Hi Gina,
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort is one of my family's favorite places to stay while on a Walt Disney World vacation! Let me share some details of this resort with you.
My family prefers accommodations in which we have some separation of spaces. The cabins provide this, with a living and dining area, kitchen, and separate bedroom. This means that if someone wants to stay up a bit later, others can go to sleep in the bedroom. We very much appreciate the kitchen in the cabins as we like to make some of our own meals while at Walt Disney World. We also take advantage of the grill located outside of our cabin to grill dinner some nights, and then enjoy it on the private porch of our cabin.
As a guest at the cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, you have access to all of the amenities at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. What you may have heard about this resort is that it is very large and spread out, which is true. There are laundry facilities located throughout the resort. The one most convenient to the cabins is located at the quiet pool, which is walking distance from the cabins.
As for the main pool, gift shops, and places to get drinks, these do exist at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground; however, they are a fairly long walk so you often need to use the internal bus to get there. At this resort, there are multiple internal bus loops that run to get guests around the resort. My family generally keeps snacks and drinks in our cabin for easy accessibility. From the website that I linked, you can find directions on how to order groceries to be delivered directly to your cabin so that you are stocked and ready to go when you arrive!
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort provide a different type of vacation experience, but it is one that my family loves. I hope yours will too, Gina!