July 22, 2008. Just got back from a two night stay. My DH, and I and two of our grandchildren stayed in cabin 2231. We visit Disney frequently and have stayed in several of their resorts. Some parts of this resort were fabulous - (nothing was bad) - but some parts just OK.

Cabins are rustic in a charming way and you can't go wrong with a full size refrigerator and kitchen. Also a full size coffee maker with extra packets of coffee under the cabinet. We had tons of towels in the bathroom and the peaked (A-frame style) ceilings make the rooms feel bigger. There are some nice shelves in the bathroom for your toiletries. Also nice was having a TV in the bedroom and the living area (although neither TV flat screen and both on the small size ). The Murphy bed in the living room was comfy and easy to pull out and put away (the 8 year old had no problem). The air conditioning was perfect and kept the cabin very cool, even in the 90 degree weather. Beds were not plush but comfy enough.

However, the cabins are dark with minimal lighting and the rooms are small. The bedroom has one full size bed pushed up against the wall and a set of twin beds pushed up against the other wall - with just enough space between them. The Murphy-bed is another full size bed. (we are used to our King-size bed) There is almost no drawer space and very little closet space. I like to put clothes away if I'm staying a few days, and it was a good thing this was only a short stay or I would have had to live out of the suitcase. The blow dryer is in the bedroom in front of a mirror- but in a kind of cramped dark space.

If you just wanted the kitchen and separate bedroom and did not come for the camping - then there are other Disney resorts that I think are much nicer.

Resort. The grounds are gorgeous and peaceful - which can be a wonderful relief after the busy times in the theme parks. It does feel like camping (even for those of us who wouldn't be caught dead in a tent!) Great paths for running, biking, rollerblading, walking, with almost no traffic, including a 3.8 mile exercise loop from the campground to the Wilderness lodge. The swimming pools are nice- if utilitarian, and never seemed too crowded during our stay.

Groceries/Dining - the "Trading Posts" at the resort have a fairly good selection of the small size versions of supplies but they are very pricey. We brought our own food, but I checked prices just for fun. Whoa! A six pack of beer was $12.82 at the Trading Post. If you have a car, there are several grocery stores nearby, including a Super Wal-Mart about 3.5 miles from Downtown Disney. There is only one restaurant on the grounds - the Trails Inn Buffet. We did not eat there this time - but last year it was fine if not fancy.

Getting around. A golf cart does make it much nicer and is probably worth the extra $50 per day. They aren't necessary - because the buses do run everywhere, but with the cart you don't have to wait for a bus which can take up to 15 minutes each time, they can be fun to drive around, and you get to feel like one of the "campers." Golf carts are everywhere! Walking is unrealistic because the area is bigger than you think. We had a really long wait to get our golf cart - but supposedly that isn't the norm. The cart was reserved but they are not available until 1 p.m., so I went to the bike barn at 1:45 thinking to avoid the initial rush. Wrong! Waited in line until finally getting my cart at 3 p.m. Next time, I'd go about 12:30 and hope to beat the rush.

FYI - the Boat to Magic Kingdom is not climate controlled (not air conditioned). We've taken the boat before, and it can be fun when the temperature is nicer - but if we stay at this resort again in the summer, I'll just drive to the parks in our own car. It would be faster and more comfy.

Experience. Two things not to miss. The Campfire sing-along and going to the beach at night. The campfire was fun. It starts at 7:30 for the fire starting and then singing at 8. The fire-starting is not ceremonial - so you can easily wait until closer to 8 p.m. to arrive. The fire is still going and there will be plenty of time to roast the marsh mellows before the movie starts. The kids enjoyed the sing-along and Chip and Dale make the rounds while you are singing.

At 9:45 p.m. the lighted boat parade is visible from the beach and lots of campers drive their golf carts down to the Marina parking spots and go out on the beach lounge chairs or on blankets. Then at 10 p.m. the nightly fireworks from the Magic Kingdom are visible. We took flashlights - (wish I'd remembered glow sticks) and the kids had a great time.

One final hint. Because I got a "deal" on one of the nights - Disney made me make two reservations. One reservation for one night at one rate, and one for the other night at the other rate. I didn't care until the check-in representative told me that I would have to come back and check in again the next day! When I gently but firmly complained - they offered to deliver my new keys and new car parking pass to our cabin at 8 am the next day- so that I did not have to return to the check-in lodge. Much better than having to re-check in.

I never expected to go to Disney and sleep in a tent. I am usually the resort type person. My kids and I spent two nights in a tent and had so much fun.

There is so much to do at the resort that we never ventured off the campgrounds those days. My girls, ages 17 & 13, went swimming, played basketball, took a hike and rented a canoe. My son, who is 8, and I visited the petting zoo and stopped in the arcade for a little bit. We even got the girls to try fishing, which was hilarious when they found out the bait was live worms. Even I got the courage to bait a few hooks but we never caught a fish. One night we took the 9 PM carriage ride through the resort and watched the fireworks from Magic Kingdom from the beach directly across from the park. It was nice. My son wants to take that ride again.

This is a very nice campground and the price is great for a Disney property. We are planning on going back next week for a few nights just to camp and watch fireworks. It makes a great getaway for the family.

I stayed at the Fort Wildreness in one of the cabins with a group of my friends. It was four 20 somethings all staying together for a long weekend. We didn't see the need to spend the extra money on a golf cart because everything was easy to walk to, though I would understand the need for one in the summer months when it gets too hot to even walk off the porch. The buses ran effieciently and we never waited more than a few minutes for them. Our cabin was very clean and the staff were very helpful. Check in took no time at all and we even had a clerk that was in training and everything still went smoothly! The only problem we ran into was that the hair dryer stopped working but less than a half hour after we called and told them about it, they were there to fix it and even brought us a back up incase the other gave out again (which it didnt.) The price is a bit much but worth it for the privacy and space. You really feel like you're on you own. Overall a fantastic place to stay and would go back anytime!

Our cabin was very dirty....I could write letters in the dust. The cabins and resort are not updated. Plugs did not work in the bathroom. The door to the bathroom had to be forced open...they did fix that while we were there. Takes 2 times as long to get to the parks from this resort as the other resorts. You have to take a bus to get to a boat or another bus to get to other resorts. We gave up too long of a wait to get there and drove the rest of the time. The only place to eat at this resort was not good and I paid $80.00 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Not what you expect out of Disney. We will never go back to any Disney resort they are too overpriced. We have stayed off site before and it was nicer and a 3rd of the cost. Disney did send a survey to fill out online and I called the front desk to make known all of the problems and all they said was I'm sorry at front desk and NO response from survey. Don't waste your money on going to this resort. Still had fun at the parks, we just won't go back to the resorts ever again.