After our amazing experience at Hoop Dee Doo Revue, we were looking forward to returning for a meal at Trails End restaurant, the other one of the Fort Wilderness restaurants.
Trails End is located right next door to Pioneer Hall. Our visit was pre Covid when the buffet service was operational. Hopefully this will return in the future, but there are changes to how your food is served currently as described below.
Trails End restaurant is now closed for refurbishment – Due to open in a different format in Summer 2023
How To Get To Trails End Restaurant
You can access Fort Wilderness Resort via car and travelling on the internal resort bus to Trails End restaurant. Alternatively you can take the boat from Magic Kingdom across to Fort Wilderness.
This will bring you out right near Trails End restaurant, Pioneer Hall, the playground and a huge Fort Wilderness map. Handy if you’re wanting to check out the huge resort.
The weather was questionable during the afternoon we visited, so we made the decision to take the boat over from Magic Kingdom early again. This was the right idea as no sooner had we settled ourselves under the balcony enjoying our drink, a massive thunder storm arrived.
We were watching people get off the boats soaked, whilst we were cosy and dry.
Trails End Restaurant Buffet Layout
Trails End restaurant is one of the least expensive Walt Disney World buffets. It also has the bar for all to use at the front, and the quick service area tucked into the end of the restaurant.
It felt a little disjointed, especially when we were eating our meals with resort guests trying to sit down around us. They had their quick service food orders, to be told they couldn’t stay as it was for table service guests only.
You may also like to read – Best Buffet Restaurants at Disney World
The size of Trails End restaurant however is huge. There are two levels in the restaurant making it perhaps appear bigger than it is. We had a seat very close to the buffet and far away from the bar area.
This suited us really well as we didn’t have far to walk each time we wanted more food.
What’s Different At Trails End Restaurant In 2022
There are some differences to how food is served since the restaurant reopened. Meals are now be served family style to your table in skillets.
“All-you-care-to-enjoy skillets featuring pecan-smoked brisket, rotisserie chicken, andouille, fingerling potatoes, corn on the cob and green beans. And before you bid us happy trails, be sure to try our covered-wagon sundae—featuring a wagon-load of ice cream, brownies, cookies and chocolate-covered bacon.“
Trails End Restaurant Menu Choices
Our reservation time was for dinner time, but when we checked in a little early we were told they weren’t busy. This meant we could be seated immediately. I had researched before arriving and learned that Trails End restaurant is one of the less popular restaurants at Disney World.
If you want a buffet option then Trails End is one of the best buffets at Disney World in terms of value for money. The menu choices are also very similar to Hoop Dee Doo Revue next door.
The buffet area was small in comparison to some of the character meal restaurants we have previously visited such as Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. However there was a good variety of foods on offer including the amazing fried chicken and ribs.
The buffet area was laid out well with salads, breads and sauces. This was before moving onto the fried chicken, ribs and then the carvery station. We also found plenty of different vegetable choices on offer with mashed potatoes, fried and jacket potatoes. You certainly wouldn’t go hungry.
If you wish to look at the allergy friendly menus at Trails End restaurant, perhaps if you’re gluten free. There is a allergy friendly skillet which includes Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, and Soy Allergies.
Trails End Restaurant Theming
I was impressed with the theming of the restaurant, and the cast members were fitting with the theme as well. Unfortunately for us, our server just didn’t seem interested in working that day. I hope it was a one off, but it did ruin the experience for us a little.
And Finally Thoughts On Fort Wilderness Trails End Restaurant
We all found the food to be good quality and we certainly didn’t leave hungry by any means. The hot chocolate was also a lovely change to the drinks on offer, as I think we were all getting a little tired of fountain drinks at this point.
Perhaps if we hadn’t had such an amazing experience at Hoop Dee Doo Revue the day before, our experience of Trails End restaurant may have been a little more positive. We didn’t stay too long after our meal and chose to return to Caribbean Beach Resort to see what movie was playing.
Additional Disney Word Restaurant Reviews include –
- Storybook Dining
- Rose And Crown Pub
- Whispering Canyon Cafe
- 50’s Prime Time Cafe
- Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Crystal Palace Restaurant
- Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’
- Garden Grill
- Yak And Yeti
- Hollywood & Vine
- Ohana
- Rainforest Cafe
- Tusker House
- Via Napoli
- Hoop Dee Doo Revue
Check out our Walt Disney World resource page for plenty more tips and tricks
That sounds wonderful. What lovely photos and I hope to visit there one day xx
The Wilderness Lodge is one of the few Disney Hotels we have not visited yet. I used to love booking the restaurants in the hotels so we could see all the amazing theming in each different hotel. Will definitely try Wilderness Lodge for a meal when we hopefully return one day x
We went to Trials End restaurant once for breakfast a few years back and decided to give it a try for dinner. Once you find a place to park at the front part of the campground, you have to get a bus back to the restaurant. We have seated right away. Dinner is a buffet and the food is rather good.
The one downsize is, the place where the buffet is located is not that large. It creates some back-ups in line. This is also located near Hoop de Doo and if you do not time it right, you have the larger crowds outside waiting to get into Hoop.
After eating I would suggest walking across to the trading post. You can also catch a boat to MK if you wish to have breakfast or lunch here.
It looks very interesting! If I visit here with my family, that must be nice. It looks like a perfect place. We need to relax and enjoy our time with our family.