Trail’s End Restaurant

My husband and I ended up at the Trail’s End Restaurant on a weeknight. We hadn’t been to Trail’s End before but had been to Hoop De Doo several times. The food served at Trail’s End is an extension of the food served at Hoop De Doo.
It’s a buffet. Plan on making reservations, especially during dinner in the busy season. You can often times get reservations same-​day. (We made our reservations an hour and a half before.) We make our way to the check in and find a family being turned away because all the reservations were full. Interestingly, there were some empty tables inside. (Reservations may have canceled or were running late.)
The restaurant itself is set up interestingly. There’s one buffet up a small set of stairs. There are some tables on that level, and there are some tables on the main floor by the bar. I didn’t see any ADA compliant ramps anywhere, but they may have been hidden in another place. We sat in a table awkwardly in the middle of the room. The table next to us was made up of badly behaved children.
Non-​alcoholic beverages are included with the buffet. There’s a pretty extensive drink list if you’re in the mood for a drink after the parks. I enjoyed the food for the most part. We sampled pretty much everything. The chili was pretty good. They also have a soup of the day, which was clam chowder. The fried chicken was quite delicious. I really enjoyed their strawberry dessert.
While we had a good experience overall, we probably won’t be back. There’s other better dining experiences on Disney property that we’d rather go back to now that we’ve been to Trail’s End.
Menu:
TIPS:
— Accepts the Tables in Wonderland discount.
— Make reservations.
— Avoid if you’re wanting something healthier.

Had dinner at Trails End yesterday. Food was delicious, though my husband said everything was a bit salty. Ribs were super yummy, fall-​off-​the-​bone. I wished they had a bit more variety, but I’m just being picky. I was happy to see they had pizza, for my son who isn’t into ribs and salmon and any type of meat really. The dessert bar was fantastic. Lots of options there. Our waiter Robby was super nice and very funny. Keeping with the Fort Wilderness theme, they restaurant itself is beautiful and rustic. We loved it! We came for my husbands birthday dinner and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I can’t wait to go back for breakfast buffet. I read all-​you-​care-​to-​eat eggs Benedict and I was sold! We’ll definitely be going back for more.

This location is a very solid 3.5 based on a variety of reasons. Cost and simplicity take the forefront when trying to understand this buffet. The cost of this place for dinner is much less than say Ohana or crystal palace or even Tusker house. The variety on the buffet is also much less. They have a lot of basics that a majority of people like, such as Mac and cheese, chicken, ribs, cakes, brownies and ice cream. The first time I went, I wasn’t sure what to expect but overall we enjoyed ourselves. The food tasted good and our bellies were left satisfied. Do I think this place is the best? No, but for the cost and variety I think it’s a pretty good budget buffet for Disney standards especially because the cost here is usually much less than the other aforementioned places. I’m sure we will be back again soon. Also, best way to get here is by boat from magic kingdom, follow signs for hop Dee doo and trails end restaurant. :-)

I’ve been coming here for years now and I am never disappointed with this place. Great guest service, great food, great prices, peaceful location, and always a wonderful meal. I only ate here for dinner, so I can’t review breakfast or lunch. Dinner is worth visiting.
The restaurant is located in the far back of the campground. You must park and a take a bus to get back here. Don’t worry, no parking fees or bus ride fees on Disney transportation. You can take any «color» bus to get to the restaurant. Do give yourself a lot of extra time if you have dining reservations.
I love the location because it does have that wilderness feeling to it. Dinner is a buffet that offers: BBQ ribs, fried chicken, mac & cheese, green beans, pasta, brisket, baked potato, salmon, corn, pizza, salad, cocktail shrimp, and a wide selection of fresh deserts.
There is so much to enjoy, but we have a certain amount of room in our stomachs. To me, this is a hidden restaurant gem at WDW. I do not think a lot of people know about this restaurant. The food is the same as the Hoop-​De-​Doo-​Musical Revue from next door. I’ve seen that show about 3 times now. Worth visiting at least once.
I do highly recommend dining here if you are visiting or a local. You should not be disappointed with this restaurant. The cast here is extremely wonderful and attentive.

Trail’s End is easily one of our favorite places to eat at Disney and we stop here almost every trip. It’s also convenient since we typically stay in the Fort Wilderness cabins. It’s all you can eat, which makes the price totally worth it. They have a nice salad bar and a great selection of meats and desserts. Not to mention the cornbread with the honey butter is to die for! We also love the friendly laid back atmosphere! Typically it is not difficult to get a reservation here, and we have even been able to walk up and get a table on several occasions.

I chose Trail’s End as a Father-​Daughter dinner based on the fact that both of us love ribs, and We skipped lunch because it was going to be our big dinner night. Reservations are highly recommended. I arrived by boat early so I had a chance to walk around and smell all that great barbecue smell that was everywhere.
We were pretty excited when we got in, but were a little disappointed after digging into our meal from the buffet. Considering the cost, the ribs were dry and the buffet table (with two identical sides for efficiency) was not kept stocked. The potatoes were good, but the slaw was average. The barbecue sauce was just average as well.
Overall, I probability won’t make an effort to go there again, plenty of other places to try. A lot of people seemed to enjoy it — maybe we just had really high expectations. One thing is for sure, you don’t go away hungry though.

My favorite breakfast at Disney World! Great food! It’s one of those hidden restaurants that everyone needs to know about, it’s not overly priced either.

We went here with a party of 8 during New Years. Very limited selection of food and definitely not worth the price. This place is probably good for a campground crowd in some small town, but doesn’t deserve the Disney label. Absolutely terrible experience.
And who puts gold fish crackers in the Mac and cheese? Although, the corn bread was good.
I could find a better dinner at a KFC. The best item we had was the tin can bottle of bud light bottle.

It was my first time trying here and it lives up to the southern home cooking as everything I tried reminded me of my southern grandma’s cooking. This is a place and would definitely return to on a trip to Walt Disney World. Had Lee as our server and his southern hospitality was amazing. The downside is if you don’t have a car, getting here could take some time.

Let me begin by saying Reservations are useless! I have been waiting 47 minutes and still have not been seated. More than half of the tables are empty and the Breakfast is buffet style… yet I’m still waiting outside. Why do I need to wait for a table when soooo many are empty???

It’s a really small restaurant with a camp dining hall feel. If you want a more entertaining dining experience, consider the revue next door. There’s a lot of pretty good choices and for the price, you can’t really beat it. There’s is better food elsewhere on property, yes, but if you want a value, this is definitely a great option. There’s a lot of options for picky eaters, too.
The service was great, as well. We got caught up on the ferry from Magic Kingdom and ended up being 30 minutes late to our reservation. They were able to accommodate with only a short wait. Our server Serena was incredibly kind and quick to attend to drink refills, etc.
tl;dr: If you prioritize value over quality, this is a great place to go.

Best food we have ever eaten on Disney property!!!
We are annual pass holders, so as you can imagine we come to Disney ALOT. This was our first time at Trails End. Our kids were hungry, so we were planning on ordering takeout as we thought this restaurant was a buffet and we are not really fans of buffets. Apparently it’s only a buffet for breakfast and dinner.
For lunch I had the fried chicken and waffles. It consisted of two waffles and 4 fried chicken strips in a Rosemary maple syrup. OMG it was a plate of heaven! The flavor and presentation was perfection! My husband had the chicken friend steak. It came with a side of mashed potatoes and buttered peas. He loved every bite. Our son had a pulled pork sandwich with fries. It was huge!
We were all very pleased with our meals and will be going back.
Forgot to mention, our server «Hadi» was amazing, he never let our glasses empty and made sure our children loved their food.

Came here for the dinner buffet and I enjoyed it. Almost like a smaller version of a famous buffet we all should know about. It is a bit smaller, however the choices are good. Cornbread, fried chicken, steak, ribs, baked beans, salad, desserts. All really good to me. I got a few plates (since I was driving back home that night by myself). The desserts were good. It looked dry but was really moist. I would most likely come here too.

TO ALL BREAKFAST LOVERS NEAR AND FAR. YOUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED.
TRAILS END EXISTS.
All I can say is YES. This is by far my favorite place to eat breakfast at Disney. No other breakfast place can compare for me. It’s cheaper than most places (which my wallet thanks me for) and the food makes me sing Zip-​a-​Dee-​Doo-​Dah all the way to Splash Mountain.
The food variety is extremely large. You have your pastries, Mickey waffles (very important food group), bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, and I could go on and on. It’s a great balance of both quantity AND quality.
Also try the moon shine, it’s delicious. (…and juice. It’s juice not alcohol)
Service is excellent as to be expected at a Disney establishment, so the experience is just all around 5 stars. I’d give a 6 if possible!

We ate here for the first time for dinner. We had a reservation for 8 but when we checked in we had to wait about 20 minutes. We were seated right next to the bar. I noticed that the restaurant was very small. It is a buffet with «all you care to enjoy». I read some other reviews saying it’s the best on Disney property but I have to disagree immensely. There was not a huge selection of food in fact it was very small. A few salads, fried chicken and ribs which had very little meat, Mac and cheese and pasta and then a carving station with Ham and very dry brisket. There was also some veggies. It was very at home southern type cooking. They also had dessert including ice cream and bread pudding.
The main issue was the two cooks I saw working were not doing a good job keeping the food stocked. It really just amazed me because there was not much to pick from. Our waiter was polite but never filled our drinks and he kept skipping right past our table for us to ask. I was very annoyed.
I thought it was decent for the price but definitely not the best on Disney property. I have eaten at a lot of other Disney buffets and this food I just thought I could make at home. I wasn’t impressed.

Trail’s End Restaurant is a good meal. Good enough to be worthy of 3 stars, but I cannot give them 4 stars and even less 5 stars. Maybe because during the same week we went to both Trail’s End and also did Hoop-​Dee Doo and I have to see Hoop-​Dee Doo’s food kicks the pants out of Trail’s End Restaurant. Of course, there is a different price tag all together, but if this is Disney and both places are serving ribs, fried chicken with the usual corn, mashed potatoes and cornbread shouldn’t the food be the same?
We are averaging at the fort about twice a year and if Trail’s End Restaurant’s food was the same — not better just the same — as Hoop-​Dee Doo, I would be having their buffet for dinner EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.
Now, I am not saying the food is bad. It’s good food, it’s just not good enough to make me want to eat there every night. Maybe someone will read and take notes…
I do give this place an A for convenience at the campground. It is nice to have multiple food options at the fort. I just wish it was a little bit more magical being Disney and all.
I hope to be back at the fort soon!

I take my breakfast VERY seriously and I am not kidding, I would give this place a 6 out of 5 stars. It’s buffet style and is very casual. Trails End has changed my life!
On the weekdays, it’s easy to get a table but if you’re going on the weekend, make a reservation! The service is Disney trained so of course they’re amazing. But let’s talk about the food for a second…
The buffet begins with some fruits and yogurts with granola and other healthy dishes for the vegan or vegetarian. But then… the heavens open up and the spirit of God descended like a dove on the Mickey Mouse shaped waffles (some plain, some have chocolate chips), maple syrup, maple pecan syrup, breakfast pizza with peppers, tomatoes, eggs, and cheese. There’s scrambled eggs and then one of my favorites, PULLED PORK EGG BENEDICT. It is mind blowing. There’s your basic bacon, sausage, cheese grits, biscuits, bagels, cinnamon rolls and cereal.
It is not your normal buffet. You will forever remember Trails End. If you’re in Orlando or you’re going to Disney, you HAVE to get breakfast here. You will not be dissappointed.

I blame every extra pound I’m toting on this place! Seriously, I lack any-​and-​all willpower with regard to this buffet. I wish I had some sort of food governor but sadly, I’m defenseless.
As others have noted, you’ll find the best breakfast and dinner buffet on Disney property, right here.
Whenever my wife and I hit Disney for vacation we always swear we’re only going to have the buffet ONCE. It never works out that way. We ate here 3 times in 6 days during our last visit and I’m still processing the shame…
Go ahead and go, you’ll understand. The atmosphere here is relaxed with a frontier theme. I’ve posted a ton of pics for you below so you’ll know exactly what to expect. Not as manic as the character buffets and the food is twice as good! Averages about 25.00 per person.
Thank me later;-)
–Neil
NOTE: See that little link over to the left that says, «follow this reviewer?» Yes, click that if you’d like to see more of my Disney reviews in the future;-)

Wow! I know they say come for the ribs, but man, I’m telling you to try the fried chicken.
On our last night in Orlando before heading back north, our friends who live next to Disney, got us all reservations at Ft. Wilderness Campground’s Trail’s End Restaurant.
We came at it in a roundabout fashion too. Park at Ft. Wilderness Lodge, ride the boat across to the Ft. Wilderness Campground (I didn’t even know that existed), walk through the campground to Trail’s End, and after ride a boat to the Magic Kingdom, watch the fireworks, ride another boat back to Ft. Wilderness Lodge, retrieve car and go home. Lather, rinse, repeat. All I can say is I’m glad I wasn’t in charge of the logistics that night!
So anyway… we had a reservation at Trail’s End for 7:20, but the boat was late so we arrived closer to 7:40. We rushed up to the hostess stand, but she calmly said they were backed up, gave us a beeper and we ended up getting seated closer to 8, crisis averted.
As soon as we were seated, our waiter instructed the newcomers (my boyfriend and me) how Trail’s End works: it’s a giant buffet: get a plate, pile on food, go back and get a new plate, til you can’t hold anymore.
Trail’s End fits in perfectly with the rest of the Ft. Wilderness campground: it resembles a rowdy, boisterous log cabin inside and out. People are always bustling around, it’s noisy, high energy and utterly charming and rustic all at the same time.
What a buffet it was too: ribs, fried chicken, beef brisket, green beans, two kinds of mac’n’cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, salmon, a full salad bar and soups. Then there’s the dessert table: chocolate chip cookies, apple cobbler, bread pudding, chocolate bundt cake, lemon pound cake, cheesecake bars, red velvet cake and a soft serve ice cream machine to top it off with gummy bear toppings. Dang!
Knowing the ribs and chicken were the real gems of this buffet, I loaded up my plate with a bit of both, some brisket, salad, a little mac’n’cheese (one kind had Goldfish crackers in it!) and headed back to the table. It was fantastic — like I said up top, my favorite part was actually the fried chicken (the ribs were a little saucy for my liking), but everything tasted very good.
My second (and final) round up to the buffet was strictly dessert. I always want to try a little bit of everything and that’s exactly what I did, taking small portions of everything. In all honesty, my favorite dessert may have been the chocolate chip cookies, in the end. Plain and simple, but they were just really well made.
We were all stuffed by the time everyone had made a second round, then we dashed off to get to the Magic Kingdom for the fireworks at 9 PM. Talk about eating and running.
Trail’s End was a great place for a hearty meal though, and it was fun to see the Ft. Wilderness Campgrounds, which I’ve never seen before. This was a great choice.

Best breakfast on property, hands down!
It’s a buffet, but nothing feels or tastes buffetish, the eggs are moist and fresh, every time I’ve been here, the eggs were good. Bacon, crisp, thick cut.
Best non-​homemade sausage gravy I ever had.
They set up cast-​iron skillets of pecan cinnamon rolls that can fill you up alone.
and finally Mickey waffles, when at disney must have mickey waffles!