A few weeks ago we had a *new to us* Walt Disney World experience – staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground! Now if you’re a regular reader you know that we are Disney fiends and go a lot. But even so, it’s nearly impossible to see and do it all. We’ve been slowly checking the boxes of staying at every resort on property and one of our last few included the Fort Wilderness Campground.
In today’s post I’m going to give you a little overview of our experience and give my thoughts of whether we’d stay there again (as a Deluxe Resort snob). But if you want to see a video tour of the Fort Wilderness Cabin – click here to watch my YouTube video!
History
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground holds tons of WDW history. The campground itself is an opening day “resort” – so it’s been here since the beginning! While it’s definitely had updates and changes over the years, there is still that constant of the focus being Walt’s love of the great outdoors.
Another piece of Disney history you don’t want to miss at the Fort is Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue – a dinner show that has been playing there since 1974! If you’ve never done it before, it is a must! And while you don’t need to stay at the Fort to attend, it can definitely add to the experience. The show is truly an experience the whole family will love and remember.
When you visit the Fort you also don’t want to miss Tri-Circle-D Ranch – the stable near the settlement where you can visit with horses and even catch a pony ride! Most of these horses are the ones that perform at the parks. So if you’ve ever wanted to see Cinderella’s horses getting ready for a wedding, or Gaston’s noble steed prep for a parade – this is where it all happens!
The Cabins
While you can certainly tent camp or bring your RV/trailer to Fort Wilderness, we wanted to stay in the cabins! These cabins are recently renovated (technically replaced) and can be booked with DVC points or cash.
The cabins come fully equipped with a full kitchen with dining area, a full bathroom, a living space that includes a murphy bed for two, and a bedroom with a queen-sized bed and a set of bunk beds. Plus, you have a nice porch that includes a nice picnic set up for dining, playing games, or getting some work done. In total the cabins sleeps 6 adults/children and 1 infant. However, If you had 6 people in the cabin in my opinion it would be very tight and somewhat lack storage. But during our stay it was just the two of us and it was great! I would personally say 4 would fit comfortably.
One thing I wasn’t really thinking about when booking was how quiet it would be since you’re in your own building. Hotels can sometimes be loud, especially because of the hallways or if you have noisy neighbors next to you or above you. But here there was none of that which I LOVED! If you or someone in your party is sensitive to noise – this could be the perfect accommodation!
I would say the few “cons” of the cabins themselves is there are no washers or dryers in them, which are standard with DVC rooms that are a one-bedroom and larger layouts. However, there is free laundry machines near the “quiet pool” nearby. I also don’t love that the bathroom isn’t connected to the main bedroom.
But overall, the cabins were very well done and i loved the little Disney touches!
Transportation
One of the big questions you’re probably wondering about is transportation. How does it work? What’s the deal with the golf carts?
On our stay we had both a rental car AND we rented a golf cart. The rental car was definitely preferable for us for this trip so we didn’t have to rely on buses to get to the parks. It was so fabulous to also be able to park our vehicle right outside of the cabin! It made getting out the door that much faster. Each cabin does only have one parking spot, but there is plenty of vehicle parking near the check-in building.
Whether you have a rental car or not, in my opinion the golf cart is a MUST if you’re planning on using any Fort amenities. It is a little pricey at $75/day for a four-seater. However, in my opinion it can make or break the experience. Plus it is so fun! The golf carts can be parked places that cars cannot, at the Settlement, by the pools, etc. So unless you want to walk A LOT or figure out the internal bus system, I’d highly recommend renting the golf cart.
As I mentioned before, there are internal buses for the Fort. These buses all run on different lines though, so you may have to transfer depending on where you want to go. And like every other Disney resort there are buses to the parks but only at the main hub stops – so check the bus map for accurate information.
Fort Wilderness is also connected to the Seven Seas Lagoon. So you can in fact take a boat to Magic Kingdom! The boat dock can be found by the Settlement – which is also a great spot to watch the fireworks and Electrical Water Pageant. Boats are also available to Wilderness Lodge and The Contemporary after 3pm.
Dining & Shopping
There are a few spots to shop and dine at the Fort. As for dining, I did mention Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue earlier which takes place at dinner time and you certainly will want to book ahead for. But for more casual dining there is Trail’s End Restaurant which was formally a buffet but now is a quick-service. Crockett’s Tavern is connected to Trail’s End and offers a full bar and some appetizers.
There is also the Meadows Snack Bar near the pool which has sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, Mickey pretzels, etc. Near the Meadow Pool is also The Chuck Wagon which is a food truck that is open for dinner right by the campfire sing-along location. You can also purchase supplies for s’mores here!
Overall, the food options are pretty limited, but it’s definitely better than nothing! If you’re spending most of your time in the parks the food shouldn’t be a huge con. And you can always purchase groceries to cook in your own kitchen when staying in the cabins!
The Fort also has two shops, one near The Settlement, and one near the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool. I’d definitely recommend stopping at both since they tend to sell different merchandise! Both offer a small selection of groceries and camping supplies on top of Disney merchandise.
Amenities & Activities
There is no lack of amenities and activities at Fort Wilderness!
There is truly so much to do and we didn’t even get to scratch the surface. From boat rentals to kayaking, to fishing and archery. There really is something for everyone! You can even rent bikes – or bring your own – which is also a great way to get around.
You can even go horseback riding or go on a segway adventure! And of course, you can lounge by one of the two pools – one being the “quiet pool” and the other featuring a waterslide and splash pad. In the guest areas you’ll also find lawn games and games like foosball or pool. There are even a few playgrounds on the property.
A must-do is the nightly campfire sing-along with Chip and Dale!
It’s such a fun little show that is completely free. But be sure to bring marshmallows and s’mores supplies. Fort Wilderness is definitely a resort you could stay at and not even enter the parks! There is truly so much to do for the whole family.
Would We Return?
While this was a totally different Disney experience for us, we can‘t wait to go back!
We have so much more we want to explore at the Fort itself. And after a long park day, it’s a great place to come back to and rest up!
While there isn’t the bells and whistles of other DVC resorts – I love the feeling of being at Disney but without the hustle and bustle. It truly makes for a relaxing and memorable experience. I would highly recommend it! Especially if you normally get a rental car and take a few rest days from the parks.
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I hope you all enjoyed this review of the Fort Wilderness Resort and DVC Cabins! Be sure to subscribe to my email list for more content like this. And feel free to visit the Disney category of my travel posts for similar content.
Cheers!
xoxo
Jayme
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