Campsite security concern

[katiekomo]

You can have the same thing happen anywhere on Disney property or any resort property not just at the Fort.

Agreed. But there's something about kids (or solo travelers-- especially women) in a tent that's different than in a locked hotel room... Would you feel safe spending the night in a tent at the Fort alone (or sending your spouse or letting your kids)?

Last June my sister-in-law and I spend 5 nights in a tent without feeling unsafe in any way... but I'm curious to see y'alls take on it.

 

[DisCamper]

Agreed. But there's something about kids (or solo travelers-- especially women) in a tent that's different than in a locked hotel room... Would you feel safe spending the night in a tent at the Fort alone (or sending your spouse or letting your kids)?

Last June my sister-in-law and I spend 5 nights in a tent without feeling unsafe in any way... but I'm curious to see y'alls take on it.

All I can say is most campers know everyone around them. They look out for everyone. If there is something that happen around them they will come out 2 see if everything is OK

 

[MandMLUVMMandDVC]

Agreed. But there's something about kids (or solo travelers-- especially women) in a tent that's different than in a locked hotel room... Would you feel safe spending the night in a tent at the Fort alone (or sending your spouse or letting your kids)?

Last June my sister-in-law and I spend 5 nights in a tent without feeling unsafe in any way... but I'm curious to see y'alls take on it.

I have camped alone before and I'm not worried. I know my neighbors and have other friends who check on me. On one trip last year they even knew I'd been feeling sick & were getting ready to break-in when I didn't respond for hours. (I had taken too much Nyquil, but woke up as they were hollering for me. oops!) I know people who let the kids sleep in tents behind the trailers, etc. Now, the teenager thing you asked about, LOL they're liable to be the cause of some trouble if they are anything like I was as a teen

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

The funny was when the duty manager was there taking my report he gave me the most common locations to find my cooler and he was right

It was the damn otters and you know it.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

People have a tendency to think, "Hey, it's Disney , what could go wrong !" While Disney might be a magical place, not everyone who goes to Disney are magical.
I'm just say'n, .

I do agree with DisCamper, doesn't matter where you stay , Disney or otherwise, still got the situations .

As for letting my kids stay /sleep by themselves behind our RV,,no way. But that's just me,,and it has nothing to do with Disney, I wouldn't let them stay/sleep behind our RV by themselves no matter where we are at.

Doesn't anyone ever watch or listen to the local news in your own area ? Well that stuff that happens is the real world and it happens EVERYWHERE.
You can be afraid of life , or you can go on with life and not be afraid.

I just want folk to keep this in mind.

BUT all that being said, camping folk in general are some of the best folk we have ever met and the Fort is still the best campground we have ever gone to for any reason.

 

[brat]

I agree with Born 2 Fish that no matter where you camp we all need to remember that just because 90+% of those around are good folk we still need watch out for the other odd %.

I have not camped at Fort yet.

Have camped since early childhood and have had things grow legs. I have also heard of other crime.

Wishing everyone safe and happy camping.

 

[jeepfreak]

I do believe that most campers watch out for others. When we were there in 09 a squal came up and the MH next to us had his awning out and it looked like he was about to lose it, so myself and the guy across from me ran over and put it up. And it did take two of us to do it. Now maybe i'm alittle nieve but we leave our table top grill and camp stove and chairs out all the time. Although we do fold up the chairs and put them behind the picnic table. Been doing this since 1982 and never (knock on wood) had an issue. So I guess what I'm saying is don't worry and have a great time!

 

[JCJRSmith]

I agree with Brat about agreeing with Born 2 Fish about agreeing with Discampers.

This is beginning to sound like a Mel Brooks movie: "Gabby Johnson is right about Howard Johnson being right about Van Johnson being right!!"

 

[DisCamper]

I can tell you when I worked for security at WDW we had more problems at deluxe resort than any were else on the property

 

[thegooftroopfla]

I may be nieve also. we hit the fort alot and have never had anything stolen. I may be to trusting, but never had anything stolen. However I would lock up expensive electronics and suck. Although friends of our without outdoor speakers usually leave an i pod dock out and it has never been stolen..I also put a small flatscreen out alot to watch the races and football. I leave it out and it has never been stolen. However it is an old flat screen that I could care less if it was stolen. its about to break anyways i think

 

[skyp4WDW]

If you fly in and tent camp, you can get a (free) Lock Box at the Outpost and keep your valuables there. We get one every time we go to Ft Wilderness.

 

[LarryJ]

I feel like the Fort is a bit safer than typical campgrounds. That may just be the pixie dust effect. Overall, I agree that most campers are generally nice, trustworthy folks. That said, I'd use the same common sense you would use anywhere. Lock up (or at least put out of sight) the stuff you really don't want to lose, but 99% likely that everything would be fine.

I personally have never had anything taken at the Fort... Except for a few beers in an outside cooler, I can't think of anything that has been taken camping anywhere.

j

Ditto and like DisCampers found out don't leave out beer in a cooler since teens will be teens.

Larry

 

[YensidCamper]

I think the Fort is like any State Park or private campground. We leave out grills and tables and folding chairs almost all the time. I lock the PUP door to keep honest people out. The fact is anything could easily be taken so don't take a risk with anything valuable or you can't live without.

My kids are too young now, but when they get to early teen years i would let them sleep in a tent behind the camper at the Fort or other campgrounds we usually visit.

 

[starbuc71]

Does this mean I will have to put my name on the Flamingos? hahaha

I don't care for Flamingos, so you can keep them...lol

People have a tendency to think, "Hey, it's Disney , what could go wrong !" While Disney might be a magical place, not everyone who goes to Disney are magical.
I'm just say'n, .

I do agree with DisCamper, doesn't matter where you stay , Disney or otherwise, still got the situations .

As for letting my kids stay /sleep by themselves behind our RV,,no way. But that's just me,,and it has nothing to do with Disney, I wouldn't let them stay/sleep behind our RV by themselves no matter where we are at.

Doesn't anyone ever watch or listen to the local news in your own area ? Well that stuff that happens is the real world and it happens EVERYWHERE.
You can be afraid of life , or you can go on with life and not be afraid.

I just want folk to keep this in mind.

BUT all that being said, camping folk in general are some of the best folk we have ever met and the Fort is still the best campground we have ever gone to for any reason.

Frank, I like the way you think. Ditto to everything Frank says

 

[seals]

Agreed. But there's something about kids (or solo travelers-- especially women) in a tent that's different than in a locked hotel room... Would you feel safe spending the night in a tent at the Fort alone (or sending your spouse or letting your kids)?

Last June my sister-in-law and I spend 5 nights in a tent without feeling unsafe in any way... but I'm curious to see y'alls take on it.

We slept in separate 3 tents at the Fort (me&DH, 2 DSs, 1 DS) and I didn't feel any danger. It seemed there was constant activity through the night and people were very close by in the other campsites. My DSs were actually closer to me in their tents than they are in their bedrooms at home. I think I'd even tent camp myself at the Fort. Personally I'm more wary in a wooded, national / state park type setting (dangerous people or dangerous critters). If I were inside an RV I'm not sure I would let my DSs be outside in tents. I'd probably let all 3 (tweens) sleep outside together. We do lock anything valuable ($, electronics, etc.) in our van but all our clothes and camping gear are in the tents all day.

And on the subject of marking flamingos. My 10 yr old DS was going on a school field trip to a camp and was told to mark all his belongings. He wrote his name with a black sharpie on EVERYTHING, including each individual dirty/holey sock. No one was going to steal anything from him.

 

[2goofycampers]

He wrote his name with a black sharpie on EVERYTHING, including each individual dirty/holey sock. No one was going to steal anything from him.

 

[fortwildernessishome]

We have stayed at the Fort over 30 times, only had something stolen on one trip, so I would say those are pretty good odds. Of course it was a bummer on that one trip. Nephew's backpack with his spending money, a small cooler with our leftover snacks from the campfire program as well as my camera and both of my boys jackets, all taken one night. However, I focus on all the other trips when everything was left untouched!!!

 

[mikron]

We had a bag of shopping stolen from a bench at the bus stop at the fort. My daughter forgot it when we got the bus, was never turned in at the store. We have never had anything stolen from the camp site yet.

 

[MyHappiestPlace]

I have never had anything in your list taken from my site at Disney. I only had a cooler full of beer taken once by kids found the cooler and all the empty cans behide the 300 loop by the lake. hope this helps

same thing here except replace the beer w/ wine coolers (yes I'm a lightweight)

I am a single mother and have no qualms staying w/ my kids at FW. I have tented w/ them on numerous occasions and even after having the wine coolers stolen I felt safe. Security felt it was just teens trying to be stupid; and they even offered to move me lock, stock & barrel to be closer to the comfort station. I declined since we had the best site ever and i didn't want some stupid kids to ruin my vacation.

 

[Hernandez6060]

We have gone 3 times and never had a problem