The Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground has been a staple at Walt Disney World since (nearly) the very beginning. The campground was always planned for the Vacation Kingdom, primarily to serve as a cost-effective alternative to the opening day Contemporary and Polynesian Village Resorts, and was advertised in promotional materials from the start. However, construction delays pushed the campground back slightly, with Fort Wilderness opening about 6 weeks after the rest of Walt Disney World on November 19th, 1971.

Fort Wilderness

Over the last 50+ years, the resort has become a favorite for guests who want to capture a part of the great outdoors during their Disney World stay. However, as one of our team members learned, the campground is NOT for everyone.

A member of our DFB team recently stayed at Fort Wilderness as part of a weeklong family vacation, and while they stressed that they loved their cabin itself, the size of the resort’s sprawling property — today, Fort Wilderness features over 800 campsites and over 400 cabins — led to some issues.

The amenities inside the cabin were worth every penny. There’s so much space, a kitchen, and the bathrooms are wonderful! BUT……..they aren’t kidding when they call this place remote.

Room inside The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

So, first off, there’s the transportation issue. Guests staying at Fort Wilderness have access to an internal bus system that transports them around the campground to both a boat dock for watercraft to the Magic Kingdom, or to a bus stop that connects to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

Boat at Wilderness Lodge

However, at times, the waits for the internal buses can be so long that waiting for one would end up causing our team member and their party to miss the external bus to the parks, and be forced to wait another 20 minutes for the next one. In fact, at times, they found it better to walk the 10 minutes from their cabin to the bus stop instead. Furthermore, when heading home from the parks, they chose to use the Minnie Van service, which drops guests off directly at their cabin. This kept them from having to lug a sleeping toddler on multiple buses just to get back to the cabin.

Minnie vans

Distance was a factor when it came to enjoying the resort’s amenities, as most of the cabins and campsites are pretty far from the food, pool, and merchandise areas.

House-Smoked Beef Brisket Sliders

The resort does offer golf cart rentals that make it easier to get around. These electric golf carts are equipped with windshields and headlights for night driving, and are available to Guests 18 years of age and older with a valid driver’s license.

Drivers must be 16 years of age or older with a valid driver’s license, and all drivers must have their license on them when operating the cart. However, the price, which costs between $75 to $100 per day, tax included, can be prohibitive, especially for those who are spending most of their time in the parks.

Fort Wilderness

Disney will allow guests to bring their own golf carts, but “for the safety of everyone at the resort hotel, you must be prepared to present proof of insurance upon check-in and sign an agreement and waiver.”

It’s the Hitchhiking Ghosts!

While the Fort Wilderness Campground has been a major part of Walt Disney World since its earliest days, the large campground’s sprawling grounds might not be for every guest. I think the biggest thing is that this just wasn’t right for this family. They like to go go go and be at the parks as much as possible, and staying here simply just slowed them down.

Stay tuned to DFB for more takes on where to stay at the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”

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Have you ever stayed at Fort Wilderness? Let us know in the comments below.