Camping in a tent in Dec.?

[goldenears]

Hi Everyone!
I am new to the camping forum. We have a trip planned for this upcoming Dec. and are thinking about adding some camping into the mix. I have done a sleigh ride in Dec. through the campground, so I am aware of the wonderful decorations, but I am wondering if anyone can give me some more insight into camping at FW in Dec.? We would be camping in a tent w/ our three small kids. Any tips or advice you could give me would be GREATLY appreciated!!
Also, I am wondering if they offer arts/crafts or other activities for the kids during the day.
TIA!

 

[4kids4karen]

I have only stayed in a cabin at FW, however, when you check-in you will be given a packet of information that includes daily activities around the camp. This includes games, arts & craft, movie, etc. I even saw archery on there last time! Our first time there they had bingo before the sing-a-long started which was fun! There are daily activities and games going on.

I have camped over New Year Eve weekend at the beach a couple hours away from Disney. My suggestion for a family is to make sure you have a tent large enough for your family to spread out and to keep your gear. I may go overboard but when my family of 6 camps, we have a 12 man tent and a 4 man tent. In the 12 man tent we put in two queen size airbeds and have plenty of room for a couple chairs and our gear. The two teenagers take the 4 man tent and it's really just for sleeping and their clothes.

The12 man is a Eureka Copper Canyon.

 

[chipscamping buddy]

A couple of things for you.

First, as for things to do, the campground has more activities than any other resort. There are organized activities going on throughout the day, every day, plus the pool, playgrounds, horseback/pony riding, bike riding, and the boats in the marina.

A nice big tent is a must have, plus we always have a large screen room. The screen room is our "living room", doing our hanging out there. We usually put the picnic table in it as well as some folding chairs. We actually keep a lot of our stuff in the car rather than cluttering up the tent with it. Don't forget an electric space heater. Nothing too big, but it can be chilly in the evenings.

Take some time in th eevening to wander around the different loops and check out the decorations. There are a lot of people who really do it up for the holidays.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[goldenears]

Thank you both for your input! We camp at home during the summer, so we do have a nice big tent. We actually just upgraded our 6 man LL Bean tent to an 8 person/3 room tent from LL Bean.
Sounds like there are lots of activities to keep the kids busy. I am thinking about skipping the parks during the camping portion of the trip, so I want to make sure there is plenty to do with the kids during the day.
Besides some sort of heater and a large tent, are there any other things that are "must brings?" (i.e., do you typically bring an enclosed fire pit, gas stove, etc....)

 

[Solamom]

We tent camped at the Fort in December coming up on 2 years ago. It was our first camping experience and started off a love for camping!! We have stayed twice more since then in a pop up and now shopping for a camper for our September trip.

We had a bigger tent for sleeping (I think its an alpine, bought it at Sports Authority). Then we had a smaller 4 man tent also that we kept all our stuff in (suitcases, food, et). I don't know if your driving or flying in so these may or may not work for you but here are some other things we did:

-brought a small grill (webber jr) to grill food and use to do smores on.
-brought a small electric skillet to cook on (especially breakfast, made bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, etc).
-brought our bikes. The fort is so big and we didn't want to pay the $$ to rent a cart so we took bikes. We have since bought a trailer and trailercycle for the bikes to use at the fort --- you can bike everywhere. We even bike to the marina and lock them up when going to the magic kingdom.
-bring your own towels - something simple but I wasn't sure if they were supplied like in a hotel.
-December could or could not be cold, so bring blankets
-brought a coffee pot.
-brought a tv!
-oh and several extension cords

My kids have done kickball, volleyball, field day, hoola hoop contests, etc...all at the fort and they love to do the crafts over at the pool area. All that is in your packet. Plus there are plenty of playgrounds!

Have fun! We loved it and are looking forward to coming back soon!!

 

[goldenears]

We tent camped at the Fort in December coming up on 2 years ago. It was our first camping experience and started off a love for camping!! We have stayed twice more since then in a pop up and now shopping for a camper for our September trip.

We had a bigger tent for sleeping (I think its an alpine, bought it at Sports Authority). Then we had a smaller 4 man tent also that we kept all our stuff in (suitcases, food, et). I don't know if your driving or flying in so these may or may not work for you but here are some other things we did:

-brought a small grill (webber jr) to grill food and use to do smores on.
-brought a small electric skillet to cook on (especially breakfast, made bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, etc).
-brought our bikes. The fort is so big and we didn't want to pay the $$ to rent a cart so we took bikes. We have since bought a trailer and trailercycle for the bikes to use at the fort --- you can bike everywhere. We even bike to the marina and lock them up when going to the magic kingdom.
-bring your own towels - something simple but I wasn't sure if they were supplied like in a hotel.
-December could or could not be cold, so bring blankets
-brought a coffee pot.
-brought a tv!
-oh and several extension cords

My kids have done kickball, volleyball, field day, hoola hoop contests, etc...all at the fort and they love to do the crafts over at the pool area. All that is in your packet. Plus there are plenty of playgrounds!

Have fun! We loved it and are looking forward to coming back soon!!

Thank you so much for all of the info. and packing tips! Is there any specific area that we should request to be in? We will be camping in one of the tent sites (not a premium site).

 

[Solamom]

Twice we camped in the 2000 loop (once in a tent, once in a pup). Its a big loop but further away from everything --- which I don't mind because it is quieter. The big loope was great for the kids to ride their bikes on.

Last Sept. we stayed for 7 nights in a PUP and were in the 1500 loop. It was much smaller but much closer to everything...you could walk to the big pool and chip & dale's sing a long.

I enjoyed both but I "think" the 2000 is still my favorite....but again, I don't mind being off the beaten path a bit.

 

[clkelley]

You also need a fan. Even though it can get cool at night it is still Florida which means high humidity.

Humidity means dampness and damp and cold are a BAD combination.

During the day, open those windows as far as you dare (so that rain won't get in) and run the fan. That helps eliminate all that moisture you created while you were sleeping overnight.

Also at night even if it's cold, keep a window or two cracked.

 

[goldenears]

You also need a fan. Even though it can get cool at night it is still Florida which means high humidity.

Humidity means dampness and damp and cold are a BAD combination.

During the day, open those windows as far as you dare (so that rain won't get in) and run the fan. That helps eliminate all that moisture you created while you were sleeping overnight.

Also at night even if it's cold, keep a window or two cracked.

Thank you!
Love your camper

 

[Born 2 Fish]

go fishing.

 

[ms_missy66]

Ugh. December is such a tricky time of year. We've been there when it was pleasantly warm during the day and perfectly cool at night. We've also been there (like last year - the week after Christmas) where temps dipped into the low 30's, not warming over 40 degrees until 10:00 AM or so. I guess it depends on what type of equipment you have and what type of climate you're used too. Just be prepared and watch the weather - it can definitely get cold.