Bikes vs Golf Carts pros and cons

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Bringing bikes down to the Fort is so much cheaper than renting a golf cart for 20 days. You get more exercise with a bike. Lets discuss this because I have never stayed at the Fort and am flying blind to it's size and traffic. 

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We bring bikes, and rent a cart for a few days if not doing parks to enjoy some looping. We are here for 15 days now and a cart rental the whole time would be too much.

[Cyclonic 55]

We went back and forth on it and decided to rent a cart for 12 days from an outside vender.  They were half the Disney price, and after 10 days you get it for only $10 a day.

 

Originally the thought was that we would bring bikes, but since we are doing parks a bunch of days, and would be up early and out late, we figured the cart would just be easier then biking back and forth to the campsite, up to for times a day on a park day.  I think we have now even decided we are going to save the trouble and not bring the bikes at all, since we are unlikely to use them.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Is the camp ground so big that looping with a bike would be too much? Do you use the carts to avoid internal buses? Do you feel safe with the children riding their bikes around?

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

We bring bikes, and rent a cart for a few days if not doing parks to enjoy some looping. We are here for 15 days now and a cart rental the whole time would be too much.

 

We have thought about coming down twice a year. Once for parks/camping and the other just camping.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Is the camp ground so big that looping with a bike would be too much? Do you use the carts to avoid internal buses? Do you feel safe with the children riding their bikes around?

You can easily travel the park with bikes.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Is the camp ground so big that looping with a bike would be too much? Do you use the carts to avoid internal buses? Do you feel safe with the children riding their bikes around?

 

The campground is huge.  The main road from the Outpost to the Settlement I think is a little over a mile.  

 

IMHO looping with a bike would be too much.  Especially at night.

 

If you bring your bikes, make sure they are equipped with lights.  The loops are very dark.

 

How old are your children?  If you have teens, they would probably be safe.  If you're talking about five year olds, no, I wouldn't feel safe.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

The campground is huge.  The main road from the Outpost to the Settlement I think is a little over a mile.  

 

IMHO looping with a bike would be too much.  Especially at night.

 

If you bring your bikes, make sure they are equipped with lights.  The loops are very dark.

 

How old are your children?  If you have teens, they would probably be safe.  If you're talking about five year olds, no, I wouldn't feel safe.

I hadn't thought of night riding, good suggestion. My older boys would have the freedom to ride but the younger crew would stay by the camper maybe allowed to ride around the loop.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

You can easily travel the park with bikes.

We all enjoy bike rides and usually bike for miles at a time. I just see so much on golf carts that I wasn't sure if I was missing some major advantage to them.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Gwen you travel the path from the Lodge to the Fort often. How far from your camper to the Lodge would you say it is?

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

We all enjoy bike rides and usually bike for miles at a time. I just see so much on golf carts that I wasn't sure if I was missing some major advantage to them.

They're just fun. That's it. :)

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Both of our family trips, we have just ridden the internal buses and been fine.  The first time, we brought bikes for the children, but the boys only rode theirs a few times around the camping loop.  This time, we were fine without. :)

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Also do you all just avoid the internal buses and take bikes or golf carts to the settlement or outpost to head to parks?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Gwen you travel the path from the Lodge to the Fort often. How far from your camper to the Lodge would you say it is?

Do you mean Wilderness Lodge?

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Hey Marty!   Yes

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

The one thing I'd say about traffic is that even though you're inside a campground, it's a pretty busy one with buses, cars, carts, other bikes and pedestrians all over the place.  During holidays and busy times of year it can be VERY busy.

 

Ride carefully, like you would if you weren't in a campground, and you should be fine.  :)

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Gwen you travel the path from the Lodge to the Fort often. How far from your camper to the Lodge would you say it is?

 

Actually I've never been on that path!  TCD can tell you all about it when he returns after the holidays.    If we want to go to the Lodge, we take the bus or the boat.

 

Also do you all just avoid the internal buses and take bikes or golf carts to the settlement or outpost to head to parks?

 

There's nothing wrong with the internal buses.  They are a great way to get around if you don't have a cart.  If we didn't own our own cart/carry it to the Fort with us, we wouldn't rent from Disney for more than a day or two.

 

We always stay in the 700 loop, which is near the Settlement.  I ride the scooter to the marina but have David take me to the Outpost on the golf cart.  If we aren't going to the parks together, I ride my scooter to the Outpost.  It takes about 10-12 minutes.  

 

BTW, DH and I are avid bicyclists.  We've ridden 25-30 miles a day under certain conditions.  But we leave our bikes at home when we go to WDW.  We don't want to deal with the hassle of locking them up, and we certainly don't want them to get rained on.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

I have read that Disney is trying to discourage renting golf carts from outside vendors.  

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I have read that Disney is trying to discourage renting golf carts from outside vendors.  

 

They are no longer allowing any golf cart vendors to deliver/pick-up carts to/from Fort property and have told camper rental vendors that they are not allowed to include golf carts in their rental packages.

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

Actually I've never been on that path!  TCD can tell you all about it when he returns after the holidays.    If we want to go to the Lodge, we take the bus or the boat.

 

 

There's nothing wrong with the internal buses.  They are a great way to get around.

 

We always stay in the 700 loop, which is near the Settlement.  I ride the scooter to the marina but have David take me to the Outpost on the golf cart.  If we aren't going to the parks together, I ride my scooter to the Outpost.  It takes about 10 minutes.  

Oh see I misunderstood your TR. Sorry I thought you were talking about the Wilderness Lodge trail. Either way looked like some beautiful scenery. Love your pictures btw, not sure I told you that on your TR.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Love your pictures btw, not sure I told you that on your TR.

 

Thank you!  One of these days I'll get around to finishing up that TR.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Yes, most use the bicycles and carts to avoid the internal buses. There are places to lock up the bikes at both the outpost and marina.

 

Bikes are actually easier for going to the pool and outdoor movie as you can get a lot closer to the pool on a bicycle than you can with a cart.

[XBoater 8]

It's about 3/4 of a mile from the bus stop at the the Settlement to the Wilderness Lodge.  To bike the entire campground, every loop (cabins too), is a good 1.5 hour at an enjoyable pace.  I would definitely recommend bikes if you are planning chunks of time at the campground, pool time or kids that like a bit of freedom.  We are not fans of the internal buses and use the bikes to get to to the Outpost bus stop, we usually are in 4, 5 or 600 loop and just walk to the Settlement.

 

We love to rent a cart for a day or two at the decorating holidays like Halloween or Christmas and tour around.  I think a big factor in cart vs bike is a amount and age of kids.  For pre-teens (>9ish) and up biking is great adventure under 10 though I think there is a lot of car/bus traffic and would not feel safe allowing them to roam away from sight.

 

To be safe at night lights are a must, the loops are not well lite and you are chastised if not using the sidewalks from loop to loop and they are dark, not to mention the pedestrian traffic.

 

R. 

[keith_h 420]

Also do you all just avoid the internal buses and take bikes or golf carts to the settlement or outpost to head to parks?

 

I think bikes are good choice with having kids with you. When Rene and I were down there this past October we did not rent a cart or have bikes and walked most of the time or took the bus when we didn't feel like walking when coming back late from the parks. Compared to the walks and hikes we take at home The Fort is a breeze being level and pretty much organized along the main road.

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Kristie -

 

I was just thinking.  You will have ten kids by the time you go.  That would be three golf carts!  I would bring bikes for recreation and plan to ride buses to get to the buses or boat.