Does anyone tent camp simply because they enjoy it?

[carissanboys]

Instead of for the savings?

Here's where I'm at presently. We're a family of five that is planning on doing lots of tent camping in the coming years. We have the equipment, but haven't had much chance to try it. I did camp some as a kid and loved it except for the poor sleeping (but now we have a great mattress ). I love the idea of tent camping with the kids and having great memories for them when they're older. I also think it teaches so many valuable life lessons and helps us all to enjoy the simpler things in life.

We have taken two trips to Disney. The first time we stayed at Shades of Green (dh is active duty navy) and the second time was off property at Windsor Hills. Ever since I heard about Fort Wilderness I've loved it. On our last trip in January, we went to the Hoop Dee Doo and got to check out the Fort and we all fell in love with it.

So, here's my dilemma. We can't afford to stay in a cabin. Way too expensive. Even renting an RV would be pricey. The cheapest way for us to stay on property would be to tent camp at the Fort. We could do it for a little more than $300 (that's for 7 nights). However, I realize I could probably get a condo somewhere for that price as well (but then we'd have the added expense of paying to park).

I'm just afraid that after a day in the parks, we're going to be tired and wishing we weren't going back to a tent at night. Part of me thinks it wouldn't be so bad since it's such a relaxing place and atmosphere. Then there's the worry about rain, etc.

I guess I'm looking for tent campers that think the experience is great and that given the choice (between tent camping at The Fort and staying in a value type room for the same price) that they'd choose tent camping and why. Help convince me we should give it a go!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Id be glad to give you my take on it.....I was raised a poor white boy in the south.......JUST KIDDING......camping isnt something ya do because your poor...thats why they make cardboard boxes and alleys in big cities!!!!

Youre right the cabins ARE costly..we stayed in one this past December, But Disney is pretty good about giving you your moneys worth. Ive tent camped for years, but my wife has never had the gohonas to even give it a try. While staying in the cabins , we rented a golfcart for the entire stay and drove around the campground checking out all the sites and xmas decos....she said it was the best campground we've ever been to...and we've been to alotta campgrounds(Always in cabins, though). Now, Im not sayin my ol'lady is stuck up, or snooty, but shes always had the attitude of "Im not so rich that I have to go and PRETEND to be poor for a week and sleep in a tent when we can certainly be much more comfortable in a cabin". She just didnt get it. Many people dont. But being at the fort changed her a little.....and after I told her that tents dont equal misery, that portable air conditioners and heaters are a trip to walmart away. That blowup matresses are just as good as some of the cabin matresses we've subjected ourselves to. Theres electricity at most campgrounds these days, so we can bring the laptop and mp3 players and microwave and fridge......and although, with all the camping luxuries like that, its not exactly "roughing it", but its as close to roughing it as modern man can get without pissing the wife off and still getting back to work next week!!

You CAN be just as comfortable after a day in the parks at a tent site as in a hotel anyday....camping furniture has come a long way...Coleman has blow up loveseats and loungchairs!!! Fold up furniture comes in recliner mode now!!!

As far as the threat of rain....thats where your sweetest family memories will come from. Ive never been camping in the rain. But I hope it storms at least ONE DAY while were tenting in May......that'll be what the family will remember the MOST. It may seem miserable while its going on....but 10 yrs from now...ya'll will talk about that night it stormed at Disney when ou were tent camping...and you'll laugh, and smile...and wish you could do it again. Memories are all we have in the end....ya better hope youve made some good ones to go out with.

This is just MY opinion...your milage may vary.

 

[PolynesianPixie]

Well, I don't know how anyone can give you a better answer than Rog, but I'll give you my take on it anyway! I would hands down rather tent camp than stay at a value or offsite! Heck, I'd rather sleep on a park bench in Disney than stay offsite, but that is just IMO! FtW is in a better location than those far off value resorts, plus the fort has so many wonderful ammenities that it really becomes a destination and not just a place to lay your head. You can set up your camp, just the way you want it, have the great outdoors at your feet and the friendliest neighbors you could wish for! Everybody should try tent camping with their families! Kids love it and I think it brings you closer together. The greatest place to tent camp, again IMO, is FW!

As for offsite, I meant what I said about the park bench! It just isn't a trip to Disney without that complete submersion into the Disney magic!

 

[Tickla]

Hi! We are also a family of 5 & have camped the last 3 years at FW. We have 3 boys, but when it was just 2 boys, we used to fly down & stay in a value. Well, when the 3rd became too old for sharing a room with a crib, we decided to try tent camping. We live in Minnesota and did some tent camping in the summers & liked it, so we thought we would try FW, also the cost of flying with 5 became too much, so even though we were scared to death of driving so far, we saw no other way to keep going to Disney. Our first time tent camping at FW was great until the second to last day, we weren't prepared for rain at all--well, we had puddles on our tent floor & had to rent a cabin our last night But our dry days were great! So the next year we bought a HUGE good-quality tent & tried it again-this time we had great luck--it POURED 2 of the nights, but we stayed dry as a bone-also we stayed in loop 300 & absolutely loved hearing the boat horns at night while falling asleep-we had christmas rope lights strung througout the inside of our tent, & also brought a little 13-inch TV for the cable TV hookup--it really was so cozy & comfortable!! We went again this past December & had a GREAT trip again. My oldest son will be a senior this next fall , & we want to go to Disney one last time with us 5 (it is so hard for me to get over this-I have been a stay-at-home mom since he was born), & just the other day I said we should stay at the Contemporary or Polynesian to make the trip extre special---well, he said NO WAY MOM! I don't want to stay anywhere except FW in our tent! He said it's our tradition & he would be sad to make our last trip together be at a different place--he loves FW, as do my other 2 boys, so I agree about making memories with your kids--it seemed to make quite an impression on my oldest. I know we all Love it, so I say Go for it!

 

[hoosiergirl]

WAAAHHH!!! Tickla, my oldest DD is a freshman in college (I, too, am a SAHM) and whenever we've gone to WDW, it's been in a resort, mostly DVC. This time we decided to try tent camping at FW--because I'm getting nostalgic for the "good ol' days" when I grew up and camped (in a TT though) AND I figured it's a good way to ease into the tenting...at WDW! This trip, though, we'll be w/o our oldest DD--the other 2 DD's will be there but it will be the first trip since I was pregnant with youngest that we were just a family of 4.

So to OP, I think BDR has hit the nail on the head--go for it! Do it for the memories! They grow up TOO soon!

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

We tent simply because we enjoy it. In fact, we don’t save any money by staying at the Fort…but that’s probably just us. On our last trip we could have stayed in a Moderate cheaper than what we dished out at the Fort. We rented a golf cart for 8 days, rented boats, did horseback riding, did the Segway tour, Haunted Hayride and most of our meals were not at the campsite so we didn’t save a lot there.
Savings can be big if you are tenting it.
You can do internal busses, bikes or walk instead
of renting a cart, cook meals at the campsite,
and pass on the extras. This would make
for a significant savings.

I say go for it too!

 

[surferrat]

And Poly ment it!

Well, I don't know how anyone can give you a better answer than Rog, but I'll give you my take on it anyway! I would hands down rather tent camp than stay at a value or offsite! Heck, I'd rather sleep on a park bench in Disney than stay offsite, but that is just IMO! FtW is in a better location than those far off value resorts, plus the fort has so many wonderful ammenities that it really becomes a destination and not just a place to lay your head. You can set up your camp, just the way you want it, have the great outdoors at your feet and the friendliest neighbors you could wish for! Everybody should try tent camping with their families! Kids love it and I think it brings you closer together. The greatest place to tent camp, again IMO, is FW!

As for offsite, I meant what I said about the park bench! It just isn't a trip to Disney without that complete submersion into the Disney magic!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

AAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

 

[Sinclare]

My son and I go down and camp for a couple weeks in June and usually also in October every year. Now I could stay in the resorts and have done so before but I really love the tent camping. We love riding or bikes, listening to the sounds at night (something you don't get in a cabin or motel), and the general atmosphere that exist between campers.

It's more of a freedom of lifestyle, an experience in itself that if I couldn't afford tickets, I would still go and camp. We've camped through tropical storms, storms that seemed worse that tropical storms, had leaks to contend with, come back drenched from the bus, dealt with the "new and improved "sand" that turns to soft gooey clay when water soaks in, went through the massive packing-un-pakcing, setting up, packing that goes with bringing 2 11*17 tents + 10*10 canopy tent + double high air mattresses + everything else and we wouldn't give it up to stay in a motel. Those things are the memories worth making... they last. It makes a family more of a family when they have to work together to setup camp and keep camp. Of course I grew up camping (though we had a camper when I was a kid) and it's just something your remember more than staying in a room.

To be honest it costs us more to camp than it does to stay otherwise. We could actually rent a condo for less with it's own pool (and have done so) but once you start camping, you'll never go back.

Hope this helps even though I'm a little biased since I started camping at the Fort

 

[Brer Bear]

Even though I own an RV, I tent camp several times a year. Usually it is with the cub/boy scouts, but I still enjoy it! Our cub scout pack is camping out this weekend as a matter of fact...I'm taking my RV because it is supposed to get down to 29 deg F! Guess that makes me a wuss....a warm one tho'!

 

[Sinclare]

As far as the threat of rain....thats where your sweetest family memories will come from. Ive never been camping in the rain. But I hope it storms at least ONE DAY while were tenting in May

When are you going to be there in May? We will be arriving May 31st and staying till June 18th. I'd love to meet other Dis'ers.

 

[Escape Artist]

...I'm just afraid that after a day in the parks, we're going to be tired and wishing we weren't going back to a tent at night. Part of me thinks it wouldn't be so bad since it's such a relaxing place and atmosphere. Then there's the worry about rain, etc.
...
I guess I'm looking for tent campers that think the experience is great and that given the choice (between tent camping at The Fort and staying in a value type room for the same price) that they'd choose tent camping and why. Help convince me we should give it a go!

Well, to me, there are lots of ways to tent camp. You'll have to figure out what you think will work for you. There's:

1) it's just a place to sleep. Sleep in the tent, spend all your time at the theme parks, eat wherever but don't cook...it's simple, easy (and cheap!) camping. You'll be so tired from the parks, you'll sleep just fine, and when you're awake, you get to enjoy the atmosphere in FW. Stay in 1500 or 2000, and you'll have lots of company doing the same around you.

2) live it up in the campground. Bring everything, cook there, really experience the camping, and not so much the theme parks. Some people have even brought refrigerators and air conditioners! At other places where we've tent camped, my dh set up a wireless internet router so we could use two laptops on the internet while the kids watched DVD's. The planning, setup and clean-up are more time-consuming, but you can really spend a nice vacation this way. And it can be even cheaper than #1, depending on what you do for food.

3) every option in between. My best tent camping memories are of my kids playing with sticks and stones, and imprisoning little campground critters (ew, banana slugs!) in bug jars. It's a nice way to while away an afternoon. Our good old days!

With a family of 5, WDW resorts get a lot more expensive, even Pop/All Stars. It makes camping a lot better deal financially, plus you get all the experience and memories of tent camping! And you don't have worry about forgetting anything...Wal-Mart is only a few minutes drive away.

FWIW, I don't like rain when we're camping; makes everything so messy. I'd choose a less-rainy time of year to go, to minimize the chance of rain. And if you have really little kids (toddlers or babies), I'd probably choose differently. We camped with little ones, but usually only for 3 days at a time. By the time I get to FW, I like to stay for about 10 days. If you haven't tent camped in a while, you might want to do a weekend trip before your Disney trip, to help you figure out how you want to do it. I really don't like crowded hotel rooms where the five of us are tripping over each other. I'd much rather be in a campground with wide open spaces and mother nature for kids' entertainment. And of course you get the memories of tent camping to talk about for years to come. Hotel rooms just aren't as memorable, and when they are, it's usually not in a good way!

Have a great trip, whichever way you go!

Sue in Texas
...fondly remembering sleeping in our tent when I was 7 mos pg, but we did buy a popup tent trailer when decided I wanted to go movin' on up. Now I love it, too!

 

[Escape Artist]

Another nice thing about camping vs. hotels...all five of you can use the bathroom, shower and brush teeth at the same time. The comfort stations have lots of sinks, potties and showers to use!

(And if anyone is, um, stinky, it's not in your "room," KWIM!)

Sue in Texas

 

[clkelley]

I tent camped for many trips at WDW and really enjoyed it!!! As other folks said, with the Fort's amenities and good electrical connections, you can go as deluxe or primitive as you wish with tent camping. I chose to go deluxe in my tent camping. I had a 13x13 L-shaped tent that I used all by myself. I had a double high air mattress that was just like a bed (with electric blanket and electric mattress pad to keep warm). I had a portable clothes hang rod and a set of plastic drawers for my stuff, and I even had a port a potty in my tent. I had a mini fridge to keep the soft drinks and quick breakfast stuff cold, and had my laptop with DVDs and internet. Outside my tent, I had a covered 10x10 front porch with my folding chairs and a foot stool.

I do have a travel trailer now, but it's so small it's not much more than a hard-sided tent (with heat and AC built in ) All I've done with my T@B is make set up and tear down take less time

 

[PolynesianPixie]

And Poly ment it!

Heeheehee! well, it does beat the leaky Tiki

 

[kimluvswdw]

I love Fort Wilderness, but I hate tent camping. We sold our motorhome to get out from under the payment and decided to give tent camping a try. Needless to say I didn't like it. I would do it again if it was the only I could stay at the fort.

 

[carissanboys]

(Sorry it took me so long to come back - I'd forgotten that I'd posted this! Darn getting older.)

You all have far exceeded my expectations for responses! Wow. This is what I was hoping to get. People that choose to camp even though it may actually end up being more expensive, just because they love the experience. You've definitely convinced me.

Now I have to figure out how to break the news to my parents. They've traveled with us on our other two trips, but I know they won't want to camp. I guess they could always stay at a value resort (they fly down so they can't really stay offsite if we're not staying offsite). We all just really loved staying at Windsor Hills. I know staying offsite isn't for everyone but Windsor Hills is so close to Disney Property and we loved all of the room we had (3 bedroom townhouse with 3 bathrooms and a splash pool). I would just love to actually stay on property once and Fort Wilderness seems like my kind of place (not to mention in my price range seeing as getting a room that'll hold 5 is pricey).

Thank you to everyone for your responses. They were all so eloquently written and from the heart. If the campers we experience at the Fort are anything like you all, then I can't wait I'm sure I'll have tons of questions over the next year and a half (sniff sniff - wish it could be sooner but we're trying to pay off our debts and Disney trips don't help too much with that goal).

Thanks again!

 

[ntsammy5]

I love tent camping and camp several times a year, but having said that I've never tent camped at FW. It's a long story. Have you looked at AFVC? there's a link at the bottom if you haven't. If you decide not to tent camp it may be an inexpensive alternative.

The reason I don't tent camp at FW is because I usually stay there with my sister in her RV. It's too long a drive from Buffalo to WDW so I always fly now and getting all the equipment together is just a hassle IMHO. We do stay at SOG and have stayed at several other resorts too.

Here's the link:


http://www.afvclub.com/

 

[BigDaddyRog]

When are you going to be there in May? We will be arriving May 31st and staying till June 18th. I'd love to meet other Dis'ers.

We're there from May 21st-June1st.....Im always up for meeting fellow dis'ers.

 

[GoCamels]

Our DF of 5 is three weeks away from departing for our FW tent trip (6 nights), and we are pretty excited about it...I should say DW and myself, as the kids only know we are going camping for spring break somewhere, maybe SC, maybe GA, maybe even FL...they have no idea its WDW...so glad that there is so many who have had great experiences at FW in the tent.

Thanks for the confidence boosts all.