Fort Wilderness Cabins or Wilderness Lodge?

[bjkj]

Well, we are down to a few last decisions. Of course, this is the big one! Where to stay? We have it narrowed down (I think) to the Fort Wilderness Cabins or the Wilderness lodge. Although I now am confussed after reading about the Polynesian.

We will be going in late September to hopefully avoid the crowds. My DH isn't crazy about them. I will be traveling with my DH, DD -9, DS - 6. All of us are "outdoorsy" and pretty laid back. We want to see as much of the parks as we can but also just hang out and enjoy eachother. We will be park hopping and taking advantage of the extra magic hours.

Any opinions?

Thanks!

 

[llebrekniT]

We love the cabins. It is very laid back and you will have the privacy of your own "home". If you are driving - it's nice that you park right at your front door. You will have separate sleeping area from the living area which is something we really love, especially since we have a napping toddler.

It's also great to have a full kitchen, even if you aren't planning on cooking.

For ease of getting around, you can't beat the monorail though. I have stayed at the Poly and it's just as wonderful as you can imagine.

 

[TaurusSES_Sport]

If you are driving, id say the cabins, but if you aren't go with the WL!

 

[bjkj]

Thanks! We plan on renting a car so getting around should be easy. I appreciate your comments!

 

[westjones]

If you want easy access to restaurants and a themed pool, the Wilderness Lodge would be better. Also, you can just go right outside of the lodge and catch a bus to the parks (or a boat to Magic Kingdom).

At the cabins you have to take a bus to get a bus (two busses). There isn't a counter service restaurant near by (at WL there is the Roaring Forks: here is the menu:
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_rf.htm ).

Now, if you want to hang out at the campground and relax; maybe rent a boat, go on a bike ride, horseback riding, etc. Then the cabins are great. There is a campfire program every night with a movie shown after the singing (you can attend it even if you aren't staying at the campground, from the Lodge you just take a short boat ride over).

We are thinking of staying in the cabins this summer, but we want to stay around the campground during the day. If I was planning to go to the parks most of the time, I would prefer the Lodge because it seems easier to get places from there.

Both are very nice, you can't really go wrong.

DJ

 

[alicenwonder99]

We just got back today. We stayed at the FW cabins. They are really nice! I don't think I'll ever go back to a regular hotel room. We did the campfire sing a long and the movie one night. We also did the wagon ride. FW is just so BIG! You can't get ANYWHERE within the resort unless you take a bus, or you rent a golf cart. If you rent a golf cart, you need to budget that extra money. You can't drive your car around the resort. They only allow you to drive to your cabin, or to exit the resort. We relied heavily on the resort transportation since we all went our separate ways during the day. It is about an hour MINIMUM ride to get from a cabin to MK using Disney's transportation. It doesn't take that long to get to the other parks, but probably at least 30 minutes. If you drive, it doesn't take that long. It was very warm last week, but I can NEVER imagine dealing with all that Disney transportation when it's hot and crowded.

If you stay in a cabin, make sure you ask for one that is only 2 or 3 into the loop. We had our cabin at the very end of the loop and it was a 5 minute walk just to get to the bus stop. Not too hard in the morning, but in the evening with 2 tired children, it was hard.

Mary

 

[limabeanmom2003]

I have stayed at both, and personally prefer WL. I didn't get the magically Disney feeling at the FW log homes. I felt like I was out in the middle of no where (which for some, is perfect, but not for me). We did have a rental car while we were there, and I have to say that I wouldn't stay there without my own transportation. It takes too long to get anywhere using their buses. I much prefer the WL because it is a resort and has many more amenities, such as the dining options and quick transportation. I want the "resort feeling" when I am on vacation. I have heard that the buffet over at FW is a great value. FW log homes seemed like a great value to me, but I wouldn't stay there again.

 

[grace sea]

Dear Alicenwonder 99, my family & I are going 2/16/ to 2/21 to the cabins. 1st trip. What loop did you stay? Why did in take 60 mins to Magic Kingdom? Isn;t MK the closet park to FW? How long is the boat ride to MK? Did you eat at trails end? Did you go on the wagon rides at night? I am getting sooooo excited about staying there. My kids especially want to Fish & bike ride. Did you guys do any of that. Thanks for the info.

 

[jwfla422]

That's a tough one. We've stayed at both and like each one for different reasons. Although I think the cabins are great when going with a lot of people. Fun to stay in a loop with other family and friends in cabins next to yours.

The convenience of having a full kitchen and living room area are great as far as the cabins go. This is your ticket if you plan to NOT eat too many meals out. If you're the "outdoorsy" type you'll love them especially for a family of 4. There's lots to do on the campgrounds too. I would recommend renting a golf cart though as it makes it much easier to get around (you can't drive your car around the campground area except to leave the campground).

WL is a neat resort but the room will be a little tight for a family of 4, the rooms are a little on the smaller size there. It has the same transportation system as the cabins, boat to MK, bus everywhere else. The pool is nice but can get crowded, however it should be pretty quiet during the time of the year you're planning to go. Do keep in mind this can be a "rainy" time of the year where being in a deluxe hotel may be a bit more convenient.

Park hopping and EE won't be a problem from either. (I personally prefer using Disney transportation to the parks from either rather than driving, having to park and walk from there or tram it in). But, the POLY is very nice and the monorail is more convenient especially if you're bldg is near the TTC, then you can walk over there and hop the monorail to Epcot too.

 

[MajorDaisy]

We stayed at the cabins only after our 1st choice was full & are going back because DH will not stay any where else now. Trails End Buffet has great food & was a lot of fun, it was so nice to eat breakfast in the morning while everyone was getting ready for the day, and we did not have to be quiet when we got in from Disney quest at midnight.

The kids really loved walking "home" at night and the beautiful natural surroundings in the morning made you feel so ready for the day. Best part --- After four days of sensory overload for ds, dd, & ds, they were ready to just hang out with each other in the yard outside the cabin while I sat on the deck & dh caught up with the sports action he had missed.

It was a good combination of wild excitement at the parks & peace & relaxation at the cabins .

 

[WDW LOVR]

We are huge fans of the cabins. WL is great, but I'd never go there with the kids having been spoiled by the size of the cabins. Having the separate bedroom for the kids and a little privacy for the adults is great. Trails End is a wonderful restaurant. Good food and reasonably priced.

There is so much to do in the campground and being in the cabins allows the kids to get out whatever energy they have at the end of the day without disturbing anyone.

If you do choose the cabins and can afford the $45/ day for the golf cart, you will really be glad you did. If you decide to get a golf cart, call ahead and reserve it. I don't think it would be a problem getting one in Sept, but they are popular and are sold out frequently.

 

[bjkj]

Thanks everyone! I think that we are leaning towards the cabins. I think a little space will be great for our family at the end of a crazy day.

WDW LOVR - why the golf cart?

Also, for anyone, where are the best cabins to stay in?


Have a happy day!