Pricing & Perks for New Fort Wilderness Cabins

Bookings are now open for the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, with all cash-paying guests and select Disney Vacation Club members staying on points now able to reserve the rooms at the reimagined resort for stays starting in Summer 2024. This post covers prices, perks, and other updates on the new-look accommodations.

As quick background, Fort Wilderness Campground offers approximately 800 campsites and over 400 cabins. The woodsy retreat is a short boat ride from Magic Kingdom, but it feels worlds away thanks to being on 750 acres of pine and cypress forest. The campground effectively has a ‘buffer’ between it and the rest of Walt Disney World.

Currently, the Fort Wilderness Cabins are classified as a Moderate Resort by Walt Disney World. This is largely for lack of a better option. It’s a similar scenario with the Family Suites at All Star Music or Art of Animation. Both of those are Value Resorts, technically, but are more expensive than the base rates at Moderate Resorts and sometimes are Deluxe-priced depending upon the season and discounts (or lack thereof).

In the past, none of this really mattered. The Value, Moderate, and Deluxe categorizations mattered more to the slate of amenities at the resorts, and those are what they are. Likewise, the prices are what they are, and not dictated by the tier (as should be obvious given the above).

These tiers only really mattered when it came to discounts. Even then, room-only savings are dictated more by demand (or lack thereof), meaning that the Family Suites at Art of Animation and Fort Wilderness Cabins were often separated from the Little Mermaid rooms and campsites. It was a bigger deal for Free Dining, as rooms approaching Deluxe Resort prices still only received the Quick Service Disney Dining Plan for “free.”

Now, it also matters for Extended Evening Hours, is a benefit exclusively for guests staying at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villas, or other select hotels. This perk is incredibly advantageous, as crowds are usually low during these nighttime hours because the guest pool is so limited. See our Guide to Extended Evening Hours at Walt Disney World for taking advantage of this perk, eligibility, and more.

With the conversion of the cabins to Disney Vacation Club, that also means that they’re now a Deluxe Villa instead of a Moderate Resort. With that change, Walt Disney World has officially confirmed that the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort will be eligible for Extended Evening Hours. As expected.

Guests staying at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness are also eligible for Early Theme Park Entry. No surprise there whatsoever, as this gives ALL on-site resort guests a head start of (at least) 30 minutes at any Walt Disney World theme park, every day before normal operating hours begin. Learn more strategy in our Guide to Early Entry at Walt Disney World.

There’s another wrinkle to the extended hours, at least for the remainder of 2024. In searching for room availability, we noticed the following:

For starters, the Disney Vacation Club Cabins are available for cash stays beginning September 27, 2024 (versus the July 1, 2024 opening date for stays with points).

Not only that, but they are a distinct booking category. This is actually a good thing in our view, as it means you can choose which to reserve–old cabin or new cabin. You don’t just book, make a room request, roll the dice, and hope for the best. (Looking at you, Little Mermaid Rooms at Caribbean Beach!)

However, this also means that there’s going to be a bit of confusion for a few months. Only the “Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort” are eligible for Extended Evening Hours, since they’re a Deluxe Villa. “The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort” are not eligible, since they’re a Moderate Resort.

This means if you use your Disney Vacation Club points or rent DVC points or pay cash rates (the $513 price above) to stay at the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort, you’re eligible for Extended Evening Hours. Regardless of how you book the regular old Cabins, you are not eligible for Extended Evening Hours.

This is consistent with past precedent, and is logical…but also, quite confusing. It’s the first DVC addition at what’s otherwise a Moderate Resort, so this was bound to happen. The bottom line is that the DVC version of the Cabins, regardless of how booked, is eligible for Extended Evening Hours.

We’re huge fans of Extended Evening Hours so, all else being equal, we’d highly recommend paying the premium prices for the new DVC Cabins just for the sake of having access to Extended Evening Hours. Beyond that, we don’t really think all else is equal, anyway. The new cabins look a lot nicer, but to each their own on that.

For those curious, here are nightly rates for the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort:

As a reminder, the first loop of the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness will open on July 1, 2024. Additional DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness will open later in July, and even more units will open in subsequent loops throughout the rest of 2024.

As with all Disney Vacation Club resorts, the new Cabins will continue to be open for reservations to all guests, including those who are not Disney Vacation Club Members, subject to availability. A small percentage of the property will be retained by Walt Disney World and not part of the DVC inventory–just like all DVC resorts. Once the DVC side sells out, it’ll likely be difficult to book these cabins for cash guests, and they’re likely to be both more expensive and excluded from discounts. Until that sell out happens, it’ll be easier to book stays with cash, as most units will not be declared into DVC inventory.

However, the initial waves will only be bookable with Disney Vacation Club points. The new Cabins don’t open for stays with cash reservations until September 27, 2024. Cash reservations can be made now, as can DVC bookings by owners at the new DVC Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. All other Disney Vacation Club members can reserve the new Cabins starting April 23, 2024–consistent with the 7-month rule going forward from then.

Disney Vacation Club has also released a 3D Tour of the New DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness.

In the interactive tour, you can click through and virtually walk around the cabin–it’s like the Zillow and Redfin home tours that became all the rage during lockdown. This should give you a really good idea of the layout of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and bedroom.

Note that the cabin shown is a model and that the fixtures and furnishings are subject to change. There are also little clickable blue icons throughout the 3D tour that offer additional info about features and amenities.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort—the newest Disney Vacation Club Resort—is set within a forest oasis of cypress and pine. Retreat to your own private cabin featuring plenty of modern amenities and charming, convenient comforts.

The new DVC Cabins sleep up to 6, and some can even accommodate dogs.

Wake up to the buzzing of life and its endless fun, from poolside relaxation to fishing excursions to fireside sing-a-longs. Create cherished memories as you and your family enjoy decades of magical vacations, near and far—including every wonder-filled stay at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

Every morning you can draw the curtains back to reveal floor-to-ceiling windows and your own personal patio deck, where you can bask in the glories of nature while firing up the charcoal grill and dining al fresco.

In the main bedroom, you’ll find a queen-size bed, twin-size bunk beds, a 55-inch TV, closet and a nightstand. This is a pretty similar setup to the current Fort Wilderness Cabins.

Through the sconce-flanked front doors is a spacious living area featuring a dining nook and a fully equipped kitchen—including a refrigerator, dishwasher, convection/microwave oven and 2 countertop burners.

The kitchen includes plenty of storage, as well as a kitchen table capable of seating all 6 occupants of the cabin. Off the kitchen you’ll find a vanity area outside the entrance to the bathroom, which has a shower and an additional vanity inside.

A convertible seating and sleeping area is located opposite the kitchen and boasts a 65-inch TV and a comfortable sofa—the perfect spot to gather your family to watch a favorite Disney movie. At bedtime, simply fold down the queen-size Inova bed from the wall, for added sleeping space.

We’re really excited to stay at the new DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness–it’s the most excited I’ve been about a “new” Disney Vacation Club resort in a long time. With that said, we absolutely do not planning on buying here (see Why We Won’t Buy Walt Disney World’s Newest DVC).

I still have mixed thoughts about the transformation of Fort Wilderness into a (partially) Disney Vacation Club resort, but what’s done is done. From a practical perspective, I love this. We’re huge fans of Fort Wilderness and the current cabins. We’re frugal with our points. And we now have a daughter, which will mean more multi-generation trips to Walt Disney World for us in the coming years. Staying in the heart of the action while also feeling worlds away from Walt Disney World will be perfect for our family.

For now, the new DVC Cabins check all of the boxes for us and we love the vibe of Fort Wilderness. We’re very eager to take advantage of that favorable point chart while paying SSR dues. Maybe down the road in a few years–if resale prices are low, the accommodations style still works for us, and the gap has somehow closed on dues–we’ll consider buying via the secondary market. Never say never!

If you’re considering joining DVC and want more guidance, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. That guide covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of the pricing for the new Cabins at Fort Wilderness? Will you pay extra for the DVC Cabins that offer access to Extended Evening Hours? Excited to stay here in July 2024 or beyond? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the DVC Cabins at Fort Wilderness Campground? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!