??? for all you FW regulars

[tybrilinja]

Ok, maybe it is two questions.

1. When you first started going to the parks and camping how many days did you figure in for non-park activities? I want to get everything out of our trip but not sure how to plan. We are wanting to go in January and still can't get ressies, but have been told to keep trying, so until I'm told to forget about it I'm still planning on going, but I'm trying to deciede if we should throw in another day or two. I really think it would be great to go to all the other resorts also and check out their lobby etc. I'm so overwelmed...lol

2. We are from central US and I'm not sure how to pack. I realize at night it will be chilly but during the day I'm stumped . I mean will we be too cold in tank tops and spaghetti strap tops? Or should we just plan on sleeved shirts. I know thats a silly question, but I don't want to pack all wrong when the time comes and I'm starting to buy our new clothes now.

TIA, for any answers you wonderful FW veterans are able to give.

 

[We4mickey]

We never go to the parks two consecutive days. Always a day or two in between. We enjoy the Fort, wander the resorts, ride the monorail and go to downtown disney. Our theory is if your going to drive that far 1200+ miles, you better make it worth your while. The more days the better. As far as weather, in January you never know. Dress in layers, but bring some of everything.

 

[LONE-STAR]

We go for about 2 weeks and try to skip a day between parks. We pack a little of every thing we always go in the winter months and the weather is hit and miss you just never know.

 

[Us3]

Since the weather can go from hot to cold...I suggest dressing in layers. Wear your tank top, a shirt over and maybe a hoodie.

We use to go commando in the parks so we could do and see as much as possible. Now that we live closer, we get to go more often and we take it at a much slower pace. I'd suggest *at least* 2 down days at FW and cruising other resorts.

Don't stress...have fun planning and enjoy your trip!!!

 

[CCIntrigue]

Our theory is if your going to drive that far 1200+ miles, you better make it worth your while. The more days the better. As far as weather, in January you never know. Dress in layers, but bring some of everything.

Absolutely plan to dress in layers.

We visit the parks every single day we're there, even if our trip is 2 weeks or more. Leave the parks in early afternoon and roam around the world before going back to the parks after dinner.

 

[AuburnJen92]

Being a Floridian, you will need to take the full complement of clothing unfortunately. The weather is very fickle in the winter. Some winters can be brutal for a couple of days and then be terribly hot the next couple of days. It is not consecutive by any means. We usually go for an extended stay in the summer (because we don't mind the heat) and go to the park two days and take two days off and then go a day and take a day off, or mix it up. We never go more than two in a row. We try to enjoy the fort and surroundings as much as possible during our trip. If you pack a little of everything, you won't be without and can wash what you use for later.

Keep trying for the reservations. You will get in, trust me. You just have to have patience and preserverance.

 

[Shannone1]

You've been given excellent advice already about what to pack

As far as park days...you can see it varies from family to family. Last time we were there we did parks 5 of the 7 days we were there and at the end of the week we were really disappointed we hadn't had more time at the Fort. So for our upcoming trip we made sure we had plenty of time for the Fort/other resorts. We are only spending 6 of our 12 days at the parks. I tried to plan it so that at most we only did 2 days in a row at the parks.

 

[tybrilinja]

I knew my "new family" could help me out. I am glad I asked the question about the clothing because I probably would have just packed summer clothes being excited to get away from the snow, ice and zero temperature...lol.

I'm really excited about this trip it will be DS first time at the world and DD's second but she doesn't remember anything as she was so young. We have never stayed onsite before but.......I know this is the start of a beautiful thing

Oh and btw....don't be surprised if I don't bother you all with more trivial questions as the time gets nearer.....and wish me luck on those ressies. I will conquer.....

 

[ChristusG]

Yes, FL weather is so unpredictable. I can start at 40 or 50 degrees in the morning and get up to 80 by the afternoon. So you'll definitely want to pack a bit of everything, unfortunately.

And like others have mentioned, we never do two consecutive days in the parks either. There's so much to do in Fort Wilderness itself!

 

[TheGreatGonzo]

It's a good idea to get a locker while in the parks. You are allowed to get back in it as often as you want so you can keep the extra layers of clothes there. If you park hop I think you can get one at the next park by showing them your reciept from the first one you got that day (haven't tried this myself yet).

I usually hit the parks every day I'm there, but some days it may only be for an hour or two. This leaves plenty of time for everything else around the World.

 

[VAN]

Seriously, make sure you bring winter gloves and hat. If you happen to have a cold, rainy spell it can be absolutely frigid in the evenings!! Come prepared for anything, but I'd guess you will mostly be in tees and long-pants/shorts for most of the days with the occasional sweatshirt thrown in.

Also come prepared for extremes of hot and cold, but I think most of your wardrobe would be the above.

How many park and non-park days depends on whether or not this is a first visit or not. As others have said, we tend to alternate a park day with a non-park day. We have been many times and then to go into the theme parks only 3 days and water parks 1 or 2 days out of a total of 12.

Have fun!

 

[dtum]

since the tickets are for consecutive days, doesn't that mean you are buying a longer stay ticket and not making use of it? The every-other-day sounds great to me, but wouldn't want to waste a 10-day ticket not going to the parks.

Also, yes you can get a locker at any park by showing your receipt from the previous park. It makes hopping a little cheaper.

 

[We4mickey]

You have 14 days to use your tickets from the first day you enter a park, so they don't have to be consecutive. You can always add the no expiration to them if you find you don't use them all up.

 

[tybrilinja]

I don't think of it as "wasting" a ticket, I figure its only a couple of bucks to add on extra days anyway, its worth it for an evening in theparks or morning.

I guess, i'm thinking, I don't want to be exhausted on my vacation and would enjoy everything more if its at a leisurely pace.

I am going to do the "locker" thing, where are they? Who do I talk to about them? ( rookie here) lol.

 

[dtum]

They are usually some place near the front entrance (after you go in). Epcot was in the Kodak place under the "big ball," animal kingdom was on the left side after you enter the park (again I think it was a photo store or some really small store). Just rent the locker at one park and, when you turn in your key, tell them you heard you could go to another park that same day and not pay for the locker. They will tell you to show your receipt at the next park and give you your $5 (at the time we were there) key return fee back, you go to the next park, show your receipt, pay the $5 (returned when give the key back) and you're ready to go. It really saves a lot, if you park hop and use the lockers (which beats carrying a backpack when it's hot out).

 

[BRDof3]

Ok, maybe it is two questions.

1. When you first started going to the parks and camping how many days did you figure in for non-park activities? I want to get everything out of our trip but not sure how to plan. We are wanting to go in January and still can't get ressies, but have been told to keep trying, so until I'm told to forget about it I'm still planning on going, but I'm trying to deciede if we should throw in another day or two. I really think it would be great to go to all the other resorts also and check out their lobby etc. I'm so overwelmed...lol

2. We are from central US and I'm not sure how to pack. I realize at night it will be chilly but during the day I'm stumped . I mean will we be too cold in tank tops and spaghetti strap tops? Or should we just plan on sleeved shirts. I know thats a silly question, but I don't want to pack all wrong when the time comes and I'm starting to buy our new clothes now.

TIA, for any answers you wonderful FW veterans are able to give.

Hello to a fellow Nebraskan! We're just up the road from you, near Omaha. I just discovered this forum over the weekend and joined in.

What are you camping in at FW? Are you driving or flying? If driving, how are you splitting it up? We are planning to be in a TT by next season, and I would love to find a way to get down there camping. It's so far that I don't have much hope, but nice to dream.

Sorry for the question barrage, but good morning!

Rob

 

[tybrilinja]

Cool another fellow Nebraskan,

We are driving there, not sure yet when we will stop for the night but will figure that out later. We plan on going middle January for 10 nights.

We have never been to the fort either, and I'm so excited. We stayed offsite our trips before.

We are using my FIL's "vintage" camper (sorry I don't know what its called).

It is a long drive but we enjoyed it last time and we are taking it slower and finding places to stop and enjoy with the kids. I checked it out on mapquest and its 1460 miles.

I'm so glad you posted, as you can tell I've just started posting too and these boards are AWESOME. I have found so many things to do and look for.

 

[dtum]

We come from OH. Take the total distance and divide by 3 (because we always take three days--safety issue that you should drive fewer miles when towing--around 500 or so). Then I looked on Good Same and found campground near those stopping points. Also, last trip I knew we wanted to stop in Jacksonville so we could go through there really early in the a.m. Found a great place called Flamingo Lake and it worked out perfectly. Also stopped in NC the first night. Coming home works the same way, but we stopped in SC and VA. It's also nice to see all the different states for more than just a pass-thru

 

[TxTink :)]

We go for about 2 weeks and try to skip a day between parks. We pack a little of every thing we always go in the winter months and the weather is hit and miss you just never know.

DH is usually always hot so he wears shorts and a Tshirt everyday, but I'm on the cooler side so I wear shorts and a sweatshirt and take a Tshirt for later in the day- that usually works perfect for me. (FYI- other things in my backpack are ponchos, granola bars, diet cokes (for refills), koolade packets for water bottles, and jacket)--- and the backpack is perfect for the lines when people start to invade my "bubble"

 

[Shan-man]

This Christmas will be our fourth visit to FW and have decided that for a mid-life couple, we like to take a day off between the parks. In the past, if I tried to do the parks on subsequent days, my DW surprised me a couple of times by deciding to stay at the campground while I take off for a morning at the parks alone. One thing that you might consider if you need to fit more in, is to do a full day at one of the other and then do MK on an evening with a "hard ticket" event (Christmas party, Pirates & Princesses, etc). These evenings cost less than a full day, often have lesser crowds, and most of the best attractions are open. That's the only way I'd try to fit 4 parks into less than five days (Epcot-MVMCP-off day-AK am/DHS pm). We are going for 7 nights this time, planning 3 full days in parks and thinking about doing MVMCP one night.