Our Fantastic Week at Fort Wilderness

If you know me or follow my adventures on social media, you know that I am a Disney Fan. After purchasing our RV last November, I became a Walt Disney World pass holder again after a hiatus during the pandemic. I couldn’t wait to start planning my first ever visit to Fort Wilderness. My husband cherishes fond memories of camping there as a child with his parents and brother.

Leading up to our trip, we discussed all the must dos for our time there. We decided not to put too much focus on theme parks. We have weekday annual passes and can head into the parks any time. Our time at Fort Wilderness should be spent exploring the campground. Mike’s top picks included the game rooms and Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.

Five Reasons You Never Have to Leave the Fort:

1.       Transportation – there is an inner resort bus system that will take you throughout the campground. You can bring bikes or rent them at the Bike Barn. Golf cart is one of the most popular modes of transport within Fort Wilderness. You’re welcome to bring your own or rent one from the resort.

2.       Recreation – There are so many recreational activities at Fort Wilderness including:

·         Two swimming pools – The Meadow recreation area houses a game room, snack bar, and “swimmin” pool with activities and a water slide. The Wilderness pool is usually a bit quieter. Note: Towels are not provided at the pools in this resort.

·         Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long

·         Archery Experience – I personally expected to see wooden tables set up in a wooded setting using bows reminiscent of the movie Brave.

·         Tri-Circle-D Ranch – The stables near the Settlement area (back of the campground) are open daily for guests to visit the horses. Pony rides are offered there too. Horseback rides are offered at the stables in the Outpost area at the front of the campground.

·         Movies Under the Stars – movie schedules are posted on site and provided at check-in.

·         There are two trading posts where you can buy souvenirs, food and beverages, and other essentials for your trip. One is located in the Meadow area and the other one is back in the Settlement.

3.       Food and Beverage Options – One of the many bonuses of staying in the campground is the ability to hop back to your RV or cabin for a quick meal or snack. We always keep lunch meat, cheese, and chicken strips in our fridge for a fast break to eat without paying Disney prices for the same food. But, if you didn’t make it to the grocery before your trip, there are plenty of options at Fort Wilderness. With two trading posts offering plenty of grocery options (with a high price tag, of course), you don’t have to go out for every meal. If you’re not looking to prepare meals at your campsite, you have plenty of on-site options. There is a snack bar adjacent to the Meadow “swimmin” pool, a quick service eatery in the Settlement, and a food truck round up on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings featuring Orlando area trucks. There is also a permanent truck located at the back of the property that features your typical theme park snacks like corndog nuggets and Mickey pretzels.

4.       Entertainment – The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue is a must experience when staying at Fort Wilderness, but many come from all over the Walt Disney World Resort to be entertained. Sit back and enjoy laughs, songs, and plenty of audience interaction. Bring your appetite. Dinner kicks off with slaw, salad, and corn bread followed by large portions of fried chicken, barbecue ribs, mashed taters, mac & cheese, and baked beans. If you have room left, strawberry shortcake serves as the grand finale.

5.       Magic Kingdom Fireworks over the water – Many travel from all over the world to visit Disney World. Watching the fireworks shows is a must do for most. I’m not most. I typically use that time to jump on much less crowded transportation or hit as many rides as I can during the show. Watching the firework show from the marina at Fort Wilderness was breathtaking. The music is piped in, so the only thing missing are the projections on Cinderella’s and Main Street buildings and the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. It’s magical.

 Halfway to Halloween is a whole other story that I still can’t wrap my head around. There were special activities for the day and evening hosted by the campground. But the real magic was driving around the different camping loops. The guests went all out and made it feel like October 31st in April (my absolute favorite time of year).