Best Check-In Day for Site Turnover

[Brocktoon]

Hello, haven't posted on the camping board in a long while but we're starting to plan our next Food & Wine trip for late October. Over the past years we've stayed in the 100 and 200 loops, and last time did a premium site in the 400 loop. The premium site was nice, but probably overkill for our RV.

Typically my parents drive their RV down and I fly down to meet them later. We won't have a golf cart, and my Dad's knee bothers him from time to time. For these reason's we're looking to stay in the 100, 200, or 300 loops. Here's my questions:

1) We can probably check in on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Are one of these days better for Site turnover ie. more sites available due to a higher check-out rate as opposed to the other days? We don't care how crowded check-in will be as we're patient folks.

2) We're looking to request a preferred site. Are 100, 200, and 300 the only remianing preferred loops? If so, then that makes things easy for us, as we'll pretty much be guaranteed to be put somewhere up front.

Thanks for any help you can provide ... and Happy New Year!

 

[YodaGirl]

I'm not sure about check-in days.

100, 200, and 300 are the only remaining preferred loops.

100 and 200 are non-pet loops (theoretically), and the 300 loop is a pet loop.

You could always request a non-pet loop, which in theory would put you either in the 100 or 200 loop.

Have fun!

 

[BradyBz12]

I think check-in day may depend on the time of year you're checking in too. Just a theory, but if it's one of those holiday weekends where lots of local folks pop in, Friday might be busier than usual.

We generally go during the off times in Nov/Dec and until this year always arrived on a Sunday. Check-in was hit or miss in terms of being busy. Busiest we had was 2 years ago checking in Sunday after Thanksgiving. Waited quite a while to check in and then partly due to passing t-storms, didn't get our site until almost 3pm

This year we checked in Veteran's Day weekend on Saturday. We arrived at 10am and were the ONLY ones at check-in. And our site was ready! CM said that was because we'd done online check-in. No idea how much that really had to play in how easy/quick everything was, but for the 2 minutes it takes to do online, I'll be sure to do it again next year!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I have found that a weekday is better than a weekend for check in. If I were checking in on a Friday, however, I would do it early, since Friday evenings tend to back up pretty well with the Weekend Warriors.

 

[fugarwe]

I've got a question relating to online check in. If you do the online check in, does that impact your ability to request/change/*****/whine your way into a site you would like better?

 

[Memph1s]

The fort always looks emptiest to me on Sunday about noon. The 2 day drive people all left Friday or Saturday and the weekend folk leave Sunday. I think getting there Sunday at noon or so would give you the most empty sites to switch to if your first site does not work out for you. Of course if it's a Monday holiday weekend this will push it out one day later.

 

[mnsprk]

I've got a question relating to online check in. If you do the online check in, does that impact your ability to request/change/*****/whine your way into a site you would like better?

It shouldn't, siince sites are assigned 5 +/- days out whether you do on-line check in or not.

 

[Brocktoon]

Thanks all for the replies, and I hope everyone had a safe and happy NYE.

It sounds like we'll be in good shape. In previous years we arrived on Sunday morning, and that's worked out pretty well for us even when we had to hang around in the overflow for our site to be ready. We're looking to book for the week of 10/16, between Columbus Day week and Halloween. Since the only prefrerred loops are 100-300, we're golden to just book preferred. We don't mind pets, so any of those loops will be fine.

Thanks again!