fort wilderness 2020

2020 at Fort Wilderness: Highlights of a Very UnNormal Year

Published on by thewildernessprincess

Imagine having gone to sleep in February 2020 and waking up in July in Fort Wilderness. Why are people wearing masks on golf carts? Why are all those loops completely empty? What’s that strange silence at night? What do you mean there’s no breakfast buffet?

Looking back on this past year, I’m grateful for some serious chunks of joy admist the sadness and madness.  And very hopeful for a kinder and less relentless 2021.

But here’s a look at the microcosm of our beloved Fort Wilderness, and how happenings there paralleled so much of what transpired all around us.

January – Just Another new year

Ah, January begins with a full crowd at Fort Wilderness. Alas, we were giddly promising to drop those extra 20-30 pounds (I achieved!) and complaining about the full parks and long waits. And we were all oblivious to the slow-motion car wreck soon to come.

As we looked forward to our 2020 Fort trips, we pictured ourselves sitting on the Crockett’s Tavern porch, sipping Gullywhumpers while our kids played on the brand new playground.fort wilderness playground

february – hakuna matata

In February, we still had no real worries. Of course, Bob Iger stepped down, unknowing that he would soon be helping the newly-anointed Bob Chapek face Disney’s biggest challenge of all time.

At the Fort, we continued to despair over the new fences blocking our view of the Reflections construction. But we delighted in seeing a new gem mining station taking shape near the Bike Barn.fort wilderness fence

But then we should’ve known that March would be a doozy when one of the Jungle Cruise boats sank at the end of February.

march – the month the music stopped

Once it became clear that the pandemic wasn’t a fake-news conspiracy, Disney closed its parks followed by all WDW resorts on March 20. Surreal.Fort Wilderness closes

At the time, a reopening date remained a mystery to all.

april staycations and escape from discovery island

By April, not only Disney but also Florida state campgrounds were shuttered temporarily. Even beaches in most towns were off-limits for most of the month. Many of us were resigned to working and/or vacationing from home.

But over near Fort Wilderness, Orange County law enforcement discovered a man allegedly trespassing and camping at abandoned Discovery Island. The man, who was arrested and charged,  later posted a series of stunning videos he recorded on the former zoological park, to his YouTube channel.

Also, in April, construction had stopped at Reflections resort but more mysterious building permits were filed.

may – six feet apart

Signs of recovery begin at WDW, with Disney Springs reopening on a limited basis by late May. However, as a sign of things to come, guests were required to maintain social distancing and wear masks.

In Fort Wilderness, the construction of the new barn completed, and horses begin move-in to modern facility. Even though the resort was closed to guests, animal caretakers and other essential workers remained on site.

And even as Florida state parks began reopening, by mid May, Disney was sending cancellation notices to guests with Fort reservations in early June.

Finally, near the end of the month, WDW announced a Fort Wilderness (and select DVC resorts) reopening of June 22, following by WDW parks on July 11.

June Rebirth

Days prior to the Fort’s reopening, WDW announced the birth of Violet, the first pony born in the new barn.

On June 22, guests with previously-scheduled reservations began arriving at a mostly-deserted Fort Wilderness. While there were no fireworks, campfire shows, buffets or theme parks available to them, these were the first guests to see the new barn.

And these guests were the first to experience a Fort like one that had never been seen before.

fort reopening

july – a whole new world

July in Fort Wilderness bore more resemblance to the Januaries of the early 90s than the peak of summer vacation season. Entire loops were completely closed and ride lines at the parks were nearly non-existent.

In some cases, it seemed evident maintenance had been lacking just a bit over the past months.
out of order

But in spite of wearing masks and the lack of fireworks and campfire shows, it proved to be one of the best trips of my life.

While boat rentals weren’t available, fishing excursions were and come highly recommended by my people.bay lake fishing

august – the new normal

As the pandemic continued, there was little change at Fort Wilderness in August. Construction walls continued to stand guarding empty lots littered with weeds and empty apocalyptic scenes.

People began to become more accustomed to social distancing.  And those offended by mask requirements often opted to postpone their trips completely. disney social distancing

There were still no boats available to take guests resort hopping, but future reservations started to open up, much to the delight of travel agents.

september

Finally in September, the last remaining loops, including full hookups on loops 1600-1900, reopened at Fort Wilderness. As Halloween decor arrived at the Trading Post, we all began to wonder about the fate of the traditional October festivities.

october SCARINESS

If March were the month of uncertainty, October became the month of dark reality. With Hoop Dee Doo closed since March, the entire cast was released this month, with the show’s reopening in question.

Halloween crowds just like any other year, but security enforced no trick-or-treating.

GRATEFUL NOVEMBER

By November, the playground opened and 5G began being installed at the Fort. Nevertheless, the traditional 5K Turkey Trot through the Fort didn’t happen.

With Trail’s End still closed, one of the best bargains was a Thanksgiving to-go meal from Crockett’s Tavern.  A similar turkey dinner was also offered at Christmas.

december – FINALLY

Disney campers didn’t lose their holiday spirit with the famed camper decorations brightly shining. One of the most-noticed this year was an extravagant display of Stormtroopers.

And among the best news of all, the Electrical Water Pageant finally returned on December 20.

And while tonight won’t be a normal New Year’s Eve at Fort Wilderness, I surely wish I were there for the 8pm Family Trivia tonight. Here’s hoping for a great big beautiful tomorrow.

Related: What Could Fort Wilderness Look Like in 2021?

 

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4 thoughts on “2020 at Fort Wilderness: Highlights of a Very UnNormal Year”

  2. Our 1st ever Fort Wilderness stay was Jan 2020, we fell in love with the experience and now more than ever are so thankful for the ‘Magic’

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