Overall, 2019 was another grand one at the Fort. In spite of rising site prices and rapid change, the wild, free pioneer spirit remained. A few crackdowns on larger decorative structures didn’t put a damper on Halloween, and the new barn is being built right next to the old one (contrary to one rumor). Fort Wilderness remains my all-time favorite place to camp. Still, there’s a few things we wouldn’t mind vanishing with the winter winds.

Chalking overload

I know you think that my fussiness about this is going to be that it has become an advertising (forbidden solicitation) mechanism for some. Or that one group thinks that they own the concept of using colored chalk to write on people’s campsites to make new friends. But honestly, it’s all just so 2018. There’s become too much of it to distract from nature’s palette, and I’m not sure all that chalkdust is good for the lungs of the critters of the Fort ecosystem. And somebody has to clean the mess up. Moderation, friends, moderation.

This Land is My Land

As the administrator of a Facebook group focusing partly on Fort  Wilderness camping and a member of several others, I sometimes notice a troubling pattern that goes beyond healthy competitiveness. It includes an odd oligarchical approach to the Fort, a factitious privy to Fort secrets,  and sometimes even magical powers.  You know it when you see it.  I’m not a travel agent or the owner of a camper rental company, but I get the feeling that there’s enough damned pie in the Fort to feed everybody who is honest, kind and ethical.  In my real life, I’ve found my greatest success by far has actually come from truly supporting others who are in the same industry.

Too Little Golf Cart Parking at the Meadows

Wait, this got fixed! It’s expanded, and it’s wonderful. The problem recently was that the expansion confused me, and I took off with someone else’s golf cart (the rentals all look the same). I did bring it right back in the pouring rain, and I apologize if it was yours.

Maybe, Maybe Not Busses

When does the bus to the Animal Kingdom arrive at the Outpost? Well, usually in about 20 minutes. But it may be sooner. Or it maybe it won’t come at all. With the changes in traffic patterns during construction of Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Resort, it almost feels as though the Fort Wilderness Outpost has become an afterthought in 2019.  These days, I just drive or take Uber, but I hope bus transportation becomes more predictable again.

The Party on Loop 2000

I admit that I can be quite the Gen-X merrymaker on a camping trip. But remember when the now-shuttered Pleasure Island celebrated New Year’s Every Night? Well, it seems that during busier times this tent/pop-up loop is the new Neon Armadillo. At the risk of being called out for my occasional prudishness, I avoid this loop (my personal loop preferences are premium and Meadows preferred).

Faux Site Bookings

An ongoing problem since the beginning of time (1971) is the difficulty of securing a Fort Wilderness site during prime times. Now, some people actually book a less-expensive tent site while concurrently staying off property – in order to get the advantages associated with staying on site. Once you have paid for that site, WDW really doesn’t care if you actually stay there or not. This practice may be less common now that tent site prices have increased.

But what is troubling is the alleged booking of blocks of sites by one or more travel agents, who perhaps hold these for potential clients. Of course, there is only a brief window in which the name on the reservation can be changed to that of the actual guest, and that’s one reason why you’ll see several Fort Wilderness openings sometimes appear all at once. The best strategy is to try to book for prime times 499 days out (on your own or with your travel agent). If your plans change, be kind and cancel as soon as possible.

don’t fence me in

Construction site for the new resort next to Fort Wilderness pic.twitter.com/O70gE4CNj3

— Grateful For Disney (@Grateful4Disney) August 10, 2019

So, we know that the construction for the Reflections resort is going to take another couple of years, but enough with the fences covered with printed greenery. We at least need the sunlight and a peek at all the glory that is to come. Currently, there is no view of the lake from Trail’s End – but at least a new playground has been built. The good news is that some space will open up the completion of the new barn in the spring. I really hope that a new trail to Wilderness Lodge is early on the completion checklist.

I know that some of this is wishful thinking. But didn’t someone say that it’s kind of fun to dream the impossible?

Related: Fort Wilderness Vocabulary: 10 More Useful & Useless Words to Know (Part 1)