A DisneyWorld Fort Wilderness Primer

Every loop has good sites and bad sites. There are no pull-thrus. All sites have picnic tables and a grill.... all but the tent sites have full hook ups.

We stay in the Premium sites. We'd like to stay in the Full hook-ups to save some $$, but they are never available for the number of days we'd like to stay.

The Premium sites (most expensive), have paved pads that are wide and long. Most are pretty easy to back into. There is room to put out the slides and open the awning.... and should be room at the back to pitch a tent or set up a screen room.

The Preferred sites (mid-priced) are located near the marina- some are close together and hard to back in to. The Full Hook-up (least expensive in the full hook-up category) sites are farther out, so not as convenient, but there is more space between sites. The Preferred and Full Hook-up sites have a narrower paved pad than the Premium. Some are longer than others. But none are wide enough to have your entire awning over pavement. Part of the length is a sandy area which will accomodate the picnic table, and a tent or screen room.

The Tent sites have water and electric. These sites will accomodate tents, pop-ups, small trailers, small motorhomes (class B or B+), and truck campers. They don't have sewer hook-ups, and we've never seen a dumping station anywhere in the campground.

There are many comfort stations (restrooms, showers, laundry facilities). One comfort station might serve two loops.

This website has very detailed information about Fort Wilderness and it's rates. http://allears.net/acc/faq_fw.htm - There is a chart of prices, but I believe those rates are 2010. They go up every year.

While you're looking at that website, be sure to navigate around to get just about all the information you'll need about Walt Disney World and Fort Wilderness.

If you'll tell me what you like in a campsite, the ages of your children, some of their interests, if you'll be traveling with pets, I can suggest some loops that might be suited for your family.

You can request specific sites (about 2 days before your arrival), and Disney will try to honor your request, but they won't guaranty anything.

Tater

Bob&Pi asked: "I've noticed that you and Scruffy go to WDW often. Other than somewhat warmer temps this time of year, what is the attraction for people of....ummm.... "our" age.

Who do you rent your golf cart from and do you consider them a convenient item or a necessary item to have? DW has an old football injury to her knee and sometimes it flares up and it's difficult for her to walk any distance over a couple hundred yards.

Do they have fire pits? Can you purchase firewood there?

Thanks for this thread. I've really been taking an interest in making this trip after reading your previous posts."
>>>

What makes WDW attractive for people of "our" age? I'm thinking "our" age could mean anyone without young children.

I guess it's appropriate to answer this while we're at WDW. Between 1978 and 1992, we visited WDW sporadically. When we got our first real computer with Windows 3.1, we started communicating with a group of WDW fans on Prodigy. A bunch of us decided to meet at WDW in late 1993, and frequent meetings emerged from that. The group kind of disbanded about 5 years ago, but we still meet with some of them when we come down, so that was a big attraction. After we got our Cat, we started camping in Fort Wilderness. Since 1993, we've stayed from 1 to 3 times a year, and it seems that each visit gets a bit longer than the last. Tater has a brother who lives near WDW, so that is a very big reason for coming to central Florida. So, what do we find so attractive? It's hard to explain. Part of it is the attitude of the people who work at WDW (Castmembers), they are always so friendly and helpful. Part of it is the attitude of the other guests - most of them are very friendly. Sometimes we meet up with one who is experiencing a bad day.

We love the campground. This trip will be a total of 14 days. Of the 14 days we went into themeparks 3 times (2-Magic Kingdom, 1-Epcot). The majority of the rest of the days we've been in the campground. We went over to Downtown Disney for some shopping and lunch one day. Went to some resorts for meals some days, and just relaxed "at home" a lot. We rent a golf cart from a man in Clermont, FL. His name is Kenny, and he owns Tee-time Golf Cart rentals. He doesn't have a website, he doesn't need it, he gets most of his business by referrals from satisfied customers. We got his name from reading DisBoards - a message board devoted to Disney. Kenny will deliver the cart to the parking lot of Fort Wilderness when you arrive and pick it up when you leave. He is very flexible on his delivery and pick-up times. We like to ride around the campground (it's huge) and look for Wildcats. We also like to look at the decorations people put on their campsites, and look at the kind of rigs people have. We'll drive down to the marina and watch the boats come in (from the Magic Kingdom and from a couple other resorts). At night we'll drive down to the marina and watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks across the bay. There is also an Electrical Water Pageant every evening which we enjoy. Trail's End restaurant has breakfast and dinner buffets. For lunch they have menu service. We drive down to eat at Trail's End, but not everyday. The food is very good. All of this driving is in the golf cart - there are no parking lots within the campground.... only the space at each campsite. For those who don't want to rent a golf cart from Disney or from an outside vendor, there is frequent bus service and conveniently located bus stops. There are internal busses that travel the roads of Fort Wilderness, and external busses that go to Downtown Disney, the 4 themeparks, and the 2 water parks. We've considered the golf carts to be a nice convenience, but since Tater's knee went "out" last November, the cart has become a necessity sometimes.

About fires. Each site has a grill, and you can build a fire in the grill...it wouldn't work well for a campfire, but you could roast marshmallows and make S'mores much like on a campfire. There are no firepits, and they don't sell firewood.... and gathering wood is not allowed. There have been drought conditions in Florida for quite some time, and open fires are not allowed. There is pine straw everywhere, which could be quite a fire hazard. We've seen people with their own firepits (the kind that are elevated off the ground and have screen sides), and those are allowed. The group camping areas attract a lot of scout troops, and I think those areas might allow adult supervised campfires. Disney has a campfire sing-along near the pool area, and people are encouraged to bring marshmallows.

Tater

Getting the perfect campsite.

Perfect would be different things for different people. Scruffy and I are retired. It's just the two of us. Our Cat is about 30 ft long, and we want a site that will hold truck, trailer, and if possible a screen room. We want one that will accomodate our slides and awning. Those things are important to us, and probably to most other campers. When we ride through the loops at Fort Wilderness, we note how we would fit. Some sites are too short, even for our 30 ft 5th wheel and truck. Some sites are big enough to hold a long motorhome and a towed car - and have room at the back for a canopy or screen room.

We have a list of sites - the list is 4 pages long. If the site is on our list, we think it fits most of our criteria. I'll do some tweaking and try to make a list of 2-3 sites in each loop, with a brief description of each loop. I also have a short list of sites we definitely don't want - actually, it might be a list of one.

Don't bother to try to reserve a specific site when you make your reservation. Instead, two days before your arrival, call Fort Wilderness and ask to speak to the "room assigner." Have your list ready, and make your request. You might try giving some reason why it's important to you to have a specific site. It's your first trip to Fort Wilderness - It's your 25th anniversary - It's your daughter's 16th birthday - You want a perfect site because you are going to be staying 10 (8, 12, 20 - whatever) days. I'll try to find that direct phone number, it's around here somewhere. Another way to do this is to have list in hand when you check-in. If there isn't a long line of RVs behind you, the castmember checking you in will try to get you something on the list. Just remember, these are "perfect" sites and other people might have already requested them.

* * * * * * * * * *

This is a list of sites. The list is actually much longer, but it would just be too big to include here. Our most favorite sites are in this list, but I won't say which ones they are.

Loops 100, 200, and 300 are Preferred – mid-price in the sites with all hook-ups. They are close to the Settlement area. They are not as wide or as long as the Premium sites. They are partly paved and partly sand. They have water, sewer, electric, grills and tables. The sites are close together, and sometimes the curves in the roads make backing in difficult.
108, 109, 113, 123, 124, 127 232 301, 303

Loops 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, and 1400 are all Premium – highest priced of the sites with all hook-ups. They have long wide paved pads with water, sewer, electric, grills, and tables. These are, in our opinion, the best sites for OUR needs in Fort Wilderness:
405, 413, 416 520, 522, 523 606, 608, 610
710, 715, 716 813, 815, 816 915, 919, 921
1012, 1013, 1014 1104, 1119, 1120 1207, 1217, 1218
1307, 1318, 1324 1415, 1419, 1422

Full Hook-ups are loops 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900
Some full hook-ups are as long as the longer premiums but – about 15 feet at the back is not paved. It is fairly deep sand, providing a soft place to pitch a tent. It is firm enough for trailer wheels, but the door might be over sand. The paved area is not as wide as the premium sites, so it might be tight if you have slides on both sides. The awning will probably be partly over sand or pine straw... level with the pad or sloping down a bit.
We thought the sites on loop 1600 were kind of tight. There were nice sites, they just aren’t on our list. This is our complete list of the full hook-up sites:
1708, 1710, 1715, 1732, 1719 1809 1929

Loops 1500 and 2000 are Partial hook-ups – lowest priced sites at Fort Wilderness. They have water, electric, grills, and tables. They are partly paved and partly sand. The sites are small for tents and small RVs (pop-ups, Class Bs, truck campers, very short trailers).

I almost forgot - the site we never want again - 1206. It is almost parallel to the road. Between the pad and the road are a big electric box, a trash can and recycle bins. Not very pretty, and definitely not private for eating at the picnic table.


Tater

Here is a map that I found of the campground to reference when looking at Tater's site suggestions:

Oldelmer1 asked: "Do you reserve on the internet or over the phone.
Would you please include the link or phone number for us."


MAKING RESERVATIONS

RESORTS
This is the phone number for reservations - 1-407-W-DISNEY (934-7639). They are open on weekdays from 7 am to 10 pm and weekends from 7 am to 8 pm, ET. Be prepared to be on hold. Disney doesn’t have a toll-free number for resort reservations.

This page has a form for submitting reservation requests:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

At the top of the form are 4 options. I select “Hotels,” for your convenience, this will also include an option for purchasing passports. If you want a package deal that includes campsite, passports, and dining plans, click “Packages.”

Fill out the dates you want to be there, the number of people in your party, and the hotel (The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness) or (Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground). Don’t select The Cabins.

Wait until your choices appear… you might have to be a bit patient for this to happen. You might be told your choice isn’t available, and they might offer an alternative (most likely the Cabins which are much more expensive than the campsites). If campsites are available, you will be told what types. Select the one type you want (Tent or Pop-ups, Full hook-ups, Preferred, or Premium). They will most likely have one that is highlighted. If you want something else, they show how much more or less it would cost for the duration of your stay. For example, if they highlight full hook-ups they won’t show a total cost (that will come later); if you would rather have a Premium site, there will be a plus number (i.e. + $119). If you select Premium, it becomes your base price, and the others will be + or -. You might have to click Update to get it to change.

Look at the other options on the page. You might want to add Passports. If Disney is offering a dining plan, you might want to select that, too. Be sure you know what you are getting with the Dining Plan. We don’t take it because some of their plans include too much food.

When you are all done, click “Select this offer.” Be patient again. The next page will be a review of your choice. If it is okay, click Book Now. When the next page opens, you’ll be asked to register or log-in. When that is all done, you’ll fill out the important stuff – your name, address, credit card info, etc.

It’s really easy, I prefer making reservations on-line… and I can log-on to review my reservations any time I wish.


DINING
Click on the same website - http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ .

Near the top is a line that includes “Where to Eat” – you can read about the Disney restaurants (both in the theme parks and in the resorts). You can also make reservations – it’s easy, and just as easy to cancel them if your plans change. Reservations are held for 15 minutes after your reservation time.

Oldelmer1 asked: "Is there a better time to go? less crouds, cheaper price?"

The AllEars website has a chart of seasons and prices. http://allears.net/acc/faq_fw.htm
It has the 2010 rates and will be updated as soon as that information becomes available. The higher priced seasons are the most crowded. Disney has taken to scheduling special events during the traditional slow seasons, and so it's becoming somewhat crowded all year. After the Marathon in January until around Presidents Day, it's the least crowded, in our opinion. We are there often during that time period, and don't encounter many crowds.

The list of best sites in our humble opinion is very long - too long to post here. Most of the sites we chose were roomy and very easy to back into.

Maybe I should have made a list of not very nice sites - that would have had about 6-10 sites on it. That's to say, it's hard to get a bad site.

Next time we get to Fort Wilderness, we'll locate the worst sites in the campground, and post that list. Worst would be - very difficult to back into; too close to the neighbors; parallel to the road. Here is a drawing to illustrate a good site that is a very easy back-in, and a site that is parallel to the road and has no privacy from people driving by.



Tater

I've locked this forum. If you have any questions, please post below in the open Camp Ground Reviews area. I'll answer your question up here and give you credit for asking. This will make this topic easier to navigate through in the future.

I'll probably delete some of the posts already here - but not Tom's contribution of the Fort Wilderness map.

TRANSPORTATION FROM FORT WILDERNESS (DO THESE IN REVERSE WHEN TRAVELING TO FORT WILDERNESS)

BOATS
There are two types of boats that transport guest to or from Fort Wilderness.

Boats are a very pleasant way to travel. The scenery is beautiful, there will be ducks and other kinds of water birds, and sometimes an otter playing in the water. Alligators are also a possibility.

One is an open boat. This boat has a roof, but no sides or windows. It isn’t a pleasant trip in rain or extremely cold weather. Even with those drawbacks, this is my favorite boat. There is a step down from the pier to the boat deck. A person using a wheelchair can travel on this boat if he/she can get out of the chair and step down. The chair needs to be folded and it can fit between seats. A person using an electric scooter or power wheelchair would not be able to travel to the resorts on this boat. These open boats travel in three separate loops.

One loop travels between Fort Wilderness, Contemporary Resort, and Wilderness Lodge.

Another loop transports guests between the Polynesian Resort, Grand Floridian Resort and the Magic Kingdom. One boat does a complete circle of these three stops. Same step down or up as the other open boats. This is one way, in addition to the monorail, to get between those two resorts. You can transfer to this boat in the docking area at the Magic Kingdom.

The occasional loop - This open boat also travels to/from the Magic Kingdom. A person using an ECV and wishing to go to the Magic Kingdom would have to wait until a Friendship launch arrives…. This could be anywhere up to 30 minutes (on rare occasions, longer).


The second is the above mentioned Friendship motor launch. It’s a big boat, has open seating fore and aft, and enclosed seating in the mid section. These boats have a large sliding door that a wheelchair or scooter will fit through. The doorway is usually level with the pier (although if the boat is heavily loaded there will be a step down to get on, or a step up to get off). The Friendship boats have separate routes – one to/from Fort Wilderness and Magic Kingdom, and one to/from Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom. They don’t go to the Contemporary.

For many handicapped people, some boats aren’t a very reliable source of transportation – unless the person is able to transfer. On a couple recent visits, I was using a wheelchair. Since I could get out of it and step up or down, there wasn’t a problem with either type of boat. For someone who doesn’t have that kind of mobility, busses or their own vehicle would be best.


INTERNAL BUSSES

There are several bus stops in the campground, all located at or near the entrance to each loop. There are also bus stops at the entrance to Fort Wilderness (Outpost) where you can transfer to external locations, Meadows Trading Post, and the Settlement (Pioneer Hall/Trail’s End Buffet/Crockett’s Tavern/Settlement Trading Post/Marina). These busses have specific routes within the campground, identified by color, and all stop at the Outpost and Settlement.


EXTERNAL BUSSES

Busses will take you to Magic Kingdom (MK), Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios(DS), and Animal Kingdom (AK), Downtown Disney (DD), Typhoon Lagoon (TL), Blizzard Beach (BB), and the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) and, in a round-about-way to other resorts. They won’t take you from Fort Wilderness to another resort. You can take a bus to any of these listed locations, and transfer to another bus to a resort. The busses can take wheelchairs and/or scooters, but space is limited, so be prepared to wait if there are others ahead of you. A suggestion is from Fort Wilderness to Downtown Disney and transfer there to the resort of your choice. Dining in different resorts can be fun, but because of all the transfers allow plenty of time to get there – Disney recommends about 1.5 hours.

There is one time that you can take a bus directly from Fort Wilderness to another resort. That would be immediately after the Hoop-de-doo Musical Revue. These busses load near Pioneer Hall and the busses go to several resorts (be sure you get on the right bus). Not of importance if you are staying in Fort Wilderness.


MONORAIL

The monorail is an elevated transportation system that is magnetically propelled. The views from the monorail cars are beautiful. There are three routes from the Ticket and Transportation Center. One goes directly to the Magic Kingdom, one directly to Epcot, and one stops at all three resorts on the line and at the Magic Kingdom. If you can get to the Contemporary (or one of the other three resorts, you can take a monorail directly to the Magic Kingdom or transfer at the TTC to Epcot. All of the Monorail stops are handicapped friendly.

A personal note – the cars start smelling like stinky diapers as the day wears on. Sorry, try not to think about it.


FERRY BOAT

The ferry boats just go back and forth, back and forth between the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) and the Magic Kingdom (MK)

If you can get to the TTC, you can ride on a ferry boat. The views of the resorts that are located on the lake are spectacular. If you want to go for a ride on the ferry boat, just for the experience, avoid the busy times of the day when people are arriving or departing in droves.


YOUR OWN VEHICLE

You can use your own vehicle to get anywhere on Disney property. Guest services at Fort Wilderness will give you a map and directions. The roads/highways at Walt Disney World are clearly marked.

PETS IN FORT WILDERNESS

Can’t bear the thought of leaving your pet at home? After all they ARE part of the family – you’ll miss them and they’ll miss you. If they are good travelers and good neighbors, you can bring them along.

• Camping with pets is welcome at some campsites for an additional charge, based on availability.
• You must request a pet site at the time you make your reservations.
• There is a $5.00 per day charge (not $5 per pet) for having a pet at the designated camp loops.
• Pets MUST meet vaccination requirements.
• Pets are NOT permitted in Wilderness Cabins or in non-designated loops.
• Pets must be kept on a leash whenever they are outside your camping unit.



KENNEL

Best Friends Pet Care, the new pet care facility at Walt Disney World, opened September 1. 2010. The kennels that were located at Fort Wilderness, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Studios have been closed.

Best Friends Pet Care is located across from Port Orleans at 2510 Bonnet Creek Parkway, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. To book accommodations or for more information, call 877-4-WDW-PETS or visit www.wdw.bestfriendspetcare.com .

Here's a map that shows where the new kennels are located:

FUELING AT WDW

Wondering where to fuel up? There are three Hess gas stations on Disney property near Fort Wilderness. Two of them sell gasoline, one sells both gas and diesel. We have found that the price of fuel at these Hess stations on WDW property is usually a few cents lower than at other stations in the surrounding area.


This is an overview map showing the three stations (circled in red) and some other points of interest in the Fort Wilderness (circled in dark blue) area.

The two Hess stations that sell gasoline are located at E Buena Vista Dr and Epcot Resorts Blvd (where you would turn to go to Boardwalk), and at N Buena Vista Dr across the street from Downtown Disney Pleasure Island (just east of the Team Disney Building – the building that looks like a nuclear power plant).

The Hess station that sells both gas and diesel is easy to find, but there is a very round-about-way to get there. It is at the Car Care Center located in the Magic Kingdom area on Floridian Way. When you look at the satellite view, below, you can see how close it COULD be to Fort Wilderness, but Disney didn’t build a road there – I guess they wanted to make it inconvenient.  The road from Fort Wilderness to the Car Care Center is marked in yellow, and the way back to Fort Wilderness in red. Note the details at the two intersections that I didn’t cover up with yellow or red lines. At the Car Care Center, Floridian Way goes from 2-way to 1-way just north of the CCC, so if you want to get back to the campground on the same route you used to get TO the CCC, you must use Car Care Dr to get back to Floridian Way. We usually fuel up the night before we leave, and avoid that area with the trailer in tow as it frequently gets very congested. When leaving Fort Wilderness with the trailer, we usually leave via Bonnet Creek Parkway.



Of course, you can go anywhere from there. WDW roads are clearly marked. Included below is a link for a Walt Disney World property map.

http://allears.net/tp/wdwpropertymap.pdf

There are many videos of Fort Wilderness on YouTube. These are just a few:

Loop 100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDsfHy1e_0o&feature=related
Loop 200 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQpzlbGWrEw&feature=related
Loop 300 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjUZwqZKPqU&feature=related
Loop 400 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnZeIFQbJHw&feature=related
Loop 500 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db4-_64JP0I&feature=related
Loop 600 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx0ZlQqKjxU&feature=related
Loop 700 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KomC-nYASts&feature=related
Loop 800 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPs-v7VpP-M&feature=related
Loop 900 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75gFv0OogQ&feature=related
Loop 1000 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOloRr2wXuM&feature=related
Loop 1100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczfEJbSDks&feature=related
Loop 1200 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIyhwdFqzyM&feature=related
Loop 1300 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq1ttlJ1JTQ&feature=related
Loop 1400 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRTlin1WUx8&feature=related
Loop 1500 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYrhSrDCkxs&feature=related
Loop 1600 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwEFfXPx4HA&feature=related
Loop 1700 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8bEiN5Ws_c&feature=related
Loop 1800 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqMwsfwhDGg&feature=related
Loop 1900 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cimyELD0I8&feature=related
Loop 2000 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvQU2ZM6zAg&feature=related
Loop 2100 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBq4dkGDLf8&feature=related
Meadows Area - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAVcgHwDn6w&feature=related
Settlement Area - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxR3u-VgTo8
Loop 2000 isn’t the only loop with cabins, but all of the cabin loops look pretty much the same. There are probably videos of the other cabin loops somewhere in YouTube.

All of the above videos are done by a person called tiggntaz. When you click on one of them you’ll see more videos by other people in the column to the right. Some are very amusing.

FREE RIDES on Disney Transportation – resort hopping, etc.
In addition to visiting the WDW themeparks, and lazing around Fort Wilderness, we like to explore the resorts. We could drive our own vehicle, and we’d be able to see quite a few resorts in relative little time that way. But, there’s another way to explore using WDW transportation.

This is an example: Begin at Fort Wilderness marina. Take a boat to the Contemporary – walk around the pool and beach areas, go to the 4th floor concourse at the Contemporary to shop and then take the escalator up to the monorail. Take the monorail to the Polynesian Resort. You can spend a lot of time here admiring the grounds, the first floor lobby/atrium, the second floor shops and another view of the atrium. Then go back to the monorail and take the short ride to the Grand Floridian. This is another place you can explore, from the downstairs lobby, to the outdoor walkways (check out the Wedding Pavilion next door if there isn’t a wedding going on), return to the GF and hop back on the monorail. Get off at the Magic Kingdom and transfer to a boat that goes to Wilderness Lodge. Go to the check-in area and get a list of Hidden Mickeys, search inside and outside to see how many you can find. Stop in Roaring Forks and get a snack or beverage. Head back down to the boat dock – have you seen the geyser erupt yet? If not, stop on the wooden walkway and wait a few minutes – it spouts off frequently. Then continue on to the dock and catch a boat back to Fort Wilderness.

Another example: Drive or bus to Boardwalk, walk around the lagoon to visit Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan and Dolphin and back to Boardwalk. Be sure to explore the shops – get a snack or beverage and find a bench to watch the boats for awhile, or rent a surrey to ride around the lagoon, I’d recommend that you don’t leave your surrey unattended. Walk through the tunnel next to the Wyland Art Gallery to see the pool. If you don’t want to walk around the lagoon, just catch a boat and go wherever it takes you. The boats travel to the resorts, Epcot and the Disney Hollywood Studios. You don’t have to get off at any of the stops. The ride to the Studios and back is very scenic. Return to Boardwalk and drive or bus back to Fort Wilderness

Another example: Bus to Downtown Disney, explore/shop/eat. Ride on the Sassagoula River Boat to Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside. The French Quarter is small – walking through there is very enjoyable. Take the boat back to Downtown Disney - you can catch a bus there that will take you to Animal Kingdom Lodge. AKL has an amazing lobby, and there are places where you can view the animals. Sometimes there is a storyteller outside entertaining children with tales of Africa. If you don’t want to ride busses, AKL is a good place to travel in your own vehicle.

You can make up your own itineraries to include any of the resorts at WDW. Just get a WDW transportation brochure and plan your own excursions. Of course, you can resort hop using your own vehicle and driving to the resorts you would like to see.

COMFORT STATIONS
There are 15 comfort stations located throughout Fort Wilderness. Some loops have their own comfort stations, but several of them share a comfort station, and some loops have easy walks to two or three comfort stations. All of the comfort stations are air conditioned and have private showers and restrooms. Each also has a laundry room, pay phone, house phone, ice machine and bulletin board. The showers and restrooms are available 24 hours a day, but require your “room key” from midnight to 6am. The laundry room has vending machines for detergent, softener, and bleach. Cost for washer is $2.00 and dryer is $2.00 per 30 minutes. The laundry rooms are locked at night. Comfort stations are cleaned at least once a day. Please use the house phone to call the front desk if you find the comfort station unsatisfactory.

DINING IN FORT WILDERNESS - AND REFILLABLE MUGS
Mugs

You may purchase a refillable mug at Trail’s-To-Go or at the Meadows Trading Post. Fill it as often as you wish during the length of your stay with coffee, hot water to make tea (bags) or hot chocolate (powdered mix), or coca-cola products. Does not include free milk. The self serve drink stations don't all have the same choices. It would take about 5-7 refills to reach the price of the mug, but after that, your drinks are free. Look below in Where-To-Eat to find some of the places you can refill your mug in Fort Wilderness.

Where To Eat -

Trail’s End – all you can eat buffet – good home cooking – menu pretty much stays the same, but sometimes there are exceptions.
Breakfast –typical breakfast fare - bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits/gravy, hash browns, etc
Dinner – fried chicken, ribs, fish, hot vegetables, salad bar and desserts. Wait staff will take your drink orders.

Trails’s End – full-serve restaurant – enter by the podium
Lunch only – menu isn’t huge, but you should be able to find something you like. There is a children’s menu, and if your young child isn’t happy with the choices, the waitress will suggest other possibilities that can be prepared for the fussy appetite.

Trail’s to Go – same building as Trail’s End. Breakfast items include muffins, cinnamon roll, drinks. Lunch/dinner include pizza, chicken, nachos, desserts and drinks. You can purchase and/or fill your refillable mugs here.

Crockett’s Tavern – Lounge – enter by the podium
They have a small selection of food here – most notable would be pizza. Wait staff will take your order. Or you can sit at the bar.

Crockett’s Tavern is sometimes an overflow area for Trail’s End – it is a few steps down from the main dining room, which can make it a little awkward for some people when carrying food. I’m sure someone on the wait staff would be more than willing to help.

Hoop-de-doo Musical Revue – Wonderful rip-roaring stage show with some audience participation. Simple fare, but good – Fried chicken, beans, salad, strawberry shortcake. The show is the big attraction here. Seating is in 3 categories with category 1 being the most expensive. Category 3 is around $55 for adults and $30 for children. The only category that is wheelchair accessible is category 1. Categories 2 and 3 might require climbing a flight of stairs.
Tickets go quickly – reserve yours well in advance.
Backyard BBQ (seasonal) All-you-can-eat buffet – salads, cornbread, bbq chicken, bbq ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers, beans, mac & cheese, corn-on-the-cob, watermelon, ice cream bars. Pricey, but fun, especially for the young or young at heart. There is entertainment and audience participation.
Meadows Snack Bar – Located in the pool area – Sandwiches, snacks, salads, desserts, drinks. You can purchase and/or fill your refillable mugs here.

Chuck Wagon – near the campfire area. Has hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, cookies, ice cream novelties and supplies for making s’mores,

Meadows trading post – Has a few snack items – Small store. You can purchase and/or fill your refillable mugs here.

Settlement trading post – Has a few snack items – Small store

Your own RV – Sometimes it’s nice to eat out, and sometimes we just want to have our own home cooking. You can be a gourmet or fix hot dogs or hamburgers, and just relax. Some supplies can be purchased at the trading posts. If you need more than just a few supplies, there are grocery stores in the area. The closest is Goodings – their prices are a bit higher than at the bigger stores, and their selection might not be as great, but they’re convenient.

Map to Goodings from Fort Wilderness:

PROPANE TANK GONE EMPTY?

Buying propane at Fort Wilderness is easy, and compared to many other places, it is very reasonable. We’ve needed a tank filled on two occasions. Here’s how to do it: In the morning, remove your tank and take it to the Meadows Trading Post, which is fairly well centrally located. There are parking spaces for golf carts and motor vehicles. As you are looking at the trading post, there is a work area attached at the far right. If someone is there, you can just drop off your tank, get a receipt, and pick it up later – around 5pm for instance. If no one is there, just go inside the store (double doors on the porch) and a Castmember will help you. The cost for filling a 30 lb tank was around $20 – prices might have changed since then.

CHILDCARE SERVICE
Disney thinks of everything!! Childcare is available for children 6 months to 12 years of age. You can arrange for a childcare specialist to stay with your children at your campsite in Fort Wilderness. You can also arrange for a childcare specialist to accompany your family in the themeparks and help look after your children. Some restrictions apply. Contact the Reception Outpost (check-in area) for more information. We have no actual experience with these services, so can’t go into details. We’d ask a lot of questions before leaving our child/children with a total stranger, even though it IS Disney. This childcare service is provided by Kid’s Nite Out, Inc.

To contact Kid's Nite Out to make arrangements or for information about prices, hours, etc., please call (407) 828-0920, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week.

After posting the info about the campsite childcare programs, I got a PM from North7 mentioning that they have experience with the childcare (Simba’s Cubhouse) at Animal Kingdom Lodge. That reminded me of some old friends who used the Neverland Club at Polynesian Resort, and they always said their children loved the experience, and asked for at least one night there each trip. These children’s clubs are part of Disney’s Children’s Activity Centers. So, a big THANK YOU to Jeff for the heads-up.

>>>>>>>>>>>

While you parents are out enjoying a relaxing dinner or enjoying some Disney-style nightlife, your children can be having some special enjoyment of their own. As a guest at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, you might want to use one of the following Children’s Activity Centers. The activity centers are pricey, but many parents who leave their children there say it’s worth every penny. There are six Children’s Activity Centers at Walt Disney World. The centers are available every evening until midnight and provide dinner, snacks, movies, activities, and interaction with children their age.

Animal Kingdom Lodge – Simba’s Cubhouse – opens at 4:30pm
Polynesian Resort – Neverland Club – opens at 4:00pm
Wilderness Lodge and Villas – Cub’s Den – opens at 4:30pm
Yacht Club, Beach Club and Villas – Sandcastle Club – opens at 4:30pm
Grand Floridian – Mousketeer Club – opens at 4:30pm
Swan and Dolphin – Camp Dolphin – opens at 5:30pm

There is a per child cost, with a 2-hour minimum. Reservations are recommended for all locations, except Camp Dolphin, where reservations are required and additional costs may apply. For advanced reservations, call (407) WDW-DINE. Same day walk-ins are welcome based on availability. My suggestion – make the reservations. If you have your heart set on a special evening of your own, you don’t want to have to cancel your plans because the Children’s Activity Center is completely booked.

CAMPSITES AND CABINS CLOSE TOGETHER

You might have the occasion to be vacationing with family/friends who don’t have their own camping unit (motorhome, trailer, tent), and there are too many people to fit into your small space. They might be interested in renting a Fort Wilderness Cabin. The cabins are slightly over 500 sq. ft. They have a living area (with cable TV), kitchen (with dishwasher, microwave, toaster, pots, pans, dishes, flatware), eating area, bedroom, bathroom, small closet and a safe. There is a full-size Murphy bed in the living area, and the bedroom has a full-size bed and bunk beds. The cabins are about 4-5 steps above ground level and have a large porch and a double parking space. The living area and bedroom each have a door to the porch. They come with full housekeeping service. Pets are not allowed.

Some of the cabins back up to premium campsites. These are in loop 1100. You can request specific campsites/cabins, but Disney can NOT promise or guaranty that you will get them. They will usually try to keep families or friends near each other.

These are the sites that back up to each other: The numbers in the 1100 loop are campsites, the numbers in 2100 loop are cabins. Some of the sites with the lower numbers have low spots with many roots. If there is a lot of rain, the in-between area floods. Some of the sites with the higher numbers are smooth with few obstructions. In my opinion, sites 1117 and 2130 and/or 2132, and sites 1119 and 2134 and/or 2135 are the best. They are close together and the ground in between is smooth and level.

1107 - 2120 - 2122
1109 - 2120 - 2122
1111 - 2124
1113 - 2126
1115 - 2128
1116 - 2130
1117* - 2130 - 2132
1119* - 2134 - 2135
1120 - 2135

Some pictures:

Taken from the drive in loop 1100, looking towards the cabins


Taken from the drive in loop 1100, showing the swamp between campsites and cabins


Taken from the drive in loop 2100, showing the smooth/level area between cabins and campsites

This is a floor plan of a typical Fort Wilderness Cabin:


This is a very good, slightly over 7 minute, video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XezXUImhJoU&feature=related

Smoking is not allowed at/in any of the public areas of Fort Wilderness with the exception of several designated smoking areas. You may smoke inside your own trailer and at your campsite. Smoking is not permitted inside the cabins, but is allowed on the porch.

Designated smoking areas are located near the Reception Outpost, Meadows Trading Post, behind the Bike Barn, Settlement Trading Post, Pioneer Hall, the swimming pools and the Backyard BBQ. Check the information you receive at check-in for any changes.

THINGS TO DO AT FORT WILDERNESS

You may walk, ride bikes, or ride a golf cart to hunt for deer, watch the boats come in at the Marina, watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks or the Electric Water Pageant from the beach.
You can go on a Segway tour, ride a private carriage or wagon ride, enjoy a movie or sing to your heart’s content, roast marshmallows (make s’mores), ride a canoe, ride a one-person water craft, rent a pontoon boat, ride horses, fish, swim, and enjoy other activities and sports. Some of these activities require a fee.

One of our person favorite activities is riding a golf cart. We rent a cart and use it often. We drive the cart to Trail’s End/Crockett’s Tavern for breakfast, lunch, or dinner; Pioneer Hall for Hoop-de-doo Musical Revue; the two trading posts; the marina where we can catch a boat to Magic Kingdom or one of the 2 other resorts on Bay Lake or just to watch the boats come in (also can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant from here); the Reception Outpost, and the golf cart parking lot near the stables (where we can catch a bus to other locations in WDW); our favorite deer spotting location; and driving through the loops at least once a day to find Wildcats. Other places you can drive are the pool/campfire areas near Meadows Trading Post, and the Backyard BBQ area behind Trail’s End.

GETTING AROUND INSIDE THE CAMPGROUND

Our favorite way to get around Fort Wilderness is by golf cart. Golf carts are allowed wherever cars can go. Disney allows both gas and electric carts. They only rent electric, though. Last time we rented a golf cart from Disney the rate was a little more than $60 per day. Since then we found out about an off-site vendor who rents his for about half the Disney price. He is Kenny at Tee-time Golf Cart rentals.

Disney’s carts – seat 4, have a roof, but no side or back curtains. Available on site at the Outpost. Disney doesn’t require reservations, but to be sure you can get a cart, reservations are recommended.

Kenny’s carts – seat 4, have a roof with side/back curtains. Have used Kenny’s carts, and have always been happy with his service. He will deliver to Fort Wilderness. I can give contact info in a private message. Advance reservations.

There is another vendor who has carts that seat 4 (they also have a limited number of 6 seat and maybe 2 seat also) – We’ve never rented from them, and can’t give an actual endorsement of their service. If someone is interested, I can give some info about this vendor in a private message. Advance reservations.

Many people bring their own golf carts.

There are other ways to get about also:

Bicycles – bring your own or rent from Disney at the Bike Barn.

Walking – you can walk anywhere in Fort Wilderness if you have the stamina. You can also use your personal wheel chair or ECV anywhere in Fort Wilderness.

Boats – You can rent canoes from the Bike Shop. Although this gets you a little outside of Fort Wilderness, and onto Bay Lake, you can rent larger water craft at the Marina.

Dog Walks

There are designated dog walks in and around many of the loops. In addition to that, Fort Wilderness has a special place for dogs to play free of their leashes. Waggin’ Tails Dog Park is located on Big Pine Trail, just a short walk from the entrances to loops 300 and 500. Sites 546, 548, 500, and 552 are directly across the road from the entrance to Waggin’ Tails. The dog park is fenced in and has a double gate, with about 8-10 feet between gates. There is enough room to throw a ball or frisbie. There is a picnic table where you can rest awhile. Rules include: dogs must be accompanied by guests who are 12 or over, and they must never be unaccompanied (don’t leave them there). Puppies under 4 months or dogs that are in heat aren’t allowed. The dog park is limited to Fort Wilderness guests staying in a pets-allowed camping loop. Leashed pets may ride on golf carts, so distance from the dog park isn’t an issue for some campers.

Rates for 2011 and 2012

I’d like to thank Tom (Oldelmer1) for telling me about this website:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/rates-rooms/

I’ve been in the Official Disney site often, and have never come across this site. I guess I’m usually looking for something else.

You’ll find campsite rates for 2011 and 2012 and a description of the different types of campsites at Fort Wilderness based on the time of year. On the right side of the page you’ll find a box labeled “season” – Value Season, Regular Season, Peak Season, as well as holidays.

This is an informative site and will be very helpful in making plans for a WDW Fort Wilderness vacation.

Campfire Program and Sing-along

There is a free campfire program every night, year round, in the Theater Under The Stars. It is located in the Meadows recreation area – north of the bike barn. Disney cast members lead a robust sing-along where everyone is encouraged to participate. Chip and Dale will come in and mingle among the guests for pictures, autographs and some good-natured interaction. The sing-along begins at 8pm during the summer, followed by a movie around 8:40pm. In the winter the festivities begin at 7pm with the movie followed at around 7:40pm. Summer and winter are determined by dates the time changes in the spring and fall. If I remember correctly, the list of movies is posted on the bulletin boards at the comfort stations.

Just before the sing-along begins, 2 fire pits are lighted. Guests may roast marshmallows, hot dogs, and almost anything else that fits on a stick. Guests may purchase what they need, or bring their own. S’more kits, popcorn, candy and drinks are available at the Chuckwagon – roasting sticks are also available.

Seating is provided on wooden benches and bleachers at the back of the theater. Guests may bring a blanket or cushion if they wish.

Restrooms are nearby.

There is a parking area for golf carts, and Disney’s internal buses have several stops nearby (check the MAP OF FORT WILDERNESS near the beginning of this thread for locations).

Although only one of the options below relates to Fort Wilderness, the others might be fun and/helpful.

The Walt Disney Company has four free DVDs to help with your planning. They are available at http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/planning-dvd/ . All you have to do is fill out a request form, and the DVD will be sent to you in a short time.

The DVDs are as follow:

Walt Disney Resort in Florida – A tour of the 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, and the Disney resorts – including Fort Wilderness. Includes planning tips and details about special events.

Disneyland Resort in California - Tour Disneyland Park, California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District and 3 hotels.

Disney Cruise Line – Tour one of the beautiful cruise ships in Disney’s fleet, and see what they have to offer for kids, teens and adults, as well as special family entertainments.

Disney Vacation Club – Find out how you can stay at Disney Vacation Club resorts as well as 500 other destinations around the world.

Also available is an e-brochure called Adventures by Disney – go here to fill out a request form:

Adventures by Disney – A guided family tour to non-Disney destinations around the world, as only Disney can do.

OFF-SITE SHOPPING – AND CAMPING WORLD

Getting Supplies In Kissimmee

Sometimes we need supplies of one kind or another when we are at Fort Wilderness. The two trading posts have a few food, camping and clothing items, but occasionally we have to make a trip to the “outside.” If you take a drive on Hwy 192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway) you’ll find many restaurants and amusement parks. I’m not going to go any farther with these, as it seems like every time we drive through there one has closed, or another has opened.

Here is a map that shows where you can find Walgreens Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy, a Publix Supermarket, Target, Walmart and Camping World. I selected this area of Hwy 192 because, as campers, you might need to take a trip to Camping World.



Fort Wilderness is in the upper left corner of the map. Hwy 192 is near the bottom, there is an enlarged inset of part of Hwy 192 with details. All of the addresses are West Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy, except as noted. Directions – the way we go: From the campground, use your favorite way to get to the intersection of World Drive and East Buena Vista Drive. Swan/Dolphin (affectionately known as Swolphin) is on north side of E Buena Vista, and Disney Hollywood Studios is on south side of E Buena Vista. Take World Drive to Hwy 192 – turn left (east) on 192.

We had the good fortune when we checked in at Fort Wilderness this trip, to meet a very nice travel agent. She is staying at Fort Wilderness for an extended stay, and has been helping Kenny (Tee-Time Golf Cart Rentals) deliver golf carts. In the past we met Kenny in the parking lot to pick up our cart. For the time being, Nancyrose and her husband have been delivering Kenny's carts to the campsite. Very nice!

While chatting with Nancyrose, we found out that she is a travel agent and can book Fort Wilderness vacations - usually at good discounts.

We decided to extend our stay by 3 days, and mentioned it to Nancyrose. She said let her do it and she'll get us a discount. We were skeptical - how could she get a discount on such short notice. Well, she did! It wasn't huge - about $10 per day for the 3 days..... but we're happy with that.

Contact me by private message for her contact information.

Tater

Walked through the Meadows Trading Post and saw some Fort Wilderness merchandise. Nice to see they are bringing the resort merchandise back again.








Rocking chair doesn't have hinged side-table, but the stationary one does. They also have hanging pockets on the side.



I didn't check prices on any of these items.

Tater