The best place to camp in Florida? Disney World.

• The best place to camp in Florida? Disney World.
• Disney's Fort Wilderness campground has nice amenities as well as devotees who go every year.

One of the hottest camping destinations in Florida isn't a national park at all — it's Disney World.

Tucked away from the hustle of the Magic Kingdom is Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. At first glance, it feels like any old campsite — 750 acres of pine and cypress sprout from the ground and each guest has their own campsite with a charcoal grill and a picnic table. Campers smell the remnants of nearby fires and greenery and see the occasional turkey or deer alongside families in golf carts or riding bicycles.

But Disney's touch is everywhere. Most nights feature campfire sing-a-longs hosted by Chip 'n' Dale and outdoor screenings of Disney movies. Nearby, kids can ride ponies around the property or venture down the nearby 67-foot-long corkscrew waterslide. And, of course, you'll find Mickey Mouse heads hidden throughout the grounds.

In the tents, RVs, and cabins, you'll find an energetic community of campers who love what they affectionately call "The Fort," and who sometimes don't even bother visiting the famous nearby theme park at all.

To The Fort enthusiasts, spending thousands to camp at Disney is worth it

Fort Wilderness first opened in 1971, the same year Disney World did. Some of its most loyal campers have been there for decades, too.

And while camping at state parks in Florida can sometimes cost as little as $2.50 a night, those sites don't have what Disney does.

Debbie Neely, a mom of two who's been camping at The Fort for 25 years, spent years camping in national parks until she decided she wanted something less primitive that also had activities for her family.

"We were just looking for something fun to do with the kids in a safe environment and with clean bathrooms and Disney had it," she said.

At Fort Wilderness, camping is more like "glamping." Visitors can stay in tents, RVs, or mobile homes with access to comfort stations with showers and toilets. For the truly camping adverse, there are free-standing cabins with air conditioning and the campsites have electrical and TV hookups as well as Wi-Fi.

Campers typically spend around $99 and $186 per night to rent a tent or RV space at the Fort, or $400 to $800 for a cabin, depending on the season (to put that in perspective, the cost of nearby Disney resort hotels range from about $150 to over $1,200 per night).

The people Insider spoke to said their camping trips typically cost them thousands of dollars — but it's worth it so much that they've been coming back for years.

Tiffany Jones, a mother of four from Florida, who has camped at Fort Wilderness more than 20 times within 14 years, most recently spent about $1,000 for a four-day stay in December. She's camped at mountain ranges and state parks like the Smoky Mountain National Park but says Disney is worth the higher price.

"There's definitely no amenities like Disney. You're getting Disney, for one. Secondly, you have the beautiful bathrooms," Jones told Insider. "Plus, there's the campfire sing-a-long, the horse barn, and the restaurants — you don't get any of that at the state parks."

Jason Duncan, a Florida local who has camped at Fort Wilderness at least 60 times, said he typically spends around $2,500 for his and his family's trips, which includes tolls, food, and fuel — the price is worth it since he gets to bring his mobile home.

It's also good for anyone who wants to bring their pets. Brianna Furman, who's been camping with her husband at The Fort since 2018, told Insider that she has stayed at multiple other Disney resorts but none are pet-friendly like The Fort. For under $1,000, she can spend a week parked in her camper with her dog.

Although Disney World is steps away from the campground, it's not the draw

Most of the campers Insider spoke to don't even visit the parks much (if at all) when they camp at Fort Wilderness although Magic Kingdom is only a five-minute car ride or 15-minute boat ride away.

"You have no idea that you're actually literally at Disney," Furman said.

There's plenty to do around The Fort. When Brandi Puglise Vosberg, who's camped at Fort Wilderness more than 20 times, is there with her family, they often opt to stay at the campground and do archery, horseback riding, and pony rides.

"We enjoy going to The Fort at least twice a year, but it's usually about three, maybe four times a year, and we've done everything from RV to a tent, to a cabin," Vosberg shared.

The campground is also a way for some families to meet in the middle.

Duncan, who says he prefers vacationing in nature, can sit back while his teenage son and wife head to more crowded destinations.

"I'm kind of a country boy so I can take my family to a big city and still maintain. I don't go every place they go, I might not go to the parks, so I can still hang out and do my thing at the campground and feel like I'm in the woods and still be close," he said.

The Fort Wilderness camping community is very active both at The Fort and online

Duncan said that the campers at Fort Wilderness are part of a "definite community." One of his fondest memories is sitting with a beer cooler at 10 p.m. on the Disney property just talking to other campers.

Members of The Fort have a robust online presence with unofficial Facebook groups including "I Love Camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness" and "Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort Campground" with more than 56,000 members combined.

Using these pages, members welcome unofficial scavenger hunts and "chalking" sessions — when people post their site number to let others know they're open to receiving messages and sketches.

"I mean you forget your butter, you just put a post out. It's a good community. When you leave, if you have stuff left over, we typically leave it behind for a neighbor so it's nice," Vosberg said.

During the holiday season, people hang themed inflatables, lights, and other homemade and store-bought decorations as long as they meet Disney's regulations, and generally try to spruce up their campsites all year round.

"We have an outdoor grill, whatever fire pit they deem legal at the time, a pop-up tent for outside, and a putting over the top of the picnic table. We do the projection screen when we sit outside. I put the screen up and we watch sports, movies, and all that kind of stuff," said Duncan.

The campsite is filled with regulars, but the community welcomes newbies, too. Most campers Insider spoke to recommended Fort Wilderness for first-time campers especially since the campsite is so close to a big city and "kind of eases you in," said Jones.

Although Fort Wilderness has activities, food, and theme parks nearby, the people Insider spoke to said it's really the passionate community that makes the experience so unique and keeps them returning throughout the years.

As Furman put it, at The Fort, "You get that Disney magic."