Fort Wilderness Cabins are truly a home away from home
Written: Aug 11 '00 (Updated Oct 26 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: lots to do, secluded, plenty of room
Cons: bus service, only 2 pools
The Bottom Line: Great place to stay with the family.
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| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: Fort Wilderness Campground |
Our most recent stay at Disney World included four nights in a Fort Wilderness Cabin and that is where we will be returning next. Located a short boat ride from the Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness is the perfect place to lose yourself and your family in the Disney "magic". We were greeted at our bus stop by a peacock every day. At night our kids enjoyed sitting around a roaring campfire toasting marshmallows and watching Disney movies.
The cabins themselves were comfortable with room for six and a fully-stocked kitchen. The bedroom contained a double bed and a bunk bed. In the living room was a Murphy bed. There was a TV in both the bedroom and the living room. The bathroom was huge, but only one person at a time could have privacy.
The cabins look like little log houses on the outside. There is a nice wooden porch and we used the railing for hanging out our towels to dry. A charcoal grill is at the bottom of the steps. Ours was located just across the road from the pool, but far enough away not to be disturbed by late-night swimmers.
Though somewhat more expensive than the moderate resorts, you can easily make up for it by cooking one or more of your meals here each day. There is a "Trading Post" at the Settlement and at the Meadows but both tend to run expensive for food items. It may be fine for the quart of milk you forgot, but for a full load of groceries, you're better off venturing off Disney property, or doing your shopping before you arrive.
The Settlement Trading Post also hosts Pioneer Hall where the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is performed three times nightly. There is a buffet-style restaurant here, Trail's End, which has terrific food and is one of the best values on property for breakfast, lunch, or dinner Right next to it is Crockett's Tavern, selling drinks and snacks. There are wooden rockers on the porch outside the tavern, and I spent many an evening sitting here relaxing just watching the people go by.
The pools are nothing special if you're used to the themed pools at other Disney Resorts. There are two of them and they tend to be typical motel pools, although much larger. The marina area down near the Settlement Trading Posts has boat & bike rentals. Plan to sit on the beach here at least one night to watch the Electrical Water Pageant float by!
At night there is also a campfire program in the Meadows Trading Post area with two huge campfires for roasting marshmallows and making s'mores (bring your own or you can buy them from the Chuck Wagon here). Stay afterwards and enjoy a double-feature of Disney movies, usually one cartoon and one live action. This was a great way for my kids to wind down from a day at the parks!
Some people have found bus service at Fort Wilderness to be lacking, but we did not. Just plan on taking 2 buses to get anywhere. The Magic Kingdom is actually very close - just a boat ride from the Settlement area. There are golf carts available for rental, but they become expensive. Our kids enjoyed using their bicycles and roller-blades on the paths within Ft. Wilderness itself, so be sure to bring those along!
We got a steep discount here when we used our Annual Passes. Depending on the season, the cabins usually go for over $200 a night.
Other Disney World reviews:
Disney's Port Orleans Resort
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort
Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Using an Annual Pass to Get a Great Rate at a Disney Resort
Boma - A Taste of Africa
50's Primetime Cafe
Trail's End Restaurant
Cinderella's Character Breakfast
Hoop-Dee Doo Revue at Disney World
Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
Downtown Disney
© 2000 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Reviews written: 2102
Trusted by: 690 members
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Now writing reviews to pay for the "out of network" costs of our health insurance...
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