The Wilderness Princess

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” →

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.

PHOTOS: Family-Style Reopening Menu Released for Trail’s End in Disney World https://t.co/VyyPU8PBPg pic.twitter.com/N72Vrlg2M1

— AJ Wolfe (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 30, 2021

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.

Legit stormed in the bedroom while my husband was working to inform him of the egregious crime of fried chicken no longer being on the buffet at Trail’s End. He was just as upset as I am. This cannot stand.

— Katie Stutts (@MrsStuttsy) June 30, 2021

And now, the Old West, and one of Walt Disney World’s classic hidden gems: Trail’s End Restaurant.

It’s where cowboys start the day with oven-fresh pastry baskets and berry granola yogurt parfaits.

👀 pic.twitter.com/JuYF44AKXv

— Tim Weston (@timweston) June 30, 2021

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)

 

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” →