FW Cabins or All Star Family Suite?

[eandrsmom]

I am planning our next visit, and was wonderering whether I should book the FW Cabin or the All Star Family Suite. We are a family of six, with my youngest being 22 months. After our last stay at the Poly, we decided that we needed a bigger room. Can anyone give suggestions? I've heard that trasportation can be an issue at FW, but we'll have a car. I've also heard that the All Star resorts can be noisy. We do go back to the room midday for naps. Any advice would be helpful, thanks!

[ayeckley]

As long as you can swing it financially, Cabins are the way to go. We're a family of five, and realistically it's our only option other than DVC. Transportation is a minor issue IMHO. We just got back from a week in the FW Cabins and I'm happy to report that the busses and boats are running pretty efficiently (compared with how they have been sometimes in the past). I think our maximum wait for either was probably 20 minutes. We've stayed at the All-Stars, and the transportation issues are just as bad if not worse IMHO.

[eandrsmom]

Can you drive directly to your cabin? I will be using a double stroller, and don't want to deal with busses by myself with two little ones. My hubby will stay at the parks with my older two when we go back to our room for naps in the afternoons. I thought I read somewhere that you couldn't drive in the campground. Also, is there a quick service dining place at FW? We will be using the dining plan.

[ibrowse17]

You can not use a car for transportation within FW. You can drive when coming or going, but there is simply no parking other than the sites within FW. Still, I would stay at FW anyday over AS's.

[eandrsmom]

How do you get to your car? Is the parking lot within walking distance to the cabins?

[KylesMom]

You are able to drive to your cabin from the main gate of FtW . . . there is one parking space per "lot". However, you cannot drive "around" in Fort Wilderness; i.e., to Hoop-De-Doo, Trails End, etcetera. You need to take the internal buses for that.

You mentioned a CS restaurant . . . anyone out there who can confirm if there is CS or not? I thought they closed Crockett's Tavern, which would mean there's no CS. Remember that you have a full kitchen at your disposal . . . and it would be a heckuva lot easier to make a quick lunch rather than walking to the bus depot, waiting for the internal bus, going down to the settlement, getting something to eat and making it back to the cabin.

While we haven't stayed in the family suites, we have stayed at both All Star Music and Fort Wilderness Cabin. Both DH and I would opt for the All Stars over the cabin if we had to make the choice, as we simply felt too "isolated" when we went back to our room each night at the campground. There just wasn't that Disney feel. We didn't understand until we arrived that we couldn't just run to the camp store or drive down to the settlement to grab a bite to each. Thank goodness we had some snacks & pb&j with us!

[MomTo3Tiggers]

You park right next to the cabin. We've frequently taken our car to and from the parks instead of the buses because of the need to transfer to two buses. We've also split up like you are doing with one adult taking the kids back on the bus/boat to the cabin and the other taking the car back with the other child.

The cabins are quiet, and you have lots of space. I can't compare them with the Family Suite as I've never stayed there - but Ft. Wilderness is definitely quieter and roomier than any other place I've stayed at WDW except at Key West - and it's much cheaper than Key West.

PS - The thing you can't do is permanently park your car places other than your cabin in Ft. Wilderness - although the last time I was there you could do short term parking at the Meadows area.

[OogieBoogieMan]

I am a bit biased since we own a vacation home nearby, but if you have a car I would give serious consideration to renting a home. Many times people say you lose some of the magic but for us the convenience of having the room, especially with a baby, more than makes up for it.

[princessesmom]

As others have said, you have a parking space at your cabin for one car. You can drive to/from the parks, you cannot drive to locations within FW, though. We have stayed there several times with our 4 children. It is a very good set-up. We put the children in the bedroom and DH and I take the murphy bed in the LR. We eat in the cabin most mornings. We stock the fridge/freezer with easy breakfast stuff - eggos, cereal, yogurt, fruit, english muffins, juice, milk. It saves a lot of money and time. We also stock up on snacks.

There is not a CS place to eat. We always eat lunch in the parks or at other resorts, so normally this is not a problem. On our last trip, my oldest DD got sick one day and I had to stay at the cabin with her for a good part of one day. It would have been nice to have a CS place to grab some food. But that is the only time it was really a problem for us.

We have never stayed at the AS's, so I can't compare. But we do love FW.

[biggun35]

Would a WL cabin work for 2 adults and 2 15 yo boys?

[eandrsmom]

Thanks for all of the help. I think we're going to go with the cabin. We do the dining plan, and would have liked a CS restaurant for convenience, but it isn't a deal breaker. I REALLY like the idea of parking next to the cabin. Even at the monorail resorts you have to unload and trek to you room. (Which is not fun with two tired little ones.)

[DestinationWDW]

Biggun 35 - Yes! Cabin would work! Cabins have Murphy bed in living room - full size. And full size bed in bedroom and bunk bed sleeping total of 4 back there!

[Insanity Clause]

I abins if you can afford it. In 2010 when we go we are going to get 2 rooms at the value because it comes out cheaper than the suite. We are a family of 7 so we will definately get one with a door in between. But if I had my drothers I would do the cabin.

[Diz-Knee]

Would a WL cabin work for 2 adults and 2 15 yo boys?

As the PP stated, yes it would work for your family. The bunk beds are actually pretty good size and sturdy. (I'm no expert, but I just thought the bunk beds would be smaller than they were.)

Another vote for the cabins from me. We stayed there in December and really enjoyed it. There is not a formal CS restaurant, however you can order food to go from Trails End - Fried Chicken, Nachos, Pizza, Wings, etc. and of course you do have to take the internal buses to get to it. There are also a lot of activities at FW if you have the time to check them out.