FW questions

[allie2]

I am trying to decide where to stay!!! Please help with a few questions....
1. How long does it take to get from FW to MK on the boat? Are the boats packed in the AM? When do they start running? We have early princess breakfast reservations at 9 am and don't want to be late!

2. With 4 adults in the cabin, is bathroom space a big issue?

3. Do the kids get the "disney feeling" in the campground?

4. We are only going to MK on one day of our 4 night stay, is there enough other things to keep us busy the other days? We would probably also go out to other resorts just to check them out!!

5. Is there a hot tub at FW?
6. Can you have a fire in your grill or just charcoal for cooking?

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions to help us make this decision!
Allie

 

[ftwildernessguy]

No hot tub.

Boat takes around 10 minutes for the ride, but you may wait 15 minutes or so for the boat depending on when you get there.

How crowded the boat is depends on the time of year. They do run larger boats to MK and I have even seen one of the big ferries taking people to and from MK.

FW is probably one of the least "themed" resorts, but I find it refreshing after being "disneyed out" all day.

You may want to plan some other events if you are staying 4 days but only doing a park once. There is a lot to do at FW, but the kids may get bored with it after a day or two. Plan a resort hopping day (you can ride the boat to WL and Cont, take the monorail from Cont to GF, Poly), a day at DTD, maybe a day of mini golf.

Charcoal fires only in the grills.

Boats to MK should start at least a half hour before park opening, and I would guess you will make your 9 am reservation.

Can't speak for the cabin bathroom, but at my house we have managed to raise 2 teenagers with only one bath. Takes some organizational skills, though.

 

[clkelley]

I am trying to decide where to stay!!! Please help with a few questions....
1. How long does it take to get from FW to MK on the boat? Are the boats packed in the AM? When do they start running? We have early princess breakfast reservations at 9 am and don't want to be late!

Thanks in advance for any advice or opinions to help us make this decision!
Allie

The larger boat to the Magic Kingdom starts about 45-60 minutes before park opening.

However, there is a smaller boat that runs between Ft. Wilderness, the Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge that starts about 6:45 am, so you can take one of those boats to the Contemporary and walk over to MK to make sure you have plenty of time to make your breakfast. The only problem with the smaller boats is they are not wheelchair accessible.

 

[allie2]

How are the boats with strollers? About the same as the bus, I assume?
Allie

 

[Pugrpooh]

We just got back last week from one week in a cabin. It was me, DH, DD19, her friend also 19, and DD4.

The bathroom situation worked out ok. DH usually took a shower in the morning and everyone else in the evening. The girls aren't too prissy so it didn't take them long to get ready in the morning.

We had ADR's at Chef Mickey's one morning at 8:10. I think the front desk at FW told me the boats start running at 7. There's a boat that stops at WL and then continues on to MK and there's another boat that goes to the CR and back. We had to get an internal bus from the cabin to the marina, and then wait for a boat. We were running a few minutes late and took the first boat that came, which was the WL and MK boat. We passed a CR boat headed to FW on the way. After getting off at MK we just walked over to CR and were about 5 mins. late. No problem though.

It seemed the earlier we took the boat, the less crowded it was. If we got a later start, say around 10 am, the busses and boats were more crowded. There were always more people from WL who got on the boat than from FW. The ride would take 10-20 minutes I'd say. Sometimes at WL, there would be families coming to the boat, and we'd wait a while until they were all there.

We've stayed at CBR, AKL, CR and most recently in April, POFQ. Didn't get much Disney feeling at FW. DD4 did a pony ride, we did HDDR one night, the campfire one night and swimming once. The pool is just a pool, there are no towels there like at other Disney resorts, didn't see a hot tub. DH had to go raid a housekeeper's cart for towels.

We were on the dining plan and planned to eat counter service one night there. The DP brochure stated that the Meadows Snack Bar served CS for dinner. When I called the front desk to find out where it was, they said that it closed at around 4. With a cranky 4 year old and with it raining, I didn't feel like taking two busses or a bus and a boat to grab a little something to eat. A food court would be a big plus there.

I liked the location of FW in relation to the other resorts there. It's fairly easy to get to WL and the monorail resorts.

In retrospect, we would've been better off with two rooms at a value or moderate. There would've been a food court nearby, the girls could get refillable mugs and go for drinks and snacks, the pools would be nicer, there would be more of a resort feel to it.

We won't be staying there again, primarily because of the lack of food selection, the pools and the dark interiors of the cabins.

Sorry this is a long post and I know from reading these boards that there are lots of people who love the cabins. They just aren't for us though. Maybe if I liked to cook on vacation, it would be fine, and when we go to the beach we like to get a condo and have 2 meals a day there, but not when we have free dining and are tired from walking around the parks all day.

Hope this helps you with your decision.

 

[Pugrpooh]

How are the boats with strollers? About the same as the bus, I assume?
Allie

On the boats you can just wheel the strollers on. It's like the monorail, you don't have to fold them up.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

On the boats you can just wheel the strollers on. It's like the monorail, you don't have to fold them up.

This may be true for the larger boats, but the smaller resort launches will require you to fold your stroller up.

 

[Pugrpooh]

This may be true for the larger boats, but the smaller resort launches will require you to fold your stroller up.

The week we were there, I just saw two sizes of boats that stopped at FW. The smaller one was the one that went to the CR. We never took that one, so I can't comment on the stroller question. The boat to WL and MK was not that large, as compared to the ferries I saw coming from the TTC. There were a few benches at the front of the boat, there were benches on either side of the boat inside with a center aisle, and then a few more benches in the back of the boat with a cover overhead. This one we could roll the stroller on. If I knew how to post pics on here, I would do so.

Every boat we took to and from MK was this size boat.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

The one I am referring to is the one you said you did not take. These actually do a circuit that covers WL, FW and Contemporary.

 

[VAN]

We have camped at Ft. Wilderness many times for two week stays. We love Ft. Wilderness and most "camping" folks also love it.

If you are more of a "hotel"/I don't cook on vacations sort of person, you may not enjoy spending 4 days in a cabin.

One of the nice things about having access to food preparation is that you don't have to travel somewhere and then wait in line for expensive food. So many times we have been there during the busy season and can't believe how much of a person's vacation time can be spent just feeding the family burger and fries!! If you have to wait in line 20 minutes for each meal, that is 1 hr each day!!!

Okay, so the pool doesn't have towels ... you know that in advance, so bring your own!! No, it doesn't have a hot tub either but you also know that in advance.

Not knowing the make-up of your family, I really can't make too many specific recommendations on how you would spend your time, but here are some suggestions:

1 day at MK
Downtown Disney
Water park
Disney Quest
Pleasure Island
Resort hopping (no, you can't use the pools)
When you are at POR remember that they have a boat that goes to DTD
See Bob Jackson at POR (wonderful entertainer at the Riverroost Lounge - free ... Wed-Sat, if believe)
HDDR
Campfire program/movie at the FtW
Rent boats, fishing pools, bikes, golf cart etc.
Dinner at O'Hana (Poly)
Movie at DTD

There are so many things to suggest.

If you are without a car, remember that you can rent them by the day from some of the Disney hotels (I think the Dolphin might be one of the places) - this would enable you to go off Disney property if you wanted to see something else.

We never have a problem finding things to do, because we spend a lot of our time relaxing, sleeping in, etc.

I find it a very Disney atmosphere because the CMs are friendly, things are clean and well themed.

WE LOVE IT.