Introduction

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, my friend and I decided to do a non-park day at Walt Disney World. We wanted to do something different. After tossing around a couple of ideas, we decided to take a boat over to Fort Wilderness and see how Disney would do a campground. Nestled a short boat ride away from the energy and fantasy of Magic Kingdom is an oasis of peace. Fort Wilderness, which could be considered an extension of FrontierLand, is how Disney does a campground. And it is quite a campground! Some have suggested it is the best campground in the country. I can say that Fort Wilderness is certainly the best campground we have ever visited.

Hello. My name is Amy. I am a Disney fan. This book is all about our adventures in Disney’s Fort Wilderness. Along the way, we have made more than our share of mistakes and learned a lot. That’s all in the book, which might save others from repeating the same mistakes. All of our Fort Wilderness fun started with that one moment when we decided to take the boat over from the Magic Kingdom to explore.

At Fort Wilderness, park fans have easy access to the parks. Family members looking for rest and relaxation can chill at the campground. Families looking to make memories together have more options here than at any other resort. Sure, Fort Wilderness includes pools, boats, shopping, dining, theater, characters, campfires, and movies under the stars. Then again, so do many of the deluxe resorts around Disney World. But the Fort also has carriage rides, pony rides, Segway tours, characters at the campfire, tennis courts, ball courts, and so much more.

In addition to the sheer love of the great outdoors or even placating family members who would rather be in the national parks than at Disney, there is another reason to consider staying at Fort Wilderness: cost. There are nights during the year when you can sleep ten people at a campsite in Fort Wilderness for around $50 per night. While that may be on the high side if you compare it to state parks, it is remarkably inexpensive for a Disney property.

Fort Wilderness takes camping to a whole new level. To start, there are three levels of camping to choose from. You can go with the basic pitch a tent on a campsite. You can upgrade a bit and enjoy a midlevel campsite with a preferred or premium campsite. These work well for RV camping. You can haul in or rent anything from a basic pop-up to a drop-your-jaw fancy camper. To go all-out at Fort Wilderness, try renting the one-bedroom cabin that sleeps six and has a bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen, and separate living area, plus a private deck, picnic table, and grill. Perhaps best of all, the cabins come with daily housekeeping. Each of these Fort Wilderness camping options include a two-car drive right at your campsite or cabin. This is fantastic if you happen to over-pack as much as I do.

And I haven’t even started on some of my actual favorite things at Fort Wilderness. As I mentioned, in recent months we have tried just about every level of camping here. Come along and join the fun while I share what we learned about how to conquer tent camping, rent a campsite complete with RV, and indulge in one of the best hotel rooms at Disney World—a Fort Wilderness cabin. Oh, and of course share more about all the wonderful things your family might love to do at the Fort!

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