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Fort Wilderness Railroad

Opened in 1973, closed in 1977

Featured four different five-car steam engines that burned diesel fuel

Based on narrow-gauge "plantation locomotives" that had once operated in Hawaii and elsewhere

Trains were designed and built internally by Walt Disney Imagineering

The four locomotives were painted green with red trim and gold striping

Locomotive Stats:

Scale: 4/5

Length: 18 feet, 3 inches

Weight: 22,700 lbs

Track gauge: 30 inches

Track length: 3.5 miles

Max speed: 10 mph

Two of the former Fort Wilderness coaches were refurbished and used as ticket booths at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, but were later replaced with permanent buildings. Later the two coaches were sold at auction to private individuals.

One of the train locomotives is now on display at the Winter Garden Heritage Museum

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Does anyone have information on the order the camping loops were opened?  Was there a master plan for the expansion, or were new loops just added as demand for campsites grew?

This is all quite fascinating.  From one or two visits, it seems the Fort is pretty static, but from the info given here, it seems to be everchanging.  Was it better then, or is it better now, or is it just different from time to time?

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Does anyone have information on the order the camping loops were opened?  Was there a master plan for the expansion, or were new loops just added as demand for campsites grew?

Fort Wilderness opened November 19, 1971 on 750 acres between the Contemporary Resort and the Walt Disney World Village. At that time it had 231 camping sites including loops 100 - 600.

June 1973 added 481 sites, loops 700 - 1900

April 8, 1974 "Treasure Island" opened with a pirate theme

April 1974 Pioneer Hall opened

April 1976 Treasure Island renamed Discovery Island and became an accredited Zoological park

June 1976 added 113 sites, loops 2000 - 2100

June 1976 River Country opened

April 1979 added Creekside Meadow group camping area

December 1986 added 383 cabin sites, loops 2200 - 2800

June 2008 New "Premium" site level created with the conversion of existing sites

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1996 - Crockett's Tavern at Fort Wilderness changes from a full-service restaurant to a themed full service bar.

Added in 1997:

- Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground Wilderness homes begin being replaced by cabins (continues gradually through 2000)

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Fort Wilderness Railroad

Opened in 1973, closed in 1977

Featured four different five-car steam engines that burned diesel fuel

Based on narrow-gauge "plantation locomotives" that had once operated in Hawaii and elsewhere

Trains were designed and built internally by Walt Disney Imagineering

The four locomotives were painted green with red trim and gold striping

Locomotive Stats:

Scale: 4/5

Length: 18 feet, 3 inches

Weight: 22,700 lbs

Track gauge: 30 inches

Track length: 3.5 miles

Max speed: 10 mph

Two of the former Fort Wilderness coaches were refurbished and used as ticket booths at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, but were later replaced with permanent buildings. Later the two coaches were sold at auction to private individuals.

One of the train locomotives is now on display at the Winter Garden Heritage Museum

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I'm not sure which website you're cutting and pasting from (there are many out there).  The train ran until 1980 when it was permanently shut down.  From 1977 to 1980 it only ran on selected days - usually the weekends - but not every weekend.  When it ran depended on the Fort's occupancy rate.  The roundhouse was eventually turned into a cast member building that is still referred to as "The Roundhouse".  There are many different thoughts on why the train went away.  The most recurrent theory is that the train was too costly to maintain and operate.

What is now the golf cart parking lot near the Settlement Bus Depot was once the Settlement Railroad Depot.

I stand corrected about the trams. I forgot that they had both trams and buses at the Fort.  The trams were indeed removed in 1989 as stated by Discamper.

The bus stop that services the 300 & 500 loops used to be located between the entrance and exit of the 300 loop.  It was moved because too many RV's clipped the corner of the bus stop roof and/or took out the fence around the bus stop.

The 2100 loop was originally a camping loop that was turned into a cabin loop. (I'll give credit to Carol for this factoid.)

One activity that was only available to Fort Wilderness guests was: Marshmallow Marsh. It required special tickets (in 1974 it was $4.00/adult) and here's how it worked...

At the appointed time we met at what is now the Bike Barn to board Davey Crockett's canoe.  When we went there were 4 canoes that held 10 people and a guide.  The guide sat at the head of the canoe and all passengers were given paddles (no life jackets), told to take a seat, and once we were all seated, the guide(s), one boat at a time, hollered out "STROKE"!!  The guide kept yelling "STROKE" until all passengers settled into a nice rhythm.  Our canoe did NOT settle into a nice rhythm because out canoe had 4 adults and 6 kids!!  The adults were able to finally obtain a somewhat synchronized paddle while the kids splashed water on the adults.  This went on through the canals of FtW and out onto Bay Lake where we stopped at a beach on the lake.  Oh, I forgot to mention that we sang every Disney song to keep the paddle rhythm going until we got to the beach!!

We disembarked on the beach and gathered around a lovely campfire that was blazing especially for us.  Makeshift benches were constructed around the campfire, and we were each given marshmallow roasting sticks and a Cast Member passed around a bag of Stay-Puffed Marshmallows.  Yes - we reached into the bag, along with 39 strangers, and just plucked out marshmallows. 37 years later I'm still here to tell the story - so no fatal diseases were transmitted in the "passing of the marshmallows" ritual.

Then a guitar wielding feller started strumming on his gee-tar and invited everyone to sing along - which most everyone did.  After a few songs it was time for the entertainment!!! OH BOY!! 

WE were the entertainment!!!  (Huh?)

The gee-tar wielding guy slowly got to his feet and started picking out unsuspecting (and remember, we PAID for this) guests to participate in a play about nature, wildlife, cowboys, and indians.  My DH was selected to be "Father Nature"!!  If you've ever seen the street players in Italy and UK at Epcot, you know the kind of "play" that was performed on the beach of Bay Lake that evening.  We all laughed. Well, maybe not "Father Nature", but everyone else laughed. When the play ended, gee-tar man once again picked up his instrument, we sang "The Mickey Mouse Song" and settled in to watch the fireworks at the MK.  No music was piped in.  Remember, this was 1974!!  After the fireworks we piled back into our canoes and worked our way back to where we started.

We never did Marshmallow Marsh again, and I think it was discontinued sometime in the late 70's or early 80's.

It was a lot of fun, and it's too bad it came to an end.

The End.

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We did the Marshmallow Marsh!! As a kid, I actually felt like we went to some exclusive island for that campfire! :rofl2: I was so disappointed years later to find out they had stopped it. If I remember right, weren't the canoes "special" like real Indian syle canoes, instead of the plain red fiberglass ones that are there now?

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Fort Wilderness Railroad

Opened in 1973, closed in 1977

Featured four different five-car steam engines that burned diesel fuel

Based on narrow-gauge "plantation locomotives" that had once operated in Hawaii and elsewhere

Trains were designed and built internally by Walt Disney Imagineering

The four locomotives were painted green with red trim and gold striping

Locomotive Stats:

Scale: 4/5

Length: 18 feet, 3 inches

Weight: 22,700 lbs

Track gauge: 30 inches

Track length: 3.5 miles

Max speed: 10 mph

Two of the former Fort Wilderness coaches were refurbished and used as ticket booths at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island, but were later replaced with permanent buildings. Later the two coaches were sold at auction to private individuals.

One of the train locomotives is now on display at the Winter Garden Heritage Museum

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm not sure which website you're cutting and pasting from (there are many out there).  The train ran until 1980 when it was permanently shut down.  From 1977 to 1980 it only ran on selected days - usually the weekends - but not every weekend.  When it ran depended on the Fort's occupancy rate.  The roundhouse was eventually turned into a cast member building that is still referred to as "The Roundhouse".  There are many different thoughts on why the train went away.  The most recurrent theory is that the train was too costly to maintain and operate.

I would assume it came from HERE.  That page is also incorrect in that no locomotives are on display at the Winter Garden Heritage Museum.  All four Engines went out west to members of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad Club which restores old Disney railroad items.  Engine #1 went to Jim Zordich in Oregon, #2 & #3 both went to Bill Dundas in California, and the #4 went to Michael Campbell also located in California.

For a source of good information on the FWRR you can purchase a copy of Walt Disney World Railroads Part 1 Fort Wilderness Railroad By Mr. David Leaphart

For video fo the railroad, canoes, trams and much more in the early days check out this You Tube Video.

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Just want you to know that I LOVE this thread!  I know absolutely nothing about the past of the Fort.  We stayed in the cabins back in the 90's (before they were actually cabins...more like trailers), but I remember very little about the Fort...except that we hated the bus system (I think the routes were Chip & Dale).  Our first camping trip was about 2 1/2 years ago and we've been addicted ever since!  I love reading all about the history of the Fort!

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In the 80?s Trails End had good pizza and every Friday night they had make your own pizza night. You walked down the buffet table and picked you topping and put them on your pizza then you paid for it and handed it to the chief. They also had night time entertainment with a sing-along

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I loved the make your own pizza and entertaiment.  One year I had the worst crush on the guy playing guitar and singing, I just KNEW he was singing Brown Eyed Girl to me  :rofl2:

That sounds like Sam.  Dave song more of the country songs. They also opened the HDDR show and i think they also play the Marshmallow Marsh too

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