POR vs. FW cabin?

[DisKim]

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me whether POR or a FW cabin would be better. We are a family of 5 - me, DH, DD12, DS8 and DS3. We have stayed at POR several times in the past and love the resort but it is feeling a little cramped to have all of us in one room. The cabin seemed like a good idea for us. It was a few hundred dollar difference in price. I'm a little worried about the size of FW. My youngest child is autistic so I'm trying to make this as enjoyable for him as possible. Any advice would be much appreciated. I really don't know much about FW at all.

 

[TiggerInLBV]

Since you are traveling with a child that has autism I would suggest the Cabins as being the better choice. From what I have read and learned about autism I understand that they are very special individuals that are very visual and tactile in their interaction with their surroundings. How wonderful would it be to have your very own private cabin in "the woods" where you feel just like you're home. You can order groceries from gardengrocer.com and make a bite to eat when ever you feel like it. The full kitchen would come in very handy. there are so many activities that your children would love like the petting farm at Tri Circle D Ranch and the Campfire sing along with Chip and Dale or even a hay ride. The campground is a great place to get away from it all and relax. Going to the Magic Kingdom can be an adventure when you take a voyage across Bay Lake, over the water bridge with traffic below, and on across Seven Seas Lagoon. You can bring your favorite dvd's and play them in the family room together and not feel cramped. You'll have almost 200 square feet more than at POR. Have you read Deb's Passporter book about traveling with Individuals with special needs yet? There is wonderful information in that book. Whatever your decision, have a magical time!

 

[AJKMOM]

Not only for your children, but for you, too, I would recommend the FW cabins. They have a bedroom with a double bed and 2 bunks. The living room has a very comfortable Murphy bed, not a sleep sofa.

We have an autistic son, and by the end of the day, it was nice to put him in bed and close the door so we could talk for a while and watch TV. Also, if your son has melt downs, it's nice that there are no shared walls with other vacationers.

Only problem is that if you like it, you might be tempted to buy into the Disney Vacation Club because you will appreciate the extra room to spread out.

We bought points at the Boardwalk and haven't looked back. We justified it by saying we were using our son's college money. It's a win-win situation.

 

[bellebud]

I think you'd love the cabins! we stayed there (kids at the time were about 6 and 4), and they LOVED the bunk beds, the livingroom, the deck, the 'loop' the cabin was on, and everything else about it!

we cooked several times that trip... bbq'd usually on the deck, which was very, very nice, and a great break from restaurant food. the cabins are so peaceful too... just what a family needs after a long day in the park. and I loved not worrying about the kids being too loud (while playing OR fighting w/ each other). we rented a golf cart and loved that too. will you drive or fly? i have read that if you don't have a car and don't rent a cart, it can feel too big to get around (on the internal busses)... we rented a cart, so i can't comment on not having one. we used our cart everyday, just for fun drives around the resort. it was my sons favorite trip out of our 9 trips... mainly because of the cabin and golf cart.

i think there's a ft. wilderness camping forum here... that might give you a better feel for the resort.

 

[Hopefully]

We loved the Fort Wilderness Cabins when our children (3 too) were younger. They shared the bedroom with the double bed and bunk set. The bunks were a treat. That allowed DH and I to share the Murphy bed in the Living Room. We could sit up after the kids were in bed, and relax in the Living Room until it was time for sleep.
I loved having the extra room and the full kitchen. We always ate breakfast in, and it was great to have cold drinks and snacks readily available during the day if we returned for a rest.
We loved the Campground itself too. It is beautiful and a fun atmosphere. There is lots to do, or you can sit back and enjoy the peace and quiet.
The boat to the MK is a great trip.
The transportation to the other parks is a bit less convenient, and this is the only resort I would consider having a car at. It would be easiest to drive to the other resorts.
We did not have a car on one trip and we rented a Golf Cart to get around the Campground. That was great fun and the kids considered it another "ride".
I think you will love the Fort Wilderness Cabins.
Have a Great Trip.

 

[misricsmith]

THe cabins are nice, no really nice
but it took us a couple of days to figure out the bus thing

 

[DisKim]

Thank you all so much. I'm such a sap that your posts actually made me tear up just thinking about how happy my son will be at the cabin. He has worked very hard this year and really deserves this trip. I will definitely be keeping the reservation I made for the FW cabin.

Tigger - You made great points about an autistic child having so much great sensory input at FW!

AJKMOM - I'm really thinking DVC would be a great option for us. Our family is now too big for the most of the moderates and when you look at the option for staying deluxe vs. buying DVC, it's kind of a no-brainer. We did the tour last year but didn't buy at the time. I am planning on buying in when I go back to work. I took a leave of absence this year to help my son so right now it's not an option.

 

[disnut8]

Some more advice on the cabins. With your kids' ages and your son's special needs, it would be great for you to put the kids in the bedroom which has a door to close. You and your husband can take the Murphy bed in the living room. That way, you can be the last ones to go to bed and the first ones up without disturbing the kids. The bathroom is outside the bedroom so you can even get showered before they wake up or after they go to bed. With the kitchen, you can even have a cup of coffee without them hearing the pot. And you can even go sit out on the deck before they wake up or after they go to bed. The only ways to get out are to go across the deck.

There is a LOT of nature at Fort Wilderness and I'm sure your kids will love that. Also, in the morning, it's not uncommon to see people out in their PJs. It's a very relaxing and restful place.

The buses aren't that difficult to figure out. We had a total Disney virgin and she had a handle on them in one day.

One big hint - take at least one flashlight. The campground is not hugely lighted at night. Since you have three kids, take at least two for the older ones and a smaller one for the youngest. Then you don't have to have fights about who gets to carry the flashlight. My sister and I used to argue over that all the time.

 

[maestro]

We too loved loved loved the cabins, we stayed in oct with DD 15, DS 13, DH and I and also Grandma and Grandpa, and we all fit just fine for 2 weeks.
The only word of caution I would give is if your DS is a "runner", The cabins have 2 outside doors, and one of these is actually in the bedroom, it automatically locks when you close it but there is nothing to prevent being opened from the inside. Just a thought.
Ceri x