Can we pick a loop?

[tedlou]

I am new to DIS but have been lurking for awhile. We will be making the trip to FW in late February and was told by the Disney CM that we would be assigned a loop on arrival. Is there a way we can request a loop before we go or am I at the mercy of the loop gods? Since this will be our first trip to FW any and all advice would be appreciated.

 

[becky1960]

Yes you can request a Loop and they are honored most times, but not always.

 

[BradyBz12]

You can put in a request, but there are no guarantees. Best bet is to have your loop request noted on your reservation, then fax a nice note directly to FW about 5 days before arrival (when they start doing site assignments). We did this and got exactly our first choice - loop and site!

Of course that depends on a lot of things (we went during a pretty slow time) but I think it helps if you can tell them why you'd like a particular location. In our case it had to do with our dogs and being near the dog walk/park.

Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[AuburnJen92]

You can fax in your request 5 days before your arrival. 407-824-3508

 

[TheFlame]

You can fax a request for a certain loop but it is better to tell them what you want, like being close to the marina or near the middle of the campground, near a comfort station, near a bus stop, etc.....

In my experience we have NEVER gotten the loop that we requested if we asked for a certain one. On this last trip(11/08) I just requested to be close to the bus stop, off the main road and near a comfort station. We were in 1300 and had all of these requests met. I really like 1300 because it is centrally located in the campground but I DON'T like being on the orange route.

Some people on here state that they are going on a certain date and will be staying in a certain loop or even a certain site #. I don't know if they have it in with someone at the front desk or if they think that is what they will get just because they requested it?!? I guess if you are lucky(that word is not in my families vocabulary!!!) you will get what you request if it is available and your camper will fit there. On our next trip I will fax a request for any loop not on the orange route and near a comfort station. We have a full hook-up so I am not sure what will be available when we get there! I don't think I will request a loop near Meadow's TP since the pool will be under construction....

We will also be there in February...2nd and 3rd week God willing!


Have fun planning!

 

[2goofycampers]

Welcome to the Dis !!!!

We have always gotten the loop we requested, maybe because we go off season.

 

[BradyBz12]

One thing to make sure... that the loop and/or site you request can actually accommodate your camper. We like the 300 loop, and with a small-ish hybrid and no slideouts, can fit just about anywhere. But some sites on that loop can be tough, if not impossible, for some of the larger MHs and Fivers. (we've seen many try and fail)

Also, if you have a specific loop/site you want, it may help to give a few backup choices. I think we gave 4 or 5 of our faves.

We've been lucky to get our choice of loops the last 2 years in a row, but we check in the Sunday after Thanksgiving - when most of the campground is clearing OUT.

This is the first year we've requested a specific site and were thrilled (and surprised) we got our first choice.

 

[tedlou]

Thanks for the information. I will try faxing my loop picks 5 days before I go. I am puzzled as to why she didn’t ask about our RV or any other information. I guess I should include that in my fax.

Again thanks. This is a very friendly and informative board. I am glad I found you!

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

On our next trip I will fax a request for any loop not on the orange route and near a comfort station.

Just curious...what don't you like about the orange route? We stayed at the Fort back in October and we were on the orange route. It was our first stay, so we don't have anything to compare to. What makes the other routes better?

 

[TxTink :)]

We always request a certain area & have always gotten it- except for this last trip. We weren't happy at first, but we ended up really liking our spot. But you're usually able to get the area you want.

 

[TheFlame]

Just curious...what don't you like about the orange route? We stayed at the Fort back in October and we were on the orange route. It was our first stay, so we don't have anything to compare to. What makes the other routes better?

The orange bus runs to the Wilderness Lodge as well as through it's route in the campground and takes forever to get anywhere. One night we got on the orange bus after it arrived from the middle of the campground even though we knew it would go to the Wilderness Lodge and be right back to the settlement outpost before it ever went to the 1300 loop. There was no one on the bus but us and no one got on at the WL but he still had to go there at 12:00 at night!!! It was just warmer on the bus than sitting and waiting for it to come back. If I wasn't so tired I would have walked and probably gotten there 30 min. sooner!!!

This past trip(11/18-29/08) was the worst bus transportation yet, but we are usually on the purple route. Purple and Yellow do not leave the campground and only service the campground not another resort. Some high payed CEO probably came up with the idea for the new Orange bus route. I believe it used to only run down the middle of the campground, but I am not positive on that. We drove to all of the parks except MK after our first day of riding buses for over an hour to get to a park that is only 15 minutes away.

A golf cart would help with this because you can just drive it to the marina or outpost and skip the internal buses at the Fort. We have never gotten one and I still can't justify the cost when we can just drive to the parks ourselves in less than half the time though you can rent one off-site alot cheaper and they will deliver!

I do like riding the buses but I don't like wasting my valuable time at Disney!

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

This past trip(11/18-29/08) was the worst bus transportation yet, but we are usually on the purple route. Purple and Yellow do not leave the campground and only service the campground not another resort. Some high payed CEO probably came up with the idea for the new Orange bus route. I believe it used to only run down the middle of the campground, but I am not positive on that. We drove to all of the parks except MK after our first day of riding buses for over an hour to get to a park that is only 15 minutes away.

Okay, that makes sense. I think they were doing the Orange bus route the old way when we were there in October. I remember going to the Outpost or Settlement and then changing to a bus or boat for the parks when we got there. The only time that we went to WL was coming from a park, and one time they went to WL and then headed right back to the park without dropping off any of us that were staying at the fort. My husband realized something was wrong when we got to Old Key West! The driver just shook his head, laughed, and turned the bus around. I think he was just daydreaming...it was pretty funny. I'll be sure to avoid the orange route the next time we stay there!

 

[tim5055]

Thanks for the information. I will try faxing my loop picks 5 days before I go. I am puzzled as to why she didn’t ask about our RV or any other information. I guess I should include that in my fax.

Again thanks. This is a very friendly and informative board. I am glad I found you!

Some things to keep in mind when making a reservation at Fort Wilderness. The folks who answer the phone (i.e. reservations cast members) have differing levels of expertise regarding Fort Wilderness. Think about it, there are tens of thousands of Disney hotel rooms fitting into a few categories such as Value, Moderate and Deluxe and most rooms, no mater what property have similar size rooms, room capacities and rules regarding the room. So, the reservations cast members have most of the information regarding rooms in their head. Except for the exceptional reservations cast members, for Fort Wilderness they usually read what is on the screen in front of them. You may need to guide them with your reservation as you may actually know more about the campground then they do. At the very least, call back and make sure they note the following things in the comments for your reservation:

* Type of camping unit (i.e. trailer, tent, motorhome/coach etc.)
* Length of your entire rig including tow vehicles and toads
* Number/location of all awnings
* Number/location of all slides
* Let them know if you have pets

Now my rant about loop requests. Don't do it. As has been noted by several folks, request the features you want, not a specific loop. If you ask for a loop and it is not available the site assigner will have no idea why you wanted what you asked for.

 

[TheFlame]

Now my rant about loop requests. Don't do it. As has been noted by several folks, request the features you want, not a specific loop. If you ask for a loop and it is not available the site assigner will have no idea why you wanted what you asked for.