Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is a themed camping resort located at the Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort

Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...

. It officially opened on November 19, 1971.

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is located in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area, adjacent to Bay Lake and Disney's River Country

Disney's River Country

Disney's River Country was the first water park at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on June 20, 1976 and ceased operations on November 2, 2001...

, a now-defunct water park. The resort is also located near Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Disney's Wilderness Lodge is a resort hotel located at the Walt Disney World Resort. It opened on May 28, 1994. The resort is owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts....

.

Resort

Fort Wilderness was designed with a rustic theme. Tree-lined winding roads loop around to the various regions of the resort. Part of the resort is occupied by campsites where visitors with tents or recreational vehicles

Recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...

 can stay. The remainder of the lodging area is occupied by cabins, designed to resemble log cabins

Log cabin

A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...

.

Dining

The resort hosts two dinner shows, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and Mickey's Backyard BBQ.
A buffet and the Trail's End Restaurant are also among the resort's dining options.

Recreation

The resort features playgrounds and two heated swimming pools. Other activities include fishing and horseback riding. A 2.3 miles (3.7 km) paved and sand exercise trail extends from the petting farm to the Wilderness Lodge.

Entertainment

Each night, the campground features Campfire Sing-Along with Chip 'n' Dale. A Disney Cast Member leads songs in an outdoor amphitheater, while the characters Chip 'n' Dale approach seated audience members, signing autographs and posing for photos. Two firepits are available for roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Following the sing-along, a Disney children's movie is shown on an outdoor screen. Also at night, the Electrical Water Pageant

Electrical Water Pageant

The Electrical Water Pageant is a show that takes place several times every evening on Walt Disney World's Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. It features 14 floats with lights that depict images of sea creatures...

 passes the beach and marina.

Fort Wilderness Railroad

The Fort Wilderness Railroad was a 2.5–3.5 mi (4–5.6 km) steam-powered

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 railway that opened in 1973 to provide transportation around the various campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It also provided transportation around the resort grounds to campers and guests visiting the nearby River Country water park. Because of issues with track maintenance, pedestrian safety, and noise concerns, the railroad only operated occasionally after 1977, and closed permanently in the early 1980s. Some sections of track remain in place along the outer areas of the campground.

The major difference between the Fort Wilderness Railroad and the Walt Disney World Railroad

Walt Disney World Railroad

The Walt Disney World Railroad is a narrow gauge railroad circling the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. Operated by Main Street Operations, the gauge, 1.5-mile railroad circles the entire park with stations at Main Street, U.S.A. and Frontierland, and formerly at the...

 in the nearby Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...

 is size; the Fort Wilderness Railroad is built to 4/5 scale with a 30" gauge track, compared to the full size 36" gauge track at the Magic Kingdom.

The Fort Wilderness Railroad utilized four replica steam locomotives and twenty coaches built by Walt Disney Imagineering

Walt Disney Imagineering

Walt Disney Imagineering is the design and development arm of the Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation and construction of Disney theme parks worldwide...

. After the railroad was closed, the locomotives were stored for several years, and are today privately owned. Several of the coaches are also still in existence, used as ticket booths at Typhoon Lagoon and Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney.

External links

• Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground official site (Campsites)
• Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground official site (Cabins)
• Fort Wilderness Railroad
• Fort Wilderness Railroad tribute page by David Rose via Big Florida Country