Oh, how we dream of retirement and spending weeks of wilderness luxury at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. Wasting mornings taking long walks to meet new neighbors and afternoons fishing in the canals. But the reality of most Millenials (and Gen-Xers) is that vacations of four days or less are the norm.

And while it can be tough to go back home, those long weekends at the Fort have their own unique magic.

Beyond the obvious cost savings (less money and less time off work), we’ve found that the right mix of planning has made these some of our most memorable visits. Here are some swell tips for making the most of the briefest of journeys.

Yes to Early Check-in

Contrary to my usual advice, this is the one time that you’ll want that early check-in. It’s not highly unusual to receive a text as early as 9 am revealing that your site is ready.

Normally, I don’t check in until I arrive so that I can negotiate which site I’d like among the ones that are available. But for a short trip, we don’t want to waste that time.

Consider flying in and renting a camper

If your drive is more than five or six hours, it’s worth looking at the price of plane tickets. We had a fantastic experience renting a large travel trailer from Kissimmee-Orlando RV, and spent none of our time with set up or dismantling.

MINIMIZE theme PARK TIME 

Let’s face it. There are less expensive options outside of Walt Disney World if you are going to spend two or more entire days in the parks. For a short visit, I like to spend no more than one day in a park (if that). For me personally, that’s going to be Epcot or the Magic Kingdom.

I’ll opt for a half-day in Epcot if the Food & Wine Festival is going on (July 15 – November 20, 2021). The Magic Kingdom is another favorite for Disney campers as it is just a pleasant boat ride away from Fort Wilderness.

But for many of us, being at the Fort itself is the main purpose of the journey.

GOLF CART

As time is scarce, I like to get a golf cart for at least one or two days of our “minnie” vacations at Fort Wilderness. If you’re not bringing your own, you can call ahead to rent from Fort Wilderness. But keep in mind, they often run out, particularly during busy seasons.

If you are renting your camper from a company such as Kissimmee-Orlando RV, they often have golf carts available for rent as well. These tend to be a little less pricey than the WDW rentals.

FOCUS ON THREE FANTASTIC FORT ACTIVITIES

Unlike a day at the park, Fort Wilderness life is not about planning to every minute and racing to get ahead of the next line. Instead, it’s the one time in Walt Disney World when we get to focus on being a human being and not a human doing.

Every day, you’ll probably do some of the easy freebie activities. Our favorite standbys include swimming, walking around, jogging, eating guilty snacks, visiting the horse barn, looping around in a golf cart, or enjoying a beverage outside of Crockett’s Tavern.

But during our stay, we like to pick one substantive ($$$) activity per day. For a four-day, three-night trip, you might pick three from this list:

• horseback trail riding
• kayaking
• carriage ride (temporarily unavailable)
• archery
• bicycle rental
• fishing excursion
• trivia
• Segway tour (temporarily unavailable)
• Hoop Dee Doo dinner show (hopefully coming back soon!)

MY IDEAL itinerary

Thursday (Day 1):

• Arrival and  morning (hopefully) check-in. If there’s a wait, I’ll make a quick reservation for Kona at the Polynesian and eat lunch there.
• Getting in the Fort mood at Meadows Pool after we are all settled.
• Pre-dinner beverages (Crockett’s Tavern or campsite) or nap.
• Pick up family chicken dinner from PJ’s To-Go at Trail’s End.
• Watch movie at Fort Wilderness.
• Late night golf cart looping.

Friday (Day 2):

• Epcot Food & Wine Festival in morning and early afternoon.
• Relaxing swim in Wilderness Pool or kayaking in canal.
• Explore Fort Wilderness on foot – old railroad ties, Tri-Circle D Ranch.
• Wilderness Lodge or Contemporary for dinner (go by boat if possible).
• Electrical Light Parade on Bay Lake
• Late night golf cart looping.

Saturday (Day 3):

• Early morning jog followed by hearty breakfast in camper.
• 2-hour fishing excursion on Bay Lake.
• Light lunch at camper and relax or swim.
• Eat Mickey bars sitting in rocking chairs at Meadows Trading Post.
• Late afternoon trail ride.
• Cookout at camper (and eat up any leftovers).
• Hot tub at Wilderness Pool.
• Late night golf cart looping.

Sunday (Day 4):

• Light breakfast (cereal/fruit) at camper; pack up.
• Shopping at one of the two Trading Posts.
• Check out and start planning our next trip!

one more thing

This year is quite different than last year in that reservations are hard to come by. Not only are the newly-vaccinated eager to return to some normalcy, but WDW turns 50 in October.  There is still a lot of availability, however, in August and September. Also, note that a lot of reservations get canceled, and you can often start finding availability a week or so in advance if you can make a last-minute trip.

Related: How to Save, Splash and Splurge on a Great Wolf Lodge Weekend