Welcome back guest author Melissa Sue Sorrells Galley with another guest review! This time she takes us to the Meadow Pool Bar at Fort Wilderness. And I love the awesome extra look around Fort Wilderness in this review — Yee-haw!

Deep in the winding wilderness, there’s an oasis of family fun waiting for you at the Meadow Recreation Area. Located near the center of Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, the Recreation Area is themed like a real old-fashioned swimming hole, with rustic wood touches; lots of open, grassy spaces; and stone-work details. It feels like an upscale summer camp … with very well-appointed bathrooms!

Atmosphere

As you enter the Recreation Area, the Meadow Snack Bar—our stop for an afternoon cocktail—is on your right. The area reminded me less of the Disney pool bars I’ve become accustomed to and more like the snack bar at the public pool near my childhood home. There were no televisions, no large, open bar and no bar-style seating.

Here, you order and receive your items at the counter, then find a place to eat. There is plenty of seating nearby, including picnic tables and smaller tables shaded by umbrellas.

Eats

The Snack Bar serves a very limited drink menu — much less than your standard pool bar — but it also serves full meals and smaller refreshments. Many are covered on the Disney Dining Plan using snack or quick service credits.

We wanted to try the Chicken Waldorf Salad Flatbread, but we were still full from a truly wonderful meal at Trail’s End, so we ordered two margaritas and headed toward the pool to relax.

To my dismay (and delight), I’d had this exact drink at home. The margaritas come straight from a bottle—the same bottle I drink at home! It was, however, delicious — and served on the rocks just the way I like it. In addition to six different types of beer, the Bar also serves frozen piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris.

While we sipped under an umbrella, my husband and I put our feet up and let the breezy afternoon wash over us. At around 2 p.m. on a Sunday, the Recreation Area was hopping, and the pool area was lively.

A Quick Peek at Fort Wilderness

In addition to the full-size and kiddie pools, the Recreation Area also has a hot tub (a “spa,” in Disney-speak) as well as a playground, Daniel Boone’s Wilderness Arcade, volleyball and tennis courts, and lots of grassy fields. We watched a game of softball and two families playing Frisbee.

It has the air of a large family gathering, and it’s a great place to while away an afternoon.

In addition to the offerings located within the Recreation Area, Fort Wilderness offers a variety of fun and exciting amenities just a short walk away.

At the Bike Barn, a two-minute walk from the Recreation Area, you can rent bikes, canoes and kayaks for use on the waterways throughout the resort. Archery classes, currently offered Thursday-Sunday, are also available behind the Bike Barn; and we saw several groups fishing in the waterways just outside the Recreation Area.

In the opposite direction, you’ll find the stage for the Campfire Sing-A-Long, where Chip ’n’ Dale present classic Disney movies and lead guests in a sing along several nights each week. Doctor Terminus’ Medicine Cart (a great Pete’s Dragon reference) is the backside of the stage for the Campfire Sing-A-Long with Chip ‘n’ Dale, a two-minute walk from the Meadow Recreation Area.

And, if you keep walking for ten minutes back toward Bay Lake, you’ll come to Tri-Circle-D Farm and Ranch.

Tri-Circle-D is home to the Percheron and Belgian draft horses that pull the street cars down Main Street in Magic Kingdom. During the day, you can meet some of the horses and your little ones can enjoy a pony ride. There’s also a genuine, working blacksmith’s shop here. It’s a delightful diversion and a great way to end a relaxing afternoon at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, especially if you plan to depart via boat to the Magic Kingdom.

Though you’ll likely never catch me sleeping in a tent in Disney World, I’ll definitely be back to Fort Wilderness for the delicious delights and easy atmosphere.

What’s your favorite pool bar in Disney World, and what do you order there? Let us know in the comments below!

Melissa Sue Sorrells Galley works in higher education communications in upstate New York, where she lives with her husband, Robert, and her cavapoo, George. She’s is the co-editor of Mouse on the Mind.