Early arrival at FW...... What options?

[mr821]

Planning our trip for June and are scheduled to arrive on a sunday, but since school is out and we are driving from TX, we might leave earlier and hope to be in the general area the night before. Any recommendations on where to camp close to FW, or boondocking, or can we park in the large parking lot at FW? Just trying to figure out options and get the most of our arrival day. The last trip we got their mid afternoon, and after setup, a quick bite to eat we were done and ready for bed, and felt like a wasted day at FW and WDW.

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Rose

 

[peg110]

They will not (typically) let you park in the overflow lot at the Fort until after you have checked in. (I.E you check in at 7 AM and your site isn't ready yet.)

Checking in before 6 AM (I think) is actually considered the previous day so you would have to have paid the rate for that day.

We usually find a rest stop somewhere about an hour or so away and pull over for those couple of hours of sleep before we drive into the fort in the early AM. Every trip we have driven down has been something different so I cannot say which one is better then the other. I am pretty sure all the Walmarts in the area don't allow the overnight parking. There are some campgrounds in the area though. I have never used them so I will let others speak to them.

 

[tiggerdad]

Personally I use the rest area in Ocala as it is exactly an hour from the Fort but I usually time my trips to arrive there around 2am thus allowing me 4-5 hours sleep so I am somewhat rested for my arrival day.

Others like @bama_ed stay at local campgrounds that sound pretty nice and about 30 minutes away. We'll wait and see if he chimes in (about a 102.3% chance) and gives some details.

As previously mentioned you can't park in overflow until your actual arrival date.

 

[bama_ed]

Any recommendations on where to camp close to FW, or boondocking, or can we park in the large parking lot at FW? Just trying to figure out options and get the most of our arrival day. The last trip we got their mid afternoon, and after setup, a quick bite to eat we were done and ready for bed, and felt like a wasted day at FW and WDW.

Rose,

I am one of the more outspoken people on this point. We make the drive from central Alabama and with the time zone change it is usually late afternoon when we get to the WDW area. Like you I hated paying nearly $100 or more a night to set up, eat, sleep, and breathe the expensive Disney air.

My response is to stay at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, FL which leaves a 30 minute drive the next morning to the Fort. It is on Hwy 27 which is due west of WDW. I've done this the last 4 trips and will be doing it again soon.

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campi...roundDetails.do?contractCode=FL&parkId=281108

The rates are $24 a night plus taxes/fees. The sites are simple and there are two comfort stations that are not air conditioned. Some have full hookups but not all do. I literally roll in with my Aliner in tow, leave it all hitched up, and just drop the rear stabilizers, plug in the 30 amp plug, and pop up the roof. In the morning it takes all of 5 minutes to close up and drive off to the Fort. We get there about 7am and have time to check in and take a site that's available if no one was on it the previous night. Or we have time to ask what's going to come open that morning and get one assigned.

Coming up in January we will do this and we have an 8am breakfast planned at Trails End in case we need to kill some time waiting (rough duty I know). Then if we're still waiting we'll mosey over to the Meadow Trading Post. In the past we've rolled over to the overflow lot, popped up the roof, and broken out the drinks, cinnamon rolls, and folding chairs. We never do a park day on our arrival day anyway so we aren't really missing anything critical. Once you've checked in and are waiting for your site, the Fort will send you a text with your site number when it's ready and you just roll down and start setting up. I like this approach VERY much.

So basically we travel to Lake Louisa, do a minimal set-up, and head over early to the Fort. From Texas you'll be coming down I75 and the turnpike like I do. In the morning continue south on Hwy 27, then curl east on Hwy 192 in Kissimmee, and turn up World Drive onto WDW property. Go through the Magic Kingdom toll booth as far to the right as possible and they will pass you through for free since you are headed to the Fort. Take the first right (it comes up immediately after the Toll Booth) on Vista Blvd and go to the Fort.

Easy shmeasy.

Bama Ed

PS - Michael only gave me a 102.3% chance of responding. Dude, why are you low-balling me?

 

[peg110]

Rose,

I am one of the more outspoken people on this point

Well maybe just a little outspoken.

PS - Michael only gave me a 102.3% chance of responding. Dude, why are you low-balling me?

He was hedging his bets. You know there is a chance that the apocalypse could have happened. Since you haven't been too outspoken about your zombie defenses Tiggerdad had to be careful.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

My response is to stay at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, FL which leaves a 30 minute drive the next morning to the Fort.

Wise Choice.

 

[sailorman83]

We stay at Sherwood Forest campground in Kissemee. It's about two miles from the fort

 

[radryan]

Bama_ed Have you come thru during morning parking rush if so how long do you wait at the MK toll both? I ask because we will be coming in from Lake Louisa but I guesstimate based on our normal routine that we will not be through to the fort prior to morning MK parking rush.

Have you tried coming in from the north (behind MK) after staying at Lake Louisa?

Coming from the north it is a tad shorter, you avoid Irlo Bronson and the MK toll booth but have to turn in front of bus and resort traffic on World dr to get to vista Blvd(just like the Disney buses). I wonder which way avoids morning parking crowds better.

 

[Teamubr]

Ed convinced me to stay at Lake Louisa this trip. We used to stay in southern GA/northern FL and then make the last 3-4 hours in on arrival day, but we usually hit a bunch of check in traffic at the Fort and sat for 30 minutes or longer. This year, we are doing what Ed described.

Unlike Ed, we hit the parks as soon as camp is set up. Wishes at MK was a first night family tradition. Now that Wishes is retired, we'll have to see about the new show.

As for avoiding the MK check in lines, we generally come in Western Way to Buena Vista to Bonnet Creek to Vista and into the Fort. This brings you to the Fort from the east. The turn into the Fort is a 150 degree turn, but you avoid the MK toll booth.

j

 

[bama_ed]

Hi radryan! Don't be a lurker - post more often (we don't bite).

The times I have stayed at LLSP (and I have one visit planned later this year) I leave no later than 630am so there isn't much traffic that time of morning other than CM's going to work. That puts me at the MK toll booth about 7am so I simply don't have any experience with times later than that. At that time of morning, there is no one working the toll booths anyway so it's a quick ride through.

No, I haven't tried a northern approach nor do I care to. Not much benefit given when I travel in and I still think of that northern side of the MK as a back stage area (even if you can get through it). I still like the approach from Hwy 192 so I can see the WDW welcome signs and such. I saw those as a kid whenever I arrived and I still want to see them now when I arrive. I'm a big kid at heart.

I'm so excited to get to the Fort that I leave LLSP early in the am and don't know what a later morning arrival is like, honestly.

Bama Ed

 

[DKSABS]

Very helpful information! We're coming from the Fort Walton Beach area, and we had planned to leave here the morning of our first day (a Thursday) and make the ~7 hour drive and check in late afternoon/early evening. After reading this, we're now thinking seriously about going ahead and leaving Wednesday night after work and driving all night and staying at Lake Louisa so we can check in early Thursday morning. Thanks for all the ideas and information.