This FAQ is Maintained By Jeff Spencer
Please send additions and changes to jlspence@hiwaay.net
Last Updated: 7/29/03
Jeff, I enjoy visiting your site. We just returned from 8 nights in loop 500. This was our first stay at Fort Wilderness. We really enjoyed our trip and will probably return in Jan 2004. The Hoop-De-Doo dinner show was great! We had dinner at Trails End, very good! My husband took the bass fishing trip and had a wonderful day. My only complaint after staying at other Disney resorts was the swimming area. I was disappointed that the pool did not have any jumping water for kids or slides. Since River Country has closed, perhaps they might update that area. (Robin, July 2003)
We loved Ft. Wilderness! Thanks to your site, we learned so much before we left, that we could just sit back and enjoy!!!! We were in the 1400 loop - which we loved. The Comfort Station here was beautiful - recently renovated. Hopefully, they will get some washing machines and dryers that actually work - what's up with those dryers? We were close to the campfire area, which was a huge plus, since we went 4 nights while we were there. We did the Hoop Dee Do, which was fantastic, and rented a golf cart, which, in our eyes, was a must! We are going back in November, 2004, and will rent one again, without a doubt. Trails end was good, but not great, in our opinion. We got a flat tire one day on our motor home, and I called the front desk to see if there was somewhere in the campground we could get air. They SENT AAA to our site to fill our tire! We were shocked! They were excellent. Our favorite things: The boat to the Magic Kingdom and Contemporary, the Camp Fire, letting the kids play in the sand on the beach after dinner and the Petting Farm and Stables. We spent 2 days just hanging out at Fort Wilderness, and there are still things we didn't get to do!!!! We can't wait to go back. (Cheryl, 1/03)
Hello Jeff, well I finally made our first trip to the campground and fell in love with it. We stayed in the 1400 loop (1433) our campers back was facing the campfire-movie show. That was a real nice thing for the kids to do, a lot of old songs and Chip and Dale came out and played around with everybody. I went fishing around by the swimming pool early in the mornings and caught some Florida black bass (that was fun). Renting a golf cart from the campground was the thing to do, it saved me a lot of walking. The Hoop-De-Doo dinner show was a blast, I'll be going back for it again on my next stay. I'll be going back to WDW in a few more years, but your web page is still in my favorites list. Thanks for updating and keeping your page fresh, I get a ton of info off it. P.S. I enjoyed the buffet at Trails End but found it a bit pricey. (Robert Wescovich, 12/02)
My family has been camping at the Fort for the last 24 years. We have two sons that grew up there. We camped with another family that also have two sons. Our boy's would always kid about how they can give guided tours of the whole place. We spend every Thanksgiving there. Would not think of going any place else. It's the camp ground you will ever stay in. The cast members that work in the camp ground are great. If you need help with anything, they are right there. My grandkids are now camping there with us. And my oldest son is now working for the disney reservation center. He always said he wanted to work for Disney. His teacher that was training him, told him he could probably teach the class. He seemed to know more about some of the things then she did. He graduated top of his class.( Imagine that). And about the golf carts. Your right. The adults don't follow the rules. The bike barn people try very hard. But you can't watch all of them at one time. People just don't listen or don't care. Then it makes it hard on us who do. Have a great disney vacation. (Sandra Smith, 10/02)
We just returned from Ft. Wilderness. It is the only place we ever stay because we pull our travel trailer. We were excited that we got into the 100 loop because we have always asked and never been there (this was our 4th time). Our biggest complaint is and always will be the lack of laundry facilities. I don't know about some of you, but going to the park till 10 PM and then staying up till 2 AM trying to get a washer and dryer is ridiculous. We have emailed Disney about this and are told they will look into it, but when there is one comfort station per 2 to 3 loops, that is a lot of people trying to do laundry. It is frustrating to spend that much time running back and forth to check for a washer. We finally took our clothes to Kissimmee and did them. We will definately be back to WDW, but just wished the comfort stations could be added onto or more put in somehow. (Bkworm56, 7/02)
My family and I stayed at Ft. Wilderness Campground in May 2002. We had our own travel trailer and stayed in loop 100 as we requested. My family consists of 2 adults and 5 children (ages 9 - 1 1/2 yrs old). Our stay at the campground was wonderful. We have stayed at many campgrounds over the years and this was the best by far! It was so clean! I can't believe with all the people there how clean it is! The comfort stations are wonderful also. They were always spotless. There was hardly ever a wait for a shower and there was never a wait for the washers or dryers. I admit the prices for doing laundry were a little high, but we stayed for 10 nights, so we need to do laundry!We also ate at both The Hoop Dee Doo Revue and Trails End Buffet. The Hoop Dee Doo is a must for all families! Our children had such a great time! One of the female entertainers came and sat on my husband's lap and kissed him. My kids were dying! They were laughing so hard ! At the end, one of my children was picked to play the washboard. The food was fine, but you really go there for the show! We also ate at the Trails End Buffet. The food was very good and the atmosphere was lovely. There was enough different foods to pick from to please everyone. One of my children only likes ginger ale to drink and they did not have any. So, we the parents, are trying to tell her it's something else or nothing, when the waitress was nice enough to tell her that she had a specail drink for her and if she didn't like it, she would bring her something different. Well, the waitress brings her her special drink ( Sprite with other things added) and our daughter loved it! The waitress so nice to try so hard to please a child!
We did have our own transportation since we drove with our trailer. We did use the boat to Magic Kingdom though. The boat was the quickiest way. Using our car for the other parks was just easier with all our children. Another thing they don't mention about the campground is the peacocks. Our children loved them! They couldn't wait to look around the campground to find. One time, a peacock followed our car for a mile! The kids loved it! They are such a nice added touch. On our last trip, we did not plan a down day a the campground. We are planning our next trip there for 2004 and we are making sure we have 1-2 days, just at the campground. We loved our stay there. We stayed at The All Stars once but we only recommend the campground now to everyone. It is amazing how quiet it is there! You leave the hussle and bussle behind but you are still IN Disney.
As we were leaving the campground, trailer in tow, and all of us quite sad, MY HUSBAND asks me when I want to plan my next trip there? It was like pulling teeth to get him there, we drove for 3 days with a camper and 5 children, and he loved it so much, HE wants to go back! Disney truley is a MAGICAL place!!! P.S.- 530 days to go again and counting!!! (KLJRevis, 5/02)
Hi, wanted to add my two cents as well.We returned yesterday (4/12/02) from out first-ever 5-day Fort Wilderness camping trip; in a word, it was first-rate. We were camping in a pop-up, and our campsite (on the 1500 loop) was nicely wooded and private. Bugs were almost non-existent; only a few mosquito bites to speak of. The comfort stations were exceptionally clean and well-tended, and the staff stayed on top of them to keep them that way. Our kids (11 and 16) enjoyed the pool and arcade areas, and my wife and I enjoyed the great bike riding and walking areas. I was most impressed with the "low traffic" approach that Disney has employed (via buses, bikes, and golf carts); so many campgrounds are dangerous to kids due to constant vehicle traffic, and it was a treat to experience an environment that was so much safer and quieter due to low traffic. Also, since there are no individual campfires allowed, there was no constant "campfire smoke smell/haze" in the air.
All in all, I felt that it was a good value considering the great facilities and staff, and I would highly recommend FW to anyone looking for a unique
camping experience. Now my only problem is going camping at the "regular" campgrounds; we're spoiled now! (Lance Smith, 4/02)
Hey Spencer Family: Terrific Site!! Fun but also very, very informative! We just returned from our first weekend at FW and thanks to your site, our visit was a lot more enjoyable. At check-in we did not receive any info about FW except directions to our site (there is something called a Gazette?). Had it not been for the info in your site, we would have had no Pixie Dust at all.We have 2 Qs for you FW gurus. We stayed in the 500 loop (Buffalo End-- I mean, Bend). While the sites were great and the landscaping gorgeous, the comfort stations were a mess. There were lines for the bathrooms (only two stalls for the men?) and the shower drains were slow the first day and blocked the second day, on both sides. Gross. Also, other times, there was little to no water pressure in the men's room-- for either flushing or sinks.
Our question to you is this: are all the comfort stations over-taxed like this, or is this just a bad loop? We had great expectations of FW and were surprised that the facilities were even less than other campgrounds we have used. Certainly no Disney Magic. Ahem.
Also, what's up with Nascar golf-carts? We actually saw a golf-cart graze a bicycler! Luckily, no one was hurt. Does Disney not have a policy about speed/areas to travel? Is it not enforced?
If you could give us the inside-scoop about these couple of things, we would appreciate it! We wound up checking out early and are not sure we will go back. Thanks! (The Johnsey Family, 10/01)
[Paraphrase of my email response]
Johnsey Family, our experience is that the Comfort Stations do get extremely busy during the morning rush. Compounding this business is the fact that Disney has cut back on the staff at Fort Wilderness such that the Comfort Stations aren't cleaned as often as they used to be and maintenance of facilities has declined. On the golf carts, unfortunately, there are adults that ignore the rules regarding who can drive golf carts as they let their kids use them like toys. To make things worse, there are bored young adults that seem to be no better drivers than the kids and I've seen them speeding around too. When I see anyone driving the carts dangerously, I get the number off of the cart and notify the Bike Barn. They can and will take the cart back.
Jeff just thought I would take a moment and give you some feedback. We ended up staying in the 300 loop site 355. Site was nice but right next to the road. It did provide us a quick shortcut to the settlement depot when we missed the bus and took the short walk there. Overall we were very pleased with FW. The only bad part was we did not spend enough time there. Trying to hit all the parks and a water park or two made it tough. We probably could have stayed the whole week and never left FW. We are planning to spend more time there on our next trip. I am sure it was just us, but we missed busses and boats by just minutes several times watching them pull away only to wait "forever" for the next one (boat to MK specifically). Getting back to FW from MGM was also a trick. we ended up at the Wilderness Lodge because the driver said we could connect there, but I am convinced that if we had gone to the TTC instead we would have been back to the camper about 30 minutes sooner...BTW there were peacocks or Pea-hocks and my 5 year old kept calling them everywhere, but we never heard them. Our AC ran all night and provided great white noise in our pop-up. The weather could not have been better. The only time it rained was when we were at the MK and had just ridden Splash mountain. What timing, already wet!Best part about the theme parks was that there were no lines...most did not even need a fast pass, when we did it was great. We rode Space mtn. 3 times and waited about 30 minutes total with 20 minutes of that when it was stopped for a mechanical as we were about to get on. This was neat because they turned the lights on and we saw the tracks. I have been on SM many times this was the first I had ever been in the bldg with the lights on...
Hoop dee doo revue was great and a nice walk in the evening. 7:15 SHOW was full but we had good seats in the balcony. The kids loved it. great ribs and Chicken!
Bath houses were very clean and plenty of Hot water!! Kids loved the playground at the loop and we did too when we were taking down the camper.
We were very pleased with the whole trip. using the resort charge card was nice as was the fast check out and bill on the car on check out day.
Worst thing- Mosquitoes, mosquitoes, mosquitoes... Tell everyone to bring bug spray. even in October. The Armadillos would scare you if they came running along but they kept to themselves, unlike many brazen raccoons I have had to deal with in other campgrounds... (Patrick Sells, 10/01)
We drove our RV from Ontario to FW and it was the best time we've ever had! We stayed the nights at Rest Areas (except in Florida where overnite stopping is not allowed at rest areas)..got an RV discount card from the Flying J service centres that gave us a .01 cent per gallon discount on gas plus free dumping - http://www.flyingj.com/programs/s_rvclub.html. Fort Wilderness is GREAT!!!! We got in at 8 a.m., much too early for the book-in time but they let my husband drive me in to the laundromat so I could get a week's worth of wash out of the way while they went back to the parking area to wait for our site to be ready. It was ready at 11.30 and they let us in then...which was great too. The park is constantly patrolled and the atmosphere is sooooo relaxing. The boys were 10 & 13 and we had no qualms about letting them go to the swimming pool alone. We also had a regular nightime evening guest...the cutest little rabbit would come to our site (and probably to as many as his little stomach could handle!) every night about 8.30....regular as clockwork. We also saw peacocks stolling around showing themselves off. The Disney movies at the campfire every night were fun too. Only word of caution is to stock up on food BEFORE you enter the park if you plan on eating in your motorhome too. The groceries at the outposts are pretty pricey and you're kind of stranded once you setup with the awning out and all...you sure won't feel like taking it all apart to go grocery shopping! But the meals at the Pioneer Hall were good and not expensive so we ate there a few times.....but we loved it there and know you will have a good time too! (Lise, January, 2001)
Your site was great for us to be prepared for our great Disney vacation. We spent 5 days in Fort Wilderness and it was our first time my family and I were ever there. We arrived 1 day early and weren't sure what we should do. Disney was great. They gave us a campsite we could stay in so we didn't have to move the following day. We just paid for the extra night. We had a reservation for a preferred site and we were in site 1426. What a great loop, close to the pool and not too far from the marina. We also went to the Hoop De Doo Revue. It was alot of fun but once is probably enough for it. It was very easy to travel around in and out of the campground too. The bus drivers were alot of fun too. We had one of the best vacations yet and I would definately camp in Fort Wilderness again and again and again. It was great!!!!! (JJGIBLIN1, June, 2000)
Jeff your site was my bible before we went so I thought I would share my thoughts so others might benefit... We stayed in loop 2000 (originally requested 1500) we had a pop up trailer and didn't need the cable and sewer, but if I had to do it over I would go for the preferred loops, just closer to many things. But no matter what loop you have you will need to rely on buses. There is no parking in the camp ground except at your site. Carts are not a necessity, but if you plan on doing a lot at the campground rent one! The comfort stations are very comfortable and clean! We really loved it! It is very dark at night, so bring flash lights for coming home off the buses! (Aruba301, 4/00)
This is the first time my wife and three year old daughter had ever camped in Disney. Previously, we had stayed in hotels. Right from the start, we found things to be pretty smooth going. Check-in was a breeze. We like the fact that we could stay right in the car and drive straight to the site. We are tent campers, but I liked the fact that there was trailer loading and unloading turn-arounds. These "loading zones" kept the road free for getting to the sites. I've been to many campgrounds, where you've had to wait behind a camper, while they were unloading there cars.We got to the site and we all, immediately, had to head for the bathrooms. What a sight, crystal clean. It also seemed as though there was a bathroom for every 15 or so sites, that way the showers weren't completely hogged, in the mornings. (BTW, I never had to wait for a shower to open).
The campsite itself was sufficient in size and was made up of compacted, LEVEL sand. Compact enough that a tent stake would hold, but not be hard to drive in. The were also trash cans at every other site. One negative on the site was that campfires are not allowed. After staying there, though, when would you have time for a campfire?
At night was when it was a little dissappointing. Our loop butt-ed up against a bus route road, which meant buses where going back and forth to the wee hours of the morning. Also, the movie at the Chip and Dale campfire, was so loud, I could hear everything that was going on, from across the entire campground facility. Bugs, however, are not a problem, and now I know why. Twice a week, at about 3 o'clock in the morning, the very LOUD spray truck, comes by, and wow, is it loud.
But for all the bad stuff, this campground stands out as the best campground I have been to yet. I would go back in a heart-beat. The positives more than make-up for the negatives. Everything about the campground and park in general, is kept immaculate. The staff is both curtious and kind. And you even get the occassional wildlife, like deer, and we even had an armadillo visit us nightly, rustling up the leaves for some grub.
BTW, we stayed in the 200 loop. (Rusty Lloyd, 12/99)
My family likes loop 900 if we get a site near the comfort station. I like loop 1400 BIG BEAR , not the Little Bear section. If you like to be away from it all try loop 2000. Too far away from the fun. We bring our bikes and love to ride them along the paths. They are our transportation within the resort. We will take the boat to the Magic Kingdom if we have no reservations for a dinner or shows. Otherwise, when we leave Fort Wilderness, we take our Explorer and park it at the place were we will end the night.The transportation to and from Fort Wilderness leaves an awful lot to be desired. My wife will now let our boys, ages 11 and 12, ride the bus back to the resort by themselves. They don't care if it takes all night. They don't mind the transfers and the long waits for a bus that sometimes never seems to get there. It's another Disney adventure for them.
I realty hate long waits. We waited one night for a bus at the Settlement transportation center for ten minutes, some people were sitting there and had been waiting for ten minutes already, so we decided the wait was long enough. We walked backed to our site, settled down on lawn chairs by our camper and waited 5 minutes before the first bus stopped at our loop.
Some suggestions for the next time you go to WDW. Wait till you get your camper setup on site and then go get your groceries. Goodings is close to the camp ground but very expensive. Instead of driving straight across from Lake Buena Vista Plaza turn right at the light and follow that road for about 4 miles. On your left will be a Winn Dixie or Pantry Pride. Their prices are much more like home. (Chip, 2/97)
I have stayed at Fort Wilderness many times. You pay a premium there - about $35 a night - but the convenience and beauty of the place is worth it. You get all the privileges of the hotel guests. You also get excellent sits, marvelous bath houses, full hook-ups, nice places to eat, etc. If you are concerned about your bill at Disney, question them up-front, and at check out time. The people are marvelous. (Harry, 2/97)
That is what we had a few years ago, the preferred site with full hookups and cable. My biggest complaint was that I was led to believe that they knew what they were doing by asking what type of rig you had. The site I was in was more suited for a trailer or 5th wheel as the table was in the back and the width of the site was so narrow. I couldn't even put a lawn chair next to the door.The campground itself is very large with paved roads, 2 bus lines. Actually, they go in a loop, one clockwise the other counter-clockwise. The bus will take you the monorail. You are on the lake so there is also direct boat rides to the Magic Kingdom. In all fairness I saw some of the sites that were much better suited for a class A. Overall, it was a good experence. I liked the fact that you get in an hour early as compared to the general public. Also not having to drive everyday helps on stress. We stayed there 3 days and enjoyed it. Of course all accomodations inside WDW are high as compared to outside. (Gary, 2/97)
We have stayed there during March four years running and highly recommend it. The place is spotless, and you don't have to do any driving once you get there. There are movies, swimming and other free activities for the kids as well as all of the Disney attractions accessible by bus and/or boat. Get a reservation ahead of time. Campgrounds in Kissimee are cheaper but still pricey, and the long trip home is a real drag - not worth the savings to us. (Joseph, 2/96)
When you make reservations, ask for discounts (AAA, Good Sam, etc.). We stayed at WDW late last year for $35/night. The going rate at that time was also $50/night. Also ask if they have any discounts on Golf Cart rentals. Don't laugh! This is one of the best ways to get around the campground. There are about 5000 sites (not really) as well any many attractions inside the campground. Think you are going to walk the entire way? There are many buses that take you to anywhere inside WDW for free and they travel about every 20 minutes but who wants to wait? You also get to park up front at all the attractions with the Golf Cart as that is where the outlets for recharging the carts are located. Regular price is about $30/day per cart (seats 4) They had it on sale for $15/day while we were there. Of course they had all been checked out by the time we found out. We had to rent 4 bikes (4@$15ea).Bathrooms are spotless. Campsites have a little privacy - some woods between sites. If you plan on arriving at dark, have a spotter ready with a flashlight and a walkie-talkie. The campground lights are low to the ground and don't illuminate the campsite. I arrived just after dark and had to back into a pitch black site (yes I was prepared and no I didn't hit anything!). Good luck. You WILL enjoy it. (Robert, 2/96)
Hi Jeff, stayed there twice, in 1992 and for two rain-soaked days in Oct 94 (before we gave up and moved to PO). Tented both times, and stayed on (I think) Spanish Moss Lane(?)-- 2100? Anyway, the first time was two slots down from the showers/etc and it was great, although the ducks were a bit pesky in wanting food (thankfully, a neighbor there warned us that they'd be around). What we didn't expect, tho, was one of the birds (the flying variety) to swoop down and take a chunk out of the frozen hamburger patties on the table, while they were still in the wrapper!Second time, it rained all but 2 days of our trip:-{(, and while that was fine in the parks, we would return to our campsite and huddle in the tent, until the next day. After the 2nd day, the folks there were great about helping us reserve rooms over at PO and telling them we were coming, etc. We felt it was better to upgrade and enjoy the trip than to catch pneumonia. It's was a wise decision. I would recommend watching weather reports before you go. (Dr. Don, 2/97)
Jeff, I have stayed at the Fort Wilderness campgounds about 15 times since WDW opened in 1971. I consider the FW resort to be the best Disney has to offer. My last trip to WDW was in Aug. of 1993 and I did stay at FW. Although things at WDW have changed dramatically since my last visit, I believe the following information will still be of use.In terms of what site or loops to stay on,it all depends on two factors: One, is how much money you want to spend and 2, How close to the action you want to be. My suggestions are as follows:
By far, the best loops in the resort are the 100 (Bay Tree Lane site 105 is nice), 200(Palmetto Path) and 400 (Whispering Pine Way) loops. These are are located a very short walk from Pioneer Hall, River Country, the Settlement Trading post, Beach, Marina and the Major bus Depot. Bay Tree Lane is the closest to the action, with a footpath leading to the Beach area, Pioneer Hall and the Settlement Trading post and is my personal favorite. The only downfall, is the price of the site. These sites have full water and cable, yes cable, hook-ups. One other slight downfall, is that although these sites are close to the beach, they are not all that close to either of the pools. The last 3 or 4 times that i have been there, the beached have been closed to swimmers due to high bacterial counts.Other notable loops are 900 (Quail Trail),1000 (Racoon Lane), 1300 (Tumbleweed Turn), 1500 (Cotton Tail Curl) and 1600 (Timber Trail). Although a bus is needed to get to the Transportation hub, Marina etc (that is if you don't like the 5 to 10 min. walk) these loops are close to The Meadow recreation area. Here you will find the Meadow Swimming Pool, Trading post, Bike Barn, Tennis Courts and the Campfire program which shows Disney Classics everynight. One of the only places where you can see Song of the South. Makes for a nice relaxing evening after the grind of the parks. My favorite loop of these, is Quail Trail site 907 or 909.
For recreation and transport especially if you are far away from the amenities, look into renting a Golf Cart. The cost when I was there was $35.00 for a 24 hour period. We rented one for everyday. It beats taking the buses all of the time. Mind you we also had 4 people paying for it. They are a ton of fun and a perfect way to get out and see the resort (FW). Fort Wilderness also offers biking, canoeing, tennis, horseback riding, jogging trails, and boating at the marina. All is at extra cost of course. Although not too steep.
In terms of not to be missed, check out the campfire program at least one night that you are there (especially with kids) and try to get in to see the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical revue. The show is corny but hilarious and the food divine. The cost is $33.00 per person (kids cheaper) and you have your choice of 3 show times. Take the middle one. Also, check out one of the waterparks. River country is nice and right in FW, but Typhoon Lagoon is awesome and I hear that Blizzard Beach is even better. (Chris, 12/95)
We've been there 5 times and really liked it a lot. We plan to go again in January. Some people like to be close to the main activity center but I don't think the slight advantage in convenience is worth the added price. Also the close-in sites have cable TV but the reception is plenty good with an antennae. Stay away from sites that are close to where the buses run. They can be quite noisy at night. If you are there for a week, they have a special rate which is considerably lower than the daily rate - something like $25 vs $40 per day. If you get a site and don't like it you can always look around for a better one and then switch. We've done that too. (Robert, 12/95)
My family has been staying at FW since I was about 10 years old and now my husband and two kids regularly return there. We find it to be the nicest and most relaxing of all of the resorts, plus you can't beat the price if you bring your own equipment (as opposed to renting a Wilderness Home). FW is set up like an oval. There is one road that goes from the Reception Center at one end, straight through FW to the Pioneer Hall bus stop at the lake end. Another road goes around the outside of the oval. We prefer loop 2000, Spanish Moss Lane, but I believe there are no full hook-ups there so it might not be what you are looking for. It is located closer to the Reception Center and is very quiet. If you are looking to be a little closer to the action you might want to think about loop 600 (I forget the name). It is situated in the center of FW, very close to the Meadow area where there is a "Trading Post", a pool, boat rentals, recreational activities (volleyball, etc.) and the campfire circle. Every evening there is a campfire sing-along and a Disney film. Chip and Dale are there and it is a lot of fun. We usually go to the campfire and then head to the Trail's End restaurant (at the lake end of FW) where they have make-your-own Pizza every evening. The loops closer to the lake (beginning with loop 100) are noisier than the rest but within walking distance of the lake. We find them too noisy, however (you are very close to the main bus stop) and really enjoy loop 600. (Michele, 12/95)
Our family has camped at Ft. Wilderness many times, as well as staying in the Ft. Wilderness Homes, we have also stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, which is fantasic and Dixie Landings which we also love. But, our best memories are of the times we stayed at the campground! The facilities are kept as clean as at any other part of Disney's property. Pioneer Hall has great meals and is economical, the trading posts are well stocked and fun to visit. No matter which resort we stay at, we always come over to Ft. W. for a game of checkers at the Meadows, or a bike rental to ride throughout the campground, or just a walk away from the crowds. It is fun to stay in the FW Homes because you can make your own meals, have ice cream and other goodies on hand whenever you go back for a break. The marina is next to Pioneer Hall which makes it very easy to catch a launch to the Magic Kingdom and also to the Contemporary Resort. Buses run about the same as at any resort.Our kids always loved the campfire sing a longs and movies held each night by the bike barn near the Meadows trading post. There is a peacefulness there like no where else on the property. I could go on about this for a very long time. The things that you do need to realize if camping in the summer are that it rains almost every afternoon for a brief time, so be sure you leave all your tent windows closed and tied down. Also put bug spray on yourselves in the evenings, finally tell everyone that there might be poison ivy if they go into the "rough" around the campsites. The pools, tennis courts, marina, etc., are all up to Disney standards. (Steve Seifert, 2/97)
I've stayed at Fort Wilderness many times and I cannot reccomend it enough. My first time there was when I was 8 and my last time when I was 18. (I'm 21 now). I think we've stayed there about 6 times in all. Fort Wilderness is in my opinion the way to go when staying on site. My parents would always stay in a pop-up trailer and my brother and I in a tent pitched in the back of the site. We could cook our own food if we wanted so we didn't always have to eat out. The sites are pretty private and the surroundings are very relaxing.The comfort stations are usually close by and are always clean. The park itself offers enough to do without venturing out very often at all. It has beaches and pools, snack bars and stores, horeseback riding and petting farm, sports equipment throughout and bike and boat rentals. That's just some of it. My favorites were always the nightly sing-along/campfire/movie/visit with Chip and Dale. And of course there's the Trail's End restaurant that provides a nice relaxing breakfast, dinner or late night snack. Hoop-dee-doo review is right there as is River Country. The trails are very nice too. All in all, if you don't stay at Fort Wilderness you're paying too much and missing out on a lot. Sure you don't get a "real" bed to sleep on with all the comforts of home -- but who goes on vacation to be at home anyway. Staying at FW is different and is a real treat. I've always found the transportation to be just fine. Yes sometimes it does take a bit but if you just relax and spend the time leisurely you'll do great. If you're looking for a relaxing vacation, Fort Wilderness is the Disney Resort to spend it at!!!
Another good thing about it is that it's in the Magic Kingdom Resort area so it feels like you're in the heart of it all. The launch that you can take to the Magic Kingdom or to the Contemporary is a beautiful relaxing ride especially at night. You're close to Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary, Grand Floridian and Polynesian so you can go exploring if you like. And again, Magic Kingdom is a short boat ride away and who doesn't rate the MK firstmost of all three parks? Another bonus of course is the nightly water electrical parade. Many find it cheesey but I love it. You can't find entertainment like that anywhere else that's for sure. And certainly not at any of the epcot or mgm resorts! (Trent Schwartz, 2/97)