Trail’s End & Crockett’s Tavern Reimagined Restaurants Reopening Date & Menu Details
Walt Disney World has announced the reopening date and menu details of Trail’s End and Crockett’s Tavern, two newly-reimagined restaurants at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. This post shares food photos, what to expect at the former all-you-can-eat dining spot now that it’s been redone, and our commentary.
In case you missed it, Trail’s End quietly closed in April for reimagining. This was not announced in advance by Walt Disney World to the public. A statement was put out to media and Cast Members, but that was it. The restaurant stopped taking Advance Dining Reservations, and then one day, it was just closed for refurbishment with a bulletin appearing on its official DisneyWorld.com page.
The “why” of the refurbishment came a few days later, when 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, turning the resort side of the campground into a Disney Vacation Club property. In so doing, a “collection of improvement projects” are underway at Fort Wilderness aimed at enhancing the guest experience, including proposed pool and walking trail improvements. Walt Disney World then also mentioned expanded dining experiences at Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern, and “more exciting news to come.”
Work on the Disney Vacation Club cabins has not yet started, and the current cabins are still available to reserve through late 2024. This makes sense, as the current cabins were pre-fabricated off-site and installed unit-by-unit, not built on location. The same will almost certainly be true of the new cabins–it’ll be a matter of swapping out the old cabins for the new ones, which will likely occur in phases next year.
That’s more or less where the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground reimagining and enhancements project stands as of today’s announcement about the return of Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern…
According to Walt Disney World, the new menus at Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern complement the campground’s signature laid-back style and offer the dining flexibility that guests are looking for, no matter how they plan to enjoy their day at Walt Disney World.
Both dining locations will have a new look that fits the quaint charm of Fort Wilderness and honors its heritage at the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort, with warm wooden furnishings, beamed ceilings, and rustic accents.
Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern will both reopen on July 27, 2023.
Trail’s End Restaurant has been reimagined into a counter service restaurant. Whether you’re looking for family-sized entrees and sides to bring back to your cabin or campsite, or freshly prepared individual-sized entrees to feast on inside the restaurant’s casual seating area, there are plenty of options from which to choose. Here’s a look…
The refreshed marketplace concept at Trail’s End Restaurant now includes an on-stage pizza station where you can satisfy your appetite with a slice or the entire pie.
There will be two new options: smokehouse-style pizza topped with house-smoked brisket, sausage; or pepperoni and roasted vegetable pie. Classic pepperoni and cheese are also still available.
The Market-style Selections are filled with a variety of items with all the fixin’s to fit your fancy. Before heading back to your campsite, mosey on up to the Hot Grab and Go section where you can pick from the proteins.
This area features pecan-smoked whole chicken or brisket, and a rack of pork ribs. No trip to Fort Wilderness is complete without fried chicken. Sides will be available by the pound including macaroni & cheese, plant-based cowboy beans, and mashed potatoes.
You can also order classics like cheeseburgers, plant-based vegetable burgers, chicken nuggets, and french fries. For some comfort food, the Homestyle Meals feature cornbread, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes with gravy and your choice of half a slab of barbecued ribs or two pieces of fried chicken.
You can also treat yourself to hand-scooped ice cream and specialty coffees, like the Wilderness Latte with flavors of chocolate and hazelnut. To keep refreshed, there are also a variety of beverages and snacks on the go, like the new Chicken Wrap featuring the new house-made blueberry BBQ sauce or the returning favorite Pioneer Berry Salad.
Trail’s End Restaurant will also offer a lineup of new and returning sweets in the market, a house-made bakery. The pastry team dusted off old favorite recipes from years past like the Banana Pudding, Carrot Cake Cupcake, Blueberry Bread Pudding, and the legendary Strawberry Shortcake from Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, which will be available in a single serve portion. (Editor’s note: some of us already treated the Hoop-Dee-Doo portion size as single-serve.)
The plant-based Lemon-Blueberry Trifle is filled with layers of lemon curd, fresh blueberries, and whipped cream.
The pastry team has also created brand-new recipes that are sure to please (and become instant favorites) like the Fort Fruity Cookie featuring fruity cereal and white chocolate chips or the Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcake.
No camping trip is complete without roasting marshmallows over the campfire, and there will be two sweets inspired by those classic flavors at Trail’s End: the S’more Cupcake and the S’mores Cookie.
Next, let’s head over to Crockett’s Tavern, which has been refreshed as a lounge with expanded seating–both indoors and outside–to offer views of Bay Lake. (Some of this expanded seating has clearly come at the expense of Trail’s End Restaurant.)
Located under the same roof as Trail’s End Restaurant, this guest-favorite lounge has been enhanced with a collection of elevated lounge-style snacks to accompany the array of new and returning beverages and specialty cocktails.
The reimagined menu at Crockett’s Tavern was designed by Walt Disney World’s culinary team to pay tribute to the heritage of the resort and its inspiration from the American frontier. There will still be a ‘to-go’ window for those looking for a drink to enjoy before experiencing the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.
If you love trying different flavors, then new to the menu is A Trio of Sliders. This features a pulled pork slider with BBQ sauce and coleslaw, brisket slider with Carolina BBQ and pickled onions, and a buffalo chicken slider with house-made blue cheese dressing and dill pickles served with seasoned french fries.
The new Chicken Bites offer three different sauce choices: buffalo, garlic-parmesan, or blueberry BBQ. These bites are also served with celery, house-made ranch, blue cheese, and seasoned french fries. The new blueberry BBQ sauce was developed by Chef Julie Hrywnak and the culinary team. The Charcuterie Board addition features a selection of meats and cheeses with house-made bread and butter pickles, tomato jam, cornbread crostini, and sesame lavash.
Some delicious new plant-based offerings include the Crispy Cauliflower paired with a tasty garlic aïoli.
This fan-favorite from the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue plant-based menu is also gluten/wheat friendly. Crockett’s Tavern will also serve plant-based fried green tomato sliders featuring a southern remoulade and citrus greens served with seasoned french fries.
For a sweet finish, there’s the Trailblazin’ Dessert Trio.
This delightful dish features a s’more with chocolate pudding, graham cracker crumbs, and house-made marshmallow, a strawberry shortcake with strawberries and whipped cream, and a banana pudding with vanilla wafers, whipped cream, and a banana chip.
For those looking for an adult beverage to accompany their meal, Crockett’s Tavern has multiple options to choose from with their heritage cocktail program to pay homage to the 50+ year history of Fort Wilderness.
Inspired by the Fort Wilderness Railroad that once ran throughout the resort, the All Aboard! Moonshine Cocktail Flight is a sampling of moonshine cocktails featuring the Gullywhumper, Blackberry Lightning, and Spiced Appleberry Shine.
The Bear-y Buckle combines Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey, pure cane sugar, lemon juice, bitters, Fever-Tree Ginger Beer, and muddled blackberries for a touch of sweetness in this cocktail. Crockett’s Tavern will be serving Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey, which honors the world’s first-known African American master distiller, Nearest Green.
If you’ve ever wanted to try America’s first spirit, Laird’s Applejack Brandy, then the Camper’s Coupe is for you. This drink features Laird’s Applejack Brandy, orange and lemon juices, and a hint of maple syrup. Walt Disney World visitors who prefer bright flavors will love the Meadows Cup. Settle in and enjoy this twist on a classic cocktail with Pimm’s No. 1 Liqueur Cup, Hendrick’s Gin, Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, and strawberry.
The Crockett’s Tavern barkeep will be serving up a rotating selection of old fashioned cocktails to wet your whistle. The summer version will be a Clementine Old Fashioned with Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Hella Cocktail Co. Orange Bitters, and cane syrup garnished with a clementine wheel and Luxardo cherry. This drink is a nod to Clementine Beach at the resort.
Tequila fans will be pleased to try two beverages on the menu. A nod to one of the historic camping loops at Fort Wilderness, the Quail Trail Paloma serves up Teremana Blanco Tequila with Hella Cocktail Co. Smoked Chili Bitters, grapefruit soda, and a chili-lime rim. You’ll also still be able to enjoy the Moonshine Margarita with Ole Smoky White Lightnin’ Moonshine, Triple Sec Liqueur, sweet-and-sour mix, and lime juice.
In terms of commentary, I’ve already said my piece in the original article about the abrupt closure of Trail’s End Restaurant. In a nutshell, we loved Trail’s End Restaurant–and Fort Wilderness, for that matter–in large part because it is/was quirky and charming. It has a cult following and resonates with so many longtime Walt Disney World fans for a reason, and a major source of the appeal was its quaint and unique style.
I’m worried about what else will change with the conversion of the cabins into Disney Vacation Club accommodations. The DVC demo has different priorities and expectations than the average “Fort Fiend,” with the former favoring amenities and modern style and not really caring about themed design or the character of a resort.
“Modernization” and “enhancement” are buzzwords that typically smooth away the rough edges of a resort’s themed design and personality to make it more palatable for the masses. That’ll likely be true again with the reimagined Trail’s End Restaurant, which looks like a designer took the Market at Ale & Compass at Yacht Club (pictured above) and turned up the “woodsy” dial on the otherwise modern design.
I’ll withhold final judgment until seeing it in person, but the redone Trail’s End appears to have precisely the generic and soulless style–with only a thin veneer of theme–that typifies recent dining venue refreshes at Walt Disney World. Style is cyclical, and I’m ready for the crisp and clean modern look to become passé, and for ornately-themed and transportive design to make a comeback.
With that said, I realize that those mainstream visitors and not the WDW diehards are the ones sustaining all resorts, even Fort Wilderness Campground. Admittedly, what I want from Fort Wilderness probably stands in sharp contrast with the average guest doing a weeklong stay. I recognize that this resort has been in serious need of more practical dining options and amenities to serve guest needs and preferences, and the reimagined dining at Pioneer Hall could be a step in that direction.
Additionally, on the Crockett’s Tavern side, the interior design also looks like it retains at least some of the core nostalgia-evoking design of Trail’s End, even if the truly eclectic decor has been traded for wagon wheels neatly arranged on the wall, for whatever reason. The core structure also remains intact, and much of the atmosphere in Pioneer Hall comes from that.
Finally, I’ll admit that the new menus at both Crockett’s Tavern and Trail’s End Restaurant sound good. It looks like a lot of effort was put into finding the right balance between comfort food favorites and ambitious and elevated cuisine. There’s also a lot that pulls from the past, embracing the rich history of Fort Wilderness. So that’s also appreciated.
As compared to what was here before–the post-reopening family-style menu–this should be an unequivocal improvement. As compared to what was served at Trail’s End in 2019 and for the decades before that, it’s a more complicated assessment. But even then, we can concede that Fort Wilderness needed options like this. Honestly, I’m excited to try a number of the new menu items…hopefully the delicious dishes will help drown the sorrows of what was lost in the reimagining.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the reimagined interiors and menus for Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern? Are you pleased by the new-look marketplace concept or expanded lounge, or did you prefer their predecessors? 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!
Ahhh, great, simple food and not a full stuff buffet! Everything looks good.
As much as I like the former buffet, I understand the change to counter service for those ordering to-go for meals back at their camp or cabin. I just wish that any meals not specifically ordered to-go would be served on real plates, with real silverware and with non-plastic cups. The photos of the new dining rooms look pretty well themed and inviting. But fill all those tables will VAST amounts of paper plates, Styrofoam containers, plastic utensils, big brown to-go bags, etc. and the place will look much different – definitely not charming, nostalgic or woodsy. I recently went to Capt Cook’s to try the famous Tonga Toast…the amount of paper and plastic involved in that one small order was astounding – bordering on hilarious! Sorry, got a little sidetracked…point being; if they can make the in-store dining look like it, the overall remodel could be a good thing!
I surprised myself with how upbeat I am about the changes. I enjoyed the Trails End buffet a number of times over the past 20 years and was sad to see yet another old favourite fall to the bland hipster redo. But I really like the new menu esp for the Tavern. The tavern was pretty much wasted space and the few times I ventured in it was empty. They even deep sixed the poor old stuffed bear 15 years ago. As I grow older, the all you can eat buffets are just too much for me. I’m actually excited to take the boat from MK for lunch or dinner. More and better food options are desperately need in the Magic Kingdom. So a relaxing boat ride for good food is a plus. Its unlikely families will waste precious park time to make the trek but some of us will definitely make the trip. Like all new good things, I have no doubt they will cut back and scale back the offerings over the year. So I’m going to enjoy it in September while the food is served as the culinary team intended it to be. Now if they could also bring back the Halloween Sleepy Hollow movie experience in the horse barn then I’d be over the moon. Heck, if they could make that a year round event I’d be double thrilled.
“Style is cyclical, and I’m ready for the crisp and clean modern look to become passé, and for ornately-themed and transportive design to make a comeback.”
You’re not alone in wondering how long this modern minimalist style will last. Just leave the men’s room alone, and much can be forgiven.
Railroad?????? Did I miss a train ride? I haven’t been to Fort W in decades but was planning to on my next visit. Wanted to spend more time on that side of things and getting to Animal Kingdom that I missed altogether on my last visit. I’m sad to hear they took away train rides. Something that was in Walt’s DNA.
Sad to hear that the cabins will now be all DVC. How about save some for the rest of us. And no buffet in the Wilderness just seems unnatural. The food does sound good that you have described, but it seems like there should be a buffet somewhere in the park.
Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully, I can get a reservation before they turn everything over to DVC.
I’ve been anxiously awaiting the re-opening, and I’m generally happy with what I’m seeing. I’ll have to wait until i see it in person re: the overall theming and feel, but the basics are probably an improvement for us. We’ve had a somewhat complicated TE relationship, in that it was my spouse’s favorite restaurant (esp the fried chicken) while I was more meh (fried chicken is not my thing, the other food options didn’t ring my bell), and the kids didn’t like it much at all and generally ate like $5-worth of food (and that’s a DISNEY $5) so it was painful to take the whole family.
We did, however, all enjoy the takeout counter food options and ability to more realistically get amounts we’d actually eat, but didn’t love having to schlep it somewhere else to eat it if we came during a visit when we weren’t actually staying at the Fort. This is pretty much a perfect solution for our purposes; spouse gets fried chicken, the rest of us get moderate amounts of whatever else we like, we can sit inside and eat in AC/without bugs flying around.
I have high hopes for this, and we will definitely be checking it out during our September visit!!
The only thing wrong with Trail’s End was that it was too small. The food, even the buffet before pandemic closure was good. The atmosphere was great. We really looked forward to coming to the campgrounds to enjoy a good meal and see some familiar faces from the wait staff. From Tom’s description this is not going to be an improvement but another loss in what made Disney World a special place to visit. Change for the sake of change is not always good, especially in this case.
I never dined at the previous Trail’s End Restaurant so I have nothing to compare it to, but I can say that seeing the image of the dining room immediately brought me back to my girl scout and field trial days. It definitely doesn’t look quirky, but it does a pretty good job of replicating that ‘camp dining hall’ feel while looking more…updated. Like…a place where one might actually pay to get food vs the ‘eh, at east I didn’t have to hunt or harvest this’ that I remember about camping.
We have stayed at the Fort Wilderness cabins for our annual vacation the last two years. Heading there again in a couple of weeks. We never ate at the Trails End Restaurant. I do remember hearing that the chef there made some truly epic allergy friendly meals for people who had allergies. If true, those magical moments were lost when the restaurant closed. We are looking forward to having a counter service restaurant at the resort this year and the new menu sounds good to us. Updated indoor seating also sounds like it will be positive. However, I feel, as many do, that the thing that makes Disney really stand out and resonate with people is the details and the theming. People, don’t usually know what they don’t know. So, they will accept a watered down version of theming in a restaurant or hotel and say that it was nice. However when given the opportunity to be in a highly themed environment with lots of details they will engage more deeply with their environment and come away having had a distinctly unique experience. Disney should not assume that their stellar reputation will continue if they keep compromising on the thing that sets them apart from other theme parks and resorts.
the chef you are referring to works at cape may cafe now i believe
Honestly — It looks like it’s still mostly the same restaurant, but with part of it broken into a “lounge”… and the servings change into counter-service. But similar menu, not dramatically refurbished interior.
I don’t see this really as a positive or a negative — Just a logistical change that for business reasons preferred counter service over sit-down.
It’s not a Carousel Coffee disaster. It’s a relatively low budget refresh of an existing restaurant turned counter-service.
I’ll go there; this would have been an okay basis of one of multiple counter service locations built elsewhere. (With that kind of wood paneling and orange highlights, I’m expecting a long, complicated Imagineered story about the 1970s.) It’s more obviously boring and generic when compared to older photos. More restaurants are needed, and there’s space at the Outpost (maybe the Meadow, too) for the eventual return of table service dining to Fort Wilderness. I just don’t buy that the eclectic nature of Trail’s End’s wall mounted miscellany had to be replaced while converting the location into table service restaurant. (Those wagon wheels were bought new from somewhere…) As Tom says, I want to see if they’ve managed to replicate the three-dimensionality with more than a single shelf.
As someone who’s been taking our kinds in the RV to Fort Wilderness two to three times a year since 2014, this article is exactly how I feel about it. I also own a seafood buffet in northwest Florida and can not understand why they didn’t bring it back when they reopened. The family style just wasn’t as good. I hope they didn’t trash all the cool decorations and they can sneak them back in later on.
my only visit to TE was with a friend in 2019 at your recommendation, Tom. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m heading in a month to WL and already have SH 71 and Sebastian’s booked. Sounds like I should put this on the radar. Thanks for a timely review and I look forward to hearing more, hopefully in the next couple of weeks, once it’s opened.
DVC member over here who absolutely loves, appreciates and prioritizes themed design and character in resorts!
This is where we started our visits to WDW and LOVED it. We’ve move to the Beach Club but still keep Fort Wilderness close to the heart. This remodel and menu look exciting to make another visit on our next visit.
When I walked into the Market at Ale & Compass at Yacht Club, I thought I had left Disney World. You asked how we feel about Trail’s End. I LOVED Trail’s End. Long before you wrote about the hidden gem I had been telling every WDW fan I knew about the great food for a great price that begins with a refreshing boat ride from MK to Fort Wilderness for lunch. So I was thrilled to see your article today and rushed through it for the opening date. I’ll be there and will let you know what I think after I’ve actually seen it. Right now, I’m ecstatic it’s reopened but remain skeptical that it retains it’s quaint rustic charm. Sitting at a picnic table on the porch, with fried chicken, mashed potatoes and a refillable mug in front of me you will have my answer.
I am planning to eat here in September. When I was growing up in 70’s- we would get pizza there that we can choose toppings abs all- glad they are being that back. We would eat those at the beach while swimming in the lake in early evening. Yes I know-scary thought how we used to swim in that lake!
My husband still talks about the make your own pizza from his early 80s days. Hard to believe that left such a lasting impression.
I also have fond memories of 80s the make your own pizza bar, listening to the various musicians play late into the night and my parents giving us quarters for the tiny arcade they stuck way in the back so they could finish their pizza and beer in peace, good times!
I just had dinner at the new and quite less than improved trails end restaurant! There was a time you would find local residents coming to trails end – celebration or just dinner! Now – just go to McDonald’s. Just about as good and cheaper! Very disappointed. I need to write a petition to Disney! This dinning experience is not a good one!! It’s better to take boat and go to dinner at any magic kingdom fast serve! Heart broken!!
I wish there would be more gluten-free, nut-free options…they are easily adaptable if we go to a table-service restaurant; but Disney is lacking counter-service options, and even then, there is the cross-contamination danger.
I’m an old die hard Ft wilderness fan –
My husband and I went to the Trails End every visit – this is just not sitting well with me. I want the old buffet with the best food back! Very disappointed and sad!
We had already decided to go to Crocket’s Tavern in September, so this is good timing. Looking forward to seeing the remodel.