Some children are obsessed with the idea of camping. They want to sleep under the stars, fight off wild animals by starting a fire, and generally “rough it”. Parents who may not share this enthusiasm for camping often try to distract their children by allowing them to “camp” in the backyard or sleep over at a friend’s house instead.  However consider camping at Disney World as an alternative!

Despite these detractions from the pure camping experience, Disney Fort Wilderness Resort is well worth the money they charge for you to camp there. Unlike traditional campsites, Disney also offers cable television, air conditioning, and even high speed Internet. The campsite is set upon some truly beautiful land: a forest full of pine trees, water canals, and hiking trails that look like the real thing. There are even deer, rabbits, and ducks wandering around the campgrounds.

Disney Fort Wilderness offers plenty for the entire family to do during the camping  experience. You can go hiking on a forest trail or fish and swim in one of the many water  canals on the campgrounds. You can also take your kids on a horse and wagon ride or to the  archery range. In addition, every evening, you can watch a Disney movie under the stars in  an outdoor arena.  There are hook-ups for tents and RV’s, and log-cabin style buildings dot the premises.

Camping at Disney is also safer than camping at a traditional campsite. There are no dangerous wild animals at Fort Wilderness Resort; you will never have to start a fire to scare away wolves, bears, or other predators. The only other people you will encounter are other paying guests, and Disney staff is located on the campgrounds in case of emergency.

If you get tired of camping, Disney offers complimentary transportation for resort guests to  each of its theme parks. There are six parks accessible by bus: the Animal Kingdom, Epcot  Center, Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney, and the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Water  Parks.

Disney Fort Wilderness offers horse and wagon rides, bike rentals, swimming, fishing, archery, and even an outdoor movie every night.

If you have a dog, you can bring him or her to selected areas of the campsite. Your dog will enjoy walking through the campgrounds and will have an air-conditioned place to sleep. Cats are presumably also welcome on the campsite, although most cats are not leash trained so this may not be a good idea.

Disney Fort Wilderness charges a nominal fee for pet privileges as well as for high-speed  Internet access. With so much to do, however, you probably won’t have time for the Internet.  Camping at Disney is truly an opportunity for the whole family to get away from their  regular routines and just relax.  There are private bathroom and shower facilities on site, as well as laundry facilities. Some campsites are being renovated this year; check with Disney for availability.

While you’re in the area, you may want to explore some of the other camping opportunities in Florida.

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