Is FW the Best Campground Ever? [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

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Tent Camping Mom

11-09-2007, 10:38 AM

It's time for another poll! Since a couple of people on another thread said that FW is not the best campground ever, then I'm very curious as to what is and why. Since smack-dab-in-the-middle of the Amazon jungle isn't considered a campground, then I chose Yes, FW is the best campground ever.

If you choose "no" then let us know what you consider the best campground ever and why. This should be an actual campground that you have actually camped in.

SteveS

11-09-2007, 10:40 AM

I vote a BIG YES

TheGreatGonzo

11-09-2007, 10:46 AM

Disney World... What else do you need to say?

jonimce

11-09-2007, 10:58 AM

I voted yes but it's a close tie with our National Park campgrounds. They have the largest and most private camp sites.

Shannone1

11-09-2007, 11:22 AM

My favorite campground so far, is our home Resorts Of Distinction resort here in Michigan. Waldenwoods in Hartland. It's an ROD membership campground.

BIG sites...big enough for your camping unit and a couple of tents. There is a good mix of sunny and shady sites and when you get there, you pick whatever site you want. There are historical buildings (Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were good friends with the owners and spent much time here back in their day) which host events such as murder mystery dinners, holiday events, weddings, parties, etc. There is a lounge with a couple of tvs to watch games, ping pong, pool, and naturally- a bar ;) You always get free popcorn there too popcorn:: There is a nice beach on one of the cleanest little lakes in Michigan. The beach is raked out every morning, wooden beach chairs scattered around, and an ice cream shop right there. You can rent canoes, paddleboats and kayaks for about $4 an hour. You can also take out small fishing boats...no more than 10hp. The sunset over the lake is really pretty. They also have kid activities every day, wagon rides, a pool and hot tub, horse shoes and a playground. The people are all extremely nice. You are allowed to bring your golf carts...we do when we are spending more than a few days at a time. But you are also allowed to drive your car around the campground too. You are allowed to have campfires onsite too. There is a beautiful golf course next door if you are into that. There is a small fishing pond for the kids where they can try to catch fish, frogs or snakes. My son loves it.

It is so laid back and comfortable there. You feel like you are in another era. There is also a 3.5 mile walking path around the lake. It's a good hike too...hills,different terrains, etc. And there are several cabins available to rent. My girlfriends and I rent the A frame a couple of times a year for girls weekends away.

I'm not saying it is "perfect" because there are things I would like to see improved. But if you put it right next to FW and it had a boat to MK and Epcot...it would be a tough decision. Here are a few pictures from this past summer...

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l196/Shannone1/IMG_4843.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l196/Shannone1/IMG_4790.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l196/Shannone1/IMG_2743.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l196/Shannone1/CopyofIMG_3119.jpg

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l196/Shannone1/IMG_1460.jpg

BigDaddyRog

11-09-2007, 11:51 AM

Thats a great lookin camp ground. Louisiana has some very nice state parks with rather large spots for the RVers, but they usually have the tent sites well away from the rv sites, and most parks have actual primative camp sites that you can only get to by boat....thats for the "roughing it" crowd. We lways rent cabins, which are beautifully clean, remote, and 99% are waterfront...and needless to say, the fishing in LA is always rewarding. Its nice to wake up, step out on the rear deck and toss a line into the lake from your patio furniture while wearing pajamas and slippers!! Not ALL of them are that close to the water, but none of them require much of a stroll to dangle your feet in some of La's clearest lake waters. At Lake Fausse, I tied a steak to some 20lb line and pulled in a gator with my kids, which was alot of fun till I got it up to the pier off of our deck and realized it probably wouldnt be a good idea to pull him up ot the deck with us..."Well, now that I have him, what the heck do I do with him?" so I just let the line go and figured he would pass the fishing line within a day or so....the next evening he was back looking for more steak...no strings attached!!! Me and the DDs talk about that everytime we go fishing now. If don't spend some of your life making memories, you wont have anything to try to remember when Alzhiemers sets in!!!
Anyway...We DO have some beautiful State Parks here.....but I think the FORT has some unbeatable charms, and the magic of being at WDW just seems to make even my "I hate my Dad" 16 yr old DD come a little closer together.

Rhonda

11-09-2007, 12:04 PM

You need another choice that says "Sometimes". LOL

It depends on what I'm in the mood for! There are times when I'd would not want to be anyplace else than FW!

But, then there's times when a National Park Campground up in Northern Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters area, sounds wonderful!! In the middle of nature, nobody else around! :goodvibes

goofyjoe

11-09-2007, 12:31 PM

The Fort is in a catagory all by itself, for my wife and I it just doesn't get any better. However, there is this great camp resort we stayed at in Tuscon AZ...they had hot tubs at each of the sites (premium sites of course).

ntsammy5

11-09-2007, 12:50 PM

I'm kind of mixed on this one. FW is great, but for real camping it doesn't rank high. I will post some pictures of places I've camped this year when I get home because I can't do that from work. Actually I can't even see pictures that are linked to public sites because those are blocked here. good thing they don't block DIS. I might have to do some real work, but that's another story.

loveDmouse

11-09-2007, 01:11 PM

I voted YES! Fort Wilderness is great. It is in a group of its own though. JMHO
It is hard to compare it with a regular campground. I am sure there are some wonderful National Parks and other places to camp that are awesome in their own way. We love the little campground we go to for our close to home weekend trips.

as dreamers do

11-09-2007, 01:32 PM

I voted YES. Camping and Disney World: a winning combination if I ever heard one. :thumbsup2

christinou

11-09-2007, 01:56 PM

I actually voted no, I love FW and love Disney, but as far as just camping goes, there are other places that I think are better. I have gone to great state parks in the Thousand Island region of New York state that I think are just amazing.
I think that it all depends on what I am in the mood for.

lawnspecialties

11-09-2007, 02:07 PM

I voted yes, but I believe there are better ones out there. I just haven't been to one, yet.

For one thing, we are going to Ocean Lakes in Myrtle Beach next week. They have an indoor pool where my boys will spend most of the their time. Fort doesn't have that.

But on the other hand, I haven't been to too many campgrounds that have a nightly movie, campfire sing-a-long, Hoop-de-doo Revue, and the cleanest bathhouses ever.

We4mickey

11-09-2007, 02:30 PM

I voted yes, but that is solely based on the amenities. I love our state parks, however, they are impossible to get into. Worse than the fort. I can only think of one campground that even comes close as far as bathrooms go. They are lacking though in alot of the other things the fort has to offer. We compare every campground to FW.

kimluvswdw

11-09-2007, 03:38 PM

Put a yes down for me. Fort Wildrness is so much more than just a campground.

Us3

11-09-2007, 05:38 PM

I vote yes because it's "Disney's Campground". There are other campgrounds that I probably like better for other reasons....but there is NO other campground that you can catch a boat to MK!! So I vote YES! ;)

CCIntrigue

11-10-2007, 06:57 AM

Since I'm one of the few people on this board who have recently expressed disappointment with Fort Wilderness, I thought I'd take the time to explain myself. I voted no for several reasons. However, I'm just considering the campground itself without the attached parks/resort. Would I drive 650 miles to stay at FW just for the campground? Absolutely not. Will I drive that far to stay at WDW? Any day of the week!

The absolute best campground we've stayed at, IMHO, is Outdoor Resorts at Port St. Lucie, Florida. Here's one of my favorite sites there:

http://i179.photobucket.com/albums/w293/CCIntrigue/Forweb-indsite.jpg

We also like Ocean Lakes at Myrtle Beach and try to go there 3-4 times a year. We appreciate that we can reserve a specific site and adjust our travel to get the site we really want. Also all sites are pull through.

Outdoor Resorts at Hilton Head is really nice. And there's another great campground at Ft. Pierce - Treasure Coast.

As for Fort Wilderness, my main complaints are the size of the sites and the narrowness of the roads, both making entry and exit difficult. Last year we couldn't comfortably walk around the outside of the MH because the site was too narrow and steep from side to side. We couldn't extend our awning because a tree was in the way. It didn't matter, anyway, because there was no way we could have sat under it. We had to watch our step just getting out of the MH and walking to the street.

I do think that one's perspective of the Fort has a lot to do with your concept of "real" camping, your age, whether you're traveling with children, and other factors such as whether you need to use the bathhouses. When we were younger, traveling with kids, had a 32' TT and no dog, we always stayed in the preferred loops (requested 100 and usually got it). Little difficulty getting onto our site, loved the convenience. Back then the Fort was lusher and better manicured. Once you got situated on the site you didn't see or hear anyone else on any side. An absolute oasis amid all the frenzy. Swimming was allowed in Bay Lake, and River Country was open.

Now it's just the two of us and the dog, plus usually kids/grandkids visit us for a few days while we're there. We've never used the bathhouses, never been to the movies or the sing-a-long, never been in any of the pools. FW holds no amenities for us other than the transportation system and the proximity to the parks. We just want a nice spot to park the MH.

That being said, we're scheduled to go down in December and I can't wait! We've requested loop 1600. It seems to be flatter and more easily maneuverable than 1900, where we were last year. It may change my perspective of the fort.

ldubberly

11-11-2007, 08:32 AM

[FONT="Book Antiqua"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkOrchid"]My favorite campground so far, is our home Resorts Of Distinction resort here in Michigan. Waldenwoods in Hartland. It's an ROD membership campground.

But Michigan is SOOOOOOO cold!!:sick:

DaddyDon

11-11-2007, 10:15 AM

Tent Camping Mom

11-11-2007, 03:31 PM

If I was doing the parks everyday then I wouldn't camp at FW, I'd stay at a a value resort. I guess everyone has their reasons for camping but I find the more we camp at the Fort the less we do the parks. We love the amenities at the Fort. We always do the horseback riding, campfire program, recently added the Segway tour, hiking and biking the trails, Sea Racer, canoe, wagon ride, and not to forget the looping. That's just skimming the surface. Oh, and the coquina sand pads are the best!

So yes, we drive the 630 miles just to camp at the Fort. This last month we camped for 9 days and only went to the parks 2 of those 9.

goofyjoe

11-11-2007, 04:06 PM

The Fort is also turning out to be kind of a "value" campground in the immediate area. Last week we has reservations for Sunday through Wednesday. At the last minute we decided to come down a day earlier but couldn't get into the Fort. We decided to stay at Tropical Palms which cost us $23 more. It wasn't any cheaper at the KOA on 192. Just abother good reason to stay at the Fort.

snowwhite17

11-11-2007, 10:28 PM

A huge YES for me...I grew up at Fort Wilderness!!!:cheer2:

bradisgoofy

11-12-2007, 07:28 AM

:eek: OMG, I'm supposed to use the motorhome at other campgrounds????? I didn't know there were any! :scratchin

Yes, we would drive 1300 miles just to stay at FW. And if we lived closer we would do it more then once a year. :love:

ftwildernessguy

11-12-2007, 10:20 AM

Sadly, I voted no. I have seen a steady decline in the Fort over the years. Like some of the others who voted no, if FW were in a different location, I would not travel the more than 900 miles I do to get there. Staying at FW allows me to travel to Disney with my dog. The real allure is Disney and Florida. The last couple of visits, I have even considered looking into other campgrounds in the area. The situation with weekend warriors and Disney's lack of enforcement of their rules is a contributing factor.

Camping Cat

11-12-2007, 12:53 PM

I voted yes because even though there may have been a decline in FW over the years, it's still the best campground I've ever stayed in and it has some perks that I feel just can't be beat. The campfire and movie, Chip and Dale, Electrical Water Pageant, boat to MK, themed trading posts, Trail's End, the Sea Raycers, etc. Also, I feel very safe on Disney property and in FW in particular. All of these add up to a fantastic camping experience for us.

Just out of curiosity, would those of you who voted no feel the same way if River Country was still in operation. And another question....what if River Country were a perk of staying in the campground and not an extra charge. I know it's only wishful thinking on my part, but wouldn't that definitely add to FW's appeal?

my3princes

11-12-2007, 10:20 PM

I voted yes because if it weren't I'm sure we wouldn't drive the 1400 miles to get there. That being said we have a favorite local campground too.

http://www.sugarridgervpark.com/

Colson39

11-13-2007, 09:22 AM

But, then there's times when a National Park Campground up in Northern Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters area, sounds wonderful!! In the middle of nature, nobody else around!

Uhmm, Rhonda, what exactly are you doing in the middle of nature when there is no one else around??? ;)

I voted yes, but it's kind of a loaded question, because there are other campgrounds out there that are better in other areas than the Fort is. But if I had to just choose one campground, it would have to be the Fort (of course because it's surrounded by Disney ;) ).

To me I see the Fort getting better and better every year, so every year I look forward to something new. I felt that the Fort was declining in the late 90's, but I really feel like they're starting to reinvent it.

ftwildernessguy

11-13-2007, 09:36 AM

. I felt that the Fort was declining in the late 90's, but I really feel like they're starting to reinvent it.

I'll agree with you there, especially with the clearing they are doing now. It looks much better. And the comfort station rehabs look great. I liked what they did with the Settlement trading post, too.

Colson39

11-13-2007, 10:03 AM

Yea, for a long time you rarely saw any work being done anywhere in the Fort, so I'm glad that they are being more pro-active now. Of course, this also means that they could not do anymore after they finish this round of refurbishments, guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Rhonda

11-13-2007, 12:18 PM

Uhmm, Rhonda, what exactly are you doing in the middle of nature when there is no one else around??? ;)

Well, I can tell you one thing for sure....I'm NOT on my computer reading posts from you guys!!! :rolleyes:

DaddyDon

11-13-2007, 03:43 PM

Well, I can tell you one thing for sure....I'm NOT on my computer reading posts from you guys!!! :rolleyes:

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

Buzzcut

11-13-2007, 07:06 PM

FW is my favorite place. Its definitely my happy place and I love being there. My first trip there was with the entire family for Christmas of '75 and every time we go there it brings back a lot of happy memories. FW to us is more than just a CG, IMHO :love:

Thumper_ehhhhh

11-15-2007, 05:29 AM

We rate all camp grounds to the fort. None have matched but a few have come a 8.5 out of 10 close.