Going from 1BV to FW Cabin - will we be disappointed?

[MartDM]

In recent years, we have typically gotten a 1BV at one of the deluxe resorts for our stay. I come from a family that camped when I was younger, so the FW Cabins have always had some appeal for me. The onsite activities seem like something my DS6 would like as well.

How dramatic is the difference? No in room laundry is a bummer and the transportation looks a bit trickier, but what about the other accommodations? Amenities?

I guess I'm just worried that, with the cost of the cabin and the rental of a golf cart (which we would likely do to save time/aggravation) being nearly that of a 1BV, we might end up disappointed with what we get. Is there anyone who has stayed at both that can give me some comparisons?

 

[Goofy4]

You might find the beds to be the biggest difference. On the other hand, you might not notice the smaller size at all.

As for the entire experience, we enjoyed it, but everyone has different tastes. Since you have experience with camping I think you'll find it to be a refreshing change of pace, with experiences unavailable at any other resort.

 

[GAN]

We're DVC members so we usually stay in 1/2BR Villa, but I've always wanted to stay in a cabin -just haven't gotten there yet. I think you'll enjoy it.

 

[MartDM]

Thank you!

 

[sharadoc]

We've stayed in a 1BR at BWV twice, OKW twice, and SSR. We love the cabins. Here's what we like:

More beds - you can sleep up to 3 people in the BR and the Murphy bed is more comfortable and easier to use than a sofa bed, especially when you come in after a late night in the park.

Better dining table - it seats 6.

Park at your front door if you drive.

Quiet!! There's no one over your head, under your feet or next to you. The only toilet you'll hear is yours and the only footsteps you'll hear belong to your family. You'll hear birds, see bunnies, armadillos, deer, tons of lizards. It's so beautiful.

Cooking on the grill is great, quick and tasty. Much nicer than on the stove or oven.

As far a the transportation goes, it's not as bad as some people make it sound. Because you're at the Fort, you should take your time and enjoy the scenery. So walking out to the bus stop, taking the bus, etc. are just part of the leisurely feel of the fort.

If you request loop 2500, you are right next to the quiet pool and laundry room, so it's not terrible to do laundry. If they would put a stacking w/d in the cabins, it would be heaven.

Activities at the Fort are second to none - horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, watercraft rental, archery, shuffleboard, volleyball, lots of great activities at the Meadows for kids, too.

Going out to the beach every night to watch Wishes and the Electrical Water Pageant with a lovely adult beverage - perfect

We've done it with and without a golf cart. Both were fine.

 

[fla4fun]

We've stayed in a 1BR at BWV twice, OKW twice, and SSR. We love the cabins. Here's what we like:

More beds - you can sleep up to 3 people in the BR and the Murphy bed is more comfortable and easier to use than a sofa bed, especially when you come in after a late night in the park.

Better dining table - it seats 6.

Park at your front door if you drive.

Quiet!! There's no one over your head, under your feet or next to you. The only toilet you'll hear is yours and the only footsteps you'll hear belong to your family. You'll hear birds, see bunnies, armadillos, deer, tons of lizards. It's so beautiful.

Cooking on the grill is great, quick and tasty. Much nicer than on the stove or oven.

As far a the transportation goes, it's not as bad as some people make it sound. Because you're at the Fort, you should take your time and enjoy the scenery. So walking out to the bus stop, taking the bus, etc. are just part of the leisurely feel of the fort.

If you request loop 2500, you are right next to the quiet pool and laundry room, so it's not terrible to do laundry. If they would put a stacking w/d in the cabins, it would be heaven.

Activities at the Fort are second to none - horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, watercraft rental, archery, shuffleboard, volleyball, lots of great activities at the Meadows for kids, too.

Going out to the beach every night to watch Wishes and the Electrical Water Pageant with a lovely adult beverage - perfect

We've done it with and without a golf cart. Both were fine.

I would agree with this. I have stayed in 1BR villas and in the cabins.

It's really more about your expectations. To me, the cabins feel more like home, more like coming home to a neighborhood at the end of the day. The villas feel more like a resort hotel. Neither is a bad choice, but they are different. If you go to FW expecting it to be like VWL (for example) you will be disappointed because they are totally different experiences.

The beds really are the biggest difference. The beds in the cabin (Murphy and bedroom) are double beds, not queen or king. The bunks are standard twin size beds. The bedroom feels small, but the living/dining area seems large to me.

The bathroom is all in one room (there is a dry vanity with mirror and electric outlet in the bedroom, and the kitchen sink works in a pinch for getting ready as well), so think about whether that may impact your ability to get everyone ready.

I love the cabins, but I think they work best when you want more resort time and less park time. It seems like such a shame to stay there if you aren't planning on joining in all the fun activities! I've only stayed without a golf cart, and I didn't have any trouble getting around. There are three color coded bus routes in the campground to get to the Outpost and Settlement where the park transportation is. I actually prefer the internal/external transportation over the multi stop set up at the moderate resorts. I think it gives everyone a fair shot at getting a seat. I've never had crowded buses at the campground either.

I would recommend going to the camping board for more information. There is information regarding renting a cart from an off property vendor (which saves money) as well as questions and answers on pretty much any FW topic you could possibly come up with.

 

[MartDM]

Great info from you all - thank you!

(So nice to get real, solid advice with NO snarky remarks for a change!)

 

[sharadoc]

I just remembered one more piece of advice - there is a sink in the kitchen that you can use to get ready in the morning, tooth brushing, face washing, etc. Took us until the 2nd stay to realize that - DUH!

 

[MartDM]

I could so see me doing the exact same thing! Thanks for the heads up!

 

[jodirn2]

We stayed in the cabins a year ago and loved them. We also had stayed in a 1 bedroom villa in our prior trips but this was nice change. We rented a golf cart from an outside source and that worked great and was much cheaper. It's really about requesting a good location. I would have to look at a map to remember which cabin we were in but we were 2 minutes from the quiet pool and laundry. The quiet pool was great and usually there wasn't more than 5-10 people there. Felt like we had the pool to ourselves. Yes the drive to the marina was a little bit longer but was fun to check out everyone's campsites and decorations since we were there at the end of September and everyone was already in the Halloween spirit. It was nice to hop off the bus or boat and drive right up to our cabin. Another nice thing were the activities. Campfire sing along, horseback riding, electric light parade on the water, and the option of the main pool with the slide. We were able to save some money by eating a light breakfast in our cabin and most mornings it was so beautiful out that we could eat on our own deck. It was nice to hop onto the boat and hop over to the MK as well. For dining purposes it was great. Short boat ride to WL or Contemporary for our TS meals. Also was great at night at park close to hop on the boat and be back at our resort in a jiffy instead of sitting in line for a bus. I guess we(my family) spend a lot of time at MK on our trips. Mouse keeping couldn't have been better. Our room was always super clean and she took the time to leave towel art everyday for both of my boys. A golf cart is a must at this resort but other than that it is wonderful. Good luck with your decision! Remember there are outside sources for golf cart rental that deliver and pick up the cart in the front lot by check in.

 

[MartDM]

Thanks again to you all for the great advice. We booked a cabin for the first week of December and we're very excited about it. This will be a whole new kind of fun at WDW and our DS6 is over the moon about the cabin! Can't wait to get back to my "camping" roots with him!

 

[sharadoc]

Thanks again to you all for the great advice. We booked a cabin for the first week of December and we're very excited about it. This will be a whole new kind of fun at WDW and our DS6 is over the moon about the cabin! Can't wait to get back to my "camping" roots with him!

Congrats! We'll be there that same week! We're at Bonnet Creek this trip but we'll be at the Fort for an evening of dinner at Trail's End, Chip & Dale show, looping to see all the decorations, and water parade and Wishes on the Beach, a good 5-6 hour trip!

We plan to do it on a MVMCP night so we can see the Holiday Wishes from the beach instead of the regular one, since we've seen that a lot.

If you don't get a golf cart, I'd recommend renting one for an evening just to ride around and see the decorations. Here's a small sample, just click on it to see what it's like:

 

[buzznina]

We've stayed in a 1BR at BWV twice, OKW twice, and SSR. We love the cabins. Here's what we like:

More beds - you can sleep up to 3 people in the BR and the Murphy bed is more comfortable and easier to use than a sofa bed, especially when you come in after a late night in the park.

Better dining table - it seats 6.

Park at your front door if you drive.

Quiet!! There's no one over your head, under your feet or next to you. The only toilet you'll hear is yours and the only footsteps you'll hear belong to your family. You'll hear birds, see bunnies, armadillos, deer, tons of lizards. It's so beautiful.

Cooking on the grill is great, quick and tasty. Much nicer than on the stove or oven.

As far a the transportation goes, it's not as bad as some people make it sound. Because you're at the Fort, you should take your time and enjoy the scenery. So walking out to the bus stop, taking the bus, etc. are just part of the leisurely feel of the fort.

This is such a great point
I think this is what A LOT of people do not take advantage of at the resorts. You pay so much $$ for these resorts but do not take the time to enjoy the themeing, etc. So many people are more concerned about getting from point A to point B in the fastest way possible and the least amount of walking.

 

[MartDM]

Thanks so much Sharadoc - the decorations are incredible! I have a feeling I won't miss the Deluxes one bit after all I've seen & heard about the Fort!

We were definitely renting an offsite golf cart and planning to tour the campground just for fun. Being able to see decorations too? Bonus!