Fort Wilderness cabins vs. All Star Resorts

[IvyandLace]

Still researching the best place for our family trip in October...we love the All Star Resorts but with 10 people going, we would need 3 rooms there. I am interested in the cabins at Fort Wilderness. Who has stayed there recently? How did you like it? I'm especially interested in those who've been at both the All Star Resorts and Fort Wilderness...how does the theming compare? How are the pools and transportation? I've already checked out Deb's page for resort info...but just wanted some opinions for you guys as well. Also I will have an AP...what kind of discounts are we possibly looking at here for October 29-11/5? Any thoughts? Thanks!

IVY

 

[jane51]

We have stayed at both the AS Mu and the cabins. We stayed at the cabins last summer. They have a full kitchen and a living room area that are both nice. A murphy double bed pulls down in the living room and the bedroom has a double bed with a set of bunk beds. FW is a camp ground, so there is not a lot of theme to the loops where you stay. The downside would be the transportation because you have to ride an inner bus to take you to the boat to go to MK or to other buses to take you to other parks. I think most people drive to the parks when they stay there. More space in your room is definitely a plus, but not being very close to the pool and the inner bus system may be a concern to think about.

 

[fortwilderness]

I haven't actually stayed at any All Stars but I have visited all 3 and I wouldn't even consider staying at one. I don't want to sound mean but I have just found Fort Wilderness to be a huge all around value for the price.

I am sure by my name you can tell I am a huge fan of Fort Wilderness. I would totally recommend that you try the cabins. The busses aren't as crowded as the All Stars and once you figure out how they work it is really easy to get around. We have never used a car while staying there.

In addition it is so relaxing out in the trees and open space after a long noisy day at the parks. You can actually see wildlife running around the campground like lizards, bunnys and armadillos. You will also have a full kitchen and that can save so much money. Plus it can save time because you can just grab a quick breakfast or snack without having to go to and then wait in line at the food court.

If you want to be near a pool you can just request a loop near one. They have been really good about honoring all of my loop requests in the past.

One other thing to consider is when you stay in a room at the All Stars you have just a room so there is no privacy. At the cabins the back bedroom has a door so the kids can sleep undisturbed while the adults watch tv and use the kitchen.

 

[minniesfriend]

Hi Ivyandlace:

I've stayed at both resorts.

Our family of 6 stayed at the FW cabins summer of 2000 in a new cabin and really enjoyed the extra room. We saved $$$ and time by having breakfast in our rooms. They were very quiet and relaxing. If your family will be sticking close together, you may enjoy the "congregating" areas - the family room/ kitchen and deck. There is a bit more privacy here. The bath is full and there is a back bedroom. The "changing" area at the AS is the small tub/toilet area. There are a lot of other things to do at FW, too, if you feel like taking a break from the parks.

As far as theming - well, FW is "natural" - trees, trails, lakes,...ASMovies is "fun". Both pools are basically holes in the ground. No slides. ASMo's Mickey was neat around the pool. I guess AS pool was more festive.

The Trails End Buffet was pretty good and not too expensive by Disney standards. It had everything from pizza to ribs to veggies and salads. I do not recall a "food court" area. I guess they assume you will eat at your site.

Transportation at FW is more complicated. You must take 2 buses in order to get to most theme parks and FW is so huge, it has an internal bus. Check this out and consider renting a golf cart unless you plan on bringing bikes. This is $45/nite extra. On the flip side, we drove to all parks except MK and enjoyed driving up to our front door at nite.

A few other comments and opinions:

I felt cramped in AS room with DH and 2 small kids (under 4). Not much storage space.

We rented a golf cart and were glad we did.

If using Disney's transportation at FW, make sure everyone understands which buses to board. (My parents got lost!! Took an extra hour to get home).

We thought the pool was really crowded at FW. There are two pools - the cabins share their own aprtment sized pool. Disappointed here.

Really liked AS but too small for more than 3 days.

Staying at FW again in May for 8 nites.

 

[IvyandLace]

Thanks for all the advice...I'm still not sold on the cabins due to the transportation issue and the lack of "Disney" theming around such areas as the pool, etc. I guess my biggest fear is that everyone will be dissapointed or feel less of "the magic" than if we were to stay at the All Stars. I really like the layout of the cabins and having a full kitchen would be great. What are some rates that we would be looking at?

Thanks again...IVY

 

[IvyandLace]

Thanks for all the advice...I'm still not sold on the cabins due to the transportation issue and the lack of "Disney" theming around such areas as the pool, etc. I guess my biggest fear is that everyone will be dissapointed or feel less of "the magic" than if we were to stay at the All Stars. I really like the layout of the cabins and having a full kitchen would be great. What are some rates that we would be looking at?

Thanks again...IVY

 

[fortwilderness]

Don't trust us do ya IvyandLace ?

I really do understand your concern about the lack of Disney themeing everywhere at FW since you are used to the All Stars. But there is some Disney in the cabins. There is a large picture of Bambi and Thumper in your hallway and a large picture of Mickey and Goofy in the back bedroom. You also get the traditional Disney Resort soaps and other toiletries for the bathroom.

Obviously you know your family best and know what they will really like. My family enjoys the "magic" of Disney even more because we get to relax and be well rested so we can enjoy the vacation even more. We each have our own space so mid-day naps are not a problem and we don't feel cramped. If we had to stay in a room at the All Stars for one week, it would be safe to say not all of us would live to see the end of the week

The rates for 2002 are 224 value, 259 regular, 289 peak, and 314 holiday but you can almost always get some sort of discount with Disney Club, AP or a promotional code.

You may want to check out the site below to help you make your final decision. It is the most detailed and up to date Fort Wilderness site that I have ever seen.

http://www.wdwig.com/faq_fw.htm

Good luck with your decision

 

[minniesfriend]

For this stay, I booked thru WDTC (something I've never done before) with a code. $177 tax inc. We have AP's and DC members, too but this worked out best.

Yes, I understand about the pool theming and I was a bit disappointed. But for us, the cabins were so relaxing that I was able to enjoy the trip more. They really do pull you out of that frantic pace.

The bunk beds for the kids are great. They sleep much better than in a double.

Food for our family of 4 will cost @$125/day, sometimes more, sometimes less. We save money here, too. We eat breakfast in the cabin and maybe a lunch or dinner here and there. Breakfast is nice because folks can eat when they're ready. No waiting on each other to "go downstairs".

Jeff Spencer's site has bunches of pictures. You can get there thru Deb's link (Fortwilderness gave it to you). Take a look at the pics and for theming. Show them to your family and have a great time!!!

 

[fanofcinderella]

Just wanted to let you know. If you have small children in the group of 10 you plan on taking, you need to take flashlights. It is very scary for kids. To stay with the "wilderness" theme, the loops the cabins are on are not lit. When the undergrowth is thick, it is rather frightening for them.
We ended up moving to another resort because my children were so frightened. They were 2 and 4 at the time. I had purchased and taken flashlights, which did little to help them.
The cabins themselves are nice, I just thought I'd pass on that little tid bit I learned from.

 

[PlutoPal]

My friend and I are stay in the All Stars in June/July this year. We would much rather stay there than at the Cabins.