Resort Rundown: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground Overview

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground is one of the most beloved places on Disney property. It hearkens back to the days when Walt Disney World was known as the vacation kingdom. You can truly escape here. You’ll feel like you are in the wilderness hundreds of miles from the hustle and bustle, yet the busiest theme park in the world is a mere boat ride away. This rustic resort in the woods is over 700 acres! Saddle up and hitch your wagon, get ready for one of the most relaxing and rustic experiences at Walt Disney World.

Location

The Magic Kingdom reigns over this part of Walt Disney World. Nestled on Bay Lake, the Magic Kingdom is a short boat ride away. None of the theme parks or other attractions are within walking distance; however, there is so much to do at Fort Wilderness you will have plenty of fun within the campground. You can also take a boat to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge if you want to expand your horizons.

Accommodations

The wilderness of Central Florida, with its tall pine trees, shallow oak trees, sandy soil, and palm fronds surrounds every campsite and cabin. The difference in the campsites is based on size and location. There are essentially two main types of accommodations at Fort Wilderness, campsites and cabins. However, there are  five types of campsites: tent or pop-up, full hookup, preferred, premium, and premium meadow.

Here’s a rundown of each type of campsite:

• Tent / Pop-Up Campsite: can accommodate up to 2 tents or a camper style van, concrete pad is 10 feet by 25 feet (no sewage hookup)
• Full Hookup Campsite: can accommodate RV and one tent, concrete pad is 10 feet by 50 feet, sewage hookup
• Preferred Campsite: can accommodate RV and one tent, concrete pad is 10 feet by 45 feet, sewage hookup, close to the marina
• Premium Campsite: can accommodate larger RV, concrete pad is 18 feet by 60 feet, sewage hookup
• Premium Meadow Campsite: can accommodate larger RV, concrete pad is 18 feet by 60 feet, sewage hookup, close to Meadow Trading Post, Meadow Recreation Area, Bike Barn, and Campfire Area

Each cabin includes a front porch with picnic table, a full kitchen including dining table, one bedroom with one queen bed and bunk beds, two TVs, a full bathroom, and a double size sleeper sofa in the living room area. Each campsite includes a picnic table, complimentary high-speed WiFi, charcoal grill, television, electrical hook-ups, cold water tap, and a safe-deposit box (upon request). The campsites and cabins are grouped into settlements, each one has a bus stop and a comfort station with restrooms including showers.

You can use the awesome TouringPlans Room Finder to help you narrow down the exact location of the campsite or cabin you would like. You can plug in your preferences and find rooms that match your needs. Then when you make your reservations and check in you can request your desired rooms. This tool is free to use.

Want to see inside a cabin? Come take a tour with us in this video:

Dining

Enjoying the great outdoors can sure work up an appetite. Thankfully, Fort Wilderness has lots of options for you to get some vittles and satisfy that growling in your tummy. The most well known eatery here is the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, which is the longest running dinner show in the United States! Right next door is Trail’s End Restaurant (which actually provides the food for Hoop Dee Doo). This table service restaurant also has a to-go option called P&J’s Southern Takeout. You can wet your whistle at Crockett’s Tavern which is at the front of Trail End’s Restaurant and is the resort’s only bar.

Meadow Snack Bar is the equivalent of a counter service location. It is open for lunch and dinner serving sandwiches, salads, and other casual fare right next to the campground’s pool. A limited selection of adult beverages are available here too. For a real treat, head to the resort’s outdoor movie and campfire, even if you don’t partake in the movie or sing-along, The Chuck Wagon parked in this area is worth a visit. This RV style food truck offers sandwiches, burgers, and other campfire cooking plus adult beverages and sweets.

Securing dining reservations at popular full service restaurants like Trail’s End can be frustrating and time consuming. You can use the TouringPlans Reservation Finder to help you secure dining reservations and save time. Simply select your desired restaurant, then plug in your desired date and time or meal period, then select to be notified either via email or text message and viola! This incredible tool is available with or without a TouringPlans paid subscription, but you do need to create, or have, a TouringPlans login. 

Pools

There are two pools Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. The feature pool is Meadow Swimmin’ Pool which features a 67-foot corkscrew water slide. Plus there is a fantastic water playground that is great for little tykes, and it has a great outdoors theme. The Meadow recreation area is the hub of all the fun for Fort Wilderness and is located in the center of the grounds. The Wilderness Swimmin’ Pool is the quiet pool. It is located near the front of the property and has a hot tub, a great spot for some tranquil relaxation.

Recreation

There is so much to do here you may not need to visit the theme parks. There are basketball hoops, volleyball courts, and playgrounds throughout the resort. You can rent bicycles for a scenic ride around the resort and rent canoes or kayaks to paddle along the canals that flow through the resort. Motorized watercraft can be rented at the marina on Bay Lake for a lovely cruise on the lake and over to Seven Seas Lagoon. Golf carts can be rented for fun and convenient way to get around the campground (advanced reservations recommended).

All Disney-owned resort hotels have outdoor movies every night. But, Fort Wilderness is the only one with a campfire sing-along to go with it! And Chip and Dale join in on the fun! Joggers, runners, and walkers can enjoy one of the most scenic jogging trails in all of Walt Disney World. Video game enthusiasts can enjoy two different arcades. There are also special activities for an additional charge such as a segway tour and an archery experience.

Transportation

Guests can enjoy one of the most magical ways to get to the Magic Kingdom: a ferryboat. Journey across Bay Lake, past the site of River Country which is now demolished and becoming the home of Disney’s newest resort, Reflections.

Bus transportation is available to the remaining theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. The campground is very large, so there are internal buses that run from the front of the resort to the different settlements of cabins and campsites, and the back of the resort. Bus transportation to the attractions is only available at the front depot. Guests will need to board their outpost’s internal bus to get to the front depot then switch to the bus for their desired attraction.

Other Information

Currently there is some construction in the area that effects Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. The Tri-Circle D Ranch, which has been a staple of the resort for decades, is closed. A different version of the ranch is being built at the front of the resort. In the meantime, horse drawn carriage rides, pony rides, and other experiences are not offered.

Check out our overview of Fort Wilderness Campground in this video:

We sure covered a lot of information about Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground, so here a handy dandy infographic that summarizes it all: