We are spending two weeks at Fort Wilderness, the Disney campground. It is over a mile square and has over 700 campsites and something like 400 cabins. There is a small river running through the campground and a lake at one end that connects the campground to a couple resorts and the Magic Kingdom via boat service. Our campsite is huge and the landscaping provides some nice screening for privacy. The whole place is landscaped as if you were in the mountains of the northwest. The difference is that the trees and plants are healthy (not all dried out from smog and drought or burned out) and things are very, very clean. The campground has its own set of activities and attractions, including biking, canoeing, swimming (at 2 theme pools), campfires with outdoor movies, 2 restaurants/snack bars and a western dinner show.
After we got checked in and got our trailer situated and set-up, we went for lunch and a little explore. Our campsite is about half way through the campground, and a short walk to the Meadows, where there is a snack bar, store (of course) and pool. There are paved walking paths throughout the campground and vehicles are separated from bikes and walkers. In fact, once you get your car to your campsite, you are not allowed to use it in the campground except to exit and re-enter the park. A lot of people brought their own golf cart and you can rent one if you wish (for a mere $59 a day!) That’s more than what I pay for a car rental. So we are walking and taking the busses.
After lunch and perusal of the country store, where we can get camping supplies including bread, milk and bananas for breakfast, as well as souvenirs, we walked to the end of the campground, the Settlement, where the lake is situated. Both of these places have a western theme with log cabin buildings and log fences. The Settlement has a dinner show and a buffet restaurant, as well as a tavern where you can get a glass of wine, beer or a cocktail. The lake has a very nice beach and there are many things you can rent to enjoy the lake, including pontoon boats, jet skis, canoes, and small fishing boats. I think you could stay at the campground for a week and never feel the need to go outside the campground.
Next to the Settlement is a horse ranch (the Tri-Circle-D), where people can go for a horseback ride or a wagon ride. We were able to walk through the barn and visit some Percherons and Clydesdales as well as say hello to the ponies that were out in the little corrals. Walt Disney had quite a love for horses; it inspired him to create Frontierland and to have those western days on the Mickey Mouse Club show (for those of you old enough to remember that.) Disney uses these horses not only for the riding, but also in the various theme parks as needed, and in national competitions. The barn had a great exhibit on the ranch and its history.
We kicked off our theme park/entertainment marathon with the Hoop-De-Do Revue dinner show. We had great seats – front row, center. The food was very good, typical country fare (fried chicken/ribs) ending with strawberry shortcake. The show reminded me of an expanded Golden Horseshoe Revue (which is not offered in Magic Kingdom Orlando.) The performers were very talented and we had a great time. After the show, we got out in time to watch a bit of the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom over the lake. The weather was nice today but showers are predicted for tomorrow.
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| Russ is happy to be at camp. A nice, level concrete pad and lots of space. |
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| The entire campground has this western theme and everything is immaculate. |
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| Lots of cute, white ponies for kids to ride. |
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| Russ had a special connection with Chief. They had a nice conversation. |
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| This is a fully functional calliope which is used for parades and special events. It and other items related to the ranch were in a nice exhibit in the barn. |
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| These big fellows were getting ready for their evening jobs of pulling wagons around the grounds. |
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| This large lake connects the campground to the Fort Wilderness Lodge, the Contemporary Resort and Magic Kingdom. Several boats provide complementary transportation back and forth. |
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| The Hoop-De-Doo Revue provided entertainment during courses at the dinner show. It was a very funny and corny show. |
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| I particularly liked the "comic" guy. He was an absolute hoot. Here, he is playing the part of Daniel Boone's bear. |
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| Our first fireworks show at WDW. I am sure we will see several more. I never get tired of them. |
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