recommendation needed for campground near disney

[tlh0726]

Anyone have any recommendations for a campground near disney? We always were able to snag a AAA discount. Finding it very hard to justify site price and fuel cost versus driving the car, hotel, and no cooking.

 

[peg110]

Maybe I am missing the question here, but are you saying you cannot justify the "Fort Wilderness" costs?

Other campgrounds can be found at https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=orlando+florida+campgrounds&rflfq=1&tbm=lcl


Not sure where you are coming from but we come from Northeast PA and for our family of 4, it's cheaper to bring the camper down 1000+ miles then to fly. In some cases it's also quicker. (We flew once. When coupling the time you have to arrive early with the delay we faced, we spent a full day either in the airport on either end or in the air itself. Not a pretty time)

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Fort Wilderness is a campground near Disney The saving was what 15% 20% ??? I don't know but what I do know is that I would find away to save that missing discount cost somewhere, cut back on something or garage sale something. But I couldn't come all the way to Disney and then camp offsite.

 

[bama_ed]

Tina,

Places near WDW that get mentioned at times are:

Tropical Palms in Kissimmee - http://www.tropicalpalmsresortfl.com/

Kissimmee KOA - http://koa.com/campgrounds/kissimmee/

Thousand Trails - http://www.thousandtrails.com/florida/orlando-rv-resort/

Lake Louisa State Park - http://www.reserveamerica.com/campi...roundDetails.do?contractCode=FL&parkId=281108

The last two places are in Clermont on Highway 27 west of Disney and it's about 30 minutes to the MK. The two Kissimmee locations are closer. I've stayed at Lake Louisa twice. I use it the night before I get to the Fort so I can check in at the Fort early the next morning. It's a basic state park. Thousand Trails is a little more expensive but people have liked it. The Kissimmee ones are good and closer in but more expensive, naturally.

Keep in mind that if you stay off-site you'll have to pay to park at the theme parks and the going rate is $17 per car. So consider that extra expense when comparing the savings of staying off-site.

Good luck with what you decide.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

Finding it very hard to justify site price and fuel cost versus driving the car, hotel, and no cooking.

I think I understand where you're coming from.

The only place other than the Fort I have camped is Tropical Palms across I-4 in Kissimmee. It is an ok "urban" campground. It has been about 10 or 12 years since I stayed there, but it looks the same. I know there are some other cg's close that many others have stayed in.

I understand the economic side of the decision. I have a "Travel" spreadsheet that I constantly plug in the numbers to see where the price break is. Looks like you are in PA. You probably have a similar 1000 mile trip that I do from St Louis. Flying isn't usually cost effective for us, so it comes down to driving the car at 25 mpg or tow the 'house' down getting 10 mpg. Every time I do the math, staying at the Fort is generally pretty close to staying at a Value. The big deciding factor for us is the food. We typically eat nearly all breakfasts at the camper and 2-3 of the dinners for the week. I figure that's at least a couple of hundred dollars.

So, the food pushes us in the Fort direction whenever I do the math. That, and I don't get to stay at the Fort if I don't bring the camper. Honestly, I wouldn't consider staying off site. There are too many advantages (actual and perceived) staying on site. If the math doesn't work out to stay on site, I don't go to WDW that year. That's what I'm deciding now for 2016. I'll probably get a condo on the beach again and save the $1000+. In 2017, my DS graduates HS. Pretty sure we are going to do a Disney Cruise (first cruise ever) for his graduation and possibly add a stay at the Fort and WDW after. That will eat up a lot of $$$.

j

 

[tlh0726]

Thanks for the replies. We have done the trip several times from south central pa in the motorhome, car and flying. About 15 hours in the car with fuel cost of less than $100 each way. It really makes it hard to justify flight costs for 4 and taking the motorhome at 13mpg. We normally got a preferred site for around 85 a night. Seeing the current prices, yikes!

 

[peg110]

About 15 hours in the car with fuel cost of less than $100 each way.

.
Wow. I wish I could make it in 15 hours. With breaks, (fuel, food and bathroom) and about a 6 hour (or so) nap in the middle (It's nice to have a camper), it takes us the better part of about 20 - 24 hours to get there. And a $100.00 of fuel (each way) would be AWESOME. Now, granted, with the camper I get not so great mileage, but I am at about $350-$400 each way. Even at that, it's still cheaper then flying for us. If flying out of the Local Airport (AVP) we have little if any direct flights so we have to do change over in Philadelphia plus the price for that short hop is an additional couple of $100 for our family of 4 (sometimes 5). If we drive to Philadelphia to save the $$ we then have to spend it on Gas to Philadelphia PLUS long term parking, and while it's cheaper, it's still more $$$ then driving all the way. (with all things considered).

 

[Napria]

I think I understand where you're coming from.

The only place other than the Fort I have camped is Tropical Palms across I-4 in Kissimmee.
j

Yep, we stayed there 10 - 12 years ago too. It was fine, but it wasn't Disney.

Honestly, I wouldn't consider staying off site. There are too many advantages (actual and perceived) staying on site. If the math doesn't work out to stay on site, I don't go to WDW that year. That's what I'm deciding now for 2016. I'll probably get a condo on the beach again and save the $1000+. In 2017, my DS graduates HS. Pretty sure we are going to do a Disney Cruise (first cruise ever) for his graduation and possibly add a stay at the Fort and WDW after. That will eat up a lot of $$$.
j

We are in the same situation with my daughter this year, but the expense of college is keeping us to just spending a week at the Fort in April. I've calculated it will cost us $3500 - $4000 for that week (campsite, park tix, gas, dining, golf cart rental.). But it'll be our last time as a family to do this. My daughter is going to Japan for college and doesn't plan to return for at least 5 years.

 

[PaHunter]

Yep, we stayed there 10 - 12 years ago too. It was fine, but it wasn't Disney.



We are in the same situation with my daughter this year, but the expense of college is keeping us to just spending a week at the Fort in April. I've calculated it will cost us $3500 - $4000 for that week (campsite, park tix, gas, dining, golf cart rental.). But it'll be our last time as a family to do this. My daughter is going to Japan for college and doesn't plan to return for at least 5 years.

Japan is awesome, wish I could afford to go back there on vacation.

 

[tlh0726]

Yep, we stayed there 10 - 12 years ago too. It was fine, but it wasn't Disney.



We are in the same situation with my daughter this year, but the expense of college is keeping us to just spending a week at the Fort in April. I've calculated it will cost us $3500 - $4000 for that week (campsite, park tix, gas, dining, golf cart rental.). But it'll be our last time as a family to do this. My daughter is going to Japan for college and doesn't plan to return for at least 5 years.

Congrats to your daughter. What an awesome experience for her.

 

[tlh0726]

102 for tent, 128 for full, 138 for preferred and 143 for premium not including taxes. DH will not complain about campground/amenity fees again.

 

[North of Mouse]

102 for tent, 128 for full, 138 for preferred and 143 for premium not including taxes. DH will not complain about campground/amenity fees again.

Location, location, location - sometimes it's priceless!!! We would not pay those prices anywhere else though.