Howdy! FW Cabin FAQ Thread!!

[Kimi313]

As a rule of thumb we always allow an hour for travel to each park. We did not rent the golf carts and we were fine. We were in cabin #2427, it was a short walk to the internal bus. If you are going to Epcot/AK/HS catch the bus going in the direction of the Outpost Depot then transfer to the park bus there. If MK take the bus in the direction of Settlement Depot, then short walk to marina to the boat going to MK. The boat will also make stops at Wilderness Lodge. Take a look at the map here on this site and decide where you think would be the best location and request that loop. I was just looking at the map at the bus transportation and it says you travel the bus from the Settlement Depot, we stayed there May 2011 and it was not like that so you may want to ask when you check in. No matter what you will have a great time!

 

[Lizzybean]

I have a few questions about the Sing a Along and the nightly movies.

1. Do Chip and Dale make an appearance EVERY night for the Sing a Along or is it only certain nights depending on the week? I want to make sure the kids get to see them!

2. Are the movies shown by the campfire area? Should we bring our own chairs? Is it a grassy area where we could bring blankets to lay down? I'm having trouble telling by pictures.

3. Can we bring a cooler or bag of additional drinks/snacks for the movie?

TIA!!! (And maybe I should probably ask this over in camping too )

 

[sharadoc]

I have a few questions about the Sing a Along and the nightly movies.

1. Do Chip and Dale make an appearance EVERY night for the Sing a Along or is it only certain nights depending on the week? I want to make sure the kids get to see them!

2. Are the movies shown by the campfire area? Should we bring our own chairs? Is it a grassy area where we could bring blankets to lay down? I'm having trouble telling by pictures.

3. Can we bring a cooler or bag of additional drinks/snacks for the movie?

TIA!!! (And maybe I should probably ask this over in camping too )

1 Yes they are there every night. They split up and each of them does half of the crowd so you'll only get to meet one of them.

2 It's like a little stadium with bleachers in a half-circle. The campfire is off to the side. I don't think you'd want to lay down, it's just dirt. You can bring lawn chairs if you want.

3 Of course you can. You can cook over the campfire too. Bring supplies for s'mores or hot dogs on a stick. There are logs around the campfire - the fire is in a giant metal bowl and there's usually plenty of room around the fires.

 

[bagsmom]

Very happy to find this thread, but trying to contain myself. We are having a hard time figuring out the budget. Sigh. We stayed at FW several times in our camper when I was a kid. Last year, we went to WDW for the first time and stayed in a pirate room at CB. Very fun -- but we did the whole disney boot camp thing and I traumatized my husband! We did the dining plan, but my kids are such picky eaters, we realized we'd be much better off doing food ourselves. It seems like we could save $ doing this, but the options with kitchens are a lot more expensive! Arrghhh! We have a slight possibility of borrowing someone's camper, but the logistics of getting it from Illinois to Georgia are crazy! Not to mention we have no place to park it between times! It's all making me a little nuts.

One question.... I'm a fan of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Their advice was absolutely spot on for our last trip. According to their reader surveys, FW cabins have dropped down on the list -- makes it sound like they are slightly less well-kept over the past few years. They did acknowledge that the economy does affect how people perceive value for money spent. Just wondered if anyone had any input on that.

Also -- how is the refurbished pool? Nice? More fun than a run of the mill pool at a Holiday Inn?

I want to go SO BAD!

 

[MUDisneyCouple]

We just got back from our 1st stay there and had a wonderful time!!! It was just the right amount of space and really a lot of fun! It was our kind of camping for sure We thought that they were well maintained. We did have an issue with our toilet, but it was fixed while we were in the parks. Very clean and the furniture didn't look worn out or anything like that. The pool was nice, not deluxe resort nice, but it has a slide. Didn't spend a lot of time there - lol!

The only thing I can't speak to is the bus system. We didn't use it. We have APs so we drove to all the parks and felt that it was a time saver with our DD (who is 2) to stay on a "schedule". We would definitely stay here again and for a longer timeframe.

 

[bagsmom]

It is great to hear this! I hope we can find some specials between now and next summer. If only it weren't so darned pricey!

 

[MUDisneyCouple]

I hope you can find a good deal too It was a great experience!

 

[hstrickland]

Very happy to find this thread, but trying to contain myself. We are having a hard time figuring out the budget. Sigh. We stayed at FW several times in our camper when I was a kid. Last year, we went to WDW for the first time and stayed in a pirate room at CB. Very fun -- but we did the whole disney boot camp thing and I traumatized my husband! We did the dining plan, but my kids are such picky eaters, we realized we'd be much better off doing food ourselves. It seems like we could save $ doing this, but the options with kitchens are a lot more expensive! Arrghhh! We have a slight possibility of borrowing someone's camper, but the logistics of getting it from Illinois to Georgia are crazy! Not to mention we have no place to park it between times! It's all making me a little nuts.

One question.... I'm a fan of the Unofficial Guide to WDW. Their advice was absolutely spot on for our last trip. According to their reader surveys, FW cabins have dropped down on the list -- makes it sound like they are slightly less well-kept over the past few years. They did acknowledge that the economy does affect how people perceive value for money spent. Just wondered if anyone had any input on that.

Also -- how is the refurbished pool? Nice? More fun than a run of the mill pool at a Holiday Inn?

I want to go SO BAD!

We were there last year and LOVED it! There is soooooo much to do. We did rent a golf cart which was super helpful. Everyone says it's not necessary to have one, but it sure was convenient. We didn't think the cabin was in need of a refurb at all...perfect for families. I'm really wanting to go back myself for an extended weekend. The pool with the waterslide was nice....kids had a blast. When we were there, the other pool was under construction (I think)...is this the pool you're referring to? In my signature is a link to my FW/CR Trip Report....the first few installments are about FW. We give it a huge

Happy Planning!
Heather

 

[DrMomof3]

We just got back from the Fort. It was our first time there. We're a family of 5 that has only stayed deluxe before. I was a little worried about staying in a Cabin but thought it would be a nice change of pace. We LOVED it!!! The Cabin was great. There was so much space. And having 2 separate sleeping areas worked out really well for us (my youngest tends to talk himself to sleep which makes the older 2 crazy). We didn't have any maintenance problems. We're even considering changing our BC reservation to a Cabin again.... (And we LOVE BC, too!)
We spent tons of time in the pool. I didn't use the slide but my kids liked it. The pool was a little crowded but it was still fun. One warning: There are NO towels or Life Jackets at the pool. There was a gated water splash area (think playground with water) that my kids also enjoyed.
In the interest of full disclosure we did have both a golf cart and a rental car.

Amanda

 

[esined]

Couple of questions for you Disney Vets. We are staying at FW 11/29-12/9 and am wondering if you are able to see Wishes from the boat doc? Do they pipe in the music? Also, I know getting to MK is a no-brainer with the boat but am wondering if taking our car would be faster to the other parks? We will have a double stroller (along with children).

 

[sharadoc]

Couple of questions for you Disney Vets. We are staying at FW 11/29-12/9 and am wondering if you are able to see Wishes from the boat doc? Do they pipe in the music? Also, I know getting to MK is a no-brainer with the boat but am wondering if taking our car would be faster to the other parks? We will have a double stroller (along with children).

You can see Wishes from the beach and dock every night and they do pipe in the music loud and clear. The Electrical Water Pageant goes by at 9:45 every night, so it may be before or after Wishes, depending on the teime of year.

Yes, we always take our car to all the other parks. Parking and catching a tram is usually quicker than taking the bus. If we don't stay at the Fort, we even drive to MK. It's still quicker to us, it's what we prefer.

If you're not in a hurry, you can also take the smaller boat to Contemporary, but it will be a little more cumbersome with the double stroller. You can transfer to the Epcot monorail line from the resort monorail line. Otherwise, the stroller may make the buses all too much of a pain.

 

[DsnyMama]

Do the *wagon* rides also take you down the camp loops to see the campsite decorations (campers, not WDW decs)?? Trying to decide between a sleigh ride, a wagon ride, and renting a cart for an hour or so....

 

[esined]

Thanks Sharadoc!

 

[disneyworldaddict]

We will be staying in a cabin this month. I was wondering if theres a comfort station close by. We are 2 girls in their 20s and my husband and myself, I'm thinking of using those showers so everyone can get ready quicker. Also, do the comfort station showers have blowdryers?

 

[sammielynn]

We will be staying in a cabin this month. I was wondering if theres a comfort station close by. We are 2 girls in their 20s and my husband and myself, I'm thinking of using those showers so everyone can get ready quicker. Also, do the comfort station showers have blowdryers?

Was wondering the same thing? It would be nice to have an option of an extra shower.

 

[tam626]

We stay in the cabins & yes there are very nice comfort stations nearby for that extra bathroom.

 

[gratefulfred]

hi, will my in-laws be able to take their scooters on the boat to the magic kingdom

 

[Lehuaann]

We were there last year and LOVED it! There is soooooo much to do. We did rent a golf cart which was super helpful. Everyone says it's not necessary to have one, but it sure was convenient. We didn't think the cabin was in need of a refurb at all...perfect for families. I'm really wanting to go back myself for an extended weekend. The pool with the waterslide was nice....kids had a blast. When we were there, the other pool was under construction (I think)...is this the pool you're referring to? In my signature is a link to my FW/CR Trip Report....the first few installments are about FW. We give it a huge

Happy Planning!
Heather

Hi Heather!

Looking forward to reading your TR. We have yet to cruise (DH is afraid he'll get seasick ), but we love AKL CL...and FW, of course!

 

[hstrickland]

Hi Heather!

Looking forward to reading your TR. We have yet to cruise (DH is afraid he'll get seasick ), but we love AKL CL...and FW, of course!

Hey there!!! Good to 'see' you. I totally get how your hubby feels. Thank goodness it never happened on the Dream. I wore the patch, but ended up taking it off because it made me sleepy.

I was just reading through the beginning of the FW thread....makes me want to go back!!! NOW! Like at Halloween or Christmas when everyone has their campers decorated....so cool.

Heather

 

[madge]

We will be staying in a cabin this month. I was wondering if theres a comfort station close by. We are 2 girls in their 20s and my husband and myself, I'm thinking of using those showers so everyone can get ready quicker. Also, do the comfort station showers have blowdryers?

I may be too late for this ... but in case, anyone is curious. Yes, some of the cabins are very close to CS. 2 years ago, we were very close to laundry & CS, which was super convenient. Last year, we couldn't have been further.

Depending on the time of year & how busy the cabins are, I'd say if you ask to be put near one it can be easily accommodated.

HTH!