Fort Wilderness Florida
It’s hard to imagine a better place for family RVing than Disney’s Fort Wilderness. It has over 700 acres of the best RVing experience you can imagine and that is why it continues to earn rave revues from critics and families alike who enjoy the convenient factor of the parks close proximity to the Disney World Theme Parks. If you don’t want to head out to the theme parks you can stay at the campsite and enjoy horseback riding, swimming, boating and fishing. If golfing is your idea of a vacation, Disney has you covered, with ninety nine holes on five different golf courses.
In addition to the RV Today video above. I’d encourage you to read these additional posts by RV.Net blog contributors.
http://blog.rv.net/2008/02/13/disneys-fort-wilderness/
http://blog.rv.net/2008/10/27/walt-disney-worlds-fort-wilderness-rv-campground-at-halloween/
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We LOVE Fort Wilderness. Totally agree: plan to stay longer than the days you go to the parks. We also really enjoyed alternating days in the parks with days just hanging out – the whole WDW experience was much less frenetic that way.
I have an interesting Fort Wilderness story. I think it was 1972, I was a contestant on the Dating Game. Yes, that one with Jim Lang. Well, as luck would have it, she chose Bachelor #2, me. Our “date” was at Disney World, and I believe it was the first full year the park was open. We flew first class on Delta Airlines to Orlando. We stayed in Fort Wilderness, she with the chaperon, and me by myself. Both of us lived in ‘luxury’ AirStream trailers. They were quite impressive to live in. We were ‘Guests of Honor’ at virtually every restaurant or show they had at the park that we attended, and for a pair of 19 year-olds, we were a little overwhelmed by the attention. We even gave a few autographs. We had a ball, not necessarily with each other but at the park. My ‘date’ and I never saw each other again after Florida. That’s my experience with Fort Wilderness, and I recommend it to all. Fort Wilderness, that is.
Reading the email comments and seeing how people are enjoying Fort Wilderness has made me feel pride as being the person who actually designed Fort Wilderness in 1970 and 1971. Disney was very exceptional as I received carte blanche by designing the park in the field to try and save as many trees as possible. What every design costs there were, they were negated by the lessened construction costs. Prior to designing Ft Wilderness I had the opportunity to take a 6 month camping trip around the United States and Canada when I moved from San Diego, California and ending up in West Palm Beach where I started a new design division with one of the major engineering firm that did most of the roads, canals, the tunnels, drained Bay Lake. It was great that our firm had offices on the second floor of Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. I was able to take photos of many of the new attractions while they were being built which I have been able to have many good memories. But although I have been an avid tent camper, travel trailer camper and now have a motor home, I have never stayed at Fort Wilderness of which I sadly missed adventure.
Hi,
Jim W’s comments on the Fort were very interesting! The early days of the Fort are not covered very well, especially in photographs.
I’m currently writing a book on Walt Disney World Railroads, of which the old Fort Wilderness RR is a major chapter. Anyone with some interesting stories and/or photos of the Fort and maybe even the RR would be most welcome….
I would be especially interested in Jim W’s story. If Jim would send me an email on how we might talk, I would really appreciate it!! The web site has info on the book and my email address.
Thanks!
David