Holidays are the best in Fort Wilderness, mainly because you can spend hours on a golf cart riding the loops and seeing the lights. Disney actually encourages this, and mainly requires that folks keep the decor on their own sites and away from the roads and paths. People tend to follow these rules. The rules that get broken are only those of refined sensibility, exterior design, and subtlety. The point here seem to be as outlandish, garish, and gaudy as possible. And that’s what makes it so fun. Nothing will get you in the holiday spirit faster than realizing you don’t have to keep up with Martha Stewart or Chip & Joanna. Seriously, this is the best way to feel like a kid again.
most extravagant
The most visited and instagrammed and vlogged site of 2018 was likely the one in Loop 700 with Cinderella’s theme. It was complete with a full-size, lighted carriage and a built castle that you could walk into. Nothing else came close to this one.
most GAUDY
Loop 400 was one of the most spirited loops, and the very first corner site had enough inflatables to take down the Crimson Tide. And as over-the-top it was, it surely brought wide-eyed joy to the young ones. The picture below only captures a fraction of the action.
On down the road was this amazing hodgepodge of outdoor decorations clearly collected over a period of decades. This one even included a walking trail.
Another example of many where campers took the old decorating advice of “clutter equals beauty.” The amount of pine straw on the pad leaves one to believe that they have been at The Fort for more than just a week or two.
most Mickeys
Most decorated sites tend to have Mickey themes, and this is because Mickey decor is so much easier to find than say Chip & Dale or even the princesses (with the exception of Frozen characters). One site in particular carried the theme out fully and thoughtfully, all the way to the golf cart.
BEST MESSAGE
This campsite was one of my favorites of all for obvious reasons.
MOST oCD
Captain Bacon loved this one because of its near-perfect symmetry and utter lack of clutter. It looks like these folks handwashed their concrete pad before they departed for their planned-to-the-minute morning.
most expensive
This one was eye-catching and different than any others. There was very little in the way of inexpensive decor. Included was a Disney movie projected on a screen. That cute little Porsche Carrera GT adds another $100,000 $450,000 or so to tab.
most Surreal
There was surprisingly very little in the way of religious decor, with one notable exception. One campsite had a lovely nativity scene with Baby Jesus guarded by two giant Mickey nutcrackers.
MOST CLASSY (I want this one)
Well, isn’t this just postcard perfect? Easy retro simplicity in a dreamy Airstream. And a matching Ford pickup. #goals
