Fort Wilderness Cabin Review

[Brandie]

Pictures first . . .

[Brandie]

More pictures . . .

[Brandie]

We were interested in trying out the cabins to enjoy all of the recreation that the Fort had to offer and the feel of being away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. We were especially excited about zipping around on a golf cart.

Our cabin was in the 2700 loop of Fort Wilderness. Josh describes this loop as the "most remote and quietest place on Disney property" in this article (http://www.easywdw.com/resorts/disney%e2%80%99s-fort-wilderness-resort-review-cabins-and-campsites-information/)on the resort. I would agree that this loop is remote but I think you'll get this feel from any of the cabins at FtW. Although, if you are trying to sleep during Wishes, you may be distracted by noise from the fireworks.

The cabin was as much as we expected. I was worried about having the one bathroom and it proved to be a problem for our family of six for the few days we were there. We were seldom on the schedule I had created because it took us far longer to get ready in the morning than anyone would plan for. The kitchen was nice to have. We purchased milk, string cheese, uncrustables, soda, salsa and refrigerated cookie dough to celebrate the fact that we had a fridge. The grill on the patio was an amenity that I hadn't imagined using, but it came in very useful on the night we decided that the sing-a-long/campfire/movie was less restful than we wanted it to be. We had purchased marshmallows, chocolate, graham crackers and roasting sticks, but our first venture to the campfire ended up being much more tiresome (and VERY crowded) than we had anticipated. So on our last night at the Fort, we purchased charcoal briquettes and a lighter at the store onsite and enjoyed our own marshmallow roast.

We had a dinner at Trail's End. It is a bargain by Disney standards and usually pretty easy to get in to. The younger kids enjoyed playing at the playground in front of Crocket's Tavern. I wish we had spent more time with the other activities at the Fort. But, I say that after I leave every resort.

Our favorite part of the stay at the Fort was travelling by golf cart. Our family of six fit uncomfortably on the 4-seater, but that didn't affect the fun we had driving from our cabin to the marina, Trail's End, the store or the pool. My youngest would wave at everyone he saw and say "Hi Neighbor!" Getting the stroller on with the rest of us was difficult, but we got it done! One night we came back from the MK to find that where we had parked was in the line of fire for a number of sprinklers. A nice fellow in his own cart gave us a towel. He must have experienced the same thing at some point. We always rent a car while at WDW. Even with our car rental, we would have been subject to Disney Transportation while staying at FtW if we hadn't had the golf cart. If we were to ever stay again, we would without hesitation reserve a golf cart, as well.

Service was spotty, as usual. Check in was a breeze. Our luggage from Magical Express didn't arrive until 11:30 PM . . .over 5 hours after our flight landed. (To be fair, this had nothing to do with FtW.) Getting the golf cart the next day, wasn't as easy as check-in. I was told that there were no more. "But I have a reservation." It took a while, but I ended up with a golf cart. The pool was much more crowded than I remember it being at our previous stay (in an RV, 2005). There is an additional pool out in the cabin area, but I had been told it was closed. On our last night I drove by. Nope. It's open, and it was much less crowded. Our luggage (and groceries, including the refrigerated items) was transferred by bell services to our next resort. I love that Disney resorts provide this service.

Even though it was a pleasant stay, I'm pretty sure our family will not be returning. I had so wanted to like FtW much more than I did. I think the problem is that we have become accustomed to having a kitchen, so the kitchen wasn't an upgrade for us and we usually have two bathrooms. Although six people fit, it felt cramped. While staying at the cabin I felt like I was "roughing" it. Being remote is nice, but the resort that we transferred to feels just as secluded without the feeling that I'm camping.

[vicki_c]

Thanks for the review and the great photos. That is one place at Disney I know very little about beyond HDDR! Cool - it definitely looks like the VWL/WL furnishings, I'm sure we would enjoy it if we ever had the opportunity to stay there.

[Becky2011]

Coming in a little late -- I'm pretty sure I read it before but didn't comment. Thanks for the review. We are staying at the Cabins with a family of 6, so it should be interesting.

I didn't get the golf cart because I didn't think it would hold a family of 6.

I do have a question - are there 2 tv's or 1? I've read both throughout the years and it seems to be random when it changes. I see the one for sure but don't know if there is a 2nd one in the bedroom.

[Brandie]

Becky, there are two TVs: One in the living area and one in the bedroom. A golf cart probably wouldn't hold a family of six with older children. It was me and my husband and kids ages 14, 12, 6 and 3 at the time. And all of them are on the small side for their age.

I hope you enjoy your trip. Fort Wilderness is a fun place to be!

[Becky2011]

A golf cart probably wouldn't hold a family of six with older children.

Thank you!

That's what I thought about the golf cart! My 14 year old is TALLER than I am and my 17 year old is about as tall. I just couldn't picture cramming us all on there....so we are hoofing it & hoping the internal transportation isn't horrid for us. :RpS_tongue:
No way would I rent TWO golf carts!!! That would just be crazy on my part. I figured if worse comes to worse all I have to do is get to the Contemporary and go from there. We used transportation from there last time and it was fine.

[cinderellagirl]

Do you know if they put out discount codes for the cabins? I think they are considered moderate, but it always seems like they are in their own little category so I wasn't sure if the % off codes would work on them?

Still debating on a resort. I swear I change my mind everyday!:RpS_laugh:

[BlountFam5]

The cabins are considered a moderate. When we went last April we had a discount.

[cinderellagirl]

The cabins are considered a moderate. When we went last April we had a discount.

Thanks so much! Good to know!

[sunburnin]

I know its a 2 month lag from the questions... I got a PIN a few weeks ago and already had a reservation for a cabin in Dec, but of course I called to price it out. The PIN offer was good at the moderate resorts including the cabin. It's a % decrease and not a flat rate since the prices vary by hotel, view, etc. However, it was much cheaper to keep our existing package with the free dining.

[sunburnin]

Also wanted to add that we stayed in a cabin in 2009 and loved it so much we are staying there again this year. Loved parking our car 2 feet from the cabin, the privacy with no rooms sharing a wall, the kitchen for breakfasts, snacks, evening munchies, and the whole FW experience. We rented the golf cart and had a blast on it!

[avic77]

I enjoyed FtWilderness when we stayed there last year. But i wish Disney would change some things.... i think cabins should be closer to the marina area. Transportation was spotty, some days 3 or 4 buses in a row other days 30 to 45 minute waits. Cabins really need 2 bathrooms and I wish they had 2 bedrooms. 1 bathroom for a family of 5 was difficult.
Otherwise we loved the resort and the rustic feel.

Note: We got a notice on our second day that there was a bear spotted on the grounds and not to leave food in the car or outside. If we were to see the bear please call #####. My kids worried about the bear the rest of the trip LOL

[sunburnin]

I agree about the buses, but also remember that being the same way at POFQ and even Beach club one year. Always 2 buses to the other resorts and none to mine! HA! We did say last time, that on our next trip we'll drive our car to the parks in the morning. We can take a bit longer to get ready and not have to wait for a bus to get to RD. (of course this doesn't work for MK, but I love the boat ride over)

[bord1niowa]

Another option for larger families would be to rent a large RV that they bring on site. You can sleep up to 10 in them and yes, you can have them all on one site. One of the places even gives you a haunted mansion golf cart with it. The cost is less than renting a cabin , even with the site cost added on. They set it up and everything. Just sayin'. No, it's not me but I do know some options for this. Can be very inexpensive when broken down. Talking NICE RV's too. You can be anywhere you want then too.

[home4my4]

We just returned from FtW on Fri. Our family of 6 (ages 8,10, 12, and 15) had a cabin in the 2200 loop. It was the perfect location for us. We were half way between the 2 pools and there was a bus stop at the end of our loop. Everyone LOVED the location. We walked to the pools and to the Meadows Trading post. All of my kids have asked to stay there again when we go back. :)

[sunburnin]

Another option for larger families would be to rent a large RV that they bring on site. You can sleep up to 10 in them and yes, you can have them all on one site. One of the places even gives you a haunted mansion golf cart with it. The cost is less than renting a cabin , even with the site cost added on. They set it up and everything. Just sayin'. No, it's not me but I do know some options for this. Can be very inexpensive when broken down. Talking NICE RV's too. You can be anywhere you want then too.

Now that sounds like fun! Might have to try that in the future!

[bnoble]

Another option for larger families would be to rent a large RV that they bring on site.
That sounds like a ton of fun, actually. If I weren't already doing timeshares, this would be a great option.

[**sandy**]

We stayed in the cabins on our last trip (Oct '09). Loved parking two feet from the front door and having a kitchen, but I didn't love having to take the golf cart to the pool, store, etc. It was a little too remote. I would never stay here without a rental car and a golf cart! (We rented from Kenny at Tee Time. He was way less expensive that renting directly from FW.)

[sunburnin]

Just returned from another great week in the cabins. Love this place! Just wanted to update that our cabin had updated TVs. They replaced the gray ones in the pictures above with flat screens in both the LR and BR. Why is that important to you? Because it creates extra shelf space behind the new TVs for storing stuff. :)

[LoriH91]

We stayed in the cabins in June of 2010, when we were a family of 7, but the littlest wasn't 3 yet. It was a bit cramped for us, and 1 bathroom was a pain. We did, however, fit all of us on the golf cart ok. The big boys, both at least 5'7" at the time & combined weight of the hubby & me, would sit on the back with the 2 middles on their laps & the baby up front. Do not go without the cart!! I'd love to stay again, but we officially don't fit.

[starjazz]

Just thought I'd add a brief review since it had been a while.

I've mentioned in a couple of other threads how much I thought of the Fort, specifically the cabins.

We had a great stay. There were ten of us in two cabins - My wife, two girls (4 & 2), and my parents stayed in one, my sister her son (5) and daughter (16) and husband stayed in the other. It really worked out well. In our cabin of six, a couple of us had to shower in the evenings to prevent a bathroom backup in the morning, but it was no biggie.

My folks slept on the murphy bed in the living area. They said it was actually very comfortable. Really, all the beds were okay, unless your tall and have to sleep a night or two in a bunk bed because the 2 yo wants to sleep with Mommy. Then, it kinda stunk cuz my legs were too long, but otherwise, sleeping arrangements are fine. Heck, you're so tired usually, that you could crash about anywhere.

The kitchen was great. We ordered food from wegoshop.com and it was waiting for us in the fridge and cabinets when we arrived. We made lots of lunches, and three dinners. We grilled out twice, which a small bag of charcoal worked perfect for. It was so nice to grill out and sit on the deck outside. What a nice break from a crowded park - and much better than always eating in a restaurant or crammed in a hotel room.

Getting around was no problem, but we too had a couple golf carts. I can imagine you'd have to add some time if you relied on buses, but it probably wouldn't have been THAT big of a problem. We just liked the freedom the carts offered, even though they are pricey ($60/day on our trip). The place is basically set up in a big circle, with a main road running through it from the main gate to the marina, and couple of crossing roads leading to other loops. Very simple to navigate after about two trips. The signage was excellent and easy to follow.

The ferries to MK were convenient, and never any trouble to catch. We took both the small one to Contemporary and walked over when we had an early ADR, and also the bigger one that goes straight to MK. The only snag is if you're trying to get between the two any time during the water parade, you can get held up for quite a while waiting on the water. Happened to us twice. Not the end of the world, but I grew to despise that water pageant. Getting to the other parks is a breeze on the buses. We actually ferried over the Contemp. and took the monorail to Epcot. This was fun in the morning, but a bit of a hassle in the evening as it takes much longer. But it was the only time we'd get on the monorail, and we wanted to give the kiddos a look at it, and they thought it was pretty cool.

The cabins are really quiet. There's a bit of noise during wishes, but a small fan knocks that out easily. Even just turning the a/c fan on worked fine. Its just so nice that you don't have people on top, below and both sides of you, plus hallway traffic. Yuck! We just loved that aspect of the cabins. No disturbances at all, so sleeping in is easily accomplished if you desire.

Service in the cabins was great - they do your dishes, clean everything up every day, leave nice towel art, and if you have stuffed animals, they are always waiting for you in the windows when you come home at night. Super cute. We even lost our key to one of the carts one day, and when we called to get a replacement, know we'd have to fork over the $15, they asked where we'd left it. We told them, and about 15 minutes later they showed up with our cart, a spare key, and didn't charge...just said, "Have a nice day!". Outstanding. The front desk folks are very helpful, and using ME was great, especially when you're departing - you can just drop your luggage with them, and it'll show up at your final destination. Makes MCO much easier to navigate.

We never did the camp fire, or Trails End, but we did enjoy the swimming pool - big one up at the Meadow. Kids LOVED that, with the splash pad and slide! We also took both our girls on pony rides. That was an exceptional experience. We paid in advance for two laps each, which I was thankful we did. $5 per lap. Both our girls absolutely adored the ponies, and the way they run that is great. They let the parent walk the pony around a winding sandy course through their farm area. Beautiful pinto ponies were ridden, and there were gorgeous white ponies all over the farm to look at. Great way to start a morning!

I struggle to imagine that we'll look real closely at much else after being in the cabins. I just don't think we'd want to be in a big hotel after that. Too busy and crowded for my taste. And the price on the cabins is great. Actually, we may look closely at renting an RV from one of those offsite companies that'll set it up for you and bring a cart, etc. if I take just my family back in the near future. I think for four, that'd be fun too! And its priced right.

[moscow]

Any suggestions/recommendations on the companies who rent RVs? I didn't even realize this option was available. I am considering Ft. Wilderness or off-site (renting a house) for our next trip.

[starjazz]

I don't know of any personally, although I've seen some ads, and I know I saw a thread somehwere - either here or disboards. Look around...you'll get some info.

[podcat]

I'm late in replying to moscow, but my husband & I stayed at the Fort Jan 28-Feb 4. We rented a travel trailer from Meachams RV http://www.TravelTrailerRent.com/ and it was perfect. Andrew was great to deal with & the price was right. We're planning to go back in December with the kiddo and do it all over again. If you guys have any questions, just let me know.