Campgrounds

[vika1819]

Hi,
We booked Fort Wilderness for spring break but now considering of canceling it and finding less expensive campground and take the kids ( 10 yr twins and 9 month old) to the parks. Instead of paying $160 a night for the campground I rather take them to the parks.
Can someone recommend a good campground near disney. I'm ok driving 30 minutes.

Thank you in advance.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

You won't find a nicer/safer campground than Fort Wilderness. Nothing compares to the Fort. Two pools, water slides one slide perfect for your 10yr & one perfect for the wee one. Baby pools, mini water slides. Pool side daily activities that run all day long for your kiddos. Nightly fire, sing-a-long, movie, fireworks under the stars and water parade. You can't beat it! We travel every year from IL and actually considering skipping the parks all together and just enjoying FW.

This time around my two ages 6 & 4 had their best time just playing around the fort. I can only imagine them enjoying FW more and more as they get bigger and able to explore more on their own. Your daughters are prime age for FW in 2016!

While $160 is high, still better than a hotel and offers so much more. Campgrounds usually just have a pool and that's about it.

How about booking at another time? You can stay in tent/pop up site for $50 (ish) in the off seasons.

 

[cadawson]

We've stayed at FW in a cabin a few years ago and plan to go again to tent camp for Spring Break. Maybe you could stay the nights you want to go to the park at FW and then move to another place? Don't forget, if you stay at the Fort, you get to take advantage of extra Magic Hours and also free transportation and/or parking at the parks. If you stay off-site, you will have to pay for daily parking. Also, it is just so convenient to be able to park once and ride Disney transportation - the boat to Magic Kingdom, the buses within FW, buses to other locations. Disney Transportation is one of my kids' favorite attractions (9 yr old and 3 yr old)! The onsite restaurant Trail's End at FW is also quite affordable in Disney terms for a sit-down restaurant. You can also take the kids for horse-back rides and other fun activities that we are looking forward to exploring. Spring Break is a busy time in Florida, so be sure to call around to price compare. It may turn out that every place in the area raises up the price. There is a place called Lake Louise (pretty far away) that looks nice, but I haven't camped there. Try being flexible with dates when you are looking online. Most of all, do what you think is best for your family! I remember loving camping trips with my parents growing up. We were on a tight budget and tent-camped from the deep South to Canada one summer. Best trip we ever took! For park ticket discounts, look at AAA or Abenity (if you have it through work).

 

[Teamubr]

There are lots of campgrounds around WDW. I have stayed at Tropical Palms across the highway in Kissimmee. It was ok. A basic place to stay with a pool and close to WDW.

From the way I read your post, you will be able to stay at the Fort OR do the parks. If your kids have never been to the parks, do that. A little word of warning. Spring break will be ridiculous busy in the parks. I've been down twice over spring break. It is BUSY. That's not the best time to do your first visit. If you are looking for a REALLY nice place to camp, the Fort is great for that.

Have you considered planning the trip later in the year? The Fort will be cheaper and the parks won't be as busy. Kind of a best of both worlds.

j

 

[bama_ed]

You can do Tropical Palms as Teamubr suggests, there are a few KOA's in the area, and Lake Louisa State Park is south of Clermont on Hwy 27 (spent a night there last month before checking into the Fort). All these are 30 minutes or less to WDW.

Fort Wilderness is a resort not simply just a campground. If you want a place to hook up, plug in, and sleep, then you will chose one of the other campgrounds. The Fort offers all kinds of activities (daily poolside things for kids, the nightly campfire singalong and movie, the electric water parade and MK fireworks viewing) that merit a higher fee. If you want to be "in the Disney bubble", the Fort is it.

Plus if you stay off-site you have to pay, what is it now, something like $17 to park in the theme park lots? Free if you are a Fort guest and drive. And with kids it's more convenient/quicker to get back to the Fort for a mid-day nap and revisit the park in the evening. Lord knows I need one sometimes.

Bama Ed

PS - are you staying in a Premium site? Most people can fit in a Full site which is $20 less per night. But if you didn't sign up early enough you can only get what is available for your dates.

 

[Chickp]

Can you call back and see if they have a tent camping site available now? I am booked for spring break too, and several sites just came open recently. I couldn't get four days and had to take three, but the last day just opened up. Then it is only $111 a night (with some tax, but still). The campground is really awesome...we aren't going to go to any parks but just enjoy the activities there and maybe do a water park if the weather allows.

Another option is checking to see if one of the All Star resorts has any availability. There are several good deals right now and you could get a room for less than $160 a night.

For us, the resorts are almost better than the parks as far as Disney goes, but whatever happens I hope you have a great trip!

 

[PPink]

Nooooo - don't do it unless if you really have to. Fort is the best campground on Earth. If you do let us know - trying to add one extra night during the Spring Break and it is not available .

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

Personally I never get why people feel the need to endlessly do the parks and not enjoy their resort some of the days there. We're going to the campground with the idea of really enjoying the campground itself. I know our best trips were those that were more relaxed and really took the time to enjoy the resorts also.

 

[vika1819]

Thank you all for the comments. To answer some of the questions.
We have travel trailer, so there is no need for the tent site.
We're a FL residents and our kids been to the parks previously. They want to go again.
I'm not looking for hotel stays. All I was looking to see if there are any good campgrounds near the parks.
I'm also booked for christmas at wd.

I did find few around the parks that have availability

 

[cadawson]

Vika1819 - Let us know what you decide about local campgrounds. Curious to know what you find! Wish we were FL residents - I'd get the FL AP and drag our family there every break we could get. Have fun!

 

[vika1819]

some of the campgrounds near disney.


http://www.orangecountyfl.net/Porta...ation/docs/Camping at Orange County Parks.pdf

 

[vika1819]

Thank you all, I just extended for 1 more night. I got lucky they had availability.