Trail’s End at Fort Wilderness is Closed.
Walt Disney World announced that Trail’s End at Fort Wilderness Campground will close in Spring 2023 for refurbishment and reimagining. In this post, we share details plus commentary about our disappointment and the delicate balance between nostalgia and casual guest feedback. (Updated April 22, 2023.)
Trail’s End is now officially closed, with the following appearing on its DisneyWorld.com page: “Trail’s End Restaurant is closed for refurbishment and will reopen in summer 2023. During this time, P&J’s Southern Takeout mobile ordering and The Chuck Wagon food truck are available.”
This closure was not announced in advance by Walt Disney World to the public. There was a statement put out to the media, which was identical to that released to Cast Members at Fort Wilderness. Even that didn’t indicate an official closing date; one was surmised by the (lack of) posted hours and (lack of) ADR availability for Trail’s End. What follows is the original news and our commentary about the closure of Trail’s End…
April 22, 2023 Update: Only a few days after closing, Walt Disney World announced New DVC Cabins Coming to Fort Wilderness Campground. The proposed plans call for more than 350 new cabins to replace the existing cabins at the resort, which will soon be ready for a refresh. The new cabins would be built with an eye toward the environment, utilizing the footprint of the existing cabins and taking advantage of more energy-efficient features.
Additionally, there are a collection of improvement projects already underway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground that are designed to enhance the guest experience. Examples include proposed pool and walking trail enhancements as well as new expanded dining experiences at Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern, with more exciting news to come.
It’s now obvious that the closure of Trail’s End is one such “collection of improvement projects” at Fort Wilderness. As will be made clear in this post, we have a tremendous amount of nostalgia and memories for the Trail’s End buffet. However, we also recognize that Fort Wilderness is in serious need of more practical dining options and amenities for serve guest needs and preferences, and this could be a step in that direction.
Our sincere hope is that Imagineering undertakes these updates with care, and in keeping with the character and charm that makes Fort Wilderness such a special place. The campground is beloved by its many fans for its quirkiness. It does need a modernized food court; it does not need one with generic, bland, and uninspired design. Keep Fort Wilderness Weird, Disney.
Walt Disney World has lost something special. We once described Trail’s End as the kind of joint where Chuck Norris and Sarah Connor arm wrestle as the “World’s Most Interesting Man” lies on the floor passed out from moonshine (his drink of choice now that he realized Dos Equis sucks) while Cool Hand Luke and Conan the Barbarian snap selfies with that glorious restroom mural. Trail’s End doesn’t need a ‘secret’ S.E.A. room because The League of Extraordinary Badasses who patronize Trail’s End are egalitarians who dine among the people.
It’s not just fictional film characters who seek sanctuary and shenanigans at Trail’s End. We once saw Baby Sinclair bopping Big Al over the head with a frying pan while he and Sam Eagle were debating the most patriotic dessert. (Bacon-topped doughnut sundae with maple syrup.) None of that is hyperbole–all of that stuff actually happens on a daily basis at Trail’s End, one of Walt Disney World’s hidden gem table service restaurants. Or should I say, happened at Trail’s End.
Up until closing in March 2020, those type of hijinks occurred on the regular at Trail’s End. It was an unpretentious all-you-can-eat buffet consisting of a formidable lineup of comfort food favorites, running the culinary spectrum from ‘potato’ to ‘fried’ to ‘pork’ to ‘dessert.’ Trail’s End was a fever dream of decadence and deliciousness and old timey atmosphere, the quintessential eatery of the original Vacation Kingdom of the World.
I could ramble on and on, and have done exactly that in our three different reviews of Trail’s End (here, here and here). The problems with that are two-fold. One, words cannot do it justice. Trail’s End is one of those if you know, you know type of things. It was lightning in a bottle, the whole being so much more than the sum of its parts. Reading a review today might prompt a “that’s it?” reaction, but I can assure you…that most definitely was not it.
The more prominent problem is that this is all past-tense. When it finally reopened, Trail’s End returned as a family-style restaurant with a perplexing menu that swapped out fan favorites for uninspired options that were similar to other modified menus of the phased reopening era. We and other Trail’s End fans railed against this, but sadly, our voices were not as loud as ‘Ohana noodle aficionados.
We didn’t mince words denouncing the modified menu, and refrained from doing the family-style meal at Trail’s End as a matter of principle. Nevertheless, we held out hope that the regular meal service would return alongside Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. After all, the two share a kitchen and previously had partially overlapping menus. It only made sense to restore the former glory of Trail’s End when that dinner show returned last summer. Sadly, that never occurred.
We’ve continued to hold out hope since then, assuming that Trail’s End diehards were likewise rejecting this family-style meal service. With each new announcement of restaurants returning to normal buffet service, we figured Trail’s End wouldn’t be far behind. Now we know that won’t be the case.
Walt Disney World has announced that Trail’s End Restaurant is going to close for refurbishment sometime in Spring 2023. There are currently available Advance Dining Reservations for both breakfast and dinner through April 2023, so it doesn’t appear it’ll close before then.
Trail’s End does not have hours scheduled starting April 17, so it appears that the restaurant will close after the peak of spring break season, which ends on that Monday. Accordingly, the last day of operations for Trail’s End at Fort Wilderness appears to be April 16, 2023. This has yet to be officially confirmed by Walt Disney World and is subject to change.
In any case, the location that’s currently Trail’s End will reopen later in 2023 as a “marketplace concept with expanded quick service options” according to journalist and Disney insider Scott Gustin. Train’s End will no longer by a table service restaurant. (For those curious, the connected Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue will not be impacted.)
From what we understand, the decision to transform Trail’s End from a table service restaurant to a marketplace is in response to common feedback from guests who stay at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. That’s probably a long time coming, and should perhaps be unsurprising given the proliferation of food trucks at Fort Wilderness over the last several years.
For me, Trail’s End is a good representative example of the chasm between regular guests and diehard Walt Disney World fans. This is something we’ve touched upon from time to time when it comes to resort room reimaginings, but it’s worth discussing in greater depth here.
Normally, we’re skeptical of Disney using the lines “by popular guest demand” or “in response to feedback from our guests” as shields to justify unpopular decisions. It’s worth noting that this is not the case here–Walt Disney World has proffered no rationale for this change. Rather, it’s what we have heard–and isn’t a particularly new development.
There’s no reason to doubt that this is true. Again, Fort Wilderness has seen an increasing number of food trucks, and had tweaked its approach with the undersized P&J’s Southern Takeout (which we also love and have tried to draw more attention to over the last few years).
All of these were band aid solutions, attempting to address the issue but not fully resolving it. If you were to tell me that Fort Wilderness scores poorly for dining, and that the most common complaint from guests is the lack of convenient counter service options, I’d absolutely believe it.
This is at odds with the feedback from fans like us, who are absolutely devastated by this news. Trail’s End has been the source of many fond memories for me, from my parents taking me as a small child to us taking them in more recent years. It’s been a place we’ve frequented with friends after runDisney races, Destination D23 weekends, and fan events.
For us, Trail’s End was an integral part of Walt Disney World history; dining there felt like stepping back in time and visiting the Vacation Kingdom of the World. A rebuff to the notion that you can’t go home again. Similarly, it was a source of history; the setting of memories we made with family and friends. If laughter were the measure of a restaurant, Trail’s End would be the undisputed champ for us.
It’s not as this is unique to our family and friend circle. We know there are many others who have indelible memories from and of Trail’s End, and this news is sure to be met with an outpouring of grief and fond farewells from a small segment of the fan community. To be sure, it will very much be a vocal minority–Trail’s End doesn’t have the fanbase of ‘Ohana. Rather, it’s a restaurant that is very important to a very small number of fans.
Therein lies the rub. It’s undoubtedly exceedingly easy for Walt Disney World management to justify the decision to do away with Trail’s End in favor of a marketplace concept. Again, I don’t doubt that they have the guest feedback and satisfaction survey data to support the change.
Someone more cynical might contend that Disney purposefully undercut the popularity of Trail’s End with the family-style meal to make this change and have it be met with less outrage. After all, Trail’s End is a shadow of its former self; many of its long-time fans don’t have interest in the current family-style meal. (I don’t know if we’ll do one last “goodbye” meal or be satisfied with our memories of the real deal.)
While that ploy is possible, I’m skeptical that Walt Disney World would play the type of long game that involved losing out on profits or unrealized revenue to give cover to an unpopular decision. Disney is perfectly comfortable making changes that alienate and anger fans without undertaking such elaborate pretenses.
Rather, I think there’s probably a fundamental difference in how diehard Walt Disney World fans experience things and regular guests experience them. We would self-describe ourselves as huge Trail’s End enthusiasts who ate there often pre-closure.
What that means in practical terms is that we dined at Trail’s End about once or twice per year. Even when we did multi-night stays tent camping or staying in the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, we typically only did Trail’s End once for breakfast/brunch and once for dinner.
By contrast, a first-timer or infrequent guest staying at Fort Wilderness who is totally uninvested in Walt Disney World history or its culinary scene might eat at an on-site counter service restaurant a half-dozen or more times over the course of their vacation.
A marketplace is something they’d use with regularity, even if they leave with zero fond memories of the cuisine or setting. It would serve a practical purpose, and its absence would be a strike against the vacation and intent to return or recommend metrics.
This is something we also see with Walt Disney World resort refurbishment projects. Some of the most vocal detractors aren’t people who actually book stays at resorts with regularity (to be sure, some do). Rather, most like the idea of themed resorts and want things to remain as they remember them (fondly) from formative stays that first nurtured the nostalgia that now fuels their fandom.
(This conflict between casual and diehard guests is probably a topic worth exploring in greater detail, rather than buried in an announcement about a relatively low-key resort restaurant closure, so I’ll cut this short here.)
From that perspective, I can appreciate Disney’s dilemma and understand the justification for making this change. That doesn’t mean that I accept or excuse it. From my perspective, this feels like Disney taking the path of least resistance–a road taken all too often these days by a company that built a reputation on exceeding expectations.
There are a multitude of venues at Fort Wilderness that could become food courts or marketplaces. There’s also the opportunity to build something new in more centralized location to the campsites and cabins. Just because the campground is lacking in well-rounded counter service restaurants does not mean the only viable solution was replacing Trail’s End.
Likewise, if there’s an issue with the numbers Trail’s End has been doing, other solutions could’ve been proposed and attempted. For one, the buffet could’ve been restored months ago–when Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue reopened, at the latest. If that didn’t offer the necessary boost, Walt Disney World could’ve done something to weave Trail’s End into the 50th Anniversary celebration, especially since few restaurants “speak to” Disney history geeks as much as this one.
Ultimately, that’s really what grinds my gears with the decision to close and convert Trail’s End Restaurant. This is a location with a cult following, and Disney knows it. The company could’ve tried to figure out why it resonates so strongly and built upon that to reach a wider audience. With a location near Magic Kingdom, great food, and a quirky personality, Trail’s End could’ve become a (popular) hidden gem favorite among more than just a passionate subset of the fanbase. The foundation was there–Trail’s End had the beloved qualities you can’t fake or manufacture.
Instead, the company is taking the easy way out. I don’t doubt for a second that the end result will improve overall guest satisfaction metrics. But I also don’t believe for a second that the replacement will forge new fans or be a source of goodwill, or even memories that will last a lifetime. As an organization in the business of packaging and selling nostalgia, Walt Disney World needs to be better about realizing that they need that, too.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of this news of Trail’s End Restaurant closing for refurbishment and replacement by a quick service marketplace? Thoughts on Trail’s End as a hidden gem and source of fan nostalgia and memories? Disappointed by this change, or do you not care about Trail’s End? (It’s okay, not everyone is a fan.) Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
So, so disappointed by this. Loved the breakfast buffet here. It hasn’t been the same after Covid and the switch to the skillets. I’m worried about the future of the Fort in general. What does it look like after Reflections finally gets built? We’re on borrowed time before the whole thing gets bulldozed and turned into Golden Oak 2.0.
I wonder how this will impact the Crocketts Tavern side. I don’t think you can even sit and have a drink at the bar anymore, where you used to be able to relax, have a drink, and some appetizers. nlNow, it’s just the takeout window which isn’t the same as posting up for a beer after a long day at the parks. Would love to see them have a better bar option than the current set-up. I’m guessing foot traffic isn’t as heavy at the Fort for a traditional bar since people tend to BYO and drink at their campsite or cabin, but still an option I’d like to see there in some sense. Maybe something better at the main pool…idk. As far as Trails End, agree it just isn’t the same as it was. Love your analogy, you can’t go home again…hits exactly the right tone.
son of a …
This is so disappointing. This is always our first meal of our trip, because it’s a Disney restaurant without needing a park ticket. We love the ferry over, the restaurant itself, and of course the food. Such a bummer.
Not that I’m suspecting this to happen, but it’s certainly possible WDW will refurbish in a way that provides the needed marketplace without totally alienating classic fans..
A QS that still serves many of the old menu items, keeping lots of the original theme…
No, it won’t be the same as an all-you-can-eat buffet of greasy food but it could possibly still give the hard-core traditionalists a taste of the experience they remember.
I hope you’re right. Perhaps more than any other resort, Fort Wilderness has diehard fans–and also a very different audience. I hope the team that handles this understands that, as well as what makes the place ‘special’ to so many people.
To Disney’s credit, they have (finally) managed to strike a better balance between theme and modern amenities/guest expectations in the resort rooms. Perhaps the same will happen here.
I believe Disney has stopped caring about building great nostalgic memories and gone to a grab and go tourist attraction. There seems to be little thought in how attractions and or restaurants are “rethemed”. If it’s quick and costs less for the company it must be good. Maybe that’s the price for more parks and people but sad for those of us who grew up with Disney and remember when it really was magic.
“If it’s quick and costs less for the company it must be good.”
The problem with this is that nothing Disney does is quick or cheap. Even the things that look cheap, rest assured, cost a lot more than you’d expect.
I also don’t necessarily agree that there’s little thought in how things are rethemed. I think a lot of thought is put into most things, it just skews too much towards contemporary and casual audiences at times.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the boat that used to go between the Fort, the Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge not returning after the closure? We have gone to the Fort on a few recent trips while staying at Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge. It’s just a two step trip using Magic Kingdom to change boats. Each time we ate at P&J takeout which was really good but we did want to try Trails End at some point. Too bad they made this decision.
I’d be curious to know what the impact of that has been in practical terms. Are fewer guests staying at those hotels booking Hoop-Dee-Doo or Trail’s End as a result of the extra inconvenience? (I have no clue–I’m truly curious.)
We miss the boat so much. That was such a huge benefit of staying on the Fort-WL-Contemporary Loop. I think it’s very possible it’s had an impact. It was a 5 min ride from those 2 huge resorts for great value.
On the one hand, I can’t remember a time over the past 15 years that we’ve needed to wait over the past 15 years to be seated. On the other hand, there is all of a sudden a lot of open space nearby at the Settlement where you could build a grab-n-go, and Pioneer Hall won’t include my armchair Imagioneered drive-thru for golf carts. I’m not sure how much space is by the Meadow Trading Post, but I know there’s a lot of recently cleared out space up front at the Outpost with most of the horses moved out. Quite frankly, all three areas need *more* food places, not the “same amount but different.”
Oh no! This is the worst news! We’re heading to stay at Ft. Wilderness again in May and Trail’s End was a “must do” for us. My youngest son has multiple food allergies, and the chefs prepared his very first (huge!) allergy-safe ice cream sundae last time we were there. He was treated like a king! Sad to think we won’t be making memories there again. 🙁
I think thats the bison that provided the ingredients for my geyser point bison burger
“…I think there’s probably a fundamental difference in how diehard Walt Disney World fans experience things and regular guests experience them.”
“…this feels like Disney taking the path of least resistance–a road taken all too often these days by a company that built a reputation on exceeding expectations.”
Good points!
This news sucks. Totally agree with your thoughts. There is plenty of room to have built a new counter service area with multiple food choices at fort wilderness. If Disney is using the reasoning for this as customer complaints and surveys then when will Disney be adding a counter service at Boardwalk. We just got back home 2 hours ago from a week stay at boardwalk ( home resort love it), and as every trip heard several guests complaining about no counter service, including us. I don’t know if a single guest who wouldn’t complain about this being an issue at Boardwalk. They haven’t even offered room service since the pandemic. They just opened the new coffee shop and didn’t even put a quick service drink area in it for the refillable mugs, talk about poor planning. Oh well enough venting. Goodbye to a great restaurant and thanks again Disney.
will p&j’s southern takeout be impacted by the closure? or will they continue to operate it during the refurbishment period?
There is a lot to be explored about the gap between diehards and regular guests. I think many of the decisions made would seem less out-of-touch if fans took more time to consider how “normal” guests view and use the parks and resorts.
I’m sure Disney does its share of “just ’cause” decisions but presumably they are basing most of their choices on what their consumers are telling them through sales, surveys, etc.
On the other hand, you can’t pay for the level of brand loyalty by Disney fanatics. Chapek moaned during his WSJ interview about how fans would criticize the smallest changes in the park. Think of how Disney would tank if no one cared.
This is devastatingly disappointing, and sadly in line with Disney’s short term thinking and lack of recognizing the need for a balance of ingrained historic significance and new/shiny for those with less of an attention span. I, too, have so many fond memories of Trails End, and while losing it is a proverbial kick to the face, those memories can’t be tainted. It’s just sad that more can’t be created, and many will miss out on what was one of the most fun and truly iconic restaurants on property.
I also hope that people realize that Iger ultimately couldn’t give a crud less about losing things like this. Chapek was awful, but he learned from the other Bob in this regard.
We often stay at Fort Wilderness in our camper, and there was a time that we would have a late breakfast at Trails End almost every morning. (We are NOT rope drop people). We would usually have dinner there once per trip. However, when breakfast rose above $20 per person, it was just no longer sustainable for us. We changed over to having breakfast at the camper and dinner at the many fabulous restaurants around property. We do still get the Fried Chicken meal on arrival day, and I hope that continues. While, the original Trail’s End was WONDERFUL, I’m one of the ones that will welcome a counter service with a much larger selection than P&Js offers.
We’ve been local for 10 years and have been eating dinner at trails end since our 1st (annual) visit to FW in 1980 and we’ve always said it was one of the best values at wdw. We’ve eaten there 5 times since it’s reopened as family style. 1st time was good, subsequently not so much and after our last time decided that was it. First hope was back to buffet. But as long as they provide indoor seating, we think the new quick service will be a great replacement for the current family style.
Took our granddaughter here on her 1st trip to DW. This was back when the characters were there and welcomed the kids to dance alongside them ❤️
One of my favorite memories
Sorry to say my additional grands will never get to experience it
How disappointing. Trail’s End had the best breakfast, everyone raved about it.
As long as they leave that epic and strange bathroom mural alone!