Ft. Wilderness Cabins becoming DVC?

[Traveling on cc points]

Riviera is a very nice resort, though, I must say.

I agree. It is beautiful but I am cheap with my points and if I’m going to pay the higher points per night, I am going to stay on the monorail loop.

 

[Nursemanit]

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So are we trying to jam a washer/dryer into an oversized studio so we can justify (for some) 2bdrm villa prices? When it's around 60% the size of a 1 bdrm? Really?

No one said anything like that - try reading the thread again.

 

[Nursemanit]

Possible dumb question ahead, can one use a Ecv to get around the fort. We would not buy there, but maybe stay in a cabin for a few days. of course , then have the issue of what to do with scooter Over night.

Renting a golf cart would be better for around the resort. As for what to do at night you would request an accessible cabin and store it plugged in in the room like any other room.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Renting a golf cart would be better for around the resort. As for what to do at night you would request an accessible cabin and store it plugged in in the room like any other room.

Maybe they will have ones to rent like these!

 

[Nursemanit]

Maybe they will have ones to rent like these!

View attachment 760948

As long as they have turn signals and lights you can rent from third parties- so it’s possible now

 

[jo-jo]

Renting a golf cart would be better for around the resort. As for what to do at night you would request an accessible cabin and store it plugged in in the room like any other room.

hmm not really interested in renting golf cart and EVC at the same time. Guess we'll leave the cabins to others.

Speaking of have EVC in room...what's with the ones in resorts hallways overnight. Isn't that a fire hazard?

 

[Nursemanit]

Speaking of have EVC in room...what's with the ones in resorts hallways overnight. Isn't that a fire hazard?

That is for the hotel to manage

 

[StevieB81]

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No one said anything like that - try reading the thread again.

You are correct, no one individual said anything like that. And there are some who insist these are worth close to 2bdrm villa points or at least a 1 bdrm. But it would be a hard sell without a washer/dryer... So we could make them fit.

I've read this thread in like 2 big chunks, so kinda beginning to end mostly all at once, and I'll tell you my statement, though sarcastic, isn't very far off from what you could infer some people were thinking. Maybe if you go back to the beginning and read the whole thing at once, you might realize I wasn't actually too far off. You might also realize, maybe, that you should take your own advice before being rude to a complete stranger.

 

[bama_ed]

Possible dumb question ahead, can one use a Ecv to get around the fort. We would not buy there, but maybe stay in a cabin for a few days. of course , then have the issue of what to do with scooter Over night.

You can use an ECV to get around the Fort, certainly. Many people do on the wide paved trails along the 3 main Fort roads, Fort Wilderness Trail (the checkin building straight down to the lake), Big Pine Trail (past loops 1600-900) and around to the dog park down the lake, and Peacock Pass (the main road along the cabins loops and current "quiet" pool). You could request an "Accessible" cabin which has a ramp rather than steps up to the wood deck from the front-door parking spot to the outside the front door where there are AC plugs outside or even roll the ECV inside to plug/store/charge (I am assuming the DVC cabins will have that same functionality as the current resort cabins do).

As I said, there are wide, paved sidewalks along these main roads. Once you get into your cabin loop, it would be on the driving road but only for a short distance. Down around Bay Lake/Pioneer Hall, there are walking/bike sidewalks (usable by ECV's) that are separate from the golf cart paths (not a fan of golf carts in general). Internal busses can "kneel" to allow easy entry and store an ECV inside the bus while they roll to their destination.

Golf carts are an expensive convenience but not a necessity at Fort Wilderness. You can walk, use an ECV, bring bikes from home, rent bikes, or rent a golf cart from Disney or from an off-site vendor (cheaper but less convenient), or use the internal bus network. Some folks have their own golf carts they bring for their Fort stay. We walk or bike. Oh and golf carts (and the teens that drive their family carts) stick to the road with the 4,000# automobiles so ECV's have to only look out for walkers, bikers, or maybe skaters (who more often choose the paved roads for the longer straightaways ). And on my bike I choose the roads too unless they are very busy.

I'm a Fort camper on an annual basis for nearly 25 years so I am happy to clear up some information and answer questions. (see my signature)

If you have any more ECV questions, let me know. Also, folks travelling can rent an ECV while in Orlando at the Fort (drop offs and pickups at the checkin building) from an outside vendor of their choosing if they wish. For example if they fly into MCO.

Bama Ed

PS - oh and generators (and the noise/sound from them) is not a problem from the RV sites. Every camping site has AC power (20A, 30A and 50A) and they were working to improve WIFI speeds when I was there this past Thanksgiving.

 

[DVCsloth]

What about plumbing, such as water supply and drainage for the washer? Could that be connected to the pre-existing bathroom and kitchen plumbing on those sites? I don't know anything about installing plumbing in new construction that can't be deduced from pipes sticking up from a concrete slab, but I regard you as the construction guru here! And I think I might have read some speculation here when the Poly longhouses were being converted to DVC that they were limited in what they could include in those villas due to drainfield issues. I think the bungalows even had some significant sewage problems shortly after opening. Fort Wilderness is of a similar age as the Poly and CR, I believe.

I think that has a lot to do with it being a strain of the plumbing. They will have washer dryers available, but they will be most likely in shared laundry rooms like the studios are.

 

[bama_ed]

I think that has a lot to do with it being a strain of the plumbing. They will have washer dryers available, but they will be most likely in shared laundry rooms like the studios are.

Laundry facilities are only in the camper/rv loops and not in the current resort cabins loops. Although for DVC needs they could convert existing facilities/buildings to provide laundry stuff.

The plumbing in the existing cabin footprints have room for showers, flushies, and kitchen/bathroom sinks. As long as you don't try to do too many of those at once, we're good. Many of the newer machines available are very efficient with water (and power) use.

Bama Ed

PS - I confidently predict zero (0) future shared laundry room facilities in the DVC cabins at the Fort. Unless some folks sneak over to use the camper laundry facilities in the Comfort Station between 1100 and 2100 loops. (Shhhhh, don't tell anybody that's over there).

 

[DVCsloth]

Laundry facilities are only in the camper/rv loops and not in the current resort cabins loops. Although for DVC needs they could convert existing facilities/buildings to provide laundry stuff.

The plumbing in the existing cabin footprints have room for showers, flushies, and kitchen/bathroom sinks. As long as you don't try to do too many of those at once, we're good. Many of the newer machines available are very efficient with water (and power) use.

Bama Ed

PS - I confidently predict zero (0) future shared laundry room facilities in the DVC cabins at the Fort. Unless some folks sneak over to use the camper laundry facilities in the Comfort Station between 1100 and 2100 loops. (Shhhhh, don't tell anybody that's over there).

I'm thinking with 350 cabins they will add dedicated laundry just for the cabins. They could more easily add new plumbing to a few new laundry buildings than upgrading the existing cabin plumbing. They probably will upgrade the plumbing and electrical any way's for the new cabins. I would think that the laundry rooms would be locked unless you are staying in the DVC Cabins. I believe they intend to upgrade the area to make it more of a deluxe resort for the cabins. There is a lot of potential there to make this really nice.

 

[bama_ed]

You could be right, @DVCsloth, but then that becomes MORE than just dropping new DVC cabins in the old resort cabins footprints. Remember the cabins once had full ovens/burners with countertop microwaves and now currently only have a convection microwave oven with a burner top.

Really, the cabins don't have two wires and a candle for lights. But with the infrastructure having been wired up for ovens, they can probably handle modern energy efficient w/d. Or my crock pot from home (lol).

We all wait to see what they plan to do facilities wise and points chart wise. Then we can get together and kibitz.

Bama Ed

 

[Nursemanit]

You are correct, no one individual said anything like that. And there are some who insist these are worth close to 2bdrm villa points or at least a 1 bdrm. But it would be a hard sell without a washer/dryer... So we could make them fit.

I've read this thread in like 2 big chunks, so kinda beginning to end mostly all at once, and I'll tell you my statement, though sarcastic, isn't very far off from what you could infer some people were thinking. Maybe if you go back to the beginning and read the whole thing at once, you might realize I wasn't actually too far off. You might also realize, maybe, that you should take your own advice before being rude to a complete stranger.

You were making a hyperbolic sarcastic statement - and you continue to do so falsely claiming to know what "some people are thinking" when they wrote nothing like what you said. I stand by my assessment that your comment was just a way to add negativity to the discussion.

 

[StevieB81]

You were making a hyperbolic sarcastic statement - and you continue to do so falsely claiming to know what "some people are thinking" when they wrote nothing like what you said. I stand by my assessment that your comment was just a way to add negativity to the discussion.

OK. Thanks for re-reading the thread. I appreciate your time and positivity.

 

[Nursemanit]

Laundry facilities are only in the camper/rv loops and not in the current resort cabins loops. Although for DVC needs they could convert existing facilities/buildings to provide laundry stuff.

The laundry is at the pool right in the cabin loops

 

[DonMacGregor]

I think that has a lot to do with it being a strain of the plumbing. They will have washer dryers available, but they will be most likely in shared laundry rooms like the studios are.

Today's HE washers use about as much water as a 5-minute shower. A stacked top-load washer uses about 12 gallons of water, whereas a standard shower head flows at 2.5 GPM.

 

[justadreamaway77]

Or it will be a larger amount- with the LVT floors it’s not hard to be pet friendly

I wouldn't touch that assoc as an owner. Dogs chew and scratch pillows, furniture, moldings, doors, etc. I would not want to pay for repairs from other crappy dog owners. People just leave their dogs regardless of their behavior.

 

[bama_ed]

The laundry is at the pool right in the cabin loops

Thanks for the reminder. The quiet pool doesn't have showers in that back area so I guess that's possibly what I was thinking. Not terribly convenient, though, IMO. If that's the plan, 2200 cabins are closer to the 2100 camping loop comfort station with its laundry facilities.

 

[Nursemanit]

Thanks for the reminder. The quiet pool doesn't have showers in that back area so I guess that's possibly what I was thinking. Not terribly convenient, though, IMO. If that's the plan, 2200 cabins are closer to the 2100 camping loop comfort station with its laundry facilities.

Most laundry’s in condo style DVC resorts are by the pool with the thought being swim and do laundry.