Cabins at Fort Wilderness Review
Fort Wilderness Resort Campground & Resort offers fully-furnished cabins that sleep 6 adults and have been refurbished recently. This Walt Disney World “hotel” review will share photos of the new-look living room, bedroom, modern kitchen, and offer thoughts on our experience staying in the cabins–plus the latest construction news.
Next, let’s cover the construction, and some good news on that front. First, the significant work occurring around the Settlement Depot area of Fort Wilderness as ground was being cleared for a new Disney Vacation Club resort, Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge being built on the former site of the River Country water park has stopped. Construction crews removed concrete and rebar, mothballed the site, and haven’t been back since last summer.
Reflections Lakeside Lodge is cancelled. That is subject to change, but for now, Disney Vacation Club has mothballed the construction site and moved on to other projects at the Grand Floridian and Polynesian Village Resorts. The other good news is that the new Tri-Circle-D Ranch, its Draft Horse Barn and Pony Farm are now open and look great. Thanks to the lack of visible and audible construction and their isolated, spacious nature, we highly recommend the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.
The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are interesting from the perspective that they’re technically a Moderate Resort, but with pricing and amenities more akin to a Family Suite or Deluxe Villa. Like a growing number of Walt Disney World resort rooms, these really defy categorization within the current system, which is probably at least part of the reason the current tiers are likely to disappear entirely in the coming years.
I’d say the Fort Wilderness Cabins ultimately compare most closely to the Family Suites at Art of Animation, but for parties with very different vacationing perspectives. Notwithstanding the rooms, Art of Animation and Fort Wilderness are pretty much polar opposites of one another. One is a not-stop assault on the senses, the other is a place you’ll find serenity now.
The kitchen is another distinguishing factor, as it has a full-sized fridge, dishwasher, convection/microwave oven, and 2 countertop burners. The family suites at Art of Animation simply have a mini-fridge, sink, and microwave. You can’t cook a proper meal there, whereas you can in the Fort Wilderness Cabins.
This is despite the Fort Wilderness Cabins “only” measuring 504 square feet, as compared to the 565 square feet of the Art of Animation family suites. Most of the size differential between these and the comes down to the cabins only have one bathroom and a smaller living and dining room (albeit one that arguably uses its space better). However, the cabins are standalone units that also offer a private patio with picnic table and charcoal grill–the Value Resorts don’t even have balconies!
You can read more about our thoughts on the similarities and differences between the two resorts in our Fort Wilderness v. Art of Animation post. While we actually enjoy both resorts quite a bit, we think there’s a good chance most people reading this will be polarized into one “camp” or the other, with there being an obvious choice as to which resort is right for your family.
We’re also not going to fixate on all the amenities of Fort Wilderness (of which there are many). Simultaneous to this review of the refurbished Cabins at Fort Wilderness, we’re doing a ‘refurbishment’ of our own, updating our Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground Review. There’s a lot to know about Fort Wilderness, so you might check that out if its amenities, perks, buses, etc. matter to you.
In doing research before our stay here, I read a bit of the fan reaction to the new Cabins at Fort Wilderness. Responses seemed generally positive, with the biggest complaint being the mattress quality of the sofa couch as compared to the old Murphy bed. While I didn’t think the sofa couch was bad in my testing, I think the Murphy bed was more comfortable. To the sofa bed’s credit, the mattress in it was thick and was not “springy” (I couldn’t feel any noticeable areas of springs or metal supports below.
It’s worth noting that my testing consisted of pulling it out and lying on it for 90 seconds. I did not sleep in it overnight, and certainly not over the course of a week. My parents did (before you think I’m a terrible son: they were offered the bedroom but wanted the additional space of the main room) and thought the bed was fine but nothing special. It certainly was not as nice as the mattress in our bedroom, which was shockingly comfortable.
In terms of this main room as a whole, here’s a before and after…
Above is the before view. The far wall with the framed tapestry is where the pull-down Murphy bed was previously located. This bed had a “normal” mattress, but (if I recall correctly) was shorter than normal. Reminiscent of the Murphy beds you can now find at some Walt Disney World resorts, albeit not as narrow.
Below is the after view. The main living area offers dramatically more storage space, which was definitely lacking from the previous version of the cabins due to the limitations imposed by the pull-down Murphy bed. Above that storage space, you also get a large television. Like a chump, I neglected to pack my tape measure, but the internet tells me this television is 55″. I’m guessing the old TV was a little over half that.
These are the gains by making the trade-off from the Murphy bed to the sofa bed, and from my perspective, they’re entirely worth it. The larger television alone (which can actually be seen from the entire living area, including the kitchen) would’ve been worth it, so the storage is just icing on the cake.
Despite this blog often reading as if it were written by a 6-year old, I’ve come to believe that most readers of it are adults. Given that and also given that most people who will find the cabins appealing is families with numerous children, the obvious solution here is to make the kids sleep on that sofa bed. Just lie and tell them it’s where their favorite character likes to sleep. Or tell the truth and remind them that until they have jobs and start pulling their own weight, they best not complain about the free shelter you provide them. 😉
One more complaint about this sofa bed before we move on: the sofa’s light and airy colors look out of place with the rest of the cabin. Maybe there’s some convoluted backstory about how early settlers of Ft. Wilderness risked life and limb to import this gem by ox and wagon from the enchanted Victorian homesteads of the Grand Floridian. If that’s the case, then it makes total sense. Otherwise, it’s a bit at odds with the otherwise rustic style.
The good news is that aside from these complaints, the new Cabins at Fort Wilderness are a dramatic improvement over the old ones. As far as “rustic” goes, this is about as high-quality as you’re going to get anywhere.
I think the new rooms do an excellent job of staying true to theme (details like the Fort Wilderness Railroad print, light fixtures, and “carved” chairs are nice touches) while also offering functional and quality improvements to the cabins.
The new kitchen features upgraded appliances that look considerably better. New countertops and cabinets improve the look, with the sink and appliances having been shuffled around a bit. In the process, Disney removed the stove and oven, replacing both with a two burner cooktop and convection/microwave unit.
My general cooking philosophy is “if something cannot be microwaved, it is not worth consuming.” I’m partially kidding there, but the reality is that I have no idea what the difference (in terms of prepared food’s taste) is between a convection and normal oven. Maybe there’s some huge difference and this is a travesty, but I’m clueless on that front. Nonetheless, the kitchens look exceptional–almost too nice for a rustic cabin.
Another significant change is the addition of a queen bed in the bedroom in addition to the existing bunkbeds. This is a bit tighter than before, but it’s still sufficiently open.
Perhaps most importantly, this was the most comfortable bedding we’ve ever had at Walt Disney World.
I’m still not sure whether Disney has been quietly replacing their old mattresses with ones that are not made of plywood, but mattress quality at Walt Disney World has been on the upswing with every refurbishment. This continues–and improves upon–that trend.
There’s also room for luggage storage under the bed. Clearly, that lack of storage space was a common complaint about the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, and with the refurbishment, Walt Disney World has rectified that problem (and then some).
The bathrooms feature a new countertop and tile backsplash. To my knowledge, this is all cosmetic. The downside is there’s still only one bathroom in the cabins (I should’ve mentioned this earlier, but no structural changes were made to the units), but they were nice bathrooms before, so I guess don’t fix what isn’t broken.
Overall, we were incredibly satisfied with the Cabins at Fort Wilderness before the refurbishment and love them even more post-refurbishment. Reasonable minds could quibble over the gains and losses in swapping out the Murphy bed for a sofa bed plus 55″ television and storage, but that’s a trade I’ll happily make. For a party of 4 adults sharing a room, perhaps the equation differs. The improvements to the bedroom are unequivocal gains, as are the aesthetics (save for that couch) all around the cabin.
If you’re looking for a serene place to decompress after a chaotic day in the parks at Walt Disney World but still want modern amenities at one of Walt Disney World’s loveliest and most serene resorts, the Cabins at Fort Wilderness offer an option that’s tough to beat. Hands down, these are among our favorite accommodations at Walt Disney World. The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are like a “poor man’s Treehouse Villa.” That may sound like a dig, but given how much we love the Treehouses, it’s about the highest praise possible!
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Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our assessment of the redone Cabins at Fort Wilderness? What do you think the pros and cons are of the refurbishment? Did you sleep on the sofa bed? Do the Fort Wilderness Cabins look appealing to your party? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
What is the walking distance from the cabins to the bus stop, restaurant, pool, etc.? I stayed at many resorts over the past 25+ years and loved the closeness to the above. Renting a golf cart to get around was not expected. Are you able to use your car to get around, etc.?
No, you can’t use your car to get around because there is no parking except at the entrance to the resort and at each campsite or cabin site.
Walking distance to the INTERNAL bus system will be close by and not bad at all. Walking distance to the external bus system (buses to the parks) will be farther but doable. To get to the restaurants and ferry from the cabins, you’ll want to use the internal bus, ride a bike, or rent a golf cart (or do like a 1 mile walk each way!).
Hi. Planning a trip to WDW for my daughters sweet 16. We were thinking of the cabins as there are 5 of us (myself, wife, and 3 kids, 19, 16,12). Do you have to pay for parking at the Lodge proper or is there bus service from the cabins to the Lodge?
Thanks in advance
Fort Wilderness is the only resort where you don’t have to pay for parking.
Great review,
We will be having an infant and 3 other kids visiting Disney in a couple months. We are debating on staying her or offsite.
For sleeping arrangements we would like to have the baby and us in the bedroom. Is it possible to take one of the bunk bed mattresses off into the kitchen/living room and still use the sleeper couch? Also does daily maid service occur at the cabins?
Thanks!
I thought I’d write some thoughts because we decided to stay at the cabins largely due to this review.
To get anywhere, DH will tell you we had to take a train, a bus, a plane, a boat, and an automobile. This wasn’t terrible, we weren’t driving and the ferry captains let us roll the double stroller on the boat so the sleeping babies could stay asleep. A golf cart only would have helped avoiding the hikes from the bus stop to the cabin. You’re still looking at the time it takes to crisscross the campground.
THe above isn’t the reason we won’t be back. We won’t be be back because it was impossible to get breakfast before ropedropping the parks. The quick service next to trails end isn’t open before 7:30am. If you’re taking the bus to the parks, you can’t get it and be at the bus by 8am. If you’re taking the ferry to MK you can get breakfast, if you carrry it on and the park doesn’t open until 9am.
The breakfast sandwich was delicious. And we could have gotten groceries to eat in our cabin. We admit we’re a bit high maintenance. We like getting a suite when we travel so we don’t have to tiptoe around sleeping kids. Hope this helps!
We always stay at the Cabins. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to mention that since the cabins have its own driveway it is the only Disney resort that doesn’t charge for parking since Disney’s new parking fees started.
Not sure if you’ll get this, but have you stayed at the Cabins since the parking fees were added? If so, were you not charged? Because according to several people at Disney, people staying in the Cabins still have to pay $19/night to park in that attached parking spot.
It’s complete nonsense since it’s obviously connected to the cabin, but several people have confirmed that the Cabins (but not the campsites) will still cost $19/night for parking.
We just got back from staying in the cabins at Fort Wilderness. (3-4-18/3-9-18) I had to say I was a little skeptical as I had always stayed in a Disney “resort”. I was enchanted. We had a marvelous time in our home in the woods. We are a family of 4. We are 2 adults with one 14 year old and one 10 year old. My 14 year old enjoyed the space of the pull out sofa and having the whole living room to herself. My 10 year old enjoyed the bunk bed and my husband and I loved the mattress on our queen bed. One thing I really noticed is how quiet it was. There were no people running up and down a hallway or loud noises from laughing or talking late at night or early in the morning. Now, we did rent a golf cart. Was it a necessity? I thought it was going to be, but all it was for us was a nice convenience. I saw that the busses ran regularly and as our cabin was near a bus stop, the walk wouldn’t have been an issue. It WAS nice to disembark from the boat/bus from the park and jump right into our golf cart and head straight to our cabin, but for $60 a day it was an expensive luxury. All in all, having stayed at so many Disney resorts over the years, if we go again, we will be staying at Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. 🙂
Do you know if the bunk beds can be moved to the main room?
No, they can not be moved.
I think the refrigerator to stove size ratio is a little out of wack. That side by side would look great in our 3br Kidani Grand Villa this October!
If you’re concerned about getting to the marathon on time, or even a breakfast reservation, just ask at the front desk! We were there a couple of summers ago for our very first Disney trip. I had managed to snag an 8am breakfast reservation at Be Our Guest, but being a complete newbie had absolutely no idea how long it actually takes to get from the Cabins to Magic Kingdom. I went into the front desk, asked for suggestions, and they quickly arranged to have a private Disney van pick my family and I up at 7:15 am. We were whisked away to Magic Kingdom, ushered to the Breakfast Reservation line, and waiting with plenty of time to spare! No worries, no rushing – no problem! It was another fantastic example of the amazing customer service Disney offers.
This year will be our 4th time staying here at the cabins. We travel with our 2 children (one of whom has some sensory issues) and our niece and nephew. We get a golf cart each time. We absolutely LOVE staying here. For the amount of people in our party, it makes sense instead of having to get 2 rooms in just about every other resort. Having a living room where the kids can rest/relax/play on the floor is great! Having the driveway is a Homerun also! (and yes, you can fit your vehicle and golf cart on it.) We love going to the Meadows Pool, it’s very large and that slide is awesome (yes, even for an adult)! In the evening during the Halloween and Christmas times, it’s a blast to get some hot chocolates, put some blankets on and drive around the campsites to see all the decorations. The staff here is always friendly and courteous. The food choices, though not gourmet, are quite yummy and fill your belly. While it is a bit on the upper end of the price spectrum, we save a ton of money by going during the times when they give you the free dining plan. Which for our party of 6 saves us a TON of $$$ as each person gets:
1 – Counter Service meal per day (entree, drink, dessert)
1 – Table Service meal per day (entree, drink, dessert)
1 – Snack per day
Sorry to ramble. We just love staying here.
How do you know when the free dining will be offered?
I’d like to know this too!
Disney usually announces dates for the free dining offer near the end of April/early May, and they do differ from year to year (but the dates are usually during October-December). You can go to Disney’s website or check out Disney Food Blog for this year’s dates as well as previous years!
We stayed here in October and loved it! With 5 kids it was plenty of room for us and cost effective as well considering we would need two rooms at a different resort. The biggest selling point for us though was being able to pull right up to the cabin after a long day in the park with multiple sleeping children. It was so convenient! We booked two rooms at CBR this December and I’m kind of sad we didn’t go with the cabins again but it will be fun to try something new.
Oh my word, that bed. It was seriously the most comfortable mattress I’ve slept on at a Disney hotel (and I’ve stayed at lots). I think the cabins were/are great, and that the refurb was warranted. To me, the best part of the cabins are the decks. It’s a nice place to enjoy morning coffee or an evening meal provided it’s not a million degrees out.
Just a general FW tip, I do think if you’re staying more than two nights it’s worth it to rent a golf cart. It makes getting around so much easier, and allows you to explore more thoroughly since the resort is so large. Great review!
I would love to say in one of the cabins sometime, but since there are only two of us, we have a hard time justifying the price. We really don’t need the kitchen or extra space, since we basically use our hotel room as a spot to sleep and shower. We thought about trying them out on a trip with my parents, but we didn’t love the fact that there was only one shower and someone would have to sleep on the sofa! I’ve also always thought it was weird that the bunk beds are in the same room as the queen bed. So, while they look nice, I don’t think that they will be a realistic option for our family anytime soon.
We stayed in a cabin for our disney vacation. Was our second time staying in a cabin. Was just right for my grandchildren to have a space to watch tv and then a room to relax and sleep. Planning our trip for next year.
Does the kitchen in the cabins have basic utensils, cookware and the like?
Yes, the kitchen has very basic utensils including barbecue tools. The only knives were smaller steak knives, so if you plan on doing a lot of chopping it could be challenging.
I usually like your taste in aesthetics but strongly disagree on these refurbs- from the pics, the look they now have is very ubiquitous. Many homes, condos and better hotels look like this. The before was MUCH more charming and fool of personality. They were retro, now they are current. I guess most people want new and choose what everyone else likes in decor but to me that is very boring, especially for a Disney property. I am sad about this because the cabins were one of the more economical options I would have liked to stay at. Not any more.
meant full not fool
Ahhh thank you! I was so excited to see the review of the updated cabins! My husband and I were wanting to stay there on our next trip with the family. Now I’m convinced to stay in the cabin
We stayed in the cabins during Spring Break in March, for 8 days. We very very satisfied with everything. It was just my wife and I. Everything is just as described here, except we had a Handicap Accessible cabin.
Our cabin was right next to the bus stop and the in campground busses ran very regularly, our longest wait was about 8 minutes. We did manage to get a golf cart for 3 days (reserve one well in advance). This was fun and made getting to our daughter’s camp spot easier, but not a major showstopper.
The access to the Magic Kingdom was by boat, but all others were by bus from the campground entrance. Getting a bus did not seem any different than from other resorts we have stayed in. During our stay they installed a tv screen which showed bus arrival times. A big improvement.
I love Ft. Wilderness, but I loathe the transportation within the resort. I wish they would raise the price by $50 per night and include a golf cart with the cabin. I really want to stay here at Christmas time to experience the campsites’ “over the top” decorations.
I have to agree – I would pay more per night if they included the golf cart. Since almost everyone on here is renting them, it obviously is a plus to have!
except for people who bring there own cart
My husband and I are staying in at cabin in November. It will be the first time we’re staying at Fort Wilderness. My only concern is the bus situation. He’s running the Wine and Dine 10k and 1/2 Marathon and I hope it won’t be hard for him to get there on time. Then there’s getting to the parks. I’m just going to plan some extra time and hope for the best!
We rented a couple cabins during the Princess Half Marathon in February that my daughter was in. The buses started rolling around 3am for the event … so there should be no worry about buses.
Love the beds made of plywood statement. I’m guessing Disney is starting to realize people want to relax in their rooms and it makes happier customers.