Fort Wilderness - renting golf cart

[pbrsaau]

Hi, we are staying at Fort Wilderness in the Cabins for the first time this August. What's the story with renting a golf cart? It doesn't look like that can be done ahead of time online. What is current daily rate for the carts? It looks like from previous threads that Disney doesn't allow outside rentals any longer. Is the internal bus loop good enough that I don't even need to bother renting a cart? Thanks!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You can rent the four-seaters ahead of time by calling (407) 824-2742. They're $59 per night. They have six-seaters as well but they can't be reserved and are available on a first-come, fist-served basis. I believe those are $79 per night.

They're fun but not worth the cost IMO. The internal buses add some commute time to get to the parks, but not $59 per night worth of commute time.

 

[MMFanCipher]

You can get golf carts from off-site, but you have to go meet them off-site and return the cart off-site. We usually just walk or take the internal buses. If going to the MK we walk/bus to the dock and then take the boat to MK. Love the boat ride. Going anywhere else we drive.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

You definitely have to call to reserve them. I do that for my clients since they want the convenience of having one available for them to utilize.

Pam

 

[OneofThree]

After spending five or six week per year at Ft Wilderness growing up, I would tell anyone that access to a cart makes all the difference in the world.

 

[pbrsaau]

Thanks for the replies - I think I'll probably take a chance on the internal bus and if we feel we need a cart we'll deal with it then.

 

[Coaster Lover]

Growing up, we stayed at Fort Wilderness a LOT. Going with a family with kids, we always utilized the buses more or less exclusively and had no issues. We did have a tradition of renting a golf cart for one day of each of our trips but that was more for the fun of riding around the resort. Typically, the day we rented the golf cart would be the same day we had multiple other Fort Wilderness area activities planned (Hoop Dee Do, Discovery Island, River Country, etc).

 

[StarboardSide]

We stayed at Ft Wilderness four times without renting a cart, thinking of it as a luxury. And we didn’t really mind the buses - they do run on time and are efficient. But two years ago we had some extra cash and decided to treat ourselves to the golf cart rental. We were astonished at the benefit. So much more freedom, so much more time savings, so much more convenience. Coming home at 1am from late night at MK and hopping into your golf cart is an AMAZING feeling! Running to your cabin from the pool to grab some more snacks is super easy! And it’s fun to explore the campground. In the mornings, you load up the family and drive off to either the marina or the outpost to catch your rides to the park - super easy. We loved it so much we reserved one for this past trip, and told ourselves all week how smart we had been to do so, as we happily zipped around. It saves serious time, and that’s the most valuable currency when you’re on vacation!

 

[BASS]

It's $60/day. You can reserve ahead of time.

We just came back from the cabins. We rented it. For my family, it was worth it. I have two small kids and we're constantly running slow. The ability to jet over to the boat to Magic Kingdom or the main transportation center to catch a bus to the other parks is worth it. For us, the added wait times of the internal bus system and impatience of small kids is a factor.

That said, if your party is older (and timely in the morning!) and doesn't have any issues with the bus or waiting perhaps a bit more, then you can probably skip the expense.

If you decide to rent a cart, factor that into your hotel costs when you compare the cabins to other resorts on property, particularly if those resorts have a monorail or boat system (or, like those on the boardwalk, a simple walk to Epcot).

 

[BalooChicago]

I’ve been trying to reserve a cart for my next trip. Last week the voicemail system was down for service, and this week after listening to the spiel and pressing 1 it transfers me to a high pitches squeal (almost like a fax machine).

Any idea how else to book them?

 

[MMFanCipher]

Is this the number you used?

Front Desk 407-824-2727

 

[Club Cooloholic]

You can get golf carts from off-site, but you have to go meet them off-site and return the cart off-site. We usually just walk or take the internal buses. If going to the MK we walk/bus to the dock and then take the boat to MK. Love the boat ride. Going anywhere else we drive.

How do you get them to the site from off site. Just curious the logostics

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

This is the direct line to rent a golf cart at Fort Wilderness 407-824-2742 . Is that the number that was giving you an issue? There are a few companies that will rent to you also. We have always taken care of reserving a cart for our clients directly through the cart rental at Ft. Wilderness so I cannot recommend an outside company

Pam

 

[BalooChicago]

This is the direct line to rent a golf cart at Fort Wilderness 407-824-2742 . Is that the number that was giving you an issue? There are a few companies that will rent to you also. We have always taken care of reserving a cart for our clients directly through the cart rental at Ft. Wilderness so I cannot recommend an outside company

Pam

Thanks - that’s the number I was trying. I get the recorded message about renting, but then when I press 1 to reserve I get the high pitch squeal. I’ll try calling the front desk tomorrow (I figure they won’t be able to reserve, but might get the transfer issue resolved.)

 

[MMFanCipher]

How do you get them to the site from off site. Just curious the logostics

I've never done it, I'm just telling you what others have said, but I believe you have to have a way to tow it back to The Fort.

 

[BalooChicago]

Well, called today and got right through! (Maybe they’re watching us! )

Thanks all!

 

[Jambo Joe]

My two cents - we finally stayed at the cabins in January. Although we are seasoned campers we had never stayed at Ft. Wilderness. Whether you need a cart (or even a rental car which would actually be cheaper!) depends on whether you appreciate the more laid back style of the campground using the buses. I became pretty impatient at the entra rime the transfers created. The campground is huge too. I would get the cart. It also adds a lot of fun to exploring the area.

 

[plutofan15]

We have stayed in the cabins numerous times and have always rented the carts, especially when the kids were younger. Like others have said, it is great to able to get off the boat from MK or busses from the other parks at night with tired kids, jump onto the cart and be back at the cabin before others have even gotten on the bus. Also great for a quick trip to the campground store or the pool. And as the kids got older, it was great fun to explore the campground. Granted they are expensive (have paid more for them than car rental on a per day basis at times) but are well worth it if it fits into your budget.