Florida people who frequent the Fort

[LegoMom3]

How far ahead do you reserve a camp site?? I mean, I don't imagine it's the kind of place where you can just decide, "Hey, let's go to FW next weekend!" and manage to get in. Right now for us, any trip to the Fort is part of a major trip to Disney, so it goes with the advance planning. However when we get to Florida, I'd like to do lots more camping there (and not necessarily parks all the time) but I'm wondering if I'll still be planning as though it were a major vacation!!

 

[David Johnson]

Just depends on what time of year you plan on staying there.

 

[LegoMom3]

"Off-season", if there is such a thing anymore!! Basically, not during the real heat of summer (JUne-Aug.) or over the major holidays.

 

[Disney Campers]

We've never just driven up and asked for a site but we don't always plan far in advance, sometimes just a week or 2 earlier and can usually get a site. The fort pretty much fills up every weekend with a mass exodus on Sunday and Monday. We usually don't even mess with the parks in the Summer - just to darn hot, Blizzard Beach usually beacons us

 

[SunshineCamper]

I made ressie for thanksgiving (the weekend before) for this yr. in Feb. I made ressie for the first week in Jan. 2008 (still on christmas break) Jan. 2007 knowing that these are "HOT" weekends. We just came back from a week stay at the Ft. Aug. 12-19 and I made ressie in June. So like others have said it depends on the time of year.

This was the first time we stayed in Aug. and for a week. We got the FL resident water park after 2p pass. We've never done the water parks. It was fantastic. We got front row parking and we closed the park. The last hr. is empty so we rode many rides 2 and 3 times. So as far as planning I still plan. I check to see where the extra magical hrs. are in what parks in the EVENING. Which we all love going to MK when the sun is down. We stayed out of the theme parks during the day-too many people and too hot. Love those water parks!!

We are 30 mins. from Disney so we enter the Ft. right at 1p, set up and head to the water parks or in the cooler months we head to whichever park offered extra magical hrs.-again I look up that info. ahead of time. I also, buy all the groceries and plan the meals ahead of time since it's cheaper AND it's easier on time and fustration to seek out a Publix, Winn Dixie etc. over there. So for me there is still planning and like any other camping trip-making sure the kids (and DH) bring the right clothes (bathing suit, flip flops etc.)

We LOVE Disney's FTW. in the "off" season. We camp at the state parks as well but FTW is a quick drive, cheaper on gas when you're pulling a 26TT and you sewer right there. You get what you pay for. We love riding our bikes around the FT and to WL. Watch the fireworks and the electrical water Pagent on the FT beach /marina. of course, the campfire and sing along too. What's not to like!?
Ok, I'll stop rambling now...

 

[Colson39]

As others have said, it all depends on when you go. During the off-season you should be able to get a site without much of a problem, as long as you don't try the whole "drive-up" method. Because of the nature of camping, you kind of have to plan it at least a couple weeks in advance.

Now, there have been plenty of times where we have decided to go to Disney after waking up one morning and just booked a room at the All Star or one of the other resorts. As long as it's not a peak time we've never had a problem getting a room that way.

 

[lisa8200]

Does this sound familiar ' It just depends ". we booked short notice
( one week in advance ) when we bought our camper and couldn't wait but, I think we were just lucky to get in . every other trip we have tried to book at least one month out. We normally don't go near a holiday.

 

[PenskeSth1]

One day the end of July on a Wednesday I called to see if we could get into the fort one last time before school started. I was shocked that the CM told me we could get in that following Sunday. I figured that call was a real shot in the dark. Needless to say the kids and I got to enjoy 4 fun days at the fort. We didn't go into the parks except for EMH and of course the water parks.

There have been plenty of other times when I couldn't get anything. We did get lucky and got a ressie for Sept 27-30. Anytime at the fort is better than no time.

We are very spontaneous people!!

 

[Memph1s]

For just weekend stays I normally only book about a week out. I can’t always get in but because we are close and there are 52 weekends a year we get to go pretty often. If it’s a special occasion we will book as far out as we can to insure we get in. I have called on a Saturday morning and gotten in but that’s just luck.
Most of the time when we camp for just a weekend we do not go to the parks. It’s just too much work and trouble to set up and take down camp for just one night when you are not even going to be at camp. You might not get your site until 1PM Sat. and have to be gone by 11 AM Sunday. So you either have to drag the camper around or use Disney transportation. Then you still have to come back and setup camp. If we want to go for a weekend and go to the parks we just get a room.

 

[AuburnJen92]

We book the long trips in the summer a year out (Woohoo, here we come July 4th!) and try to book as far ahead of time as we can. Most of the time, we can keep calling and get what we would like, barring major holidays. I am just that stubborn that I call until I get something we can live with.

 

[thesmittys7]

How far ahead do you reserve a camp site?? I mean, I don't imagine it's the kind of place where you can just decide, "Hey, let's go to FW next weekend!" and manage to get in. Right now for us, any trip to the Fort is part of a major trip to Disney, so it goes with the advance planning. However when we get to Florida, I'd like to do lots more camping there (and not necessarily parks all the time) but I'm wondering if I'll still be planning as though it were a major vacation!!

We decided on Wensday 8/22 that we wanted to go. We made ressies that day for 8/23- 8/26. We usually make ressies way in advance. I honestly did not thinkwe could get in but from August until mid december seem to be pretty easy to reserve. or atleast I have found this. We are about 30min away We rarely do parks. Welove to just camp and do Down town Disney!