Most people think of pricy resorts when they consider staying on Walt Disney World property, but you don’t have to stay in a five-star hotel to enjoy all the benefits of on-property reservations. The campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground let you cash in on all the benefits of any Disney hotel, such as the Disney dining plan, advanced FastPass+ reservations, and Extra Magic Hours. Yet the rates are incredibly competitive and the experience is unlike any other.
Cool campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Image: Chris Harrison, Flickr (license)
If you’re into comfortable camping, you’ll find everything you could want at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Your campsite options include:
- Tent or pop-up campsite: 10’ x 25’ concrete pad
- Full hook-up campsite: 10’ x 50’ concrete pad
- Preferred campsite: 10’ x 45’ concrete pad
- Premium campsite: 18’ x 60’ concrete pad
Any of these options will accommodate up to 10 adults, and they all offer the same selection of amenities which includes a picnic table, charcoal grill, and cold water tap. Though the campsites are in a lush wooded setting, you’re not exactly roughing it. Every site offers television and electrical hookups and free high-speed Wi-Fi.
Starting rates for the campsites begin at $53 for the tent campsite and go up to $90 and up for premium campsites.
Awesome amenities with a little extra magic
Image: Jeff Kern, Flickr (license)
Guests at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground enjoy access to all the traditional campground amenities and activities with a little extra pixie dust on top. The campground borders Bay Lake, just like far pricier resorts including Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. A traditional campground might offer swimming or fishing in the lake. Here, you can stretch out on the sand to watch the Electrical Water Pageant float by at night. You can even glimpse Magic Kingdom fireworks from the shore.
Avid campers have probably cozied up to a campfire or two, but the singalong here has some special guests. Chip and Dale lead the festivities as guests grab a spot around the campfire to roast tasty s’mores.
Outdoor recreation with Disney flair
Image: Sharife, Flickr (license)
Though the theme parks are the primary draw for most guests to the campground, there are several other on-site activities that you can enjoy. If you genuinely want to enjoy some traditional camping recreation, you’ll find it all available at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. The Tri-Circle-D ranch offers pony rides for little ones and horseback rides on the resort’s wooded trails for guests 9 years and older.
Though the activities are traditional, this ranch has a distinctly Disney touch. A stroll through the stables lets you greet some of the resort’s working horses. These beauties pull the carriages in Magic Kingdom and make the famous run with the Headless Horseman in the parade during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The stables also have an exhibit on the many horses of Walt Disney World. A special spot at the front of the stable building houses the Dragon Calliope, a horse-drawn musical instrument that was purchased by Walt himself for a special parade at Disneyland Park.
Other activities available at the campgrounds include wagon rides, bike rides, archery, fishing, and boat rentals. Movies Under the Stars are available here, just as at many other Walt Disney World Resort hotels. The campground has two pools. The Meadow Swimmin’ Pool offers a wild time with a 67-foot corkscrew waterslide for big kids and a splash pad with mini slides for tots. The Wilderness Swimmin’ Pool is more serene with fewer features and quieter clientele.
Cozy cabins for pampered campers
Image: Chris Harrison, Flickr (license)
If you don’t want to rough it at the campsites, you can enjoy your camping experience from the comfort of a cabin. The cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground are as homey as it gets. You’ll enjoy a full kitchen, dining area, and living room for plenty of space to spread out. A separate bedroom at the back of the cabin offers a queen bed and bunk beds, while a queen-size sofa bed in the living room pulls out to give you more space.
If you want to cook in your cabin but don’t have a car with you, you can pre-order groceries that will be ready and waiting for you on arrival.
Delicious dining in your backyard
Image: Leigh Caldwell, Flickr (license)
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is worth a visit even if you’re not staying there. This resort has some of the best dining on property. The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is an all-you-can-eat feast with a wild West dinner show. Mickey’s Backyard BBQ offers character dining hoedown-style. Classic Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy make the rounds while you enjoy a buffet of burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, and classic country sides.
Trail’s End Restaurant is an absolute must for breakfast. The buffet offers a decadent vegetable frittata, French toast custard pudding, breakfast pizza, and a hearty take on eggs benedict with bbq pork in place of ham. The dinner buffet includes fried chicken, chili, smoked pork ribs, and a mouthwatering house-made fruit cobbler.
If you’re looking for a camping experience that’s truly outside the ordinary, head to Disney and try a magical take on your next wilderness experience.
