Cabins at Fort Wilderness Cabins With a Dog

If you’ve ever wanted to bring your dog on a Disney vacation, there’s exactly one DVC resort that lets you do it: the Cabins at Fort Wilderness. No other DVC resort allows dogs as pets (service animals are a separate category and welcome everywhere). So if boarding the dog or finding a sitter has been the thing keeping you from booking a Disney trip, the Cabins are the answer.

Cabins at Wilderness Campground

What does a Cabin look like?

Cabins

These are standalone cabins, not connected hotel rooms. Each cabin has its own driveway with parking, a wooden deck or porch with outdoor seating, and a real sense of separation from the cabin next door, similar to the Treehouses in Saratoga Springs.

Sleeping

Cabins aren’t a studio but instead a one bedroom with a full bathroom, and sleeping space for up to 6 guests. It will have a queen bed and bunk beds in the bedroom, and a pull down murphy bed in the living area.It feels more like a small vacation rental house than a hotel room, which is exactly why it works for traveling with a dog.

Full Kitchen

Having a full Kitchen is fantastic with a full size fridge/freezer, dishwasher, stove, microwave. We wish that they included a in-unit washer and dryer, but they so have free laundry facilities throughout the resort.

The setting matters too. Fort Wilderness is wooded, spread out, and quiet by Disney standards. Trails wind through the resort for long walks, there’s a lake, and the whole place has a campground-meets-summer-camp feel. For a dog, this is paradise compared to a typical Disney resort hallway.

The dog policy: What’s allowed

Here’s exactly what Disney’s pet policy at the Cabins covers:

  • Dogs only. No cats, no other pets.
  • Two dogs maximum per cabin.
  • Vaccination records must be provided upon request. Bring proof of current vaccinations with you, just in case.
  • Dogs must be on a leash anywhere outside the cabin. This includes your own porch and the walking paths around the resort.
  • Dogs cannot be left unattended in the cabin for more than 7 hours. Disney enforces this, especially if there are complaints about barking. If you are staying longer than 4 nights and have mousekeeping coming, you will need to set a time since they will not clean with Pluto alone in your cabin.
  • There’s also a pet fee charged separately from your rental cost. The fee is $50 per-night pet fee at the Cabins, paid to Disney at check-in. Budget for this on top of your rental.

What life with a dog at Fort Wilderness is actually like

Fort Wilderness is genuinely one of the best places at Disney for a dog. Here’s why:

The walking is great. There are paths everywhere, plenty of trees and grass, and the resort is big enough that you and your dog can get real exercise without ever leaving. The lakeside paths near Bay Lake are especially nice in the early morning or at sunset.

Your own outdoor space. The cabin porch means you can have your morning coffee or evening drink outside with the dog at your feet, which is something you literally cannot do at any other Disney resort.

Designated dog relief areas. Fort Wilderness has specific spots around the resort for dogs to relieve themselves, with waste bag stations and trash cans. They’re well-marked.

A few things to plan around:

The internal Fort Wilderness buses don’t allow dogs. So if you’re heading to the main reception area or anywhere else in the resort, plan to drive your golf cart (a Fort Wilderness staple), walk, or leave your dog at the cabin.

You can’t take the dog to the parks. Theme parks, water parks, and most indoor dining locations are off-limits to pets. Service animals are a separate category.

When it comes to leaving your dog to go to the parks,Disney’s policy lets you leave your dog in the cabin for up to 7 hours, which covers most park days if you plan well. Bring a crate or whatever setup your dog is used to at home. Disney will contact you if they receive complaints about barking, so this works best for dogs who can handle being alone in a different environment.

When you check in your will get a “Pluto’s Welcome Kit” which has a mat, food and water bowls, ID tags and waste bags to use during your trip!

Renting points at the Cabins: what to know

A few things specific to renting the Cabins:

  • Book early. The further out you can plan, the better. Cabins owners get first crack at booking 11 months out at their home resort. Non-home-resort booking opens 7 months out, which is when most rentals through brokers happen.
  • Points run higher than studios. The Cabins sleep 6 and have a full kitchen, so they’re priced (in points) more like a one bedroom than a studio. These are the least expensive of the one bedrooms which is nice. Expect to use more points per night than you would for a studio at most other DVC resorts.
  • Pet fee is separate. When you rent through us or another broker, you’re paying for the points and reservation. The pet fee is what Disney charges you directly at check-in, not something the broker collects. Plan for both.
  • Tell your broker you’re bringing a dog. At Pixie Point Gals, we make sure the reservation is set up correctly and the resort knows you’re bringing a dog. It’s not something you want to surprise them with at check-in.

If you’re thinking about a Cabin rental with the dog, reach out to us and we’ll help you find availability for your dates.

Posted In: DVC resorts

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