Before last summer, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground was never on my family’s radar. Although we like to try different resorts (budget permitting), my idea of camping includes electricity and indoor plumbing, so I thought it would be a waste of time to stay there. I’m happy to say that boy, was I wrong! In addition to the traditional and RV campsites, Fort Wilderness has 407 cabins. Once I discovered this and discussed it with my family, we decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad we did. It turned out to be one of the best vacations we’ve ever had.
The cabins are arranged around “loops” (large circular areas), and there are eight cabin loops.
The cabins sleep 6, with a double bed and bunk beds in the bedroom and a Murphy bed in the living room.
There is also a bathroom with a tub and shower and a television and kids table in the living room. Outside each cabin there is a picnic table and grill.
DIStracted tip – If you’re going to cook on the grill, remember you’ll need charcoal and matches.
What amazed me was that there is also a full kitchen, with an oven/stove, microwave, dishwasher, sink, and full-size refrigerator! We like to have breakfast in our room (or cabin, in this case) so the kitchen was an added bonus. The refrigerator was also handy for keeping snacks and drinks at the ready to grab on our way out the door.
If you want to stock the kitchen, there are two trading posts located on the campground property. In addition to groceries, they have just about anything else you’ll need while you’re there.
DIStracted tip – Out of the 407 cabins, there are 13 cabins that are handicapped-accessible. When making your reservation, be sure to tell them that you need an accessible cabin with a roll-in shower.
There are places in the campground that do not allow access to cars. There are two options to get around this, the internal bus system and golf carts. The internal bus system will take you to the trading posts, dock area, Trail’s End Restaurant, Pioneer Hall (which houses the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue), and the bus depot. The bus depot is where you can catch buses to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, and Typhoon Lagoon & Blizzard Beach.
DIStracted tip – The only way to get to the Magic Kingdom from Fort Wilderness is via the ferry. There is no bus.
Sometimes having a golf cart can be the faster option; you can just drive yourself wherever you want to go on the campground property instead of waiting for the internal buses. They are available for rental by the day or week by adults 18 and over, and all drivers must be 16 and have a valid driver’s license. The golf carts rent for $59.00 per day ($63.54 with tax). The carts are electric, and there is a place to park and plug it in at the bus depot, the dock area, and each cabin. Each golf cart has a windshield (which was nice when it was raining) and headlights for night driving.
DIStracted tip – Advance reservations for golf carts are highly recommended and can be made up to one year prior to your visit by calling (407) 824-2742. Unreserved carts may be available for rental on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Cabins at Fort Wilderness are classified as a Moderate Resort, but for me, having the full kitchen bumped them up into the Deluxe category. We absolutely loved our stay there, and my son is already asking to stay there again. Now if I could just finagle more time off of school and have more money magically appear in my bank account. . .
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