First timers

[mom of multiples]

Hi, we just booked our vacation to Ft. Wilderness for April of 2010. We just purchased our first RV (a 29 ft. class c) and this will be our first time using it and our first time at Ft. Wilderness (lots of firsts). There will be 6 of us (husband, myself, 10 year old daughter and 8 year old triplet boys). We would love any tips from the experts (anything at all - we could use lots of help!)
Thanks in advance!!!

 

[clkelley]

Welcome to the nuthouse!!!

What level of site did you book?? Will you all be sleeping in the camper or you gonna bring an extra tent??

How far is your drive to the Fort??

Is there any way you can get out in the camper somewhere close at least for a weekend?? Try it out, find out what you need and don't need.

Most RVs only have a warranty for a year/two at the most and it would be a shame if you didn't find out problems till the warranty is almost expired.

That should actually be your first step, THEN concentrate on specific stuff for the Fort

 

[mom of multiples]

Hi, thanks for responding. We actually bought the rv used a few weeks ago and stayed in a campground overnight, about an hour from our house. I guess that actually was our first time staying in it, but this will be our first REAL trip
We will all be sleeping in the RV, which was fine for the overnight (the RV sleeps 8). We will be at Ft. Wilderness for 6 nights and are driving from Illinois. We've been to Disney several times before, but each time we have rented homes in the Kissimmee/Clearmont area. This will be our first time staying at a Disney property. The site we booked is a full hook-up site. We opted for the cheapest one (I think it was $95/night - we didn't book the cable tv). I think they said it would be in the 1600-1900 loop (does that make sense?) We are also planning on bringing our bikes with. Just wondering what sites are better than others, anything special we should know (or not miss), any tips for first time campers at Ft. Wilderness? Thanks again, I really appreciate any info. We are SO excited about this. We're not even telling the kids where we're going!

 

[DaveInTN]

The Fort will spoil you on other campgrounds, that's for sure. I hope you love it as much as the rest of us do.

I would suggest scrolling through this site and reading up on people's trip reports. You will learn a lot that way about how people spend their time at the Fort, and some things will sound really interesting to you. We like to plan our trips by spending more time at the campground than at the parks. Lots of people do the opposite, spending most time at the theme parks and just a day or so at the Fort. To me, the Fort is pretty much a destination in itself. Bike riding (bring the bikes if possible!), fishing, canoeing (they rent canoes), walking, riding the boats and monorails to check out the other resorts. Most of that stuff is free! Cooking at the site, but dining out is fun too. The campfire/sing a long and movie is held every night and that is a blast. You can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant every night from the beach. The pool has been upgraded now with slide and splash zone. There really is a ton to do before you even step foot in a park. But, of course the Magic Kingdom is a boat ride away!

If your budget allows an expensive dinner show, by all means book tickets for the Hoop Dee Doo, and do it as soon as the reservations open up. For an April trip, it will probably be any day now as they are going back to 180 day reservations tomorrow. It's not a cheap night (probably around $300 for your family!), but is so AWESOME! We've done it twice and my girls think it's the best. So do I!

Well, others will be chiming in with their ideas for you. Have a great time!

 

[mnsprk]

You even get a"bonus" all sites now have cable.. You will have a ball..Nothing like WDW and FW both at the same time..

 

[mom of multiples]

Thank you all for the advice. I definately will be spending lots of time reading through the posts and older threads. I'm sure I will learn a ton. We did the Hoop De Doo Revue two years ago and this time we were thinking of doing Mickey's bar-b-que. We are able to book it tomorrow morning. Has anyone done that one? I know the kids will love the campfires and movies at night!
Good to know that all the sites have cable now. The person that I spoke to in reservations said that she likes the 1600 and 1700 area and put in a request for that, althought they can't guarantee it. I looked at the pictures of the pool and it looks great! Dave, we are going to do as you suggested, and spend more time at Ft. Wilderness and a few days at the parks. It seems like there is so much to do and we really want to take full advantage of our time there. We are bringing our bikes, so we figure that will be a good way to get around. Thanks again!!!

 

[KimIce]

It is a little expensive, but my husband refuses to stay at the FW without renting a Golf cart.

 

[retired and happy]

Congratulations on you new acquisition. If at all possible use or at least run your Class C once a month or so to keep fluids circulated and insure batteries are keeping a charge. Check tire pressures regularly, but especially just before you travel.

Try to arrange for dedicated spaces/containers for each person to store "stuff". It doesn't have to be large, but it may help keep things organized. There are other threads herein describing how others have handled space.

We did the Hoop De Doo once, but do the Bar-B-Que every trip, sometimes twice. There's lots of action and character interaction. The food seems to be the same for both events, except for the strawberry shortcake. We also spend a lot of time at the Fort, often going days without a Park visit.

Although we have a screen room on our MH, you may want to consider some type of freestanding outdoor shelter such as a screened cabana. It makes a convenient place to gather people and supplies, eat out, etc without flying insects.

Just curious...how many bikes...how will you carry them?

We're scheduled in for mid-Dec thru New Years. Wish it were this week. You are in for a great experience. Keep posting as your trip nears and let us know how things are going.

 

[PrincessNP]

When Walt talked about the most magical place on earth he really meant FW!! Judy is right, Mickey's backyard BBQ is one of the highlights. A great way to meet the characters and you can walk or take the internal buses atound the Fort.

Be sure not to pack everyday full of "Disney" activities. Part of the fun of staying at the Fort is spending time there. There are some great suggestions above. Even just walking around and meeting the neighbors is fun. And if you have a samll grill there is nothing like the smell of fresh bacon in the morning at the campground!

Gosh......how much longer do I have to wait!!!

 

[BradyBz12]

there is nothing like the smell of fresh bacon in the morning at the campground!

Oh that is just the BEST... 6 more days!!!

 

[Judy in Texas]

Make sure you schedule enough time at The Fort. There's lots to do there plus scheduled activities for the kids. The Chip and Dale campfire each evening followed by a movie is loads of fun. You can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach - they even pipe in the sound effects. And you can end the evening with the lighted boat parade. The night we saw it there were just a few of us watching and it was like the parade was put on just for us.

 

[ccchuck]

Make sure you schedule enough time at The Fort. There's lots to do there plus scheduled activities for the kids. The Chip and Dale campfire each evening followed by a movie is loads of fun. You can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach - they even pipe in the sound effects. And you can end the evening with the lighted boat parade. The night we saw it there were just a few of us watching and it was like the parade was put on just for us.

we're still going for the kids.. course they're both out of the house, marries, and won't be with us.. but officially we're go to the Fort for the kids...

 

[mk199]

have fun