My husband and I just returned from a three-day stay at Disney's Fort Wilderness. We reserved a full hook-up site for a 25-foot travel trailer. The site was perfectly level, the hook-ups were in good working order, and the camp provided an extra hose for our use. Even though the campers on either side were parked perhaps 30 to 40 feet away, we would never have known we had company, as trees, vines, and shrubs provided plenty of privacy. What truly amazed us was how quiet the campground was each night, even as families were returning from the campfire sing-a-longs and Disney theme parks. Our location was wonderful . . . just a few steps from a campground busstop and a five-minute walk to a camp store, which was well supplied and staffed. The average wait time for a campground bus was 5 minutes. We waited only 10 minutes for a boat ride to the Magic Kingdom, and 20 minutes at most for bus rides to the other theme parks. As with all Disney resorts, the campground was spotless, nicely landscaped, and full of conveniences and extra small touches. The staff could not have been more pleasant, and seemed to go out of their way to be kind to the children who were camping at Fort Wilderness. As another reviewer wrote, one of the best aspects of camping at Fort Wilderness was the ability to return to our camper during the day and fix lunch before heading back out to the theme parks. We grilled out one night and were thrilled to see owls flitting among the trees that surrounded our camp site. All in all, Fort Wilderness proved to be one of our best camping experiences and a particularly nice place to retreat to after a busy, hot day at the theme parks. Great for campers with kids, as well as for extended families, as proved by the numerous large encampments situated around us.

We are currently camping in our motor home in the 700 loop of Ft Wilderness Campground, we checked in April 22. 2007 and are booked here until May 2, 2007.

Last night at 1:45 AM I was rudely awakened by loud music (thumping bass, loud vocals, etc) it was so loud I thought it was some type of event here at the campground. Upon calling the Orange County Sheriffs department I was informed that this was an event that goes until 3:00 AM...."Grad nights"...it happens 2 weekends every year at The Magic Kingdom and there is nothing they can do as Disney did get the proper permits allowing them to stage such an event.

I then called the front desk and was told "you received a notice in your packet upon check in” and the basic attitude was that I should not have a complaint or problem with being awakened and not being able to sleep for 2 nights in a row until after 3:00 AM. I quickly pointed out that this information should have been given upon MAKING the reservation, I did make my reservation directly with Disney Travel Company and they surly knew about this event. I insusted they give me a refund for the 2 nights and after much debate the manager on duty did agree to do so.

We come to Ft Wilderness several times & I am know learning by experience that they hold special events frequently that involve bringing in large groups of people who are not camping here and provided them loud DJs, bands etc. During one visit a memo was left on our windshield announcing bus service would be discontinued between certain hours as they stage a foot race in the campground, part of a multi weekend triathlon. (this is a disaster if you fly in and stay in a cabin with no automobile as you are going to be walking huge distances with no bus service) The memo stated there would be loud music involved and that Disney is “sorry for the inconvenience” . If you stay in the 700 loop you will hear the Backyard Bar-B-Que band 2 times per week with loud thumping bass for several hours and no call to the front desk will change it, I have been there done that with no results.

My advice before coming to Ft Wilderness Campground or any other Disney hotel….ask about special events that may be happening during your stay upon making reservations!
If you are looking for a peaceful relaxing camping trip this may not be the place for you certain times a year.

I returned yesterday from Florida, having stayed 9 days with my husband and 2 daughters: aged 7 and 5. Fort Wilderness was great. The bus service around the grounds and to the parks was excellent - frequent and near the lodges so no need for a golf cart. The lodge had everything we needed plus a cleaner who left our towels sculpted into a different creature each day which the girls loved! It was great to have a kitchen area to get breakfast and a space to be in separate from the girls going to sleep. Hoop De Doo was full when we rang from England in advance but there were a number of tickets available when we asked during our stay. The same was the case with the BBQ which was much better for the children as they got to dance with loads of characters and there was more choice of food. The Trail End Restaurant had a good and reasonably priced buffet. Seeing the parks was done using The Unofficial Guide to Disney World book and the touring plans on its website - invaluable for avoiding queues ( we used the one for families with girls aged 3-8 during holidays and it worked a treat ) There was enough for us all to enjoy at each of the 4 main parks plus the 2 water parks. I highly recommend Fort Wilderness

We stayed for three nights in the middle of March and enjoyed our time. The lodge is truly beautiful, the rooms were spotless, well-decorated, and the people were all very nice. No hiccups whatsoever on check-in. The boat and bus transportation works seamlessly and we never had any problems with extended delays or overcrowding. Used the exercise room and it had fantastic equipment and was spotless as well. Was it worth the price? Well... the reality is that we were RARELY at the hotel, so I'd hate to do the math on how much we paid per hour spent in the hotel. And there were moments where I could have really used a break from "the mouse," or at least the crowds, and staying at the Disney Fort(ress) doesn't make that an easy task.