Saratoga Springs Resort (1 BR Villa) or Fort Wilderness Cabins?

[writingmachine]

Currently have a 8 day reservation at SSR (not DVC members) for late May, but our group of 4 is considering staying at a Fort Wilderness Cabin instead.

What we like about SSR:

Pros: Close to Disney Springs (we're very interested in the shows and dining), the resort is quiet (from what we heard), nicer looking pools (in our opinion), and it has a few activities we're interested in (biking for example), and a nicer looking room (in our opinion)

Cons: A little far from some of the activities we'd like to do, the price is about $130 per night more than FWC, and the room looks a bit smaller.

What we like about FWC: Pros:
Close to Magic Kingdom, a lot of activities are available (we're interested in kayaking and horseback riding), close to the Poly and Contemporary as we are getting dining reservations there, the ability to watch the light show and fireworks from the shore, and $130 less.

Cons: One of our group members isn't a big fan of the camping/country vibe and is also concerned about bugs (which I've heard isn't that much of an issue but it may depend on the time of the year), I've heard the bus schedule is confusing, and the resort by the looks is very large. We considered renting a golf cart, but $59 plus tax is a little too much for a rental in our opinion and outsourcing one is too much of a hassle.

Which to choose? I know they're two very different resorts.

 

[bama_ed]

You can rent bikes on a daily basis at the Fort (about $18 per day) or bring your own. I'm sure you have to pay to rent (or BYO at SSR too).

Not sure about the bug issue since while in your cabin you are indoors like you are at your SSR 1BR. And when you are outside for activities at the Fort, you'll be as much outside as you are at SSR. What am I missing?

I like going over to DS too but unless you do it every day, the benefit drops. We go from the Fort for a long afternoon and a dinner somewhere (got Raglan Road queued up next month) but we like the Fort for the relaxed atmosphere, proximity to the MK, and the vibe of the other guests.

Not sure whether the bus comment refers to the internal bus lines or external bus lines. The external bus lines run from two ends of the Fort to the parks and other destinations just like the other resorts do. The internal bus lines are well mapped and there are 2-3 of them running between those two ends stopping at various places. My kids were in middle school and had no problem with the busses. Of course, it's only a 15-20 minute walk end-to-end unless you are WAY back in a loop (then add 5 minutes).

I'm not here to sway anyone either way or the other but I am here to share an honest view of the Fort cabins and how they compare to other resorts.

Bama Ed

PS - never rented a Disney cart for myself (got one for my 70-something parents once) but it's not a necessity. If you've got money to burn, it's a convenience but not needed.

 

[writingmachine]

Not sure about the bug issue since while in your cabin you are indoors like you are at your SSR 1BR. And when you are outside for activities at the Fort, you'll be as much outside as you are at SSR. What am I missing?

PS - never rented a Disney cart for myself (got one for my 70-something parents once) but it's not a necessity. If you've got money to burn, it's a convenience but not needed.

This was my logic too, but our 4th group member somehow thinks this will be a big issue at Fort. The rest of us don't see the problem. Ultimately they might just have to suck it up because we were hoping to go to Universal one or two of those days and with the extra money saved that might be possible. The total savings would be around $850, which would give us plenty of options.

 

[Mindy5767]

This is just my opinion, but unless they are paying for the extra $130 dollars a night, I wouldn't give them equal voting privileges. I have stayed at SSR countless times as it is my home resort. We do love it. That said, the cabins at Ft. Wilderness are also very nice. And as far as being "a little bit country", they're in the process of renovating, so if you get one of the newer ones, "a little bit rock n roll". The renovated kitchens are pretty modern compared to the 80's or 90's look of the old kitchens. The configuration is very different. At Ft. W, you have a double or is it queen bed in the bedroom with twin sized bunk beds. So four sleeping in that one room. Then two sleep on the murphy bed, or sleeper sofa if you get a refurbed one. Ft. W has one bathroom in the cabin. At Saratoga, 2 sleep in the King bed in the masterbedroom, and 2 sleep on the sleeper sofa. There is more like 1 and a half bathrooms because its a 3 way split bath. One section has a closet, jacuzzi tub (not found in the cabins) and a vanity with sink. walk through the door to the 2nd section which has a stall shower and a pedestal sink... walk through the door to the separate potty room. You cannot access the potty room however from the hall, you must walk through the shower/pedestal sink section. Does one configuration speak to you more than the other? My sister stayed at Ft. Wilderness in her RV last month and she fell in love with it. I was surprised because she's such a "deluxe" lady. She said it was quiet, and the people were just walking around like they didn't have a care in the world. Nobody was rushing here and there. She found the vibe incredibly relaxing. She is used to SSR. The only downside she found was the two step process to get to the parks, internal bus to Settlement Depot or Outpost (then boat--- or park bus). That process would differ slightly from the cabins than the RV loops as they're in a different location. If you choose SSR, and you want an easy walk to Disney Springs, call and request a villa in Congress Park. If you would like to be closest to the main building, The Carriage House, and the main feature pool (there are two feature pools) and the spa, ask for The Springs (yes, boat captains are confusing this with Disney Springs).

As for bugs, I don't think they're more bugs at Ft. Wilderness than anywhere else. I think the frogs, lizards and toads do a fair job of eating the bugs.

 

[sharadoc]

Hi. We've stayed at both and Fort Wilderness wins hands down for us, comparing the two resorts. The only thing we miss is the washer/dryer.

Pros for Cabins:
- NO ONE is around you. You won't hear a footstep, toilet flush, shower, or kids yelling at all hours of the day or night
- SO you can make as much noise as you want too
- Food and activities are closer than you think. The Meadows recreation area is great, lots of fun stuff. Nightly movie, campfire and sing-along, nice snack bar/QS options there. Plus Trails to Go for QS options, take-out Giddyup and GO Chicken bucket, other fun meals.
- Fireworks and the Electrical Water Pageant from the beach is a great way to end the evening.
- The boat to MK is wonderful.
- The internal bus from the cabin loop comes and goes around every 5-8 minutes. You transfer to another bus at the front for parks, or the boat at the other end for MK.
- A golf cart is great, very convenient, especially if you want to use the amenities at the Fort.
- It's SO peaceful, and a great way to unwind
- If you drive or get a cart, park at your door. If you don't, the walk to your cabin will be less than the walk from the majority of bus stops at SSR.

I don't think we've seen a bug at the Fort. We cook on the grill and sit on the deck and never had to give up because bugs were annoying us. They do an amazing job with bug control there.

You don't have to rent a golf cart for your entire stay. You can just do it for a couple of days that you want to just hang around the Fort and get your money's worth. It's not necessary just to use to get to the bus or boat and park it all day.