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Grab your marshmallows and singing voices! This fun sing-along with Chip n’ Dale is the perfect way to spend the evening. The best part is it’s free!
Free things to do at Disney
Lately, costs are on the hearts and minds of just about every Walt Disney World resort guest. While long-time fans of the park want to hold onto the magic, it can be frustrating when prices continue to climb and the extras that make Disney the Most Magical Place on Earth continue to dwindle.
While some major benefits like complimentary Magic Bands and FastPass+ have vanished, there are still a few freebies out there.
Activities like Kidcot, Wilderness Explorers, Frontierland shooting arcade, and movies on the lawn are all activities that are still free at Disney World. Here are some more examples of things that are free.
Chip n’ Dale Sing-along
Fort Wilderness is really the hidden gem of Disney World resorts. The resort is home to some of the most unique lodging accommodations, endless recreational activities, and the coolest campfire experience!
As you may know, the resorts have a nightly campfire with roasting sticks and marshmallows. This is usually accompanied with the movie that plays each evening. However, Fort Wilderness takes this campfire experience up 100 notches!
Every evening, there is the traditional campfire and movie. But, on select evenings of the week, you and your family can roast marshmallows and sing some fun campfire songs before the movie takes place. Chip n’ Dale and a fun host come out and play some old-fashioned family tunes.
It’s also the only campfire/movie area on property with dedicated benches! You can also bring your camping chairs for a more comfortable experience.
How to make the most of the sing-along: check the schedule
Of course, you can show up to the campfire without any pre-planning required. However, like anything with Disney World, it pays to do your research. This experience can be so much better with just a little pre-planning.
First, be sure to check the schedule for the campfire sing-along. Campfire games, the traditional campfire, and a movie will play every night. But, the campfire sing-along with Chip n’ Dale only takes place on select evenings. My (Monica) family was there in July, and it only went on Wednesday-Sunday at 8:00 pm. During slower seasons, it may occur even less than that.
Pirate tip: the schedule is always posted around Fort Wilderness.
How to make the most of the sing-along: bring your own supplies
One thing that is different about Fort Wilderness is that they do not provide complimentary roasting sticks and marshmallows for the campfire experience like other resorts do. I assume that’s because campers usually have plenty of these on hand. Plus, this experience brings a lot of people in, and Disney would go through quite a few supplies each evening.
S’mores kits and other supplies available to purchase at the resort, but they can get quite pricey. You definitely should bring your own supplies to the campfire sing-along! We also brought baby wipes and paper plates to make the process a bit easier.
My family also took this opportunity to hand out some “pixie dust” bags (with stamps, bubble wands, stickers, and glow-in-the-dark bracelets) while families were waiting for the show to start. The other kids loved receiving them, and we loved giving them!
Pirate tip: the campfire is right next to the Meadows Swimming pool, so bring your refillable mugs to enjoy a beverage with your s’mores!
How to make the most of the sing-along: Disney has you covered in some areas
Fort Wilderness is 750 acres of the beautiful outdoors. And, what’s part of the beautiful outdoors? Bugs!
Bug spray should be one of the top things on your packing list if you are staying at The Fort, and you definitely need it at the campfire sing-along! But, if you forget, that’s okay too.
OFF! provided complimentary bug repellant wipes during the campfire sing-along. A Cast Member will be there to hand them out, but just know they won’t give them out to children.
There is also an ice cream truck there near the theater in case you want something other than s’mores or you forget your supplies. Do note this is a third-party vendor, and one may not be there every night.
How to make the most of the sing-along: participate!
My family got there about 30 minutes early to get a seat, roast the s’mores, and pass out our pixie dust bags before the sing-along even started. That’s because we wanted to fully participate in the sing-along and not be distracted with other things!
The host comes out and introduces himself, and then a few minutes later Chip n’ Dale join him. They sing a few songs, and then Chip n’ Dale take a short break while the host sings more songs.
They come out again towards the end for a few more songs. The sing-along lasts about 30 minutes and plenty of old-fashioned campfire songs are played. I did not hear any Disney songs, but that’s ok! The campers had fun singing and dancing along!
After the sing-along ends, Chip n’ Dale will meet with Guests for a few minutes. It’s more of an informal meet and greet, but I have also heard that Chip n’ Dale come out before the sing-along. That was not the case on the night I visited.
Final Thoughts
Recreational activities are unlimited at Fort Wilderness. On top of the entertainment options like the campfire sing-along and Hoop-Dee-Doo, you can ride ponies and horses, take a wagon or sleigh ride, fish, canoe, kayak, and ride bicycles.
The sing-along is a fun experience as well as being the only free activity at the resorts that has regular character interactions! Even if you are not staying at The Fort, you can participate in this activity. You can either take the boat from Magic Kingdom or the blue route coming from Bay Lake resorts to the marina, or take a Disney bus/uber to the front of the resort.
Then, take the internal bus to the Meadows Recreation Area. You could make an entire evening of it by dining at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and then heading over for the campfire games, sing-along, and movie!
Have you ever done this free campfire sing-along with Chip n’ Dale? Did you enjoy the experience? Let us know in the comments below. And, be sure to share this post with someone who may want to see it!
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