Just switched from the GF to FW Cabin...

[monkeybug]

We are planning our first trip to WDW thanks to the awesome Military deal Disney is offering!
We were planning on 6 nights at the WL, but switched to the GF, when we added my MIL to the mix. I don't know whats wrong with me, but I just could not get excited about staying there! Don't get me wrong, I am sure it is beautiful and the monorail would be nice, but I can get luxury anywhere, where else but Disney can I roast marshmallows with Chip & Dale???? I just called and switched. Am I crazy???
I couldn't find any activity's for my 3 year old at the GF, and now I am having a hard time deciding which ones we should do first! Honestly I am surprised they don't charge more for FW, there seems to be sooo much more to do!! We added a resort only day!
My questions are-
How soon do I need to reserve a Golf Cart for a stay beginning on April 26th? (am I too late??)
Do I need reservations for the pony rides? Are they still only $4?
We are bringing a car, but the boat to the MK and the CR sounds fun, how much time does it usually take to get to them?
Do they still do wagon rides? Do we need reservations?
The CM I spoke to when I switched said the pool was being renovated and would include a water slide (she said it would be finished in March) Is this correct?
Sorry For the length! Thanks for your help!
Yay! I am so excited!!!

 

[Skyw]

Welcome to the Fort. I will help with some of the questions and some of the experts will help with the rest....
1)No you are not crazy. The fort is very relaxing and fun.
2)You might be too late for the golf cart. Search this forum...there is also another place to rent off site that is cheaper.
3)I don't know about the pony rides
4) Boat ride to MK is 15 minutes. To get to the boat via golf cart 5 min. Via bus 15-25 minutes.
5)Pool is being renovated. Check this forum to see what is going on...There is an awful lot of spying going on.

Now I will add some of my own stuff!!!! YOu will love the cabins with a 3 year old. It is perfectly quiet for nap time. My son could rest so easily. Becasue there is a bedroom and a deck, you are not limited to sitting in the dark waiting for your kid to get up. Plan a stop to the grocery store on the way. My DS loved Popsicle on the deck.

That is it for now.....
Have fun.

 

[Shan-man]

1) Am I crazy???
2) How soon do I need to reserve a Golf Cart for a stay beginning on April 26th? (am I too late??)
3) Do I need reservations for the pony rides? Are they still only $4?
4) We are bringing a car, but the boat to the MK and the CR sounds fun, how much time does it usually take to get to them?
5) Do they still do wagon rides? Do we need reservations?
6) The CM I spoke to when I switched said the pool was being renovated and would include a water slide (she said it would be finished in March) Is this correct?

1) Maybe, but the Fort is a great choice for activities at the resort. A stay at the GF would be a once-in-a-lifetime type event for me, so I would be loathe to give it up, personally, as much as I love the Fort.

2) You can probably still get a cart, but the sooner the better. Depending on how long you will be renting a cart, going off-site might be cheaper. Off-site rentals have a cheaper day rate, but charge for delivery, so for a short rental the Fort carts would be cheaper. I think the break-even is about 7-10 days. Reservations can be made up to a year in advance: 407-824-2742.

3) I don't believe they do reservations for the pony rides. The phone number is 407-824-2832.


5) There are no reservations for the wagon rides, they are strictly first-come, first-served. 6:45 and 9:15 nightly.

6) That's true, and under way now. Even with delays it should be open before your trip.

WARNING: Exposure to the Fort has been know to create compulsive urges to return, mindless rambling, and may be linked to obesity. Being a Fort Fiend is not to be taken lightly. VISIT WITH CAUTION!

 

[monkeybug]

Thanks so much for the great info!!! I am going to call and see about getting a golf cart now! You guys rock!!!
I know I might be a bit crazy for switching from the GF, but it just seems like the kind of place to visit with older kids. (or no kids!) I would love to rent a cabana and order colorful drinks all day, and then return to a turned down bed with chocolates on my pillow, but I have a 6 and a 3 year old. I would spend my cabana day sticking straws in juice boxes, and playing marco polo. My turned down bed would be jumped on and the bedding would probably be used to make a fort, someone would swipe my chocolate, and just to add insult to injury they would likely wipe their chocolaty hands on my pillow case! I'd rather be driving a golf cart!
This is our first real vacation in a long time (gotta' love working around the militarys schedule!) and the Fort just seems to have a lot more we can enjoy as a family! (and I really love driving those dang golf carts...sadly kinda' more excited about a morning coffee run in the GC then anything!)
Thanks again for the Great Info!!

 

[christinou]

The cabins will also give you more space with little one, when they are napping in the bedroom, you can enjoy the living room, and the deck of the cabin.
We also always find it more convenient to have breakfast in our PJs in the morning than having to get dressed and going to get breakfast. A you will have a car it is very easy to go and get groceries for breakfast.

 

[monkeybug]

I didn't even think about how nice it will be to have the car right there! Good Call!
We were thinking about switching resorts midway through our trip and staying at the Boardwalk Inn to be close to epcot, but now I am thinking about just staying at the cabin the whole time! (plus that clown pool...kinda' creepy)
I got my Golf Cart!!! Yay!!!! The guy who helped me was super nice too!
My husband and I are so excited!
Oh and I am sure that you all probably know this already, but the lady that my husband spoke to when we switched resorts told him that the new pool would be similar to the one at CBR, that there will be a play area a slide and the zero entry thing. She told him they trying to incorporate all of the same features at all the resort pools.

 

[Skyw]

I think you should just stay at the cabins. But I really am a Fort Lover. I will try other places but when my DS gets older. I am assuming you or your Husband have deployed often or this year. One of the things that is really nice at the fort is the peacefulness of it. I can't imagine a better way to spend with your family when you have been under the stress of deployments and separations. With two young ones you will be in hog heaven. We kept DS on the same schedule while there. It is easy with the cabins. Plus you will find that some of the best family moments are at the fort doing simple things. This is our short list..

1. fishing
2. Ice cream/Popsicle on the deck.
3. Watching fireworks while DS plays in the sand (at the beach)
4. Animal watching
5. Riding the golf cart around.
6. Breakfast in the cabin and sometimes dinner.
7. Quiet...you will leave the parks and the fort is so quiet. It is like you left WDW. Really. Your kids can sleep well. No one running down the halls.

My DH wont go anywhere else......he loves to fish. He will go when DS is sleeping. I just read a book and relax.

 

[BradyBz12]

I have a 6 and a 3 year old. I would spend my cabana day sticking straws in juice boxes, and playing marco polo. My turned down bed would be jumped on and the bedding would probably be used to make a fort, someone would swipe my chocolate, and just to add insult to injury they would likely wipe their chocolaty hands on my pillow case! I'd rather be driving a golf cart!

Well there you go!

And sure, you might be crazy, and if that's the case all I can say is...


...you're in good company.

Good luck pulling together your last few details and have a wonderful trip!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

This may be the wisest choice you've ever made in your life!!!


You may find yourself looking for excuses to leave the parks early just to chill back at the fort!!

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

Ahhhh Skyw your post makes me wish I was there right now.

We have loved the cabins with our boys and my DH enjoys grilling almost every night while we are there. It really saved us some money when we were there with our family of 6 to eat lunch in the parks when the menus are cheaper (or eat counter service). Then we came back to the cabin for a rest/nap and relax. After grilling we sometimes went back to a park for the evening, but alot of times we just did things around the campground. We usually had at least one day that we didn't even go to a park. My boys loved playing outside around the cabin and there are several playgrounds in the campgrounds.

We bought DVC and the fort is the thing we have missed the most. We've still made trips there and just paid cash for it because we wanted to go at Christmas and be at the fort. I've enjoyed staying at OKW because of the space with older kids but we always spend some time over at the fort every trip. Also at WL. It is fun to ride the boat from FW over to WL or take the walking trail and eat, shop, just enjoy the beautiful lobby.

We will be there for one day/night in March before we check in at villas at WL for my twins' 14th birthday. They are so excited because they have such good memories there over the last 9 years that there is no where they would rather be for their actual birthday. They were 5 on our first trip to WDW which was at FW. We loved it so much that we have been at least once a year since to FW. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. Have a magical trip! and have fun planning.

And I am glad you got the golf cart. We've done it with and without and it is definitely more fun with the cart.

 

[monkeybug]

I think you should just stay at the cabins. But I really am a Fort Lover. I will try other places but when my DS gets older. I am assuming you or your Husband have deployed often or this year. One of the things that is really nice at the fort is the peacefulness of it. I can't imagine a better way to spend with your family when you have been under the stress of deployments and separations. With two young ones you will be in hog heaven.

My husband is in the Coast Guard and thankfully currently "driving a cubicle" as they say! We had three years of him getting underway for two months and then being home for two months (sometimes...seems like something always came up, and one year he was gone 222 days out of the year! That was NO fun!) Even though he doesn't currently get underway, he has had a lot of traveling for schools and training for his new job/rank. (still so much better then if he had to leave for 18 months to some hot/dangerous desert, hat's off to the families who deal with that, you deserve two months at Disneyworld with a Nanny and a personal chef!!! ) Anyways, we just never seemed to have a reliable chunk of time to plan a Vacation, so we are really looking forward to this!!! (not to mention that on a Military budget, we have never been able to afford a vacation that included meals, lodging, and fun!) I am so glad we found this board, it has been a huge help, and I really think we will enjoy the cabins much more than we would have the GF! (and I am saving like $600!!! Score!!!)

 

[monkeybug]

This may be the wisest choice you've ever made in your life!!!


You may find yourself looking for excuses to leave the parks early just to chill back at the fort!!

LOL my husband upon hearing that we scored the golf cart asked if we could just skip a few parks and add another resort day!!!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Uh-oh...thats it....youre done!!! Welcome to Fort Fiendism!!!!

 

[mjmoon]

I would love to rent a cabana and order colorful drinks all day, and then return to a turned down bed with chocolates on my pillow, but I have a 6 and a 3 year old. I would spend my cabana day sticking straws in juice boxes, and playing marco polo. My turned down bed would be jumped on and the bedding would probably be used to make a fort, someone would swipe my chocolate, and just to add insult to injury they would likely wipe their chocolaty hands on my pillow case! I'd rather be driving a golf cart!

I'm with you 100% on this. You're going to LOVE Fort Wilderness!

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

I knew we were for sure crazy about FW when we drove from Texas to stay there with no park tickets because my DH was going to a week long airplane event. And DH was torn between how much time to spend at the airshow vs. his fort time. I think he was almost jealous that we were at the fort without him. We had so much fun that trip just hanging out at the campground as well as doing things we always wanted to do at WDW but never seemed to have time to do. We rode the monorail and toured through each hotel shopping and snacking. I think we watched fireworks and water pageant several nights from the beach. We were happy to not have the parks to distract us that trip since we had no tickets. My twins were 9 then and I was surprised at how content they were without them. They knew we would go back. Every year we would say "next year we are going somewhere else for vacation" and they would cheer and say "Yay that means we are going back to Ft. Wilderness because every year you say that and we always go back!"

 

[Skyw]

Just to get your more excited...DS and golf cart.

Fishing on lake Toho near disney. I understand that you can catch some decent size ones at Disney too.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Wow...thats a NICE ONE!!! Ive caught a couple of bass at the Fort..but thats a doozey!!! Id like to try Lake Taho sometime.

 

[Jcricket Fan]

I think you have made a wonderful choice! I have stayed at the GF and find it to be highly over-rated!

Mom & I just returned (1/16) from our first (of many we hope) visits to the Fort. We loved it. We are both adults who like a little extra space so the cabin was super. We had a rental car as well as renting a golf cart. Oh my gosh how I loved the cart!

We have tried several resorts trying to find the right combination of getting to MK easily (moms favorite park) and getting to other areas as a second choice. Mom has some walking issues so we golf carted each day to the marina to take the boat. Very easy and a pretty trip. We went to early breakfast before MK opened and had no problems taking the boat to the Contemporary then monorailed to MK with plenty of time.

We drove to EPCOT which is a quick ride and drove to AK which there never seems to be an easy way to get to but taking our car means when mom has had enough walking/standing its easy to leave right when you want.

The Fort has all we need to make it the best spot to stay at. We like having a kitchen and a private deck with no worries of connectiong doors to our rooms (had a few bad hotel experiences with this!)

Our trips are every 2 years but we are already planning our next Fort visit.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Peace.
Colleen

 

[melandpat]

Hello -
We have just booked our trip to FW, going the last week in August. I haven't been there since I was a child, so I'm very excited.

I'm wondering if a golf cart is necessary. We are staying in a cabin with twin 8 year olds and one 6 year old. If the golf cart will save us a lot of time getting to and from Disney transportation and less wear & tear on the kids, than I think it is worth the $$. Does anyone know if this is true? And when you drive the cart to the boarding areas to take this transportation, is there ample parking to leave the cart? And lastly (sorry!) - it sounds like a much better deal to rent the cart off-site. Is this something I need to call FW and let them know I'm renting off-site?

Thanks!

 

[monkeybug]

OMGosh you guys are killing me! (that picture of the golf cart, like a carrot on a stick!) I am seriously so excited I want to change my reservations and go tomorrow!!! Golf carts, fun pool, Pony rides and laid back neighbors? Yes Please!!!
Your tips and info are awesome! Thank you!! Keep them coming!