Wilderness Cabins for family of 5?

[mommy2boysaz]

Just wondering what your experiences have been with the cabins? Considering these for our trip in Oct. 2007. I have 2 boys -9 & 7, and a 3 yo girl.
Are the cabins roomy? Is the Wilderness area nice? (It's Disney, so that's probably a stupid question)
Just looking for some opinions!

 

[HopperFan]

We stayed with five. DH and I slept in living area on murphy bed. Put two younger in bunk bed and oldest in double bed (all in bedroom). We felt like it was plenty roomy and we loved the cabins themselves !!

While it is a fabulous campground, it is.........a campground. Pools were boring rectangles, a bus ride to go anywhere (can't take your car) and we found ourselves not using any of the activities because it was too much work. We prefer being in the resorts where we can quickly walk to the kids activities or pools, food court etc and feel the complete vacation experience.

 

[jj13]

We had 4 and took a similar approach. DH and I slept in the murphy and the kids grabbed the bunks (they were dying for them) - the extra bed was piled with clothes! 5 should be just fine.

 

[tar heel]

I thought the cabins themselves were wonderful and that Fort Wilderness was beautiful. Transportation, however, is a lot of trouble -- have to catch a FW bus, then something else for park transportation -- and the pool is just a rectangle. It's really big -- you can't really walk anywhere within the campground. We prefer to stay elsewhere.

 

[markb]

We have 5 in our party too.
We LOVE the cabins! The kitchens let us save tons of money on meals, particularly breakfast. The transportation is not that big of a deal. If you bring your car (or rent one) you can come and go as you please in and out of the campground to head to the parks or even to move around inside of FW if needed (like going to the Meadows store.)
The pools are not themed, but they are very nice. the quiet pool, the smaller of the two, is actually our favorite. We have an RV now, so we don't need the cabins, but when we go in June (20 nights ) our friends who will visit are all taking cabins.
But, if you don't have a vehicle, it can be a bit of a pain, but we've never really minded... the worst day on a Disney bus still ain't all that bad!

 

[LegoMom3]

... If you bring your car (or rent one) you can come and go as you please in and out of the campground to head to the parks or even to move around inside of FW if needed (like going to the Meadows store.)...

While I agree that yes, your own vehicle is best for going to & from the parks, you may NOT use it within the campground - if you want to get to the trading posts, the pool, or any of the activities, you need to walk, bus, bike, or golf-cart it!

 

[pooh4me]

We have stayed at the cabins 2 times and have not had a car or rented a golf cart. The buses are very regular about every 10 minuets and not crowded at all,they just take some reviewing on your part to learn their routes.The park seems really large but it is only 1/2 a mile from loop 2100 or 2200 to the Meadows Trading Post, pool and campfire program.You would walk farther to get the bus in most resorts.The best thing about Fort Wilderness is the privacy and quiet in the cabins and all the things to do at the resort. Most people who stay there come back again and again.We wouldn't stay any where else. Have a great trip.

 

[markb]

Actually, I know that it's generally thought that you can not, but you can.
There is limited parking at the Meadow's store, it's designed to be 5 minute parking. Now you can't use your car to get to the boat dock or to trails end, or Hoop De Doo because again it's limited, 5 minute parking.
Please don't flame me, I just called the front desk at FW to make sure that this is still true.

 

[Tricializ]

I stayed at them with my mother and 3 kids (at the time). It was wonderful. We had more than enough room, the murphy bed was very comfy and what was great is that we could put the kids to bed and still have a living room to sit in and be awake. The only downside to the cabins are that FW doesn't have a great pool. Although I never find much time for swimming anyway with all there is to do elsewhere. But, they should upgrade the pool based on the price they charge for the cabins. We had a golf cart which I love having and go to fort wilderness every year. (now we have a motorhome). Definitely recommend it. The happiness you will feel by being able to have your own food and space will thrill you.
Tricia

 

[FloridaTeacher]

The Fort is great!! We, too, take our motorhome so I don't know much about the cabins, but you do have a kitchen so can save money eating out. Plus we get tired of eating out all the time. Another reason that we LOVE the Fort over the Resorts (and we've stayed in both) is that at the Fort, you can go back to your cabin/RV to rest and sit outside and relax. It's much more relaxing than sitting outside at a resort.

When we need a break but my sons are still high energy, my husband and I can sit under the awning of our motorhome, have a glass of wine and watch the boys ride bikes!! There's just more room to stretch out than at another resort. We're so spoiled to Fort Wilderness, we won't even think about going anywhere else.

54 days, 17 hours, and 34 minutes til we're back at the Fort and Star Wars Weekend.

 

[OK GRUMPY]

The last time we were at Disney instead of catching the bus to the out post to go to Epcot, MGM or Down town Disney we just drove up to the parking lot and parked. That way when we got back we didn't have to wait on the bus either.

 

[campingcorgi]

We stayed in the cabins for several years before we moved up to an rv (now the kid says the poor people have to stay in the cabins ) and we enjoyed them. Plenty of room, loved the kitchen, the beds were quite comfy, and a fun Disney experience.

Now a quick vent on the bus and pool complaints: had to stay at the All Stars last year on a house-hunting trip to Florida and I'd have killed for a bus from our room to the front! That was as long a walk as any in FW. And pool theming? Well, the small pool had tile along the outside that looked like piano keys. The bigger pool had a statue in the middle. And neither pool had a deep end like the big FW pool. I agree that the people in the cabins pay more than the value resorts and the FW pools aren't as nice as at a higher-end resort, but look at what else you get for your money: a kitchen, a deck and grill, multiple playgrounds, and best of all--FORT WILDERNESS!

Okay, I'm better now. I need a FW fix......

 

[miclcon]

We' ve tried other resorts, and we keep going back. The cabins are roomy. There are 5 of us (DW, DS8, DD5, DS3, myself) are we love it. We use the launch to go to MK, but we end up driving to the rest of the parks.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Can you park your car at your cabin???

 

[pooh4me]

Yes you can park one car at your cabin.

 

[WAHMto5]

We are also ones that after staying at Fort Wilderness this past Chrsitmas, we won't stay anywhere else again!! We have 5 children and felt like we had plenty of room, MUCH more room then when we stayed at Port Orleans. We did rent a golf cart which we all enjoyed and felt it was much easier to get around in, but the bus system was great and we had no problems getting to the parks and back. As for the pools, yes they are plain to look at but are a nice size!

 

[gullyf]

We stayed at the cabins for the first time this year in March. There were 6 of us, so Port Orleans Riverside, our usual haunt, was out of the question as it would have required two rooms. Without a doubt, the cabins are by far the most relaxing of the resorts I have stayed in to date. It is just like being home. We threw open the door in the morning and let the kids (twins, almost 3 years old) wander out on the porch and around the grounds (watched by big brother/sister of course) without having to worry about them crossing into a parking lot just feet away. The local "wild" life added to their enjoyment.

Having a kitchen meant meals were relaxed. No need to rush everyone out for breakfast or a late meal or snack... just run to the trading post and grab something to warm up. We also packed snacks and the like in our checked luggage, which saved a great deal on food expenses.

Not all is rosy, however, and the bad news is one word: transportation. The bus system, while usable, is annoying at times, especially with a young child or two. We had reserved a golf cart, and despite the expense it would have been far less relaxing without it. Also, you have to catch transportation to different parks at different places, which can be annoying until you get used to it. More than once we found ourselves waiting at the wrong bus station, until I found the "rosetta stone" tucked away in our resort packet. Read it, memorize it: you will be tested!

Now that I have a handle on the transportation, I don't think I would stay at any other resort under the same circumstances. That isn't to say that I would choose the cabins for a quick couple of days with my wife, but certainly if the whole family is involved the cabins would be first choice.

 

[Disneynutbsv]

Yes you can park one car at your cabin.

Thanks!

 

[mdoc]

I'm a big Fort Wilderness fan. I've never stayed in the cabins because we stay in our travel trailer, but if we were going to WDW without the trailer I'd definitely choose to stay at the cabins. Other than FW, I've only stayed at deluxe resorts (Polynesian, Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge), and I FAR prefer Fort Wilderness. I like being able to spend time outside and not feel squished into a hotel room. We just got back, and even though we had 7 people in our camper (which is smaller than a hotel room), I never felt squished because of the outdoor space. The cabins have those nice porches, too! The transporation doesn't bother me. We usually drive our own car to the parks, but this trip we weren't all going to the same place at the same time so I used a lot of Disney transportation and it was fine and very easy to figure out. Getting around the campground is easy, too. The buses are pretty reliable and frequent, and we also get around by bike (we bring ours, but you can rent them at the Bike Barn is you want). We've never felt the need to have a golf cart, but a lot of people rent those, too.

 

[Mineu]

Our DS's want to try the cabins. I'm a little nervous about not being in a hotel attached to a food court and gift shop! Are any of the cabins close to the Trail's End Restaurant? Also, where is the nightly campfire? Thanks!