Fort Wilderness or ? for 12

[AnnR]

Right now I have a hold on 3 Fort Wilderness cabins at a AP rate of $179 a night. There are 6 adults and 6 kids going. If we go to a regular hotel room we would need 4. We are only going for 5 days including travel. I am thinking we should get a hotel that is easier to get around. The kids are definately going to want to go to the parks. My brother wants to spend an extra $100 a night for the Poly (his favorite) but that is a lot of money for 4 rooms for 4 nights. Do you think being on the monorail is worth that? I was also considering PORS (one of my favorites) even if I have to pay full price. It was fairly easy to get around and my nephew and my father love the boat ride? Any advice?

 

[estnh]

We stayed at the cabins one year, and absolutely hated it, but to be fair, we aren't campers. The bus system is not easy to deal with, as you have to take a resort bus, and then transfer to the internal FW bus to get back to your cabin. We ended up renting a golf cart to get around inter-resort--from where our cabin was, you had to take a bus just to get to the pool.

After three nights, we disliked it so much that we ended up calling Disney and moving to another resort for our final five nights.

The Poly is wonderful, but it is expensive.

We love Port Orleans and the transportation is a lot better than FW. If you are not camper lovers, I would look into it!

 

[aurora'smom]

We just returned from staying at a Ft. Wilderness cabin and we all loved it. The bus system is really not bad at all. It probably took 20-30 minutes to get to the parks, but that wasn't much different than when we stayed at the All Star resorts on our last vacation.

The cabins are quite roomy and it's nice to have your own full sized refrigerator, stove and microwave! We went to the parks every day, Downtown Disney a couple days and never had a problem. We did wait a while for the Epcot bus on the morning of our Princess breakfast, but we figured out the park didn't open 'till 9:00, so the bus didn't start running 'till 8:00. So, our waiting was because we didn't ask, not because the bus was late.

Anyway, we really enjoyed it. If you do stay there, you'll have to do the campfire program once. They sing songs, have a marshmallow roast and watch movies. The kids loved it!

The pool, however, was not too impressive, so if swimming is one of the main things you want to do, another resort might be better.

Have fun!

Beth

 

[twinklebug]

Right now I have a hold on 3 Fort Wilderness cabins at a AP rate of $179 a night. There are 6 adults and 6 kids going. If we go to a regular hotel room we would need 4. We are only going for 5 days including travel. I am thinking we should get a hotel that is easier to get around. The kids are definately going to want to go to the parks. My brother wants to spend an extra $100 a night for the Poly (his favorite) but that is a lot of money for 4 rooms for 4 nights. Do you think being on the monorail is worth that? I was also considering PORS (one of my favorites) even if I have to pay full price. It was fairly easy to get around and my nephew and my father love the boat ride? Any advice?

There is so much to take into consideration here.

Do you plan on stocking the fridge/pantry and saving money by cooking a few meals on your own? If not, a hotel room will be closer to food.

Do the kids need some space and time to chill after a busy day in the parks? If yes, the cabins are perfect. There are fields, an internal bus route so they can get about (if they're old enough) and special features such as the petting zoo, stables, fishing and fields for a frisbee or whatever. Don't forget the nightly water pagent parade at the beach (I love the serpent!)

Can you arrange for the cabins to be near each other? If not, this may pose a problem as there is no lobby to meet at, but multiple bus stations.

Have you looked into the cost of renting a DVC. Some of the 2 bedrooms can house 12 people and have beautiful kitchens, balconys, and access to all the hotel amenities. They can also get quite pricey.

Wish I could help more

 

[AnnR]

Thanks for all the advice. I called today and the moderates are all booked for that weekend. I could get the Poly but it would be so much more expensive that I figure we can rent a couple of cars and a golf cart to get around. We will probably be cooking some in the cabin. We are traveling with one 7 year old autistic boy -he will probably benefit from being able to run around.

 

[Leota]

We love the FW Cabins. We will be staying there for our 4th time this coming Dec. We are taking my Step-son & his wife & our 2 grandsons.
We have found the Cabins perfect for family gatherings (we hosted my son's 10th birthday for the family there & had 3 cabins to accomodate us all with one family staying at POR)

I think it is very convienent for traveling with young children. You get alot of space for your buck & the full kitchen is a real help even if you aren't cooking meals. My son & grandsons always liked to have fresh fruit & juices & stuff to snack on, which is difficult in a hotel room. Also the privacy factor of the seperate bedroom can't be beat at that price.

There are so many kid & family friendly activities at FW & plenty of space for them to run around & burn off that excited energy that can happen on vacation. It is also quiet & removed enough that if the little ones are over-stimulated from a day at the Parks, they can calm & quiet down at FW.

I haven't found the transportation there to be any big issue at all. Of course, I'm just happy to be in WDW & not have to worry about driving or parking, that 20 minutes on the bus doesn't bug me at all.

The pools are really the big downside to the resort IMHO. They are pretty plain, especially compared to some of the fantastic pool areas at the other resorts. I wish they would revamp them to come up to the same standards. But, that said - none of the kids that we've traveled with to FW ever complained. There are always the water parks to get that fix anyways.

 

[sanibelover]

What about a house? There seem to be many huge homes close to WDW that look really lovely. There have been many threads about these homes, and all that I've read have been positive.

 

[Ocean Springs Mom]

I think there are a lot of benefits to FW, as others have already posted.

It's beautiful there, quiet, homey. Great bike riding!

The pools aren't fancy, but they are surrounded by lush greenery and some are very quiet and peaceful. A hot commodity at Disney.

Have fun with whatever choice you make!

 

[minkydog]

We are traveling with one 7 year old autistic boy -he will probably benefit from being able to run around.

Definitely, take the cabins! We also have an autisitc child and he does much better at FW. He is nonverbal and he shouts alot. Believe me, it's less intrusive outside than inside.

The advantage of being able to fix your own breakfast & coffee is major. Not waiting in lines first thing in the morning--who doesn't like that? Rent a golf cart--it's half the fun!

If your brother wants to stay at the Poly, suggest to him that he spring for the difference in cost.

 

[AnnR]

My nephew is also non verbal. I did think the cabins would be the best thing for him. He loves to swim and swing, which it looks like he can do both there. I think he will do better in a home type situation. He does like to yell. I requested loop 2500 on some advice -is that a good one? Did you have any trouble with him on the buses?

Thank you

 

[minkydog]

My nephew is also non verbal. I did think the cabins would be the best thing for him. He loves to swim and swing, which it looks like he can do both there. I think he will do better in a home type situation. He does like to yell. I requested loop 2500 on some advice -is that a good one? Did you have any trouble with him on the buses?

Thank you

No trouble at all on the buses. DS is used to riding the school bus, so riding teh Disney bus was no problem. We usually take our camper, so i don't know about loop 2500--we stayed in 800, I think, right across from the meadows.
The thing I found most helpful was being able to leave the frantic Disney pace behind, something that is more difficult when you stay at one of the resorts. If he's having a meltdown, we can return to FW and instantly feel relief. FW is more peaceful and has plenty of space to walk & run, which my DS needs. It's a different kind of vacation with an autistic child.

 

[TammiMcMan]

It was fairly easy to get around and my nephew and my father love the boat ride? Any advice?

I think the cabins are an excellent choice. As others have mentioned, you have the added convenience of your own little kitchen, plus a separate bedroom. I would recommend reserving a golf cart, but this can be done a full year in advance. Not sure how close you are to your vacation, but if you're within 12 months, I'd call ASAP as they do go fast. There is actually a boat that goes back and forth between FW and the MK and FW and the WL, so you wouldn't have to give up that enjoyment.

When you're at FW, you hardly even realize that you're anywhere near Disney World. It's quiet, relaxing and for an autistic child that needs a sensory break, it's a perfect spot. Lots of space to run around, a petting farm, pony rides, nightly campfire sing alongs and movies.

Here's a great site for more FW information and a nicely detailed map http://home.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/faq_fw.htm.

Tammi

 

[lyncruiser]

Much like estnh, we found the cabins to be very inconvenient -- even with a golf cart. Also, a golf cart that holds 4 people (some may hold six) is nearly $50 a day. Perhaps the Poly doesn't look so expensive if you factor that in. Also, if available, consider the garden wings at the Contemporary. Again, very convenient due to the monorail and cheaper than the Poly.

Also, for a large group with only 4-5 days, I think you'll be much happier at a resort that is closer to the parks. Frankly, contrary to most of the other posters, the Poly seems ideal to me. If you were going to be at WDW for over a week with a smaller group, I might say the inconvenience of Ft. Wilderness wouldn't matter so much. But, you're going to want (need?) to fit in a lot of park time in a short time frame. And, moving 12 people around is always difficult. (I know, I plan big family vacations regularly for our extended crew.) Being able to hop on the monorail and get easily to MK or Epcot will, IMO, more than pay for the extra price given the size of your group and the short length of you stay.

The one thing I can't speak to is the situation with an autistic child. Only the OP can weigh that one.