If you’re looking for a unique Disney resort experience or traveling with a larger group, you might be considering The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort for your next vacation. I’ve been visiting Fort Wilderness for over 20 years, though this was my first time experiencing the newly renovated cabins. Are they worth the hefty price tag? Decide for yourself with my Fort Wilderness cabins review!

About The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

Overview

• Hotel Category: Moderate Resort
• Price: $500 to $700 per night
• Resort Area: Magic Kingdom Resort Area

Having opened back in November 1971, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is one of the original resorts at Walt Disney World. Here, guests can pitch a tent, rent or bring their camper/RV, or stay in one of the newly renovated Wilderness Cabins, as we did.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort has undergone extensive renovations over the years while still maintaining its rustic charm. The most recent update to the resort was the complete renovation of all 400+ cabins, and the Meadows Swimmin’ Pool is currently undergoing an expansion scheduled for completion this summer.

Additionally, the newest Disney resort, Lakeshore Lodge, is under construction and set to open in 2027. This DVC resort is located between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and is being built on the former River Country water park site.

Through all the updates, it remains a truly special place for me. Some resorts are just a place to sleep — but Fort Wilderness is a place to live the magic.

Atmosphere & Theming

Nestled just off Bay Lake, this resort transports guests from the hustle of the theme parks to the serenity of the woods, filled with pine trees, meadow trees, and woodsy nature paths. Over 700 acres of lodging, recreation, and dining give you enough to do without even having to set foot into a theme park!

Chip and Dale are the mascots of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, and many animals, such as deer, rabbits, and turkeys, call the resort home. Look for them while you explore the grounds.

For my family, this resort is more of an experience than just a place to rest our heads at night. Guests can embrace the camping community, the abundance of outdoor recreation activities, and the serenity of the Florida outdoors.

Dining Options

One of the main perks of staying at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is the ability to cook your own food, with access to grills and full kitchens in The Cabins. However, that doesn’t mean dining options aren’t available. While you won’t find a substantial variety of options here compared to other resorts, some of the most unique Disney World dining experiences reside at Fort Wilderness.

Quick Service Options:

• The Chuck Wagon
• Meadows Snack Bar
• Trail’s End Restaurant

Table Service Options:

• Crockett’s Tavern
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue – A Dinner Show

Amenities & Recreation

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is unique not only for its lodging options (The Cabins and The Campsites) but also for its recreation. There are quite a few things to do that you won’t find anywhere else on Disney property. These include:

• Meadows Swimmin’ Pool
• Wilderness Swimmin’ Pool
• Davey Crockett’s Arcade
• Daniel Boone’s Arcade
• Four Playgrounds
• Basketball, Tetherball, Shuffleboard, Pool Tables, Table Tennis
• Tennis/Pickleball Courts
• Chip and Dale’s Campfire Sing-a-Long
• Clementine Beach
• Fishing
• Bike Rentals
• Canoe/Kayak Rentals
• Fort Wilderness Archery Experience ($)
• Tri-Circle-D Ranch
• Pony Rides ($)
• Horseback Riding ($)
• Gem Mining ($)
• The Wilderness Back Trail Adventure Segway Tour ($)
• Horse Carriage Rides ($)

Note that some of these resort amenities require advanced reservations, so be sure to check the Walt Disney World website for details and availability.

Transportation Options

Due to its size, Fort Wilderness offers complimentary transportation to the theme parks and Disney Springs AND internal transportation for guests to get around the resort.

Theme Park Transportation:

• Boat Transportation from the Settlement Marina to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Bus Transportation from the Outpost to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and Disney’s waterparks

Resort Transportation:

• Disney Bus Transportation – Orange Line, Purple Line, Yellow Line from the Outpost to the Settlement
• Golf Carts available for purchase
• Bike Rentals available

Our Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Review

For this Fort Wilderness Cabins review, we spent a weekend at the resort for a girls’ trip! There were five of us, which immediately eliminated all standard rooms throughout Walt Disney World resorts, as standard rooms across the property only sleep four guests. So, we decided to book The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.

I grew up going to Fort Wilderness Campground, so I’ll forever have a soft spot for this resort. That said, the resort has undergone significant renovations over the past decade, some for the better and some… well… not so much. With renovations comes – you guessed it – price increases!

Are the updated cabins worth the rates? Here’s my honest take.

The Room

We were assigned cabin 2826, located in the 2800 loop, also known as Black Bear Ridge. This loop is the farthest from the Settlement Area, where the marina and many food options are located; however, it is the closest to the Outpost, a.k.a. the main entrance.

When you first arrive at the cabin, you’re greeted by a colorful exterior, a paved driveway to park a car if needed, a grill, and a large deck with a picnic table, loungers, and even a shoe cleaner!

Cabins are set up more like a 1-bedroom “tiny home,” featuring a bedroom with a queen-sized bed and twin bunk beds, plus a pull-down queen-sized Murphy bed in the living room. The cabin sleeps six total guests.

The full kitchen is equipped with a fridge, freezer, oven, microwave, and dishwasher. The cabinets are also fully stocked with plates, cups, pots and pans, and utensils. Lastly, there is a full-sized bathroom with a large walk-in shower.

The cabin’s theming has been modernized, shifting from dark, log-wood decor to a brighter, yet still outdoorsy vibe. This drastic change in the cabins’ styles caused MAJOR uproar from Fort Wilderness diehards, and I’ll admit, as one of them, I was a little skeptical.

However, maybe I’m the minority, but I actually loved the upgrade. The cabins feel larger, cleaner, and more inviting. Overall, it still gives off warm and cozy vibes, but with upgraded appliances, more comfortable beds, and a larger bathroom. I’ll take this over the old cabins any day.

When traveling with kids, not having a tub/shower combo could be a drawback, but it was great for our purposes.

One complaint we did have was the lack of outlets in a few locations. The bunk beds had no outlets in the frames or near the beds, which the girls who slept in them weren’t thrilled about.

Food and Drinks

Since we had access to a kitchen, we didn’t venture out to any dining locations at Fort Wilderness on this trip. We brought breakfast and snack items with us, and then spent evenings dining in Disney Springs.

However, I did make a few trips to Trail’s End Restaurant to grab a coffee. My go-to here is the Gold Rush Latte, a vanilla latte with caramel. Just like all Disney locations, they serve Joffrey’s coffee, which isn’t my favorite. However, as a mom of 2 out on a girls’ weekend, I’ll take all the caffeine I can get!

We may not have dined here on this trip, but from previous experience, I’ll confidently say that the family meals at Trail’s End are one of the best values on all Disney World property.

Amenities & Recreation

Pool

A trip in early February can be hit or miss with the weather. During our trip, it was warm-ish during the day and cold at night. Guests – who I assume were traveling from up north – we’re swimming, though our Florida blood couldn’t do it.

So, we spent some time in the hot tub instead, which was relaxing! There is only one hot tub in this area, and it’s not large. On a normal day, it’s usually full of kids jumping back and forth between the sauna and the pool. We lucked out on our trip that the weather was deterring some!

The Meadows Pool is not as themed as other resorts, but it’s still a great place for some family fun. This pool area is currently under construction, so access to lounge chairs is limited. The pool can get crowded, so the expansion is much needed.

More Activities

We spent most of our time relaxing on the cabin deck and driving around in the golf cart, taking in the scenery.

There is also an unofficial Facebook group, Original Fort Wilderness Scavenger Hunts, that guests put together to add a little extra magic to your stay at the Fort. Guests bring items of all sizes, hide them, and post them in the Facebook group for fellow hunters to find around the resort. This is a fun activity for all ages, and we really enjoyed participating in this unofficial activity during our stay!

Transportation

For transportation around Fort Wilderness, we rented a 4-seater golf cart for $70 per day. We did not use the internal bus transportation on this trip, but we have many times in the past. Internal bus transportation is a fine option and will get guests where they need to go, but it can be time-consuming. If you can budget for it, I highly recommend a golf cart. Not only does it make transportation easier, but it’s also fun!

While we didn’t visit any parks this trip, we did spend time at Disney Springs and took the bus to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. To get to Disney Springs, we used external bus transportation, which departs from the Outpost. Buses were prompt leaving Fort Wilderness; however, at the end of the night, we waited about 25 minutes for a bus back from Disney Springs. To get to the Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness offers an internal bus system that leaves from the Settlement bus stop at the back of the resort.

Cost

Now, here’s the thing. With Disney’s dynamic pricing, the cost for these cabins will vary drastically depending on demand, much like park tickets and just about everything else. The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness also became part of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) when the renovations were completed, causing a price surge as well.

This was a popular weekend in February, smack dab in between President’s Day weekend and a RunDisney event. Thus, the cabin cost $650 per night for our trip. Steep, right? Splitting the cost between multiple people makes The Cabins a perfect, affordable option. Although, I can see why families of 4 or 5 where only one person is footing the bill could shy away from these accommodations.

Overall Fort Wilderness Cabins Review

Overall, I absolutely love The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. Nostalgic opinions of Fort Wilderness aside, the cabins are a modern, family-friendly option for anyone who doesn’t love the idea of being crammed in a hotel room, loves the outdoors, or wants a slower pace than what you’d expect from the hustle of Walt Disney World.

The price can be shocking; however, when comparing either a single cabin or multiple resort rooms to fit your larger family, you may find it’s not all that much more expensive. Add in the ability to cook your own meals at The Cabins and the recreational options most other resorts don’t offer, and I believe they are well worth booking.

Fort Wilderness is home to many families’ lifelong memories, including mine. Although we usually RV camp here, I’m already searching for a weekend to bring my whole family to the cabins! The Fort isn’t just a resort — it’s the rare place where the memories you make between the parks might just outlast the ones inside them.

Stay at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort if…

• You enjoy the outdoors
• You’re traveling with a large party
• You want to cook your own meals
• You plan on spending a lot of time outside the theme parks and want a resort with lots to do

Skip The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort if…

• You don’t enjoy the outdoors
• You’re traveling on a budget
• You will spend most of your time at the theme parks
• You want a small, walkable resort

Comments

Have you stayed at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort? Do you think they’re worth the price? Let us know in the comments!