It was announced last year that the Cabins at Fort Wilderness would be converted to a Disney Vacation Club property. It was also announced that the current cabins would be removed and replaced with more modern cabins as part of the conversion.
We’re very sad to see this change, as the Cabins at Fort Wilderness were one of our favorite places to stay at Walt Disney World. They were, at it’s most basic level, rustic single-wide mobile homes. However, unlike the average resort room on property, they came with a full kitchen and a charcoal grill outside.
So join us on a tour of the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, as we say our final goodbyes to the memories we’ve made in these cabins.
Free deck with purchase!
Every cabin came with it’s own deck and outside table. These were perfect for eating outside, or late night lounging while listening for Magic Kingdom fireworks and even the Electrical Water Pageant, which made a nightly visit to Fort Wilderness. Even from one of the furthest cabin loops from the waterfront, we were still able to hear the Electrical Water Pageant from the outside deck.
While many cabins had steps to reach the deck, the wheelchair accessible cabins included a long ramp, in addition to the steps, to reach the deck.
A real kitchen!
For quite a long time, these cabins were the only way to have a full kitchen while staying on property. With a little advance preparation, either by stopping at Publix before arriving or ordering grocery delivery, a family could realistically make all meals at their cabin and thus not even need to eat at the restaurants on property.
The kitchens inside the cabins included a full-size refrigerator with ice maker, microwave/convection oven, and 4-burner stove. For clean up, a good size (and deep!) sink and dishwasher were also included. The cabins also included a 12-cup coffee maker and toaster.
To further sweeten the deal, all cabins included almost everything you would need to cook (or bake). Pots, pans, silverware, baking dishes, cutting boards, and even utensils for the outside grill were included. As if that wasn’t enough, Disney also provided sponges and dish soap, along with detergent for the dishwasher!
Cozy living room area.
The living room inside the cabins was cozy, although it lacked a little in seating. The couch converts to a bed, with some storage by the TV. Opposite the couch is a cushioned chair. Besides those, the other seating is at the nearby dining room table.
It’s not much for a dining room table, but it gets the job done. If need be, several guests could eat inside while several could eat outside.
One of my favorite features in the dining room is the art on the wall of the old Fort Wilderness Train that used to run through the property. The train is long gone, but remnants of the train tracks can still be found in certain areas.
Only one bathroom.
Sadly, for a cabin that can accommodate 6, there is only one bathroom. So everyone in the mornings will be clamoring to use this for getting ready. There is a closet with additional towels, but, in our opinion, not enough places to hang up wet towels. The shower is a combination bathtub and shower, with not nearly enough shelves for 6 guests.
Yes, that is a window next to the toilet. The glass is frosted, but it does open in case you want to see what your neighbors are up to while you’re doing your business. It’s an interesting setup, but I’m going to assume it’s to release those noxious fumes outside before you open the bathroom door and offend your family’s nostrils.
In a wheelchair accessible cabin, the shower in the bathroom is a roll-in, which includes a fold down shower seat.
A crowded bedroom.
The bulk of sleeping arrangements is in the one bedroom of the cabin. There’s a full-size bed for two, and then bunk beds on the opposite wall. With up to four people sleeping in this room, there is only one night stand in the center. Even worse, there are only two electrical outlets close by.
Included in the bedroom is a storage area off to the far left side (not pictured), along with a closet and a TV. Off to the right is a second door that leads to the outside deck. This can only be unlocked from inside the cabin and serves as an easy way to move between the deck and the cabin without having to unlock the main door using your room key.
There’s A LOT of windows!
One of the few things the Cabins at Fort Wilderness has an abundance of is windows! We counted 8 in total. 2 in the bedroom, one in the bathroom, one in the hallway, and 4 in the living room. Upon arriving at the cabin, you’ll find the curtains to all of these windows pulled open.
Once night falls, it’s a little bit tedious to find all 8 windows to close the curtains. Every time we thought we found all the windows, we’d find a small window tucked away somewhere.
You don’t feel surrounded by people!
One of the many things we love about the Cabins at Fort Wilderness is that you feel like you’re on your own private island, so to speak. Yes, there are other cabins nearby, but they are just far enough away that you don’t feel like you’re intruding into other’s peoples space. You can sit outside and see people coming and going. You can hear activity around you, but you feel removed from it.
The bonus no one talks about.
Another bonus to staying at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness that we really love is that it’s so quiet and peaceful! With so much hustle and bustle at other Disney resorts, and especially in the parks, it’s nice to have a place where you can escape from all of it.
Mornings are quiet and peaceful, interrupted mostly by the sounds of birds and the occasional cast member golf cart. Evenings are quiet and peaceful, with the sounds of crickets and the occasional family walking by returning from their busy day. It’s absolute heaven, and one of the reasons why we continued to return. Well, that and Hoop-De-Doo Musical Revue.
While we’re going to miss the Cabins at Fort Wilderness in their previous iteration, perhaps a complete remodel is what the cabins needed. They were definitely well-loved, if not dated. The cabins were showing obvious signs of wear, both in the furniture and how some of the electrical plugs were kind of loose. Plus with so many people having things that need charging, their lack of electrical outlets, especially USB outlets, was a hindrance. The lack of shelving in several areas was a hindrance. There were some maintenance issues towards the tail end of their days. Nothing major, but little details that were being overlooked, knowing the cabins’ days were numbered.
Of course, the well-loved wear and tear, rustic feel, and dated appearance added to the charm of the cabins. They weren’t perfect, but they were just perfect enough to create years of vacation memories.
Disney Rover 