Two Value Rooms vs FW Cabin for family of 6

[The6ofUs]

Hi everyone,

I haven't visited often before now but am planning a trip for January 2006 so you'll probably be seeing a lot more of me!

My first (of probably many) questions is -- should we get two connecting rooms at one of the value resorts, or get a cabin that accomodates our whole family (2 adults, 4 children)?

It seems that there are pros and cons to both, but I thought I'd get feedback from those who have possibly done both to see what their experiences were. Any help will be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tron72]

I would go with the cabin, as I like the fact the entire family can stay in one place. Then there is the fact that there is a full kitchen which is nice if you want to heat up something or pull something out of the refrigerator.

http://home.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/faq_fw.htm

The link above will anwser a good deal of your questions and offer pictures of the cabin is laid out.

I have stayed there 3 times and would stay there over the values any time. You also get mousekeepering service like other hotels. I hope the link helps you in you choice.

Tron72

 

[Grumpy92]

Another vote for the cabin. You can let the children sleep in the bedroom and then the parents can have the LR. Not to mention the full kitchen and wonderful deck where you can sit out. FW is a wonderful resort for children there just so many things the whole family can do that you can just have a fun day there. The only downside one bathroom.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Well I vote for the two value rooms. Two bathrooms, 2 tvs! Also I think the value resorts have more theming for children - especially the pools. Not that the cabins don't have a lot to offer. You also have the food court (think - no cooking!) that I feel is a plus. THere are pros and cons to each, look at the pictures on the web sites and go with whichever one gives you more of a "Disney" feeling.

 

[3lilprincesses]

i would vote for the cabins. we stayed in one value (pop) and although i really thought my kids would like it, they weren't crazy about it at all. i think the cabins would be great! the kids could have their own bedroom and you would have the living room at night, plus the deck. when we stayed in a value, i really missed having a balcony. it is nice to have somewhere to sit in the evening and have a glass of wine and relax. i really think the kitchen would be a huge plus, especially to grab breakfast before heading out, or a snack when you need a break. although the values may have a more appealing look to some children, FW offers so much for kids! the nightly campfire w/ chip and dale, and the nightly movies sound great. you can see the electric water pagent at night, they have a petting zoo, horses, pony rides, etc. to me it sounds like a childrens paradise. i do agree though, it would be nice to have 2 bathrooms, and i hear transportation can at times be an issue with the cabins, so there are some considerations. but for my family i would choose the cabins hands down!

have fun deciding, and have a great trip!

 

[nem75]

We have stayed in both the cabins and POP in 2 rooms and we adore both. For JAnuary we would choose the cabins since swimming isnt too much of an option. We loved renting a golfcart and riding around looking at everything and it makes getting to the buses easier. I also think the boat ride to the MK was fun for the kids and they have a hayride. We loved cooking out one night at the grill which is at your cabin so it made it easy to grill some hotdogs and relax. Our kids loved it there, they loved the animals and the bedroom to themselveswith the bunk beds. The murphy bed was comfortable too. IT can also be less noisy since you arent in a hotel-type set up. I also loved having the refridgerator to store water and soda, beats paying 2.50 for a bottle of coke. Fort Wilderness is very clean too. Whatever you decide, you will have fun. We will be there in January too, but we are renting points from a DVC owner and trying a 2 bedroom villa, but intend to stay in a cabin next March.


Christy

 

[3lilprincesses]

For JAnuary we would choose the cabins since swimming isnt too much of an option.

lol! i was gonna say, the pool @ ft. wilderness is another pitfall, as it isn't too exciting. to my pittsburgh natives, swimming at DW in january is VERY MUCH an option!! lucky you to live where it is so warm!!

 

[wide awake]

I haven't stayed at either but have wondered if showering in the comfort stations is an option....my DS takes long baths, so the one bathroom would be difficult...much easier in my mind to walk over, shower, and get it over with. Is this possible ? If so is it frowned upon ?

 

[kgkmom]

My family debated this question three years ago, and we voted for the two rooms (at POFQ), because it all boiled down to the extra bathroom. SIL is very finicky about her bathroom/face prep routine, and tends to take a loooooonnnnnggggg time, so the extra bathroom was a must!

 

[DawnCt1]

My family debated this question three years ago, and we voted for the two rooms (at POFQ), because it all boiled down to the extra bathroom. SIL is very finicky about her bathroom/face prep routine, and tends to take a loooooonnnnnggggg time, so the extra bathroom was a must!

Actually there is a vanity area in the bedroom with a mirror, sink and everything.

 

[WANNABE@WDW]

I would vote for Fort Wilderness just because it is closer to MK. It has all sorts of activities. Like the petting zoo and horseback riding. How old are your children?

 

[Merriwind]

I can't imagine 6 people sharing one bathroom, so I would vote for the 2 rooms. Just think of what one bout of "traveler's tummy" would do!

 

[Deweysgirl]

Another vote for Wilderness Cabins. They are awesome and we stay there every year.

So many things to enjoy in Ft. Wilderness. Love the campfire/marshmallow roast and outdoor movie. There is an awesome petting zoo with pony rides. You can rent bikes, canoes and boats at the marina. You can go fishing, take an evening carriage ride and watch the electrical light parade from the beachfront. We always reserve a golf cart for our length of stay and this cuts down on most transportation issues within the campground area. You can take a ferry right over to the MK and take a monorail or bus from there to just about anywhere as well.

We love the woodsy rustic feel. You can cook-out or just relax outside on the deck. Both the bedroom and living area have TV's so everyone can watch what they want. It saves money too even if you eat only 1 meal a day in the cabin, we usually have a big breakfast before beginning our day at the parks.

The only downfall I can see is the fact that the pools are not themed and don't have any slides, etc.

We have stayed Value many times and although enjoyable, there's nothing like the cabins for us.

 

[Deweysgirl]

Another vote for Wilderness Cabins. They are awesome and we stay there every year.

So many things to enjoy in Ft. Wilderness. Love the campfire/marshmallow roast and outdoor movie. There is an awesome petting zoo with pony rides. You can rent bikes, canoes and boats at the marina. You can go fishing, take an evening carriage ride and watch the electrical light parade from the beachfront. We always reserve a golf cart for our length of stay and this cuts down on most transportation issues within the campground area. You can take a ferry right over to the MK and take a monorail or bus from there to just about anywhere as well.

We love the woodsy rustic feel. You can cook-out or just relax outside on the deck. Both the bedroom and living area have TV's so everyone can watch what they want. It saves money too even if you eat only 1 meal a day in the cabin, we usually have a big breakfast before beginning our day at the parks. There is no problem btw, using a comfort station for showering, etc. if you choose to do so.

The only downfall I can see is the fact that the pools are not themed and don't have any slides, etc.

We have stayed Value many times and although enjoyable, there's nothing like the cabins for us.

 

[whacked]

If you are trying to keep the budget under control, the kitchen is a HUGE bonus.

If you are trying to max your time in the parks, and don't care about food costs, the two room approach is probably better.

Either way will be crowded, but getting everyone in our family of four plus two extras through one bathroom in the morning would take some time.

I think there are additional bathrooms in the campground you could use if you HAD to, but I can't remember if there are any on the same loops as the cabins.

You may have to take campground transport to get to the main park transportation, adding an additional step to get around if you don't have a car.

I don't know the comfort level of the murphy bed in the cabins either.

It really depends on the kind of experience you want.

Living square footage would be roughly the same either way, cramped but doable.

Fridges cost extra at the values.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[dgaston]

I vote for the cabin. If you request the 2100 loop it backs up to the 1100 camping loop and a comfort station if you're worried about needing bathroom space at exactly the same time. There's even a path between the two loops.

There are again two TVs in the cabins, and DH and I appreciated the 3 kids sharing the bedroom and having the LR to ourselves. I did use the kitchen, even cooked Christmas dinner there in 2001!

We love Ft Wilderness and the boat ride to MK.

And for us the Murphy bed was very comfortable. DH is 6'2" and I'm pooh-sized!

HTH

 

[alicenwonder99]

My vote is for the cabins. We are a family of 6 (dd17, dn13, dd6, ds4). We stayed in a cabin last January. I loved it more than I ever thought I would! Some of the great things about staying in a cabin with a large family:

- you're not constantly shushing the kids. Since you don't have walls to share with neighbors, you don't have to worry about the kids talking too loud, or running back and forth.

- the deck is great for the family. They even have a large picnic table on it if you want to eat there or if the children want to sit out there.

- the kitchen. We had breakfast in the cabins every morning. The whole family didn't have to be up and ready before someone could eat. I'm an early bird and I wake up hours before the rest of the family. I was able to eat, read, and drink my coffee and then I showered while the children were starting to wake up and eat breakfast. The kids had hot chocolate in the evenings when we came back from the parks. A couple of nights I made impromptu dinners of pancakes/grilled cheese/mac n' cheese which saved tons of $$$$$. The kitchen is a full-sized kitchen and we brought tons of easy food to make. The teens spent alot of time at the pool so they were easily able to make themselves a quick snack while we were at the parks.

- it's very relaxing. It's so much more relaxing at Ft. Wilderness. Our other trips to WDW seemed all about getting to the parks as quickly as possible. But staying at Ft. Wilderness in itself was magical. It was the best WDW vacation I've ever taken.

For our trip this past January, we were able to use a general code and we got the cabin for $144 a night. I'm planning on going next January and I hope the codes come out again for that price.

Let us know what you decide!

Mary

 

[susy]

I vote for two values. we did thsi when we took my niece and nephew. If you ahve kids in one room, they will guaranteee connecting rooms. Think of the storage space, two tv's, two bathrooms (yes, my nephew DID get sick in the middle the night-all night).

I would not stay in the cabins because of the kitchen. Sorry, but when I am on vacation, I am not washing even ONE GLASS. the main pool at PC is just too adorable and the bus servcie is EXCELLENT.

 

[zurgswife]

We have stayed in both with our family of 6...and I HATED the Cabins...we moved to a hotel after 2 nights. I did like the kitchen but the whole set up seemed very cramped even with 4 small kids. We all have stayed in 2 values at POP and with 4 older kids I love the extra bathrooms, TV and privacy.