Fort Wilderness

[Girlstar30]

Whats the deal with Fort Wilderness? This was the model they showed us when we went there and we were not impressed. Everyone has their preferences of course, but I kind of felt it looked like a trailer and I was annoyed and lost with all of the different internal buses. It just didn't feel like "disney" to me. We did the chip and dales campfire and we were so irritated that every time we were roasting a s'more and I took it out of the fire, a cast member would jump up and immediately tell us to blow it out sternly like I was a child and going to burn the whole wilderness down I wonder if they do this at all the campfires? Maybe the lack of purchases will make them consider not doing resale restrictions on less popular resorts in the future? Why such high dues did they really think this was going to hit?? I mean with Riviera it makes sense they could tack on restrictions and still sell because it has so many desirable qualities (skyliner, full service resort, wonderful food, awesome pool, visually stunning), but I wonder if they thought this would be more popular than it was and just missed the mark? I haven't met one person so far that owns there.

 

[Mle8308]

Whats the deal with Fort Wilderness? This was the model they showed us when we went there and we were not impressed. Everyone has their preferences of course, but I kind of felt it looked like a trailer and I was annoyed and lost with all of the different internal buses. It just didn't feel like "disney" to me. We did the chip and dales campfire and we were so irritated that every time we were roasting a s'more and I took it out of the fire, a cast member would jump up and immediately tell us to blow it out sternly like I was a child and going to burn the whole wilderness down I wonder if they do this at all the campfires? Maybe the lack of purchases will make them consider not doing resale restrictions on less popular resorts in the future? Why such high dues did they really think this was going to hit?? I mean with Riviera it makes sense they could tack on restrictions and still sell because it has so many desirable qualities (skyliner, full service resort, wonderful food, awesome pool, visually stunning), but I wonder if they thought this would be more popular than it was and just missed the mark? I haven't met one person so far that owns there.

Two words - Lakeshore Lodge. Though it hasn't been announced, I would bet a lot of money that the cabins and the Lodge will be the same association. That's why the dues for the cabins are so high right now. Once the Lodge opens, they will fall more in line with other DVC properties and I think the demand will be there. And also why no rush or push to sell cabin points. And it is definitely a preference. Some absolutely love the Fort and won't stay anywhere else. You think the new cabins look like trailers? Stay in an old cabin...

 

[zackiedawg]

It's a different kind of stay for those who like something different. What's impossible to compare is the cabins there compared to a 1-bedroom villa at most DVC resorts...it's much smaller. But then the points are significantly lower too - more in line with a studio at most DVCs. And compared to a studio, it's a little bigger, and has the versatility of a split bedroom and living area. It also has a significant outdoor patio area, a grill, private parking in front of your cabin, and the ability to rent a golf cart to get around, so you don't have to rely on internal busses.

I just got back yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed my stay there - incredibly peaceful, loved listening to and watching the wildlife all around the cabin at night and in the mornings - armadillos and possums wandering around at night, deer walking past the patio in the morning, turkeys strutting down the road, woodpeckers and various songbirds all around the trees. I took spins in the golf cart just for fun - going to the parks, I often headed down to the boat docks, took the boat to Wilderness Lodge first, then bussed to other parks (except MK which you can boat to directly).

I will say that I would consider buying there, except I have enough points already to cover all my needs - I do find the high maintenance to be an impediment - waiting to see if the opening of the Lakeside Lodge merges with the cabins and lowers the maintenance cost.

BTW - one thing I immediately noticed is that the cabins are a VERY popular option for EV owners...it's the only DVC resort where you can charge your car while staying there, for free. In my 2800 loop, close to half of the cabins had Teslas, Polestars, or other EVs parked in front. A HUGE perk if you drive an EV to Disney.

 

[Girlstar30]

Two words - Lakeshore Lodge. Though it hasn't been announced, I would bet a lot of money that the cabins and the Lodge will be the same association. That's why the dues for the cabins are so high right now. Once the Lodge opens, they will fall more in line with other DVC properties and I think the demand will be there. And also why no rush or push to sell cabin points. And it is definitely a preference. Some absolutely love the Fort and won't stay anywhere else. You think the new cabins look like trailers? Stay in an old cabin...

Oh so they are using money from fort wilderness to build the lakeshore lodge? The lakeshore lodge will be more like a hotel right than cabins? I didn't realize they had older cabins my wife would probably like that.

 

[Girlstar30]

It's a different kind of stay for those who like something different. What's impossible to compare is the cabins there compared to a 1-bedroom villa at most DVC resorts...it's much smaller. But then the points are significantly lower too - more in line with a studio at most DVCs. And compared to a studio, it's a little bigger, and has the versatility of a split bedroom and living area. It also has a significant outdoor patio area, a grill, private parking in front of your cabin, and the ability to rent a golf cart to get around, so you don't have to rely on internal busses.

I just got back yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed my stay there - incredibly peaceful, loved listening to and watching the wildlife all around the cabin at night and in the mornings - armadillos and possums wandering around at night, deer walking past the patio in the morning, turkeys strutting down the road, woodpeckers and various songbirds all around the trees. I took spins in the golf cart just for fun - going to the parks, I often headed down to the boat docks, took the boat to Wilderness Lodge first, then bussed to other parks (except MK which you can boat to directly).

I will say that I would consider buying there, except I have enough points already to cover all my needs - I do find the high maintenance to be an impediment - waiting to see if the opening of the Lakeside Lodge merges with the cabins and lowers the maintenance cost.

BTW - one thing I immediately noticed is that the cabins are a VERY popular option for EV owners...it's the only DVC resort where you can charge your car while staying there, for free. In my 2800 loop, close to half of the cabins had Teslas, Polestars, or other EVs parked in front. A HUGE perk if you drive an EV to Disney.

Okay this definitely makes more sense to me now! I hadn't seen the points chart, being able to have 6 in a cabin for a price comparable to a studio is a big advantage. Are they hard to get? Totally forgot about the golf cart option, that would be really fun to do with the family. We love bird watching and animals, this might be my new favorite resort and here i am running my mouth when I don't really know what it entails, but that's why I ask you guys Now I'm interested in staying. How are the old cabins vs the new ones? Did you stay in a new one? Sounds lovely.

 

[Mle8308]

Oh so they are using money from fort wilderness to build the lakeshore lodge? The lakeshore lodge will be more like a hotel right than cabins? I didn't realize they had older cabins my wife would probably like that.

The Lakeshore Lodge will hotel rooms/suites, and possibly cabins like the ones at the Wilderness Lodge or the Polynesian. The older cabins at FW, which are being replaced by the new cabins, are more like a trailer. Though they do have their own charm to them!

 

[Girlstar30]

The Lakeshore Lodge will hotel rooms/suites, and possibly cabins like the ones at the Wilderness Lodge or the Polynesian. The older cabins at FW, which are being replaced by the new cabins, are more like a trailer. Though they do have their own charm to them!

Was fort wilderness a DVC property before the new rooms or how did that work to stay in them? I thought this was completely brand new clearly I dismissed this without even really looking into it.

 

[Mle8308]

Was fort wilderness a DVC property before the new rooms or how did that work to stay in them? I thought this was completely brand new clearly I dismissed this without even really looking into it.

No, it was not. They decided to convert the old FW cabins to DVC as they are replaced by the new cabins. It's been maybe 18 months??? However, Disney does retain some of the DVC cabins in their inventory to offer for cash (book through the WDW site), as they do for all DVC resorts.

 

[zackiedawg]

Fort Wilderness always had cabins/trailers, going back to the late 70s/early 80s. They only recently converted to DVC, which involved making all new cabins. As for 'old' vs new, I don't think there will be any old cabins left. 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500 and 2800 loops were all complete with the new cabins, and 2600 and 2700 loops were gutted of all old cabins, and new cabins were about 1/3 installed each.

 

[Girlstar30]

No, it was not. They decided to convert the old FW cabins to DVC as they are replaced by the new cabins. It's been maybe 18 months??? However, Disney does retain some of the DVC cabins in their inventory to offer for cash (book through the WDW site), as they do for all DVC resorts.

Thank you, I may just try to stay here now on our September trip to check it out!

 

[Girlstar30]

Fort Wilderness always had cabins/trailers, going back to the late 70s/early 80s. They only recently converted to DVC, which involved making all new cabins. As for 'old' vs new, I don't think there will be any old cabins left. 2200, 2300, 2400, 2500 and 2800 loops were all complete with the new cabins, and 2600 and 2700 loops were gutted of all old cabins, and new cabins were about 1/3 installed each.

Thank you for the information

 

[zackiedawg]

Morning deer - they were wandering around the woods next to my cabin pretty much every morning:


My cabin in the 2800 loop - I prefer this loop as it's got more old growth woods and tree cover compared to the 2300 and 2500 loops:

 

[Girlstar30]

Very beautiful, had no idea these animals were there, i guess they didn't do a very good job on selling me on it

 

[Replevin]

My wife and I just got back from a week stay at the Cabins as DVC members. Previously we've stayed in the old cabins and enjoyed our visits. The old cabins were getting long in the tooth and needed to be replaced.

As zackiedawg already mentioned I think the draw of the cabins for DVC members is the points charts. When we go next January we can stay for six nights in a one bedroom for roughly 100 points. I think the lower point value is justified because you don't have a washer and dryer and the resort doesn't have all the amenities that the traditional resorts have, like a fitness center. Because the points are lower we get an extra night each use year in a one bedroom and can stay in a (subjectively) nicer resort at a different time of year.

It's a bummer your DVC guide didn't do a good job of selling the cabins. Let me try and sell it a bit. My wife and I enjoy the cabins because the setting is peaceful, except when the construction starts up which should be done pretty soon . Compared to someplace like AKL or BCV it's a little more "chill." We like having the full kitchen for the lower points. It allows us to do breakfast every day in the cabin and at least one dinner which saves some money. We enjoy walking to Trail's End and having drinks and dinner after a day at the park. The beach at the boat landing is a great place to go in the evening and watch the fireworks. The boat service to Magic Kingdom is convenient and allows you to skip the monorail and steamboat thrash. The buses to the parks are pretty convenient. At least once each trip we will go and watch a movie during the evening at the outdoor theatre.

A couple random thoughts. The cabins look like trailers because essentially that's what they are. In my personal opinion the new cabins are leaps and bounds nicer than the old cabins. Not having washers and dryers in the cabins is a drawback but we were always able to do our laundry in the free laundromat by the smaller pool. Speaking of the pool, as others have mentioned the pools don't have towels there so you need to bring some from your cabin.

Having said all that we don't own there. I wasn't a fan of the resale restrictions and the dues are higher than other resorts. So take all that for what it's worth.

 

[Girlstar30]

It sounds great, my wife loves camping and the outdoors and who can beat 100 points for a one bedroom! I wouldn't buy either because of the high dues even if we loved it, but i would def like to stay there. And I'm happy because this solidifies my decision to buy direct after our resale contract closes because I am interested. I feel like Lakeshore Lodge would be more my thing because I like "glamping" but my wife would be all about fort wilderness. Before her agreeing to dvc she wanted to buy a teardrop trailer for camping and I'm hoping a resort like this could satisfy that desire

 

[ClaraOswald]

It sounds great, my wife loves camping and the outdoors and who can beat 100 points for a one bedroom! I wouldn't buy either because of the high dues even if we loved it, but i would def like to stay there. And I'm happy because this solidifies my decision to buy direct after our resale contract closes because I am interested. I feel like Lakeshore Lodge would be more my thing because I like "glamping" but my wife would be all about fort wilderness. Before her agreeing to dvc she wanted to buy a teardrop trailer for camping and I'm hoping a resort like this could satisfy that desire

I haven't stayed at Fort Wilderness but I think it would definitely give her more of a campground experience (minus the camper, obviously.) I think staying a Fort Wilderness would just be a different type of Disney experience than the other resorts. I really don't think you can do a direct comparison.

We only have resale so we'd have to stay in the cabins with cash. I would definitely like to check it out some day. I like a more outdoorsy-vibe compared to some of the other resorts (like Riviera) so Fort Wilderness is definitely a vibe I'd enjoy. But for now we're just sticking with Boulder Ridge since it's outdoorsy while still being a deluxe 'experience.'

 

[Girlstar30]

I haven't stayed at Fort Wilderness but I think it would definitely give her more of a campground experience (minus the camper, obviously.) I think staying a Fort Wilderness would just be a different type of Disney experience than the other resorts. I really don't think you can do a direct comparison.

We only have resale so we'd have to stay in the cabins with cash. I would definitely like to check it out some day. I like a more outdoorsy-vibe compared to some of the other resorts (like Riviera) so Fort Wilderness is definitely a vibe I'd enjoy. But for now we're just sticking with Boulder Ridge since it's outdoorsy while still being a deluxe 'experience.'

I haven't stayed at boulder ridge yet, I've only stayed at CCV and my wife and I both didn't like the rooms. How would you compare them to boulder ridge? Our reasons for not liking them is we thought they were too small and the themeing was lackluster. We wanted a more camping or outdoors theme and felt more like a dorm room

 

[ClaraOswald]

I haven't stayed at boulder ridge yet, I've only stayed at CCV and my wife and I both didn't like the rooms. How would you compare them to boulder ridge? Our reasons for not liking them is we thought they were too small and the themeing was lackluster. We wanted a more camping or outdoors theme and felt more like a dorm room

I think BRV rooms might be slightly larger. CCV was regular hotel rooms they converted to DVC so the layout is a bit different.

Check out youtube videos and you can get a good idea of the rooms at BRV. We stayed in a Studio in 2024 and then in a 1-bedroom last week and it was really great! I like the colors and theme at BRV a lot better than the pictures/videos I've seen of CCV. CCV looks really bland and brown.

 

[Girlstar30]

I think BRV rooms might be slightly larger. CCV was regular hotel rooms they converted to DVC so the layout is a bit different.

Check out youtube videos and you can get a good idea of the rooms at BRV. We stayed in a Studio in 2024 and then in a 1-bedroom last week and it was really great! I like the colors and theme at BRV a lot better than the pictures/videos I've seen of CCV. CCV looks really bland and brown.

It totally was. I'm glad they have another option because of course the resort is beautiful

 

[Mle8308]

It totally was. I'm glad they have another option because of course the resort is beautiful

CCV is being renovated starting in May and continuing through September. No one really knows what they will look like. The sofa bed is supposed to be replaced by the Murphy bed, but still no small under TV pull down bed, like in the BRV studios.