Wilderness Cabins or WLV Studio for family of 5?????

[NHBelle]

Really want to surprise my kids with a Disney Trip NEXT Thanksgiving. Staying at Disney with a family of 5 is always challenging......hoping we'll get Free dining (if we arrive the Thursday before it looks like it should work based on History). Anyway since POR isn't included with Free Dining it looks like our lowest priced options would be the Wilderness Lodge Cabins or the new Wilderness Lodge Villas Studio that will now sleep 5. My dilema is that the cabins don't appeal to my kids....they don't want to "camp" on vacation, but I think it would be roomier for us and everyone would have a place to sleep. The Studio would be tight and my kids really hate pull out sofas, but I think the location would be better (am a bit worried about getting around at the cabins). I love the lodge theming and it should be decorated for the Holidays right? I just don't know....either way it's a surprise trip so I am not going to get input from my kids. They will have to deal with whatever I decide!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pixarmom]

We stayed at WL a couple times before we were a family of 5, but we haven't stayed in either the cabins or VWL. Just a few days ago, I had to make the same decision you're contemplating for a resort-only Easter weekend next year! We weighed the exact same factors you listed, and decided to book the VWL studio. We'll have a car, so getting around wouldn't be that tough, but we prefer to park the car and leave it. I liked the proximity to WL, the pools and the overall environment. Even for a resort-only stay, we don't plan to spend a ton of time in the room and when we do, I love having a balcony (requested a higher floor.) In the end, the resort environment at VWL was a key factor in our decision.

Good luck with your decision - looking forward to reading input from others!

 

[Deb & Bill]

A family of five, with all of them not toddlers, might find the VWL studio to be very small. I'd go with the cabins. Or book a CR wing room - two queen beds, and a day bed, instead of one queen bed, one double sleeper sofa and a murphy bed.

 

[Madame]

CBR will have Murphy bed rooms available by then if it's included in FD - and cheaper than the cabins.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Really want to surprise my kids with a Disney Trip NEXT Thanksgiving. Staying at Disney with a family of 5 is always challenging......hoping we'll get Free dining (if we arrive the Thursday before it looks like it should work based on History). Anyway since POR isn't included with Free Dining it looks like our lowest priced options would be the Wilderness Lodge Cabins or the new Wilderness Lodge Villas Studio that will now sleep 5. My dilema is that the cabins don't appeal to my kids....they don't want to "camp" on vacation, but I think it would be roomier for us and everyone would have a place to sleep. The Studio would be tight and my kids really hate pull out sofas, but I think the location would be better (am a bit worried about getting around at the cabins). I love the lodge theming and it should be decorated for the Holidays right? I just don't know....either way it's a surprise trip so I am not going to get input from my kids. They will have to deal with whatever I decide!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think you need to worry about "camping" at the Fort Wilderness Cabins -- my two Princesses wouldn't be caught dead actually camping -- I've stayed at chain hotels that wished they were as nice as the cabins. Plus the location is perfect -- short boat ride to MK, CR and WL. Can take the boat to CR and get on the monorail to the TTC and switch to the Epcot monorail. We are doing a split stay, again, this February at GF and FWC -- I don't think you will be disappointed.

Tom

 

[sharadoc]

I don't think you need to worry about "camping" at the Fort Wilderness Cabins -- my two Princesses wouldn't be caught dead actually camping -- I've stayed at chain hotels that wished they were as nice as the cabins. Plus the location is perfect -- short boat ride to MK, CR and WL. Can take the boat to CR and get on the monorail to the TTC and switch to the Epcot monorail. We are doing a split stay, again, this February at GF and FWC -- I don't think you will be disappointed.

Tom

Plus if you're looking for Christmas decorations, there's no better resort than Fort Wilderness. There's so much to see everywhere, in addition to the resort decorations, the campers do up their sites. It's amazing!

It's very easy to get around the resort. The amount of distance you'll walk from your room at VWL to the boat dock to MK is huge! At FW, you can take a bus and walk much less. It's great.

Look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUeP-_GiKy0

 

[RubySue]

I don't know about the WLV, but we have stayed at FW cabins.

We really enjoyed the cabin. We're from Colorado and weren't interested in the camping aspect, but the cabin configuration was what I went for.

It was me (grandma) and my son and two grandsons (then 12 and 16). My son and the boys got the bedroom - double bed and bunk beds. I took the living room with the murphy bed. A big plus was the full kitchen. We ate breakfast in the cabin every day and when we came back late at night the kids could make sandwiches or snacks. And mousekeeping does the dishes.

We didn't have a car with us and rented a golf cart for the entire stay. Pricey, but worth every penny. I didn't know then that you can rent from outside vendors for less $.

 

[TinkerbellsMom0923]

We don't have as many people as you but we stayed at the cabins in June 2013 and WLV in Jan 2014. We also stayed at AOA in a suite in Sept 2013. Liked that but not as nice as others. Spread out, noisier.
I loved the cabins.
Pros
Full kitchen, we only made breakfast once but nice to have to do sandwiches late at night.
Room to spread out, we have 4 adults in family and an uncle who lives nearby who visited often. We could go to bed in the bedroom while uncle visited with his brother.
It's quiet and private.
The pools are nice.
I loved sitting out in AM on porch with coffee.
Cons
Internal bus system, harder to get to parks. Even with cars.
I also love WL. I think more than cabins.
Pros
Quiet, great transportation. Pools good.
Coms
Long walk to get coffee in AM
We are headed back in September/Oct and if WL wasn't under renovation we would've stayed there.
The choice was between cabin and Boardwalk. Boardwalk won due to being close to Epcot.
My son, a cast member decided. He's trying to stay everywhere.
Hope this helps.

 

[Haygar2]

Please keep in mind, if you decide to book them, that the cabins are actually located in the Fort Wilderness Resort. They are not a part of the Wilderness Lodge. I just didn't want you to have any confusion if you try to book them.
They are two separate resorts.

We are staying in the Cabins next month. We can't wait. Yes, they are a little further away from everything. Yes they take a little more planning when it comes to getting around. However, we like the fact that after a long day we can come back to our "house". We don't have to listen to people coming and going. We won't hear the people in adjoining rooms. No kids (or adults) yelling and making noise. We like to be able to wind down and relax before starting the next day. Plus, you can't beat the space.

 

[SusieBea]

I can't add much to what PPs have said, other than we've stayed at both (altho we had a 1-bdrm at the VWL). The cabins are roomy and the kitchen is nice, but I felt the bus system was a pain.