It surprises us how many people don’t realize Disney World has a campground. Fort Wilderness Campground is part of the “value” class of resorts right on Walt Disney World property in Florida. It’s definitely one of the best places to stay on Disney property. Amid 750 acres of pine and cypress, you may not even believe you’re in Florida. Just like any other campground you get to be up close and personal with animals, such as deer, turkeys and even armadillos. But you will receive all the same amenities as a Disney World hotel guest, such as transportation to and from the parks, early entrance, a great view of fireworks, etc.
The campground can be a great option for people that love to camp, prefer to be out in nature over a hotel, or have a large family that has outgrown standard rooms. You have the option of staying in your own RV/tent, renting an RV, or staying in a cabin. One of the best parts of Fort Wilderness is all the free things you can do within the campground. You can spend days at the Fort exploring everything they have to offer without ever leaving to go to the parks. For those that are staying at a different Disney Resort, make sure to resort hop over to Fort Wilderness so you can enjoy some of these amenities as well.
Here are our top 10 free things we love doing at Fort Wilderness.
1 - Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Campfire
Sing-A-Long
The title says it all. Who wouldn’t love to sing some campfire songs with Chip ‘n Dale while eating your favorite smore. One of our favorite smore combinations is two Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies and a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup, instead of graham crackers and a chocolate bar, with a marshmallow squished in the middle. We’ve heard Disney calories don’t count. We hope this still applies at the campground. For this event to be considered a free event you will need to bring your own smore making items with you. If you don’t have items you can purchase a smores kit from the Chuck Wagon food truck on site.
This event takes place in the Meadow recreation area. Chip ‘n Dale, along with a cast member armed with a guitar perform on a stage that looks like a covered wagon for about 30 minutes. Participation is highly encouraged during the songs. Chip ‘n Dale will come off the stage to mingle with the children so make sure to have your cameras ready.
2 - Movies Under the Stars
Following Chip ‘n Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long there will be a Disney movie projected onto a large outdoor screen. The movie schedule changes nightly so you can see a different movie each night of your vacation. If you haven’t had enough smores yet, you can continue to make them during the movie. Keep in mind there will be kids running around hyped up on all the sugar they just consumed. If your kids are supposed to go to bed after the movie you might want to consider cutting them off sooner than later.
You can bring your own camping chairs or blankets to watch the movie if you don’t want to sit on the metal benches that surround the area. If there was rain prior to this event the seats may be damp. Bringing a blanket to sit on to keep your bum dry is a good idea. Movies and entertainment are subject to cancellation or change without notice, and are weather permitting.
Photo credit to Magical Enchanted Vacations with Tia
One of two fire pits available to roast marshmallows
3 - Tri-Circle-D Ranch
The Tri-Circle-D Ranch is a hidden gem within Fort Wilderness. Trot on over to the “Happiest Horses on Earth”. Here you will be able to see a variety of horses including Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons, Quarter Horses, and Shetland Ponies. These horses are the same ones you will see walking down Main Street, pulling Cinderella’s carriage for a beautiful wedding or a carriage ride throughout Fort Wilderness.
You will also discover a historic highlight, the Dragon Calliope, a horse-drawn musical instrument. Walt purchased it from the Bradley and Kaye Amusement Park to use in the Mickey Mouse Club Circus Parade at Disneyland Park in the 1950s. The calliope was also featured in the 1960 film Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus. Down the hall you will find a memorabilia room full of photos, videos and interesting facts to read about Walt’s history with horses.
The Tri Circle D Ranch is split into 2 locations. Between the two barns, there are over 90 horses. The large barn that houses the historic items is located near the Settlement area of the Fort. Pony rides also start from this barn. The Trail Blaze Corral is located at the Main Entrance to Fort Wilderness. You should head here if you are checking in for a trail ride.
4 - Poolside Activities at the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool
You and your children will love the 67-foot-long corkscrew waterslide as you splash into the refreshing water on a hot Florida day. While the dance music is bumping, make sure to join in some poolside activities. Whether you’re showing off your moves in a hula hoop contest, your mad Disney trivia skills, or a nice non-running relay race, there are activities for everyone. If you are traveling with smaller children who want to splash around, the Meadow swimmin’ pool area has a fort-themed water play area.
The Meadow snack shop offers refreshments and snacks. Make sure to bring your refillable Disney mugs to the pool with you. While not necessarily free initially, if you purchased the refillable mug at the beginning of your stay, the refills are free.-
5 - Magic Kingdom Fireworks
Every evening (weather permitted) you can catch the Happily Ever After Fireworks from the beach at Fort Wilderness. Some of the views are obstructed by the trees on Discovery Island, but don’t let that deter you from experiencing these fireworks at least once during your stay. The music from the show will be piped in so you can get all the feels from the show. Seeing the fireworks reflect onto the water adds an extra touch that you don’t get within the parks. You also don’t have to fight the massive crowds. Find a cozy spot by the water with a drink in your hand for a unique and free way to enjoy the nightly fireworks display. Make sure to stick around for the Magic Electric Water Pageant afterwards. This can only be viewed from the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake.
6 - Magic Electric Water Pageant
After the fireworks make sure to stay on the beach to watch the Magic Electric Water Pageant. For a closer view, you can walk to the end of the pier to watch whimsical sea creatures sail across Bay Lake. A bright green sea serpent will lead the parade followed by a whale, turtle, octopus, three jumping dolphins, brachiosaurus, crocodile and four seahorses pulling Neptune. As each creature floats by,. you will be delighted by some classic Disney tunes that represent each float. Some of the songs will be from The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Near the end of the program all the floats then change to the American Flag and Stars. They play The Stars and Stripes Forever as they have been doing since 1971.
7 - Fishing at the Meadow Pond
Grab your fishing gear and head to the Meadow Pond. Fishing is complimentary for guests staying at Fort Wilderness. Between the bike barn and the Meadow Store you will be able to fish off the dock. Also behind the 300 loop in the canal close to the spillway.
8 - Resort Hopping via boat
Hop aboard the resort boat that connects Fort Wilderness to other Disney resorts as well as Magic Kingdom. Take in the scenery and relax as you sail around Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. From Fort Wilderness, board the resort boat that will take you directly to Wilderness Lodge.
If you want to visit Contemporary Resort, Polynesian or Grand Floridian, you will need to board the boat to Magic Kingdom. For the Contemporary Resort, you can walk from Magic Kingdom to the resort or hop on the monorail to take you directly inside the Contemporary. Yes, our Disney legs get tired after a few days and the monorail sounds like a much better idea than walking. But the walk is only about 10 minutes if you are considering it. You will probably wait longer than that if the monorail is really busy. To head to the Polynesian or Grand Floridian, you will get off the Fort Wilderness boat at the Magic Kingdom launch and get in line for the resort boats heading to Polynesian/Grand Floridian. You can also hop on the monorail, all of these resort are on the monorail loop. Making it easy to visit all of these wonderful resorts without getting on a bus.
We love strolling through each hotel taking in all the different sights and smells. You can do this without spending a dime. But let’s be honest, we have three kids and we love to buy souvenirs and trying different foods. We will be spending money. 
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9 - Facebook group-Original Fort Wilderness scavenger hunts
Joining “Original Fort Wilderness Scavenger Hunts” on Facebook will lead you to fun scavenger hunts organized by fellow campers. You will need to have a Facebook account and be accepted to the Facebook group. It is a good idea to do this before leaving for your trip. It will also give you an idea of how much fun it can be as well as reading through the rules to keep everyone safe. You will need to label your items with either the premade labels provided on the Facebook group or make your own.
Do you need to hide items to participate? No. If you don’t bring things to hide you can still look for items. If you do bring items they don’t have to be top dollar. They can be from the dollar store or even used items that are in great condition. Our kids have definitely enjoyed being on both the receiving and hiding end of the hunt.
Head over to Original Fort Wilderness Scavenger Hunts to see what fun you have awaiting you. We like to look through the group every so often even if we don’t have a trip planned. There are some people in the group that hide amazing items.
10 - Wildlife Spotting
One of the wonderful things about staying at Fort Wilderness is being able to enjoy nature. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for wildlife whether you are walking, riding in a gulf cart or bus. A lot of the animals we saw were walking around the campground in the open for everyone to see them. We had several even walk through our campsite. One morning we opened our camper door and there were two armadillos digging around. We don’t see those in our yard in Indiana. It was such a wonderful morning surprise. At home, we have deer in our backyard all the time. For some reason, Disney deer just seem extra special. We took so many photos of the deer even though they look just like normal Indiana deer. It made us laugh every time we took a photo.
In the past there was a walking path between Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge. At this time that walking path is not available. You will still have plenty of walking paths around the Fort to still enjoy nature and everything it has to offer. Please be respectful of the wildlife, and do not feed them.
This is just our top 10 free things to do at Fort Wilderness. You will find more things to do such as relaxing at the beach, volleyball, ping pong, shuffleboard, giant checkers, billiards, playgrounds, playing basketball or tennis. Of course, there are paid activities such as horse back riding, carriage rides, or renting a boat. But we try do as many free or inexpensive things when we can.
Whether you’re roasting marshmallows by the campfire, spotting wildlife, or simply enjoying the natural beauty, Fort Wilderness offers an array of delightful free activities that enhance your Disney vacation. We hope we have inspired you to check out all the free things you can do at the Fort. 🌲🏕️✨
What are your free things you like to do at the Fort? Let us know in the comments below.
We love the fort! Thanks for the photo tag! ♥️
Great post! Very informative. Thank you for keeping me updated on things to do at Fort Wilderness. Makes me want to go camping and check it out!
Thank you Melissa. We knew Disney was special to us but combined that with Camping and it was a whole new level of special. We miss the fort too.