Fort Wilderness Cabin question

[sharlon]

Good day all! I am a true WDW vet, but have run across a situation that I have no experience with, as I've never stayed at Fort Wilderness.
My DD is going with the 8th grade band to Festival Disney in the spring to compete. She came home Friday and told me that her band director told them about this great resort they could stay at with awesome pools and neat cabins that are shaped like RVs. I can only assume that he is talking about Fort Wilderness. Now, I know that Fort Wilderness would be a great place to stay for my family, but I feel it would be completely inappropriate for a group of middle schoolers. I don't like the idea of the kids staying in groups of 6 in separate buildings, and I think the transportation would be difficult due to the size and layout of the resort.
Could y'all give me your thoughts about this? The other option is All-Star Music (much more appropriate), but she said it seems that the band director is trying to sway them towards FW.
Thanks!

 

[chartle]

A band group staying in FW cabins is the stupidest idea I have ever heard.

I have been involved with two band trips to WDW for my two sons' high school band. The second I setup everything. Here are the issues I can think of off the top of my head.

• It will at least double the cost of housing.
  
• The fort is so huge how are you going to keep track of everyone during any free time.
  
• There is no CS restaurant at FW. Does your Director expect them to cook their own Breakfast or take everyone to Mickey D's.
  
• Here is the biggest issue. We only pick hotels with interior hallways so we can post over night security to make sure the kids stay in their rooms. We use two floors not on the ground floor. Also no balconies so they don't try to climb from floor to floor.

Has your director ever worked with or been around 8th graders?

 

[medic9016]

I think FW cabins would be a bad idea. All your cabins may not be in the same loop. Disney may try to group them together, probably not a guarantee though. ASM would be easier to supervise with the pool close, requiring no transportation to and from. All your rooms may be easier to group together or at least on the same floor.

 

[lklasing]

I'm a HUGE fan of the cabins, but I agree with the other posters that they would be the worst of all options for a trip like that. Please let us know the "rest of this story" once you find out - whether they actually go to the cabins or not.

 

[sharlon]

Thank you so much for the replies. You are all saying what I was thinking. The band director has been at our school for 10 years and does a trip every year. In fact, the 8th grade band and chorus did Festival Disney last year and stayed at ASMusic. Not sure what his thinking is. He did tell the kids that it would cost less per person because they can put 6 in a cabin. I seriously think that he is being led astray. He actually let the kids vote and "talked up" the cabins to the kids. I told my daughter I wasn't thrilled with the idea of her being in a cabin with 5 friends and no adult. She loved the idea of 6 fourteen year old boys being in a cabin with knives, when they aren't even allowed to have weapons at school. LOL

 

[chartle]

Thank you so much for the replies. You are all saying what I was thinking. The band director has been at our school for 10 years and does a trip every year. In fact, the 8th grade band and chorus did Festival Disney last year and stayed at ASMusic. Not sure what his thinking is. He did tell the kids that it would cost less per person because they can put 6 in a cabin. I seriously think that he is being led astray. He actually let the kids vote and "talked up" the cabins to the kids. I told my daughter I wasn't thrilled with the idea of her being in a cabin with 5 friends and no adult. She loved the idea of 6 fourteen year old boys being in a cabin with knives, when they aren't even allowed to have weapons at school. LOL

He's obviously not very good at math either*. I went to all ears and checked out room rates. For value season its 20.5 per student per night 4 in a room at ASM ($82). For FW its 45 per student per night 6 in a cabin ($270). This is just the room rate not any taxes.

Also its 4 per bathroom at ASM and 6 per bathroom FW. Its going to be very tight to have 6 almost adults in a cabin.

I'm wondering why Disney even offers cabins to student groups.

Oh and besides the knives there is a full kitchen. Last trip one of the hotels that we could have picked included a small cook top and oven. When I brought it up everyone gave me a resounding NO.

It sounds like either the Director or or maybe a chaperon in charge wants to stay at a cabin and is pushing everyone that way without thinking of the entire group.

* compared to trip planing.

 

[Sunbeamblue2002]

Yea I agree. Just came back and with a group of seven and keeping track was a tough at time. THe pool is pretty cool though. But I think the transprotaion aloan regardless of sleeping aragements would sway me against it. Two bus just to the parks with a bunch of middle schoolers would drive me up the wall. Plus all those bus's share with the wilderness lodge to and from the parks. And the interal bus's get crowed in the eve becuase of the hoop de doo. It is a great place with lots to do but for a family vac not a school trip.

 

[sharlon]

I just went on the Festival Disney website and FW is not even an accomodations option. Someone must be "guiding" this man or he is internet happy and found FW and thought it would be a great idea. I contacted a friend who is a teacher, mom of a kid who will go on the trip, and one of the chaperones. She is going to see if she can find out where we are staying.
Thanks again for all of your insight!

 

[chartle]

I'm wondering if one of the chaperons is maybe taking their family and maybe they think FW is going to work the best for them and aren't thinking of the group.

This just isn't making any sense. While FW is a great place its the last place for a student group.

 

[indimom3]

There was a student group of some kind (the girls looked 8th or 9th grade? maybe a cheer group?) in our cabin loop this July. The drove up in a Hummer limo! My husband and I both puzzled over how they ended up at the fort and how they would set up the cabin with the chaperones, etc.

 

[f86sabjf]

I could only pray that if i were an 8th grade student the adults would plan this trip. Mayhem would ensue guaranteed I was very mischievous as a child

 

[mnsprk]

I made 9 trips to Space Camp with 100-120 freshmen. The year that was "THE WORST" was when we ended up in an extended stay hotel/motel that had seperate buildings(that was all that was available and SC put together the package). There was almost no way to make sure everybody was behaving. Luckily we didn't have any major issues.

The Band Director needs a "Good Talking To". JMHO

 

[sharlon]

I love the Space Camp story, as I was both a camper and a counselor there.
I'll let y'all know as soon as I hear something from the chaperone/teacher I know. Thanks again for all of your input.

 

[chartle]

There was a student group of some kind (the girls looked 8th or 9th grade? maybe a cheer group?) in our cabin loop this July. The drove up in a Hummer limo! My husband and I both puzzled over how they ended up at the fort and how they would set up the cabin with the chaperones, etc.

Maybe 4 girls in the bedroom and one chaperon on the Murphy Bed.

 

[indimom3]

Maybe 4 girls in the bedroom and one chaperon on the Murphy Bed.

That's probably how they did it - but there's a door that goes out of that bedroom, too. So even a not-so-sneaky 8th grader could easily get out of there with the chaperone snoring away in the living room.
And since they sell the cabins as sleeping 6 people, they would probably want to put 5 kids in each one, right? So does that put the chaperone on one of the bunk beds? Then you have 2 kids on the murphy?

IDK - like I said, it was one of those things we didn't think would work out in real life as well as it might first look on paper. And I cannot believe they fit that limo down the narrow loop. Thing was huge.

 

[chartle]

That's probably how they did it - but there's a door that goes out of that bedroom, too. So even a not-so-sneaky 8th grader could easily get out of there with the chaperone snoring away in the living room.
And since they sell the cabins as sleeping 6 people, they would probably want to put 5 kids in each one, right? So does that put the chaperone on one of the bunk beds? Then you have 2 kids on the murphy?

IDK - like I said, it was one of those things we didn't think would work out in real life as well as it might first look on paper. And I cannot believe they fit that limo down the narrow loop. Thing was huge.

If they can afford a limo they can afford only 5 to a cabin.

As for the door maybe they told the kids that the gators come out at night.

For my son's band camp thats at a YMCA camp in the woods, we tell them all about coyotes that are running around. Oh and we don't have to make up this story.
I was doing night shift and saw something dog like with longer legs than you would expect run through the area.

And where did they park that thing at night.

 

[chartle]

Any updates?

 

[sharlon]

Thanks chartle for the reminder. I haven't heard anything yet from the band director, but I have a sort of update. The trip is for Honors Band, Jazz Band, and Honors Chorus. I just talked to the chorus teacher's wife (who I am friends with) and she said that it looks like it will be All Star Music. Keep your fingers crossed, and I'll let you know when it's official.

Thanks again for all of your insight. I shared with her many of the comments and concerns and she thought they made complete sense.

 

[chartle]

I'm not sure this was asked but how many kids and chaperons are you talking about? If its 30 I could see it happening, still weird but happening. If you are talking 300 like some of the bands we know here, its super weird.

We are a small school district and the largest trip I have been on is 72 total.

 

[sharlon]

It would be probably 150 or so students, mostly 8th graders. A few 7th graders (like 8 or 10) will go because they auditioned for and made jazz band.