Everything you Need to Know about Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds

Hey friends! Today we are going to be doing a Resort Spotlight on Disney Fort Wilderness Resort and Campgrounds, our home away from home. So far in 2024 we've spent 2 months at the campgrounds, and we'll be back for Christmas, so we like to think of ourselves as experts of this resort. Anyway, let’s get to it!    

This is the map of the resort and we are going to go from bottom to top in this blog post.

This is where you check in and get an activity sheet as well as a map of the resort and directions to your spot. You can also pick up a golf cart here if you reserved one. Golf carts are also available after you check in as available. The resort is quite big, so if you aren't up for walking or waiting for buses, then we suggest grabbing a golf cart to get around.   

This is the front desk where you can reserve a golf cart and get answers to any questions you have. If you'd like to have groceries or packages delivered, then you can also pick them up here. Groceries do not incur a fee, however packages are a $6 handling fee.

They also have a WDW bus stop station at Fort Wilderness, also known as the Outpost Station. From here you can go to Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom as well as Disney Springs. They also have a little sign here sharing about some of Fort Wilderness’s history.  

If you don’t happen to have a trailer or motorhome then you can stay in the well-appointed cabins near the Outpost station. As of this video the cabins are being refurbished and are expected to be finished by the end of 2024.  

Near the cabins there is the Swimmin' pool which I think is a missed opportunity to call it the Swimmin' Hole.

As you move up the resort you will find several loops of campsites. These are for travel trailers, motorhomes and RVs. If you are a tent kind of person, then there are some tent sites available too.  

In the center of the campgrounds is the Meadows Recreation area, which includes the Meadows Trading Post, and Meadows Swimming Pool (which has a splash pad as well as a water slide). And the Bike Barn which has a variety of activities including kayaking, Mickey tie-dye and archery. Behind the bike barn is Chip-n-Dales Campfire Singalong. In this show Chip-n-Dale come out on stage with a cowboy and sing with the crowd and do the hokey pokey, which is followed by a movie under the stars!   That’s it for the meadows recreation area.

Moving to the top of the campground is the Settlement which also has a Trading Post.   The settlement also has a couple food offerings. First is Crockets Tavern which is a bar serving delicious cocktails that you can sip in a rocker on the porch overlooking the beach and lake. Next is Trails End which is a grab-n-go food service restaurant with items like pizza, burgers, and bbq.

And finally Pioneer Hall. Inside Pioneer Hall is a dinner and show called the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue. The food items you will be serviced at this show are fried chicken, barbecue ribs and some side items. As for desert… you will be served strawberry shortcake.     

If Fort Wilderness wasn’t cool enough, it’s set right on Bay Lake which means it has a beach! No swimming allowed (hello gators) BUT...Magic Kingdom is also on bay lake so of course you take a boat strait there. And let me tell you, it's the best way to get to the gates. Because Magic Kingdom is so close you can also watch fireworks from the beach. There are speakers lined up throughout the beach so that you can hear the music for the fireworks show. It's truly magical!    

Across from the Settlement is the Tri-Circle D Ranch stables   This is where all of Disney's horses are kept and cared for.  You can walk through the stables to see the horses and some of them were nice enough to pose for pictures. There is also a little section of the stables dedicated to Disney's history with horses. Younger adventurers can take a pony ride here at the stables. Faye was able to ride "Dory" the pony but Reesey was too tall, so she got to ride a bigger horse around the corral. For older adventures there is a longer trail ride with bigger horses down at the Outpost.     

That concludes our resort spotlight for Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.  Keep in mind that you have to book in advance. We booked for January 2024 in May 2023.  Also, if you are DVC member then new Disney vacation club cabins are coming July 2024. 

Check out our full video on Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground over on our youtube channel!

And remember, if you need help planning a Disney vacation, click here for our complimentary Disney travel planning services. We'd love to help your family make magical memories! See you real soon!