tent camping question

[dindy]

Hi all....We've been visiting Fort Wilderness at least once a year for the past 5 or 6 years. We usually tow our trailer. I don't think my husband will be able to take the time off for a trip at Easter, but I still really want to take the kids.

Anyway, IF we go (and it's definitely still a big if) I thought we would tent camp instead. While I have towed the trailer myself with the kids locally, I don't really want to drive all the way to Florida with it. It adds so much $ for gas, wear and tear on the car, and definitely hours to our drive time!

We always stay in loop 100 (totally feels like home to us). But, do you think we would be better off in 1500/2000? My biggest worry is water. When it has rained, I've seen a couple of sites in the 100 loop that turn into a pond! I think we would still end up taking our bikes with us, so riding to the pool and other areas still wouldn't be too bad. Tent campers... which loops do you prefer?

 

[snowmedic]

I have stayed in the 1500 loop years ago, about 18 to be exact. Have stayed in the 2000 loop, kinda known as the Poltergeist loop now, for the past couple visits, and this trip, the family and I are here now, we are in the 1600 loop, a full hook up site. We have only been here for 2 nights so far and we have said that we would not go back to 2000 again. If you are able to come in during a early weekday instead of the weekend, that would make a big difference in which loop you get, 1500 or 2000. The full loops have a smaller area for a tent, but we made it work with a 17x12 and a 12x12 easy up, and is still within walking distance to the meadows pool.

 

[CottontailCurl4two]

We always tent camped and 1500 was our favorite but once switched it up to the 100 loop to be closer to the marina, store and restaurant. When I made our reservation I asked for a site near the comfort station and we got the first one to the right of the comfort station as you enter the 100 loop (I'm guessing 101?). This site was flat and a pretty good size since it is on the curve there, I don't think you'd have as much chance for flooding there as you would others in that loop. But if you've never stayed in the 1500 loop I think you'd have fun there, just a short walk across to most of the FW fun.

 

[CottontailCurl4two]

I have stayed in the 1500 loop years ago, about 18 to be exact. Have stayed in the 2000 loop, kinda known as the Poltergeist loop now,

Why is it known as the Poltergeist loop? I'm almost afraid to ask. Although it did scare us the one time we stayed there and they had just denuded it (cleared out all "non-native" vegetation). The kids went to the middle of the loop and started acting out the video to Michael Jackson's Earth Song.

 

[tltay2005]

We like the 2000 loop, further away from everything, makes it feel more like we are in the wilderness, but to each their own. We only had problems once with noisy neighbors and Disney compensated us for that night.

 

[dindy]

Thanks for the feedback. We love love love 100, but the kids favorite thing to do is swim at the pool... so it will definitely be a toss up!

Snowmedic, I like your set up.... I think I will get an easy up to go along with our tent as well.

 

[tiggerdad]

Why is it known as the Poltergeist loop? I'm almost afraid to ask. Although it did scare us the one time we stayed there and they had just denuded it (cleared out all "non-native" vegetation). The kids went to the middle of the loop and started acting out the video to Michael Jackson's Earth Song.

Last November Snowmedic was on the 2000 loop and I had just come in to the 1400 loop. I had gotten up early (like 0600) and walked all the way across the Fort to the 2000 loop. I'm telling you it was as quiet as a mouse all the way over there. Then, about 50 yards from the 2000 loop entrance I began hearing noise, and as I got closer, it got louder. When I stepped into the entrance of 2000, where you can look in front of you down the loop and to your left where it comes back around...there were kids everywhere. They were screaming, shouting, throwing stuff at each other. They had ramps of wood built in the middle of the road and jumping them with bikes and skateboards. There were bikes in the middle of the street, and no owners near them. The first thought that came to my head was the scene from Poltergeist when the dad opened the door to his daughter's room and all the toys were going all over the place and making tons of noise. Me and Snowmedic were joking about it and that name just kinda "stuck" that morning.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Question for you @snowmedic....and feel free to answer this after your trip...

And @tiggerdad since you stay in full/preferred/premium sites, how's the kid comradery in your neck of the woods?

I know last trip you were in the Poltergeist loop but you have also stayed in the 1500 loop correct? Now with this trip in the 1600 loop are your girls making friends and playing with the other kids in that loop? And if no, would this be something they wouldn't have done regardless of what loop your family stayed in?

How is the weekend noise level (a question best answered later in the trip I know) in the 1600 loop compared to the weekdays? I know weekends are busier and yes more noise but I think the noise level is even more so in the tent loops due to all the groups that tend to pile in one site on a Friday and crank up their karaoke tunes and then head out come Sunday. I don't think you get the "weekenders" as much in other loops but I could be wrong.

I really enjoyed the 1500 loop because my little ones really got a chance to hang out and play with the other kids and I think they would do that more so in a tent loop verses a RV loop. I just think this because our prior trip in the 1800 loop there were very very few kids in that loop and none playing outside their site and with others. But that could have just been a fluke plus it rained a great deal on the 2014 trip.

The downside for me with the 1500 was the noise level was a bit much on the weekends but maybe that is something I should just tolerate for sake of the kids enjoying meeting new friends.

 

[dindy]

@ilovedisneymm you actually bring up a good point about the kids and making friends, as well as tents. Loop 100 is generally completely full of trailers/rvs. I think when we go we've seen maybe 1 tent in the loop. Generally where ever we camp, our kids find other kids to play with... although not as much at our loop at disney... could be older couples... could also be that everyone is at the park. We would often go to the beach at night to watch the waterparade and fireworks, so that tended to be where they would meet up with other kids. They do spend a lot of the time at the 100 and 200 loops riding their bikes around a ton through, or shooting hoops at the basketball area right there... their tends to be some other kids at bball.

My kids might actually enjoy the 1500 loop more if it would be more lively and full of kids. Plus, we don't plan on hitting the parks everyday, so proximity to the pool would be great. However, if we got stuck in the 2000 loop, we would be totally disappointed. I love the fort bc of all of the "Disney noises" you hear there... being off by ourselves, in the quiet isn't what I really want when we are there. Prices are always crazy at Easter... staying in 1500 would save us $30 a night I think... which is a bonus.

Are the comfort stations packed in 1500 since everyone is in tents/pop-ups? Loop 100s aren't too bad since everyone is in trailers.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

@dindy While I do like some of the Disney's noise like the buses, boat whistle, light parade and fireworks from both MK & Epcot, I can stand to do with out drunk 10 pm karaoke tunes But really, while camping at Disney if that is my biggest issue then I would say were doing pretty good.

The comfort station are pretty busy between 8am - 10 am and then again 8pm - 10pm but other than that not to bad. We rise early while tent camping, just can't sleep in while there so a shower at 6:30 works for me Plus we are rope drop almost always people.

We will be spending two weeks down time at the fort with two weeks at the parks so we will most likely do the 1500 loop again. Coming down through the week in January should get us that loop (fingers crossed) and if not we will just go with any loop other than the 2000.

Last year towards the end of our trip the kids were calling our site home. They would meet a new kid and tell them "My name is Grace and this is Daniel and we live down on 1509, come down and play with us."

After a while, it starts to feel like home.

 

[dindy]

ilovedisneymm thanks for the info on the comfort stations. I tend to wake up really early when we are there as well. Mornings at the Fort are one of my most favorite times of the day.

After being there for 2 weeks I would imagine it would definitely feel like home. Being a teacher, my only longer breaks are over the summer (and not even the full summer). Our hope is to spend a couple weeks down there in August one of these years.... as long as we don't end up getting rid of our TT. Tent camping... in August... in Fl... not sure if I can go there.

 

[amcc]

@dindy While I do like some of the Disney's noise like the buses, boat whistle, light parade and fireworks from both MK & Epcot, I can stand to do with out drunk 10 pm karaoke tunes But really, while camping at Disney if that is my biggest issue then I would say were doing pretty good.

The comfort station are pretty busy between 8am - 10 am and then again 8pm - 10pm but other than that not to bad. We rise early while tent camping, just can't sleep in while there so a shower at 6:30 works for me Plus we are rope drop almost always people.

We will be spending two weeks down time at the fort with two weeks at the parks so we will most likely do the 1500 loop again. Coming down through the week in January should get us that loop (fingers crossed) and if not we will just go with any loop other than the 2000.

Last year towards the end of our trip the kids were calling our site home. They would meet a new kid and tell them "My name is Grace and this is Daniel and we live down on 1509, come down and play with us."

After a while, it starts to feel like home.

We stayed in 2000 last Spring Break and while the location wasn't my favorite, it did have some positives: the group camping bathrooms are accessible when the group camping area is being used so that was convenient to our site and that whole side of the loop (plus they have regular height toilets while the loop toilets are higher). The group camping area also has lots of sports areas so my kids were constantly participating in pickup basketball, volleyball, or tetherball. I'm hoping to get 1500 for New Years but I'm not going to worry about it this time since I hear that 2000 has slightly bigger sites and we will have a small popup plus a tent.

I love the location of 1600, 1700, 1800, and 1900 but they are a bit quiet. We often camp in the summer so we've found that since these loops are not tents, people tend to spend their down time indoors. Most days, we were the only people who cooked/ate outside or sat outside after dinner. These loops were harder for the kids to meet other kids.

 

[snowmedic]

I know last trip you were in the Poltergeist loop but you have also stayed in the 1500 loop correct? Now with this trip in the 1600 loop are your girls making friends and playing with the other kids in that loop? And if no, would this be something they wouldn't have done regardless of what loop your family stayed in?

How is the weekend noise level (a question best answered later in the trip I know) in the 1600 loop compared to the weekdays?

@disneymm, We have been here a week now and the 1600 loop, during the weekdays is a peaceful loop, about Thursday is when everyone started to show up, including the young but over 21's, they where up near the comfort station that is shared with the 1500 loop, so we couldn't really here them, except when they would go driving by in there golf carts, drinks in hand, honking and screaming until about 1 in the morning. Other than that, peaceful.
As for the girls making friends, there isn't that many young kids in the loop. My oldest could careless about making friends while she is here, and the youngest, she makes all her friends up at the pool and the waterpark. The youngest is 8 and she made friends with a girl, 13 from Alaska and a few others at the pool.
She really made friends with Tiggerdad's daughters, so much that she spent the first night they met with them.

We are in a site on the end of the 1600 loop, right when you turn in. The comfort station is shared with the 1700 loop, and is only 150' away, maybe.
Not sure how busy the 1500 comfort station was with sharing with 1600 also, but DW says that the during the weekdays getting a shower is fairly easy at any time of the morning, but the weekends would have to be before 7 or anytime after 10 A.M.