Fort Wilderness was Awful

[skyp4WDW]

It saddens me to say this, but I did not enjoy my most recent visit to Fort Wilderness at all! My family and I have visited fairly regularly for the past 25 years or so. This last visit (Jan. 2023) had a very different "vibe". It felt crowded, loud, and generally unpleasant. In my Loop, many of the sites held very large numbers of people (Multiple families sharing sites/ way over the "10 per" limit, and 2 or 3 cars). The site behind me held 2 or 3 groups of friends/families that included 6 or 7 infants and toddlers who screamed every single night at 3,4, and 5 in the morning! The same group had older children that circled the loop on scooters well past 10pm singing at the TOP of their lungs in Spanish. (That's loads of fun when you're exhausted from the parks and just want to sleep). And then there were the dogs. I saw dogs roaming unleashed. I saw dogs "Tent camping". And worst of all, was the incessant BARKING of lots of different dogs. I went to sleep to the sound of nuisance barking every night; and woke up to the same barking/yipping each morning. None of the dog rules were followed or enforced. And it was mayhem. I did have a discussion with "someone from the Outpost" who is in a position to make changes. However, the situation at the fort has deteriorated to a point now that it will take a long time to correct all of the assorted misbehavior that has become the new norm. Many of the newer campers simply don't seem to understand the concept of following rules and the result of that sort of thinking has ruined the fort for many of us. I'm not going to fly across the country to be aggravated and saddened at Fort Wilderness anymore. It has completely lost its charm. THEY can have it...

 

[Wiltony]

It saddens me to say this, but I did not enjoy my most recent visit to Fort Wilderness at all! My family and I have visited fairly regularly for the past 25 years or so. This last visit (Jan. 2023) had a very different "vibe". It felt crowded, loud, and generally unpleasant. In my Loop, many of the sites held very large numbers of people (Multiple families sharing sites/ way over the "10 per" limit, and 2 or 3 cars). The site behind me held 2 or 3 groups of friends/families that included 6 or 7 infants and toddlers who screamed every single night at 3,4, and 5 in the morning! The same group had older children that circled the loop on scooters well past 10pm singing at the TOP of their lungs in Spanish. (That's loads of fun when you're exhausted from the parks and just want to sleep). And then there were the dogs. I saw dogs roaming unleashed. I saw dogs "Tent camping". And worst of all, was the incessant BARKING of lots of different dogs. I went to sleep to the sound of nuisance barking every night; and woke up to the same barking/yipping each morning. None of the dog rules were followed or enforced. And it was mayhem. I did have a discussion with "someone from the Outpost" who is in a position to make changes. However, the situation at the fort has deteriorated to a point now that it will take a long time to correct all of the assorted misbehavior that has become the new norm. Many of the newer campers simply don't seem to understand the concept of following rules and the result of that sort of thinking has ruined the fort for many of us. I'm not going to fly across the country to be aggravated and saddened at Fort Wilderness anymore. It has completely lost its charm. THEY can have it...

I have unfortunately noticed the extensive proliferation of discourteous and entitled dog owners throughout society lately, disney included. They flout rules, they dishonestly pass off their dogs as service dogs, and force their way into places where they do not belong, such as restaurants, grocery stores, and offices. They let their dogs bark incessantly, bothering their neighbors and disrupting the peace, let them go to the bathroom in inappropriate places, then make you feel like you're being the unreasonable one when you politely ask them to address the problem.

It's disheartening and frustrating. I have nothing against dogs, but there are some really terrible owners out there. If you have a dog, please consider the courtesy you need to have when taking it out of your house. Please ensure it is leashed and trained adequately. Please understand that not everyone likes them or subscribes to the "fur baby" culture. Please understand that they might be allergic, or that they may fear being bitten, jumped on, slobbered on, or that they don't want to play in grass that's been pooped on, or sit on furniture with dog hair all over it, etc. As the dog owner, you're the one that needs to be patient and accommodating, not the other way around.

Sorry for the soapbox, thanks for coming to my TED talk lol!

 

[mco65]

Maybe chalk that up to just bad luck.

I am here now and it was definitely hoping yesterday with all the comers and goers but today (Monday) is what i always remember it being, peaceful and slow. LOVE IT HERE!

 

[Teamubr]

We were at the Fort for 2 weeks last January (2022). The weekends in the winter are generally busy with "local" campers. Some of these can be large groups since the Fort allows "up to 10" people per site. If you aren't going to the parks and need to be on the reservation, it is hard to determine how many people in your car are actually registered guests. It only takes one Magic Band to open the gate.
For us, once Monday arrived, many sites cleared out until the next Friday. We were in the Full sites and I don't recall any dog or baby issues, but I don't hear much without my hearing aids and I'm fortunate to have a pretty solid motorhome that blocks out much of the outside noise.
I think the Tent/Popup loops (1500, 2000) have a little more of the weekend party crowd since those are the cheapest site. Especially when split with 2 or 3 other families.

j

 

[bama_ed]

It saddens me to say this, but I did not enjoy my most recent visit to Fort Wilderness at all! My family and I have visited fairly regularly for the past 25 years or so. This last visit (Jan. 2023) had a very different "vibe". It felt crowded, loud, and generally unpleasant. In my Loop, many of the sites held very large numbers of people (Multiple families sharing sites/ way over the "10 per" limit, and 2 or 3 cars). The site behind me held 2 or 3 groups of friends/families that included 6 or 7 infants and toddlers who screamed every single night at 3,4, and 5 in the morning! The same group had older children that circled the loop on scooters well past 10pm singing at the TOP of their lungs in Spanish. (That's loads of fun when you're exhausted from the parks and just want to sleep). And then there were the dogs. I saw dogs roaming unleashed. I saw dogs "Tent camping". And worst of all, was the incessant BARKING of lots of different dogs. I went to sleep to the sound of nuisance barking every night; and woke up to the same barking/yipping each morning. None of the dog rules were followed or enforced. And it was mayhem. I did have a discussion with "someone from the Outpost" who is in a position to make changes. However, the situation at the fort has deteriorated to a point now that it will take a long time to correct all of the assorted misbehavior that has become the new norm. Many of the newer campers simply don't seem to understand the concept of following rules and the result of that sort of thinking has ruined the fort for many of us. I'm not going to fly across the country to be aggravated and saddened at Fort Wilderness anymore. It has completely lost its charm. THEY can have it...

What loop were you in, @skyp4WDW , and what dates (did it include a weekend)?

Sorry to hear your stay was not magical.

Bama Ed

 

[Boopuff]

Camping used to be a pleasant, fun activity. When I was young we were taught to respect others, don't walk through other sites, observe quiet hours etc. All that has gone out the window. It seems people equate camping with a weekend bender.

And another thing... what's with 10 people on a site? Disney needs to stop that nonsense!

 

[bama_ed]

And another thing... what's with 10 people on a site? Disney needs to stop that nonsense!

Ten people is the maximum number of people allowed on a campsite, @Boopuff. Has been that way for decades.



All the levels of campsites allow up to 10 people.

I'm sure some folks go over that number. There are ways to do it.

Bama Ed

 

[Boopuff]

Ten people is the maximum number of people allowed on a campsite, @Boopuff. Has been that way for decades.

View attachment 734471

All the levels of campsites allow up to 10 people.

I'm sure some folks go over that number. There are ways to do it.

Bama Ed

Ed, you are the master of FW! What do you think about that rule? Other campsites usually say one "family" I know many RVs can sleep a bunch, but doesn't 10 seem extreme? Also with 10 how many cars are they trying to squeeze into a loop?

 

[skyp4WDW]

What loop were you in, @skyp4WDW , and what dates (did it include a weekend)?

Sorry to hear your stay was not magical.

Bama Ed

I was in Loop 1500; same as always. Unfortunately, my stay did include a weekend which for about the last 7-10 years or so, I normally try to avoid but wasn't able to this trip because of the airline ticket situation.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

We are in 400 now (checked in Sunday) and it’s been pretty quiet. No dogs barking but maybe we are lucky. I’m sorry to hear about your issues.

Last night we walked through 600 and there are only 4 rigs in the whole loop. Seemed so empty, closed for maintenance?

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

AH, the weekend warriors. Sounds like an adventure in the 2100 loop.
We have been next to folks that had what appeared to be a clown car, after they parked the people started pouring out and didnt stop until they got near 15. 3 families in a class C. The 10 person rule is a joke and not enforced by Disney. Not sure how they would do it but then again I dont get paid to run a resort.
I resolved that the next time we had an issue of a loose dog I would call the Sheriffs dept instead of Disney security. 2 trips ago the idiots across from us let their dog run and it came after our dog, never again.
With the downslide of society and the feckless Disney management its a bad recipe.

 

[jbrostek]

It sucks it wasnt so magical. Being the in the 1500 loop means your likely in a tent or a popup. So it would be easy to understand you would hear pretty much everything. I feel like you might have gotten too sensative to all the noise when you start to complain about babies waking up in the middle of the night. That is pretty common, happens in the hotels too.

On the dog front, it boils by blood when people do not follow the rules. I don't care how good your dog might be at home, you are in a public place unfamiliar to them. follow the rules or leave them back at home. I understand @bigdisneydaddy, though I would call WDW Security and tell them to handle it or the next call you make is to the Sherrif so they will handle it. Sadly I feel the management in hotels in general, not just at Disney, has been forced to bend to the whims of of metrics which leaves them zero ability to actual enforce any of thei rules.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I don't think it's just a Fort thing, I think it's a camping issue, or a societal issue. We've camped for decades, at the Fort and all over the country. It's just changed. Prices have increased and good behavior has decreased. That being said we've never had an issue at the Fort but we haven't been since Covid.

 

[Sj disney]

We spent 9 days at the end of December in the 1700 loop. It was really crowded but we had a great time and didn’t see any bad behavior, so maybe it was just some bad luck

 

[skyp4WDW]

It sucks it wasnt so magical. Being the in the 1500 loop means your likely in a tent or a popup. So it would be easy to understand you would hear pretty much everything. I feel like you might have gotten too sensative to all the noise when you start to complain about babies waking up in the middle of the night. That is pretty common, happens in the hotels too.

On the dog front, it boils by blood when people do not follow the rules. I don't care how good your dog might be at home, you are in a public place unfamiliar to them. follow the rules or leave them back at home. I understand @bigdisneydaddy, though I would call WDW Security and tell them to handle it or the next call you make is to the Sherrif so they will handle it. Sadly I feel the management in hotels in general, not just at Disney, has been forced to bend to the whims of of metrics which leaves them zero ability to actual enforce any of thei rules.

I strongly disagree with your assumption that I am "too sensitive to noise"; and here's why. I raised 4 lively children, had a child-centered career, and am currently the Grandparent of a one year old with a very healthy set of lungs. What I am sensitive to is this: large groups of people at Fort Wilderness being loud, RUDE, inconsiderate Camping Neighbors. I am not paying Disney prices to be in the center of what felt like a homeless encampment.

 

[bama_ed]

We spent 9 days at the end of December in the 1700 loop. It was really crowded but we had a great time and didn’t see any bad behavior, so maybe it was just some bad luck

I think @skyp4WDW was a victim of the weekend "hit-and-run" local crowds. They are fond of booking up Tent (cheap no hookups) and Full (cheapest hookups) on weekends nearly year round. They seem to avoid summer months (obviously) and the costly holiday periods like Christmas/New Years. We received reports frequently of loud, rowdy behavior especially in the Tent loops.

Sunday afternoon is a blessing when they leave (often abusing the 11am checkout time).

One time I had a popup and tent across from me in 1500 and they had so many day/local guests that they had a DEEP FREEZER outside on the ground in front of the popup.

I kid you not.



It's in front of the far slide out bunk. They would have as many as 15 people and 3-4 vehicles for dinners and evening festivities. It was during March so it may have been during their spring break because they were there for longer than a weekend.

I make sure to get up at 6am and make plenty of morning noise. And if nature calls in the night and I set off for the Comfort Station, I make sure to drag my feet to wake up the yappy dogs in the tents.

@Sj disney, even though you were paying high rates, at least you didn't have to experience the bozo behavior that occurs on many weekends. Consider yourself lucky.

Bama Ed

 

[motherof5]

Sad that so many have had bad experiences. I loved fort wilderness usually rent just to hang out there

 

[Ddude]

Very disappointing. At the Fort now and extremely peaceful. Had to be the fluke of a weekend and the last days of splash mountain. Just came from Magaritaville and as packed as it was with lots of people...not to bad but very different crowd tn the normal mi week fort crowd.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

It sucks it wasnt so magical. Being the in the 1500 loop means your likely in a tent or a popup. So it would be easy to understand you would hear pretty much everything. I feel like you might have gotten too sensative to all the noise when you start to complain about babies waking up in the middle of the night. That is pretty common, happens in the hotels too.

On the dog front, it boils by blood when people do not follow the rules. I don't care how good your dog might be at home, you are in a public place unfamiliar to them. follow the rules or leave them back at home. I understand @bigdisneydaddy, though I would call WDW Security and tell them to handle it or the next call you make is to the Sherrif so they will handle it. Sadly I feel the management in hotels in general, not just at Disney, has been forced to bend to the whims of of metrics which leaves them zero ability to actual enforce any of thei rules.

The sad part is that it reflects poorly on all pet owners. Part of the fun at the Fort is us walking our boxer and her meeting people and the kids petting her. Our previous boxer Penny was like a Boxer ambassador at the Fort, good times.

 

[loves to dive]

I don't think it's a fort thing, but a whole bunch of new campers thing. We were in Albany ga a few weeks ago, not exactly the biggest tourist center there is. Hubby was on a work trip so the dog and I went along. We have stayed in this park many times over the years and it has always been nice and quiet with mostly one or two night people and maybe 10 or 15 full timers. It was packed with either full timers or long term people. I was sitting in the RV one morning and noticed an older couple at the back of our rig. The old man was walking around the rig looking at our set up, under the rig and right up to the back window. They had their two small dogs not on leashes just roaming around. I watched one of them go to the bathroom next door and they didn't clean it up. No respect for someone else's site, I'm assuming they were full timers and curious since they hadn't seen our rig in the park before. Almost the same thing happened in a park we were staying in in Savannah, which by the way costs more than the fort but is about 20 miles from Savannah proper. I think that woman had issues though since she would talk to herself stand behind her class c and move it an inch look at it some more then move it back. She had a very irrating bell on her door kind of like a shop door that went off every time she opened the door, which was about 12 times a day.