Help talk me into the cabins !

[tink15823]

I Have to admit I'm very worried about the size of Fort Wilderness. We will be traveling September 2017 with DH , DS 19, DD 19, DS 13 and DDF 18 . So here are my worries we have heard it takes a long time for the internal buses . The resort looks huge and we have a child in a wheel chair . Are the pools close to the cabins ? How far away are the package picks ? Do you use your resort mugs often? What is the sleeper sofa like ? Is one loop better than another ? We will not have a golf cart will we need one ? If so where is the best place to rent one ? As you can see I am in a panic and it's still a year away .TIA

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

Don't do it! We enjoyed the space of the cabins, but disliked the resort. It did not feel at all like the Disney bubble. Difficult to get around. We never could use our mugs because it was so hard to get to a refill station.

I believe the golf carts are rather expensive, as are the cabins relatively expensive. I would suggest two rooms at a moderate instead.

I have no experience with wheelchair access, but the cabin we were in would not have been wheelchair friendly, AT ALL.

Don't worry, a year is a lot of time, and you'll find the right fit. Good luck!

 

[stobaugh6]

We stayed at Ft Wilderness last year and had a great time. My teens enjoyed the activities there. We didn't have a golf cart though. There is bus service from each loop to the front, but then you have to wait on anther bus to take you to the park. It took forever each day to get to and from the parks. DH said he wouldn't do Ft Wilderness again without a golf cart. Also, don't bother with the refillable drink mugs, because you will have to take a bus ride to get them filled. It's really not convenient to any quick service meals either. We are going back to WDW in January and are staying in a family suite this time. Sorry to be a downer. The campground is really amazing though! I would get a golf cart for sure if we were going back.

 

[tink15823]

Don't do it! We enjoyed the space of the cabins, but disliked the resort. It did not feel at all like the Disney bubble. Difficult to get around. We never could use our mugs because it was so hard to get to a refill station.

I believe the golf carts are rather expensive, as are the cabins relatively expensive. I would suggest two rooms at a moderate instead.

I have no experience with wheelchair access, but the cabin we were in would not have been wheelchair friendly, AT ALL.

Don't worry, a year is a lot of time, and you'll find the right fit. Good luck!

We stayed at Ft Wilderness last year and had a great time. My teens enjoyed the activities there. We didn't have a golf cart though. There is bus service from each loop to the front, but then you have to wait on anther bus to take you to the park. It took forever each day to get to and from the parks. DH said he wouldn't do Ft Wilderness again without a golf cart. Also, don't bother with the refillable drink mugs, because you will have to take a bus ride to get them filled. It's really not convenient to any quick service meals either. We are going back to WDW in January and are staying in a family suite this time. Sorry to be a downer. The campground is really amazing though! I would get a golf cart for sure if we were going back.

Thank you both I'm having major anxiety and your input was very welcome. We want out daughters frind to get the Disney experience she's never been .
In truth AOA would me my number one choice but it just drives me crazy if you get free dinning you have the upcharge for sit down meals . We stayed when it first opened and free dinning was table service . In my opinion it for the price it should have a class of its own .

 

[kcp1377]

The fort is awesome and we (obviously) love it. But that said, it's not for everyone. If you do it I would suggest getting a golf cart (if you have a car you can arrange for a third party cart but it isn't quite as easy as it used to be.) The cabins are a decent way from the main pool, but there is a pool closer to them that we use when my parents stay at the cabins. Here's a map if you'd like to see the layout. http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/fortwilderness.htm

The cabins are great and my parents love that they have a full kitchen (you can get groceries delivered). You don't really need the mugs since you do have a kitchen, but if you did opt for them it is quite a trip to use them. Cabins are 2100-2800 if you're looking at the map. I'm sure others will chime in with more information, but it sounds to me like a different resort might suit you a little better.

 

[FtW Mike]

In all honesty I am a huge fan of the cabins. There are cabins that are wheelchair accessible and not far from a pool in the cabin loop area all cabins are off Peacock Pass. While having a golf cart makes getting too and from bus or boat travel hubs to assorted parks a whole lot easier it is not mandatory. You will find any number of threads here about who uses who and experiences had with them. Kitchen appliances do make dining at the cabin easier as does having a place for keeping plenty of cold beverages on hand. For us we consider the Fort our home resort and feel out of place when we have stayed other places

 

[mickeymom22]

I have never stayed in the cabins, but we have camped twice there. We were lucky because we were there with family that had a golf cart. I would not recommend staying there without one. Things are spread out. Having to take a bus to get to the buses to take you to the parks would be irritating for my family...and we are used to only using Disney transportation on our trips. I am sure for the teens it would be fun to have the golf cart to ride around...this was a favorite thing for mine!

I would not get the refillable mugs. I think you would get tired of hiking to get the refills. You can use a delivery service to bring you groceries...or if you are driving, you could make a Wal-Mart run for snacks!

Happy Planning!

 

[2goofycampers]

If you are driving..... Do you have room for some bikes?

 

[tiggerdad]

If you are driving..... Do you have room for some bikes?

I think they have one in a wheelchair so bikes might not be an option for all, but then again...

 

[tink15823]

I think they have one in a wheelchair so bikes might not be an option for all, but then again...

Yes our daughter has been in a wheelchair from the time she was 12 do to a cheerleading accident. I think we would be best suited to rent a 6 person golf cart . Do you know if they rent 6 person golf carts ? If not is there a goo outside source ? We will be driving but its a van with know tow hitch .

 

[bama_ed]

Yes our daughter has been in a wheelchair from the time she was 12 do to a cheerleading accident. I think we would be best suited to rent a 6 person golf cart . Do you know if they rent 6 person golf carts ? If not is there a goo outside source ? We will be driving but its a van with know tow hitch .

Disney does have 6-seat golf carts that rent for $89+tax a day IIRC. However, you can NOT reserve a 6-seat differently than a 4-seat (which rents for $59+tax a day). You simply make a golf cart reservation (or reserve 2 in your case is you can't get a 6-er) and then request a 6-seat when one is available. If one is not available you get put on a waiting list and as they are turned in, they go to the next person on the list. Disney will adjust the charges based on what you end up with.

Tee Time Golf Carts is an outside company that provides rental golf carts at much better prices. In the past they have had a 6-seater for rent but don't know what's in their current fleet. However, there is a picture of one on their rental web page: http://www.****************.com/rentals.html

Their rates are around 30-40% less than Disney's. The trade-off is you have to go off property to pick it up and bring it into the Fort yourself (TT cannot deliver per Disney's rules) and return it at the end of your visit. But they have a way for people to get carts who don't have a hitch or a tow vehicle. They generally have a good reputation here on the DIS.

My advice would be to try to book early with TT for a 6-seater and lock that in for sure well before your visit rolls around next year (some people reserve carts a year in advance during busy times so even now would be okay). Given the number of people you have, the cabins which can be a little further from things, the wheel chair, having the cart to get to bus depots and internal Fort destinations, trying to reserve a TT 6-seater would be a good idea and would greatly enhance your Fort experience.

Bama Ed

PS - the Fort is a great resort to spend a day or half day (or more) at relaxing and enjoying the activities. If you're a theme park warrior type (rope drop to close every day), the Fort magic can get lost.

 

[Aliceacc]

Just a question:

We were at FW only once for Hoop de Do, and I don't remember:

Are the roads paved? Or are there a lot of dirt roads? I tend to think it's the second, though I'm not sure.

That would impact your daughter's mobility; I can't imagine pushing a wheelchair on a dirt road for any length of time.

Personally, I would probably opt for another resort.

 

[North of Mouse]

Just a question:

We were at FW only once for Hoop de Do, and I don't remember:

Are the roads paved? Or are there a lot of dirt roads? I tend to think it's the second, though I'm not sure.

That would impact your daughter's mobility; I can't imagine pushing a wheelchair on a dirt road for any length of time.

Personally, I would probably opt for another resort.

Hey, this is Disney, and an upscale campground - first class, and definitely no 'dirt' roads to navigate on! It rivals anything there IMO, except we bring our own 'homes'!! Come take a look sometimes and you will have a mind change! It's not a 'hole in the wall' campground! And, yes, I am a little defensive!!

 

[tiggerdad]

Only place I found dirt was when I went "off grid" adventuring there to the old cabin and in search of steel.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

So we have never stayed at Ft Wilderness but we have visited and we did consider staying there for our upcoming trip. We don't have anyone in a wheelchair but I don't think it would be easy having to go on all those different internal buses with someone in a wheelchair. My hubby did not like the idea of having to ride an internal bus just to get to a pool or ride the internal bus just to get to the quick service location for the refillable mug or to take the boat into the MK. Even though my hubby is not a big Disney fan when we go to Disney he still wants to feel like we are inside the Disney bubble and he said there is no way we would feel like that if we stayed at the Fort. Now a couple of pros of the Fort...I LOVED the space of the Cabins (which is why we were considering this) and I loved that we could bring my older DS bike and he could ride his bike there and that there was a ton of freedom the kids could have bc it was quiet and spacious. I think the Fort would be an awesome place to stay if you were planning on doing a resort stay and not really doing much of the theme parks. I think it would be a lot of work to get to the theme parks from the Fort in my opinion. But like I said we have never stayed there so I have no personal experience, just personal research we did when we were thinking about staying there.

 

[North of Mouse]

I think the Fort would be an awesome place to stay if you were planning on doing a resort stay and not really doing much of the theme parks. I think it would be a lot of work to get to the theme parks from the Fort in my opinion. But like I said we have never stayed there so I have no personal experience, just personal research we did when we were thinking about staying there.

Have been 'camping' at the Fort for 44 years and definitely feel like we are in the 'Disney Bubble'!! It is very easy to get to the parks - take the boat to MK - an internal bus to buses at the Outpost. We've found the wait to be minimal at most times. That's one reason we like it so much - just so convenient.

We have never stayed in a cabin, so can't speak for those, but only using Disney transportation from our motorhome site, it is comparable to other resorts time wise - sometimes maybe quicker.

 

[Aliceacc]

Hey, this is Disney, and an upscale campground - first class, and definitely no 'dirt' roads to navigate on! It rivals anything there IMO, except we bring our own 'homes'!! Come take a look sometimes and you will have a mind change! It's not a 'hole in the wall' campground! And, yes, I am a little defensive!!

Ouch.

Just thought I would offer a perspective the OP might not have considered in terms of mobility.

My apologies if I've offended you or offered the wrong opinion.

 

[Teamubr]

Ouch.

Just thought I would offer a perspective the OP might not have considered in terms of mobility.

My apologies if I've offended you or offered the wrong opinion.

Don't worry. I don't think you offended anyone. We're are use to getting beat up on the other forums. Some of us get amused with the comments about hicks, barefoot/backwards, "campers" (as if it's a bad thing), "can't afford a real resort" and lots of others.

We know they all come from an uninformed perspective.

To the OP, I'll agree with others. The Fort may not be your best option. It definitely feels different than staying at "hotel" type property. The size can be a deal. Depending on what you want to do, where you end up and your expectations, transportation can be frustrating. The best way to deal with it is plan on an hour to get anywhere outside the Fort. It will usually be less than that, but then it's a bonus. There aren't many places to eat since most of us bring our kitchens and our own food. If you plan on a dining plan or eating at table service places, the Fort doesn't make that as easy as the places without kitchens.

I have stayed at Saratoga Springs and Caribbean Beach Club. CBR was just for a day when I was racing at Daytona. Transportation from SSR was about the same, time wise, as getting places from the Fort. It seemed to take a long time to get anywhere except Disney Springs. The difference at the Fort being taking 2 buses or needing a cart to avoid the internal buses. The Fort has the boats to MK and the monorail (via a resort launch to the Contemporary) that most other resorts don't have. I did like having more places to eat when I stayed at SSR/CBR, but at SSR, it was a 10 minute walk or a bus ride AND the waits were ridiculous. It was spring break when I was at SSR, although it was the same at CBR in January.

Bottom line. The Fort is a luxury campground for those of us that enjoy a relaxed, open, pampered camping experience. This is intended to be different than staying at a "hotel" resort. The cabins allow people to join the atmosphere without a large investment. (Yes, cabins are priced as Moderates, but I have over $100,000 in my truck and 5th wheel. Apples vs caviar.) If the atmosphere of a really nice campground within the WDW bubble isn't your idea of "being on property", there are plenty of "hotel/condo" style options that will give you buses to wait for, lines at the CS eateries and LOTS of people that don't say "Hi" or wave when you walk past.

j

 

[publix subs]

I stayed at a cabin in the 2800 Loop this weekend and absolutely loved it. We've stayed at nearly every resort on property and it was our favorite experience by a long shot.

 

[North of Mouse]

Ouch.

Just thought I would offer a perspective the OP might not have considered in terms of mobility.

My apologies if I've offended you or offered the wrong opinion.

No offense taken - no worries