Menu

The Woman Who Refused to End Her 20 Year Long Disney Vacation: Where Is She Now?

Fort Wilderness Mystery
Credit: Disney, Canva

For millions of fans every year, vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort is an unbelievably magical experience. Disney vacations are special, and many wish they would never end. With magic, joy, and entertainment around every corner at Disney, it is easy to dream of living on Disney Resort property all the time.

Earlier this year, we reported on one miraculous woman who made this dream a reality. Thousands of readers were fascinated by her story, leaving one lingering question: what happened next?

Fort Wilderness Disney World Resort

Credit: Disney

An Eternal Disney Vacation

Located within Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is a haven for camping enthusiasts seeking a unique outdoor experience. Choosing to spend your vacation at Fort Wilderness campsites ensures an unforgettable stay filled with adventure, relaxation, and all the magic that Disney has to offer.

The campsites at Fort Wilderness are nestled in a serene and rustic setting, providing a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Surrounded by lush greenery and towering pine trees, campers are embraced by nature’s beauty and can truly appreciate the great outdoors. Whether you prefer pitching a tent, stay in a Fort Wilderness cabin, or bringing your RV, there is a campsite option to suit every camper’s needs.

One of the standout features of Fort Wilderness campsites is the premium meadow campsites. These spacious sites offer generous amounts of room, allowing families or larger groups to spread out and make themselves at home. With ample space for your RV, picnic table, and fire pit, you can relax and enjoy quality time with your loved ones in a comfortable and inviting environment.

For lovers of Disney Parks and the outdoors, Fort Wilderness is a paradise. With tent campsites costing between $76 and $105 a night and RV hookups ranging between $150 and $250, these accommodations tend to be some of the most affordable of Disney properties as well. This may have been one of the reasons why one woman chose this area as her selected home for twenty years.

Related: World Record Holder Reveals He Spent Over $100,000 While at This Disney Park

fort-wilderness

Credit: Disney

How One Woman Made Disney Her Home

The story goes a little something like this: One woman made Fort Wilderness her consistent home after continuing to rent out her RV site in Fort Wilderness Campground. To accomplish this, she continues to reserve the same campground continuously. Allegedly, this worked for around twenty years.

The reason that she was able to do this is because of the unique way in which the campsite’s front desk system works. At Fort Wilderness, it is common for campsite regulars to send gifts to the front desk staff in order to secure their favorite campsite. According to numerous sources, this woman’s relationship with the front desk staff is what allowed her to remain in the same campsite for so many years.

However, this woman’s dream vacation allegedly came to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic caused Disney to evict all of the current campers from the campsite. According to one source, this woman even tried to sue Disney, claiming that “she had rights to the spot based on how long she’s been there…” The full story goes as follows;

Reflections a Disney Lakeside Lodge

Credit: Disney

“My parents are regulars at fort wilderness – a woman has lived there pretty much constantly for the last 20 years. Shes had to get the reservations herself online for each stay and she pays the standard rate – no discounts for long stays. she’s actually a vacation planner so she used that to continuously book her stays for years (decades) thru busy times. And the front desk joins the reservations and moves other people so she can stay in her spot… Has only moved spots twice as far as I know. (Fun fact- My mom sends wine and gift baskets to the front desk annually to get the spot she wants at Christmas time! Disney is trying to hard to centralize everything and remove front desks…. So it’s getting harder 😭)

Back to the lady who lives there- she actually tried to sue disney to stay there when COVID happened. Said she had rights to the spot based on how long she’s been there…

The campgrounds are WILD. We’ve made friends with a lot of long time cast members over the years and the stories are crazy.

All that said- it’s the BEST resort!! I highly recommend renting an RV to anyone interested in trying. Don’t forget the golf cart. My parent still go regularly with two dogs and two cats! Disney with pets is the best.

Also. Shout out the all time best cast members there. They are above and beyond incredible”

Comment
byu/lipmanz from discussion
inWaltDisneyWorld

How Disney Manages to Adapt After This Incident

Now, only one question remains: Where is she now? While the fate of this specific woman remains a mystery, there have been significant changes to Disney’s Campsite following this situation.

For one, guests are only able to reserve a theme park room or an RV or tent camping spot for 30 days. While technically, they can still stack their reservations, Disney’s team is apparently less lenient on letting guests stay in the same spot. Another change that has come is that Disney is beginning to try to centralize their reservation system, which would mean removing front desks at resorts. If this change were implemented, it would be significantly more difficult to pull off a stunt like she did.

Lastly, Disney has introduced new ways to live on Disney property without staying at a Resort. Living communities like Disney Golden Oak and the upcoming Cotino property will allow guests to maintain a permanent residence on Disney land.

About Eva Miller

Eva was born and raised in the beautiful state of Oregon but has since relocated and lives in New York City. Since she was young, Eva has loved to perform in musicals, especially Disney ones! Through performing, Disney’s music became the soundtrack of her childhood. Today, Eva loves to write about all the exciting happenings for the Walt Disney Company. In her free time, Eva loves to travel, spend time in nature, and go to Broadway shows. Her favorite Disney movie is 'Lilo and Stitch,' and her favorite Park is Disney's Animal Kingdom.