Can I just say....

[Disneefun]

...how happy I am to have an RV and the ability to camp at FW? It just seems to me that the situation with the resorts is getting too stressful. I go hang out on the resorts board and the stress is palatable. With the new AP program and the lack of public discounts, people are stressing to stay in their "dream" resort at an affordable price. And then there are the concerns about towel animals, and mousekeeping, and luggage delivery, and bugs in the rooms, and food availability, and free upgrades and one thing after another.

All I can say is thank goodness I've got an RV and can camp. FW is the cheapest place to stay on property, even if I don't get a discount. And I don't have to worry about getting an upgrade, or the cleanliness of my room or my food or anything else. I can go home at night to a room that I know is clean and to food that I know is edible and that I don't have to stand in line or walk a huge distance to get. My "room" is more spacious than most on property and I don't even have to unpack so luggage delivery is a non issue. And who needs a towel animal when I can come home to my cute little dog lying on the bed and waiting to lick my face.

I don't mean this to flame anyone on the resorts board. I know the concerns are legitimate and I've dealt with them before. I'm just grateful that those days are behind me. Anyone else feel this way?

 

[ftwildernessguy]

ABSOLUTELY!

 

[Laura_Lewis]

This November will be our first time to FW, but I can say from our other trips in our RV, that I couldn't agree with you more. I travel for work and I get so sick of staying in hotels. Especially after seeing the expose' reports on the news about the cleanliness of hotels. I also like the added convenience of being able to pack whatever I want. I hate lugging all my stuff through the airport.

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

We don't have an RV or go camping. My family did rent one back in 1988 and we stayed at Fort Wilderness. I remember how nice it was there. We loved the HDDR. You could spend a whole day just exploring the grounds. I would love to come back and see my dog after a day in the parks. Have fun.

 

[rapriebe]

Disneefun,
Totally agree about having an RV and camping at FW. That is the only way we go to FW because we take our dogs with us. However, you can stay at the All Star/Music/Sports etc. for $49 a night with a discount and that beats the price of FW. The price of a preferred site during value season is $53 and jumps to $72 during regular season and keeps going up from there. It is very difficult to get AP discounts at FW during certain times of the year. So yes, sometimes it does bother me when I have to pay full price ($72) for a campsite when I don't get mousekeeping, internet access at my site, etc.

 

[elliemae1192]

I agree completely! We went down for a quick trip in Feb and stayed at the Pop Century and it just wasn't the same. We just kept saying how we wished we were in Fort Wilderness. The hotel just didn't seem as magical and after getting used to sleeping in your own quiet RV it was SO hard to sleep in the room because we could hear everything our neighbors were doing. Give us FW any day!

We'll be there in 3 weeks!

 

[stillh2o]

We love are new motorhome it feels great to have my own shower and sleep in owen your bed not one that thousand have not sleeped in. We also find it nice to eat cheeper than resorts and we can eat any time we like.

 

[campingcorgi]

I'm in this boat, too! We took a quick trip down the first part of June and stayed at the All Stars. It was a nice-enough motel, but just a motel. The hike to the bus stop was equal to walking to the Settlement from the 1700 loop and the food prices were outrageous!! It would cost us about 40 bucks for a meal and they just offered the same foods over and over.

We went over to FW one day for lunch and when we walked down the dock at the marina the 5 year old said, "now, this is better." We all agreed! We may take some day trips to Disney, but we won't have to stay any where else now! I can't wait for September, October, November, December, January, February, March......love those reservations!

 

[MMLong3996]

I can't wait for September, October, November, December, January, February, March......love those reservations![/QUOTE]

And I thought I was odd with reservations for July, October and December! I guess I'm just fitting right in!

 

[minkydog]

I love to camp in our little pop-up. It makes all the difference when we take our DS10. He is autistic and new situations upset him, but when he opens the door to the pop-up he immediately recognizes his "home"--there are Disney sheets on all the beds! No towel animals but there are various Mickeys, Minnies, and Eyeores. We have to share the comfort station with our "friends", but also get to eat our favorite (low-cost) breakfasts--leftover pizza, cold cereal,eggs, grits, oatmeal, and cheese sandwiches. And the best part, in my kids' opinions, is we get to rent a golf cart! Woo-hoo!

 

[rbork]

We paid full peak price for a premium hook up for our Pop Up! I still had to use the comfort station and it was worth every penny. Price's for camp grounds are going up and that's a fact. Our average is 40-50$ a nite. I was pleased to pay upwards of 74$ a nite and get the great site and CLEAN bath house and all the other amenities. I agree about the comfort of coming "home" to clean sheets etc..
Hotel's just stress me out.. worrying about the cleaness factor, bug factor, etc... We drove from Maryland and tried to check into a Jacksonville Amerisuites over nite... I walked into the room opened the bed and there were little black hairs in the BED and all over THE NIGHTSTAND! GROSS!
Walked out/ demanded a refund and popped up for the night in Bulow campground around St. Augustine! Much cheaper I might add!
Amen! to this thread.

 

[elastigirlfan]

I couldn't agree more!!! We love our camper and love being able to take our dog Suzie with us.

 

[babytrees]

I will have to agree with all of you....We aren't scheduled to go to FW until next July but the only way we can afford to go in a year is by camping...and I love the fact I can camp onsite....and while we might miss a/c (we are tenting it) I don't plan to be in our home very long and to know I washed my sheets is a great sleep aid.