First timer, tent camping, with preschoolers!

[Camno's Mama]

So, what do you think? Am I crazy?

We are planning on driving down as we can not afford airfare. We have a tent, but not much else that may be required when camping. We have set the tent out lots of times in the yard, and the boys love it. We have never really taken the opportunity to camp nearby.

The reasons that we want to do this are largely financial, but I do think it would be a lot of fun. And I'm always about trying new things, and try to teach my kids to do the same. And FW looks like a lot of fun, mixing the Disney stuff with the outdoorsy stuff.

I know that the campsites are around 43 a night, but what other costs am I not including that will add up quickly? We would probably just use whatever bathrooms that the campground offers, and like to eat out when we are on vacation, so we would only be interested in having snacks and very simple meals on hand.

Looking around on the threads, I noticed that a lot of people recommend the screen thing as well as a tent. We have an air mattress and sleeping bags. Are there other types of gear that are recommended?

Is this really a more economical option, or are there a lot of hidden costs that I'm probably not thinking of? Thanks in advance for all of your sage camping wisdom!

 

[Pinkee77]

There are lots of experienced campers around here who will give you more info on gear. But since I happen to be up at this early hour with a sick kid I thought I'd add my two cents.

In July I took my DD7 and my DS 5 camping for the first time at The Fort. There is a link to my trip report in my signature if you are interested.

To answer your question, no, I don't think it's crazy at all. The Fort is a magical place. The only downside is that any other place you camp will pale in comparison. I'm a little worried about this myself. I recently mentioned camping at a State Park to my kids this fall and they wanted to know if there would be golf carts and trading pins.

As far as cost comparison . . . . For me, the cost of the nightly stay plus the expense of buying gear probably equaled (or maybe even exceeded) the cost of staying in a resort. We do however plan on using the camping equipment again, so that cost will go down. I think where you would save the most money is by bringing your own food and cooking at your campsite. Just my opinion.

I did bring along a screen house. I bought a "First Up" canopy from WalMart along with the screen walls that you buy separate. I ended up not using the screen walls, but it was nice having the canopy. If you plan lots of acWe got a lot of rain the second day we were there and the canopy leaked. I since found out from the wonderful DISers around here how to waterproof it. And I'm happy to report that I tested it out this weekend and no leaks!! (yay for me!)

What I would consider when deciding on a screen house is how much time will you actually spend hanging out at the campsite? If your days will be spent at the park, and you are planning on eating out and not cooking, then you may not want to bother with one.

The packing list in the sticky at the top of this forum was a huge help. One thing I would do different (besides waterproofing my canopy) is bring two extension cords instead of one. One for outside the tent to plug in lights, or whatever else. And one inside the tent to charge my cell phone at night.

One thing that I wasn't sure if I needed but was glad that I brought was a camping table. I bought the Coleman camp table that has the roll up aluminum top. I know there are picnic tables there. But, as others have posted, they are very heavy. When we got to the site, it was way off to the side. I ended up using my camp table the whole time, and it worked out perfectly.

One more suggestion . . . everyone kept telling me that the first camping trip should be close to home. I'm only an hour away from Disney, so that fit the bill. I figured in the worse case scenario if my kids freaked out when it got dark and wanted to go home, we could always grab a hotel room, or just pack up and drive home. Chicago is a little further away. lol. While The Fort is a wonderful place and I'm sure your kids will love it however, you still may want to consider camping somewhere close to home first as a trial run. That may also help you decide what gear you can and can't live without.

Happy planning!!

 

[jimmytammy]

The few camping trips I have been on have all been in tents. Believe me, FW is camping heaven compared to most other areas that are set up for this type scenario. Boy Scout camping is at the other end of FW camping

I would advise you to go on a long weekend getaway tenting to get a feel for it. That way you will know for sure if its going to work for you many miles from home. When you take away the comforts of home, and start roughing it, you are definitely living a whole different life.

I know you mentioned eating out all meals, and WDW is definitely a place to eat some great and fun meals. But staying at the Fort allows you the luxury of cooking out. See if you can borrow or buy a Coleman stove, and cook a few meals. This will save you tons of money. WDW can be a very costly place to eat, and the tickets are costly but unavoidable if you want to go to the parks.

Trails End has good food and is one of the best bargains on property for eating IMO.

Have a great time if you decide to go!!

 

[Mickey Canada]

My suggestion since I have DS-6, DD-8 and my DW ....... bring a potty for nighttime. My wife has no interest in walking to a comfort station in the middle of the night.

Add kitty litter to it as well.

For this, I bought a Hassock. You can check it out at Cabella's or Bass Pro Shops. They cost about 30 bucks or so.


Camping is a blast and the kids love it. Enjoy.

 

[ntsammy5]

My youngest is 27 now, but all 3 kids have been camping since they were very young - in fact the youngest is pregnant right now and while they were camping last weekend, they bought a screen house for when the baby goes camping next summer - that's a big change for them since they are backpack campers/hikers. everyone has to make sacrifices for kids, but camping is not a sacrifice - kids love it.

To answer your question, no, you're not crazy!

 

[2goofycampers]

Here is a packing list thread that might help let you know what you need to bring.
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1115732

 

[clkelley]

Even if you are going to be going to the parks a lot, I would say a screen room or shelter is still pretty vital. You need to set it up directly at the entrance of your tent. That way when entering or leaving the tent you can stay dry. Your rain gear can hang from the shelter outside the tent.

 

[clkelley]

From your siggy it looks like it is you, your DH, and two young boys. Bring a separate set of toiletries in a "shower bag" for at least you and your DH. That way you don't have to wait on each other to shower. A shower bag can be anything. I use a school bacpack with lots of compartments in it. Your boys are young enough that DH can take one with him to the shower, and you can take one with you to the shower

 

[QueenGoblin]

I think camping is one of those activities that can bring the "spender" out in some of us, myself included. I always look at the lists of things people bring and start to think I need to invest several hundred in camping supplies. Certainly if you think you will do more camping in the future, it doesn't hurt to get some specialized supplies. But in reality, you probably don't need anything more than some flashlights, a lantern, your tent/groundcloth and bedding.

We are going with two small kids in October/November and I have started a list of things I think I might need. I was happy to find that lots of things could be scrounged up from home. Some stuff I am borrowing from family and friends (you'd be surprised how many people have camping supplies in their attics or basements). If you do need something, if you are trying to save $, try freecycle or craigslist before heading out to Cabellas or LLBean.

I agree with the PP that if you are willing to bring a long some cooking supplies, you will save money in the long run. I'm not suggesting that you cook every meal. But if you bring an electric skillet and pancake mix you can have a hot pancake breakfast one morning without spending time and money on it at the park. Or bring a crockpot, dump in your ingredients in the morning and have a hot supper waiting when you come back to the site. And there is always BBQ. Your kids will probably get a kick out of cooking outside.

Since you are driving, even if you find there is something you MUST have, you can take a quick trip out to get it. You will be surrounded by civilization

 

[ftwildernessguy]

My youngest is 27 now, but all 3 kids have been camping since they were very young - in fact the youngest is pregnant right now and while they were camping last weekend, they bought a screen house for when the baby goes camping next summer - that's a big change for them since they are backpack campers/hikers. everyone has to make sacrifices for kids, but camping is not a sacrifice - kids love it.

To answer your question, no, you're not crazy!

Of course, this advice is coming from someone who may just be a little bit crazy himself.

 

[Gmouse]

I can understand the financial part of wanting to camp--but keep your eyes open for a disney hotel code--check out mousesavers.com and KEEP checking it, as they don't send emails for every update. I think disboards has a place for code announcements too?? We have used the codes many times and saved alot of money. You would probably come out better, since you can sometimes get a value resort for as low as $50-60 a night, depending on the season you will be in. THEN you won't have to worry about taking along everything in the world. AND WORST OF ALL-- being caught up in a good old fashion Florida THUNDERSTORM!! I used to live there and you never know when one will pop up from off the ocean!
Tent camping supplies are NOT cheap. We spent well over $300 just getting a tent, sleeping bags, coolers and just the BASIC necessities for a family....it gets very expensive. If if were just the 2 adults...pack up and go!
ME personally....I have a 9 yeard old and we've camped in tents (BOY SCOUTS!) and I would NEVER camp in a TENT at Dinsey..it's too much work with little ones and you want to save every minute for PARKS!!! AND...get a GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP after running around all over them all day....and someone comes and cleans your room while you are gone....no ones coming to clean the tent
You can reserve the campsite and just wait and see if a good code is released for a disney hotel for that time...then cancel the campsite.
There is a history chart on that site also...it will tell you when codes are usually released for the time you are going, and how much discount they are.