The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort | DVC Expansion Project

Disney has recently announced big plans to renovate The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort into a new DVC property which will open in 2024.

In this post, I'm going to explain everything you need to know about the new DVC expansion and reimagining of The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. We'll share our thought as to why Disney is doing this, what the cabins will look like, all the features, prices, and a potential opening date.

There is no doubt that this project will be in demand from guests, even though we are skeptical about the final product and turning them into a Disney Vacation Club property instead of being part of the main resort.

This has definitely been the trend of late from Disney as they recently refurbished 500 hotel rooms into DVC rentals at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. There is also a new DVC tower coming to Disney's Polynesian Village Resort next year right along the Seven Seas Lagoon.

Now with this addition of even more DVC rooms at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, it's clear they have made it a priority to add more inventory near Disney's Magic Kingdom park.

As more details come out about this project, we will update you here so keep checking back for the latest info.

Before we get started, here are some other articles about the resorts at Walt Disney World you may enjoy:

• Full List of Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
• Best Disney World Resort Hotels Ranked

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(UPDATE) - Booking Info/Opening Date and Points Charts Revealed

We have to admit The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort look pretty cool, but when are they opening and how do all the DVC sales work? Thankfully, Disney recently shared all the timeline for sales activities and the DVC points charts for these units, as well as when you and I can book a stay there.

The first thing to know is that The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort officially open on July 1, 2024. That means we are only a few months away from being able to try them out ourselves. Notably, only be the first loop of cabins will open on July, more loops will be opening throughout the rest of 2024.

Disney has also released the schedule for making reservations at The Cabins:

• March 19 – Disney Vacation Club members can begin to make rental reservations online or by contacting Member Services at (800) 800-9800.
• March 20 – Walt Disney World Annual Passholder can start booking rental reservations by contacting (407) 934-7639.
• March 21 – All guests can make reservations online or by contacting (407) 934-7639.

If you are looking to stay there this year, you should start booking on the date that applies to you as these will be in heavy demand and with a low inventory, the available units will go quickly.

We also found out the timeline of DVC sales activities:

• February 1, 2024 - Sales open to existing DVC members
• February 15, 2024 - Existing DVC members who added points at The Cabins can begin booking
• February 27, 2024 - New sales at The Cabins open to general public
• March 12, 2024 - New DVC members at The Cabins can begin booking
• April 23, 2024 - All DVC members can book The Cabins

Next we got a look at the points charts for The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort for 2024 and 2025:

Lastly, we got closer look at the concept art for the cabins including the pull-out bed in the living room:

The bathroom:

And the full floorplan for the cabins:

(UPDATE) - New Concept Art Released of Fort Wilderness Cabins

The Disney Vacation Club has just released new images of the new DVC cabins currently under construction at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort.

We've seen concept art of the outside before, but this is the first time we get to see what the new interior is like. Here is the kitchen:

Here is the official press release from the Disney Vacation Club:

"Find tranquility in your private one-bedroom cabin, complete with many comforts of home.

Set amid the beauty of the great outdoors, each cabin sleeps up to 6, and some can even accommodate dogs. All offer a restful retreat with charming touches and many conveniences.

Through the sconce-flanked front doors is a spacious living area featuring a dining nook and a fully equipped kitchen—including a refrigerator, dishwasher, convection/microwave oven and 2 countertop burners. Off the kitchen you'll find a vanity area outside the entrance to the bathroom, which has a shower and an additional vanity inside.

A convertible seating and sleeping area is located opposite the kitchen and boasts a 65-inch TV and a comfortable sofa—the perfect spot to gather your family to watch a favorite Disney movie. At bedtime, simply fold down the queen-size Inova bed from the wall, for added sleeping space. In the separate bedroom, you'll find a queen-size bed, twin-size bunk beds, a 55-inch TV, a closet and a nightstand.

Each morning you can draw the curtains back to reveal floor-to-ceiling windows and your own personal patio deck, where you can bask in the glories of nature while firing up the charcoal grill and dining al fresco.

With everything available to you, The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort provides a fresh, elevated take on the cabin experience—and decades of magical vacations to come."

The coolest area in my opinion is the bedroom with the twin bunk beds. We really like the whole decor. It's modern but still has much of the classic Fort Wilderness charm.

No prices have been announced at this time. Keep reading for more info on the project.

The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness DVC Overview

Here is what we know about the new DVC cabins...

The project will include a total of 350 cabins completely refurbished and environmentally friendly. We've also confirmed that these 350 cabins will replace all of the existing cabins, like the one you see in the above photo.

This means that the old ones will be torn down to make room for the new ones and non will remain. That style was much more rustic and fit into a traditional "wilderness theme."

The new cabins will still utilize the footprint of the old cabins, so don't expect them to be any bigger than the current ones.

Each cabin will include a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen, and a patio. They will each sleep up to 6 guests (just like the existing ones), and some of the cabins will be designated "dog-friendly" for families that want to bring them on vacation.

The resort will also include a "proposed pool and walking trail enhancements as well as new expanded dining experiences at Trail's End Restaurant and Crockett's Tavern."

So far, you can put me in the group that is less than impressed by this change. Sure, the cabins have been at Disney's Fort Wilderness for decades, but they are classic and I personally love the traditional cabin style.

The Disney Vacation Club website says: "Design concepts offer a fresh take on the current cabin experience and 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."

However, to me, these new DVC cabins look like nothing more than shipping containers dropped in, and lacking in character, especially for something you'd expect to find in the wilderness.

They are very similar to the current Disney architectural style of all its recent projects which are very generic and lacking in imagination, creativity, and theming.

I don't think the move was necessary from a structural standpoint either as all the cabins are still in great shape and nothing a regular maintenance refurbishment couldn't fix. They are also a very affordable option for families on a budget, and one of our picks for the best Disney World Resort for large families.

These new DVC will no doubt get a price increase, which will make them much less desirable for people visiting Disney World on a budget.

Thankfully, we now have an exact date for when this new DVC property will open. Disney has recently announced that The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort - A Vacation Club Resort will open at Walt Disney World on July 1, 2024.

While there can always be delays, construction is well underway and they are making good progress on the cabins. For that reason, we think it's quite reasonable to get a July opening date. We'll be updating our post on Everything New Coming to Disney World very soon, so keep checking back.

I guess this is officially the end of the "Reflections - A Disney Lakeside Lodge" that was coming to the old River Country site right next to Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

Originally, it was going to have 900 hotel rooms and be open by 2022, but the pandemic squashed those plans. Even though construction was started on the project, Disney decided it was not worth it moving forward, and we haven't heard anything since.

But since it was also going to be a DVC property, it now looks like this refurbishment of The Cabins at Fort Wilderness is going to happen instead.

The old "Reflections" project could always start back up again at some point in the future, but this seals the deal for the time being.

As soon as we have more info on the new DVC Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort we will update you, so stay tuned for that soon.

Make sure to read our Guide to Disney World Refurbishments for the latest work being done on all the hotels and attractions around property.

How to Save Money Staying at a DVC Resort

We love to stay at the Disney Deluxe Resorts and our favorite way to do that economically is by renting DVC points. In our experience over the years, you can sometimes save as much as 30%-50% off the regular rack price from Disney.

Our favorite way to rent DVC points is by using David’s DVC Rentals. They offer excellent prices and they have the best customer service hands down. Plus you don’t need to worry about the hassle of dealing with smaller resellers you don’t know.

For more information on planning your vacation to Walt Disney World here are three of our most useful posts:

• Disney World Crowd Calendar
• Disney World Vacation Planning - The Ultimate Guide
• When Is the Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about the remodeled cabins coming to Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and the fact they are being turned into DVC rentals...

• Are you looking forward to this new refurbishment?
• What features would you like to see in the cabins?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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