Remembering the Food Delivery Truck

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From the Disney Parks Blog...

Another Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground Memory

posted on July 25th, 2011 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager

I recently wrote a blog post about the old Fort Wilderness Railroad at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, which ran briefly from 1973-1977. Many of you shared lovely reflections of what it was like to stay at the campground during the 1970s, mentioning a few other offerings that are now just happy memories of the past.

One reader, “Mark from FL,” shared his memory of the fort’s old food delivery truck – and I promised to see if we had any photos or details on it. Well, here you go.

Here’s how Mark described the truck in our “comments” section:

“They used to have an old-fashioned … pickup truck that used to go through the loops each morning selling various breakfast sundries: milk, juice, bacon, etc. [They] used to have a recording of it chugging and backfiring. They would stop, ring the triangle-shaped dinner bell and wait for the customers.”

In addition to breakfast food, the truck also sold necessities like loaves of bread and cereal, treats like potato chips and Coca-Cola, and camping basics like charcoal (and marshmallows!).

The truck was even equipped with a scale to weigh the fresh strawberries, bananas and melons onsite.

After seeing a photo of it, one thing’s for sure – this is not a truck I’d want to chance a pothole in.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

That is AWESOME!

And, I LOVE the Chevy in the background. :heart:

[AuburnJen 771]

I have memories of that truck. They are very faint, but they are there.

[Keylime359 2]

do you know how much Disney could make if they did that again? Imagine if they had ice cream on the truck!

[Discamper 394]

The Fort didn't have Icecream truck the Fort had this

I don't know is it still loops but it did in 2008

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

I remember the Chuck Wagon & the Ice Cream Wagon. The Chuck Wagon would go around in the morning selling breakfast items, including eggs, bacon, sausage, milk, small boxes of cereal, hostess donuts, etc. The article said the driver rang a triangle. Maybe that was later - but in 1974 the driver rang an "aahhh-ooo-gah" horn. That was fun - unless you had a hangover! :rofl2:

We didn't hang around the campground during the day back then so I don't know how late in the day the truck roamed the campground.

[Lou... 3,118]

do you know how much Disney could make if they did that again? Imagine if they had ice cream on the truck!

Most people bring their own food and then there are the Disney prices.

[Otter Spotter aka Debbie 58]

If my memory serves me correctly (and we all know I'm old so TIFWIW), Trails End Buffeteria opened in 1974 and did not serve breakfast or lunch. They only had a dinner time buffet. Back when the Chuck Wagon roamed the Fort most campers always planned and packed their meals in advance - and that was in a time when for the most part, you had to use a cooler with ice. But because space was limited in those coolers, you often were at the mercy of the camp store - or in this case - the Chuck Wagon. We were lucky enough to own two coolers - so we kept beverages in one cooler and food supplies in the other. Settlement Trading Post at that time was the larger of the two stores, and they offered a limited supply of meats, dairy, and produce. No frozen foods because people didn't camp with microwaves back then. Heck - microwaves were a luxury in a home, let alone a pop-up! No A/C's in pop's back then, either.

My dad taught me to freeze all our meats ahead of time so they would keep longer in the cooler and help keep other stuff cold. We also froze water in coffee cans instead of buying ice. Big chunks of ice held up longer than cubed ice. Block ice was available at the Fort back then, as well as bagged ice cubes. Block ice was cheaper & you always carried an ice pick to chop off chunks of ice to put in your drinks. Yes, ice was pricey back then, too!!

I remember that I forgot to pack charcoal & so I bought a bag from the Chuck Wagon & some of those fresh, Hostess powdered sugar donuts! (YUM) The prices were higher than a regular grocery store, but I don't recall them being that much higher.

[campingpixi 11]

both the food and the ice cream wagons, cars, trucks .. whatever they are VERY COOL!

Bring them back!!

[Discamper 394]

The Chuck Wagon also was very helpful because back then the Fort was in the middle of nowhere there was not a grocery store for many miles unlike today and even today store are not rightaround the corner

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Thanks for posting this, Monique.

I don't recall ever seeing that photo of the truck before. I wonder what else those Disney bloggers have access to?

Also- great photos of the ice cream wagon, Discamper.

The ice cream wagon definitely was around in the past few years, but it has been a while since I have seen it, too.

I agree with Keylime359, Disney is missing the boat by not having an ice cream or other type of wagon going around the loops. We always bought ice cream from the wagon. And I'm sure a lot of others did, too.

TCD

[Just Whipperwhirl 24]

I never heard of this before - So Cool!