A Different Kind of Disney Stay
When planning a trip to Walt Disney World with a group of nine, we were looking for something more budget-friendly without sacrificing the Disney experience. That’s how we landed on a stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
We booked a preferred campsite and rented an RV through Meacham’s RV Rentals, hoping this would give us a unique and cost-effective way to enjoy Disney. While parts of the experience were smooth and even enjoyable, this ended up being one Disney stay I would not repeat.
Renting an RV at Disney: What Worked
I will say this upfront—the RV rental process itself was incredibly easy. Working with Meacham’s RV Rentals was seamless. They delivered the RV, set everything up at our site, and handled breakdown and pickup at the end of our stay.
It made the experience approachable, even for families who don’t own an RV.
That said, one detail that caught me off guard was that we were still responsible for cleaning the RV before leaving. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s not exactly how most people picture the end of a Disney vacation.
The Campground Itself: Beautiful but Misleading
There’s no denying it—Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is stunning. The wooded setting feels peaceful and completely different from the rest of Disney property. It truly feels like you’ve stepped away from the parks.
We booked a preferred site near the main pool, specifically because of the kids’ water slide area. Unfortunately, the slides were closed during our stay due to unexpected issues, despite originally being scheduled to be open.
Things happen, but this was a big disappointment and definitely impacted how much value we felt we were getting.
The kids still had fun at the pool and especially loved the nearby playground and pool table area, which helped salvage part of the experience.
Transportation: The Biggest Downside
This is where things really fell apart for us.
Transportation at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is not simple—and that’s putting it lightly.
We chose not to rent a golf cart because of our group size. With nine people, we would have needed multiple carts, and it just didn’t feel worth the added expense.
In hindsight, that was a mistake.
The internal bus system alone can take a significant amount of time just to get from your campsite to the front of the resort. From there, you still have to transfer to another bus or boat depending on your destination.
On average, it took us at least an hour—and often closer to an hour and a half—just to get anywhere on Disney property.
Even the boat to Magic Kingdom, which sounds like a relaxing option, became frustrating. The ride itself is long, and if you miss it (which we did more than once), you’re waiting around 30 minutes for the next one.
For families trying to make early dining reservations or maximize park time, this setup can quickly become exhausting.
Sleeping Arrangements: Tight Quarters for a Large Family
One thing I didn’t fully think through when booking this stay was just how tight the sleeping situation would feel with a group of nine.
While the RV itself was well set up and perfectly fine for a smaller group, it quickly felt cramped once everyone settled in for the night. Mark and I started out sleeping on the sofa bed, which, as you can probably imagine, wasn’t the most comfortable option after long park days.
By the end of the trip, we actually gave up on the sofa bed altogether and moved into the bunkroom with the kids—just trying to find a way to get a better night’s sleep.
To be fair, this isn’t necessarily a fault of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground or even the RV itself. We knew we were fitting a large group into a smaller space.
But it does add to the overall experience.
Between the long travel times, early mornings, and full park days, not getting solid rest really started to catch up with us. And when you’re at Walt Disney World, sleep matters more than you think.
By the end of the trip, the combination of tight sleeping quarters and lack of rest just reinforced what we were already feeling—this type of stay simply isn’t the right fit for our family.
Dining and Entertainment Highlights
One major highlight of staying here is easy access to Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.
This show is absolutely worth your time. It’s high-energy, family-friendly, and just the kind of classic Disney entertainment that feels special. The bottomless sangria is a standout perk for adults, and the kids loved the interactive nature of the performance.
The playground nearby was also a great way to keep the kids entertained while waiting for the show to start.
Final Thoughts: Who This Is (and Isn’t) For
As seasoned campers, we went into this experience thinking we would love it. And while there were moments we enjoyed, the overall logistics made it hard to justify.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is a great fit for guests who:
- Plan to stay mostly at the campground
- Rent a golf cart and embrace the slower pace
- Don’t mind longer travel times to the parks
But for families like ours—focused on park time, dining reservations, and convenience—it just didn’t work.
For us, the time lost to transportation alone outweighed the cost savings.
And while I’m glad we experienced it once, it’s not a Disney stay I would choose again.
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