Setting up our tent was a challenge and it took about two hours.
Jenna Clark
I was happy I had my first camping experience at Disney and I think the grounds are a nice place for other first-timers. But I wouldn’t recommend staying here unless you take an experienced camper with you, bring an RV, or stay in one of the available cabins.
As someone who was born and raised in New York City and is not too comfortable with large quantities of mosquitoes, bugs, and other kinds of wildlife, I found this resort to be a bit frightening, especially at nighttime when it was dark and difficult to see.
It was also challenging to set up a tent, which I’d never done before.
I got a bit scared at night.
Jenna Clark
Although our campsite was relatively inexpensive to rent, all of the equipment we needed to purchase for it added up
Since I’d never camped before and had no equipment, I spent approximately $315 on supplies, including a tent, air mattress, sheet, blanket, mosquito-repellent bracelets, rubber mallet, hammer, and rechargeable mosquito repeller.
I also ended up spending $67 on a golf-cart rental on day two because the Fort Wilderness property is massive and getting around on the first day was incredibly inconvenient. We weren’t able to drive our car because the only places to park were our campsite or hte lot at the front of the resort which was far from the actual campsites.
If I’d stayed in a hotel, I wouldn’t have had to spend 30 minutes lugging my belongings to a campsite.
Jenna Clark
Although the golf cart wasn’t necessarily an essential, it felt like it was for how much more pleasant it made our stay. Plus I’d say about 85% of families we saw were using a golf cart or bikes, which you can also rent, to get around the property.
The golf cart felt like an essential because the grounds were so huge.
Jenna Clark
The area has much better food than Disney’s value resorts, but getting to the eateries can be bothersome
The resort’s three restaurants — P&J’s Southern Takeout, Trail’s End, and Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue — offer some of the best resort food in Disney World, in my opinion.
Those spots are especially great if you love Southern-style comfort food, like macaroni and cheese and barbecued meats.
Unfortunately, they’re pretty far from the campsites and we would’ve struggled to get to them if we had not rented the golf cart.
The pulled pork from P&J’s Southern Takeout was definitely a highlight.
Jenna Clark
That said, it’s nice to have unique options that are affordable. Most other quick-service value locations just have basic burgers and fries.
The campground doesn’t offer much privacy
The fellow campers in our loop were very nice and, in some cases, they helped us pitch our tent or lent us an extension cord. But it still felt a little uncomfortable only being a couple of feet away from the next party.
We were a bit too close to the other campers.
Jenna Clark
If you like to socialize and are more extroverted, you’d probably like this closeness. But if you’re seeking isolation and disconnect, you won’t find it at this campground.
Fort Wilderness is a great option if you aren’t visiting the theme parks, but I would’ve rather spent extra to stay at a value resort
If you enjoy outdoor activities, this resort could be worth it. It has archery, fishing, and canoe and bike rentals.
Plus the amenities here are equivalent to that of a deluxe resort. If you want to swim and play, the grounds’ Meadow Swimmin’ Pool is perfect with its large pool with a slide, hot tub, arcade, and outdoor games.
Fort Wilderness is also more ideal for those who don’t care about visiting Disney’s theme parks, especially since it can take multiple transfers and over 20 minutes to get to Magic Kingdom and other areas.
But I like going to the parks and, although I like deluxe amenities, I’d be happier at a value resort with everything in one area instead of a tent on sprawling campgrounds. For just over $20 extra a night, I could’ve stayed at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort with a real bed and themed room.
After all, I’d much rather have a relaxing vacation closer to Magic Kingdom than one that involves heavy-liting and mosquito bites.
