Creek Meadow area questions

[Mikelly1221]

Hi! We're going with DS's Cub Scout troop next weekend to the Creek Meadow area of Ft. Wilderness. We've camped many times at the campsites, but never at the group area. Does anyone have any tips, suggestions, warnings, etc. for this area? Thanks!

 

[retired and happy]

Observe the quiet hours and beware of other groups who do not. Have a great time.

 

[TheBird]

The group area is very big and lots of room for kids to run and play. There is a basketball hoop at the area so you might want to bring a basketball. This would save you from having to check one out.

If you don't bring one you can check one out at The Bike Barn.

Enjoy your camping trip the troop will love The Fort.

 

[2goofycampers]

The fishing is pretty good in the canal. If possible bring poles and some worms.

 

[kadaten]

Observe the quiet hours and beware of other groups who do not. Have a great time.

DITTO! We used Creekside Meadows last year....we had 4 of the group sites. The other 2 were used by a Pack who NEVER put their kids to bed or had them even be quiet. I'm talking screaming hide-and-seek at 3am and after. Ugh.

This year we were happy the group area was full so we tried the loops. We got the entire 1500 loop and it was HEAVEN! No loud groups beside us! Met some folks in the 1600 loop and they said they didn't mind us at all....we tend to be quiet and put our kids to bed around 10pm so folks never mind being near us.

 

[beccaewert]

instead of making a new post, I was curious what were the rules to staying the group area....I'm assuming 20 or more? How much cheaper is it than an actual site?

 

[kadaten]

instead of making a new post, I was curious what were the rules to staying the group area....I'm assuming 20 or more? How much cheaper is it than an actual site?

If I remember correctly, you must be an "organized youth group" of 20 or more to use the group camping area. That said, the teepee group that comes each year isn't a youth group....so there's flexibility.

It's $10 per night per person 3 and over (plus tax). So actually, staying in the loops in January was cheaper for us than the group site. We put 2 families on each regular loop site....so each family paid $58 and change (including tax) for 2 nights. Over in Creekside Meadows, those families (most were families of 4) would have paid $80 plus tax for the weekend... The only ones who paid more in the loops were families of 2. Cub Scouts has rules about sharing tents with unrelated persons, so even though you can have 10 people per site, they had to pay half because their tent took up half the site even with just 2 people. Loops are limited to 2 tents per site. When reserving loops as a group (had to go through the convention office) we paid the same rate...did not get a discount....but did NOT have to pay the "$2 per extra adult charge" that normally applies. Do they really charge that anyway? I've only camped with groups at FW so am not sure if they actually collect that fee.

That said, in anything but value season, the group site would probably be cheaper. Depends on how many folks you have on each site...

Pros to the group site:
--large fire pits to use (we had to bring the covered ones allowed in the loops)
--large open play space for the kids
--mulitple picnic tables on each site

Cons to group site:
--more expensive when we go (Jan)
--there are actually 6 group sites, so you will probably be sharing with another group. (We had 100 folks last year, so had 4 group sites...each one accomodates up to 30. The other 2 were inhabited by a rude group that was still running around screaming at 3am.)
--no electric like at the loops

Any other questions, just let me know!

 

[retired and happy]

Just curious...Do they allow open fires in the group areas when there is a burn ban in effect?

 

[Mikelly1221]

OP here...this is great information...thanks! Keep it going!

 

[kadaten]

Just curious...Do they allow open fires in the group areas when there is a burn ban in effect?

Sorry, but I'm not really sure. When we used the group area last year, there wasn't a burn ban that we knew of...

But seeing as we WERE allowed to use our fire pits in the regular loops during a burn ban, I'm betting you might be.... Wish I had a more definite answer for you, though.

 

[Mikelly1221]

Thanks everyone for the great information. The place was great, enjoyed Creek Meadow and can recommend it for groups. The weather didn't cooperate at all, but we made the best of it!

 

[AuntBJ]

Glad you had a good trip, weather not withstanding. Tell us about it, especially anything you wish you had known before you went that you know now.

 

[Mikelly1221]

The areas were pretty clearly marked. Since we were a larger group, we didn't have to share a site with another group, which might have happened. Checking-in was a bit convoluted as our contact person at the last minute didn't come, but it worked out. Bathrooms were very clean.

Cons: Lack of sidewalk right near the area for bike riding. Also, not really a con, but in order to get to the campfire on time, we really had to plan ahead to make the bus connections.

Pros: Dedicated campfire area and tables and grills for our group within our camping area. Plenty of space-we didn't feel like we were setting up our tents right on top of each other. Enjoyed talking to other groups.

That's all I can think of right now!

 

[kadaten]

Cons: ....Also, not really a con, but in order to get to the campfire on time, we really had to plan ahead to make the bus connections.

Just so you know....next time, just walk to the campfire! It's a nice, 7-or-so minute walk from Creekside Meadows.

If you go towards the back of Creekside Meadows (away from the bus stop), there is a bridge over the small creek, and a sidewalk into the 900 loop. Walk through the 900 loop, across the street to Meadows Trading Post, and around back to the campfire! MUCH easier than getting 2 different buses to get there! (Plus, you can claim to "walk off" the s'mores on the way back, even though the walk isn't long at all! )

Glad you had a great time! Not cool of your planner to not show....I went on our Cub Scout Disney camping trip last weekend sick as a dog ....but when you're in charge of a group of 165, not showing up is not an option!

(Yes, I said 165. 85 kids, 80 adults. But everything went FANTASTIC (except for check-in, which I fixed)...except for me coming home even sicker. Now we're trying to decide between the group spot like we did last year, or the loops like we did this year. Our families are evenly split. )

 

[Mikelly1221]

Just so you know....next time, just walk to the campfire! It's a nice, 7-or-so minute walk from Creekside Meadows.

If you go towards the back of Creekside Meadows (away from the bus stop), there is a bridge over the small creek, and a sidewalk into the 900 loop. Walk through the 900 loop, across the street to Meadows Trading Post, and around back to the campfire! MUCH easier than getting 2 different buses to get there! (Plus, you can claim to "walk off" the s'mores on the way back, even though the walk isn't long at all! )

Glad you had a great time! Not cool of your planner to not show....I went on our Cub Scout Disney camping trip last weekend sick as a dog ....but when you're in charge of a group of 165, not showing up is not an option!

(Yes, I said 165. 85 kids, 80 adults. But everything went FANTASTIC (except for check-in, which I fixed)...except for me coming home even sicker. Now we're trying to decide between the group spot like we did last year, or the loops like we did this year. Our families are evenly split. )

You know, I was wandering the area around our campsite and I saw where we could walk to a loop and I thought "I wonder if we could just walk to the campfire?" If it had just been me and my family, we would have tried it..my family loves me and is tolerant of my leading them on adventures, but I'm not as sure about the others!

WOW...165?!?!?! That's a lot of people!! Thankfully we didn't have near that many, and a couple of us moms got together and said "We need a plan" and made one. Usually, I'd feel the same way about our planner not being there, because I'm a "if you say you're going to do it, you'd better do it" kind of person. This was out of her control, however; her husband is sick and she was caring for him, so I didn't mind helping out.

 

[kadaten]

WOW...165?!?!?! That's a lot of people!! Thankfully we didn't have near that many, and a couple of us moms got together and said "We need a plan" and made one. Usually, I'd feel the same way about our planner not being there, because I'm a "if you say you're going to do it, you'd better do it" kind of person. This was out of her control, however; her husband is sick and she was caring for him, so I didn't mind helping out.

That was great y'all jumped in to help! Hope her hubby is on the mend.

Yeah, we had 100 last year and thought that was tough.
I shoulda known. Last year's 23 families couldn't stop talking about how great the trip was so this year that became 45 families. We had the whole 1500 loop (21 sites) plus another 3 sites overflowed into the 1600 loop.

Ran the 51 Scouts through stations to earn their Map & Compass belt loop and their Kickball belt loop. Then after lunch, ran the families around WDW on a Trivia Scavenger Hunt.

I will say that staying in the group area was MUCH MUCH easier. Lots less paperwork for me. In the group site you just have to report a total number of folks staying and that's it. In the loops, we were treated like a school group or band and had to go through convention services...and had to send in detailed lists of names, ages, roommates, etc. NOT fun. Lots more paperwork. But it ended up being slightly cheaper.

Not sure which to go with....easier to plan/manage, or cheaper for the families.

 

[Mikelly1221]

You sound waaaay more organized than we were! They were having a Disney trivia contest at the campfire before the sing-along started, and I was excited about that (we would have had a good shot to do well, too), but it didn't happen for us. I love your ideas though..I'd like to take them to our pack leader. We're a young pack, just reorganizing after a couple of years of not happening.

My vote would be easier on the leader and have a small fund-raiser or divert some popcorn sales profits to maybe cover the difference if the difference isn't that large. A big difference might make me change my mind, though.

 

[kadaten]

Difference was variable by family...

Group sites were $11.25 per person per night once you added tax.
Loop site in January was $58 and change per night. We put 2 families on each site, so each family paid one night...and we rounded it to $60 to help cover the site we put the kitchen on. So $60 per family.

On the group site a family of 2 (father/son) paid $45 for the weekend, but a family of 3 paid $67.50....so every family of 3 or more (41 of the 45 families attending) saved something. The families of 4-6 saved a bundle.

Organization....we have to be. That's just the personality of this pack. LOTS of Type A parents....lots of military parents (my family included!)....who expect organized activities on every trip, and lots of organization at all levels. I must say, it gets exhausting sometimes, but the boys and families all seem to get a lot out of the program. (Though personally I could really go for an unplanned camping weekend one of these days...where I actually go to enjoy my comfy camp chair for more than 5 minutes! A girl can dream! )

Honestly though, all that type A personality comes in handy when you're trying to feed those 165 people! We do Pack-provided meals ($10 charge per person per weekend) so it was VERY nice to have military precision in the kitchen! The line for food was never longer than 5 minutes. For me, that was one of the largest accomplishments of the weekend!

Since you just weekended at FW, I assume you're somewhere close? Where are you located? Would love to see if you have any new suggestions for good camping places for the Scouts!

 

[Mikelly1221]

Difference was variable by family...

Group sites were $11.25 per person per night once you added tax.
Loop site in January was $58 and change per night. We put 2 families on each site, so each family paid one night...and we rounded it to $60 to help cover the site we put the kitchen on. So $60 per family.

On the group site a family of 2 (father/son) paid $45 for the weekend, but a family of 3 paid $67.50....so every family of 3 or more (41 of the 45 families attending) saved something. The families of 4-6 saved a bundle.

Organization....we have to be. That's just the personality of this pack. LOTS of Type A parents....lots of military parents (my family included!)....who expect organized activities on every trip, and lots of organization at all levels. I must say, it gets exhausting sometimes, but the boys and families all seem to get a lot out of the program. (Though personally I could really go for an unplanned camping weekend one of these days...where I actually go to enjoy my comfy camp chair for more than 5 minutes! A girl can dream! )

Honestly though, all that type A personality comes in handy when you're trying to feed those 165 people! We do Pack-provided meals ($10 charge per person per weekend) so it was VERY nice to have military precision in the kitchen! The line for food was never longer than 5 minutes. For me, that was one of the largest accomplishments of the weekend!

Since you just weekended at FW, I assume you're somewhere close? Where are you located? Would love to see if you have any new suggestions for good camping places for the Scouts!

We are close, over in Lakeland. We've gone to Hillsborough River State Park..lots of trees, shaded, good trails, pool, overall nice place. We also went to Rainbow Springs State Park near Ocala. Seemed like a very nice place..it's the site of an old theme park (similar to Silver Springs) that the state bought and made into a park. The bathrooms in the camping area were so clean, they rivaled Disney's. The only con I could see would be that the sites where we were did not have a lot of shade, so you wouldn't want to tent camp when it started getting hot. I'd definitely go there again.

Tell me about the kitchen you bring camping...how does that work? We end up grouping together and bringing all our food, putting it out, and the ones that have grills/campstoves fire them up and keep cooking until the plates stop coming!

 

[kadaten]

We are close, over in Lakeland. We've gone to Hillsborough River State Park..lots of trees, shaded, good trails, pool, overall nice place. We also went to Rainbow Springs State Park near Ocala. Seemed like a very nice place..it's the site of an old theme park (similar to Silver Springs) that the state bought and made into a park. The bathrooms in the camping area were so clean, they rivaled Disney's. The only con I could see would be that the sites where we were did not have a lot of shade, so you wouldn't want to tent camp when it started getting hot. I'd definitely go there again.

Tell me about the kitchen you bring camping...how does that work? We end up grouping together and bringing all our food, putting it out, and the ones that have grills/campstoves fire them up and keep cooking until the plates stop coming!

We love HRSP. Did it in November!
Rainbow Springs is now on my list to check out! Thanks for the tip!
And the only months we don't camp are May-September since I don't like to listen to the "I'm too hot" complaints, so we're safe there!

We have a pack trailer full of equipment. We find we have a lot of families that don't camp on their own, so if we don't provide the meals, they don't camp at all. So the pack has purchased equipment over the years to provide for group meals. We've only been a pack for 7 years, but we've always had some dedicated camping families, so they started buying equipment at the start.

We set up 2 shade canopies, with 2 folding 6-foot lunch tables underneath for food prep and serving. We have a free-standing camp stove where we cook most meals, plus another table-top version for when we have more people and need more burner space. We have several cook sets (pots & pans, untensils, etc), prep sets (mixing bowls, cutting boards, etc), and 3 dutch ovens. We also have 4 5-gallon drink coolers and 2 of the largest coolers I've ever seen, plus 2 regular sized ice chests. Two propane lanterns and stands, flags and flagstands, propane cylinders, firewood, galvanized buckets for trash can turkeys, fire tools, cleaning supplies, dishwashing stations, and miscellaneous gear round it out. Basically, anything a family would need....but on a larger, group scale. Our typical camping trip is for 70 people.

On larger trips (like Disney) we borrow extra stuff from families that do camp on their own....we got 4 extra lunch tables from my workplace, along with 3 extra stoves, extra pots, extra coolers, and extra propane cylinders from our families.

We charge $10 per person for 3 Saturday meals and Sunday quick breakfast. Friday dinner is on your own since people arrive at so many different times. Breakfast and dinner on Saturday are always hot (pancakes or omelettes usually for breakfast, almost anything for dinner) and lunch is always sandwiches and chips and fruit. Sunday breakfast is granola bars and juice, and any leftover fruit.

All our families have to bring is a mess kit for each person....plate, bowl, cup, and silverware in a mesh bag.....we don't do paper products.