Best and worst of Fort Wilderness

[tiggerdad]

From the Dis today

 

[bama_ed]

They're really desperate for material these days, aren't they?

 

[Corgidad]

Ed your a brave man if you watched the entire thing, I made it to 1:49 and had to shut it off. Couldn't take the torture any longer. I have been going to and staying at the Fort probably longer than all of them combined times 10 so i will just continue to trust my own good and bad list. For anyone else who can watch it longer than I did you are amazing or bored

 

[Gino USMC]

I usually cant watch their videos. I wont even try this one. There was a video of one of the DIS Ladies reviewing the Fort with a camper she rented. She said their was an issue with the camper but the company fixed it right away, but refused to say which company it was because she didn't want to give her stamp of approval. She said, don't even ask or email what company she used! I don't understand why she wouldn't say the company name even though they fixed the only issue she had right away. I stopped watching DIS videos after that.

 

[Cousin Ed C]

They might have had a meal at Trials End but I bet that's their total experience at The Fort. Mike when do you go home?

 

[bama_ed]

Ed your a brave man if you watched the entire thing, I made it to 1:49 and had to shut it off. Couldn't take the torture any longer. I have been going to and staying at the Fort probably longer than all of them combined times 10 so i will just continue to trust my own good and bad list. For anyone else who can watch it longer than I did you are amazing or bored

Mike, I will freely admit I did not make it through the whole thing. After about 5 minutes I rolled my eyes and left it.

The Fort gets treated like the red-headed step-child of WDW resorts. I tried to come up with WHY they made THAT kind of video about FW. Only answers I could come up with were: a) they had done all the other resorts at some point in the past, or, b) feature FW because it, along with DVC, were going to re-open first (before the parks even do).

I mean, that wasn't a short 5-minute FW Park Bench video. It was agony by the time I bailed.

Bama Ed

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I saw first hand during our last trip how one of these reviewers works. Walked around as though she owned the place putting her signs on the sites of all her minions. Worst camping neighbors we ever had.

 

[Stork]

..... I made it to 1:49 and had to shut it off. Couldn't take the torture any longer.

You win. I folded at 1:27. And that was without the sound on....

 

[Kidatheart2010]

WOW.. The lead announcer couldn't even remember the complete name of Ft Wilderness. I lasted about a minute.

1st week in October... We are so ready.

 

[tiggerdad]

Since I posted I watched all way through. I just can't believe the lack of knowledge and still trying to do a video.

Can't even remember the resorts full name...

Well, at least we know where we stand with both WDW and the Dis.

Nobody knows...
Nobody cares...enough

 

[John VN]

At 1:30AM it was a 24:55 diversion that required SUPER POWERS to view it in its entirety. IMO, FW is crowded enough so a STELLAR REVIEW might only encourage more guests to reserve cabins/sites and make it even tougher to reserve >>> especially since FW = Social Distancing easily accomplished.

 

[Gino USMC]

I saw first hand during our last trip how one of these reviewers works. Walked around as though she owned the place putting her signs on the sites of all her minions. Worst camping neighbors we ever had.

Can you go into more detail? This sounds interesting.

 

[Gino USMC]

Here is a link to the review I mentioned earlier.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...fort-wilderness-in-a-camper-05-07-18.3681237/

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Can you go into more detail? This sounds interesting.

If you see me at the Fort I will recount this experience, definitely too much to type on a public forum.

 

[hertamaniac]

I don't think any one of the 3 reviewers even attempted to rent a 5th wheel to get that experience. We are local just like the reviewers, don't own an RV or even a truck, but went through a company to have a 5th wheel dropped on our pad. I feel that just staying in the cabin and not trying another method of staying onsite is incredibly short-sighted.

 

[D.morrow0084]

So what is everyone's favorite and least favorite things about the fort? We will be there for the first time in 2 weeks. Can't wait!

 

[tiggerdad]

So what is everyone's favorite and least favorite things about the fort? We will be there for the first time in 2 weeks. Can't wait!

My favorite thing about the Fort is that it is a resort where you can relax, in most cases quietly in the comfort of your own place. This quiet also extends to early morning walks and wildlife viewing.

My least favorite thing about the Fort is trying to get a site at less than a year out. Not impossible, but its painfully apparent more sites could be utilized.

 

[cinderellagirl2280]

I love the community at the Fort. No matter where you go, most people will smile, say hello, or even start up a conversation with you. We're also willing to help just about anyone at the parks.

I dislike the folks who think the rules apply to everyone else but them. I'm talking the ones who don't park on their pad, who take over an empty site for their extra cars, who aren't considerate of others after quiet hour, etc. I know it's a problem at all campgrounds but it really stands out in the Fort because the campground is almost always full now.

 

[Gino USMC]

Dislike: We have only been once and love to run. We would have loved to use the pathway between the Fort and the lodge but it was closed because of the construction. We did get to run all over the Fort and through the loops, that was still good.

Likes: Love the sites the most. Good privacy and not feeling secluded. Comfort stations were always clean and made me feel calm.
Pool and activities were a huge plus and why we will continue to go there. Boat transportation to Magic Kingdom and other resorts were really cool too. Also liked having two Resort stores to choose from. Lastly, Disney did not fail on the dining options. I love a good buffet and Trails End was really good. P and Js was good, we did not try the Hoop De Doo venue. Maybe next time.

My all time favorite memory of our last trip in August was sitting behind our rig after our morning run and having coffee with my wife. Very calm and peaceful.

 

[BarbLynnM]

Dislikes: Not many.

1) Perhaps that there aren't continuous straight-line sidewalks from the various loops to the Settlement. You can walk from, say, loop 2000 to the Settlement, but it's so circuitous that it would take twice as long. Not to mention that riding bikes along that road looks pretty scary. I don't know how Disney could make this happen, but one can wish.
2) I wish Trails End served a lunch buffet (or in a post covid world, cafeteria). We usually get a later start in our day, and have a early breakfast at our site. By 12 or 1 p.m., I'm ready for a solid meal of healthy choices, but TE is usually closed at that time (if memory serves).
3) This might be particular to us, but for whatever reason ants love our T@g. We don't normally eat at our site other than a light breakfast (and I have my coffee) but I've always been cautious not to let crumbs drop, and I keep everything tightly sealed. If I'm emptying out, say, a cup of clear water I do it close to the road and not by our camper/tent. I don't know what it is, but those little buggers love us EVERY time we camp for more than 5 days or so.
4) The laundry dryers have two settings: blast furnace and slightly cooler than lava. I put some clothes in that I wanted on the lowest setting, but they still came out super hot and shrunk. I noticed this in every loop we've stayed at, so it's something I've had to account for when washing laundry there. Other than that, the laundries were nearly spotless every time we went, and I like that you need to have a wristband to get in.

Likes: Just about everything.

1) I know when I reserve a campsite it's going to be cleaned up and ready when we get there. On the (very) rare occasion there's a problem (we had one with an electric box), maintenance was out pretty quick to fix it.
2) We've stayed in loops 2000, 2 & 3, and each one had enough foliage between the sites that it felt private. Love love love the landscaping!
3) Food and snacks available in centrally located areas.
4) Although there have been the occasional grip of neighbors, the vast majority of people we've met and camped next to have been exemplary. There were a few times when a family group were having fun later at night, but I've never been woken up by partiers. I know this isn't everyone's experience, but we've stayed long and often enough that I feel confident to say the bad actors are few and far between.
5) Two of the memories of the Fort that I'll always cherish are a) waiting for the bus at loop 2000, and seeing the Spanish moss covered tree across the road from the shelter--I was worried after one hurricane that the moss and tree had been knocked down, but nope--next time we went it was still standing and b) walking from the Settlement to our campsite at loop 2 on Christmas night; the weather was perfect, and the campers had outdone themselves putting up decorations.
6) The food at TE nearly always had healthy alternatives--fresh strawberries and grapes, salads, veggies, etc. The desserts were good portion size for having a taste without adding 700+ calories, which was a win in my book. I'm lusting after some of their brisket...it'll be a while but I can wait lol. Maybe.
7) One can kick back and relax at the campsite without going to the parks. The swimming, horseback riding, and other activities are fun things to do that you can't do anywhere else at DW.

I could go on, but these are my main points. I love the Fort, no other campground I've ever been to has as good customer service and amenities. I'll be counting the days until we can go again. (2 years and counting....)

(ETA) One extra thing I wanted to mention is that loop 2000 has always been large enough for our mini-camper (T@G) on the gravel area, along with our 10 x 10 Pahaque side-tent. AND room to spare. We also were able to put everything up, including a canopy, for our stays at loops 2 & 3. I know some of the big rigs have had difficulty maneuvering around some loops, so I do think some of the sites should be updated to accompany the bigger campers.

A wish (one that probably won't be fulfilled any time soon) would be the addition of pull through loops. However, I don't see how they could do that in the existing loops.