I'm not the first person to review Disney's Fort Wilderness, but I will offer you some practical tips to help you navigate the vast theme park campground.  We are not your average traveling family, and my ideas may not be for everyone.  But, we had a grand time staying at Fort Wilderness, and I think it is an outstanding way to enjoy Disney.  So, what new information do I have to offer you?

We loved our campsite at Fort Wilderness.  It was the perfect location was just right for us!

Fort Wilderness Campground Review, Tips and More at Disney!

First, booking at trip to Disney, in my opinion, is overwhelming.  And, I didn't do much of the leg work.  I worked with Todd Sanderson to book this experience for our family.  He loves Disney and helping people plan their vacations to all of these parks.  You can tell him what you want to do and when.  He will take your information and make it happen like magic.  This made our trip a breeze!  Start here.  I wouldn't plan a trip to Disney any other way.  You can thank me later.  Plus, you can work with Todd to book your Disney vacation to stay at any of the resorts and properties - not just Fort Wilderness.

The campground is perfect for lounging and taking a break from the parks.

Fort Wilderness is a huge campground, and I was overwhelmed at all of the choices.  We had a simple, full hook up site that was perfect for us.  And when I say simple, this doesn't mean that our site was anything less than great.  But, we didn't have the most expensive campground option.  We were on the Bobcat Loop, and we loved where we were.  However, there are sites that are larger, closer to the marina, for big rigs.  There are also cabins and tent sites. 

Basic sites could be tight to get into if you have a larger rig, so factor this into your decision.  We have a travel trailer that is just under 24 feet.  Tight spaces are a bit easier for us.  Depending on the size of your rig, a basic site can be perfect!  We had plenty of room, and we loved our location within the campground.  Other than size, I don't think there is a bad spot in the campground.  I looked around a lot and loved everything we saw.

We enjoyed taking a break each afternoon between activities at the campground.

The check in and the arrival process is a breeze.  We used the Disney App to check into our site, and getting into the campground was quicker than I would have thought.  Of course, they are organized and ready to handle high volumes of traffic.  We also used the app to check out at the end of our stay.  Make use of the app.  It was a life saver throughout our trip! 

Once we arrived at our site, we had a paved parking pad with a picnic table, a grill, water, electric and sewer.  Plus there is cable hook ups at each site.  The site itself was super clean when we arrived as well as everything else throughout the campground.  

Standard sites are paved and have room to spread out.

Every camp loop has a comfort station.  These are equipped with bathrooms and showers as well as laundry facilities.  We didn't really need or use these. My husband used the bathroom some when we were all trying to get ready with one bathroom.  They are clean and conveniently located.  If we had not packed in four parks into four days, we would have used the laundry facilities to keep from taking home so much laundry.  I felt like the campground overall is set up for convenience and comfort.  Even though the price is not cheap, Disney works hard to ensure that guest has a great experience.

Laundry facilities are always nice to have.  These were so clean and well maintained!

We debated on taking our bikes.  Lots of people told us to rent a golf cart.  For us, taking our bikes was the right decision.  While the campground is large, you can walk or bike to everything in the campground.  Bikes are best for going back and forth to the marina and the bus stops at the front of the campground for transit into the different parks.  Skip the golf carts if you can.  It is a big expense, and riding our bikes was a lot of fun.  There are plenty of paved paths that you can ride on.  Everything is easy to navigate.  It was a 9 minute ride to the marina and about 7 to 8 minutes to the front where the buses are.  There are places to park and leave your bikes.  But, you can walk to lots of things also.  Walking trails are everywhere.   

We opted to ride our bikes at the campground rather than renting a golf cart.  It was the right decision for our family.

If you need to pick up quick items while you are there, Fort Wilderness has 2 stores!  The Meadow store is the largest store at Fort Wilderness.  There is a second store located at the back near the marina.  Both have quick items for pick up as needed like bread, drinks, ketchup and all of those other things you might need as well as souvenirs.  They also have RV supplies.  Our fresh water hose developed an issue as we were wrapping up our trip.  I bought a replacement fresh water hose for $20.  The same one is one Amazon for a little over $17.  Basically the same price.  So, I didn't feel like I was getting price gouged because I was at a Disney property.  I loved that we were able to check in and stay the whole week without going off property.  Again, it is the convenience factor.  Fort Wilderness has it!

The campground store was well stocked and conveniently located for picking up quick items.

Joseph loved going with me to the camp store.  Its such a cozy little spot to shop and relax!

Also, if you forget something that is not in stock at the campground stores, you can order from Amazon and have it delivered!  We forgot our bike locks.  I ordered one and got it the next day from Amazon. These items are delivered to the front desk where we checked in.  Just note, Fort Wilderness will charge you $6 as a handling fee.  But, we didn't have to leave the property!  It would have cost me more than $6 plus the time to tackle on a off site trip for a small item.  

The stops for going to and from the parks are well marked and easy to get to in each direction.

We enjoyed the boat ride to and from the Magic Kingdom.

You can get transportation to and from the parks from Fort Wilderness.  

• Magic Kingdom - Travel by boat at the marina.  You can also take the bus, but the boat is fun!  One comes about every 15 minutes.
• Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios - Travel by boat located at the front of the campground.  Buses run about every 20 minutes.  

All of the transportation begins early and continues until late at night as the parks close!  We had no issues at all with the transportation.  Plus, you can call for a Lyft that is also operated by Disney if you prefer that method of transport.  You will see these "Minnie Mobiles" around the campground.  And this could be a great option if you need something quick or are just tired!

The larger pool was closed while we were there, but even the smaller pool worked fine for an afternoon break.

So, what if you are hanging at the campground?  What else is there to do?  Fort Wilderness offers quite a bit that you can tap into.  

• Campfire Sing Along
• 2 Pools
• Archery
• Pony, wagon and trail rides
• Fishing
• Bike rentals
• Canoe and Kayak rentals
• Basketball and volleyball
• An arcade
• Playgrounds

We planned to have 4 straight days at the parks, so we didn't leave a lot of time for the campground itself.  However, if we plan another trip, I would like to have a down day where we could do some things at the campground.  My cousin is going this summer.  He told me that they have 5 days at Fort Wilderness planned.  They will have three park days with a down day in between each park day to do some things there.  We have talked about doing 2 days of parks with a down day and 2 more days of parks.  If you have the time, plan a trip so that you can explore the campground.  Its a great atmosphere with plenty to do.  I even noticed a sign at the campground store offering afternoon crafts.

Finally, there is dining at Fort Wilderness as well.  The Hoop Dee Doo Review is a dinner theater experience.  I made a mistake and didn't book this.  Todd does recommend it.  It will be something that we do next time.  You must book in advance.  It isn't cheap, but it is a full dinner with a show.  Lots of people travel over to Fort Wilderness to attend this activity.  If you are staying at the campground, check it out!  

Many times, I have said here in blog posts how I enjoy RV travel as opposed to hotel stays.  Here are some of the big perks to staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground.

• It is pet friendly.  We love being able to take our dog and not boarding him.  
• Getting up in the morning and easing into our day and eating breakfast while we get ready is nice.  We didn't have to go somewhere to eat then start our day at the parks.  It made for easy days.
• I do a lot of meal prep ahead of time.  One night we had lasagna that I thawed out and baked for an early dinner before going back to Hollywood Studios.  Meals were easier and less expensive.
• I keep everything we need in our RV from medicine to just basic convenience items.  Its our home away from home and is so comfortable.  
• You have every thing you need from dining, stores, pools, activities and more.  It is the same as staying at the resorts but in your own RV.

And if you don't have an RV, you can rent one or book a cabin.  Finally, they have tent sites!  So, anyone can stay at Fort Wilderness.  You don't have to own an RV to stay there.

We loved camping at Fort Wilderness.  Now, we have to decide when we can sneak in another trip!

Would I stay at Fort Wilderness again?  Most certainly!  It was a great place to stay and worth every penny.  Sure.  You can stay off site and somewhere cheaper.  But, you have access to park transit, activities and more right there.  And why would you do it any different?  If you want to save money, bring your own meals and snacks, leave off the golf cart and enjoy your stay.  Disney isn't a cheap vacation, but it doesn't have to break the bank.  If you book a Disney Experience through Todd, you pay an initial deposit and pay for it along the way.  You have up until 30 days prior to your arrival to pay for your trip in full.  That is another great reason to do this with a booking agent like Todd!  You can budget for your vacation and pay it off in cash ahead of your trip.  

Next week, I'll be doing a second post about Disney's Theme parks itself and some take away tips to help you plan your trip.  If you are thinking about planning that Disney vacation, plan early.  Campsite reservations do book up quickly.  We loved this trip.  For us, it was worth the wait and effort to get there.

Until next time...

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