fort reopening

Trail’s End is Finally Back in the Saddle – But Without It’s Show-Stopping Fried Chicken

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Trail’s End, the long-time favorite buffet at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, will reopen on July 17. Closed since spring 2020, the popular western-themed restaurant will now serve meals family-style. At WDW, that means that large servings are brought to your table instead of your getting up and going to pick and choose from the buffet.  It is unknown whether this is a temporary (maybe COVID-related) experiment or permanent change.

Breakfast, at $19.99 per adult, will include a skillet with brisket, eggs, bacon, sausage, potato casserole, waffles. This price also includes yogurt parfaits and pastries (croissants, sticky buns, muffins). Compare this to somewhat similar breakfast skillets at Whispering Canyon (Wilderness Lodge) at $22 per person.

The dinner skillet, priced at $29.99 per adult, will feature brisket, rotisserie chicken, andouille sausage, potatoes, green beans, and corn on the cob. The meal will also include breads (the legendary sweet cornbread, goat cheese chive biscuits, hushpuppies), and a salad that appears to be quite similar to the salad served at Hoop Dee Doo for decades. The grand finale is a “covered wagon sundae” – just in case you’re still famished.

But oh-so-very conspicuously MISSING from the 2021 supper menu is the fried chicken. The fried chicken is the reason that many wanna-be cowpokes travel far and wide from other resorts to Trail’s End. That and the nearby petting farm . . . Oh wait, never mind.

Of course, DisTwitter is fit to be tied about this and other changes.

If you daydream about the barbecue ribs, don’t despair – they are still available. But this time they are accompanied by an upcharge of $9.99 for a half slab. Peel-and-eat shrimp is also on the dinner add-on menu for $8.99.

The good news for those crying fowl is that fried chicken appears to still be on the menu at P & J’s Southern Takeout. It’s basically a kissin’ cousin to Trail’s End (same building) – and a to-go meal of 8 pieces of chicken with two sides (feeding 3-4) is $23.49.

It’s really better to get reservations as Trail’s End is quite popular. They are available online through My Disney Experience.

Related: Where to Eat at Disney For A Special Occasion (Take This Quiz)

 

Ronta Wrap Disney Recipe Delish

The Real Ronto Wrap Recipe is Out of This World

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Earlier this week, Delish released a delightful magazine-style cookbook filled with Disney recipes. Many of these, such as this Ronto Wrap, had never been revealed before. I ordered it immediately, and the first one I tried was this legendary space taco.

To say it was a hit is an understatement. Continue reading “The Real Ronto Wrap Recipe is Out of This World” →

How, Why and Where to RENT a Camper for Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground

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[Updated for 2021] When people think of camping in Fort Wilderness, they often only think of the three obvious options: renting a cabin, bringing a tent, or bringing their own recreational vehicle. However, there’s a fourth option – and it is quite attractive. In Central Florida, there are several companies who will not only rent an RV to you, but will also have it set up and ready to go before you even arrive at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.

As a super bonus – many also rent golf carts (and will deliver) at a lower price point than WDW. Fort Wilderness often sells out of these – so this eliminates that hassle.

I’ve provided some detailed information about several of these companies below (updated for 2021). Even with a range of pricing structures and features, this typically provides a large savings off of the cabin rentals at Fort Wilderness (and can sleep more people). Continue reading “How, Why and Where to RENT a Camper for Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground” →

Mini Fort Wilderness Vacation

Fort Wilderness in One Long Weekend: How to Rock a Tiny Disney Camping Vacation

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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. Continue reading “Fort Wilderness in One Long Weekend: How to Rock a Tiny Disney Camping Vacation” →

hoop dee doo

What’s All This Hooplah About Hoop-Dee-Doo Returning to Fort?

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Well, the latest gossip going ’round at Disney World’s ye-old-campground is that a Hoop Dee Doo return is just over the horizon. It all started when some of the former cast members of the beloved dinner show were called back to work. And then Streaming the Magic wrote a speculative article lean on solid facts, but not exactly fiction either.

And for a brief moment, there was hope.

And then nothing.

As you may recall, one of the many casualties of 2020 was the longest-running dinner show in America. Though slapped together quickly way back in 1974 (that Watergate year), the countrified, vaudeville-style dinner show quickly became hotter than a metal bucket of fried chicken.

(Update/Correction): Hold your horses, Wilderness Princess! According to a response to this article from the show’s original producer, Ron Miziker, the 1974 debut was actually the result of a long process and NOT “slapped together quickly.” Although it appeared effortless and seamless to us (even back in the 70s), it required a team effort by talent from many different areas across WDW with competing priorities.

For example, Miziker’s group “fought hard with WED to reduce the size of the columns supporting the balcony for better sight-lines,” he wrote. So, it actually took quite some time to work through every detail, down to the menu (and installing a kitchen that wasn’t in the original plans for the building).  In the end, Miziker and colleagues were delighted that it showed up on the top-10 list of guest favorites.

Continue reading “What’s All This Hooplah About Hoop-Dee-Doo Returning to Fort?” →

fort wilderness campgrounds

Got a Hankering for Fort Wilderness? Here’s What to Know About the 2021 Spring Sale

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Earlier this week, Walt Disney World announced discounts on resort stays from April 11-May 27. While occasional sales are not unusual, the campsites are usually not in the mix. And at 20 percent off, this one provides some real temptation to hit the road. Continue reading “Got a Hankering for Fort Wilderness? Here’s What to Know About the 2021 Spring Sale” →

the grey stuff recipe

5 Shades of The Grey Stuff: Disney Recipe of the Week

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Oh the magical seduction of the Grey Stuff. Such a novel and climactic ending to the hard-to-get lunch at Be My Guest. Back in 2020, Disney shared an elementary version of the recipe (which I’ve based these on). My guess is that the original is more of a true classic mousse, but this one is incredibly similar and yes, it’s delicious. Continue reading “5 Shades of The Grey Stuff: Disney Recipe of the Week” →

If you like fort wilderness

If You Love Fort Wilderness, You’ll Really Dig These Six Camping Resorts

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Granted, there’s no place like Disney’s Fort Wilderness. But there’s other camping resorts that provide those spoiled comforts of home and have a similar fun family vibe. As a bonus, most are less expensive and some are waterfront. All of them are super worthy of a spring or summer getaway very soon. Continue reading “If You Love Fort Wilderness, You’ll Really Dig These Six Camping Resorts” →