Once you have made the decision to vacation at Walt Disney World, The Place Where Dreams Come True, then along come other decisions that you need to make, one of them being, “where will we sleep?”
WDW offers a large variety of Resort Hotels, in all price ranges, and they are all great places to stay. If you have kids, a standard hotel room might work for you and your family, but you also might find that there is another option – WDW’s Fort Wilderness Campground and Resort. Why is this Resort the best choice for you and your family? Well,there are many reasons:
Lodging: Fort Wilderness offers a choice of lodging options, there are standard campsites, as well as larger campsites designed for RV’s. If camping isn’t exactly your cup of tea, then you will be glad to know that you can also choose to rent a Cabin, which sleeps up to 6 (4 in the bedroom, 2 in the living room), has its own bathroom and a kitchen too! The cabins allow you to have the best of both worlds – to be surrounded by beautiful wilderness while still enjoying modern amenities.
Cost: If you choose to camp, you can really save some money on your WDW vacation, as campsites start at around $50 per night (for a site that will accommodate a tent/pop up camper) and go up to around $100 per night during busier seasons, while sites for larger RV’s and campers are priced in the $80-$120 per night range. The cabins start at $250 per night and can cost as much as $450 per night during holiday/peak times. The cabins may seem expensive – but keep in mind
Transportation: Buses will take you from Fort Wilderness to the Parks, Water Parks, and Downtown Disney. In addition to a bus, you can take a boat across the lake to the Magic Kingdom. The Resort/Campground is on the large side – so big that they have their own internal bus system which will take you to various points within Fort Wilderness. If you don’t want to wait for these internal buses, you can rent a golf cart, bike, or walk instead
Dining Options: Of course one of the perks of camping is getting to roast your own food over a fire – and Fort Wilderness has stores that sell various market items, or you can head to a nearby grocery store to stock up (this is another great way to save money on your trip, anytime you can prepare your own meal then that’s one less meal you have to buy in the Parks!). But since you ARE on vacation, you will probably want to try out some of the great nearby restaurants. In Fort Wilderness, you can head over to Trail’s End where you will find a buffet style breakfast and dinner, with an ala carte lunch menu. For a quick snack/meal, head on over to the Meadow’s Snack Bar, where you’ll find sandwiches, salads, pizza and an assortment of beverages. For a drink and some bar type snacks, you’ll want to grab a seat in Crockett’s Tavern. If you’re looking to be entertained, then you’ll want to make reservations for the hilariously outrageous Hoop Dee Doo Revue, or if you want to do some line dancing with Mickey and his pals, then Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is for you! There’s a great assortment of food options within the Resort, so you and your family are sure to find something you like!
Entertainment: There are a LOT of things that your family can do together at Fort Wilderness – swim in one of the pools, walk or ride bikes on the nature trails, rent canoes or paddle boats, go horseback riding, or check out the playground. Another great thing Fort Wilderness offers is the nightly singalong/campfire/movie with Chip N’ Dale! This is really a lot of fun, you can make s’mores and sing and greet Chip and Dale, and then you can watch a movie under the stars (this was one of my FAVORITE things to do as a kid – and is just as much fun now as an adult!)
I have many fond memories of the times I have spent at Fort Wilderness with my family, and I hope to someday go back there again as an adult with a family of my own, as I really think it’s the perfect family Resort – nestled in the woods, you can relax and enjoy the Resort and the Parks are only a short ride away!
What do you think – have you stayed at Fort Wilderness with your family? What did you think of it?
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The amount of times I have stayed at Fort Wilderness is only equaled by the amount of times I have stayed at Old Key West and I have visited Disney about 20 times. I love Fort Wilderness. It is much quieter than any other resort even during peak season. It is a wonderful place for a day off from the parks with 2 pools, basketball, playgrounds, the waterfront, horseback riding, and plenty of walking areas. I have stayed multiple times as large family groups where we all stayed in campers or in the Wilderness cabins. The bathrooms are top notch and not like your average state park restroom. There are also laundry facilities. And don’t forget the Electric Light Parade! It is beautiful seen from the beach at Fort Wilderness.