Am I crazy? tent camping questions

[TheGreatGonzo]

There are ice machines at all the comfort stations located outdoors at the end of the buildings by the ladies restroom. It's $2.00 per bag - quarters only. There are change machines in the laundries and an ice bag dispencer on the side of the building near the machine. The bag says 7 pounds on it but it usually fills it to the top which probably gives you 8 or 9 pounds of ice - more than the bags at the campground stores. I've even had them put out so much ice at some locations it overflows the bag. At those ones I learned to take a small to medium sized trash bag so I wouldn't loose any ice. I'm sure they make a killing on the ice since the dispencer is also an ice making machine which makes the actual cost almost nothing.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Thanks Gonzo.

 

[TomM]

You might not have to seal your tent. On most tents now the seams are taped at the factory...Eureka, North Face, Sierra Designs, so you don't have to worry about sealing the seams. However, I always seal the stitching on the corners. I have never sprayed a tent with protectant, you might want to check with the factory before you did that. I just retired a 15 year old Sierra Designs tent and never had any problem with leaking through the fabric. Eureka and LLBean make some great moderately priced tents the set up easily, weatherworthy and farily lightweight. There are some great backpacking tents that you could fly with easily....though they are small.
The finely crushed shell or stone or whatever it is in the campsites do stick to your shoes....I would just take off my shoes when going into the tent to keep from wearing the tent floor.
Tom

 

[camelotcats]

Thanks everyone!

DH showed me the tent and shelter he is thinking about getting me for my birthday in March. It may be an early present, lol. We have some air mattresses for company.

I hope you all had a great holiday! Thanks again!

-Angela

 

[PolynesianPixie]

Hi Angela,

I just found this thread~I've been camping at the Fort for the last week ! It's funny, I had to chuckle~I have been thinking of doing this exact same thing!!! I would LOVE a long weekend by myself in my favorite place on earth, what would be more relaxing (and cheaper) than pitching a tent? I'm with you, girl!

As far as safety goes? Maybe I'm naive, but I couldn't feel safer anywhere. The campground is well lit, but not enough to interfere with sleep. As for your shoe preference, the sand on the sites is a larger/heavier grain than beach sand so it won't stick and get into your shoes like regular sand. Sandals would be fine.

The only other tip I have for you is to request the 1500 loop. There are only 2 tent loops (2000 is the other one), and 1500 is a better location, being close to the Meadow Trading Post.

Have a wonderful time and let us all know how it went when you get back!

~Ami

 

[camelotcats]

Hi Angela,

I just found this thread~I've been camping at the Fort for the last week ! It's funny, I had to chuckle~I have been thinking of doing this exact same thing!!! I would LOVE a long weekend by myself in my favorite place on earth, what would be more relaxing (and cheaper) than pitching a tent? I'm with you, girl!

As far as safety goes? Maybe I'm naive, but I couldn't feel safer anywhere. The campground is well lit, but not enough to interfere with sleep. As for your shoe preference, the sand on the sites is a larger/heavier grain than beach sand so it won't stick and get into your shoes like regular sand. Sandals would be fine.

The only other tip I have for you is to request the 1500 loop. There are only 2 tent loops (2000 is the other one), and 1500 is a better location, being close to the Meadow Trading Post.

Have a wonderful time and let us all know how it went when you get back!

~Ami

HI!! : THanks for the advice! I'm very excited, I'm sure I won't be able to contain myself when I return!

 

[rebecca06261]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who's going to make this crazy little journey!! I've solo-camped before but NEVER so far away from home, and of course, NOT Ft. Wilderness! YAY! You're so cool!

 

[camelotcats]

Hy everyone! THanks for all of the help so far. I have a nicewish list for my DH to choose presents for me from for the trip. BUT, I have another quick question (please):

I will be using Magical Express, as I am flying in. How, exactly, will this work? I've used ME for the resorts, but (Obviously) never camping. Do they drop your stuff off at the check-in building? At your site? DO you pick your bags up at baggage claim, since you're going to a campsite, or let them get them for you?

I'm just curious? I might just NOT use ME for my bags and carry them so I know I'll have my tent and stuff with me, unless someone tells me otherwise. THanks!!

 

[PolynesianPixie]

Hy everyone! THanks for all of the help so far. I have a nicewish list for my DH to choose presents for me from for the trip. BUT, I have another quick question (please):

I will be using Magical Express, as I am flying in. How, exactly, will this work? I've used ME for the resorts, but (Obviously) never camping. Do they drop your stuff off at the check-in building? At your site? DO you pick your bags up at baggage claim, since you're going to a campsite, or let them get them for you?

I'm just curious? I might just NOT use ME for my bags and carry them so I know I'll have my tent and stuff with me, unless someone tells me otherwise. THanks!!

It looks like there are 3 of us now planning solo camping trips! Is this a new wave for women?

Actually, I was wondering the same thing. It would be funny for them to drop all this off at a barren campsite It could happen....

 

[clkelley]

I've used DME and tent camped before.

I arrived late at night (about 11:30 pm) so my situation may be different and this was back in 2005.

I let DME handle my bags, but it took me awhile to get to the resort. First I had to go to baggage claim and get my carryon as they gate checked it. (TSA opened my carefully packed bag after it went through the scanner, and I didn't have the time to repack it carefully again, so it was a bit "fat").

Then Ft. Wilderness was the last stop. After I had checked in and went to the restroom, I asked about my bags and the truck was just showing up. So they took me and my bags to my site in the van.

Other times when I've driven down, I had folks joining me that used DME. Sometimes they would leave the stuff at our site, and another time, they left a note at the site asking us to call and they brought the bags as soon as we called.

There was also a time that two little pink suitcases showed up on our picnic table that weren't ours. We called bell services and told them, and they came and picked them up sometime during the day.

So I'm saying "it depends"

There was also another DISer that flew and tent camped in the site across from me in October.

They said they arrived early that morning and were given their site number about 1pm. They came by the site and no luggage. The mom went to the comfort station and called and the luggage van showed up a few minutes later, and one piece was missing, it showed up about 45 minutes after that.

 

[camelotcats]

I've used DME and tent camped before.

I arrived late at night (about 11:30 pm) so my situation may be different and this was back in 2005.

I let DME handle my bags, but it took me awhile to get to the resort. First I had to go to baggage claim and get my carryon as they gate checked it. (TSA opened my carefully packed bag after it went through the scanner, and I didn't have the time to repack it carefully again, so it was a bit "fat").

Then Ft. Wilderness was the last stop. After I had checked in and went to the restroom, I asked about my bags and the truck was just showing up. So they took me and my bags to my site in the van.

Other times when I've driven down, I had folks joining me that used DME. Sometimes they would leave the stuff at our site, and another time, they left a note at the site asking us to call and they brought the bags as soon as we called.

There was also a time that two little pink suitcases showed up on our picnic table that weren't ours. We called bell services and told them, and they came and picked them up sometime during the day.

So I'm saying "it depends"

There was also another DISer that flew and tent camped in the site across from me in October.

They said they arrived early that morning and were given their site number about 1pm. They came by the site and no luggage. The mom went to the comfort station and called and the luggage van showed up a few minutes later, and one piece was missing, it showed up about 45 minutes after that.

Thank you Carol. What I'm worried about is, being an inexperienced camper (even aftr taking some practice trips), that the tent and stuff will arrive after dark, and I will need set up camp in the dark.

I think I'll probably just get my own luggage....

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Subscribing to this fantasically informational thread. Im looking for go back to the fort next November (late) December (early). This will be my first time camping at the fort all other trips we stayed in a pop up.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

I finally set my tent up in the back yard...it was a beautiful sunny day, a little windy, but nothing I couldnt handle by myself....it started raining about an hour later..I though GREAT...I can see if their are any leaks...next morning I found a couple of small puddles in two of the corners, and I could tell that the water seaped in from the floor seems...so I sealed the floor seems all the way around....started raining again shortly after I finished, but I think the sealer had enough time to dry, I HOPE!! Its STILL raining...I hope when I am able to go back out there the floor isnt like a kiddie pool.

KYLE, I noticed you had to evacuate in 91 to one of the other resorts...how did Disney handle that? Did they charge you, was there a discount? I'm asking because Im planning on September as my next trip, and ya just never know with hurricannes till the week before they hit, and even then its a only 50/50 chance, and I was wondering what I might expect if the worst does happen.

 

[ntsammy5]

Rog, Debbie was evacuated a few years ago and I don't think there was a charge. She'll probably be able to give you more details on that.

The tent sounds OK though. A few small leaks near the corners are normal.

 

[10_Kyle_10]

KYLE, I noticed you had to evacuate in 91 to one of the other resorts...how did Disney handle that? Did they charge you, was there a discount? I'm asking because Im planning on September as my next trip, and ya just never know with hurricannes till the week before they hit, and even then its a only 50/50 chance, and I was wondering what I might expect if the worst does happen.

Funny you noticed that not one other dis member has mentioned it or asked about it. Well heres the story...
We were at MK the before the storm hit. After a long day at the park we got back to the campground around 7pm'ish to find the fort extremely quite and dead, almost like a ghost town. Roughly 30mins (could have been more like an hour) we heard a truck with a couple cast members get out to talk to us. They told us the situation and explained that we needed to pack up the pop-up and drive in to the main parking lot. Keep in mind that it was a beautiful night and none of us could belive that a storm was about to make landfall the following day. We took an over night back as they explained we would more than likely be back in two days and off to the contempary. Having got the word late we clearly were one of the last families to get there because there wasnt an open spot on the floor. YES I SAID THE FLOOR, LOL! They opened all the conference rooms and had families stake out spots and this is where we got transfered to the GF. Here we found a spot and crashed for the night. They had tvs everwhere for people to watch what was going on just outside the resort. It was kinda cool from what I remember. People were happy and the mood was much better than you might think. In the morning we were "hook'ed up" with a great continental breakfast! I remember that they had Orange Juice. Milk, and other juices in those big blue water jugs and people formed lines to get a beverage. After a few more hours we were able to go back to the fort. Needless to say this was a once in a life time expierence that I will never forget! I have old video footage somewhere that hopefully I can find to give you guys a visual.

Any more questions about the situation ill gladly try and answer them.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Is that normal...well, then good. I dont want to jinx myself by saying this....but my vacations have never been rained out, Ive never been stuck in a tent during rain...Im hoping my luck keeps running thru September, without a hurricane even brewing or a drop from the sky...but I probably just ensured that to happen by putting it in writing!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

THE FLOOR??? Not a room...did they offer cots or at least pillows and blankets, maybe a lounge chair from the pool since they told you to only bring an overnight bag?

 

[10_Kyle_10]

THE FLOOR??? Not a room...did they offer cots or at least pillows and blankets, maybe a lounge chair from the pool since they told you to only bring an overnight bag?

No I dont belive we got any compensation at all....im sure somewhere in staying at the fort they have the right to evac in case of emerency. The floor with a safe structure and roof is still better than a tent or pop-up when a hurricane is racing through your camp right? I think people were just happy to be safe knowing that indeed they had a roof and a place to seek for safety.

ps. we did get pillows, blankets, and food!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Yeah....beats the heck outta dieing doesnt it.

 

[clkelley]

I don't know this from first hand knowledge, but during the hurricanes of 04, they moved folks from the Fort to Port Orleans, Carribbean Beach, and the All-Stars.

As far as I know, everyone was put into rooms. Of course, in 04 there was still some tourism downturn, so the rooms were not as booked. Also, it seemed there was a lot of notice on these hurricanes, and cancellations were plentiful.