Now that I found all the Fort Wilderness experts...I have a few questions.

[jessiesmom]

I posted a question on the resort board and it was suggested I try here.

I am planning a trip for late Sept/early Oct 2003. We'll be a group of four: me and my daughter (8) and my sister-in-law and nephew (5). We need separate areas for the kids to sleep or they'll never get to sleep.

Would the convenience of having a kitchen outweigh any inconvenience of the buses?

Also, it has been suggested that two rooms at the All Stars would be cheaper and provided two bathrooms and two tvs. We can make the one bathroom work as an offset for having the kitchen. Is this a good time of year for a discount?

We have a whole year to pull this together -- we need all the help we can get.

Thanks a bunch!!

 

[donaldduck1967]

it really deponds on a few things. The kitchen is nice because you save alot of money by not having to eat all meals out. if the kids arent big eaters then eating out may not be so expensive. Having a car is nice because when the kids are ready for a nap and want to leave the parks right now then not having to wait for a bus is a big plus because 1 - you will get to your room much quicker and 2 - you wont have to carry a sleeping child from the bus stop to the room.
Sept is a good time to go as it is not very crowded. Hopes this helps some

 

[ghcoughlin]

The cabins are the BEST,just to have a kithcen is worth it.We found if we just ate breakfast everyday in the cabin we saved $$$ and valuable time.You mentioned the kids would never get to sleep in the same room.If they are like my kids they pass out as soon as their heads hit the pillow when at WDW.They too are known to stay up if put in the same room.But it's never been the case at WDW.The quiet surroundings are wonderful after a hectic day at the parks.I would much rather spend the $$ for a beautiful cabin vs.2 rooms at AS.The ambience of the resort is just special and adds to the trip.Our kids have great memories of the cabin and resort alone.
We have gone the past 2 Septs,you will be able to get a great rate with codes.And the crowds are non existant.
Have fun planning your trip!!
Heidi

PS The buses were never an inconvenience.The bus routes always worked well for us.

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

I would have to agree. The kids will be tired and their falling asleep in the same room shouldn't be a problem.

I, personally, would rather stay at the campground with kids rather than any of the hotels. It is very relaxing coming out of the over-stimulating atmosphere of the parks ... a great place for EVERYONE to recharge and get ready for the next day!

The time savings alone will be worth it to have a kitchen. You can serve up breakfast in no time in the morning vs getting everyone ready to wait in line at a restaurant and then not getting to the parks until mid-morning.

Have a great time!

 

[chucknrita]

Jessiesmom,
If you can swing a golf cart into your budget I'd recommend it, especially with the little nephew. We never used the internal bus system so I can't comment on that (we drove our rental car to all theme parks except MK), but we did have a golf cart during our week's stay and it was convenient in more ways than one: Our then two and a half yr. old son was entertained just zipping around FW and checking out the loops; when DH and I would alternate taking our morning jogs I'd take our son in the golf cart to "find" dad running; park the cart at the marina to catch the boat to MK and after a long day at the parks just jump right in and head "home" to your cabin; zip on over to the campfire movie, go to the store for a quick run, etc. Have fun!

 

[MELSMICE]

Personally, I think having the kitchen outweighs having the 2 bathrooms. I also think the kids will fall asleep very quickly. If you think it will be a problem have the 5 year old go to bed first & I bet while the 8 year old is in the bathroom getting ready for bed the 5 year old will fall fast asleep.

The cabins are great. The adults can go outside at night or in the morning on the deck & relax while the kids are in the cabin. It's the perfect place to stay. We love it.

 

[melk]

I have to agree with the others, we find the kitchen to be the best thing to have with kids. When the kids are small I don't think the one vs. two bathrooms is an issue (it will be when they're teenagers though!). Also, as far as the bedroom, it consists of bunk beds and a double bed. I would just put the kids in the bunk beds. When we were there last there was a tv/radio in the room (not sure if it's still there) and every night on one of the channels they had Disney bedtime stories. It was just audio, not on the tv screen. We found it kept the kids from being up giggling and believe me, they never made it through one whole story, and I think each one only lasts about 10 minutes! I also would recommend a golf cart if you can fit it into the budget. It saves you from waiting for the buses and they are fun to have!