On this episode of Campground of the Week, we are reviewing what may be America’s favorite campground of all time: Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in Disney World, Florida.
After camping at Fort Wilderness, we can honestly say that it has earned every bit of it’s stellar reputation. Simply put, we will never stay anywhere else on return trips to Disney World.
If you are planning a trip to Disney World, one of the most important things to know is that Fort Wilderness is considered a Disney Resort property, which means that you will enjoy the benefits of staying ‘on property’: early dining reservations, early Fast Pass booking, and access to daily extra Magic Hours. You will also have access to Disney transportation: busses and boats connect Fort Wilderness to all the other Disney properties and parks.
This is a ‘paired podcast episode’. To hear a complete breakdown of our time at the most magical place on earth, also listen to RV Family Travel Atlas Episode #128: Greetings from Walt Disney World! We review Fort Wilderness here on Campground of the Week, and everything else about our stay on the RVFTA podcast.
Campground Basics
Fort Wilderness is located in the heart of the Disney property, situated on Bay Lake with the Magic Kingdom directly to the north and all the other parks to the south. This campground is ENORMOUS, with over 750 acres of land, about 800 campsites, and about 400 cabins.
The campground is organized in ‘loops’ numbered from 100-2800. The 100 loop is closest to the Settlement, and the 2800 loop is closest to the Outpost. The 600-900 loops are situated near the Meadows area in the middle of Fort Wilderness.
Technically, Disney will not guarantee a site, or allow you to book a specific loop or site. However, they do take requests and it seems that those requests are honored more often than not. There are 4 types of sites: premium, preferred, full hook up, and partial hook up. Here is how that breaks down according to loop:
Loop 100 – Preferred
Loop 200 – Preferred
Loop 300 – Preferred (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 400 – Premium (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 500 – Premium (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 600 – Premium (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 700 – Premium (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 800 – Premium (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 900 – Premium (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 1000 – Premium
Loop 1100 – Premium
Loop 1200 – Premium
Loop 1300 – Premium
Loop 1400 – Premium
Loop 1500 – Partial
Loop 1600 – Full (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 1700 – Full (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 1800 – Full (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 1900 – Full (Pet friendly loop)
Loop 2000 – Partial
Listen to the episode to hear us share recommendations for other podcast listeners about their favorite loops and why they love them!
We stayed in loop 900 and would be thrilled to get that same location again. It was great to be so close to the pool, trading post, and the campfire area. Plus, the sites were private and huge, backing up to a quiet, wooded area with a walking path.
The price range at Fort Wilderness is $53-$163 per night for a campsite, and $309-$539 for a cabin. You need to book far in advance no matter when you are going–we visited during one of the quietest times of year and the campground was at 100% capacity.
Campground Activities and Amenities
Fort Wilderness offers an amazing array of amenities and activities, and you will definitely want to schedule time during your stay to simply enjoy the campground. Listen to the episode to hear our tips on balancing park time with campground time!
Fort Wilderness has all the standards of a resort campground:
- Pools
- Walking and Biking paths
- Playgrounds
- Basketball and Volleyball courts
- Fishing
But then also adds some pretty unique offerings:
- Tri Circle D Ranch with pony rides and carriage rides
- Archery
- Segway Tours
- Boat rentals
- Bike rentals
- Fishing gear rentals
Plus, Fort Wilderness offers legendary entertainment:
- Chip and Dale’s Campfire Sing along at the Meadows Recreation Area
- Hoop De Doo Review
- Mickey’s Backyard BBQ
And other restaurant options:
- Trail’s End Restaurant
- PJs Southern Takeout
- Crocket’s Tavern
The bottom line is that a stay at Fort Wilderness will probably be one of the most magical campground experiences of your life. We are already obsessing about a return trip. In the meantime, say hi to Mickey for us.
See you at the campground!
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