Comparing the size of the Wilderness Campground on the My Disney Experience App to any of the parks gave me a good idea of how big it truly was. From our location in the 2600 section of the Cabins it took 40 minutes to walk the 1+ miles to the Settlement Area with the Marina and boat launch for Magic Kingdom.  While bus transportation runs throughout the property, adding a Golf Cart rental to a resort reservation can save time moving between locations.

It would be easy to stay at the Wilderness Resort and have a full vacation without even venturing out to the Walt Disney World Parks. The Meadow was the hub of family activities, with fishing, outdoor movies, scavenger hunts, kayaking, and more. The Meadow is centrally located between the campground and the cabins, and the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool is the larger of the two on property with a waterslide and aquatic play area for young children.

One of the biggest benefits to the Wilderness Campground is the amount of space to enjoy, especially after busy park days. The Clementine Beach and tables near the boat dock at the outpost offered a great breeze and good spot for quiet outdoor meals. The rocking chairs just outside Crockett’s Tavern were a great spot to enjoy drinks while watching the fireworks from Magic Kingdom.  

Compared to smaller resorts, it does take more time to move between the Cabin and the Walt Disney Parks, especially Magic Kingdom. There is no car parking at The Settlement, so without a Golf Cart we had to rely on bus transportation from our cabin. Between the wait for the bus and the long ride across the resort, and a 15-minute wait at the boat launch for the next departure, it took nearly an hour to get from our cabin to the Park Entrance. We were able to drive our car and park in the lot at the Outpost to take bus transportation for Disney Springs and the rest of the Walt Disney World Parks, and Epcot especially was a very short ride away.

The Outpost area offered the most options for dining, with the Trails End Restaurant (a standard quick service), Crockett’s Tavern (table service with a small menu), and the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (a dining & show experience). I used the My Disney Experience App to order breakfast from Trails End Restaurant (the only option for morning dining) and it took nearly 30 minutes for my order. It is possible the delay was because I ordered the plant-based combination and, compared to all the other vegetarian options in WDW, it was not good. This was more disappointing because the previous table service meal at Trail’s End was well-known as one of the best locations for vegetarian dining.

In 2023 the Wilderness Resort Cabins were renovated and converted to Disney Vacation Club properties. Non-DVC guests can still book the cabins when they aren’t reserved by DVC guests, but availability can be limited during peak times. The décor and amenities in the cabin are like those in the Wilderness Lodge. The full kitchen offered new appliances and kitchenware, so with a longer stay we would have had no trouble cooking full meals. 

The cabins are a bit more cramped than the 1-bedroom suites that accommodate up to 6 guests at other resorts, and adults or older children might find the bunk beds too small for comfort. However, families with young children or those traveling with multiple generations/additional adults might find it convenient to have the bedroom separate from the living area with a sofa convertible to a murphy bed.