New Fort Wilderness cabins open, classic cabins still available for now
The first phase of new cabins are open at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, alongside a selection of classic cabins through the end of 2024.
New cabins at Fort Wilderness
Walt Disney World is in the process of replacing all 365 cabins at its Fort Wilderness Resort in Florida with new models. The first phase of fresh furnishings welcomed guests on July 1, 2024. More cabins will “continue to open in phases throughout the year,” Disney says. We visited for a preview on opening day.
Classic cabins still available through December
As new cabins continue to be installed, the previous cabin model — labeled as a “Wilderness Cabin” on Disney’s website — is still available for overnight stays. During a mock check-out, we could reserve a classic-style cabin until a check-out date of Dec. 9, 2024.
Photos courtesy of Disney
Additionally, the website displays no availability for the new cabins until stays beginning Sept. 27, 2024. The new cabins seem to cost about $30 more per night than the classic cabins.
Fort Wilderness now part of Disney Vacation Club
With the reopening of the cabins, Fort Wilderness is now the 17th Disney Vacation Club property. As such, it’s now available for DVC members to select as their home resort. The cabins are also available to guests who are not DVC members.
Along with the new lodging comes some new nomenclature. The full name of these accommodations is now “The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort.” As a whole, the entire Fort Wilderness property is still “Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground,” with campsites still available for RVs and tents.
When DVC members check in at the beginning of their stay, they’ll receive a scavenger hunt map with stickers. The wilderness, after all, must be explored.
More Fort Wilderness improvements on the way
Upon the grand opening of the cabins, Disney said the new lodging is “part of a collection of improvement projects underway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground to enhance the overall guest experience.”
The resort’s page on Disney World’s website says horseback riding will be unavailable “due to construction” starting July 13, 2024 on weekdays. Horseback riding will still be available on Saturdays and Sundays. Pony rides are still available on their usual schedule at Tri-Circle-D Ranch.
Inside (and out) of the new cabins
The new cabins sleep up to six guests. We previewed a mock-up cabin back in April, but since the structure was assembled inside a warehouse, we didn’t have a good look at the cabins’ handling of natural light until now.
See many more photos of the new Fort Wilderness cabins’ interior in our previous story.
Grand opening ceremony
As part of our visit on July 1, we attended a ceremony inside Pioneer Hall, home to the “Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue” dinner show in the evenings.
Two original characters, Tumbleweed Will and Cyclone Sally, performed their own version of the song “There is a Tavern in the Town” during the presentation. Have a listen, and feel free to stomp your feet:
The ceremony also included remarks by Lauren Gossert (general manager of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort) and Bill Diercksen (senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club and Aulani), as well as an appearance by Chip and Dale.
Continue to explore the Fort Wilderness cabins with our photo tour, which highlights every room in the cabin, amenities, and hidden Disney details:
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