REVIEW: The Segway Tour of Fort Wilderness Resort

TouringPlans welcomes Guest Author Bridgett Hurley.

Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground offers loads of activities that don’t involve a park ticket. The Wilderness Back Trail Adventure is a 2-hour program that takes guests on a guided tour through the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Of course, you could tour yourself in a rented golf cart, but on this tour, you go places a golf cart can’t go, and your tour guide regales you with Disney history along the way.

The Wilderness Back Trail Adventure is currently $99, with a 15% discount for Passholders. Participants must be 16 years or older, and between 100-250 pounds. You can sign up on Disney’s site up to 60 days in advance, or a bit longer if you’re staying on property. Cancellations must be made 24 hours in advance.

Our group recently took this Segway Tour of the property, and here’s what we thought!

What we saw on the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure

We offloaded to the shore of Bay Lake and learned what first drew Walt Disney to this location. We learned that the lake was in tough shape when Walt bought the property, and what had to be done to bring the spring-fed lake back to its current healthy state. We learned about the old railway that stretched from Wilderness Lodge to River Country and even saw some remnants of the railway.

We saw the site of the new mystery resort. We went along a creek to see where a family of otters lives, and where Fort Wilderness allows people to pitch tents when there is an overflow. We saw a bat house that is home to…no kidding….1.5 million bats. You heard it right. It is a critical part of the Fort Wilderness mosquito control program. We were invited to come watch them flood out of the bat house at dusk and return to it at dawn.

We stopped at the Tri-Circle D Ranch, visited with some of the ponies, and learned about the pony adoption program.

Is it worth it? For us, definitely! We had a wonderful time. We loved learning about the history of Disney and Fort Wilderness in particular. But how you feel about the tour may depend on whether you feel like learning to ride a Segway is part of the fun.

Segway Experts Need Not Sign Up

While we loved the program, it could be boring for experienced Segway users. The tour is from 8:30-10:30. At 8:30 we signed waivers, watched safety videos, and donned our gear before we ever mounted our Segways. We then went out to an obstacle course to learn how to maneuver our vehicles. Although Disney’s site notes that “Before you head out, you’ll receive approximately 30 minutes of instruction and practice time,” we did not finish training until 9:35.

Riding a Segway isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. The guide told us that there are people who don’t make it past the training part of the program. If you decide that Segways aren’t for you, they will refund you the cost of the program.

We found the Segway training fun, but veteran Segway users would likely be bored. If you do make it through the hour of training, the rest of the program would be interesting for almost everyone. The tour would also be hard for people who cannot stand for long stretches. You will be on your feet for at least 2 hours without an opportunity to sit down.

Final Thoughts

The Wilderness Back Trail Adventure is one of the pricier offerings, but for the right person, it is well worth the price tag.

Getting to the tour can be challenging. The program begins at the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds Bike Barn. There is no parking here. If you aren’t staying at Fort Wilderness you will have to park at the front of the resort and take an internal shuttle, which can take up to 30 minutes.

But if you are staying at Fort Wilderness this is a fun way to get to know the resort. If you are a Disney history buff this is a great way to hear stories from veteran Cast Members. And if you don’t mind getting up early to try something new, this tour may be for you. We won’t be doing it again any time soon, but we really enjoyed the experience, and we will definitely be back to watch the bats.

Bridgett Hurley is an attorney, organizational development expert, mom, and foster mom who loves to share Disney with her family and friends. She has been a Disney Vacation Club Member and annual passholder since 2016.