rgjarrell
Registered: September 2007
Posts: 23
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Review Date: Tue September 22, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Location and convenience to magic kingdom
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Cons:
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camping isn't near as perfect as resorts
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We stayed at Ft Wilderness over Labor day weekend from a few days before to a day after. This trip was a mixed bag. It was one of the first times we used our pop up camper, and it was definitely the first time we used it in the rain. (It leaked in a few spots).
Overall, the campground itself is nice. It has its issues: It's hard to back in. It's sandy and muddy. No Grass around our site. (But there was grass around "nicer" sites.) It got really gross to walk around. I resorted to wearing Crocs so I could wash the sand off my feet and sandals.
If we had a premium site with full concrete pad, and better grass surround the site, this would have been a non-issue. But that would have cost more than double probably.
The good:
Our loop location: We stayed in the 1500 loop near the pool for partial hookup campers. This gave us electric and water. Our rate averaged to less than forty per day for the partial hookup with a discount. (No discount for Labor day weekend Friday and Saturday.) The bad thing about this location was that they had burned out some vegetation or something previously, and it was kind of gross in there. We could not help but track sand and mud everywhere. It was really nice to be there near the pool instead of in the 2000 loop far away from stuff.
It was so humid that our A/C created a constant pool of water on top of the camper. This then proceeded to find a way to drip into the camper. Tip: Bring a fan to blow humidity away.
Also, it was a lot of work to set up our site. It was difficult to back in and we had to work around the trees. But that's also the good part. Once we were set up, we really liked the setup.
Here's a few tips: If you plan on cooking dinner, bring good lighting or cook inside the camper. But I wouldn't recommend to plan on cooking dinner. We had every intention of cooking for ourselves, and it just didn't happen. We were away at the parks too often.
The pool was awesome!! But the service and wait at the snack bar and the Trail's End buffet carry out were HORRIBLE.
The comfort stations were too small sometimes. There are only about 4 showers. One time, the women's showers were filled all at once by a large group of girls from one camp site. My wife was stuck, but I was able to get a shower right away. Showers are not always available because people might be using them. Also, the washing machine didn't work in the spin cycle one time, and it took 4 hours and $12 to dry one load of laundry. Because of the lack of hotel towels, we got a lot of towels dirty throughout our week stay, and needed to use the washing machines. That one problem with the washing machine was really bad. Those washers work, but not that well.
So, I get the feeling that the people who have nicer campers will rave about their experience, and the people who stayed in tents or cheap/old popups in the partial hookup loops will have some issues that they deal with.
If you want to camp, this is a great campground, and I don't think you'd want to seek out an alternate campground off site. If you're comparing camping with staying in a hotel, then it's really an apples and oranges comparison. The differences will be determined by your own camper/motor home setup and which hotel you are comparing.
But for a resort which is a boat ride away from Magic Kingdom, you spend between $40 and $80 per night for your site, compared to $300+ for a hotel room in the deluxe resorts. Location is a huge positive attribute of the campground.
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ears2you
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 28
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Review Date: Fri September 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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clean bathrooms, buses numerous and efficient
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Cons:
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silly hollering for marathoners while trying to sleep
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Stay Sept. 3-8 Arrive to totally empty campground--no problem getting "our" site. Air conditioning and outlets not functioning in restrooms the first day but fixed by the time we returned from the park next day. (cost savings since there were only 3-4 sites filled???) Bathrooms clean and secure. Sunday morning I awoke to awful screaming from a marathon event that seemed as though there were 800 participants that all needed encouragement (maybe the screamers were getting paid per scream!?) along with their refreshments. I wonder if anything like this to disturb guests is scheduled at the Grand Floridian....Hmmm? A charming addition was a gentleman breaking out his bagpipes (in protest?)to join the cacophony. I had a sense of humor and reminded myself that I was glad to be here again this year. Buses were running constantly and I see the need for a cart useless. Upon checking out I wanted to SEE a cabin and was directed to pictures. I had already seen pictures (here, on ALLEARS) and wanted to see it in person. I was told that there was no transportation to take me there and I could wait 1.5 hours and they would be happy to show me one. Of course, who wants to wait 1.5 hours at a place after they check out? Me either, yet as I was leaving, outside there were three parked Disney transport vans. Camping saved us a tremendous amount of money-traveling by boat to MK was fun and fast-buses were great to and from parks--this time the experience was weird and if we stay here again I'll ask about any scheduled events.
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demchesj
Registered: September 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed September 9, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great Campground
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Cons:
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Only DDP QS Restaurant closes @1700
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Would highly recommend this campground. Stayed in Loop 900 - central location in campground. It was a great loop, all updated; it was a premium spot. Bathhouse was clean and close. Was not too crowded since it was mid August. Camp store, just a brief walk. Marina, Hoop-dee-do and other restaurants about an 8-10 minute walk. Even though it wasn't crowded, golf carts were annoying, especially on paths by marina. We used a rental car to get to parks, so no comment on bus service. However - Good Tip - Orange Bus continues to Wilderness Lodge and its restaurants, which isn't advertised. We had to ask how to get to the lodge because the only QS restaurant at the campsite by the pool closes at 5:00 pm. We certainly don't eat that early and got stuck our last night until we hopped on the orange bus for the Lodge. We did use the boat to get to MK - that worked great. Also, for some reason, Disney piped parade music through park speakers at night - didn't bother us too much and the kids, 6 & 8 were too tired to hear it/wake them up. Otherwise the campground was quiet.
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sandsstover
Registered: May 2009
Location: Alvin, TX
Posts: 20
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Review Date: Sun May 31, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Nice comfort stations, fun camp fire/sing-a-long, relaxing
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Cons:
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uninformed about special event, small "tavern"
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We stayed here in a tent (camp site 2045) during the first part of our most recent WDW trip (5/14-17/09). The campsite and amenities are nice and clean, although the comfort stations (showers) could get busy. Internal and external camp ground transportation was decent. The local watering hole, Crockett's Tavern, consisted of 5 chairs in front of a bar. These chairs were always full, and we couldn't order a drink without sitting in one of the chairs. On the day we checked out, there was a triathalon happening at FW that was going to cause many of the internal roads to be closed. We had the option of checking out around 6AM or waiting until 1PM, however we didn't find this out until the night before. Had we known this when we checked in, we would have requested a different loop.
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dianec1953
Registered: April 2009
Location: ga
Posts: 20
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Review Date: Mon May 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 2
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Pros:
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hoop dee do review
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Cons:
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long walk to the show
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Although the Hoop dee Do review was excellent, the walk from boat to dining hall was long. I rented a scooter but had to leave it at CT to board boat to camp wilderness. Then had to walk quite a long way(for me). I think the camp should have wheelchairs by the dock in cases like these.
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lovindisney
Registered: May 2009
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed May 6, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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plenty to do, own space
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Cons:
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you a cart
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We just stayed here and I was no sure what to expect since we are used to the moderate hotels at Disney. I was delighted at how clean everything was, you didn't feel like you were in the middle of Disney yet still had all the perks!! The new pool is fantastic..I have pictures if I can figure out how to post! The campfire was a lot of fun and every child got to meet Chip and Dale without the hassel of lines! You can bring your own food to the movie or get it there..a lot of fun and you can easily stay in your budget. The breakfast buffet was wonderful..same food as the Character breakfast but half the price and not crowed since there are no characters! The only thing to know is that you either have to walk, take bus or get a cart to go places since there are limited parking spaces, if any at pool, fishing, ect...but that's minor!!!
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Kathryn
Registered: August 2008
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Mon March 16, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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"roughing it" in a comfy setting
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Cons:
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noisy neighbors!
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We stayed at the campgrounds in a cabin in January and loved it. There is so much to do, you don't even need to visit the parks. We had tried a family camping trip when our daughter, now 5, was 3. It was a total bust. So we decided to try again at Fort Wilderness thinking it was a much better setting, and it was. The site was clean and spacious. The only complaint is that the surface is so hard our plastic tent spikes actually bent.
We did not know the pool was closed for refurbishment, and our request for a specific loop appeared to have gone missing. I was very specific about what we wanted when I made the reservation more than two months ago, but we didn't get it, which was fine, just a bit disappointing. We also plan to write Disney asking that they consider not letting folks check in past dark. Our immediate neighbors did so and were extremely loud until past midnight. Everyone else in our loop was lovely and seemed to have a good understanding of camping etiquette.
Overall, the experience was great: canoeing, pony rides, excellent beach-front playground, easy transportation, clean comfort station, and fun at the campfire singalong. We're ready to go back--especially our daughter, the one who couldn't make it through the night camping at age three.
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marble96
Registered: February 2009
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Wed March 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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atmosphere,quiet Disney Life
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Cons:
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none
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Just got back from the Fort and had a great time. Everything moved the way we liked - calm and easy.
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barbers99
Registered: March 2009
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Tue March 3, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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quiet, relaxing, quick boat ride to magic kingdom
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Cons:
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transportation to other parks takes too long
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We had a Grand Gathering here feb 15th-22nd. They had a hard time getting us into a loop where we could all be close, so they ended up upgrading us to a prefered site at no extra cost. Check in was a little rough, but overall it was a great experience. It is so quiet and peaceful here. The campfire program is wonderful. We stayed in the 200 loop so we were a very short walk to the boat to go to magic kingdom. We drove to all the other parks, since it's such an ordeal with folding, unfolding strollers to have to switch buses several times to get to the other parks. The comfort stations are super clean. We stay at FW a few times a year and we love it. It is by far our favorite. The only problem is that when we leave we wish we would of left more time to enjoy the activities in the campground.
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sk8family
Registered: January 2009
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sun January 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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value, size, atmosphere
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Cons:
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SLOW transportation
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We love staying at Fort Wilderness! The cabin is roomy, clean and comfortable. The only thing we don't like it the time it takes to get anywhere! However it is double the price to stay at a resort where transportation is more convenient.
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ears2you
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 28
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Review Date: Sun January 11, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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transportation, cleanliness
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Cons:
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none
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Camping was better than I expected. Bathrooms are very clean, campground quiet at night and buses were always available. After reading reviews I was sure we would need a golf cart. After staying there I can't imagine why people are renting them. For the combined cost, you could stay in a hotel on-sight. There was never any place I needed to be that a bus wasn't there in 10 minutes. We spent all of our time at the parks but you could stay here and have plenty to do that looked like it would be fun.
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skmickeyfan
Registered: June 2007
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Mon November 24, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 0
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We just got back from another stay at Fort Wilderness Campground. Last week was the perfect time to go because the parks were empty. I can't say enough about this campground. It's fabulous. The pool rehab has not started and when I asked about it the lifeguard said it will not begin until after Bay Lake Towers are completed and the Contemporary's pool is updated.
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parksutton
Registered: May 2007
Posts: 22
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Review Date: Sat September 20, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Cost, Pool
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Cons:
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Comfort rooms were busy
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Stayed there in early Sept. The pool was awesome. The people were friendly. Lots of extra little things that made it Disney.
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huntersmom
Registered: January 2008
Location: Deer Park TX
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Mon June 16, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Exceptionally clean!
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Cons:
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Boat to MK
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My family and I decided that we would take the travel trailer this time and stay at the campground. We checked in on 06/07 and to my surprise, we had no problem backing into our space on the 1400 loop. We had a premium spot, but noticed that every spot looked great!
The Trading Post stores were also super convenient and the people were very friendly.
Dan at the front desk was more than helpful, when our F-350 decided to die upon arrival. He assisted the wrecker driver and then helped to us to extend our emergency stay! Could we be stranded anywhere better?
Everything was wonderful. I suggest that you take plenty of towels. They are not provided poolside as in other WDW properties. The golf carts are well worth the investment.
The only minor drawback was that we had to take the boat to MK. It was not my favorite part, but they were all very nice.
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freshlybarked
Registered: May 2008
Location: Clearwater, FL
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue May 20, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Quiet, shaded sites, beautiful grounds and lots of things to do
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Cons:
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Some sites a little hard to get in and out of when crowded
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We just spent our first vacation at FW campground and we loved it. My husband and I have a Class C motor home (32') and had no problem with the size of our site. Getting out was a little tricky since the sites around us were filled, but we managed in a couple tries. We spent several days at the theme parks and not enough time at FW. Since we only live a couple hours away we plan to remedy that in the near future with a couple long weekends staying at FW and doing things offered there. It was nice because we could bring our dogs and they enjoyed the dog walk areas.
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