Just returned from a last minute/no parks/2 night trip

[MegaWoman]

After attending an event in Miami we were looking to camp for a few days on the way to South Carolina then returning to Canada. While in Miami we decided to check availability at Ft Wilderness and we were in luck! We had been camping off-grid for a week, and we needed a place with full hook-ups that was dependable and tidy.


We had no plans to go to the parks, but to cycle around a bit and enjoy the pool.

We were there February 14-16. If you saw a couple of people with electric bikes decorated with LED lights, that was us.

A few thoughts/reviews from our trip:
=The wi-fi is terrible. If WDW can have wi-fi throughout the parks, then they can certainly install repeaters throughout Ft Wilderness. Many people are now travelling and working at the same time, dependable internet would be great.
=We were excited to hear about Food Truck Round Up as the food choices at Ft Wilderness are not really our favourites. But the Food Trucks never arrived and not a single sign was removed, nor did a Cast Member walk around and announce the change. My partner found out and then let all the other people around him know. This was unusual in my experience.
=We then decided to order from P&Js (Trail's End is closed on the days that there are Food Trucks.) we mobile ordered and went to pick up for our allocated time. But there were no mashed potatoes available, confusion ensued. In the end we asked the CM to substitute fries, but that took a while. It should have been an option on the app. (why are the food options at Ft Wilderness all the same? Where are the vegetables? Fish? Vegetarian/Vegan options?)
=The trail to Wilderness Lodge is still closed. We tried to get an answer as to when it would re-open, maybe this year? We were looking forward to having more upscale Bourbon there. Hoping it will be open when we are there again in November.
=The theming to me, is dated. The overly "country" theme really doesn't fit in with today's campers. I don't know why it stood out to me this time, but as campers have evolved shouldn't the theming?

Just my 2cents. Just my thoughts. We will be back!

 

[NCDisNut]

Thanks for sharing. I have a customer in Orlando and I try to stay at Fort Wilderness when I'm visiting.

 

[bama_ed]

=The wi-fi is terrible. If WDW can have wi-fi throughout the parks, then they can certainly install repeaters throughout Ft Wilderness. Many people are now travelling and working at the same time, dependable internet would be great.

What exactly was the issue with WIFI? Speeds down? Speeds up? Connection being dropped (my personal pet peeve) or difficulty in establishing a connection?

=The trail to Wilderness Lodge is still closed. We tried to get an answer as to when it would re-open, maybe this year? We were looking forward to having more upscale Bourbon there. Hoping it will be open when we are there again in November.

Disney placed additional water/power/gas/communications utilities where the Exercise Trail to WL was when they tore it up to serve the now postponed (?) resort/DVC that was planned for behind Trails End. IMO they won't pave the Trail back until they are done with the build-out at that location - which means I guess there will be no Trail for a long time (but I'd be happy to be proved wrong).

=The theming to me, is dated. The overly "country" theme really doesn't fit in with today's campers. I don't know why it stood out to me this time, but as campers have evolved shouldn't the theming?

Well, along those lines, the Poly doesn't match what the Four Seasons built recently nearby. The "country" theme makes it kitchy and thus timeless. Campers are constantly evolving so the theming updates would be repeated every 10-20 years so they wouldn't be too outdated. But timeless means becoming iconic. And given the Fort's popularity given the limited supply and increasing demand, more people will get to encounter the icon.

I'm glad you got the opportunity to spend a few nights there. Out of curiosity, what loop were you in during your stay?

Bama Ed

 

[team bradfield]

the theming is why many us keep returning

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

The wifi is site dependent I find. We were next to a pole last trip and I was connected and working fine on my laptop a few times when I had to be. Sometimes it's spotty, kind of a crap shoot.

I love the nostalgic theming. Maybe for people who have no memories of the 'good old days' it could be corny, but I don't really think they are going for the upscale RV resort campground theming, even though the price matches those places. Although I'm not sure what 'todays evolved campers' theming would look like? The Fort is still very much woods, thankfully.

I don't think the trail to Wilderness lodge will come back in the near future, I'd be happy to be wrong about that.

 

[MegaWoman]

We were on Site 866. Premium Meadows.
Very quiet loop.