Disney Springs vs. Fort Wilderness Chip 'n Dale Campfire

We have a free late afternoon/evening one day during our mid-May trip, and I’m trying to decide between two options:

  1. Go to Disney Springs, shop, and eat at T-Rex cafe (ADR secured).

  2. Go to Wilderness Lodge and check it out, then head over to Fort Wilderness for the Chip 'n Dale campfire.

I have two kids, a boy who is 6 and a girl who is 9. We aren’t big shoppers, but we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside and can take the boat to Disney Springs, which is appealing. The kids would love the T-Rex cafe and we don’t have that or a Rainforest Cafe very close to us, so it’s a new experience.

I really want to see Wilderness Lodge, and I think we would all enjoy the campfire, smores, and character interaction. Another bonus is that we could eat counter service at Wilderness Lodge and not use a table credit on the dining plan (which are in short supply with my ambitious dining plans this trip!). However, we already have an ADR at Garden Grill and will see Chip 'n Dale there, and we won’t have time to go to Disney Springs if we do this.

We have a rental car, so transportation wouldn’t be an issue (or at least I don’t think so - educate me if so!).

Thoughts/recommendations?

Thanks!

I do not know about Fort Wilderness but I believe everyone that stays at POR should take the boat at least once to DS. It is such a lovely trip! Last time I went to DS at night there were musical acts all over! Any chance you could cancel your ADR and eat at Wolfgang Puck Express (great food and a great use of a CS credit!)

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And if you do WPE, you could still hit up T-Rex for dessert after experiencing disney springs for awhile!

Sounds like you’ve already decided and are looking for validation :smile:

With your kids, the BBQ would be a much better choice.

We loved the campfire, and we had a blast! Either choice is good!

We stayed at POR and did both FW & DS. It was only DH, DS18 & myself.

Disney Springs is great for shopping and DS loved Disney Quest & Legoland. The boat ride was nice. We did not go in the evening & did not see any shows. Loved Earl of Sandwiches If you register online less than a month before you go, you can get a free sandwich. I register all of us and our birthdays. My DS & me received 2 free sandwiches, but we only used one :wink: We also took the sandwiches with us for a later meal since we ate at Fulton’s Crab House.

Ft Wilderness with the Chip n Dale sing along was terrific. We drove our car. If you arrive early, the kids can hang with Chip n’ Dale by the campfire before it starts. We took hot dogs & chips along with S mores makings to roast, you can buy a stick for $0.50 each. The show was entertaining. Chip & Dale walking around for photos & autographs, but only one on each side. (Ask CM if you want both, although if your going to GG I wouldn’t worry about it.) Afterwards, there is a movie or you can go to the beach and watch the Electrical night parade & MK fireworks. We went to the beach. There are several other activities there also like a wagon ride, HDDR, and so on.

If I was to do it again & had to choose between them, I would go with Fort Wilderness.

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Where did you register for Earl of Sandwich?

Both sign up & birthday coupons last about a month. You can also sign up with different emails.

Go to:

Thank you! We were planning on going there anyway so if we can get a free sandwich…BONUS!!

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Your welcome! I love their sandwiches! :yum:

I appreciate everyone’s advice on this. When I asked my kids what they preferred, they liked the campfire idea simply so they could have s’mores - I obviously need to take them to the great outdoors more often! I’m still trying to see how we can fit in a quick DS trip into our too-packed touring plan as well but I think I will prioritize the Fort Wilderness outing.

Thanks to all!

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Following up on this old thread, @dgraves72. Which option did you go with and how did it work out? I’m looking for some recent feedback on the options at Ft. Wilderness.

We went to Fort Wilderness but we couldn’t find a place to park. I can’t remember what was happening, but there was a notice that the resort was closed for outside guests. When we couldn’t find a place to park, we went to Wilderness Lodge to explore. We ate at the WL counter service restaurant and went back to our resort for a swim.

The campfire is still on my list for a future trip!

Gotcha. Thanks for the update.