Hidden Gem Family Meals: Affordable Dining at Fort Wilderness
If the prices of meals inside the parks are more than you planned to spend, you should know that there are some great, affordable family meals available at nearby resorts that are a much better value! These meals are often unadvertised, but they’re an especially great deal if you’re not using the Disney Dining Plan - perfect for 3-4 people who like to share family-style meals. There are some good options at several resorts, but today we’re focusing on the family meals offered at Trail’s End, the quick-service restaurant in the Settlement area of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
And if you have refillable resort mugs, be sure to bring those along for free drinks!
DIRECTIONS
This location is easiest for guests spending the day at Magic Kingdom to get to, so it’s a wonderful spot to take an afternoon break from the park crowds, have lunch or dinner, and enjoy a few resort activities.
From Magic Kingdom: Simply take the boat from Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness, and you’ll be dropped off right at Settlement near Trail’s End. Allow 30 minutes each way for travel (it typically doesn’t take that long, but it might if you’ve just missed the boat).
From Other Parks and Disney Springs: Take the bus to Fort Wilderness. Get off at The Outpost, switch to an internal Fort Wilderness bus, and ride around to the Settlement Depot. Allow around 45 minutes each way for this route.
From Wilderness Lodge: Take the bus to Fort Wilderness and get off at Settlement. Or take the boat from Wilderness Lodge to Fort Wilderness (only available after 3:00 PM).
From Contemporary: Walk to Magic Kingdom and take the boat to Fort Wilderness. Or take the boat from Contemporary to Fort Wilderness (only available after 3:00 PM).
From All Other Resorts: Take your resort’s Disney transportation to Magic Kingdom, then take the boat to Fort Wilderness.
Driving: You’re often not allowed to park at Fort Wilderness without a reservation, so it’s best to arrive via Disney transportation. Even if you drive and are allowed to park at the resort, the only parking lot is located at Outpost, so you’ll still need to take the internal bus to get to Settlement. Alternatively, you can order a Minnie Van and they can drop you off right at Settlement. This is definitely the fastest option, but also the most expensive.
THE MENU
Many of these family-sized meals are not featured on the online menu for Trail’s End, and they aren’t an option on mobile order via the My Disney Experience app either. You’ll need to go to Trail’s End and order at the register to get most of these hidden gem family-size items!
BREAKFAST
There aren’t a lot of family-size breakfast options, but the ones they do have are great! These items are shareable by at least 3 people, and easily 4-5 people if you order a couple of different things or have some kids or light eaters in your group. There’s also a full menu of individual-sized breakfast meals and sides available, as well as a large refrigerator case with fruit, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, and other grab-and-go items.
Mickey Cinnamon Roll | $7.49
Large Breakfast Pizza (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, mozzarella, sausage gravy) | $20.00
Family-Size Buckaroo Bread (this is basically cinnamon monkey bread) | $12.99
LUNCH & DINNER
Again, these lunch & dinner family-sized items are mostly not featured on the menus published online and on the My Disney Experience app, but you can order them when you visit Trail’s End in person. They offer many more family-sized options during lunch and dinnertime, so if you want to make the trek over to Trail’s End, you’ll have a lot more variety if you visit for lunch or dinner. They also have most of the famous Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue food available during lunch and dinner!
There are a couple of different ways to order. First, you can buy a Family Meal Combo - the menu says the Family Meals serve 2, but it can easily serve 3 or more.
FAMILY MEALS
Fried Chicken (8 pieces), Cornbread, Two 1 lb. Sides | $28.99
Full Slab of Ribs, Cornbread, Two 1 lb. Sides | $31.99
You can also buy each family-sized item individually. Each item feeds 2-4 people:
FAMILY-SIZED MENU ITEMS
Fried Chicken (8 pieces) | $16.99
House-Smoked Whole Chicken | $16.99
Full Slab of Ribs | $21.99
10-Hour Smoked Pulled Pork (1 lb.) | $14.99
House-Smoked Brisket (1 lb.) | $19.99
1 lb. Sides | Green Beans, Cowboy Beans, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Coleslaw | $7.49 each
1 lb. Sides | Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Macaroni & Cheese | $9.49 each
Large Pizza | Cheese, Pepperoni, Smokehouse, Veggie | $20.99-$22.99
Buckaroo Bread | $12.99
Bread Pudding (seasonal flavors) | $12.99
FINAL THOUGHTS
Trail’s End is one of my favorite quick-service restaurants in Walt Disney World! I think it’s definitely worth the bit of time it takes to travel over to Fort Wilderness, and I’ve never had a bad meal here. Just for a quick price comparison: I figure the most similar food in Magic Kingdom is Liberty Tree Tavern. True, Trail’s End isn’t all-you-can-eat like you’d get at Liberty Tree, but if you were to buy a comparable, filling meal here, 2-3 people can eat at Trail’s End for the same price it would cost for 1 person to eat at Liberty Tree (currently $44 per adult, $34 per child). Crockett’s Tavern is also attached to Trail’s End, and you can enjoy great appetizers and drinks there in the evenings.
Plus, you get a really relaxing, fun break from the park crowds and get to spend some time at the Fort! Be sure to check the Fort Wilderness activity schedules before you head over, so you can catch fun activities like pony rides, play at the playground, compete in the arcade, shop at the Settlement Trading Post, do a horse-drawn carriage or wagon ride, or hang out at Tri-Circle-D Ranch and visit the horses.
