Fort Wilderness Cabin Experts

[TwingleMum]

I just booked a Fort Wilderness Cabin for Oct. But now I'm really nervous. Is it too far from everything? Will transportation to the parks be a pain in the neck??? Can you tell me the Pro/Con of the cabins?? Also your best tips and advice??? Thanks sooo much.

 

[eliza61]

I just booked a Fort Wilderness Cabin for Oct. But now I'm really nervous. Is it too far from everything? Will transportation to the parks be a pain in the neck??? Can you tell me the Pro/Con of the cabins?? Also your best tips and advice??? Thanks sooo much.

Our first 2 visits to wdw my family & I stayed at the cabins and LOVED, LOVED, Loved them. (can you tell we liked them)
First: the extra space was great. the bedroom has bunk beds & a full. the living room has a pull down full murphy bed. You get a full size kitchen and a really big deck. The kitchen was great. we purchased bottle water from the trading post and froze the water at night and had cold bottles of water in the parks. Plus after the 3rd day, no one wanted to get up early after long days in the parks, so having cereal, pasteries and milk made breakfastes easy.
Next, we usually go in the hot parts of the year and coming back to the campgrounds was great after a long day in the parks. Very cool & peaceful. We just loved the atmosphere. Lots of activities for the kids also.

Transportation:
Direct boat to MK. Very efficient, did not have to wait more than 20 minutes. The big con is that you may have to catch an internal bus to your "loop". Our 2nd trip we requested a loop near the trading post and then simply walked to catch the park buses. I never had a problem with the park buses but you maynot want to go by me. My family & I are rarely in a "rush" to get anywhere while on vacation. 20-25 minutes is not a long time for us to wait.

The pools while very big are not themed, simply pools but my kids did not mind and they were never crowded. I have heard of people trying to use the pools at WL but I don't think it's worth the effort.

If we hadn't purchased our dvc, we would still be staying at Ft. Wilderness.

Oh I forgot the nightly water parade. (can't remember what it is called)

 

[rie'smom]

It's not far from the parks. The way WDW is laid out, some resorts are closer to 1 park but farther from another.
Ex:
CR,GF,Poly,WL, and Fort Wilderness are close to the MK but farther from Epcot,HS,and AK.

BWV,BC,Swan,Dolphin are close to Epcot and HS but farther from MK and AK.

CSR,AKL are closer to AK but farther from the others.

I'm not real sure about the other mods because I took the bus and the busss take round a bout routes to get to the parks.

I've never stayed in a value,so I can't speak to how close or far they are.

You'll love Fort Wilderness! Rent a golf cart, if you want, because it makes getting around easier.

I can't think of any cons.
Pros:
plenty of room- at 504 sq ft, it's the largest room you can get at WDW w/out getting a suite.
kitchen
deck
quiet- no kids running down the halls or drunken tourists bumping against the walls or doors.
Free campfire sing-a-long with characters and a movie.
CMS are really great.
Trail's End Buffet is one of the best buys in the whole resort and the food is delicious.
The boat to MK is like another ride.
6 people are allowed in the cabins versus the 4 or 5 allowed in other standard rooms.

Here's are a couple of links to a description of FT.Wilderness:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/ftwild.htm
http://www.allears.net/acc/faq_fw.htm

Here's the layout:

 

[TwingleMum]

Thanks so much for the info. Do the cabins have washer/dryer??? Are they on every loop?? What location do you prefer??

 

[disnut8]

Thanks so much for the info. Do the cabins have washer/dryer??? Are they on every loop?? What location do you prefer??

The cabins do not have individual washers and dryers. Laundry facilities are at each comfort station.

There are some people who think the Cabins are out in Timbuktu and they don't like having to take the internal buses. But, they can't be all that bad. We took our now daughter-in-law there. She's never really been out of her hometown (she had just seen her first ocean the day before). She handled the buses very well. In fact, by the last day, SHE was the one laying on the bed plotting our her and my son's last day.

I do advise you to take at least one flashlight (probably one for each child so there's no fighting). It gets very dark at night.

And there is nothing, nothing like getting up earlier than everyone else and sitting out on the deck in my PJs with our granddaughter waiting for everyone else to get awake. She was ready made when my son married her mother and that time was so precious getting to know her.

 

[rie'smom]

You're welcome!!

The cabins don't have a w/d but there are laundry facilities at the resort. I really never asked for a specific location but allears.net has this info:

Guests in Cabins are located in loops 2100 through 2800. 2100 is the closest to the center of the resort. Loops 2200 through 2800 get increasingly farther away as the loop number increases with 2800 being the closest to the south end of the resort near the entrance.

So it looks like the 2100 loop is the preferred spot.

 

[chrisw127]

We were in loop 2600 in December. Overall, we had a positive experience and will go back. We paid about $239 a night and for on-site accomodations this large, it seemed like a very good deal.

Pros:

Very quiet. This was perhaps the biggest seller to me as we have three kids five and under. Our twins, who were 9 months old at the time, screamed a lot that first night and we didn't bother anyone. Also, no one bothered us. It's very peaceful.

The grounds are beautiful. Not the same as staying in a hotel by any means, but it's special in its own way. My husband and in-laws spent a relaxing day just hanging around and enjoying the beach (and hammock). The kids loved it.

My five-year old thought it was the best place ever.

It was nice to have a separate space from the kids at night so that my husband and I could relax. This is a huge plus. I would not, under any circumstances, stay in one room with all of us. I'd rather stay at the Motel 6 on I Drive. I just need to unwind at night and you can't do that when the kids are sleeping.

Cheerful. There's just a nice vibe there, especially at Christmas when people decorate their cabins and RVs.

We thought the transportation system was just fine, particularly the boat to the MK. Yes, you'll wait. But that's to be expected. We didn't rent a golfcart, and we really didn't miss not having one, but we saw lots of people who did.

We also thought there was more than enough space and were pleasantly surprised to find that the bathroom was very large for a space this size. The beds were fine. I actually thought they were very comfortable; my husband, who likes a firmer mattress, wasn't too thrilled.

We found the CMs to be very friendly and helpful. There wasn't one person who didn't have a great attitude. Even the guy at the gate was cheerful.

The kitchen equipment was more than adequate.

There's a laundry room very close to loop 2600. It's immaculate. Nearby, you'll find the pool. My SIL said it was great. Not fancy, but warm enough to swim in in December (we're from NC, so we didn't find out as we are wimps and don't swim in the "winter.")

We must have had a renovated cabin, because all the furniture looked very nice. However . . .

Cons:

You'll probably need a car.

Very few dining options nearby. In fact, none at all that were within walking distance.

Our cabin was not very clean. Now, I have to add this caveat that I'm a lawyer and extremely detail oriented, so I notice things that maybe I shouldn't. It's an annoying habit. But, the shower curtain was filthy. We requested a new one. There's really no excuse for that. The fridge looked like it had spent a few years in a frat house. The inside was clean, but the outside was a mess. Also, there was something really wrong with the floors. My twins' feet and hands would come up black after just a few minutes of crawling on it. I'm not sure what the problem was and by the time I noticed it, we were unpacked and next to our relatives and didn't want to move cabins. Besides, we weren't in the cabin that much anyway.

I should note that my SIL's cabin was very clean and that they did not have any problems, so we might just have had a bad cabin. It happens.

If you're going to be driving and not familiar with the area, ask a CM at the check-in desk to show you the back way to grocery stores and restaurants that are off-property. There's a great shortcut, but I'm terrible at directions so I'll just leave it at that.

Good luck. Despite a few problems, I would absolutely stay there again.

 

[chrisw127]

She was ready made when my son married her mother and that time was so precious getting to know her.

Okay, that was just so sweet. Sniffle.

 

[ElizabethB]

Book at golf cart now. We stayed there once and thought the transportation was very inconvenient. There's a boat to MK. Fine, but it takes either one or two buses to get to the boat, unless you have a golf cart.

We wouldn't stay there again due to the transportation and the fact that other than take-out pizza, the only dining option is a buffet. The cabin itself is nice, what with full kitchen, etc. At the very least, I'd have some basic foods -- cereal, milk, etc. and some snacks and sodas, sent by wegoshop or a similar service.

I agree with the suggestion to rent a car also.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I just booked a Fort Wilderness Cabin for Oct. But now I'm really nervous. Is it too far from everything? Will transportation to the parks be a pain in the neck??? Can you tell me the Pro/Con of the cabins?? Also your best tips and advice??? Thanks sooo much.

I am so glad you posed these questions because we are thinking of renting a cabin for our next trip to the world. My DH loves to camp and my kids have been bugging us to go camping because they have never been, I however, am not too fond of the whole "ruffing it" aspect, but am willing to try out the cabins. It is interesting to see the pros and cons and it seems like the pros definately outweigh the cons.

 

[ntsammy5]

A golf cart is definitely nice to have. As someone pointed out washers/dryers are at comfort station in every loop. There's also a nightly camp fire at Meadow, and Disney movies every night. TE is an OK place to eat, but you can cook in the cabins if you like. Renting a golf cart does cost something like $50/day -- never rented one though because we already have one. Never stayed at the cabins, but have stayed at FW many, many times.

I love to camp anyways, so camping at WDW makes sense.

 

[eliza61]

I am so glad you posed these questions because we are thinking of renting a cabin for our next trip to the world. My DH loves to camp and my kids have been bugging us to go camping because they have never been, I however, am not too fond of the whole "ruffing it" aspect, but am willing to try out the cabins. It is interesting to see the pros and cons and it seems like the pros definately outweigh the cons.

The cabins really aren't roughing it. It's about as close to camping as I want to get. It really is a great place to stay.

 

[disnut8]

You'll probably need a car.

Just note that you cannot drive your car to the main bus areas and park it. Cars are only allowed to come from the front entrance and get to your cabin. And then reverse. From my experience, there really are no parking spaces at Fort Wilderness except for the ONE at your cabin or campsite.

I'm sure the person quoted didn't mean that you could drive your car around Fort Wilderness but wanted to head off questions at the pass!

 

[TwingleMum]

Sounds like a wonderful time

The cabins do not have individual washers and dryers. Laundry facilities are at each comfort station.

There are some people who think the Cabins are out in Timbuktu and they don't like having to take the internal buses. But, they can't be all that bad. We took our now daughter-in-law there. She's never really been out of her hometown (she had just seen her first ocean the day before). She handled the buses very well. In fact, by the last day, SHE was the one laying on the bed plotting our her and my son's last day.

I do advise you to take at least one flashlight (probably one for each child so there's no fighting). It gets very dark at night.

And there is nothing, nothing like getting up earlier than everyone else and sitting out on the deck in my PJs with our granddaughter waiting for everyone else to get awake. She was ready made when my son married her mother and that time was so precious getting to know her.

 

[TwingleMum]

Thanks everyone. Would you request a certain loop???

 

[stacy6552]

Call back and get AAA's 25% discount. Then use that saved money to rent a car. That way you'll have the perfect trip.

 

[lrab1126]

I have stayed at the cabins well over 10 times. The pros are the comfort of the cabin with the space it offers and also the privacy. The cons....transportation is horrid, the water shuttle is not what it used to be and a hassle, no food court, limited food options, very spread out and IMO you really have to get a golf cart if you do not want to spend your day waiting for or being on a bus just to get to another bus. If you stay there, you really need a rental car, its so much easier and less stress to just drive to the parks. Years ago the transportation did not seem as cumbersome has it does now. We went this past august and it was our last time, I do not want to be the downer but it just is not what it used to be....including the CM's who in the 7 days we were there we did not meet one friendly CM....years ago they were fantastic.

If you want to be close to the quiet pool which is a nice area to lounge at, request the 2600 loop on the 2601 end of the loop. You may want to find out first though if they have been refurbished yet, the cabin we were in as well as the cabin my parents had were extremely run down, but I have read they are in the process of refurbing.

have fun !

 

[PiperG]

We will be at the cabins in just 42 days! This will be our third trip.

If you can, I suggest renting a golf cart. Not only is it easier to get around, but it is FUN We play "golf cart scavenger hunt" where we search for the highest numberd cart, lowest numbered cart, cart with the number closest to ours etc. . . .

Also, we rent a on-day car rental and go off-site to stock up on groceries for the week. You save a ton (far more than the cost of the car) and it is so much easier to grab a bite in the morning or when you return to the cabin for a break. In addition to breakfast stuff, we bought bobolis to make mini pizzas, sandwich fixings etc. . . I even made pasta one night! You can return the car right on site at the Alamo Car Care center, which is near the Poly. The Alamo shuttle will take you back to your cabin or wherever you want to go in WDW.

I could go on and on. We love the cabins and can't wait to get back!!

 

[buzznina]

We stayed there on one of our trips and we really enjoyed the stay. The cabins have two doors that open onto the big deck, one from the bedroom and the main door. Our DD loved the fact that she could run out one door and in through the other and we liked the fact that she could actually play outside. The buffet restuarant was very good and had a very friendly staff. The transportation is longer since you have an internal bus system and a park bus system, but since we are not the commando type family we had no issues with the buses and loved the boat to MK. Golf carts would deffinitely be great but I think the $$ they charge for them is outright robbery. The only con of the cabin for us was the bedroom, it's cramped with a twin bed and bunk beds in the same room. DD did not want to sleep alone so I had to sleep in one of the bunk beds while DD & DW slept in the twin bed. This ended up being better for me because I ended up with more room We would definitely recommend this resort, have a great time.