Ft. Wilderness Cabins Questions

[AngryEyes]

Hi, guys. In all of our past trips, we have stayed either at the Contemporary or Polynesian. Our guys are getting a little bigger, so we decided a little more room would be a good thing. Ultimately, we decided on the cabins for our trip this June.

My only concern here is the transportation, as it seems to be a bit of a problem.

I've read a lot of the guides and online information, but I'm looking for something a little more specific, if anyone would be so kind.

We'll be driving down and if I understand correctly, as guests at WDW, we can park at the various parks for free. Is that correct? Obviously, it would be nice to come and go as we please, but would this make things substantially easier for us?

We were thinking about getting in the 2800 loop, as it's the closest to the bus stop to the parks, other than MK. Would it be a good plan to walk to the bus stop and take the buses to DHS, Epcot, and AK and then drive ourselves on the MK days? Or is it easier to just take the bus to the boat launch and go that way. Should we just drive to all parks? Should we just take Disney transportation to all parks?

There will be no golf carts, as it's simply not in the budget.

Any thoughts or experiences would be helpful. Also, I'm having a heck of a time finding any pictures of the secondary pool, so if anyone has any of those, I'd appreciate it.

 

[docdebbi]

Hi, guys. In all of our past trips, we have stayed either at the Contemporary or Polynesian. Our guys are getting a little bigger, so we decided a little more room would be a good thing. Ultimately, we decided on the cabins for our trip
My only concern here is the transportation, as it seems to be a bit of a problem.

I've read a lot of the guides and online information, but I'm looking for something a little more specific, if anyone would be so kind.

We'll be driving down and if I understand correctly, as guests at WDW, we can park at the various parks for free. Is that correct? Obviously, it would be nice to come and go as we please, but would this make things substantially easier for us?

We were thinking about getting in the 2800 loop, as it's the closest to the bus stop to the parks, other than MK. Would it be a good plan to walk to the bus stop and take the buses to DHS, Epcot, and AK and then drive ourselves on the MK days? Or is it easier to just take the bus to the boat launch and go that way. Should we just drive to all parks? Should we just take Disney transportation to all parks?

There will be no golf carts, as it's simply not in the budget.

Any thoughts or experiences would be helpful. Also, I'm having a heck of a time finding any pictures of the secondary pool, so if anyone has any of those, I'd appreciate it.

We have stayed at the cabins several times. We love them for several reasons. One is the space. Kids can run and play and you don't need to worry about making noise
Another is the kitchen. You can have quick breakfast in the room in the mornings and save a lot of time. Also that you can park your car right at your front door. Major plus!!!
I would drive to all of the parks except MK. Nothing is easier. I would take the bus to the boat for MK. It is not really that big of a hassle. And a lot easier tha waiting for a ferry or monorail after park close. Sometimes we rent a golf cart only for the days we go to MK. Drive to boat in the AM and then do hoop de doo and drive around the camp at night It is cool to drive around all the loops one night and see all the decorations. If you can spring for a golf cart one day I highly recommend it.
I do not have a picture of the secondary pools but they are plain square pools with no slide bit there are plenty of chairs. I recommend the drive to the main pool. It's worth it. And you can park your car there

 

[brumby]

We haven't stayed at the cabins but we have taken our RV to the campground twice. We looked at the cabins and they look very nice. Great campground! We never had any trouble using the buses & boats. You have to look at it as part of the adventure. Relax and enjoy the ride. We really enjoyed the water park & animals at the campground. There is a lot to do when you want a break from the rest of Disney ~ I especially liked that part! If you have never stayed at Fort Wilderness then you are in for treat! Definitely a different way to experience Disney!

You do get to park at the parks for free, however I suggest try the boats & buses first. We towed our car and ended up not using it at all.

 

[mamabunker]

We have stayed at the cabins several times. We love them for several reasons. One is the space. Kids can run and play and you don't need to worry about making noise
Another is the kitchen. You can have quick breakfast in the room in the mornings and save a lot of time. Also that you can park your car right at your from door. Major plus!!!
I would drive to all of the parks except MK. Nothing is easier. I would take the bus to the boat for MK. It is not really that big of a hassle. And a lot easier tha waiting for a ferry or monorail after park close. Sometimes we rent a golf cart only for the days we go to MK. Deive to boat in the AM and then do hoop de doo and drive around the camp at night It is cool to drive around all the loops one night and see all the decorations. If you can spring for a golf cart one day I highly recommend it.
I do not have a picture of the secondary pools but they are plain square pools with no slide bit there are plenty of chairs. I recommend the drive to the main pool. It's worth it. And you can park your car there

I've never stayed in the cabins but I second taking the bus or boat to MK. Parking at the TTC and taking the monorail or bus is a pain and takes a lot longer.

 

[Zipadeelady]

We stayed at the cabins in 2010 and what i remember most is that I wouldn't stay there again without a golf cart. I know it's not in the budget for the whole trip but as someone else suggested maybe for the MK days. It was nice taking the boat to MK but the walk to the boat dock or the inter bus system kindof sucked. The walk to the big pool was quite a trek so the cart would be great for that too. I don't remember any parking near the pool we always had to walk. There were only a few parking spaces for the store next to the pool and they were short term parking spots. Sorry that was a lot of bad things about the cabin...but they're lots of good things too!!
The Kitchens...the trails...Nature...the beach....hoop dee doo revue.....the breakfast buffet....playgrounds.. the boat to MK... the big pool is great and there is a hot tub too! Rocking chairs by the store at the beach!

 

[bethymouse]

I believe they still have an "internal" bus system that will take you to the pool area and the restaurants. I would ask at check-in for the closest cabin to the pool area or restaurants or marina, depending upon what you prefer. I would not take my car and park, I will always use Disney transport. Of course, that's just my preference. Check allears.net for pictures and such! Have fun! I think you'll love the cabins!

 

[AngryEyes]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone. Nice to know there's always someone here who has personal experiences to draw from, rather than just getting it from a book.

 

[pixiesteno]

The quiet pool is just square and now is just over 3 foot deep for the entire pool, there is also a hot tub available. You will want to take the internal bus to the Meadows Trading Post for the main pool, archery, campfire, tennis. There is no auto parking at the Meadows, save a 15 min spot for those dropping off and picking up propane tanks. You can drive up to the Outpost area(where you check in) and park your car there and then get the buses to the parks if you wish. You will be given a slip of paper with your info on it for parking purposes if you want to drive to the parks, just put it on your dashboard. I would suggest taking the internal bus to the Settlement Marina area and taking the boat to the MK; it is a wonderful ride. You will also find pony rides, animal viewing area, stables, hay ride, etc in the Settlement area. You will also be given a map when you arrive showing you were your cabin loop is. In your packet there is a larger map and on the back it lists times and activities going on. Most of the loops will have some type of recreational activity -- basketball hoop, tetherball, etc. at the loop. Be sure to spend at least one evening at the Settlement/marina area at the beach. You can see most of Wishes fireworks from the beach and then at 9:45 pm the Electric Light Pagent will be at the beach. Enjoy your stay, but be warned, "The Fort" just may spoil you for staying at other resorts!