AOA v. Ft Wilderness cabins

[bhartman]

I’m struggling with deciding between these two resorts for our January trip. We’re currently booked in a family suite at AOA with the PSD package. We chose to stick with quick service but I’ve considered upgrading to the regular dining plan, so we can add some character meals. I’m just not sure that I want to pay $365 to upgrade to table service.

I’ve always been drawn to the ft wilderness cabins but we’ve never stayed there. We always decided against it for one reason or another. But I just priced the PSD package with the cabins, same 5 day base ticket, and the regular dining plan, and it’s only $187 more than our current booking. I just can’t decide if I want to change our reservations.

The resort activities at ft wilderness appeal to us more than the ones at AOA. My kids are excited about the animation class at AOA, but that’s about it. But I think they’d love checking out the horses, going on a wagon ride, and making s’mores with chip and dale.

The food choices at ft wilderness would appeal more to my “meat and potatoes” husband and kids. Plus, there are more food options at ft wilderness.

AOA has the better pool, but I don’t know how much we’ll be swimming in January, so I’m not sure that we should pick based on pool.

The suites at AOA are larger than the cabins and laid out in a way that would allow us to put the toddler to bed in the bedroom and stay up a bit with the older two kids. I don’t think we could fit a pack and play in the bedroom in the cabin and she’s not used to sleeping on a bed. Although, I guess we could request a bed rail. We did that once at AOA.

I’d appreciate input on either resort! What you loved or hated about each. Things I haven’t mentioned that I should consider. Please help me make this decision!!

Thanks!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would definitely pick the cabin over AoA! There is SO much to do at Ft. W, plus you have the boat and walking path to WL (which is gorgeous and has great restaurants) AND the boat to MK or CR (you can walk to MK from there!). Ft. W is so fun, quiet and relaxing. We stayed at AoA the first year it opened and it was so loud and uncomfortable (literally the most uncomfortable bedding I've ever slept on). The walls are paper thin. The food court is mass chaos and I hated taking the buses everywhere.

 

[bigeyedfish]

I’d stay in the Cabins simply because they are a new experience for your family! It is my understanding anyone can participate in the drawing classes at AoA so you could still do that with the kids!

 

[DG25]

Another for FW but disclaimer we have never stayed there, but we have never gone to Disney without stopping there. We stay deluxe and DVC usually. But hands down FW is a big part of our vacation, the kids love the archery lessons, the horse back riding, the pony rides, the carriage ride, the hay ride. They love the pool there even if it is a bit plain to us, they love it and they like the slide, maybe cause it is less crowded. DVC members can use other pools so we have used this one and the kids love it. They have fishing and paddle boats. The old west theming is really there. My kids love the s'mores and the sing along. They loved the mickeys backyard BBQ and they love trails end and whispering canyon at WL. We also like to bike or walk to WL you can boat but to walk and see nature, it is not that far a walk. Last year and this year bikes were free at WL and we road bikes between the resorts for nature scenes, great family fun. They always want a BBQ on the deck but as I say we have never stayed, not that we don't want to, the bedding just does not work for us. But I know we would love the cabins.

I would say the down fall is going to one bathroom. But if your kids are small, or if you have boys and not girls than you will probably do okay. Plus there are the out stations with more bathrooms and showers for the campers that are near cabins also if someone really needed to use the bathroom that someone else was in. See we are use to camping a lot.

Personally we have never stayed at a AoA in a family suite, just little mermaid, just one night and never again. To us it is just not great, very very motel 6 like in so many ways. We don't mind the moderate hotels which the cabins are listed as. I am surprised that the cabins are more than the suites, we are going in Jan and the cabins show for our week to be $5 cheaper than the AoA per night, and I would think they would be.

Last comment, buses, we drive and have never had a problem, but I hear buses can be hit or miss at the cabins. But I hear that about pop and AoA and POR and elsewhere. Maybe someone else can speak up if you don't have a car that would be a factor to me.

 

[AllthingsDisMom]

Ft. Wilderness golf carts are a must, I hear!

 

[sharadoc]

Plus don't forget the kitchen sink to help you get ready in the morning with teeth, face washing, etc.

We love the cabins for the fact that you're alone with no one in a room around you, so you never hear toilets, feet running in the hallway, yelling, people showering at 5 am, etc. And you can make noise too.

A pack and play is provided in the cabin and can be at the foot of the bunkbed, I'm sure it would fit.

 

[bhartman]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I've floated the idea past my husband and am waiting, impatiently, for him to email me back.

Plus don't forget the kitchen sink to help you get ready in the morning with teeth, face washing, etc.

We love the cabins for the fact that you're alone with no one in a room around you, so you never hear toilets, feet running in the hallway, yelling, people showering at 5 am, etc. And you can make noise too.

A pack and play is provided in the cabin and can be at the foot of the bunkbed, I'm sure it would fit.

That's very good to know about the pack and play, and actually helps with the decision!

DG25 - it's only more expensive because of the change from quick service dining to the regular dining plan. but we have a couple of table service meals planned that we were going to pay for OOP. We'd end up paying more for those two meals than we will to switch resorts and upgrade to the regular dining plan, so this will actually end up saving us money, even though the reservation itself is slightly more.

 

[Belleofthehouse]

No comparison...Cabins! I say that as someone who is not a fan of the explosive theming of AOA. I also do not have small children (my younges DS is 15).
We are staying in the cabins in August and cannot wait. The food options, use of multiple transportation options, and quiet setting sold me. Yes, it's only one bathroom but I can deal with it.

 

[smiths02]

We had the same dilemma and chose AoA. Several reasons, we eat out at Disney, so one bathroom and a full kitchen meant less to us than two bathrooms and kitchenette. Next, the themes at AoA appealed more to my younger children. Also, transportation. While we do have a car...golf carts are supposed to be a must at the fort and that would have added to expense. (Pool, bus, laundry, food court was all easy to get to) Also, my DH did not like the idea of it being a trailer...couldn't convince him otherwise.

However, I think that now that the children are older, I may be able to talk DH into the cabins for a longer stay (if we just do a shorter stay, we would probably do a Deluxe resort since we are only a family of 5).

 

[G719]

I vote for the cabins. Golf carts are not an absolute need. You can get around with the internal bus. The boat to the MK is so much quicker than the bus from AoA. (We have stayed at both.) The fort pool does have a slide and a water playground area for small kids.

 

[VAfamily1998]

My family of 6 is staying at a cabin in January. We have 4 sons between the ages of 11-17, so food costs are definitely a factor! Some reasons why we chose the cabin:

-Kitchen: While we likely won't be preparing full meals at the cabin, we will appreciate the cost savings and convenience of being able to make our own coffee, bagels, cereal, etc. We're also buying a few microwavable frozen snacks to keep around for when we get back from the parks each night.
--Bed situtaion: The cabins offer more "real beds" and more separate sleeping spaces than the AoA suites.
--Pools: For us, the pool situation is actually better at the Fort. We are going to be running the races during marathon weekend, and a soak in the hot tub is a must for me after the race. Fort Wilderness has a hot tub and AoA does not.
--Quiet: Since each cabin is it's own separate building, it's less likely we will have to deal with noisy neighbors

 

[G719]

My family of 6 is staying at a cabin in January. We have 4 sons between the ages of 11-17, so food costs are definitely a factor! Some reasons why we chose the cabin:

-Kitchen: While we likely won't be preparing full meals at the cabin, we will appreciate the cost savings and convenience of being able to make our own coffee, bagels, cereal, etc. We're also buying a few microwavable frozen snacks to keep around for when we get back from the parks each night.
--Bed situtaion: The cabins offer more "real beds" and more separate sleeping spaces than the AoA suites.
--Pools: For us, the pool situation is actually better at the Fort. We are going to be running the races during marathon weekend, and a soak in the hot tub is a must for me after the race. Fort Wilderness has a hot tub and AoA does not.
--Quiet: Since each cabin is it's own separate building, it's less likely we will have to deal with noisy neighbors

Both fort pools have a hot tub. We requested and got loop 2500 which was right by the quiet pool. It was very convenient.

 

[sharadoc]

Both fort pools have a hot tub. We requested and got loop 2500 which was right by the quiet pool. It was very convenient.

Yes, 2500 is the best loop! It's small and right next door to the pool, hot tub and laundry room. There's a bus stop right there too.

Buses run constantly to the Settlement or Outpost. The boat to MK is great, plus you can watch fireworks and the water parade on the beach every night. It's fantastic.

 

[ilovebassets]

The cabins, hands down. AoA felt headachey, crowded, and noisy after only one night there. Fort Wilderness is like a vacation from your vacation!

 

[disneyfireman]

I vote for the cabins. Golf carts are not an absolute need. You can get around with the internal bus. The boat to the MK is so much quicker than the bus from AoA. (We have stayed at both.) The fort pool does have a slide and a water playground area for small kids.

Though a golf cart is not a must, it does make life alot easier. Devils advocate though, they are expensive. We stayed last year and rented a golf cart and we were able to come and go VERY easily. Alot of people we talked to complained about using the internal buses. Just felt like they waited even longer for transpo.

But OP I’d definitely stay in the cabin.

 

[rstevens333]

I want to stay at the cabins so bad. Big fan of Wilderness Lodge– it really is a short boat ride or a reasonable walk from the Fort. (I would not do the walk at night, myself.)

You can also use the smaller Fort Wilderness boats to get to the Contemporary for access to the monorail or to the Magic Kingdom via a walking path. The security line on that walking path is among the easiest I've ever seen.

 

[amylevan]

You'll hear a lot of people say that a golf cart is a necessity at FW. We don't think they are. You can use the internal bus system. You can walk (depends on your loop and where you are going - but its not un-walkable) and even if you don't want to walk, you can figure out the bus loops pretty quickly and walk to the bus stop that will save you most time. We have our bikes with us, so we can ride those if needed. And if you are driving, you can park your vehicle right outside your door.

 

[Sleepy425]

A golf cart may not be a necessity, but man was it fun to have! I was there when they were relocating for Irma and I spent one morning just driving around enjoying the empty loops and picking up random guests who were waiting for buses. My three year old daughters and I had a blast playing "Uber" in our cart.

 

[disneyfireman]

I wasn’t implying that it is drop dead necessary, i was saying i hate waiting for transportation at Disney. Anything that will lessen extra time for me is a good deal. But like I said for $59/day is quite high especially if you’re trying to cut costs.

 

[Sleepy425]

I wasn’t implying that it is drop dead necessary, i was saying i hate waiting for transportation at Disney. Anything that will lessen extra time for me is a good deal. But like I said for $59/day is quite high especially if you’re trying to cut costs.

Not gonna lie, I would never stay without a golf cart. It made life so convenient to have it. Maybe too convenient. I was able to pop over to the store for wine so easily I spent more than I intended