Question for anyone staying Easter Weekend

I'm never able to book more than a month or so in advance, so I've yet to secure a camp site at Ft Wilderness due to people booking the tent sites to get the on-site perks.

I'm taking a friend for the first time and we can only afford to camp due to the rates that weekend, so unfortunately unless a camp site opens up we'll have to stay off site.

This may not even be possible (though I'm not sure why it wouldn't be), but I was wondering if anyone would like to split the cost for one night (March 25th). We would still camp offsite, not asking to crash the camp site with you. I have a site reserved at Lake Louisa State Park for 3 nights.

OR on the off chance someone has a dummy room reserved, I would love to actually camp at the Fort.

I've been checking Disney's site multiple times every day, hoping for something to open up. But so far, no luck. I'm guessing since so many book these just to get the EMH and early FP booking it's not likely they will cancel. Am I wasting my time checking?

Keep checking, I believe you have up to 5 days before reservation to cancel without penalty. I was able to get a certain time of year just by checking online constantly.

Keep checking. People book a year out hoping they will get to come, but then can't get off work, out of school, or become sick and cancel the week before. My sister never knows her husbands schedule till 7 days out and she always manages to get a site. You have to be deligent, she checks 5 or 6 times a day.

Thanks, that is encouraging. I'll keep checking. I wish there was a service available that notifies you like Touring Plans has for ADRs!

Yes, keep trying. Tltay2005 is right, I would try several times a day if possible. I believe that it is 7-10 days out is when the penalty kicks in if you cancel so people will drop. Let us know how it goes.

Roll tid...errr...I mean War ea...., uhh, Go SEC!

I understand why people book onsite sites for the perks but I hate how it affects the campground (maybe they should just require 2 nights minimum on the weekends at least). However, Easter weekend is in the middle of the very busy spring break time at the Fort so I don't think you can only blame offsiters for the lack of availability. We were there last spring break and it was more packed than summer or New Year's week. Try reserving for a week or more instead of just the weekend. That seems to trigger availability sometimes and you can always cancel. This last trick also creates false availability and is completely Disney's doing. I understand wanting people to book 10 days vs 3 days but if they person who wants 3 days tries to book earlier, then I feel they should be able to.

You might still be able to pick up the 25th if you are persistent.

Unfortunately for you, that is Good Friday and Easter weekend (and the week on either side of it) is the 2nd busiest time at the Fort/WDW other than Christmas-New Years. And it is priced as such.

MouseSavers shows a tent site for that date as about $115 which includes tax. If scarcity is being driven by off-site guests booking for perks, you should see some cancellations by them which creates availability for you. Why? Because these scalawags have learned that they can book one night, make their FP+ at 60 days, AND THEN CANCEL the one night to get their refund back but their FP+ reservations REMAIN. The only reason to keep the one-night is for Parking privleges or EMH. With parking at $20 per day IIRC, that $115 break-even is 6-days of parking. In the "Throw Away" thread that discusses this strategy on the DIS, a number of posters say they cancel once they are inside of 30 days of arrival. Once their "on property" Magic Bands have shipped at the 30 day mark, the only reason to eat the deposit is for parking and EMH. And some cancel if the break-even days aren't in their favor and/or they don't care about EMH.

I hope Disney updates their IT system (stop laughing, all of you!) to cancel FP+ reservations when an on-site room reservation is cancelled.

Other than the scalawags, locals (within a few hours drive) book a lot of spring and fall weekends well in advance (I would if I could) which makes weekends hard to get but weekdays somewhat easier.

Normal cancellations or changes have to be made before 5 days of arrival anyway or the deposit gets lost so there may be more cancellations/availability about a week before the 25th.

I've stayed at Lake Louisa and other than the drive back and forth, it's not bad for $25 a night.

Bama Ed

The throw away site works in the scallywags favor during slower times of the year when sites at the fort are double digits. It would seem during spring break that the value resorts might even be cheaper! I know I booked my trip well over 6 months ago and none of the current discounts running apply to the fort.

Our Class C has been in the shop since we returned home from spending our Christmas break at the Fort (it's always something!). If it's not back to us soon we'll have to cancel our reservation and stay in an off site hotel (Disney doesn't offer much in terms of "value" stays for families of 5, which is why we LOVE camping at the Fort).

Right now we have a preferred site booked from March 24-28. It's more expensive than a tent site, though ($155/night). I can PM you if you are interested in it if we have to cancel. Otherwise I'll be giving notice here before I call to cancel (which hopefully I won't) so someone can try to grab it if they want it.