Wilderness Cabins vs OKW

[Disneyfan819]

We are a family of 6 with a 16, 12, 7, and 2 year old. Trying to decide on where to stay for our next trip. Right now I am pondering between Wilderness Cabins and a 1 bedroom at OKW as they seem to be the most cost efficient for us and include a kitchen. We have never been to either of these resorts and would love feedback!

 

[Marionnette]

We are a family of 6 with a 16, 12, 7, and 2 year old. Trying to decide on where to stay for our next trip. Right now I am pondering between Wilderness Cabins and a 1 bedroom at OKW as they seem to be the most cost efficient for us and include a kitchen. We have never been to either of these resorts and would love feedback!

OKW hands down! You would be packed in like sardines at a Fort Wilderness cabin. Plus, OKW has a full kitchen and a full size washer and dryer. For me, it’s not even close.

 

[Deb & Bill]

OR are you considering a Copper Creek Cabin at Wilderness Lodge? Those are really nice. In an OKW one bedroom you get one king bed for mom and dad. The kids can all sleep in the living room in the queen sleeper sofa and twin sleeper chair plus the pack and play for the toddler.

 

[Tigger's ally]

One other thing, while technically the OKW 1BR does not have two bathrooms, it does have two different areas to get ready. You could also have one in the shower in the bathroom part and the little ones in the tub over in the other part. Two sinks, one in each part of the bathroom allows you two to get ready at the same time. I would recommend also you get the rooms in buildings > 30 so the kids would not have to go through the master bedroom to get to the toilet. We love OKW for it's transportation and central location as well. Besides that it is just a great resort.

 

[Deb & Bill]

One other thing, while technically the OKW 1BR does not have two bathrooms, it does have two different areas to get ready. You could also have one in the shower in the bathroom part and the little ones in the tub over in the other part. Two sinks, one in each part of the bathroom allows you two to get ready at the same time. I would recommend also you get the rooms in buildings > 30 so the kids would not have to go through the master bedroom to get to the toilet. We love OKW for it's transportation and central location as well. Besides that it is just a great resort.

If you wanted the door through the laundry room to the bathroom, book Turtle Pond or South Point. Those are your best odds for getting that doorway.

 

[gorkt]

These are both good value for larger families. I have stayed in both and vote for OKW 1 bedroom. It has amazing space and a more accessible bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the grounds. I did not care for the grounds at Wilderness cabins - basically all of the cabins were right on top of each other. The view from the decks are just basically pine trees, pine needles and other cabins. The porch on the OKW was covered and I had a lovely view of the lake/fountains. It was really relaxing.

Both resorts are a bit removed from the parks and food options which could be a plus or minus (my husband likes being far from the parks, while I prefer being near the action). I found the transportation at Wilderness cabins to be less convenient. You needed to take an internal bus to get anywhere which added a fair bit of extra time. OKW looped around the resort, but you only had to take one bus.

A plus for Wilderness cabins was the beach area and view of the nighttime water parade, and some free fun activities like the chip and dale marshmallow roast thingie.

Have you looked at AoA family suites? Sure, it is a value, but the room set up is really nice, and I really liked the bus service and food court.

 

[Wood Nymph]

OKW is really nice. You would have at least twice the space plus a full size washer and dryer in the villa. The bus service is good too.

 

[Disneyfan819]

We are a family of 6 with a 16, 12, 7, and 2 year old. Trying to decide on where to stay for our next trip. Right now I am pondering between Wilderness Cabins and a 1 bedroom at OKW as they seem to be the most cost efficient for us and include a kitchen. We have never been to eithethese resorts and would love feedback!

These are both good value for larger families. I have stayed in both and vote for OKW 1 bedroom. It has amazing space and a more accessible bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is the grounds. I did not care for the grounds at Wilderness cabins - basically all of the cabins were right on top of each other. The view from the decks are just basically pine trees, pine needles and other cabins. The porch on the OKW was covered and I had a lovely view of the lake/fountains. It was really relaxing.

Both resorts are a bit removed from the parks and food options which could be a plus or minus (my husband likes being far from the parks, while I prefer being near the action). I found the transportation at Wilderness cabins to be less convenient. You needed to take an internal bus to get anywhere which added a fair bit of extra time. OKW looped around the resort, but you only had to take one bus.

A plus for Wilderness cabins was the beach area and view of the nighttime water parade, and some free fun activities like the chip and dale marshmallow roast thingie.

Have you looked at AoA family suites? Sure, it is a value, but the room set up is really nice, and I really liked the bus service and food court.

Thank you for all of that info! We tend to like to be closer to the parks as we have stayed at Polynesian and Boardwalk in the past, however with our growing family we are just trying to find something that will fit our budget and all of us comfortably! We live in the Poconos so we see Pine trees all the time! I’m thinking OKW is the way to go based on all of the replies. We did think about AOA but looking for something with a kitchen to save money on meals (I swore I would never cook on vacation but again with 6 of us it gets to be a lot)! Are the AOA suites as spacious as the OKW 1 bedroom?

 

[Tigger's ally]

Are the AOA suites as spacious as the OKW 1 bedroom?

We just stayed in both first of May and the answer is a resounding No. While AoA has two full bathrooms, the overall space is not nearly as big as OKW 1BR. The kitchen/Dining/living room is a huge space at OKW. And, the balcony/patio makes it even bigger. And I loved the ceiling fans that AoA doesn't have. Plus like you say, cooking full meals is easy at OKW and there are even dishes and a dishwasher to help save you time. One other tip, I know it can be expensive, but consider just one Annual Pass as the money it saves on the rooms at OKW can be a lifesaver. We got the AP discount rate for a 2BR in May and it was $458 per night. I know the price is higher now though on both the AP and the room rates since they both went up since we bought. Plan it out with a spreadsheet to see if one AP will save you money and include the dining and souvenirs discount as well and the photo pass downloads that come with it.

 

[Simba's Mom]

We did a split stay between OKW and the Fort Wilderness Cabins with 2 college-aged kids, and I'd definitely recommend OKW (although I loved the Cabins when the kids were little). Two TVs, laundry facilities, and lots of space.

 

[gorkt]

OKW is definitely a bigger room and probably better for a family of your size. The only advantage AOA has is transportation and proximity to the food court, plus more kid friendly theming for the little ones.

 

[Lynne M]

Are the AOA suites as spacious as the OKW 1 bedroom?

AOA family suites are 565 square feet.

Fort Wilderness cabins are 504 square feet.

OKW one bedroom villas are 942 square feet.

I'd recommend looking for floor plans for each of the three options. That'll really show you the difference.

 

[sixcats]

Okw felt like an off-site condo to me. Fort Wilderness has the more Disney feel to our family and has more to do. I do think that either will be tight with six. Our Kids have always loved the campfire movies and hayrides at the fort. A golf cart adds to the fun there also. Have you looked into renting dvc points and pricing out a 2 bedroom somewhere?

 

[Tutsie Bell]

We have a family of 9. We are interested in renting points. Do you recommend any one resort over another for such a large family? Make up is parents, teens & young adults, 5 & 1.

 

[buzznina]

Even though we are not fans of OKW, I would definitely go with OKW because of the big room size difference and better bathroom and sleeping areas.

 

[Tutsie Bell]

Thank you! We've never been to Disney and are clueless. I appreciate your input.

 

[Lynne M]

We have a family of 9. We are interested in renting points. Do you recommend any one resort over another for such a large family? Make up is parents, teens & young adults, 5 & 1.

All DVC resorts have the same basic room types, with some differences in layout, number of bathrooms, amenities, etc. I generally choose my resort based on which parks I'll be visiting and what the transportation options are like for that park.

It's possible to get your entire group in one villa (2 or 3 bedrooms), but sometimes it makes more sense to split up into separate villas, depending on the ages and makeup of your group.

The time of year you're planning to visit also matters, as well as how early you're able to book. For example, if you're visiting from mid-September through the end of the year, and you can't book until 7 months out, your options are going to be limited, and it becomes a matter of which resorts you can book, more than which resort you want to book.

 

[Tutsie Bell]

Thank you so much! This gives me insight.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Most of the buildings at OKW do not have elevators. So you could be on an upper floor with strollers and other kid stuff. But you could just get the older kids to carry the stuff up and down the stairs.