new fort wilderness cabins

Fort Wilderness Revamp: Mod DVC Trailers to Replace Log Cabins

Published on by thewildernessprincess

Famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright would be delighted.

With Disney’s announcement that its log-cabin style homes will be replaced with mid-century looking trailers with lots of glass, you can almost hear the bluegrass song loop fade to soulful pop.

You might recall Mickey Mouse traded in his Fort Wilderness musket for a walking stick more than two decades ago. Thus began the shift from a celebration of 1700s Americana to a biophilic millennial mood that is not very subtle anymore.

new fort wilderness cabins
Concept art for new cabins at Fort Wilderness (photo: Disney).

In 2024, Walt Disney World will replace its 350 pioneer-style cabins with more modern and abstract getups with decidedly geometrical lines. The colors seem to reflect those at the cabins at Copper Creek (Wilderness Lodge), with both the rust and green sidings reflected in the concept art.

Canyon Creek Wilderness Lodge
Colors seem inspired by Wilderness Lodge Canyon Creek

They are also much more in tune with the mood of the postponed/canceled Reflections Lakeside DVC project that was set to be built on the old River Country site.

This change in style doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Sure, they look a bit like a hybrid of the contemporary single wides at Margaritaville at Lake Lanier (Atlanta) and the container cabins at Camptel Poconos. Yet, just like Lloyd Wright’s designs, they will be filled with more light and will equate to more of a true luxury glamping experience.

Example of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture with straight lines, simplicity, an emphasis on blending into the environment and an abundance of natural light.

As Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “Buildings, too, are children of Earth and Sun.” And you know Wright was an imagineer long before there was even such a thing.

KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER

But what about the theming? It seems like some on DisTwitter aren’t ready to give up the romanticism and nationalism of the pioneer spirit, however insensitive some of the tales of the white man conquering America might have been.

Sure, we could much more imagine Davy Crockett having a shoot out at the original, pre-2019 barn than we could in this slick beauty that looks like it belongs on the cover of Garden & Gun Magazine.  But y’all gotta admit, the horses do seem to be prancing a bit more in these fancy, climate-controlled digs.

The reimagining of the old Tri-Circle-D Barn in 2019 at Fort Wilderness is a prime example of a trend toward mid-century-modern revival architecture at Fort Wilderness.

remember the fleetwoods?

Remember these log cabins aren’t original to Fort Wilderness. So before we get all sentimental, back in the 1980s and 1990s, we had those beloved Fleetwood trailers.

And in the very beginning, the first rentals were Airstream trailers. In 1973, Fort Wilderness had a fleet of ten that they rented for $35 a night.  The log cabins as we know them today didn’t appear until 1997. That’s the same year that the Titanic movie was released and Ellen DeGeneres came out.

A Spoonful of Sugar

But all is not woe.

Just when we thought they’d left Fort Wilderness for dead with the recent shut down of full-service dining at Trail’s End, here they come, talking up some big plans to sweeten the deal.

A brand-spanking new swimming pool.

An expanded walking trail – let’s hope that means the hallelujah revival of that glorious pathway to Wilderness Lodge.

There’s also mention of enhancements to Crockett’s Tavern and other new mystery joys. Could the prestige of a DVC resort even merit the return of the blue flag boat to the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge?

wilderness trail
Our favorite trail in WDW, from Fort Wilderness to Wilderness Lodge, is still closed even though Reflections (resort) construction ceased. Will the “improvements” at Fort Wilderness lead to its revival?

But here’s the thing. Those new utopian cabins are for DVC members – unless there’s availability. So that means that pool could also be limited to the high-cotton loops as well.

Sure, you can rent points, but it may be more than you’re paying for cabins now. It will be interesting to see what the point value will be for DVC members. It would surely be fitting it were less than the other 16 DVCs – but time will tell.

Clearly, money appears to be a driving factor. In recent years, the campsites have been far more popular than the cabins. It’s quite rare to see the cabins near full capacity.  And even with adding the cost of a rental RVs (from outside vendors), campsites are still a bargain compared to the cabins. Adding the DVC component simply brings in a new set of guests.

There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow

For those of us who want to stick to the basics, the good news is that it appears this will solidify the future of Fort Wilderness for some time to come. I imagine that our friends at Kissimmee Orlando RV Rentals and other companies will be busier than ever – as more people opt for the more affordable option of renting an RV with a campsite.

Fort Wilderness firepit
Renting an RV will likely become more popular than ever at Fort Wilderness. This beauty that sleeps 8-10 is from Kissimmee Orlando RV Rental.

As for these newfangled bungalows, our hope is that the interiors will bring delights far beyond those of our favorite faux log cabins. Though the 25-year-old homesteads have grown weary and a bit tired, they are still beloved and filled with cozy memories.

4 thoughts on “Fort Wilderness Revamp: Mod DVC Trailers to Replace Log Cabins”

  1. AS WITH EVERYTHING , ITEMS & AREAS NEED TO BE UPDATED SOMETIMES FOR THE BETTER AND SOMETIMES NOT. WHY UPDATE THE CABINS? REFLECTIONS IS DELAYED , PROBABLY GONE , WHY NOT PUT/ BUILD THE NEW ACCOMODATIONS FOR DVC WHERE REFLECTIONS(THE OLD RIVER COUNTRY) WAS GOING TO BE. THAT WOULD GIVE THE DVC CROWD THEIR OWN AREA AND NOT DISTURB THE FORT WILDERNESS FEEL THAT EVERYONE LOVES. AT THE RATE DISNEY IS GOING THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE WHAT MAKES WDW SPECIAL , THEMING. DISNEY SEEMS TO HAVE LOST SIGHT OF WALT’S VERY CONCEPT WAS , TO BE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD–HENCE ‘WALT DISNEY WORLD’. FIRST THE BAY TOWER AT THE CONTEMPORARY , THE TOWER AT CORONADO SPRINGS , THE CABINS AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE , THE VILLAS & BUNGALOS AT THE POLYNESIAN(AND NOW THE NEW TOWER BEING BUILT THERE) , THE RIVIERA AND NOW MODERN DVC GOEMETRIC TRAILERS AT FORT WILDERNESS. EACH ONE OF THESE HAS RUINED WHAT MADE EACH PLACE UNIQUE AND SPECIAL , IT IS BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER HOTEL COMPLEX.
    IT MAY SEEM LIKE I’M JUST COMPLAINING , BUT DISNEY MEANS SOMETHING SPECIAL TO ME(AND MY WIFE). WE WERE MARRIED AT THE WEDDING PAVILLION DECEMBER 1996(DURING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF WDW) AND HONEYMOONED AT THE WILDRNESS LODGE. WE HAVE BEEN BACK FOR SEVERAL MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES SINCE(1ST , 3RD , 5TH , 10TH & 15TH). WE CAME BACK FOR OUR 25TH IN DECEMBER 2021(DURING 50TH OF WDW) AND THE LOOK & FEEL WAS NOT THE SAME. THE WEDDING PAVILLION IS NOW JUST ANOTHER BUILDING AMONGST A BUNCH OF DVC ACCOMODATIONS , THE WILDERNESS LODGE LOST IT’S SECLUSION WITH DVC WING & THEN THE CABINS , CORORNADO SPRINGS ISN’T THE SAME WITH THE ‘GRAN DESTINO TOWER'(PLACE OF OUR 1ST ANNIVERSARY) AND NOW DISNEY WILL DO THE SAME WITH FORT WILDRNESS WITH THE FUTURE DVC “UPDATES”. FORT WILDERNESS WILL NO LONGER BE “THE FORT”.
    WALT WANTED A RESORT TO BE COMPLETELY UNLIKE ANYTHING BEFORE OR SINCE — UNIQUE – A STAND ALONE.

  2. I agree with most of what you have said. I do feel the need to point out that those “fort” style cabins were built in 1997 to replace the original trailers.

    1. My family and I are quite upset with the changes proposed by Disney for this property. Staying here has been a nice change from their other properties, and it distinguished itself as a place to escape the frenzy at the other hotels and parks. It was the perfect choice for my special needs grandson last year. The proposed changes, including the replacement of Trail’s End restaurant with a food court (i.e. Caribbean Beach) will ruin the whole concept of this property. We stayed there since 1997- and we were in cabins then, just as they are now (except for the recent bone headed decision to replace the Murphy beds with a pullout couch that didn’t work on our last visit). Disney seems to have lost touch with its roots in recent years, and this proposed change to the property is the clearest example. I understand the need to keep a property fresh, and the Corpoarate goal to squeeze every penny out of their visitors, but you’re pushing customers away with decisions like this – and the relentless price gouging for everything associated with a Disney visit.

  3. I’ll miss the cabins and Ft. Wilderness. The only reason I will go over there now is the Hoop Dee Doo dinner show. We just stayed at the cabins, I guess for the last time, in early March.

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