Driving to Fort Wilderness & Wilderness Lodge?

[PSUGuy]

We've never visited Wilderness Lodge and haven't been to Fort Wilderness in years and the boat transportation ate a lot of time. How difficult is it to navigate by car to both places? We're staying at BoardWalk and will have a GPS with us.

Thanks,
Bill From PA

 

[grimley1968]

Very easy. Just go up World Drive like you're going to MK. Get in the rightmost lane that isn't reserved for buses. When you get to the pay booth for MK, just tell them you're visiting WL and they'll wave you through, reminding you to stay to the right. You'll actually stay straight on World Drive in that right lane, while TTC parkers veer left. Keep going straight up World Drive until you reach the first major intersection beyond the TTC parking lot. 7 Seas (going to Poly and GF) is on the left and Timberline is on the right and goes straight to WL.

Tell the WL guard gate CMs you're visiting or have an ADR and they may give you a pass or just to tell you where to park, giving you the 3-hour limit.

Once you've visited WL, I personally would take the boat to FW. It's a separate boat that goes to FW from WL and it's a pretty quick trip. Plus you dock at the rear of FW, where most of the stuff you probably want to see is.

<wrong information>If you drive, you have to park in front and then take an internal bus to get to the rear of FW. But if you still want to drive to FW from WL, get on Wilderness Road, which is between the guard shack and WL itself, and that road will take you to FW.</wrong> I just wanted to edit this in case anyone in the future saw this part of my post and didn't see the correcting posts after my post. I still stand by the idea of driving to WL and making that a base from which to visit WL and FW, but my driving directions to FW were simply wrong.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I would take the bus to MK & then boat to both places. Parking at most of the deluxe resorts is for guests staying at the resort or those with dining reservations only - I've seen folks turned away for just wanting to park & tour. We always just take buses everywhere so much easier.

 

[cranbiz]

Very easy. Just go up World Drive like you're going to MK. Get in the rightmost lane that isn't reserved for buses. When you get to the pay booth for MK, just tell them you're visiting WL and they'll wave you through, reminding you to stay to the right. You'll actually stay straight on World Drive in that right lane, while TTC parkers veer left. Keep going straight up World Drive until you reach the first major intersection beyond the TTC parking lot. 7 Seas (going to Poly and GF) is on the left and Timberline is on the right and goes straight to WL.

Tell the WL guard gate CMs you're visiting or have an ADR and they may give you a pass or just to tell you where to park, giving you the 3-hour limit.

Once you've visited WL, I personally would take the boat to FW. It's a separate boat that goes to FW from WL and it's a pretty quick trip. Plus you dock at the rear of FW, where most of the stuff you probably want to see is. If you drive, you have to park in front and then take an internal bus to get to the rear of FW. But if you still want to drive to FW from WL, get on Wilderness Road, which is between the guard shack and WL itself, and that road will take you to FW.

Unless things have changed since I was driving there, Wilderness Rd is gated and only WDW vehicles are allowed on it. I know when I was doing the FW, WL, TTC route, you needed a transponder to access Wilderness Rd.

To get to the fort, either take the boat (recommended) from WL or if driving, exit WL and go left, that takes you to Vista Blvd and about a 1/2 to 3/4 mile on the left is FW.

 

[grimley1968]

Unless things have changed since I was driving there, Wilderness Rd is gated and only WDW vehicles are allowed on it. I know when I was doing the FW, WL, TTC route, you needed a transponder to access Wilderness Rd.

To get to the fort, either take the boat (recommended) from WL or if driving, exit WL and go left, that takes you to Vista Blvd and about a 1/2 to 3/4 mile on the left is FW.

I think you're right and doubt things have changed. The only time I've ever been on this road was on a bus when going to a park and the bus stopped at FW first to get some more passengers. I assumed (incorrectly it seems) that the road was open to all traffic. This just adds to my recommendation to drive only to WL and then boat to/from FW.

 

[msb578]

I would take the bus to MK & then boat to both places. Parking at most of the deluxe resorts is for guests staying at the resort or those with dining reservations only - I've seen folks turned away for just wanting to park & tour. We always just take buses everywhere so much easier.

I had no trouble parking at WL to visit, without an ADR. No time limit was given. We toured the resort, boated over to FW for a couple hours, then boated back to the car.

If it matters at all, we were staying at Sports. It was also a very slow time- last week of August.

 

[DebbieB]

If you want to go to Fort Wilderness, you'll have to park in the lot near the road and take the internal bus to Hoop De Doo or Trails End. From BW, I would go left onto Buena Vista, left on Bonnett Creek, left on Vista to FW.

One time I was staying at AKV and was meeting friends for dinner at Trails End. I planned on bus & boat because we were going to MK afterwards. It took me well over an hour, I was late.

 

[joelkfla]

I agree with everything said above: use WL as your base if possible, no passage on Wilderness Road.

I just want to add that there is a bus from WL to FtW, as well as the boat. It stops not far from where the boat docks by Pioneer Hall, but continues on to the Meadows where you can explore the recreation area and main Trading Post.

You can also rent bikes at WL for the day, and I think they are allowed to be ridden on the 1-mile trail to FtW.