The Cabins at Fort Wilderness

[Janilou2012]

We are going in December and we were booked to stay at Art of Animation with our party of six, and upgrade our free quick service dining to regular dining, until we realized it would be cheaper to upgrade to The Cabins at Fort Wilderness where they are offering the free regular dining. I was looking forward to staying at AoA but even with paying for a golf cart, we still saved $$$'s.

So -- please tell me about your experiences at the Cabins! Is it hard to find your way around with the golf cart or is it well marked? Is there a particular 'loop' we should request? We have my daughter's friend coming along who has a heart condition so we knew we had to get a golf cart but I'm still feeling overwhelmed looking at the size of the resort! All together it will be hubby, me, adult daughter, 12 yo daughter, and her two girlfriends, 16yo and 13yo.
Any info very gratefully accepted!

Jan

 

[mouseketeermama]

You are going to love it! It is pretty spread out, but you can be anywhere in the camp ground in less than 10 mins with the golf cart. Make sure that you set aside an evening just to ride around and look at the decorations. People go all out and it's amazing! Riding around with a cup of hot chocolate and checking out the campsites was the highlight of our trip last Dec. Can't wait to do it again!

 

[sharadoc]

Hi. You made a great choice! We love the cabins and love having a golf cart.

I recommend renting a golf cart from an offsite company. Tee time golf carts can supply you with a six person cart, Disney only has 4 person carts and with 6 people, you'd either have to make two trips every time, or some folks would have to take the bus.

If you were going in the summer, I would recommend loop 2500, which is next to the cabin pool. Because you're going in December, I'd say it really doesn't matter. I do recommend asking to be in the "back" of the loop. We recently were in cabin 2509 and it was wonderfully peaceful. Just woods behind us, no noise from the road, or anything.

The only issue you should be aware of is the quick service dining. At Art of Animation you would have a food court, but at the cabins, you only have take-out from Trail's End (breakfast and dinner only) and sandwiches at the pool snack bar. On our recent trip, I witnessed a few families get VERY annoyed at Trails to Go when they found out their only options were baked goods for breakfast. BUT, you'll have a cabin with a full kitchen. Go to the trading post and pick up cereal, bread, milk, eggs and make your own breakfast every day. Then you can use your dining credits for lunch and dinner. After you check in, you can order a delivery from the trading post if you prefer. I think it's a $10 delivery fee.

If you're not in a hurry, you can take the boat over to Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary for LOTS of dining options. Eating at Trail's End is great for any meal.

I assume adult daughter and the three teens will take the bedroom and you and hubby will use the living room. It will be great for the girls to have a private space but I'd recommend bathroom schedules! Showers can't all be taken in the morning, break it up over the course of the day. Another tip is to remember the kitchen sink can be used for washing up and brushing teeth.

If you can, bring some more hangers with you for the closet. The drawers in the bedroom are small. There is a cabinet in the bathroom that you can use for storage, two cabinets on either side of the Murphy bed, plus kitchen cabinets. You need to be a little creative to accommodate 6 people and all their stuff, but if you're prepared, you'll be fine.

That's all I can think of for now, check out the camping board for more advice. Feel free to ask any specific questions, we've stayed there twice and just got back 2 weeks ago.

 

[Janilou2012]

Thank you so much for the wonderful info and tips!
Jan

 

[madge]

So -- please tell me about your experiences at the Cabins! Is it hard to find your way around with the golf cart or is it well marked? Is there a particular 'loop' we should request? We have my daughter's friend coming along who has a heart condition so we knew we had to get a golf cart but I'm still feeling overwhelmed looking at the size of the resort! All together it will be hubby, me, adult daughter, 12 yo daughter, and her two girlfriends, 16yo and 13yo.
Any info very gratefully accepted!

Jan

The cabins are awesome. To have a kitchen for breakfast, snacks, and drinks is very handy, even if you don't cook.

As far as specific loops, you might think about asking for a cabin near a comfort station ... with all those girls, someone might need some extra bathroom space

Having a golf cart is a lot of fun - be sure to "loop" around the campsite areas. The decorations are fantastic! Plus, it's a great way to get around the resort. There are all kinds of activities going on during the day (although some are geared to younger kids), the campfire & movie at night, watching the Electric Water Pageant and wishes from the beach ... we spend one day doing nothing but Fort stuff and could easily spend more than that!

 

[makingplans4WDW]

Loved our stay in the FW Cabins earlier this year! Here are a few more hints for you:
- Bring some of those over the door hooks (can be found at the dollar store) to hang towels and such in the bathroom. They'll help the six of you stay organized sharing it.
- Attend the Hoop De Doo Revue if it is available. It is a silly fun time and the food is yummy. Plus beer/wine is included.
- Bring a night light or two... The cabin does get very dark at night when you're searching out the bathroom.
- Hanging closet organizers for creating "shelves" in the bedroom closet would be helpful because there aren't many storage options for unpacked clothing. (Very few drawers,etc.)
- Do the campfire with Chip and Dale and make/eat s'mores while you enjoy an outdoor movie.
- Use the boat launch for getting to MK or for visiting WL or the Contemporary. Such an enjoyable little ride on its own.

Enjoy your trip!