Staying offsite at Windsor Hills or at Fort Wilderness?

[moesy4]

(I put this on the Orlando board as well). We currently have a 3 bedroom townhome with a small private splash pool booked at Windsor Hills. We have a car booked and are really hoping prices drop as it is crazy right now, but the rate is about $530 for a week. We snagged almost a full week at the Fort recently and would plan on renting a camper and golf cart. We have stayed at Windsor Hills in a condo (no private pool) and at the Fort in a rented camper (no golf cart) before and we loved both, although they each had their pros and cons. I have asked all my family members and no one is helping me decide For reference, my husband HATES the Disney busses and so we will avoid them whenever possible (we have 3 nights at the Dolphin booked before this which should eliminate busses for those 2 parks). We will probably be RD, return to resort/townhome, and then come back at night kind of people, definitely not all day. We don't mind driving and know about the back way to Disney property.

From what I see, the pros of staying at the Fort are the boat to MK, staying in the bubble, the fun of the golf cart and camping which my kids love, Magical Express for the way home, and possibly fun activities (although currently not much). Cons are not having access to a car (my DH is a picky eater and we will cook all our food...we will have it delivered but there are always things we forget, run out of, etc), it is a couple hundred pricier, and the lack of the private pool.

The pros of staying at WH are all the activities (my kids loved the pool table, movie theater, etc. last time we stayed), more space with 3 bedrooms, access to a car, and a full sized kitchen. The cons are having to park at the TTC for MK, losing the Disney bubble, and paying for parking. Any thing I am missing?

 

[Stork]

-You didn't say when this event will occur.

-If you're willing to drive to the parks, meals, and shopping, then Disney busses should not be in your equation. Having a car booked means having it available no matter which overnight location you choose, yes?.

-We generally drive to the parks, especially during Covid. It's just easier to plan your day that way. (Free parking for AP holders.) And we stop by Best Friends on the way to preclude power outages or trailer AC issues when we're not there.

-For us, it will always be FW hands down. You can hotel it on other vacay locations. If WDW is your destination, it's just better at the Fort.

 

[moesy4]

-You didn't say when this event will occur.

-If you're willing to drive to the parks, meals, and shopping, then Disney busses should not be in your equation. Having a car booked means having it available no matter which overnight location you choose, yes?.

-We generally drive to the parks, especially during Covid. It's just easier to plan your day that way. (Free parking for AP holders.) And we stop by Best Friends on the way to preclude power outages or trailer AC issues when we're not there.

-For us, it will always be FW hands down. You can hotel it on other vacay locations. If WDW is your destination, it's just better at the Fort.

We wouldn't have a car if we stay at the Fort, the cost would be too much with the additional cost of the camper. I think we would only end up bussing to AK. Our big problem last time was the double whammy of the internal busses...some trips took 90 minutes or longer when having to wait twice. The golf cart would negate that.

 

[CouponGirl]

(I put this on the Orlando board as well). We currently have a 3 bedroom townhome with a small private splash pool booked at Windsor Hills. We have a car booked and are really hoping prices drop as it is crazy right now, but the rate is about $530 for a week. We snagged almost a full week at the Fort recently and would plan on renting a camper and golf cart. We have stayed at Windsor Hills in a condo (no private pool) and at the Fort in a rented camper (no golf cart) before and we loved both, although they each had their pros and cons. I have asked all my family members and no one is helping me decide For reference, my husband HATES the Disney busses and so we will avoid them whenever possible (we have 3 nights at the Dolphin booked before this which should eliminate busses for those 2 parks). We will probably be RD, return to resort/townhome, and then come back at night kind of people, definitely not all day. We don't mind driving and know about the back way to Disney property.

From what I see, the pros of staying at the Fort are the boat to MK, staying in the bubble, the fun of the golf cart and camping which my kids love, Magical Express for the way home, and possibly fun activities (although currently not much). Cons are not having access to a car (my DH is a picky eater and we will cook all our food...we will have it delivered but there are always things we forget, run out of, etc), it is a couple hundred pricier, and the lack of the private pool.

The pros of staying at WH are all the activities (my kids loved the pool table, movie theater, etc. last time we stayed), more space with 3 bedrooms, access to a car, and a full sized kitchen. The cons are having to park at the TTC for MK, losing the Disney bubble, and paying for parking. Any thing I am missing?

Sounds like there’s things your group would enjoy about both and with no one feels extremely strongly about one over the other (given no one is helping you decide). In that case, based on your comment about prices being crazy high, I would determine which one was cheaper after all things are included: parking, gas, various rentals, taxes, fees, etc. I probably wouldn’t include food cost since it sounds like either way you’ll be cooking your own food.

 

[loves to dive]

I love having a RV and have stayed at the fort in it but given your choices and the fact that the RV would cost more, I'd probably stay off site. RVs are great but they do have their issues (toilets and showers I'm looking at you). If you don't mind driving to the parks and don't intend to do crazy long days, it sounds like off site is for you. We had a golf cart when we stayed but it was still a pain. Hubby only went to the parks in the mornings, not a Disney fan, so my son and I would text him when we got on the bus at the park and he would come get us in the golf cart but it was still a pain. You say you have kids, so it's going to be more cramped in the camper than in the 3 bedroom. I'm not an off site person, I like being in the bubble and actually always have a car with me but we never use it. Heck, we had our truck with us when we were in our RV (fifth wheel) and the only time it was used was one day when hubby took it to get gas for the return trip home.

 

[Tigerlulu]

Vote for Windsor hills. I love it there, love the plunge pools for the townhomes, love the space, 3 bathrooms, the resort pool and water park and extra things to do, it’s close by, and cheaper.

 

[StageTek]

For reference, my husband HATES the Disney busses and so we will avoid them whenever possible (we have 3 nights at the Dolphin booked before this which should eliminate busses for those 2 parks).

Seems to me the decision is easy. Since you husband HATES the Disney buses and in your experience you had to wait 90 minutes for the internal buses then you should chose Windsor Hills. Why put your husband through something he HATES while on vacation?

 

[Stork]

....Why put your husband through something he HATES while on vacation?

The concept of payback comes to mind.....

 

[moesy4]

Seems to me the decision is easy. Since you husband HATES the Disney buses and in your experience you had to wait 90 minutes for the internal buses then you should chose Windsor Hills. Why put your husband through something he HATES while on vacation?

He would only theoretically ride them to AK, since we are staying at Dolphin 3 nights for Epcot and HS. I think he can handle that lol

 

[Loriken1124]

I've stayed at Fort Wilderness many times both in our own camper and the cabins, I do love it there. I also have stayed at Windsor Hills almost as much as I have stayed at Fort Wilderness. I love it there too. Windsor Hill now beats out the Fort. I love coming home and having the Pool with just our family. I love floating around not worrying about other people. I love having a full size kitchen. the private game room is fun too. It's a personal choice and at this stage of my life the house is for me. One thing we do when we have time. is go to Fort Wilderness, rent a golf cart and ride around looking at all the sites and displays the campers have set up. I'm not sure if that is still allowed because of COVID.

 

[bama_ed]

One thing we do when we have time. is go to Fort Wilderness, rent a golf cart and ride around looking at all the sites and displays the campers have set up. I'm not sure if that is still allowed because of COVID.

As FYI, @Loriken1124, Disney recently changed its golf cart rental policy to only rent them to guests with a Fort Wilderness site/cabin reservation (to ensure availability for its own guests). And the change was unrelated to covid.

Bama Ed

 

[Loriken1124]

As FYI, @Loriken1124, Disney recently changed its golf cart rental policy to only rent them to guests with a Fort Wilderness site/cabin reservation (to ensure availability for its own guests). And the change was unrelated to covid.


that's good to know. It has been at least 3 years since we rented one and at that time they had no problem with it.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Because you are staying at the Dolphin close to Epcot and can see fireworks etc. and get in the WDW groove, being cheaper, you are cooking own food, etc I would honestly do WH as much as I love the Fort. We stayed there yrs back with a bunch of family and it was one of our fav WDW trips.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

I love having a RV and have stayed at the fort in it but given your choices and the fact that the RV would cost more, I'd probably stay off site. RVs are great but they do have their issues (toilets and showers I'm looking at you). If you don't mind driving to the parks and don't intend to do crazy long days, it sounds like off site is for you. We had a golf cart when we stayed but it was still a pain. Hubby only went to the parks in the mornings, not a Disney fan, so my son and I would text him when we got on the bus at the park and he would come get us in the golf cart but it was still a pain. You say you have kids, so it's going to be more cramped in the camper than in the 3 bedroom. I'm not an off site person, I like being in the bubble and actually always have a car with me but we never use it. Heck, we had our truck with us when we were in our RV (fifth wheel) and the only time it was used was one day when hubby took it to get gas for the return trip home.

As much as I love the Fort, I think I agree with this. IF you were in the Preferred loops for your RV rental, you wouldn't need the internal buses to get to the marina and really the trading post isn't that far either. But I think the pros at WH outweigh the cons, especially in a rental RV.