Today we are venturing into the wilderness to dine at the newly reimagined Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Earlier this year, we got the sad news that this fan-favorite dining location was closing and becoming a quick-service marketplace restaurant. Many Disney fans voiced their concerns and shared memories they made there on family vacations. Trail’s End finally reopened on July 27th, 2023, while we were at the first day of the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
We came here on its second day of being open, and I was stoked to try all the food and see if it was the same quality or even better. Before we get into the food, let’s talk about the interior because they did change it up and make it look a bit cleaner and a dash more modern.
Honestly, I am not a fan of how they changed up the grab-and-go area. It feels very empty, but the seating area still maintains that lovely cozy feeling Trail’s End Restaurant has always had.
Entrees
I ordered the Fort Wilderness Vegetable Burger ($11.99) for my entree and got a side of Cowboy Baked Beans. The burger was pretty basic but overall tasted great. I wish the balsamic onions on the burger had pulled through more because I barely tasted them. The patty tastes very reminiscent of a Beyond burger. I wish they would’ve made an actual vegetable burger instead of using a basic patty, but I do love Beyond burgers, so I can’t complain.
I really wanted to love the beans, Craig and Ryno enjoyed them, but I wasn’t convinced. Now let me explain. I grew up eating sweet baked beans. My dad would throw a dash of cinnamon in there, a drop of maple syrup, and a splash of Jack Daniels. The beans served here have a tomato base, and on the ingredients, they list that there’s also chipotle BBQ sauce in there. I like them, but they weren’t my favorite. The best part is that I took home my leftovers and added a little cinnamon and a splash of sweet BBQ sauce, which made them perfect.
Craig and Ryno ordered two slices of pizza, one of the new Smokehouse Brisket Pizza and the new Vegetable Pizza. Craig wasn’t very impressed with the crust, but Ryno thought it was decent. The slices were huge, and the price varied depending on which pizza you got, but you could pay between $8.79 to $9.79 for a hefty serving.
They also ordered the Fried Chicken 2-piece Meal ($10.49) with cornbread, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes with gravy. While they devoured the meal, I asked the chef if there was any dairy in the breading of the chicken. He told me there wasn’t and brought me a drumstick to try since all the pieces on the plate were touching the buttery mashed potatoes. The chicken was great. The breading was cooked perfectly, and the seasoning was on point. I highly recommend ordering the chicken. Craig and Ryno agree.
Desserts
Before Trail’s End Restaurant closed, they had a plant-based dessert that I loved, and I’m happy to see that it survived the refurbishment. The Lemon-Blueberry Trifle ($5.99) is made with plant-based lemon curd and blueberries topped with whipped “cream” and is delicious. It’s a nice treat to end your meal on, and if I were staying at this resort, I would end each long park day with one of these tart treats.
Craig got the Strawberry Shortcake ($5.99) that can be had over at Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. He said it’s just as great, but there’s something different about having it while watching the show. If you love the show but can’t always get a reservation and are craving the Strawberry Shortcake, you should definitely order it here.
Ryno arguably got the best dessert out of all of this. He got the PB&J cupcake, and it was love at first bite. He said it was the best cupcake he had ever had and was blown away by the flavors. The jelly filling had the perfect amount to compliment the cake and frosting. He was truly speechless, and so was Craig. When you make it to Trail’s End Restaurant, you definitely need to order this cupcake.
Final Thoughts
I miss the buffet dearly, but I think they did a great job with this marketplace concept. The grab-and-go section is excellent for families that eat at their campsites or cabin and makes dining a bit easier. I am so happy they kept some of the fan favorites and added some new menu items. I can’t wait to come back and try some other food items like the green beans, the vegetable sandwich in the grab-and-go cooler, and maybe even the ribs one day. We all enjoyed our food and experience here at the newly reimagined Trail’s End Restaurant.
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