Shawna,
Thank you for your question to planDisney!
Disney has moved away from creating planning DVDs or sending out maps, but what they do offer is a wide array of online tools to help with the planning process. PlanDisney is one, of course, and I hope that you will come ask us more questions as your plans develop. But the one that is often overlooked, but most closely matches the DVD experience, is the Vacation Planning page. It really captures the core planning topics that most of us find challenging.
As to your question about maps, there is a great interactive map on the Walt Disney World website. It helps you see where parts of the resort are in relation to each other. If you go to the page for the Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, you will see an interactive map link in the right column, just under the "View Rooms and Prices" button. You can zoom out to see the entire Walt Disney World property. More to your plans, however, when you zoom in you can tell what 'loops' in the campground are for RVs, which are for tent camping, and which are where you would find the cabins. From this you can figure out
- The cabins are in the South end of the property, closest to the Outpost Depot. This depot is the gate where you would arrive at the start of your trip.
- The tent camping is mostly to the West, though there is a loop to the East, near the Meadow Recreation area. This is where you would find one of the larger pools and other activities like Chip 'N' Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long outdoor theater, and the Meadow Trading Post.
- The RV areas really run through the entire property, from the Marina and the Settlement Depot in the North to where the cabins in the South begin.
Some transportation basics to remember for Fort Wilderness are these
- Boat to the Kingdom: You can boat to the Magic Kingdom Park, starting at the Marina
- Bus to the Rest of the World: For pretty much everything else you will catch a bus
- Internal Routes: There are bus routes within the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds that can shuttle you from your campsite/cabin/RV site to the Outpost Depot or the Settlement Depot/Marina area.
BONUS TIP
Hardly a secret, but a great way to make your time in the campgrounds both more fun, as well as more convenient, is to rent a golf cart. This can free you from being reliant on the internal bus route, as well as help you get back and forth from the great resort amenities like the pools, marina, restaurants and stores. I would definitely reserve one if it seems like a good choice for your family!
Have a Magical Vacation!
Doug