Named with a Disney-history-loving nod to The Firehouse Five Plus Two (a legendary Disneyland-performing jazz band comprised of equally legendary Disney artists), the “Disney Files Five Plus Two” is a periodic column highlighting five reasons Disney Files contributors are excited about something, plus two bonus reasons so we don’t ruin the bit. This installment, from Disney Files Magazine Editor Ryan March and the Walt Disney Archives’ Kevin M. Kern, focuses on some of Ryan’s and Kevin’s favorite experiences enjoyed, and memories made, at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, where new cabins are bringing the historic resort into the Disney Vacation Club neighborhood.
“What pairs better than campfires and movies under the stars? Not much. A mainstay at Fort Wilderness since the very beginning, a dedicated campfire program has existed in various formats over the years. From hosted evening canoe excursions to Marshmallow Marsh (an early dedicated site near the shores of Bay Lake for campfire singalongs) to turning up at the Meadow Recreation Area to take in your favorite Disney ‘moving pictures’ amongst your fellow campers (and chipmunks), this is one of the many activities that makes Fort Wilderness special.” – Kevin
“Built with some 1,283 hand-shaped logs and 70 tons of ebony stone, Pioneer Hall would help to offer some of the fanciest fixin's and frontier entertainment seen this side of Bay Lake when it first opened its doors in 1974. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, this beloved Fort Wilderness edifice is home to one of the longest-running dinner shows in American history. The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue took its first bows during the venue’s opening year and continues its impressive run today, embracing, entertaining, and feeding hungry explorers of all ages. From fried chicken – a dish also known to be a certain favorite of Walt Disney’s – to BBQ pork ribs, cowboy beans, cornbread, and all the scrumptious sides our downhome hearts can handle, this experience is bound to please even the staunchest of cowpoke.” – Kevin
“From a purple wall in Tomorrowland to the purple wallpaper of the Haunted Mansion, and from the five-legged goat climbing above the Grand Canyon Concourse to carpeted walls clinging to the past in The Land pavilion at EPCOT, Disney ‘walls of fame’ have become, not just backdrops, but beloved works of art. For my money, the height of Disney wall art is a piece by notable western painter Oleg Stavrowsky on display in the men’s room outside Pioneer Hall. Contorting cowboys, infested with insects, struggle to find relief in an unwelcoming wilderness. This, to me, is the Mona Lisa of mosaics.” – Ryan
“While Crockett’s Tavern opened adjacent to the Trail’s End Restaurant in 1986, my first visit came in 1992, when I worked at the former Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes attraction at Magic Kingdom Park. I visited the Tavern to meet Disney’s original Davy – Disney Legend Fess Parker – who was in town to promote his Fess Parker Winery. I was too young to buy a bottle, so instead I brought with me a little wooden canoe, which he kindly signed, ‘From one Davy to another, Fess Parker.’ It’s among my most prized possessions.” – Ryan
Editor's note: While the tavern has undergone some changes in recent years, rest assured that the Davy Crockett painting seen behind Fess Parker in this photo now safely resides in the Walt Disney Archives.
“For some of the most scenic views of the area, grab a rocking chair out on the porch of Crockett’s Tavern or the Settlement Trading Post. It’s the perfect way to take in the natural splendor that is Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.” – Kevin
“Ah yes, an oft-remembered bit of Fort Wilderness fable that might rank high on just about any repeat camper’s ‘weird but cool’ list. Long before the site would become Walt Disney World property, a push mower was innocently left against a tree near the shores of Bay Lake — only for said tree to grow around the modest mechanical wonder. These rare snapshots from late 1972 are some of the earliest known to exist of this legendary ‘oddi-tree,’ pictured in its original placement down near the Fort marina. While a storm would later send the tree and its grass-cutting companion off to mow greener pastures, its legend is forever.” – Kevin
“From 1973 to 1980, the Fort Wilderness Railroad (also known as the Wilderness Line) served as a fitting, late 1800s-themed livery that carried guests from the Reception Outpost area near the front of the resort on to the Settlement, the northern-most embarkation point to Magic Kingdom Park and beyond. The railway expanded over the years to keep up with local demand, eventually connecting to Disney’s River Country Water Park, which operated next door from 1976 to 2001.” – Kevin
Actual ticket from Kevin’s first visit to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in 1990
“While we may be decades removed from that railroad, there’s still a lot to ride around this wilderness. Golf carts. Bikes. Canoes. Kayaks. Wagons. Horses. It’s just one more reason this place makes me so happy. You could say it puts the ‘giddy’ in ‘giddy up.’ I won’t even apologize for that joke. Too happy.” – Ryan
