Horseback riding goes back to the earliest days of Fort Wilderness 50 years ago. At $55 a person, one might wonder if it’s worthwhile. Well – mostly, but it all depends. Continue reading “Fancy Boots, Shiny Spurs: Here’s Exactly What Riding a Horse a Fort Wilderness is Like” →

We’ve just returned from what may be our best trip ever to Fort Wilderness. But aren’t they all? What made this one supercali-extraordinary was renting a fabulous camper (we called it “the Mansion”) and securing one of the most coveted sites on property. Continue reading “Read This Before You Rent a Camper/RV for Fort Wilderness” →

Lately I’ve been cooking a lot of 1970s and 1980s classics. Some of it has to do with celebrating Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. And part of it comes from my proper southern upbringing. I’m thinking about those years when all those gracious but austere old ladies in the family taught me how to prepare soul food for our hungry men. I have about 100 vintage cookbooks and most have some version of this classic salad. But this one is our favorite by a country mile. Continue reading “The Best Hungry Southern Man’s Layered Salad” →

After a pandemic hiatus, this holiday delight returns to Fort Wilderness for the month of December 2021. Sleigh rides at the campground meander through a unique wonderland of forests and decorated camping loops. Continue reading “Holiday Sleigh Bells are Finally Ringing Again at Fort Wilderness” →

Much has changed over the last 75 years when more than 400 painted red barns advertising Rock City dotted roadways across the south. With the proliferation of super highways and other avenues of promotion, there are only about 40 barns left. Continue reading “Nostalgic Southern Detour: Why Rock City Is Still the Grandest Gig in the Sky” →

Going back to Fort Wilderness still reminds me of those first ten years of my life when it seemed that childhood would last forever. So much has changed as the years fade into decades and I’m suddenly way older than my mother used to be. Still, the feeling at Fort Wilderness never changes. But you know that you were a kid at our beloved Disney campground in the Reagan years if you share these sublime memories. Continue reading “Disney World at 50: You Grew Up at Fort Wilderness in the 80s if You Remember These” →

Earlier this week, Walt Disney World announced that the much-loved Meadows Pool at Fort Wilderness would close for four months (January through April) in 2023 for “maintenance.”  Even though it arguably pales in comparison to most of the other resort pools, it’s really the centerpiece of life at everybody’s favorite campground. It’s got some sort of magic water that draws us in every day and keeps us there til the afternoon stormado makes its daily appearance. Continue reading “Fort Wilderness Meadows Pool To Close for Months in 2023 and I Will Survive” →

Never mind the sticky nights, summer was made for those who love bare feet, riding the strip with the top down, and devouring cherry tomatoes straight from vine. My favorite summer meal of all time includes a very simple fresh tomato sandwich (with Blue Plate mayo) and a side of just-picked corn-on-the-cob swimming in Lands-O-Lake butter.  And then there’s Tomato Pie, the angel of lazy Sunday afternoons. Continue reading “Blessed Be the Southern Summer Tomato Pie” →

One of the ways to save big money at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground is to prepare your own meals. A family of four can easily spend more than $500 per day eating all meals at parks and resorts.  And that’s without alcohol. While Fort Wilderness boasts two adorably quaint trading posts, food selection is limited and the prices on many items aren’t particularly budget-happy. Continue reading “Bare Necessities: Comparing Grocery Delivery Services to Disney’s Fort Wilderness” →