Close your eyes for a moment. Picture a cabin in the woods. What does it look like? Are you picturing a simple, cozy house made of pine? Are you imagining a wood fireplace and a thermos full of hot tea? When we hear “cabin,” our mind goes to a log house in the woods. It’s nature!
Is this what you were imagining?
Perhaps the Cabins at Fort Wilderness is Disney’s answer to an idyllic life in the woods. There’s something about a cozy log cabin that screams “comfort,” right? These cabins have been pretty popular among Disney fans. They give you plenty of space, come with a full kitchen, and make you forget you’re living in the middle of a major Florida city. That’s magic! But recently, Disney did something that SHOCKED a lot of people. Remember those classic cabins we conjured up in our minds? They’re about to change.
Back in 2023, Disney announced that the Cabins at Fort Wilderness would be getting a makeover. Imagineers are redesigning these spaces to become the Disney Vacation Club Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort (but keep in mind you don’t have to be a Disney Vacation Club member to book a stay in a new cabin). Here’s a peek at the NEW design. Talk about a MAJOR transformation!
©Disney
Gone are the old log cabins, and in their place will be over 350 refreshed cabins. Disney’s concept art features sleek, modern cabins, which Disney explained are “inspired by the resort’s idyllic setting, while also paying homage to the resort’s unique culture and heritage through the magic of Disney storytelling.”
©Disney
Just like before, the cabins will sleep up to six adults and feature a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen, and private patio. Some cabins will also be dog-friendly. Below, you can see what the living room area will look like — we spy a murphy bed!
©Disney
The updated floor plan shows a single bedroom off to the left and a bathroom off to the right. In the center, guests have a kitchen, dining area, and sofa that folds down into a bed. If you’ve ever heard of a “shipping container home,” these designs feel very similar to those homes. (Google it — you’ll see what we mean.)
©Disney
OK, now let’s talk about the changes. We’ve heard from a LOT of Disney fans, and the overwhelming sentiment seems to be that fans miss the cozy cabin vibes of the old homes. Let’s be honest — can we even call these new things “cabins”? If anything, it looks like a tiny house! And we’re not saying there’s anything wrong with a tiny house — any kind of HOUSE is an upgrade from those tiny Disney World hotel rooms we’re used to. But by definition, the “cabin” part of the Fort Wilderness Cabins seems to have disappeared.
©Disney
Let’s take another look at the old cabins. Some may argue that these rooms were dated. On the other hand, other Disney fans liked the nostalgic, woodsy appearance of these cabins. Either way, many seemed pretty shocked by the new designs.
Fort Wilderness cabin
So, what are your thoughts? Are you team redesign, or do you miss the log cabin-style homes? These new cabins are set to open on July 1st, 2024. That’s SOON! We can’t wait to check out the new cabins for ourselves. Will we miss the old rooms? Yes. But are we ready for something NEW? Yes!
We’ll be sure to keep our eyes out for additional updates, so stay tuned for more Disney news!
Read This Before You Shell Out $$ for Disney’s NEW Fort Wilderness Cabins
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Disney, you are making a huge mistake with the new design of the cabins, especially the interior. They are in Fort WILDERNESS and are CABINS, but they look like the interior of a hotel room. Stop changing resort rooms all to “modern” and losing the charm and excitement of the resort THEME! If I wanted this new modern look instead of a fun escape with Disney theme, I would go stay at a Marriott or Hilton for less money.
I wish they did some smaller cabins. You know? For just two. MAYBE 4. With 350 new ones, they could have made some concessions to couples. And don’t tell me about making more money with six people. I get it!
I’m thankful that someone has mentioned this. I’ve been thinking that they just don’t fit! Why????? Not worthy of Fort Wilderness. So sorry. I know people will get them but the whole ambiance of the area. Complete miss .🧐
Big mistake! The new “cabins” are not cabins. They do not reflect their surroundings. They are not cozy looking-they are sterile hotel room looking. My family has wonderful memories from stays in the cabins when they were cabins.
From gorgeous rustic log cabins to double-wide trailers. Good job, Disney.
We will be staying in the cabins in early February.
We like the old cabins and the cabin look and feel.
We have two dogs and like the ease of walking them in the campground.
The new cabins remind me of manufactured homes and are nothing like a log cabin!
With dogs we are limited to the four dog friendly locations available to us. The cabins and Art of Animation offer the best places with our points.
Change is constant at Disney and not always for the better!
I totally agree with the above! One books a cabin because of the nostalgic feel of a cozy mountain home!
From rustic cabin in the woods to wine mom trailer. Somebody sure missed the demographic appeal.
The redesign are not cabins. I haven’t needed the extra space but considered a stay at Fort Wilderness but that’s off the list. I give friends considering a stay the heads up on the change so they can make their own decisions. For me, Disney just continues it’s downward spiral
My take is that Disney did some surveying of its visitors and discovered that most assumed that the interiors were as rustic and basic as the exteriors. I suspect they also discovered that the outer look did NOT scream comfortable and cozy but instead were saying, “I hope you brought a sleeping bag ’cause you’re gonna be sleeping on a cot and you’re gonna be cold (during the two weeks of winter) and hot (the rest of the year). The fact that this was NOT the reality of the “cabins” wasn’t coming through.
I’m not arguing that this decision was right or wrong (personally I’m leaning on the side of wrong), but sharing my suspicions of WHY they made this decision.
There are a lot of people complaining about the updated design, obviously they haven’t stayed in them. This will be our third trip staying in the cabins and we are extremely excited for the change.
Our #1 feature we look forward to is the Murphy Bed – absolutely a game changer!!! That old couch/pull our bed was a full day back ache!!! Horrible bed!! But Disney Murphy Beds are great for guests of all sizes, kids to adults.
The kitchen area in the old cabins was great and I’m sure the new ones will be the same.
The new bathrooms look awesome!! The old ones were just ok, very dull. But these new ones are bright and look like a brand new refurbishment!!!
The one thing I could not find and I hope Disney still incorporates will be an outside outlet for golf carts and plug in decorations.
Overall we welcome the new cabins and are excited to stay on them!!
I think it is a bizarre redesign that can’t even properly be called a “cabin”. I was one of the SHOCKED when I saw the new design, and I’m not even someone who loves cabins or Fort Wilderness.
“paying homage to the resort’s unique culture and heritage through the magic of Disney storytelling” — what does that even MEAN as far as these new buildings go?
My mind would never go to THIS for a redesigned “cabin at a place called Fort Wilderness”.
Some massive changes have been hits WITH ME (not with everyone, because that’s never the case) but this one is a GIANT miss and seriously confusing.
Even with the Disney decisions I don’t LIKE, I can often see WHY they’re being made. But this decision just doesn’t even make SENSE.
It honestly looks like a structure FEMA would put up to house folks after a natural disaster. And as you say about Tiny Houses, that’s not to say that’s BAD. It’s great that FEMA puts up temporary places.
It’s just not what I would ever think of as a “cabin” and not “Disney” at all.
As a kid, if I was told we were going to the Cabins at Fort Wilderness I would have been over the moon [never got to Disney until I was in my 20s].
And when we got there and saw this I would have said to my parents, “Did you take a wrong turn? No, where are we REALLY? Because we can’t be at the Cabins at Fort Wilderness.”
Another reason to stop going. Disney are going in the wrong direction I’m sorry to say.
I agree with the majority – WDW Fort Wilderness is the place for A CABIN – not a mini-home. The rustic look and feel of the cabin will be gone if Disney goes forward with this “out of place” mini-home.
Stay with the camping nostalgia! Update and upgrade but don’t totally change the atmosphere. 🙁
Just another poor decision in a long string of poor decision by Disney over the past several years. What part of the “Fort Wilderness” experience don’t these executives understand ?