The cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness are an excellent option for those wanting a laid back vacation with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. After our recent 6 night stay in a Fort Wilderness cabin, my family is already ready to go back and spend another week! There is so much or so little you can choose to do at Fort Wilderness!

My children preferred the go-go-go vacation while my parents enjoyed the opportunity provided to have a somewhat slower, more peaceful pace that the campground can provide. 

To further explain the “vibe” and amenities of this resort, I am going to deep dive into the following categories:

• Transportation
• Lodging
• Features and Offerings 
• Food and Beverage
• Tri-Circle-D Ranch

Transportation  

Fort Wilderness is accessible to Disney’s Magic Kingdom by what Disney refers to as a “friendship” boat as well as offers a friendship boat to/from nearby Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. 

At this time, the friendship boat to Wilderness Lodge is not operating it’s route. The boat ride from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom is one of the most relaxing, peaceful and beautiful rides. It is about a 15 minute commute one way. During normal operating times, it would be easy to catch the friendship boat to Wilderness Lodge and enjoy a meal over at Geyser Point, Whispering Canyon, Roaring Fork or Artist’s Pointe. 

At the campground, there is an internal bus system to shuttle guests to different sections of the sprawling campground (if guests do not have a golf cart or bicycle or prefer the bus system). This is important as some portions of the campground are not accessible by car. There are also buses which transport guests to all Disney theme parks and Disney Springs (just like all other Walt Disney World Resorts).  

If you flew into Orlando International Airport (MCO) and used Magical Express or elected an Uber/Lfyt for your arrival, you would need to rent a golf cart to be able to easily access parts of the resort. We drove to Walt Disney World Resort and still elected having a golf cart for the week. We found the golf cart an additional part of the fun! We all enjoyed seeing the woods, woodland animals (deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbits). Honestly, they are an extremely convenient way to get around the campground as the golf carts allow you to park closer to food and transportation (in areas where regular vehicles do not have direct access). Currently, they are approximately $67 a day inclusive of all taxes.

Lodging

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground offers RV campsites as well as cabins. According to the Disney website, there are “4 types of campsites accommodate everything from tents to 45-foot and longer RVs, with a maximum of 10 Guests per site.”

The campground is pet friendly and allows guests to decorate their campsites and cabins as long as they follow Disney’s decoration guidelines. During the fall and winter months, it is quite a sight to see the elaborate Halloween and Christmas decorations at each campsite. It would be a fun non-park day opportunity to rent a golf cart and check out the decorations during these seasons. 

Cabin features 

It is perfect for a family of 4-6. Thus, if you are a 5 person family, the cabins may be a perfect fit for your family needs. 

The cabins sleep 6: 1 Queen bed, twin bunk beds (in a shared bedroom) and  queen pull-out sleeper sofa in the living area. They have a kitchen with two stove top burners, a convection microwave, full-size refrigerator and dishwasher. Since the cabin sleeps six, the table is made to accommodate up to 6. There is one full size bathroom. We found it to be spacious enough that the kids could both be getting ready at the same time with little argument. 

You can see my cabin room tour here.

Cabins are sectioned off in loops and are in the front section of the campground. Further back into the campground you will find the campsite and recreational rentals and playgrounds. Pools, laundry and bathrooms are scattered throughout the campground. 

Features and Offerings 

There are two swimming pools, playgrounds,  laundry facilities as well as recreational rentals, such as golf carts, bikes, archery, fishing and boating equipment. During our visit, boat rentals were suspended. Additionally, there are opportunities for horseback riding and pony rides for smaller children.

The Meadow Swimmin’ pool features a corkscrew slide, kids water play area and a whirlpool spa. For those looking for a quieter day at the pool,  the Wilderness Swimmin’ Pool maybe the perfect place.

Like other Walt Disney World resorts, the campground offers special activities, such as: movies under the stars and crafts. Prior to the closure, the campground had offered a BBQ and cookout with classic characters (Chip and Dale, Mickey, etc.) 

Near the boat launch and restaurants there is a beautiful beach area and guests can sit and enjoy. The water is roped off to guests for their safety. 

Food and Beverage

The resort offers a traditional marketplace one would find at other resorts with gifts, snacks, and a few grocery and toiletry needs. 

When the resort is in full operation, this is also the site of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and Trail’s End restaurant. Both are currently closed. Also,the Chuck Wagon RV roams and will offer novelties and cocktails. 

Tri-Circle-D Ranch 

Fort Wilderness Campground is home to the Tri-Circle D Ranch. This is  the homestead for all of the horses who work the shows and parades for Walt Disney World theme parks. At the ranch, you can see the horses up close and personal and talk to the trainers. There are pony rides available for children up to age 8 (or 48’ tall) and trail riding available beginning for children and adults age 9+. Some of the ponies available for riding are the ponies who pull Cinderella’s carriage in the parades and for weddings. The ponies have a special washing procedure to get them their whitest-white for the appearances. Fort Wilderness Campground is home to the Tri-Circle D Ranch. This is  the homestead for all of the horses who work the shows and parades for Walt Disney World theme parks. At the ranch, you can see the horses up close and personal and talk to the trainers. There are pony rides available for children up to age 8 (or 48’ tall) and trail riding available beginning for children and adults age 9+. Some of the ponies available for riding are the ponies who pull Cinderella’s carriage in the parades and for weddings. The ponies have a special washing procedure to get them their whitest-white for the appearances. 

During our trip, our youngest enjoyed the Tri-Circle-D pony ride and we all took time to look around and check out the stables. The facility is beautiful and tucked away in the back of the campground. The ranch is open 10AM-3PM daily and is just steps away from an internal bus system stop, restaurants and the beach and boat launch area. There were some foals that were born just weeks before our arrival and we were able to see them before they were taken back off the exhibit stables. They only keep the babies out for guests to see one two hours a day. 

As you can imagine, you can easily plan an action packed vacation or a thoroughly relaxing getaway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.

Interested in planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Love what you’ve read about Disney’s Fort Wilderness. Contact me for more information and to obtain your no-obligation vacation quote.