Trails End is WDW's best kept secret

[seahawk7]

We love Trails End restaurant at Fort Wilderness. The lunch menu is great and has decent prices and they have a dinner buffet that is around 23 dollars (as of May 31) with a great selection of carved meats and fried chicken. Its accessible by bus but our favorite way to get there is by boat. Do you agree?

 

[disney4life2008]

Never been debating on August trip. How was the dinner buffet? Did they have catfish?

 

[zurgandfriend]

I agree it's a good buffet and nice atmosphere and yes the boat ride is the best way to get there. It's off the beaten path which is why, I believe, it's not better known.

 

[brifraz]

We are really looking forward to our first visit to Trail's End in just over a month.

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

That's good to know, I've heard this before. I wish we had more time to go there next trip.

 

[slappy magoo]

That's good to know, I've heard this before. I wish we had more time to go there next trip.

Don't know how long your trip is, but one "trick" is to go there on a day you're planning to spend the day at the MK. Instead of trying to grab a QS meal at Cosmic Ray's or inevitably waiting longer than your ADR to get seated st BOG or CRT, leave MK for a bit and take a boat over to FW. The Trail's End buffet is close to the dock. Chow down, fuel up, burp, then head back to the park

 

[disney4life2008]

Don't know how long your trip is, but one "trick" is to go there on a day you're planning to spend the day at the MK. Instead of trying to grab a QS meal at Cosmic Ray's or inevitably waiting longer than your ADR to get seated st BOG or CRT, leave MK for a bit and take a boat over to FW. The Trail's End buffet is close to the dock. Chow down, fuel up, burp, then head back to the park

I think i will plan just that.

 

[LizC]

I'm going to have to plan this for my next trip, as I have always found the food at MK to be subpar. Thanks!

 

[Paul jr]

sshhhh mum the word!!! We eat there at almost every trip. We rarely need to make advance resevation. The food is awesome, particularly the BBQ Rib. DW and I are in a quest to find the Trail End BBQ Sauce at home or at least one close enough.

The breakfast is also very good.

Some of the CM work here for many year and recognise us so we continue our chat of the last rip. (Hi Ken)

 

[sissa216]

We like it too, and have had plenty of luck going without an ADR (even with a group of 10)

 

[iluvMainStMagic]

We finally made it to Trial's End last Dec, and the question of the day was "why did it take us so long to come here?!" It's definitely on our radar for another visit now.

We also love the boats between MK and WL & Ft Wilderness. Since it's located closer to the boat docks than the main entrance at the "front" of the Campground, it seems (to me) to be the most efficient way to get there - though of course you have to catch the boat at MK, but you can take a bus from a resort or another park to MK (and there are no resort-to-resort buses). The best reason I can think of to take a bus to the Campground entrance, and then the Internal bus to the restaurant, is if it's a holiday, the Internal bus might take you by some of the campsites that are decorated for the holiday. I have never seen them in person...yet...but the pictures I've seen are amazing!!

 

[iluvMainStMagic]

Never been debating on August trip. How was the dinner buffet? Did they have catfish?

When we were there, it was for dinner. We thought there might not be quite as many choices as some of the other buffets, but there was Plenty of food, and it was all Good!! I don't remember seeing catfish, and I like it, so I think I would have tried it - but the menu does list "catch of the day" for the fish option, and I don't remember what it was that night.

If if helps, here is the menu from the Disney Food Blog site --- http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/trails-end-restaurant/ (sorry, don't know why it won't highlight) This doesn't say when it was last updated, but menu listings that I checked on some other sites were from late 2013 and said pretty much the same thing.

 

[DisneyJunkie]

Been there once because I'd heard a lot of good things, so we planned a breakfast buffet trip there. Sorry, we weren't at all impressed, not with the decor of the place nor with the food selection or quality. Wouldn't need to make another special trek over there again.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

I haven't been there for a couple years but it was really good and a good deal $$. Maybe I can convince hubby to go again, I will lure him with fried chicken!

 

[seahawk7]

Never been debating on August trip. How was the dinner buffet? Did they have catfish?

I don't know but they had cod at the buffet we were at.

 

[seahawk7]

sshhhh mum the word!!! We eat there at almost every trip. We rarely need to make advance resevation. The food is awesome, particularly the BBQ Rib. DW and I are in a quest to find the Trail End BBQ Sauce at home or at least one close enough.

The breakfast is also very good.

Some of the CM work here for many year and recognise us so we continue our chat of the last rip. (Hi Ken)

I did think not to post this thread simply for those reasons, but the staff gave me the go ahead to do so.

 

[piazza]

one of my favorites, great food and great staff. last time we went there we had a server named Kevin and he made the experience extra special, he was awesome!!

 

[tahqa]

Catfish is lunch only and lunch is ala-carte.

 

[Much-Pixie-Dust]

Thanks @seahawk7 for posting this. My family has never eaten here, but it looks like it would be right down our alley! Taking DH there for Father's Day.

 

[wdwmagic]

I'm the odd one out here, but not really a fan. The food is very basic and not really very interesting. There are better WDW buffets out there.