Fort Wilderness

Winchester24

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 16, 2018
Hi! Total newbie here, and planning my Disney honeymoon! We are getting married and honeymooning in October. I grew up vacationing with my family in Fort Wilderness and have very fond memories so naturally I thought of it for our honeymoon. We were initially looking into it because I have specific dietary needs (allergies) and thought it would make more sense to have the full kitchen for at least one meal per day as it can be tough to find food I can eat in restaurants. In a perfect world we would rent DVC points and be staying at Cooper Creek or Boulder Ridge, but my fiancé wants nothing to do with the rental companies (trust issues. lol) so Fort Wilderness seemed perfect. Since booking FW I have looked more into the restaurant options and realized I can probably manage with the amount of variety they have and may not need the kitchen. Here's my dilemma: My family always rented a car on our trips so the bus system was never an issue, and I am concerned it could be a pain in the butt depending on where they put us in the resort (there is a million bus stops!). We were looking at Port Orleans Riverside and while it looks great I am a little leery of staying in a hotel room all week and of staying somewhere new. I've also heard complaints of the resort being too spread out with too much walking required. This is my fiancé's first time staying at a WDW resort and I want to make it a great stay! Any opinions or suggestions?
 
Ooooooooh I sure wish he didn't have trust issues. If you rented DVC points you could stay in a Deluxe for the price of a Moderate, and then you wouldn't have to worry about ANY of this!

I guess it really depends on your preferences and tolerance. We stayed at four different Disney resorts on our 2-week honeymoon, all of them new to us (and two of them on rented DVC points), and loved getting to try out all the different experiences. It felt like four trips in one!

I also personally think the Moderates are too expensive for what you get and have never stayed at one. And I agree that they are too spread out unless you have a car. But a lot of people love them!

One thing I can say for certain is that you will have no trouble getting your dietary requirements met in the restaurants. Disney does a fabulous job with allergies—you often hear of chefs coming out to talk to guests in order to personalize a dish for them. And WDW has become a favored travel spot for people with food allergies because of this.
 
Add that you have allergies to an ADR and the chef will come out and advise you of the offerings at any sit down restaurant . As for bus problems at FtW which is where we stay. It's 1 bus to Pioneer Hall and a boat to MK Or a bot to either Wilderness Lodge or Contemporary , Poly and GF add a boat ride once you get to MK. All other parks Bus to reception outpost and bus to next park or Disney Springs
 
Oh my goodness you are just like us!!! It's kind of scary! Interested in the same resorts, honeymooning in October, won't rent DVC points, staying at Fort Wilderness as a kid etc. Like I said. SCARY!! Okay. You are obviously nature people who love outside and trees and rustic feel. That's my guess by the resorts you are looking at. (Could be wrong on that.) We are too!! And these are all great choices.

We are taking our honeymoon in October as well like I said and we are staying at Copper Creek. (Wilderness Lodge is new for us and are nervous about staying in a new resort too!) We are staying there because it is a short boat ride to Fort Wilderness where we are getting married and having our reception (and also our rehearsal dinner. Yay, Hoop Dee Doo Revue!). We went straight through Disney for ours because we couldn't get past our reservations with renting points. I totally get it. It is a bit more expensive, it wasn't by much though. The nice thing is that you don't have to pay the majority of your vacation up front. (I think with some of the rentals it's all the moment it is booked.) We couldn't handle that and also, there is NO flexibility or cancellation on your reservation. It just wasn't for us. Anyhow, those are a couple of extra points to remember when you consider booking through Disney for a DVC if that is an option for you.

Okay. Before this trip every one we have stayed at Riverside. We ADORE it there!! We are not doing it this trip because we want a bit more space, a kitchen, and as crazy as it sounds I love being able to do laundry on vacation, lol. So, Riverside is like the Florida/Bayou version on FW and WL. It's stunning in our opinion. It is extremely quiet, very romantic, and the whole feel of it is very tranquil and beautiful. We have not found it to be spread out at all and here's why. We only stay in the Alligator Bayou portion of Riverside. It's right up our alley with it being a bit more rustic and less manicured, inside and out respectively. It is closest to the main building with the food court and bar (a giant tasty plus by the way!!) the beautiful mill, shops, etc. To boot there is a bus station around the corner, the closest one to the lobby and amenities. Well, around the corner for Disney. Maybe a 3-5 minute walk. There are TONS of shortcuts to be had there as well because of how they designed it. With that being said, if you get bored of taking the same trek to where you want to go you don't have to do that there. I can not say enough good things about it, really. If you want to know more I STRONGLY suggest this website:
http://www.portorleans.org This is everything you need to know about Port Orleans and is updated constantly.

Now. Fort Wilderness is VERY large and you are kind of stuck with where you eat and where you have your entertainment. They are not really in the same location and that's a bummer. You could certainly rent a golf cart for your trip if you wish so you wouldn't have to drive or walk everywhere, but it is an added expense. It has a very similar feel to PO-R. More so than WL in my opinion because WL is obviously deluxe. And like you said the internal bus system is a GIANT pain in the rear, especially when it's late and you are tired!

As far as your allergies go, having a kitchen is a wonderful option and certainly a cost-savings so FW would be great for that. Disney is one of the best places to eat if you have allergies, but counter service can have limited options. Another plug for Riverside is they do have a sit-down restaurant (easier with allergies) and the counter service is huge. CC obviously has a full kitchen or a studio kitchen depending on which room you are looking at. That's great as well, but definitely more expensive than the studio kitchen in the cabins at FW. CC is connected directly to WL so the extra dining options there are a big plus for you - imo.

My recommendation for best bang for your buck and a wonderful romantic location without it costing an arm and a leg? PO-R IF you can deal with it not being a suite feel. I would recommend this resort to pretty much anyone actually!! A splurge that is definitely more cost-wise, but with WAY more amenities and brand-new rooms with full kitchens and the option with basically limitless dining - WL. Somewhat budget friendly, considering the kitchen, but a pain for resort access - FW. If I was picking FOR you. I would stay away from FW for this trip at least. It's less... honeymoon-ey to me.

I know, this was super long!!! And I probably didn't help at all, but I just felt like I met my Disney twin! LOL
 


Ooooooooh I sure wish he didn't have trust issues. If you rented DVC points you could stay in a Deluxe for the price of a Moderate, and then you wouldn't have to worry about ANY of this!

I guess it really depends on your preferences and tolerance. We stayed at four different Disney resorts on our 2-week honeymoon, all of them new to us (and two of them on rented DVC points), and loved getting to try out all the different experiences. It felt like four trips in one!

I also personally think the Moderates are too expensive for what you get and have never stayed at one. And I agree that they are too spread out unless you have a car. But a lot of people love them!

One thing I can say for certain is that you will have no trouble getting your dietary requirements met in the restaurants. Disney does a fabulous job with allergies—you often hear of chefs coming out to talk to guests in order to personalize a dish for them. And WDW has become a favored travel spot for people with food allergies because of this.
Wow, I didn't know they were so great about allergies, thanks! I have a pretty long list of things I can't eat so it's going to be challenging, but it's good to know they are so accommodating.
 
Add that you have allergies to an ADR and the chef will come out and advise you of the offerings at any sit down restaurant . As for bus problems at FtW which is where we stay. It's 1 bus to Pioneer Hall and a boat to MK Or a bot to either Wilderness Lodge or Contemporary , Poly and GF add a boat ride once you get to MK. All other parks Bus to reception outpost and bus to next park or Disney Springs
Thanks! Do you find the bus rides to be long or add a significant amount of time to your trip?
 
Oh my goodness you are just like us!!! It's kind of scary! Interested in the same resorts, honeymooning in October, won't rent DVC points, staying at Fort Wilderness as a kid etc. Like I said. SCARY!! Okay. You are obviously nature people who love outside and trees and rustic feel. That's my guess by the resorts you are looking at. (Could be wrong on that.) We are too!! And these are all great choices.

We are taking our honeymoon in October as well like I said and we are staying at Copper Creek. (Wilderness Lodge is new for us and are nervous about staying in a new resort too!) We are staying there because it is a short boat ride to Fort Wilderness where we are getting married and having our reception (and also our rehearsal dinner. Yay, Hoop Dee Doo Revue!). We went straight through Disney for ours because we couldn't get past our reservations with renting points. I totally get it. It is a bit more expensive, it wasn't by much though. The nice thing is that you don't have to pay the majority of your vacation up front. (I think with some of the rentals it's all the moment it is booked.) We couldn't handle that and also, there is NO flexibility or cancellation on your reservation. It just wasn't for us. Anyhow, those are a couple of extra points to remember when you consider booking through Disney for a DVC if that is an option for you.

Okay. Before this trip every one we have stayed at Riverside. We ADORE it there!! We are not doing it this trip because we want a bit more space, a kitchen, and as crazy as it sounds I love being able to do laundry on vacation, lol. So, Riverside is like the Florida/Bayou version on FW and WL. It's stunning in our opinion. It is extremely quiet, very romantic, and the whole feel of it is very tranquil and beautiful. We have not found it to be spread out at all and here's why. We only stay in the Alligator Bayou portion of Riverside. It's right up our alley with it being a bit more rustic and less manicured, inside and out respectively. It is closest to the main building with the food court and bar (a giant tasty plus by the way!!) the beautiful mill, shops, etc. To boot there is a bus station around the corner, the closest one to the lobby and amenities. Well, around the corner for Disney. Maybe a 3-5 minute walk. There are TONS of shortcuts to be had there as well because of how they designed it. With that being said, if you get bored of taking the same trek to where you want to go you don't have to do that there. I can not say enough good things about it, really. If you want to know more I STRONGLY suggest this website:
http://www.portorleans.org This is everything you need to know about Port Orleans and is updated constantly.

Now. Fort Wilderness is VERY large and you are kind of stuck with where you eat and where you have your entertainment. They are not really in the same location and that's a bummer. You could certainly rent a golf cart for your trip if you wish so you wouldn't have to drive or walk everywhere, but it is an added expense. It has a very similar feel to PO-R. More so than WL in my opinion because WL is obviously deluxe. And like you said the internal bus system is a GIANT pain in the rear, especially when it's late and you are tired!

As far as your allergies go, having a kitchen is a wonderful option and certainly a cost-savings so FW would be great for that. Disney is one of the best places to eat if you have allergies, but counter service can have limited options. Another plug for Riverside is they do have a sit-down restaurant (easier with allergies) and the counter service is huge. CC obviously has a full kitchen or a studio kitchen depending on which room you are looking at. That's great as well, but definitely more expensive than the studio kitchen in the cabins at FW. CC is connected directly to WL so the extra dining options there are a big plus for you - imo.

My recommendation for best bang for your buck and a wonderful romantic location without it costing an arm and a leg? PO-R IF you can deal with it not being a suite feel. I would recommend this resort to pretty much anyone actually!! A splurge that is definitely more cost-wise, but with WAY more amenities and brand-new rooms with full kitchens and the option with basically limitless dining - WL. Somewhat budget friendly, considering the kitchen, but a pain for resort access - FW. If I was picking FOR you. I would stay away from FW for this trip at least. It's less... honeymoon-ey to me.

I know, this was super long!!! And I probably didn't help at all, but I just felt like I met my Disney twin! LOL
You're getting married at FW??? That's awesome! I didn't know they even allowed that! I looked into Boulder Ridge (CC is sold out for our week) and I thought they were pretty reasonable despite being nearly double the DVC rental price, but my fiancé won't consider it right now. Our wedding is costing us a ton and he doesn't want to add more to it. I don't blame him, but if I had to do it all over again...a Disney elopement and a longer WDW honeymoon sounds pretty awesome right now. lol. I'm so jealous you are getting married there! We are definitely Disney twins, our resort preferences are identical, thank you so much for the Port Orleans info, I am going to head over to that site right now! Please, please, please post pics after your wedding, I am dying to see what a FW wedding looks like! So stinking jealous!!
 


Thanks! Do you find the bus rides to be long or add a significant amount of time to your trip?
Bus ride in CG is like 5 min tops wait for bus or boat like 10 to 15 min tops ride to a park 15 min tops. Not a biggie for us. In the CG we tend to have a golf cart as we bring our dogs and sometimes they don't want to co operate with walking to the dog park .
 
I have severe life threatening allergies to shellfish and fish, as well as minor allergies to some fruits and vegetables (minor in that they still suck but it won’t kill me). Disney is the one vacation spot that I trust when it comes to food. They are so good that I could go to a place like Coral Reef and they would make sure my food is safe. I’ve had chefs walk me through buffets, review the menus, and even create new dishes for me. For those of us with severe allergies Disney Dinning is truly a dream come true.
 
You're getting married at FW??? That's awesome! I didn't know they even allowed that! I looked into Boulder Ridge (CC is sold out for our week) and I thought they were pretty reasonable despite being nearly double the DVC rental price, but my fiancé won't consider it right now. Our wedding is costing us a ton and he doesn't want to add more to it. I don't blame him, but if I had to do it all over again...a Disney elopement and a longer WDW honeymoon sounds pretty awesome right now. lol. I'm so jealous you are getting married there! We are definitely Disney twins, our resort preferences are identical, thank you so much for the Port Orleans info, I am going to head over to that site right now! Please, please, please post pics after your wedding, I am dying to see what a FW wedding looks like! So stinking jealous!!


lol So am I!!! I've only seen like 3 weddings there so I'm not sure how it's going to turn out, lol. Plus, our ceremony site was picked by us and I don't think it's ever been done there before! I get the "I didn't know you could do that!" comment A LOT! I think we just lucked out withe consultant we talked to and knowing what we really wanted going in. We are so thrilled that it was an option!! And I'll totally be posting photos everywhere!!!

And your welcome for the info! Our first trip I did a ridiculous amount of research on all of the hotels and parks since it was my first real trip since I was a baby. : ) I found that site to be invaluable! And one of the few I found that was really easy to navigate and actually had realtime info on it! The resorts aren't going anywhere so you could always stay at CC on another trip!
 

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