Complaining about the Fort???

[stacktester]

A few posts on here lately have been some complaints about, ice, towels, pool not being themed and Trails End being sub par food.

I think as long as your kids and family enjoy FW it's worth not having all of that. I personally take 3-4 trips to the fort a year and this year I'm doing 5 and would LOVE to do more. I went for the first time during Thanksgiving weekend 2004 and when I left I looked at my daughter with tears in her eyes saying she had never been to a place so fun and as many times as we had traveled to Disney and stayed onsite or off that this was her favorite place to go. We've been 8 more times since and we get to go for spring break next week. Not everything (including Disney) can be perfect. WDW is in the business of making money for their stockholders and providing a fun place for their customers. IMO you have to pick and choose what you like and dislike and make the best out of it and prepare for what isn't provided.

 

[akamom]

I agree. We go camping every other weekend in the summer and have to buy ice, bring our own towels, etc. So that doesn't bother me, it's apart of camping imo.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I agree. In fact, one recent thread was started by someone who hadn't even been to FW yet. It seems that a lot of the complaints are not coming from the "old timers" who have visited the fort for many years. It's not a hotel, folks. It's a campground, and a darn nice one, too, with a LOT more to offer than most other campgrounds - 2 stores, 2 pools, 2 restaurants (one with a dinner show), courtesy transportation to theme parks, bike and boat rentals, and all at a pretty decent price. I just looked into reservations at a campground associated with another theme park for this summer and the price for a full hookup in the sun (no trees here - sorry) was 85 bucks a night. No restaurants, one pool (unthemed, by the way), a small general store. My feeling is if FW doesn't measure up, then there's always Tropical Palms or the Kissimmee KOA.

 

[tellnotails]

I agree. In fact, one recent thread was started by someone who hadn't even been to FW yet. It seems that a lot of the complaints are not coming from the "old timers" who have visited the fort for many years. It's not a hotel, folks. It's a campground, and a darn nice one, too, with a LOT more to offer than most other campgrounds - 2 stores, 2 pools, 2 restaurants (one with a dinner show), courtesy transportation to theme parks, bike and boat rentals, and all at a pretty decent price. I just looked into reservations at a campground associated with another theme park for this summer and the price for a full hookup in the sun (no trees here - sorry) was 85 bucks a night. No restaurants, one pool (unthemed, by the way), a small general store. My feeling is if FW doesn't measure up, then there's always Tropical Palms or the Kissimmee KOA.

Surely you don't imply we all keep our heads in the sand???????


That is the purpose of this forum to share experiences with fellow fw nuts both good and bad.....

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Surely you don't imply we all keep our heads in the sand???????


That is the purpose of this forum to share experiences with fellow fw nuts both good and bad.....

Let's not be ridiculous, here. My point is that there are complaints because other resorts on property offer certain amenities that in general hotels offer, but FW does not, which I find ridiculous. It is a campground, after all, and these are things you give up for the camping lifestyle.

 

[stacktester]

FW Guy, I sometimes use the buses and sometimes don't but that in itself and the convenience of being able to ride free to the parks is perk enough for me. Before I saw FW, I pictured a big open field with campers. I remember as a kid going with my uncle that they had a store and I thought the rest would just be a big grassy field. Much to my surprise once we passed the untoad area I had a dropped jaw. We got the 800 loop that first time and I said to myself that I wasted a lot of years not having a camper and coming here.

Walt's dream was everything has to be 1st class for my customers and FW is just that. Like I said, you may not get a towel or paper or whatever but what other CG can you go to and watch outdoor movies and enjoy probably one of the best FAMILY settings around for $75 or so a night. My daughter is so excited about going next week she can't sit still and that alone is worth not having it all. We went twice last summer and didn't go to the parks. Just went to Blizzard Beach and Arabian Nights and the rest of the time we cooked, rode bikes, fished, played bingo, canoed, went to the campfire program .............................................. get it? I think you get quite a bit for your buck if you ask me.

I often joke around that when I die I want to be cremated and have some ashes spread at FW and a couple other places we've had some good memories. That way I can always be at the fort lol.

 

[Rhonda]

I just looked into reservations at a campground associated with another theme park for this summer

Gasp!!!!

 

[Shannone1]

A few posts on here lately have been some complaints about, ice, towels, pool not being themed and Trails End being sub par food.

I think as long as your kids and family enjoy FW it's worth not having all of that. I personally take 3-4 trips to the fort a year and this year I'm doing 5 and would LOVE to do more. I went for the first time during Thanksgiving weekend 2004 and when I left I looked at my daughter with tears in her eyes saying she had never been to a place so fun and as many times as we had traveled to Disney and stayed onsite or off that this was her favorite place to go. We've been 8 more times since and we get to go for spring break next week. Not everything (including Disney) can be perfect. WDW is in the business of making money for their stockholders and providing a fun place for their customers. IMO you have to pick and choose what you like and dislike and make the best out of it and prepare for what isn't provided.

I haven't been to FW yet and the reason I joined this board was to get information, both good and bad. I love reading about people's trips and seeing their pictures. It makes me even more excited about our upcoming trip (20 more days!!). I don't expect things there to be perfect, and I appreciate hearing about it when it isn't. It gives me more realistic expectations.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Gasp!!!!

Now, don't be hatin'. I was forced by my wife who wants to spend a week near her parents (who used to live in Florida, but now live in Western New York - figure THAT one out).

 

[DisneyDadinOhio]

Now, don't be hatin'. I was forced by my wife who wants to spend a week near her parents (who used to live in Florida, but now live in Western New York - figure THAT one out).

Now THAT is something..!

 

[Live4FW]

Folks,

I must admit feeling a bit out of place being on the defensive for posting how something could be improved at the Fort. As you can see by my name and when I joined (along with my signature), I have spent much time there. I still think it is the best campground in the world! That doesn't mean I haven't seen a slide in offerings there or missed opportunities to make some more magic (even profit). If you look at the ledger sheet the things no longer offered far outweigh what has been added. That is obviously OK with the majority as the they are in business to make money and Fort is more packed than ever. That doesn't mean I have to swallow some disappointment that something we liked is gone now.

I hope we (camping board) don't become a place where you are criticized for saying what you think about the best campground around because it has to be perfect!

 

[Rhonda]

Folks,

I hope we (camping board) don't become a place where you are criticized for saying what you think about the best campground around because it has to be perfect!

Absolutely not! I know FW is not perfect! I love FW (obviously--that's why I've been a Mod here since 1997!!). But, in the past 10 years I've seen changes, both good and bad, and I've had trips that were happy, and times when I've been disappointed. But, we learn to take the bad with the good, and in the overall scheme of things, Fort Wilderness is still the happiest place, in the happiest place on earth!!

But when something disappointing or bad happens there, I don't hesitate to post about it, because as Shannone1 said, it gives people more realistic expectations!

 

[akamom]

Well instead of "complaining" about amenities that are/aren't available, why don't we start a list so no one is surprise or disappointed?

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

I think its foolish to compare a campground (even one as nice as FW) to a typical resort, they arent comparable. It is fair to compare FW to other campgrounds and I would encourage that discussion. I personally feel that FW offers a much better experience for the money. I do however think that the Disney corp is resting on its past sucesses when it comes to FW. As a previous poster noted, the list of things gone is longer than the list of things new. Personally, being a diehard Disney traveler and longtime fan of FW, I cant help but feel that Disney has become complacent. Maybe its a trend at Disney, maybe its just FW ?

 

[ctpooh]

The campground is the best and remember that it is a campground. If you want towels and other things stay at the resort. You will miss out though, camping make disney so much more special.

 

[swillis]

I am a newbie to Fort Wilderness, although I camped extensively as a kid growing up. Let me tell you why I choose to spend our vacation in a cabin at the Fort instead of a moderate or deluxe resort which were our other choices.
1. Room to spread out. With 2 preteens, you can't expect the harmony to last for 10 days while sharing a room that is only a few hundred square feet.

2. 2 tv's. Don't want to watch Disney channel or Nickelodeon (do they even have that channel) for my whole 10 day vacation.

3. A full sized fridge and kitchen to make some breakfast each morning, so we can get to the park at rope drop. There is no "fridge swapping" or hoping they have a fridge available to rent for the week.

4. Bunk beds. I can't expect, nor would I want, my son and daughter to share a bed at their ages (11 and 12)

5. Privacy. I don't want to hear Mrs. Jones next door yelling at her kids to "be happy we're in Disney!" or toilets flushing, or excited children stomping on the floor over my head. Nor do I want others to have to put up with MY kids, and MY yelling (of course I don't yell..I'm in Disney for goodness sake!)

6. A low key pool. I am not spending my hard earned Disney dollars trying to drag my kids away from the "wicked awesome" pool.

7. Daily Mousekeeping, dining plan, onsite restaurant (however low key that may be) a general store and easy transportation to the Magic Kingdom were the cherries on top of the cake for me.

Now mind you...I havent been there yet, but I am going with very reasonable expectations that we are camping. Fancy camping, but camping nonetheless. And I am eagerly counting the SECONDS until we get there!!

 

[aLitlGoofy]

IMO, you won't be disappointed. FW is one of the best campgrounds we have ever camped. I wish we lived closer so that we could go more often. But there are a few things that I wish they would do. One of which is to expand, so that it would be easier to get a reservation. I think it is only human nature to want more.

 

[jason_rving]

I have never complained about the things FW has never had....only about the LONG list of things that have disappeared.

 

[CottontailCurl]

Guys, don't make me turn this forum around!!

 

[christinou]

We love FW and go there every summer the forst 2 weeks in August, my only complaint, is too much smoking around the pool.
And no more peacock, I really miss them, other than that it is great and can't wait to go back again.