Arriving early to get a good site

[bigdisneydaddy]

Other campers have stated that site assignment had been done on a first come/first served basis and that the early arrivals got the pick of a broader range of sites. I have a few observations regarding this from our recent trip. 03/25/05 through 04/02/05
We arrived at around 1 AM on Friday March 25th. We werent sure what the traffic would be like so we built some extra time into our travel schedule.
We stopped at the Walmart on 27 near 192 and picked up the essential groceries on our way in. We parked in the lot on the far side (with several other early arrivers) and slept until around 7AM. My wife went to the Outpost at 7 and checked in. They told us that we should call and or check back at 1PM for our site. Nothing odd about that since it is the actual check in time.
What we did notice is that a number of other campers arrived throughout the morning. Some were allowed to enter the campground and some were sent to the area we were parked in as sort of a staging area. What struck us as odd was that the campers that were allowed in had similar size units, it seemed random and did not seem like the early arrivals were given the first available sites. Our perception was that they sent some campers to their sites to keep the outpost area from getting too congested.
We did go back to the front desk at 1PM and asked about our site assignment. The CM went into the back for several minutes and then came back and worked on her computer supposedly looking for a suitable site. I tried to casually peek at the screen from the side but could only tell that she was switching back and forth between 2 different screens.
Forutnately for us we got exactly the location we wanted in 1214. This was a great site location and size wise.
Our whole impression of the process is that it was pretty arbitrary and eventually we were given this site just to get us moving on.

Scott

 

[LMC]

We usually roll in around 11:30 am or noon. I know we are there early and if we have to wait for a site then we wait BUT, if some folks have already peeled out of there and a site is ready then we can get in before EVERYONE starts arriving at the 1pm check in time. It's nice to know you can stay in the side lot like that. I didn't know you could do that. What arrival time the day before check in is acceptable???

We might could get down there around 11pm and wouldn't want to try and back in that late at night and would rather wait till morning. We do the drive in two days so we can plan our timing just right.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

We try not to get there that early but with an 1150 mile trip and the Interstate system being as unreliable as it is we have to build in extra time and then hope we dont need it.

 

[duckdeau]

I was told check in time was at 3:00pm, I better give them a call today

 

[campingcorgi]

Check-in time is 3 for cabins and 1 for camping loops. I guess they want us there in time to set up before dark!! That's my goal, too!

 

[LMC]

I just looked at my ressie confirmation at it states 1pm check in for campsites.

 

[John VN]

Before you arrive to check-in your site number has already been decided on and put into the system. If you get there early, like we do at 7:15AM to 7:45AM and your site is ready you will be allowed to go to it and set up. If the site that has been put into the system is not ready you will have to wait until the occupying campers have left and it is cleaned or you can ask if there is another site available that meets your needs and if so you can go to it and set up.

When we do not get a site when we check-in we park in the big lot and then wait or we go to the parks and call back about once an hour to check if the site assigned to us or another site has become available and many times we can get in before the 1:00PM check-in time.

John

 

[Bichon Barb]

Interesting thread. So the fact that we may not get there until 7:00 p.m. doesn't necessarily mean that we'll get a lesser site? Their computer already has a site picked out for us?

We have friends arriving two days after us. I hope they can be put in the same loop as us. (We both requested 1400.)

 

[RocklandRVers]

Before you arrive to check-in your site number has already been decided on and put into the system...

John

Just like the other resorts Fort Wilderness works on a 4 day reservation / room assignment cycle. In other words about 4 days before your arrival a list with you and guests checking in the same day you are is forwarded to a room assigner (in this case campsite assigner). The assigner will usually begin working on that list 3 days from arrival time. I am told that first they try to grant requests for preferred sites, specific loop/sites, pet loops, near certain amenities / facilities etc. Those with no specifics are then matched on size of rig with size of campsite.

This is why you can try and fax a request to the assigner 4 days before arrival to make a specific request and it will try to be honored. This was supposed to be a procedure that has been discontinued but I used it in December 2003 and 2004 and got the exact site I wanted. In June 2004 I got the site directly across from the site I requested. It was vacated the next day and stayed empty for much of the following week but once we were backed in and set up we just stayed put. Bottom line if you know what you want and ask you may get it. If you dont ask you'll get what they give you.

As John said, if your site is ready, they will let you right in. If not you have to wait for it to be vacated and then cleaned up. Generally unless the previous guests were total slobs, the CM can rake down the gravel area and hose off off the concrete pad in just a few minutes. It all depends on what they are doing at the time. They follow a schedule of cleaning bathrooms, campsites, emptying garbage etc, beginning fairly early in the morning.

 

[LMC]

I just prefer to get there early that way IF the site they assign to me is too small then we have more available to choose from (for those people who did not request a specific site # and get "what's available" like us) before the hordes arrive later in the afternoon. We also usually get there in the middle of the week before the weekend "rush"! So I don't think there are any "lesser" sites only sites a little easier to get into.

Interesting thread. So the fact that we may not get there until 7:00 p.m. doesn't necessarily mean that we'll get a lesser site? Their computer already has a site picked out for us?

We have friends arriving two days after us. I hope they can be put in the same loop as us. (We both requested 1400.)

 

[Bichon Barb]

LMC, this happened to us last summer at a campground on Cape Cod. We made ressies way in advance, were all excited about the place, got there at a reasonable hour, and found our site to be very close to a noisy highway.

I would have just stayed there, but DH said "no way". He went to the office and complained, and they moved us to a much better site.

 

[LMC]

Now that you mention noise, we did have a site once that was close to a bus stop so now I try to make sure we are positioned in the loop away from the stops. Last trip (May '04) they showed us the loop map and we basically got to pick our spot. BUT, there are really not any bad sites at FW, it is a wonderful campground! This May we get there May 23rd (I think that's pretty early as far as school's letting out for summer) so I hope we get exactly what we want. Now I have to dig out my list of site #'s we liked and see if we can get one of those!!

LMC, this happened to us last summer at a campground on Cape Cod. We made ressies way in advance, were all excited about the place, got there at a reasonable hour, and found our site to be very close to a noisy highway.

I would have just stayed there, but DH said "no way". He went to the office and complained, and they moved us to a much better site.

 

[duranfan]

well more and more campers stay until the last possible minute before the leave so that puts the maintenance crews behind. Its policy the sites have to be clean (and those peeps do a good job in general). Then they have to radio back to the front desk before the site becomes available to the next guest. We've stayed at WDW since they opened and theres less patterns of peoples check in/check out habits any more.

 

[emeraldlover]

When we were there in Feb. '02, we arrived before 1 p.m. and our site was ready (in the 1400 loop). While I liked the loop, between the trailer and truck our overall length is about 55', and we had a heck of a time backing in. Then once we were in, there was just enough room to put out the slide, and not enough room to put out the awning. Now I guess we could have tried to get another site, but after all the time it took to back in, we just stayed with it.

Now, a little off topic - does anyone else have problems with other campers tromping through your site instead of going around? We had all kinds of people cutting through our site on the way to the restroom and to the camp fire/movie viewing area. Just plain rude if you ask me

 

[RocklandRVers]

Now, a little off topic - does anyone else have problems with other campers tromping through your site instead of going around? We had all kinds of people cutting through our site on the way to the restroom and to the camp fire/movie viewing area. Just plain rude if you ask me

Not so much at Disney but we did when we stayed in a Campground north of us in NY. We stayed over a busy July 4th weekend. To our pleasant surprise we got a big pull through site because the others were full. YAHOO or so I thought. As we were setting up a family with 2 kids came in to a pull through next to us. They had a pop up and a minivan. They set up a smaller tent for the kids to put their toys behind the pop up. OK they seemed nice enough. Then about an hour later a car drives up and another family joins the first. Still plenty of room for their tent and car although it was tight. Just after dark 2 more carloads joined them. Now the fire was ablaze and the beers were flowing and kids were playing on our site! GRRRR. We just went to bed since it had been a very long hot day and we had driven up right after work.

The next morning our site had 2 tents in it!! I was livid! I drove down to complain and were greeted by our neighbors on the other side who also complained about the kids tromping over their site, throwing frisbees and balls against their RV, etc. The owners who were still busy packing people into to what we thought was a full campground swore they would handle the problem.

About noon they drove around in their golf cart with a clip board right past our site. Clearly they saw what was going on but didn't stop. They wanted to see if they had room to pack anyone else in there.

Needless to say we packed up and left for home and will never ever go there again. When owners worry more about lining their pockets than the quality of the service to their guests I do my best to avoid them. Disney, although concerned with money I am sure, offers the best quality for their guests.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Our experience would contradict what John has said. We had requested 1200 loop (understading thats not a guarantee) When we did get to our site around 1:30 all of the empty sites had been cleaned and everyone that was leaving had already left. If I had been assigned a different site than the one I ended up on, it would have been clean just like the one we ended up on.
It just seemed like there was a long time between when the sites were done being cleaned and when campers were allowed on them. It almost seemed like they were trying to carefull control the number of campers they let in every hour so as to not have everyone driving in at once.
Please remember that these are just my gut inpressions and are by no means based on any first hand knowledge of the system.

Scott

 

[LMC]

Try stringing some lights around the perimeter of your site to outline your area. I am very cognizant of other folks' space so I try desperately to keep my kids (10, 6, 4) from tromping thru other sites. I wouldn't appreciate it so I try to do unto others.........

...
Now, a little off topic - does anyone else have problems with other campers tromping through your site instead of going around? We had all kinds of people cutting through our site on the way to the restroom and to the camp fire/movie viewing area. Just plain rude if you ask me

 

[emeraldlover]

We do plan on stringing some lights this time whatever site we get.

BichonBarb - we had a similar experience when we camped up in Vermont. The girls wanted to sleep in a small tent instead of in the camper with us. There were kids cutting through the site and knocking into the tent most of the night, and we were there for a week! They had alot of seasonal campers, and didn't much care about how they acted. Oh well. Live and learn. We won't be visiting that campground again.

 

[emeraldlover]

We do plan on stringing some lights this time whatever site we get. We also never cut through others people's sites. We always walk around. We don't even cut through empty sites. Just campground etiquette I think.

BichonBarb - we had a similar experience when we camped up in Vermont. The girls wanted to sleep in a small tent instead of in the camper with us. There were kids cutting through the site and knocking into the tent most of the night, and we were there for a week! They had alot of seasonal campers, and didn't much care about how they acted. Oh well. Live and learn. We won't be visiting that campground again.