Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is a rustic themed camping resort aimed to evoke the timeless beauty of the American frontier. Located on 750 acres of Pine and Cypress forest, the campsite consists of two main camping areas: a portion used for campsites where visitors with tents or recreational vehicles can stay, and the remainder of the lodging area is occupied by permanent trailers, designed to resemble log cabins.
Dogs are allowed to camp on all loops and in cabins as Fort Wilderness is pet friendly, but are not allowed to stay in pop-up trailers or tents.
Dining
The resort hosts a dinner show, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, which offers all-you-care-to-enjoy fried chicken and smoked pork ribs with mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and cowboy beans. Other dining options include the Trail's End Restaurant, a Quick Service Restaurant, and the Chuckwagon food truck.[1]
Recreation
The resort features playgrounds and two heated swimming pools. One of the pools, the Meadow Swimmin' Pool, features a winding water slide that includes the water tower from the now-closed River Country water park. Other activities include fishing and horseback riding. A 2.3-mile (3.7 km) paved and sand exercise trail extends from the pony farm to Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort. They also provide canoes, kayaks, bikes, and tennis rackets to rent at the bike barn. Guests can make reservations to learn archery and go horseback riding. At the marina, pontoon boats and other watercraft are available for rent to travel the waterways of Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon.
Entertainment
Located next to the beach, guests can visit the Tri Circle D ranch, where the horses that work at Magic Kingdom live. Trail rides, carriages, and hay rides, are also available for an additional cost. Each night, the campground features the Campfire Sing-Along with Chip 'n' Dale presented by Pop Secret.[2] A Disney cast member leads songs in an outdoor amphitheater, while the characters Chip 'n' Dale approach seated audience members, signing autographs and posing for photos. Two firepits are available for roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Following the sing-along, a Disney movie is shown on an outdoor screen. At night the Electrical Water Pageant and the Happily Ever After Fireworks Spectacular can be seen from Clementine's beach.
Transportation
Public transport within the resort is provided by Disney Transport buses. From late 1973[3] to early 1980,[4][5] the Fort Wilderness Railroad, a 3.5-mile (5.6 km), 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gaugeheritage railroad, provided transportation to the resort's various campsites, as well as to the nearby River Country water park, prior to its closure on November 2, 2001.
Bashor, Amy (2016). Camping Disney: The Fort Wilderness Field Guide (1st ed.). Theme Park Press. ISBN978-1-941500-89-7.
Leaphart, David (2014a). Walt Disney World Railroads Part 1: Fort Wilderness Railroad (1st ed.). Steel Wheel on Steel Rail Studio. ISBN978-1-5008-0522-7.