Things are constantly changing in Disney World, which was part of Walt’s plan for his parks.
Most recently, we saw the closure of a ride to be re-themed into a NEW ride, we’ve seen new rides getting ready to open, and we’ve seen construction on new restaurants. However, one Disney World restaurant is set to close so that it can be re-imagined into a different kind of dining spot. Now we have an idea of WHEN that restaurant could close.
Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is set to close this spring for a refurbishment. The restaurant will reopen later this year with some big changes. It will no longer offer table service, but will instead be “a marketplace concept with expanded quick service options.”
The restaurant currently serves family-style meals for breakfast and dinner (before Disney World’s closure, it was a buffet). It sounds like that will no longer be the case after its refurbishment. Disney has not shared a closing date for the restaurant yet, but after looking at the Disney World website, we may know when that will be.
When we initially published this post, according to the Disney World website, Trail’s End was previously showing that it was closed on Monday, April 17th (note the restaurant is already usually closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). HOWEVER…
… upon checking again at a later date (March 25th), we are now seeing hours through May 7th, 2023.Â
No further hours are displayed starting May 8th, 2023.Â
We spoke with a Cast Member, however, they were unable to confirm the restaurant’s closing date as it hasn’t been officially shared by Disney yet. We’ll keep an eye on it, though, and let you know when we have an official closing date.
In the meantime, it might be good to have a backup plan for food if you’re staying at that resort after that date. You’ll still be able to grab food from The Chuck Wagon and P & J’s Southern Takeout, although another option is to take a boat over to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and grab some food there.
We’re all about Disney FOOD here at DFB. We even wrote the book on it! Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining in an ebook format you can easily download to your tablet or smartphone. Use code WDW2023 to save 25% on the cover price!
Here’s The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Will you be staying at Fort Wilderness soon? Will the Trail’s End closure affect your trip? Let us know in the comments!
Amy says
Just an FYI; we were staying at the Fort Wilderness Campground the last week of January/first week of February this year, and you can now only take a boat from the campground to the Magic Kingdom, not to the Fort Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary. You could however take a boat to the Magic Kingdom and then get on a different boat to the Lodge. I wish they had not changed this because we used to take the boat to the Lodge and Contemporary frequently to eat at the restaurants or shop at their stores.
Meli says
If they are going to do that they definitely need to reinstate the boat routes to Wilderness Lodge and Contemporary. I love staying in my camper but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to eat well! And I don’t like to drive every where either, just park and go. And riding the boats is a perk which makes the crazy high fees worth it.