Fort Wilderness Cabins Full Review (long)

[meekey7197]

Free of charge? Room key/MB/digital key on phone needed to enter?

No lock on the door at all and it’s a free. Maybe once the conversion is complete they will limit access?

 

[TisBit]

Disney has plans to build SOMETHING at the main pool Meadow area in the future. That decision is already in the works. Maybe a restaurant (mug refill area?).

Not sure about 'parking'. There is plenty of golf cart parking at Trails End area and the Meadow Pool area to get a mug refill. And the Meadow Trading Post has refills on coffee, (hot water) for tea and cocoa (have to ask). But if you mean 'car' parking, nope, very little and that's by design. Then again, can a member drive around Boardwalk Villas to get closer to a mug refill station?

Bama Ed

As I said at the beginning. I understand the campground vibe and such. Absolutely on purpose, but so people know without a golf cart you just can’t do things you can with one.

They meadows does have a quick service cafe and mug refill. But it’s half a mile away and still no car parking (three spots for 15 minutes) and we’re generally full.

And difference is that the mug refill at any other resort is not half a mile away. Although I did caveat that it’s most likely Saratoga, but at Saratoga you can drive over and park.

 

[bama_ed]

As I said at the beginning. I understand the campground vibe and such. Absolutely on purpose, but so people know without a golf cart you just can’t do things you can with one.

WITHOUT a golf cart you say, you can't do things you can do WITH one. No kidding.

Maybe you could bring a Segway? (quicker than a golf cart).

Or a Jetpack? (WAY quicker than a golf cart).

Obviously you can accomplish more the quicker you can travel from place to place. For sure.

Oh and you can drive over from the cabins to the Meadow TP/Pool (like at Saratoga) and get a refill of soda too (although not many parking spots for cars in that direction) TBH.

I'm with you all the way on this, @TisBit.

Bama Ed

 

[klcts]

Thanks for the review. I agree with you on the golf carts. I think DVC would do well if they included that into the equation. I probably would have bought points at this resort if they did.

 

[zackiedawg]

I have brought my bike there too sometimes - of course, I drive up to Disney so it's easy for me to bring whatever I want.

If driving, you could bring your own golf cart too if you have one and a trailer for it - many of the RVers do.

 

[DVCPAT]

Thanks for the review. I agree with you on the golf carts. I think DVC would do well if they included that into the equation. I probably would have bought points at this resort if they did.

I stayed in the cabins 7 days and was thinking the same thing. I briefly looked for an hour meter on the cart to see how much run time we accumulated over the week. I would guess it wasn’t much run time but having the cart was key to our vacation.
If we accumulated 2 hours total, the cost to Disney is minimal and would be a great perk for an add on contract.

 

[zackiedawg]

I admit I tend to use the cart a lot...just because I have it. Morning ride to Meadows for coffee, ride around the grounds to look at RVs, nighttime ride around when back from the park just because I'm not ready to go to bed and it's fun and relaxing to take a ride, head down to the bar for an evening drink, to the boats to go to the parks, or other resorts for dinners, and so on. I'd guess minimum around 1 1/2 - 2 hrs run time a day.

I tend to always go to the boats to get to all parks - even when going to MK, AK, or DHS, I'll take the boat to Wilderness Lodge or Contemporary then take their bus, and same in reverse - just because I enjoy the boat ride, and the long cart ride back to the cabin.

 

[bianca]

View attachment 898518View attachment 898519

Laundry is open at the wilderness pool! This is the DVC laundry room

The laundry room is beautiful! The only problem I see in the future is that it won’t take long for campers to figure out that this laundry room is free vs. the camping loops paid laundry. With almost everyone having a golf cart, it WILL become an issue when DVC’ers always find the machines full. Disney would be smart to immediately make that a keyed entry location before it becomes an issue.

 

[SPLzero]

The laundry room is beautiful! The only problem I see in the future is that it won’t take long for campers to figure out that this laundry room is free vs. the camping loops paid laundry. With almost everyone having a golf cart, it WILL become an issue when DVC’ers always find the machines full. Disney would be smart to immediately make that a keyed entry location before it becomes an issue.

I dont see why they wouldn't treat this like the other laundry rooms at mixed DVC/non DVC resorts with magic band access. hopefully once all the cabin loops are done they do the same to the pool and have towel access.

 

[zackiedawg]

That would seem to be the logical move - once all the cabin loops have converted to DVC, they should just have the pool gate and laundry room be MB/key access for cabin guests...then the pool could be stocked with towels.

 

[TisBit]

That would seem to be the logical move - once all the cabin loops have converted to DVC, they should just have the pool gate and laundry room be MB/key access for cabin guests...then the pool could be stocked with towels.

I do wonder if they will start putting towels out, even if they don't MB the gate for the pool. It is isolated enough and not a themed pool or anything. All the people that we saw there were from the cabins or maybe the campers in the 2100 loop might go there, but Meadows Pool (the main pool) is probably the same distance still. And I think I put in my original post, even at Meadows Pool, the staff gladly gave guests towels when asked. They just out for the taking like at other resort pools.

I agree about the laundry needing to be secured via magic band and hopefully that is coming. In the meantime if they have not reenabled the pay machine at the 1100/2100 loop laundry, people won't need to go to the DVC laundry to do it for free.

 

[Duane]

The laundry room is beautiful! The only problem I see in the future is that it won’t take long for campers to figure out that this laundry room is free vs. the camping loops paid laundry. With almost everyone having a golf cart, it WILL become an issue when DVC’ers always find the machines full. Disney would be smart to immediately make that a keyed entry location before it becomes an issue.

I really don't think this will be an issue... Most motorhomes and 5th wheels, and even some travel trailer have onboard washer/dryers. I don't think the RV'er/camper who doesn't have a washer/dryer in their rig is gonna traipse across the campground to access some free laundry.

And besides that, the pay/free issue can be easily taken care of through the use of a KTTW card/magic band/room cards. There are central pay stations on the walls in all of the laundry rooms across the campground that authorize each machine, as well as card readers on the doors. You can even monitor your machine's progress through your cell phone. They just need to program the pay stations to accept room cards to authorize the machines for those staying on points, and all others pay with a credit card...

While I am an avid RV'er, AND a DVC owner, some of these posts are beginning to take on more "snobbish" tones...

 

[mwhite67]

Hi. We added a night at the cabins before our stay at Copper Creek in mid-November. I was thinking of requesting the 2300 loop (hopefully quiet). Does anyone know if that loop is already converted? I haven't been able to find anything re: the flow of the construction. If you have any insight thank you!

 

[TisBit]

Hi. We added a night at the cabins before our stay at Copper Creek in mid-November. I was thinking of requesting the 2300 loop (hopefully quiet). Does anyone know if that loop is already converted? I haven't been able to find anything re: the flow of the construction. If you have any insight thank you!

Yes 2300 and 2500 done when we were there. I assume 2200 is open to but not sure if it is declared.

 

[mwhite67]

Yes 2300 and 2500 done when we were there. I assume 2200 is open to but not sure if it is declared.

Thank you!

 

[EpcotQueen]

Staying in 2800 loop right now in an accessible cabin with tub. Have cabin booked for April but will change. Do not like new cabins at all..shower requires a bit of figuring out. Too many handles to turn to get shower and water to work. Need an engineering degree to figure out. Room temperature controls seem straight forward (once I figured out that I needed heat not ac!) But until desired temp reached a blower achieving gale force winds continues to blow! No way to turn it off. Biggest issue is no storage space. Some in bedroom but not enough. Luggage laying all over on the floor. Old cabins had much more storage! And it’s very sterile. Not the charm of the older cabins. Bland. Won’t stay here again!

 

[zackiedawg]

I hadn't heard that 2800 opened yet - that's good news for me...it's my preferred loop. So it sounds like all the outer loops are either open or soon to be open with the new DVC cabins. I'll see about those temp controls - I will only ever need AC, not heat, so not sure what impact that has overall.

One question for those there now, or have been recently - do any of the windows open? In the bedroom especially - or are they all fixed windows or sealed? I'm thinking if there during cooler weather, it might be nice if some windows can be opened. I know the sliding doors can, but that doesn't necessarily help if I wanted to keep something open while sleeping. Then again, if one opens but has no screen, that might not be optimal anyway in the woods. The old cabin windows could be opened.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I hadn't heard that 2800 opened yet - that's good news for me...it's my preferred loop. So it sounds like all the outer loops are either open or soon to be open with the new DVC cabins. I'll see about those temp controls - I will only ever need AC, not heat, so not sure what impact that has overall.

One question for those there now, or have been recently - do any of the windows open? In the bedroom especially - or are they all fixed windows or sealed? I'm thinking if there during cooler weather, it might be nice if some windows can be opened. I know the sliding doors can, but that doesn't necessarily help if I wanted to keep something open while sleeping. Then again, if one opens but has no screen, that might not be optimal anyway in the woods. The old cabin windows could be opened.

We just left. Current status: 2200, 2300, 2500, and 2800 all new cabins/open. 2400 and 2600 under construction, 2400 is pretty far along, 2600 less so. 2700 still legacy cabins and open, but presumably not for long.

Yes, the window in the bedroom opens. It’s a crank type that swings out and you can open it quite wide. We did that a few times as the weather was so nice. I can’t recall if the kitchen window opens, need someone else to chime in on that one. Also FYI, there aren’t any sliding doors that can be opened.

Hope that helps!

 

[zackiedawg]

Thanks. That's good news at least for the bedroom window opening. I'll be there first week of February - Florida never has any guarantees for weather, but I'm hoping it will be cooler, and I would very likely open it up if it's cold out to enjoy a nice cold room to sleep. If the kitchen one opens too, that would be a bonus.

2800 is my favorite loop as it's the biggest and has mostly woods views along the outside all the way until the last 12-14 cabins or so - I really like having no other loops, cabins, roads, or common areas behind my cabin as it delivers more of that woodsy feel and atmosphere, plus a little more privacy. With 2300 and 2500, or 2700, I try to request back of the loop, outside - for much the same reason.

Oh, and that deck/patio furniture looks decently comfortable at least in pics...in nice weather, I'd probably eat my breakfast out there in the morning and enjoy people-watching.

 

[peacefrogdog]

How long is the walk from the main bus drop off (eg from the parks) to the farthest section with the DVC cabins (I guess the 2200 or 2300 loop)?