In 1986, Walt Disney World held a special promotion at Fort Wilderness called Florida Fling. A mere $65 got a visiting couple two nights of preferred camping, two trail rides, two tickets to Discovery Island, and unlimited bike and canoe rentals! But long gone are these bargain days of discounts that made Fort Wilderness camping a middle-class haven. During peak times such as Christmas, a campsite alone near the Meadows Recreation area can cost more than $ 1900 a week. For the many of us who think Fort Wilderness is still worth it, here’s some ways to cut your costs in half or more.
Choose non-peak times and weeknights
It’s all supply and demand, and even a week or two can make a huge difference in rack rates. For example, a preferred campsite from January 18-21 will be $126 per night. Just a week later it’s nearly 37 percent higher at $172 per night. During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, that same site is $242 per night. (See 2021 rate chart sorted from least expensive to most expensive dates.)
My favorite part about going during the less expensive times is that they are also the least crowded. In addition to January, the best 2021 bargains for preferred campsites are in August (starting August 8) and September (except Labor Day Weekend) at $123 per night. The high-dollar times are usually around holidays, including New Year’s ($210), President’s Day ($199), Memorial Day ($201), Independence Day ($208), and most of December ($213-$248). Higher rates also coincide with spring break (February 28-April 10 – $230).
Even though it’s hot, we still love going during the summer (it’s a tradition), and usually steer towards late July ($165 weeknights). During many of the less-expensive times of the year, rates are a bit higher on the weekends.
watch for the occasional WDW discount
While WDW regularly offers room discounts usually ranging from 20 to 35 percent, these usually do not apply to campsites. When they do, the limited discounted rates usually fill up very quickly so this is something to watch for through various Disney news channels, Fort Wilderness related Facebook groups, or your travel agent. One special that included campsites was released last year during the pandemic – so it wouldn’t be surprising for it to happen again this year with lower attendance levels.
On a good note, the more-frequent discounts usually do apply to the cabins in Fort Wilderness. For example, an Early 2021 promotion (for stays through April 17, booking by March 15) reveals a rate of $276 per night in late January compared to a regular rate of $368 per night. If you’re a Florida resident, the discount is even steeper – with the cabin rate falling to $257 per night.
BYOF
I know this is so obvious, but bringing your own food (and alcohol) is one of the biggest ways to save significant money. Disney food can easily run into the hundreds per day for a family of four. For those who say they don’t want to spend their vacation cooking, prepare at least a few items ahead of time that travel well. I always make a few casseroles at home, some Boma Pasta Salad and a Tupperware container of my family’s favorite chicken salad.
If you are going to the parks, remember that you can bring in non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, and even your own lunch.
Bringing our own food is even more important to us this year as we seek to minimize pandemic exposure. But for an occasional WDW meal, there’s arguably no better bargain than P&J’s takeout in Fort Wilderness. A full down-home meal of fried chicken (it’s delicious), BBQ ribs, sweet cornbread and four sides feeds eight and is currently $44.99.
load up on thrifty souvenirs before your trip
Before every WDW trip, I usually start making a few trips to the local Goodwill a month or so ahead of time. By the time the trip arrives, I have a few “newish” Disney wearables, coffee mugs, light-up toys and such. I’ve even found a few Fort Wilderness related items on occasion (think coon-skin caps). Every day, I have a surprise ready for each kid, although we do shop for one item at Disney Springs as well during our week.
only rent a golf cart for one or two days. Get exercise!
Make 2021 your year to get in your best shape, and only rent a golf cart one or two days. I love late-night looping so I can never give this up altogether. But walking and jogging around the Fort is my form of happy hour, and is the perfect antidote for Disneyfied overindulgence.
make a bucket list of magical free things to do
This one is a little different during the pandemic. My favorite monorail cocktail loop is not so practical for the COVID-conscious and the campfire show at Fort Wilderness is still on hiatus. But it doesn’t take long to come up with a week’s worth of free things to do. During our last trip, we visited the train room at Wilderness Lodge, attended two free movies at Fort Wilderness, took a tour of the new barn and had a scavenger hunt. We also enjoyed a day of family olympics, made a tradition of late-night swims at the Wilderness pool, and twice participated in organized afternoon pool games.
We also skipped the parks (most of the time) and engaged in some less expensive but oh-so-magical thrills. Our favorites were our canoe trip in Fort Wilderness and the guided fishing excursion on Bay Lake.
rent an rv instead of a cabin
So maybe I’m in a camp of a few, but I honestly prefer an RV to a cabin at Fort Wilderness for our glamping experiences. Not only are the locations often better, but it seems to keep us outside more. That’s kind of the point, right?
And even though we have our own travel trailer, we found that the expense of renting one was offset by our savings in gas, wear and tear, and time. In most cases, the cost of a campsite plus a rental RV is going to be less than the cost of a cabin. And cabins only hold a maximum of six, whereas you can fit 2-4 more in many rental RVs. Read more about our rental experience.
Win trivia
Fort Wilderness often has trivia nights (frequently on Thursdays). Sometimes the prizes are pretty darned swell, such as a free pontoon boat rental. Check the activities list when you arrive and brush up on your Disney and Fort Wilderness knowledge.
