camping off site suggestions

[y2msu]

going south next spring with my young family in our newly purchased (used) motorhome and are very excited.

Disney trips are one of the locations we plan on going to frequently but have never camped there.

i understand from past on-site hotel experiences that FW should be a great place to go, but what other options are there around orlando as far as camp grounds go?

we are considering going to universal or sea world so may consider a few days off of disney property when visiting these venues.

any suggestions or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ALostBoy]

Hi,

We have stayed at Tropical Palms on 192 and
liked it alot. It was pretty convienent to
WDW.

 

[Krisu]

We decided 2 weeks ago to head down for Christmas break. FW was booked so we are staying at Fort Summit KOA.

 

[SteveS]

My advise is simple. Don't do it!!!. Staying at FW is outstanding and nothing else can even come close. Everything else is a disappointment.

I would make my reservation 2 years in advance because it was that important to us. I wouldn't go to Florida camping if I had to stay outside the grounds. FW is a very special place and staying on the grounds you will get that Disney Magic feeling that truely does exist.

 

[leprechaun]

Amen

 

[y2msu]

i have stayed at port orleans a few years ago and was kind of disappointed. don't get me wrong the rooms were very nice and the pool was incredible, but we had an infant with us as well as my elderly mother. i requested main floor rooms near the lobby for my mom and they gave us 2nd floor in the back. the rooms were ok, clean, new, but more like a motel 6 quality. for the $150 a night or whatever it came out to be we could have been in a 4 or 5 star off site. and the bus system was really difficult with an infant, a stroller, another young child and my mother. we had to wait for the bus for up to 20 minutes, then try to get everything loaded with people cutting in front of you, not what i expected.

then two years ago we stayed off site at the hilton, $55 a night through priceline. had our own car. the rooms were nicer than PO and one third the price. driving into the parks was actually more convenient for us then the bus system the last time. no mom but a third kid. could go out to eat and actually afford to order something more than chicken nuggets and sharing that dixie cup of a mug you buy on site.

now we bought an older class c and are planning on going to fw, actually made the reservations for all 7 nights as most of you recommend, with our own little house on wheels i can't complain about the rooms, the kids are older so they can get themselves on the bus, and rent a stroller at the parks, so hopefully i won't be disappointed. i realize that fw is probably the ultimate as far as family campgrounds go, but at $70 a night (hilton $55 ?) to camp i was wondering if there were any other options, especially when we are not using disney parks. but i guess you need to pay for the experience, thanks for your help.

 

[Lisa P.]

Y2msu, if you want to stay at a topnotch camping resort, you would really enjoy a stay at Disney's FW Campground. It is lovely, shady, with plenty of activities available (petting zoo, lots of playgrounds & ball courts scattered throughout, bike & boat rentals, etc.).

However, it is the most expensive campground that I've ever seen anywhere!!! For you to get full hookups or a preferred site, especially if you're traveling during high season, it will definitely cost you! One of the benefits of staying there is the option of hopping a boat (perhaps after taking a bus though) to MK. If you don't plan to visit the Disney parks during your stay and if you are not so enamored of Disney and if cost is a consideration, then I think you'd enjoy an offsite campground more, just knowing that you were getting a better value. JMHO.

FWIW, there are no hot tubs and no pool slides at the FW pools. We've stayed at campgrounds near Gatlinburg TN (another popular tourist destination) that included hot tubs & pool slides for less cost per night than FW. But they are not just across the lake from MK. You need to consider your own family's priorities.

Tropical Palms gets consistently good reviews. HTH.

 

[cyndilou01]

Remember if you are camping at ft. Wilderness, you have the same rights as the hotel guest; you can go to any hotel and use there pool.. alot of times with go pool hopping just for fun, we get on the boat and go to wilderness lodge, then to the grand floridan or go the the yacht and beach resort . we have a great time and nobody knows if you are staying at the hotel or in the woods, we all look the same, families having a great time... (but we pay less at the campground to have all that fun...)

 

[Whosemom]

Hi guys! I was so confused reading the cost objections, because I know I spent more this summer here in Ohio than I am going to spend on our FW trip. So I had to go back and check out prices. Woohoooo!!! Yea for value season! If you want to see something REALLY ridiculous, check out Cedar Point's campground. We didn't stay, but from the picture it looks like a parking lot, and its more than $50 a night.

Y2msu, as my kids get older, I'll start feeling guilty about pulling them from school (My 2nd grader is going to miss a week). So, report back what you find in the way of cheaper campgrounds so I can file it!!

yeeeeehaw, less than 90 days til we go - I'm so excited i could pee!!!

Micki

 

[Rhonda]

cyndilou01: I'm sorry to disagree, but pool-hopping is a definite no-no! It's completely against WDW rules to use a pool at a resort that you're not staying at.

This goes for all the WDW resorts. Guests at the Grand Floridian would not be allowed to use the FW pool either (not that they would want to, LOL)

They have gotten very strict about this policy, and there are CMs posted at the pools, checking resort IDs now when you enter.

 

[2beagles]

Because our trip last December was very last minute we were not able to get a spot at FW.

We stayed at Secret Lake Resort.

They are located west on 192 from the Disney property. It was maybe a 10 minute drive once we left the property.

We came down the FL turnpike and got off at US 27 and then headed east on 192. It was four lane the whole way.

Our 8 night stay at Secret Lake was $250 for one of the preferred sites, everything but cable.

Hope this helps.

 

[SteveS]

Rhonda is partly correct. Pool Hopping is not allowed unless you are a DVC member staying on point. In that case your Resort ID will note you as a member. Even as a DVC member Pool Hopping is not allowed at Beach Club or Animal Kingdom Lodge.

 

[Rhonda]

Steve - of course you're right! I just assumed they were not DVC members, but they could be! Thanks for the clarification!

 

[DMRick]

As another poster said..we really enjoyed Tropical Palms. We have also stayed at Disney's Ft Wilderness. I would only stay there now (and we will prob stay a month in Jan 05, if we got a much better rate than you are paying. I've stayed at much nicer campgrounds for a lot less money.

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

cyndilou01
Tell me you were joking, right?

++++++++
We have a pop-up and drive down from Michigan almost every year to stay at FW! We don't go into the parks but 2-3 days, but stay at the campground for 9 nights (next year 2 weeks, yeh!). It is expensive, but you really don't get the WDW experience any place else.

I've been to WDW on business and stayed at the Dolphin and Dixie Landings (now Riverside), but still enjoy my time at FW more.

We have also stayed at the Cedar Point campground. We don't stay there for the beautiful site, but for the proximity to the park. I think they let on-site guests in early now + when you get tired or need a break you can walk back to your "home."

We've stayed off-site from amusement/theme parks before, but find it so much more convenient to be on-site ... even though it costs more.

 

[tderonne]

Last March we stayed at Lake Griffin State Park for our first night down. Quiet, clean, warm clean showers, and cheap (under $20). It's just north of Orlando, so it made our drive from Michigan just a bit shorter. And it wasn't booked just a couple weeks before we left.

It was a great way to be sure to have a place to stay the first night down. If we had problems, we didn't waste a $80 night at Fort Wilderness. We got up early the next morning and headed straight for Epcot. It was about a 45 minute drive. Got in the first row of RV parking there. Enjoyed a morning of Epcot, then went and checked in at Fort Wilderness.

(Florida State parks are reserveable online at reserveamerica.com. I believe you can reserve 12 months in advance.)