A barbecue is a favorite activity at Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness Resort.

By HEIDI KNAPP RINELLA
Fort Myers News Press

The only sounds are those of birds and the occasional buzzing bee or dragonfly. The only color ­ OK, almost the only color ­ is green, thanks to the tall pines and cypresses and shorter palmettos and scrub. The pines lend their fragrance, too, which blends with wind-borne scents of bacon and coffee in the early morning, grilling meats in the evening.

The solitude is complete.

Well, at least until a bus rumbles by, which happens every 15 or 20 minutes from early in the morning to late at night.

But even so, it's hard to believe you're deep in the heart of Walt Disney World.

Surprising resort

Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, one of the most venerable parts of Walt Disney World, is also one of its most surprising.

Theme-park campgrounds tend to be concrete meadows, their vast expanses broken only by the occasional trash can.

Fort Wilderness couldn't be more of an exception.

It was developed with the original parts of Mickey's world more than 25 years ago, which means its trees have had time to grow tall. It also has the time-honored feel of the older parts of the World, the expansiveness that came easily when it seemed there always would be enough space for all who would someday come.

Purists will scoff, to be sure. Fort Wilderness is no Yellowstone (but then neither is Yellowstone anymore) and no great wilderness adventure. There's no primitive camping so beloved to many tenters. In fact, the only grassy camping spots are in the Creekside Meadow area for groups of 20 or more, and even then, a ''comfort station'' is nearby ­ no pit-digging here.

No, this is camping in the Disney tradition, which means convenience ­ just what most of us want these days. If you're looking for primitive, go backpack the Appalachian Trail.

Good draining

Fort Wilderness' sites have blacktop aprons but are otherwise sand and gravel.

They're well-drained, which is nice if you're in a tent, and flat, which comes in handy if you're trying to level a big rig.

Hookups are centralized and easy to find (and some include cable TV) and each site has a mostly underground covered trash can and a built-in grill.

Reservation clerks will ask about camping equipment in an effort to match it with the site. That way, the owner of a 35-foot RV won't suffer the frustration of trying to squeeze it onto a site better suited for a pop-up tent.

Best of all, each site is surrounded on three sides by dense vegetation, which in some cases means it is hard to spot a neighbor on the next site. And those handy comfort stations have tiled showers, lots of electrical outlets for hair dryers and adjacent laundry rooms.

Kathy Cleary of Tallahassee, Fla., a bona fide Disneyphile, says she enjoys the break from the theme parks that Fort Wilderness represents.

''The total dichotomy between the theme parks ­ the crowds, the standing in line ­ and the serenity, the tranquility'' of the campground, she says. ''It just recharges you.''

Animals also are frequently spotted in and around Fort Wilderness. Armadillos forage at night, and deer can sometimes be seen in the wooded outskirts at dusk.

Not just for camping

But Fort Wilderness' charms aren't only for the enjoyment of diehard campers. In addition to campsites, it offers ''wilderness homes,'' which are cabin-type setups, complete with kitchens.

They have all of the conveniences of rooms in any other Disney resort, which means TV and maid service, of course.

Guests who leave the breakfast dishes when they depart for the theme parks may be surprised on their return in the evening to find the maid has loaded and run the dishwasher.

Auto traffic is permitted only to and from sites; to get around Fort Wilderness' 750 acres, guests walk, bike or rent golf carts.

''We'd take our bikes and ride around,'' says Tom Nunn of Fort Myers, Fla., who used to take his family to Fort Wilderness frequently, visiting once a month for about 10 years. Frequent visitors often have their favorite campsite locations.

Buses are another Disney tradition.

They run throughout Fort Wilderness and connect it with the theme parks, water parks, resort hotels, golf courses, sports venues, restaurants and shops.

''You don't even have to move your car,'' Mr. Nunn says.

The buses even run to stops within the campground, such as Pioneer Hall, or ''convenience central.'' Pioneer Hall is the site of the long-running Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, one of the most popular Disney dinner shows. It's home to the Trail's End Buffet, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus pizza for dine-in or takeout. The nearby Settlement Trading Post has a deli, camping supplies and Disney souvenirs, as does the smaller Meadow Trading Post in another part of the campground.

Near Pioneer Hall, you can hop a hayride, hit the gaming arcade, visit the petting zoo, rent a boat or go to the beach.

The lake also is the site of the nightly electrical parade, which can be viewed from the shore.

There are walking trails, including a paved fitness trail with par-course stops.

And near the Meadow Trading Post there are nightly campfires, bike, rentals and canoe rentals. Oh, and there's horseback riding, too, in another part of Fort Wilderness.

Pool added later

Mr. Nunn has seen Fort Wilderness' changes. When it first opened, there was no pool, he says.

''We used to have to go the hotel and use their swimming pool,'' which wasn't a problem, since Disney's Contemporary Resort is just a short boat trip across the lake. Whenever possible, Mr. Nunn says, they took shuttle boats to travel around the World instead of buses.

Now, though, Fort Wilderness has two big pools.

''You can't beat Fort Wilderness for children,'' Ms. Cleary says. ''Of course, you've got cars dashing around'' to and from sites, ''but most of them are doing the slow speeds.''

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