BradyBzLyn...Mo

With thanks to FortFiends.net member Bdawgsc...Brent for taking on this huge project. The following videos go site-by-site through each camping loop, outside and inside, and note site numbers along the way.
Videos were taken summer 2012. as posted on Fort Fiends .net
NOTE: this is a work in progress, and we will continue to add the videos as they're finished.
Click the links below to view each YouTube video:
PREFERRED CAMPSITES:
Loop 100 - Preferred: Bay Tree Lane
Loop 200 - Preferred: Palmetto Path
Loop 300 - Preferred Pet: Cypress Knee Circle [pet loop]
PREMIUM CAMPSITES:
Loop 400 - Premium Pet: Whispering Pine Way [pet loop]
Loop 500 - Premium Pet: Buffalo Bend [pet loop]
Loop 600 - Premium Pet: Sunny Sage Way [pet loop]
Loop 700 - Premium Pet: Cinnamon Fern Way [pet loop]
Loop 800 - Premium Pet: Jack Rabbit Run [pet loop]
Loop 900 - Premium Pet:Quail Trail [pet loop]
Loop 1000 - Premium: Raccoon Lane
Loop 1100 - Premium: Possum Path
Loop 1200 - Premium: Dogwood Drive
Loop 1300 - Premium: Tumbleweed Turn
Loop 1400 - Premium: Little Bear Path & Big Bear Path
FULL HOOK-UP CAMPSITES:
Loop 1600 - Full Hook-up Pet: Timber Trail [pet loop]
Loop 1700 - Full Hook-up Pet: Hickory Hollow [pet loop]
Loop 1800 - Full Hook-up Pet: Conestoga Trail [pet loop]
Loop 1900 - Full Hook-up Pet: Wagon Wheel Way [pet loop]
PARTIAL HOOK-UP CAMPSITES:
Loop 1500 - Partial Hook-up: Cottontail Curl
Loop 2000 - Partial Hook-up: Spanish Moss Lane
MORE INFORMATION ON FORT WILDERNESS CAMPSITES
Map of all of Fort Wilderness, indicating where each loop is located HERE.
Detailed information on site classifications, layouts and specs HERE.
And for lots more information on Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, and to find other information on the FortFiends.net website (including general Walt Disney World info., dining reviews, etc.) check out the SITE MAP PAGE.

Starting in early 2012, free WiFi internet access has been spreading throughout the resorts of Walt Disney World, including the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
Currently free WiFi is available and reported to be reliable on the porch of Crockett's Tavern and in the Meadows Trading Post area.
Unfortunately as of early 2014, WiFi is still not widely available in the camping loops. There have been reports of being able to pick it up if you are very close to either the Meadows or Settlement, but otherwise there is still no reliable WiFi available in the camping loops.
UPDATE 9/5/13 from FortFiends.net member Bdawgsc:
"Just for the record about the cable modem for Internet. I got one in July. All they needed was my site number and signature. No deposit and no KTTW. I didn't have charging privileges on it even if they had asked."
However as part of the overall WiFi expansion project, regular wired internet access is now available for FREE at Fort Wilderness. (Previously access was available for $9.95 for 24 hours)
In order to access WDW's internet service at the Fort Wilderness campsites, you must request a modem kit at the Meadows Trading Post. The kit itself is free to borrow, however you are required to sign an agreement that says you will be charged $125 if you do not return the kit.
Here is the contents of the kit and the instructions included for connecting it at your campsite (ignore the mention of the $9.95 fee - the instructions are from before the change to FREE internet access)...

The following was posted by FortFiends.net member Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo on 5/27/12...
Thanks to FortFiends.net members Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo and Tri-Circle-D for the photos above.

Meadows Trading Post is located in the Meadows Recreation Area and was added to Fort Wilderness in 1973. See #4 on the MAP.
Phone: 407-824-5493
There are a handful of vehicle parking spots for 15 minute parking, as well as room for golf cart parking.
If you have a package shipped to Fort Wilderness from anywhere on Walt Disney World property, you will pick it up at the Meadows Trading Post.
The Meadows Trading Post carries a variety of items (see below for photos) including:
• Fort Wilderness souvenirs
• Disney merchandise
• health and beauty supplies
• basic camping/rv supplies
• food and beverages (including beer & wine)
Pricing are higher than local grocery stores. Some examples from April 2011:
Milk, 1/2 gallon = $2.95
Deli Meat, 7oz pkg = $5.95
Butter, 1/2 lb pkg = $2.95
Colby cheese = $5.95
Eggs, dozen = $1.95
Smart Ones mac and cheese, small package = $3.95
Banquet chicken pot pie, 7 oz = $2.45
10 lb bag of ice = $2.58
NOTE: Fort Fiends prefer this ice to that dispensed in the ice machines next to the comfort stations and report this ice tends to last longer.
Raisin Bran cereal = $4.95
Peanut butter = $2.95
Campbell's soup = $1.95
Half n' Half, pint = $2.19
The following photos were taken by FortFiends.net member PureTCrazy in April 2011.




















This article is a work in progress. If you have any additional information or corrections to anything here, please send a PM to BradyBzLyn12.

These documents are available to all guests of the Fort. To download print quality versions, click the links below...
page 1
page 2

Walt Disney World Resort Cable Channel Lineup as posted on Fort Fiends.net
UPDATED 11/6/14
Since November, 2012, only Digital TV's can receive the Fort's cable signal.
Older TV's require a converter box, which can be obtained from the Meadow Trading Post. There is no charge for this. You must present your KTTW card (received at check in) and fill out a form promising to return the box and agreeing to a $125 charge if you fail to do so.
The TV Channel line-up has completely changed, and the numbers are different from all other WDW resorts.
Here is the current listing, which is provided with the cable box. It is not provided with the check in packets, or even posted on the bulletin boards, and the on-screen listing is incorrect for the Fort. Also, the listing is not 100% accurate. There is a channel 18-1 which plays old Disney Cartoons (included below). There are probably other errors, but it would take a lot of time and effort to list them.
Channels noted in purple are Walt Disney World Resort TVas posted on Fort Fiends.net
1.0 Nature
7.1 NBC Local
7.2 CBS Local
8.1 ABC Local
8.2 WUCFO (PBS)
9.1 CW 18
9.2 WOFL 35 -- Local FOX Affiliate
10.1 WRDQ 27
10.2 WHLV 52
11.1 WACX 55
11.2 WOPX 56
12.1 WRBW 65
12.2 WTGL 45
13.1 Duffy The Bear
13.2 Company Clips
14.1 ESPN Wild World of Sports
14.2 Walt Disney World Today
15.1 Disney Vacation Club
15.2 Disney Must Do
15.3 Your Next Disney Vacation
16.1 Radio Disney
16.2 Occasional WDW Video
16.3 Occasional WDW Video
17.1 WDW Tour (Spanish)
17.2 DVC (Spanish)
17.3 TV Japan
17.4 WOTF 43 (Telefutura)
18.1 Disney cartoons
18.2 Occasional WDW Video
18.3 Disney Springs (all info on Downtown Disney)
19.1 Your Disney Resortas posted on Fort Fiends.net
20.1 ABC Family
20.2 Headline News
20.3 Oxygen
20.4 Lifetime
21.1 Lifetime Movies
21.2 ESPN
21.3 ESPN Classic
21.4 ESPN2
22.1 ESPNews
22.2 ESPN Deportes
22.3 Disney XD
22.4 Disney Channel
23.1 Program Guide
23.2 Food Network
23.3 History
23.4 The Learning Channel
24.1 TV Land
24.2 Animal Planet
24.3 Cooking Channel
24.4 HGTV
25.1 Infomercials
25.2 BET
25.3 A&E
25.4 Weather Channel
26.1 CNBC
26.2 MSNBC
26.3CNN
26.4 Golf Channel
27.1 FOX News
27.2 NFL Network
27.3 USA
27.4 National Geographic
28.1 Destination America
28.2 Biography
28.3 TBS
28.4 ESPNU
29.1 AMC
29.2 Discovery
29.3 SyFy
29.4 CMT
30.1 Bravo
30.2 NBC College Sports
30.3 TNT
30.4 WE tv
31.1 Travel Channel
31.2 CBS College Sports
31.3 Disney Junior
31.4 MLB Network
81.6 Company Clips
If anyone comes across updates or correction to the listing above, please PM BradyBzLyn12

Fort Wilderness Loop Classification Map
This map "appeared" from a reliable Disney source in February 2012. No one has a recollection of seeing it anywhere prior to that. However there are some discrepancies noted by Fort Fiend members...
I can't remember seeing an official Disney product emphasize no anything like this shows "NO RVS" for the tent loops
I don't ever remember seeing Disney calling the 1600-1900 loops the "cloverleaf area"
The new icons (pet friendly and circles) obstruct other items in several areas (AED, CS icons)
The printing date is 2001
The loop designation descriptions in the upper right and the FWR&C in the lower left are where official Disney maps describe the loops (names) as well as identify the numberered items on the map Meadows, bike barn etc.)
It has the Orange and Purple bus routes wrong. There was a time, but it has been at least two years ago, when they briefly had the Purple route come up through the main part of the campground- that is what this map shows. At that time, the Orange route continued to just go down the middle of the campground and not through the cabin loops. That is what this map shows. At present, and it has been this way for a couple of years now, the Orange route goes through the cabin loops, as does the Purple. But the Purple route no longer travels through the center of the campground.
When the 600 loop was upgraded from a preferred to a premium loop, it was extended. This map, if it is supposed to be up to date, does not show the extension.
The dog park is shown on this map as being on the wrong side of the canal and across from the 1400 loop entrance. That is wrong.
I have never heard of the designations FP, FD, FA and FB.

HERE IT IS!!!

An update from David as of 9/23/14...
Not quite like a cat…but the railroad did have six lives!
by David Leaphart, author of Walt Disney World Railroads Part 1 Fort Wilderness Railroad and Fort Wilderness Railroad Gallery Companion as posted on Fort Fiends .net
visit David's website at www.steelwheelonsteelrail.com




Unlike the WDW Railroad in the Magic Kingdom, the Fort Wilderness Railroad (FTW RR) had six lives. The WDW Railroad layout, engineering, and operation are pretty much the same as the opening day in 1971. The FTW RR began operations in the late spring of 1973 and ended operations in February of 1980. But during that roughly 7 years of operation, the railroad passed through 6 different lives.
I’ve named the 6 lives as:
Trial Period – Late Spring 1973 to Mid-Summer 1973.
Pre-Opening – Mid-Summer 1973 to January 1974.
Transportation – January 1974 to Spring 1975.
Attraction – Spring 1975 to January 1976.
not operational – January 1976 to May 1976.
River Country Transport – May 1976 to Summer 1977.
River Country Attraction – Summer 1977 to February 1980.

Each of these lives has its own story, but the one most folks seem to remember is Life #5. This was the highlight of the railroad’s operation in terms of the number of cast members, number of trains running at a time, and guests riding the railroa
Just prior to the railroad taking on this life, the track was re-built. Oh, did it need it! It was getting pretty ugly. The poor job of laying the track in the first place was finally taking its toll. So George Britton from the Magic Kingdom headed a crew that pulled the rail, re-laid it with tie plates, and did rail bending for
the curves. Unfortunately, the money was not available to completely re-do the track. This would be the railroad’s downfall come February 1980. That’s a whole story by itself!
So, in May 1976, the railroad opened ready to work with the buses and trams to get guests from the front parking area at the Gateway Depot (now Outpost Bus Depot) to the newly opened River Country. The biggest noticeable change was the relocation of the Settlement Depot closer to the Tri-Circle-D Ranch. This eliminated the need for guests to navigate the Fort Wilderness Trail-Big Pine Road intersection while also cutting down on the walking distance to River Country.



In the other lives, usually one maybe two trains ran concurrently. During River Country Transport, usually three trains ran at the same time and the fourth was added during busy times. This really added to the excitement at the Fort for the railroad. Lots of guests riding the train, lots of cast member wearing striped overalls, and lots of whistle sounding across the countryside.
During this time, a lot of guests were transported. Fully loaded the train would hold 90 guests, while the trams held 150. So Disney experimented at one time by adding an extra car to the train to get more
capacity. What a mess! The train was too long to fit into the depots, and guests had to squeeze into and out of the fifth car. Easy to say this didn’t last too long. But an interesting note here for the railfans…the locomotives were so well designed that adding a sixth car full of people was no big deal. The locomotives pulled all six cars without any noticeable change by the engineer. Pretty neat!
In the summer of 1977, the cast members were starting to realize that Disney management felt the logistics of transporting people to River Country was not really working with the train as part of the picture. So, the trams and buses were left to this job, and the train moved into its sixth and final life as simply an “attraction.” Usually one train ran from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm. Admission was free with a River Country ticket, otherwise it was 50 cents.
Hope you enjoyed some of the tidbits about the railroad during this fun time over its six lives! This is a poster you might find interesting about this Life #5 – River Country Transport.