Overview
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground located in the Magic Kingdom area, is often referred to as the best campground in the country. After a recent stay there this summer, I’d have to agree. It’s certainly the nicest I’ve seen, and I’ve camped a lot.
Fort Wilderness is huge, encompassing over 700 acres on Bay Lake. With 799 campsites and 409 cabins, it’s on the large side as far as campgrounds go. But of course, it is so much more than a campground, offering so many recreation and entertainment opportunities that you could vacation there and not even need to leave the grounds. But one of the best features is the proximity to Magic Kingdom, which can be reached by boat.
Accommodations
Campsites
Fort Wilderness is THE place to stay if you are an RV’er. This is the closest you can possibly get to the Disney parks with your camper. The vast majority of sites are full hookup – meaning you have electric, sewer, water and even cable and internet at your site. There are a smaller amount of partial hookup sites that are suitable for tents and pop-up campers that feature just water and electric.
The loops are landscaped beautifully with mature pines and cypress trees providing shade and pine mulch as ground cover. Each site is about 25 feet wide and features a level, paved driveway (back-in) and a sandy pad. You’ll also have a picnic table and charcoal grill (but no fire pit – although you are allowed to bring your own).
Each area has a shower house with laundry facilities and an internal bus stop.
Cabins
I grew up camping in a tent, and I’ve owned a couple RVs as an adult, but we chose the cabins for our stay. These little log cabins are one of the few accommodation types on property that can sleep six. We had six in our group, 4 adults and 2 teenagers, and I’ll say right off that it was too crowded for our comfort. I’d recommend it for 2 adults and 2 to 4 children however.
The cabins are well appointed, with a full kitchen featuring everything you need if you want to stay in and cook your meals. The main room also includes a small dining table (the 6 of us were able to gather around it, but it was snug), a sofa bed, two easy chairs and a flat-screen TV.
Down the hall is one full bathroom (one reason why the cabin is problematic for 6 guests) and a tiny bedroom. Most of the floor space in the bedroom is consumed by a queen sized bed and a set of twin bunk beds. There is also a small closet and dresser and another flat-screen TV.
You’ve also got a little yard with a deck, picnic table, and grill. There is room for one car or a couple golf carts. If you need additional parking, there is a lot near the resort entrance.
We thought the cabin was a lovely space – very cozy. But we had very little storage space and had to essentially live out of our suitcases. This was tough with two adults and two teenage girls in one bedroom. Luckily, the queen bed is tall enough to stow luggage underneath, but getting ready was a hassle.
Amenities & Recreation
Pools
This is where Fort Wilderness really shines. If you’re a frequent camper, you can probably conjure up an image of the typical campground pool: small, shabby and surrounded by a chain-link fence. That’s if you’re lucky enough to have a pool. Not at the Fort. There are two pool areas, both resort quality.
The smaller of the two, the Wilderness Pool, has a nice-sized hot tub, a locker room with showers, a laundry facility, and plenty of pool chairs and umbrella tables.
The larger, the Meadows Pool, is located at the Meadows Recreation area which also includes tennis courts, an arcade and the Meadows Trading Post. The pool area itself is quite large and has it’s own snack bar. The pool itself has a large slide, hot tub, kiddie pool and kids splash and play area. Neither pool supplies towels, so remember to bring your own.
Playgrounds
Scattered throughout the resort are 4 different children’s playgrounds where your kiddos can work out some extra energy (if they have any left after visiting the parks).
Camp Stores
There are two stores at the Fort: the Meadows Outpost, located near the Meadows Recreation area in the center of the resort, and the Settlement Outpost, located by the marina. The Meadows Outpost is the larger of the two, but both feature quite a bit of food items, camping related products, and Disney souvenirs – including some really neat Fort Wilderness themed items.
Recreation
You can find a lot to do at the Fort without even leaving. Regular and Surrey bike rentals are available and this resort is a great place to bike around. Currently the path that leads from the Fort over to Wilderness Lodge is closed due to construction, but there are plenty of paths within the fort.
Down at the marina, you can rent pontoon boats, Boston Whalers or Sea Raycers by the hour and take a spin on the Seven Seas Lagoon. Guided fishing excursions are available. Kayaks and Canoes are available from the Bike Barn.
There are basketball courts, volleyball courts and playgrounds. You can even try your hand at archery (age 7 and up) for an additional charge.
If the weather is lousy – or you just really enjoy games, you can kill a lot of time at the Daniel Boone Wilderness Arcade near the Meadows Swimming Pool.
Tri-Circle D Ranch
Definitely plan some time to explore Tri-Circle D Ranch. You can see Cinderella’s ponies and multiple other horse breeds as well as artifacts going back to the opening of the park. It’s fun to watch the blacksmith shoeing the horses. Right now, parts of the ranch are closed because of the construction. A brand new ranch will open spring of 2020, but you can still ride ponies or take hay
Transportation
Transportation is the biggest drawback of Fort Wilderness for me. Well, not the mode of transportation per se, but just how long it take to get anywhere due to the sheer size of the place.
You can catch a boat from the docks down at the Settlement to take you to Magic Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary Resort. All other parks and locations you’ll need to take a bus from the front of the resort.
There are bus stops located around the resort for the internal bus system. Because of the distance, you’ll probably need to take an internal bus just to get to the main bus stop or boat dock. This can add another 20 minutes to your trip, so plan accordingly.
Many folks rent golf carts (or bring their own) to get around the Fort. We did this, and really enjoyed it. We parked them at our cabin, and used to to get to the Settlement, where we parked it in the golf cart parking area and then boarded a boat for Magic Kingdom. Other times, we parked near the main bus stop to take a bus to the other parks. You cannot park cars in these areas, so walking, internal bus or golf cart are your only options.
Dining
If you’re staying at the Fort, you’ll probably be preparing at least some of your own meals, since you’ll have a full kitchen in the cabins, and some type of kitchen in your RV or camping set up. And after all, that’s part of camping. But there are some nice options if you’d like to “eat out.”
Trail’s End is a buffet-style restaurant located in the Settlement area (near the docks) and it really is a hidden gem as far as buffets go. We’ve eaten here on a couple occasions and really enjoyed it. Comparatively speaking, the price is very affordable ($14-$25 for breakfast, $19-$35 for dinner) and I’ve found the quality to be as good or better than other Disney buffets, if the selection is slightly more limited.
P&J’s Southern Takeout, a quick service, and Crockett’s Tavern, are both located within the same building as Trail’s End. You can refill your resort mug here as well.
There are also two camp stores, one at the Settlement (near the lakefront) and one at the Meadows (center of the Fort) which feature a wide variety of groceries. The Meadows Outpost also has a mug refill station and some grab and go items.
Entertainment
The most popular reason to visit Fort Wilderness for those not staying there is the Hoop de Doo Revue. This classic dinner show has been entertaining guests since 1974, with three shows every single night of the week, making it one of (if not the) longest continuously running musical ever.
Less well known, but a lot of fun (and free!) is the Chip & Dale’s Campfire Singalong. Each night, weather permitting, gather around the campfire to sing songs, roast marshmallows (bring your own or buy a kit at the event) and meet Chip & Dale for pics and autographs. Stick around after for a Disney movie under the stars. Unlike other resorts that offer outdoor movies, there is bench seating.
We enjoyed our stay at Fort Wilderness, and if I were comparing it to other campgrounds, I’d say don’t stay anywhere else. If your family loves to camp and does so on most trips, you can’t go wrong staying here on your Disney vacation. If you are thinking of Disney as just a form of entertainment or a diversion during what is otherwise a camping trip, then it’s perfect.
But if you’re planning to spend most of your time at the parks, it might not be the best choice. It just takes so long to get out of there each day, and if you’re spending all day in the parks, you’re not going to have time to enjoy what the Fort has to offer without sacrificing some park time. If it’s just the extra space you need, I’d recommend two connecting rooms at a value resort or a family suite instead.
Have you stayed at the Fort? What did you think? Weigh in here with your comments!
