Fort Wilderness FAQ

Guest Comments - Wilderness Cabins


This FAQ is Maintained By Jeff Spencer
Please send additions and changes to jlspence@hiwaay.net
Last Updated: 8/12/03


Hi Jeff, My Family & I (husband & four daughters, ages 17, 15, 14, 11) recently returned from 8 days in Fort Wilderness. We had a wonderful time. We were in a cabin in the 2100 loop, and we all decided it was the best place to be. We were close enough to walk to the Meadow Trading Post, etc. because we could cut through by the comfort station behind our loop. That was a plus also because the laundry was not a far walk. We didn't rent a golf cart. In fact, they got to be a little anoying as some people seem to be in a rush even when they're on vacation and were not always paying attention to the road. Since we drove down, we brought four bicycles with us. That was the best thing we did. The girls were so happy to just get on their bikes & go. I rented one for a day myself & we road over to the Wilderness Lodge. The trail goes right there, I was surprised how close it is to the Fort. Our only disappointment with Fort Wilderness was the pools. They are clean & well kept, but my youngest daughter complained that they were boring. It would have been wonderful if River Country was still opened. The girls kept eyeing it from the boat going to the Magic Kingdom and wishing they could get inside. We had a breakfast and dinner at the Trails End and we were very pleased. The food was great. My husband & I liked sitting on the porch at Crocketts Tavern, however, we wished it would stay open to at least midnight. We would have liked a nightcap after a tiring evening at the Magic Kingdom. We watched the fireworks from the beach a few nights and the boat parade was so cool. We had a wonderful time at the Fort and would most definitely return. (Linda O'Shea, 07/03)
We have been going to Fort Wilderness for the past 8 years with my husband and children (Danielle 15 Joseph 13) and every time we go back it's more and more exciting. When we found out about it we thought cabins? Disney having cabins? From the first time we stayed there, we go back every summer for at least a week and a couple days. As a family, since my daughter was born, we have gone back to FW about 17 times. We are such Disney fans that we can't get enough of it. FW is the best place to stay in DW because it's close enough to "home" as it can be, with the kitchen and BBQ and lots of space (unlike the hotel rooms where you are cramped in). Me and my husband have the back room with the queen sized bed and the kids get the Murphy bed. Yes, those beds are very comfortable. Maid service is outstanding there. When you leave for the parks for the day and come back around 2pm, the cabin is cleaned and they clean very well. We bring our own food so we can cook and BBQ out (we mostly cook out the time we are there, we rarely go out to eat dinner at DW and spent tons of $). But since we have been to Disney more than 20 times we now go to Publix before we arrive and buy our food there instead of taking up space in the car. Yes, it's a little secret we have, and it's cheaper compared to the Settlement posts, no offense but the prices there are pretty high. We only go there to buy souvenirs or just little things. The cabins are so comfy and with the home being ours and nothing around you, the kids can yell and have fun without the hassle of being quiet for our neighbors, like you would if you were staying in a hotel. FW is the way to go if you are staying more the 5 days. You save a lot of spending money on food and the prices are affordable. Since we are Florida residents, we get a discount for whenever go up there (Little DW offer you get if you live in Florida) so the rates go down ... way down. Whenever we would go up there the sun is away shining and we would go to the pool after those long days at the parks. Oh yes and FW is closest to MK. And it's so convenient, we would go to a park that morning, come back in the afternoon, take a nap, either eat dinner or pick up something in the park, then we would go back for more rides and then the parades. Being in DW so many times, there is no rush, but to get to the parks it's kinda of hard. The buses are sort of not what I would expect. Sometimes you have to wait 15 minutes for a bus just to get to Pioneer Hall and when you would get to PH the buses make other stops and it takes 30 minutes just to get somewhere that's 5 minutes away. So we usually take the car and drive to the parks, which is much better. So, if we want to leave a park we don't have to wait for a bus that may take 30 minutes. We would get to our car and then head to FW which takes at least 10 from anywhere in DW. The hotels are nice for 3 nights but you get cramped and don't have enough space to move around. The one thing I would change about FW is we need more closet space. Other than that, I like it the SAME. Nothing would change that. From my family to yours I'm glad I shared all this information with you because we are Disney Freaks ourselves. We leave tomorrow for Fort Wilderness for a week vacation and just talking about FW makes me happy inside. Better start packing! PS...site is soo nice! The photos bring back memories whenever we go up there! -Kathy Bonczyk (7/03)
Our family stayed at Ft. Wilderness cabins for 12-19-01 to 12-26-01 and we are so glad we did. We did not rent a car and found it somewhat easy to get around on bus transportation with 4 kids (ages 10, 7, 3, and 3). Not only did we not have to worry about the kids being noisy in the room since the cabins are freestanding, but we were so glad to be able to retreat to the peace and quiet of the campground after running through the parks all day. With 6 people, mornings and evenings were a breeze because we could stretch out in the kitchen and living room to have breakfast and bedtime snacks. Once the parks went to later closing times, we would come back for a nap and dinner then head back out. One of the nicest memories we have is the Christmas hay ride through the campground. After eating a wonderful dinner at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, we came out and caught the hayride. Being December, it was already dark, but that made the ride all the more fun under the starlit sky. My husband and I were amazed at the extent to which some campers and cabin dwellers decorated for the season. There were real Christmas trees, animated figures, 8-ft. tall lighted snowmen, etc. The only thing missing was the snow, but we didn't miss that a bit. I thought we'd be homesick for the Christmas season from the North, but the Northern Christmas spirit was alive and well at the campground. Another often overlooked benefit to staying at the campground is the lighted boat parade that goes by the campground nightly. We plan to stay there again at Christmas. The only thing I would recommend to people is to request a cabin near a bus stop. Some of the cabins can be a good 10-min walk from the busstop, then you wait another 10 min. for the bus. I understand the issue with the internal bus system has improved, esp. in regard to the routing of the TTC bus at the end of the night. We waited with two sleeping children in our arms for almost 45 min. as at least 4 full busses stopped and wouldn't let us on. There was also much confusion about which bus drivers were covering which routes. Catching the boat from Ft. Wilderness to MK is a breeze in the morning. In the evening, unless the routing has drastically changed, I'd recommend taking the monorail or ferry to the TTC and catching the Ft. Wilderness bus from there. (Michelle Kocar, 10/02)
I wanted to pass along my comments on our recent stay at Fort Wilderness from September 25, 2001 - October 2, 2001. There were six of us staying in one of the cabins on the 2800 loop, my wife and I, our three sons (7, 3 & 6 months) and my mother in law.

We loved the cabin. There was plenty of room for all of us. The only thing we would like to see more of is closet space. The only closet is the area in the bedroom that is very limited. We were also a little disappointed to discover they have removed the 2nd TV from the bedrooom in the cabins. According to the staff, they removed the 2nd TV in April 2001. But it was nice to have a VCR.

Having a kitchen makes a huge difference, specifically when traveling with a baby. Most mornings we had breakfast in the cabin prior to heading to the parks. We used the tips from this web site and WDWIG.com and brought most of the items we needed. We used the grill a couple of nights and found bringing our own bbq set a great help (we found a set at our local Dollar Store, yes a three piece set for $1.) We left it for the next guest. We also emjoyed getting the local Orlando paper delivered to our door every day.

The only real drawback to staying at Ft. Winderness is the internal bus system. We had rented a van and would have found it much easier to use it to move around the resort in our van then the internal bus. While we never waited more than 10 minutes for one of the buses, we did wait almost 10 minutes every time. We saw lots of guests using the golf carts to get around, we didn't want to pay the $40+ per day to use one, particularly after renting a van for our stay.

We found driving to the parks every day was much easier than using the bus and or boats to move around. One afternoon, my wife and I returned to the cabin from Magic Kindom via the boat then bus. It took exactly 55 minutes from when we left the gates at magic kindom, using the boat to Ft. Wilderness, then the internal bus to our loop, to return to our cabin. From that point on, we were using our van as much as possible.

We were also pleasantly supprised that the Meadow Trading post was not too over priced for food. We found out that Goodings (just off Disney Property) was MORE expensive for items like milk and bread than at Ft. Wilderness. We did find a Super Wal-Mart about 20 minutes from the resort which is where we purchased most of our food for the week, the castmembers at the front desk were happy to draw us a map of how to get to the Super Wal-Mart.

The pool areas, while simple with respect to themes when comparing to other Disney Resorts, were clean, nice and had life jackets for the kids to use. There were numerous play areas and basketball courts around. There was enough to do at Ft. Wilderness, we could have stayed a week there and never gone to the parks.

We used the marina to rent both the "water mouse" and a pontoon boat. This was a great way to spend a day without the wearing ourselves out in the parks. It also was a great way to see some of the resorts and the Magic Kingdom from the water.

I can't say enough about the quality of the food at the Trails End Buffet. The food was great and very reasonably priced for a buffet.

My suggestion is to use the list of items provided by wdig.com and bring as much as you can. We filled one suitcase with "stuff" for the cabin and when we used it up, that suitcase was full of disney stuff to take back home. Don't forget matches if you plan on using the grill. We had guests from two different cabins come over and borrow our matches.

Ft. Wilderness was a great resort to stay for our family and we look forward to returning. (Robert Hopson, 1/2002)


My wife and I and 2-yr old stayed at the Wilderness Cabins (#2507) 6/16-24/01, and we would definitely echo the positive comments on this site about the cabins. Our site was near the one pool and laundry, and the buses were very convenient. The pace at Fort Wilderness is much more relaxed than at the other resorts.

The deck was a great place to read the newspaper and drink coffee, or, later, have a drink. Insects were completely a non-issue. Disney's pest control people came around to spray several times while we were there.

I would also put in a plug for Sue Pisaturo, the travel agent who booked our trip. I found her on mousesavers.com, and she was very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Her email address is WDWTravelAgent@aol.com. She recommended the 2500 loop, which turned out to be very quiet, yet convenient to pool, laundry and bus stop.

We also got a kick out of our housekeepers. Each day, we would find one or more "towel animals" (turtle, swan, crab, bear, elephant) after the housekeeper had finished.

Our 2-year old loved meeting and hugging the characters and riding the rides, and she was not really frightened by anything. Her favorite rides were the Pooh ride at MK (we had to go on this 5 times), the Imagination ride at Epcot (3 times), and the WDW Railroad at Magic Kingdom.

All in all, it was a great trip. The cabins will probably be our first choice for lodging for our next trip. (Mark Hepfinger, 6/2001)


I stayed at the cabins in September 14-18, 2000. These cabins are excellent for a family. Its not a busy resort. The pools were not packed, and the entire resort was quiet - I never saw any of my neighbors. Having a full size fridge and the option for a quick and easy breakfast, Microwave and stove was nice. I had two full beds and the bunk beds - that was great. And we even had a newspaper every morning. I can highly recommend the resort. (Bill & Jamie Wadsworth, 10/2000)
We stayed in four Wilderness Cabins in the 2100 Loop (Bobcat Bend) of the campground. Although I've read descriptions and even seen pictures of the cabins, none of us were prepared for how really nice the cabins are. Pine and country colors greeted us at the door. The living room was quite roomy with the murphy bed folded away. My son slept on the murphy bed and found it to be entirely comfortable. Four windows brightened up the living area, right to the vaulted ceiling. The bedroom was quite a bit roomier than we had expected it to be. Our only complaint would be the amount of drawers available in the bedroom. More would certainly be better. The bathroom was large, clean, bright, and nicely stocked with towels. We had a couple of cookouts using the charcoal grills and the picnic tables on the large attached decks and found the setting to be entirely convenient and bug-free.

We had asked for four adjacent cabins in the 2500 or 2700 loops. The 2700 loop has not yet been renovated. It appears to be the only loop still housing Wilderness Homes. We did end up with four adjacent cabins on Bobcat Bend (3 on the outside of the loop, one on the inside). There were 19 of us in all. Five in my family; Mom, Dad (me), son, two daughters; my Mom and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa); my sister and her two boys; a brother, his wife and their four girls; a brother and his daughter; and another brother. We fit wonderfully well in the four cabins. The kids eventually grouped together for sleepovers. Because of the amount of activity that we packed into each day, they actually went to sleep at a reasonable hour!

The bus system within the campground is very dependable. The bus drivers were all very friendly and full of useful information. We traveled back and forth to the Magic Kingdom on the bus and the ferry. The ferry ride is a wonderful experience offering great views of the Magic Kingdom resorts, River Country, and Discovery Island. Ride up front, out from under cover if you can. We rented cars and drove to the other parks and were glad that we did. All except Animal Kingdom are a quick drive away (10 to 15 minutes). Animal Kingdom is a fair drive away (30 minutes). On those occasions when a few of us did use the Disney buses to travel to and from the campground, it was really a long and tiring experience. There is never a direct trip. You'll always need to transfer at the TTC. For example, we drove to Pleasure Island in 15-20 minutes and were bused back in over an hour. I recommend getting a rental car if you can afford it. If you are using the buses, they do run early and late so that you can make surprise mornings and stay for the fireworks shows without a worry.

Coming back to the cabins for our afternoon nap was a real delight. Being able to spread out in the cabin and not be crowded into a single room was wonderful. Using the kitchen to fix meals was a real time- and money-saver. The cabin loops are very quiet and wildlife abounds! We saw an armadillo, rabbits, a large variety of birds, including cardinals and families of peacocks, lizards, snakes, and squirrels.

My sister took the bigger kids on a horseback ride and, while they loved the going through the campground's woods on horseback, the ride goes no faster then a walk. We also rented water mice (twice) and had a great time on those. You can scoot around Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake and hop over the wake of the big boats. The channel connecting the two lakes is a no wake zone so be prepared to spend some time there if you are traveling back and forth. There are 'sheriffs' patrolling the lake so play fair!

On our last night we went to the Hoop-De-Doo Review and had a wonderful time. I have read some very mixed reviews but we found it to be a great deal of fun. The food was good and plentiful and our waitress was a peach! We certainly enjoyed watching her high-step our dessert out to us! Audience participation is asked for throughout the evening so be prepared to sing a tune or too, and to clap your hands and stomp your feet and to laugh throughout the dinner. Each and every member of our party, from 4 to 72 enjoyed this show.

I'd recommend staying at the Wilderness Cabins to anyone. It's a particularly good value to those whose group size warrants more than one room at the hotels. The campground is beautiful and clean and the cabins are well appointed. We all felt right at home in the cabins and felt that staying there added a touch of serenity to our stay at Disney World. (Bernie Quinn, July, 2000)


Our family of 5 has stayed in a Wilderness Cabin twice in the last 2 years. We are also planning to stay there a few nights when we return this August. Once my parents also stayed with us, and at that time our 3 children were ages 8, 2 and 6 mos.--for a grand total of 7 in a cabin. We carried a portable crib for the baby and put beside the murphy bed in the LR. At night this was a little cramped, but if you enjoy WDW as you should, you should only need a good mattress for a good nights sleep. During the day with the murphy bed up there was PLENTY of room. The BR has a full bed w/bunk beds. It is also nice to have a full kitchen so you can try to save a little money instead of having to eat out each meal.

Our family enjoys the outdoors and the laid back atmosphere at Ft. Wilderness. The children love the pools, the parks, the wildlife visible there, the petting zoo and riding on the electric carts. There are several parks, not only where the cabins and homes are, but also in the campground area. The entire place is just so relaxing. The restaurant there also has great buffets at each meal with a wide variety of food even for the pickiest of eaters. A must while there is the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue. Our children found this to be a entertaining show in which they could participate, clap and even get a little loud and no one would give you ugly looks. Our family highly recommends staying in a FW home or cabin. Another must is renting an electric cart while there. You can cruise around at your on leisure, day or night. At night you can ride down to the beach to see the electrical water pageant. This is a beautiful sight to see from the beach. (Jane Garris, 5/2000)


My wife had the idea of stying in FW as part of a family reunion. We had some problems making sure that the rest of the family were in adjacent cabins, but after several phone calls, we were all together.

Gooding's is *not* a good place to shop. Getting overcharged by Disney is bad enough...thank goodness we went and found an Albertson's with normal prices. (417 East to Orange Blossom Trail; it's at the exit.) Buying some 409 was a good idea on my mother-in-law's part. Don't forget coffee filters when buying coffee...;-) And of course the salt and pepper...

We were lucky enough to get assigned a cabin on a "Boone" route stop...something I would definitely ask for next time. Anytime not spent on a Disney bus is a plus, and that helped.

*RENT A GOLF CART*...call ahead and reserve one, and go get it! We didn't go get ours and mentally kicked ourselves every time we got on a "Chip" bus.

I think having the kitchen paid for itself by not eating meals in the parks. (Dennis)


We spent 6 nights at FWC 12/99, 2 adults, son (12) and daughter (9). It was so nice to have a kitchen. I wouldn't call it deluxe accomodations, but very comfortable. We forgot the dish soap and Jeff was right, we needed it. DW detergent was provided but sometimes you just want to wash out a quick cup. Everything was brand new in our cabin, a sort of prefab building. Greg's hopper pass slid down between a crack in the counter and was lost forever ( unless they tear up the place), so the CM issued him complimentary hopper passes for the rest of the week. I did have my receipt. The loop we were in 2100 was very quiet, but not really walking distance to the pools. You can't be in a big hurry in FW. The buses are reliable but you can't just run up to the store for some milk and bread, you have to take a bus, or rent a golf cart. Lots of people did that, but we figured for the extra $ 40 a day we could have stayed in a deluxe resort and not taken the bus. We enjoyed FWC and would definitely go back for the extra room and outdoor activities, but if waiting makes you crazy, this isn't the place. By the way my son caught a huge fish in the canal by the Meadows pool. (G. Harrer)
We stayed at the Fort Wilderness Cabins for a week November 1999. The cabin was wonderful. Plenty of room for the 5 of us (mother-in-law on Murphy bed, and myself, my husband, and our two kids in the bedroom). The campground itself is beautifully landscaped, peaceful and quiet, which was so welcome after a crowded, noisy day in the parks. (We visited other resorts, all of which were so noisy and crowded!) We usually had breakfast and dinner at the cabin, and thus saved big $ on restaurants. (and housekeeping does the dishes!) We had a rental car, which came in handy for the long trips to Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach, but took the buses and boat everywhere else. We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus. (Note: When we were there, in addition to the regular buses, they had a special bus just for the Homes and Cabins, which took us directly to the TTC without stopping at every single bus stop . . . )

There are plenty of activities at Fort Wilderness. . . more than any other resort. Swimming (pools and beach), boating, canoeing, fishing trips, bicycling, trail rides, petting zoo, sing-a-long, hayrides.

If I had to change anything, I would: 1. add another closet (we had to keep many things in the suitcases, which fit nicely under the bed, but nowhere else!) 2. Would ask that potholders and roasting pans be provided 3. have a firmer mattress!

If we go to DisneyWorld again, we will definitely stay at the cabins! Worth every penny! (Susan Gross)


My husband and I took our four children ages 3 to 9 to WDW and Florida for the first time in August. We drove from Massachusetts all the way and believe it or not we enjoyed it so much we would drive again despite the crankiness that goes with long drives. (We stopped in Washington DC area to stay with relatives, too) . We had so many wonderful experiences during our 15 day trip but since we have returned both of us continue to rave the most about the accomodations at our Wilderness Cabin when friends ask about our trip. The cabin was the perfect place for us to stay. This website helped us to make our plans (thank you!) and we were pleasantly surprised when the cabin exceded our expectations.

We reserved a space in April and at the time requested to be near the pool and/or bus stop. WDW will not make any promises, but we called a couple of times to check on our reservation and always made the same request. It may have worked or it may be just a fluke, but we were right next to the pool and laundry and a very short walk to the bus in a private spot off Peacock Pass. The bus system was easy to figure out and the bus drivers never seem to tire of having a hundred people aday ask where the bus goes. The only place we wished we had driven to is Downtown Disney area which is very close and provides free valet parking for WDW resort guests; the bus ride is long and backtracks and you need two buses (if I remember correctly) to get there.

Within Ft. Wilderness we enjoyed the farm animals, the campfire program at night (marshmallows and s'more kits are reasonably priced compared to most WDW food items), the nightly light parade show on the water which you can see from the marina, the ferry ride to Magic Kingdom, and the pool. We also had a Resort Magic pass as part of our package which gave us open admission to all the theme parks and water parks on any day. This pass was very convenient for River Country, just a short bus ride away within the Ft. Wilderness area, because we could walk in just for an ice cream or to swim for just an hour without paying the all day rate .

In choosing accomodations, one reason we decided on the cabins was we needed either two hotel/motel rooms or a suite because Florida has a clever law restricting the number of people per room to five. The cost of the Cabin was roughly the same as two rooms at one of the three cheapest WDW hotels the All Star, the Sports and Music hotels. Staying in the Cabin was to us better than staying even in the gorgeous, expensive Ft. Wilderness Lodge because we had privacy, a full kitchen, an outside deck to watch for lizards, and shorter walks to everything fun. Although we like to camp, too, we really enjoyed having things like the telephone to call the front desk, an icemaker in the large refrigerator, a dishwasher, a really nice bathroom, two televisions and a VCR, and my favorite - room service! Every day our dirty dishes were in the dishwasher, we had tons of clean towels and the beds were all made with the Murphy bed put away. Our boys aged 6 and 9 loved sharing the Murphy bed and each had a cabinet for their own things. I ended up spending one very pleasant day "home" with my sick 6 year old daughter and my 3 year old son while my husband took the older boys to a theme park; I was very glad to be staying in the cabins that day because as the children slept in the bedroom I relaxed and read in the main room and we took a little walk later through the lush peaceful campground.

We saved a lot of money on food. Because we drove we were able to bring pasta, crackers, coffee, drinks, etc. Before we left I planned out some menues and made a list of perishable items to buy once we arrived AND I put the list right in my wallet! After checking out the high prices and limited selection at the Meadows and Settler's shops within Ft. Wilderness, we had the front desk give us directions to the nearest grocery story, Goodings. I was able to whip through the store with my list, spent $100 and got everything we needed for the seven days. We only ate one meal out at Magic Kingdom, attended two character breakfasts and ate all the rest of our meals in the cabin or snacked on what we carried in to the parks. For families like ours with small children, eating at the cabin was relaxing and convenient compared to waiting in lines or eating in restaurants. It was fun for the children to watch cartoons while they ate or to eat on the deck.

The list of items supplied in the kitchen (within this website) was very helpful and accurate. I wished I had potholders, and we brought coffee filters and liquid dish soap.

We just loved the whole Ft. Wilderness experience and will stay there again for sure. We loved being near the (to us) interesting Florida vegetation, the rabbits and peacocks, and the country feel to the place. Ft. Wilderness has the rustic outdoorsy feel of being at a National Park. It was all peaceful and relaxing. I hope these comments help someone else plan their trip. (Joanne Wiggins)


We just returned from WDW and we stayed at Fort Wilderness Cabins. First I have to say this was the most wonderful place to stay. The cabins were large enough to accomdate myself, my husband and son. Since we are from east Texas, it felt like we were right back home. After a day at the parks, standing in line, and being overly heated, it was nice to come "home". It was more than just a hotel room. It has a living room, kitchen, great bathroom and bedroom. Although the bedrooms were smaller than we expected, we adjusted because the only times we were in there was to sleep. I cooked breakfast every morning and usually an evening meal. This not only saved on money, but gave us a chance to re-group and go back again at night.

The transportation system was excellent. All the bus drivers were nice and helpful. When we checked in we were given transportation information. Once we learned the system, it was easy to follow. The longest we had to wait for a bus was about 20 minutes.

When we go back, we will definitely stay at Fort Wilderness. It is a perfect get-a-way, without all the noise of hotels. It is very quiet at night and peaceful. We even had a few rabbits and squirrels come onto our porch. I can't say enough about Fort Wilderness Resort. (R. Allen)


We stayed at the Ft. Wilderness cabins for a week. It was the perfect choice for our busy family of five. Mother-in-law dropped in for a few days and was quite happy with the Murphy Bed in the living room. It was a quiet and relaxing (almost too secluded) stay. We were fortunate to be near the pool/laundry facility which made our mid-day breaks useful (washing clothes) and fun (swimming). We used the bus system to get the dock (to go to MK) and to go eat at the buffeteria. Otherwise, we took the quicker means to get to the other WDW attractions - our rental car.

A few notes about the FW cabins: 1. Take a day to do just FW stuff - Petting Zoo, Hay ride, buffet, water stuff. Rent a cart if you can afford it. 2. Bring your own BBQ tools. I learned how to flip a burger with a fork and knife 3. Ask for a good map to drive around the WDW complex. I figured it out by the END of our stay. 3. Be ready for photos of peacocks, armadillos, rabbits and the beautiful horses that pull the wagons. 4. River Country is CLOSED from Tuesday through Thursday. Found out the hard way by walking up to the closed gate. 5. Pools are crowded. 6. Cabins could use a little more storage space.7. Bring salt and pepper.

All in all, the FW cabins are great choice for family with active kids. The kitchen saves you money and lets you keep cold stuff cold. Our reuseable blue ice was ready for action each morning. And we can never under estimate the value of fresh coffee on early entree days. You can probably get a big condo outside of WDW for less, but you wouldn’t be in the realm of WDW magic and hospitality. (G. Cagasan)


Thought I would share more specific thoughts about our accomodations at Fort Wilderness. We stayed in a cabin for 8 nights. The cabin was very quaint and we all enjoyed staying there. We had three adults and one child in the cabin. Sometimes it felt a little tight, especially when the murphy bed in the living room was out. The cabins could really benefit from a little more storage space. Even just a spring-loaded curtain rod that could be put in a window frame to hang extra clothes. It was nice to have a separate mirror and dressing counter in the bedroom -- alleviated some of the bathroom traffic.

The kitchen was well-stocked: sauce pan, frying pan, bowls, plates, flatware, glasses coffee mugs, pasta strainer, casserole dish, spatula, etc. Also stocked with paper towels, dishwasher soap and linen dish towels. No muffin tin. There is also no salt and pepper (something we forgot to bring.)

The resort area itself is really nice. It's quiet. They discourage people from driving their cars inside the resort area; just electric golf carts which are very quiet. The bus service was quite good. Two buses (the Chip and Dale) run internally throughout the resort area taking you to the two trading post areas, marina, petting farm, pools, and River Country. Two other buses (the Boone and the Crockett) take guests to the TTC -- the resort is split in half with the Boone servicing one section and the Crockett servicing the other.

A nice place to stay especially if you like some quiet time. We never heard any of our neighbors. (Leah Martin)


The cabins are really very cute. They have faux wood siding that looks pretty authentic. They have a little grill out by the driveway. The deck is quite spacious with a nice picnic table on it. Upon entering the cabin you see the kitchen directly in front of you. A nice, clean, full kitchen! We have dish washing supplies and everything! There are glass mugs/Mason jars to drink out of as well as coffee mugs. Everything is a serving for six. BIG refrigerator, microwave, stove, lots of cabinet space. We rearranged a little so that we could put groceries up. On your right as you enter there is a wooden bench with cushions and a table with woodsy chairs. The couch is next to that on the wall. Nice little rug on the floor. The TV set is across from the table facing catty-cornered toward the couch. Also a VCR! This was next to the Food Pantry that we used as extra space for clothes. Next to the TV is the cutest little table and chairs for wee ones. On the far right end of the cabin is the Murphy Bed. On the two sides of the Murphy Bed in the corners are more storage spaces with counter tops. The right side had the cabin phone and all phone necessities.

If you turn to the left as you enter the cabin you see a hallway toward the bedroom. A storage closet is on your right as you enter the hall. The port-a-crib is in here. The next door on your right is the bathroom. Awesome bathroom. More Mickey soaps, etc. The bathtub you step up and over and it is very roomy. The shower head is high enough up for tall people and the water pressure is nice and heavy! There is one sink but very roomy counter space. There is a little shelf on the wall to put toiletries, etc. The only problem we had with the bathroom is that it got stopped up a couple of times. But that was not Disney’s fault.

Moving on down the cabin, the door directly in front of you leads to the bedroom. In here an incredibly comfortable double-bed is the first thing you see as you open the door. Cute lamps above the bed of bears. Little nightstand with alarm clock. Bunk Beds! Jake was thrilled with these. The comforters were made to look like quilts. Once in the room and you turn around you see a TV on top of a dresser. Next to that on the left is a closet. In the corner of the room in front of the bunk beds is a vanity with a hairdryer.

The cabin’s ceilings are vaulted so it gives a very airy and open feel to the place. It’s just so charming. We could have stayed the summer and been very comfortable. (Wendy Dawson)


The next day, Fort Wilderness to a cabin; had a GREAT time here! This was the most quiet, serene place ever. The pool was really nice, the Trails End restaurant was really good. My kids loved toting around in a golf cart. The only drawback here was the buses. They were a little slow at first but then once you got the hang of the system, it was fine. I would suggest a car just as Jeff Spencer does from here. We would definitely stay here again!! (mrsdis)
My wife dragged me to the cabins against my will a few months ago. I'm more the valet, concierge and room service type, she's more the I'll-walk-to-the-park, I'll-go-shopping-at-the-store, I'll-cook-all-my-own-food type. Anyway, even though I thought I was going to hate it, I actually loved it. It's a really nice change of pace from most other WDW resorts. It's cool to be out in the middle of the forest in your own cabin. It's cool to have your own 'fridge. Plus, having a door which separates the cabin into two separate sleeping areas insured that our "marital activities" remain totally removed from the three sleeping kids.

Next year it's my turn to pick the resort, so we're going to the GF. But if you can live without valet, concierge and room service, the cabins rock. (George Lawrence)

Visit George's Disneyland website at www.DLKids.com


First subject: F.W. resort and cabins. I can't say enough positive things about this resort. It was wonderful, especially with the two boys. I was able to get an AP discount (thanks RADP) so we only paid $119.00 per night plus tax. I don't like to camp but the cabin was definately not camping. It was extremely well designed and although it is small we didn't feel cramped. The decor is really nice and it was very clean and definately still had that "new" smell. Melanie did not join us until later so it was just the two boys and us sharing the cabin. The kitchen had all the ammenities just like home and the maid even did the dishes! We had the local newspaper on our porch each morning and were able to park our rental car at our doorstep which is a big plus.

We also rented a golf cart which I would highly reccomend to anyone staying in this resort. You need to reserve in advance and they cost $35.00 a day but they are a blast. We loved zipping around in it and you can''t use a regular car to get around the resort itself. We never used a FW bus but they seemed to be everywhere and I didn't hear anyone complaining. I don't think I would stay in the homes without a car as they are quite isolated from the main part of the resort.

The cabin felt very private, peaceful and quiet. They are close together but it is not a problem at all. There were lots of ducks, squirrels and even deer wandering around. It seemed to be a safe enviroment and I felt very secure letting the boys roam freely. It was a great break from the crowds and intensity of the parks.

The resort has many things to offer and we could have had a great time there even if we didn't go to a theme park. The boys really enjoyed renting fishing poles, river country and the video arcades. Their favorite thing was renting water sprites ($18.00 per 1/2 hour). I find it pretty amazing that they rent those things to kids as young as twelve but they loved it and they didn't do any damage. We also rented a pontoon boat ($22.00 per 1/2 hour) and cruised Bay Lake. We rented it for 1 1/2 hours and were able to take a leisurely cruise and checked out all the MK resorts from the water. You can't reserve them and we waited about 30 minutes for a boat to become available. This was the highlight of the trip for my husband and the rest of the family really enjoyed it.

We used the boats from the marina to get to the MK, Wilderness Lodge and Contempory (the arcade here was one of the boys favorite attractions). They were fun and we never waited more than 10 minutes. We were never asked for our resort IDs. We saved lots of money on food using the kitchen in the cabin. We fixed all breakfasts, most lunches and some dinners there and it was better tasting food than what they had in the parks. Overall we found the food in WDW to be poor and very overpriced. The food in the parks was especially bad and if we go again I plan on fixing even more meals myself. We bought our groceries at Goodings and I think you can do much better price-wise if you take the time to find a Publix or other big supermaket.

The only drawback I can think of is that the double beds in the cabins are quite small. My husband and I are not large people but the bed was really too small for us. I wish they would take the bunkbeds out of a few of the cabins and put in queen-size beds for smaller families like ours. Other than that the Fort Wilderness Resort and our cabin exceded our expectations. (Janet S.)


We spent a few days there in June and it was great. It's quiet, rustic and although our cabin was toward the back of a loop, we weren't far from a bus stop. The cabins may look small from the outside, but are quite roomy. A big plus for us was the suite-type set up. The boys (5 1/2 and 3) could nap in the bedroom while my husband and I recouped either out on the porch or in the living room area. It was also convenient to have the fridge and stove. Gotta have that early morning coffee ;-). (Sue)
We just spent Thanksgiving week at WDW and stayed in a Fort Wilderness Cabin. We're a family of five (2 mothers, three children aged 10,6,and 3.5) and found the cabin very convenient. It has two rooms (bedroom and living room/dining room/kitchen combo) which was very helpful when some were sleeping and some were up.

The kitchen table in the cabin seats 6, and the kitchen is fully stocked with pots, pans and dishes. We had breakfast in our cabin each day, as well as lunch once and snacks several times. Also, there is a wooden deck with a picnic table. We found there was plenty of room for us to spread out, and the cabin was comfortable and nicely furnished.

Fort Wilderness was also a wonderful place to be with kids. My children loved the pools and playgrounds and petting farm. My younger two really enjoyed the pony rides and my eldest had fun on the trail ride. We all enjoyed the campfire program and outdoor movies. We never got around to going boating, but that looked like fun, too. If you do decide on Fort Wilderness, I would recommend allotting at least one day to spend in the campgrounds. (Dale Rosenberg)

Return to the Fort Wilderness FAQ