Fort Wilderness Cabins vs AoA Nemo Suite? (MAYBE AKL)

[TheLittles]

We go in November. We have 4 adults and 1 7 yr old. We currently have AoA booked but I am getting cold feet as I have never stayed there and am used to Deluxe resorts and the occasional Coronado stay. I am paying for everyone this time so trying to keep to price reasonable. We can maybe swing AKL 1 bedroom but, it is significantly more. Would there be a HUGE difference in these resorts?

What are your opinions on which would be better? AoA Family suite or a Cabin?

How is the food at AoA compared to Fort Wilderness?

Does the water pageant go past Fort Wilderness?

 

[HopperFan]

Do you mean four adults as in 2 couples? plus child.

If so at the cabins one couple would be on a sofa bed, at AOA they would get a murphy bed with real mattress. If they aren't sleeping together at the cabins one would need to go on bunk bed. At AOA you would have a murphy bed and a sofa bed.

Cabins = 1 bathroom, AOA = 2 full bathrooms. That alone would make my decision with 4 adults.

Food, we think AOA food court is one of the better ones with a wide variety and walking distance to suite. At campground you'd need to walk to end of your loop, then catch a bus to the food options. We prefer the resort option where anyone can just walk to where they want to go and not rely on buses. At cabins we either cooked in cabin, ate at parks or drove our car offsite or to Disney Springs.

Yes Water Pageant goes past the campground, again you'll need to bus to that end of campground and walk out by the water. I have no idea when the construction will start for the new DVC where it appears the beach will be gone, but if they start shutting things off (which I could see after summer) there will be less space for viewing.

Other than a full kitchen and parking at the door, I don't see a plus for the cabins with 4 adults.

 

[Luxurious_Lumiere]

I see this was posted a while ago, but I had a stay at the cabins so thought I would comment with my thoughts. Your mind is probably alreayd made up on a resort, but I know there are lots of larger parties who consider a cabin vs. a more standard resort.

We got a really great deal on the cabin thanks to a promo disney was running at the time of our booking. I was nervous about not being in a hotel and having amenities right there since, like you, Ive stayed at deluxe resorts the past few trips. However, my group (5 adults) absolutely loved it.

PROS:
-Its actually a great amount of space to spread out. With a the full kitchen it feels almost like a one bedroom at a deluxe resort but cheaper. And it looks beautiful! The couch was a little worn already, but the new renovations to the cabins make them feel wonderful.
-Speaking of the kitchen, we ordered a bunch of groceries and saved lots of money on meals. Most breakfasts were at the cabin, plus a big cookout night with burgers (thanks to the outdoor grill!)
-Its super private feeling and very unique. It's quite relaxing to escape into the sea of green trees and nature, esp after a crazy park day.
-Location. I love having a direct transportation access to MK. And the resort boats get you to Contemporary and WL to expand your dining options. It was easy to take time and go to Geyser Point and California Grill.
-Golf Cart. Honestly, I wouldn't stay here again without it. It was such a fun addition to the trip driving around the grounds and we didn't have to wait for internal buses. Some of our best memories from the trip were driving the cart around.
-Activities. You can spend a lot of time at the fort having fun. We always plan non-park days to relax and it was a perfect resort for that. Those days were filled with horseback riding, swimming, electric water pageant, Hoop Dee Doo, campfire sing-a-long. The Davey Crockett bar and Trails End are affordable eating options.

CONS:
-Managing the bathroom can be a bit of a hassle. I chose a cabin across the street from the comfort station/pool so some of my party could shower there, not realizing that the comfort station in the cabin area does NOT have showers. Luckily we had some very early risers so shower times were able to be spaced out, but it does require some planning in the morning to get everyone showered and ready with only one bathroom (and for reasons unknown, only a single vanity). At least I was just a quick 30 second walk to the pool!
-The resort is very large, so you do need to plan a bit more travel time than normal for places outside the MK loop.
-Unlike deluxe resorts, you cant just take an elevator downstairs to a bar, coffee stand, store, etc. So that is definitely a shift in how you vacation. We stocked up on coffee, wine, snacks since we had the kitchen, so it ended up not being a huge issue if you do that.

I personally find AoA to have a more loud and rambunctious vibe to it, so if a good price can be found for the cabins I would prefer the peaceful atmosphere of fort wilderness. The biggest change I think is that certain amenities are not right at your fingertips. However, a cabin gives you alternate ways of experiencing them (a full kitchen for meals/drinks, or using a golf cart as a fun way to get to the store). Just my 2 cents!

 

[ROBINGOOD]

I agree completely with Luxurious_Lumiere, although we didn't have a golf cart and I really worked on figuring out the bus system made it work for us. To me AOA, was a little crazy and too much. The relaxed feel of Ft Wilderness cannot be beat and its going to be our home resort from now on. The boat to and from MK is awesome but can get crowded, but we still love it. The Chip n Dale Campground Sing along is cute and really gives adds that Disney magic to the experience...and its free. Fireworks on the beach, wildlife all over the property, horseback riding and Hay/Carriage rides- to me, that cant be beat.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

We're a family of six that stayed at the Cabins and loved it, but are going to try two LM rooms at AoA this time. I agree with everything said previously about the Fort, getting to MK, the water pagaent, ease of getting to WL. I would say that I can't imagine being there without a golf cart, but I hate waiting.
We are not staying there this time because DHS and SWGE is our focus, where last time it was more MK, and because of the Skyliner, opening at the end of September. If it works as intended, Skyliner seems to be more efficient than waiting for buses (or worse, watching the bus you want roll away without you!) and being in WDW car traffic, and it will go to two parks. Also, my one critique of the Fort is that it doesn't have very many or very late dining options, so I'm looking forward to trying the food court at AoA.
What matters most for your group? Like a PP, I'm wondering if the four adults are a couple and adult children, or if it's two couples, because that would affect my choice. GL!