Fort for Thanksgiving

[justcynn]

DW doesn't know it yet, but I just booked 6 nights at the Fort starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving for 6 nights in a Tent/Pop Up Site What are the chances I could add 3 Nights (Wed-Fri of Thanksgiving), how would you go about this- just check daily to see if anything is available? Right now I am thinking about booking 3 nights at Gamble Rogers Memorial by Flagler Beach - that way we get their in time to enjoy a nicely cooked Thanksgiving Dinner and get a little beach time in. Any other suggestions on places to stay that might be on the way? (we are coming from Iowa).

thanks in advance, this will be our second trip to the Fort but first trip to the parks and I was hoping to get as many nights there as the schedule woul allow (9 would be ideal as we can use the Kids Holiday days for travel and the next week they only miss one week but I thought I would get the 6 available reserved before its too late. We can't wait (well I can't wait since this will be a surprise for the others after all the details are planned)

 

[justcynn]

Well, I just read somewhere that is you make a longer reservation, its more likely your nights would be available, playing around on their website, I saw I could book Nov 1 through Nov 27, couldn't I later change that to just the 3 days I need to add to my other reservation? Will the Fort make me move if I am booked on two reservations since I already made one reservation for 6 nights starting the 27th of November?

I understand they want to keep reservations open for people that want to stay longer, but thankfully the fine people on this site might have helped me find a way around those rules

 

[mnsprk]

I think your best bet is call. CM can sometimes work the "Disney Magic" that you definitely can't on line. I always do ressies on the phone anymore. If you end with two seperate ressies they can link them so you will decrease your chances of moving. But again doing it on the phone they may make a new one for the longer period and cancel the old one.

 

[justcynn]

I think your best bet is call. CM can sometimes work the "Disney Magic" that you definitely can't on line. I always do ressies on the phone anymore. If you end with two seperate ressies they can link them so you will decrease your chances of moving. But again doing it on the phone they may make a new one for the longer period and cancel the old one.

thanks, I ended up making an 18 night ressie including all 9 nights that we wanted over thanksgiving, my plan is to cancel the original 6 night ressie I made and then some time in the future, change my 18 night ressie to the 9 nights I need. Perhaps I could have done all of this over the phone and it could have been easier, but I have my dates now covered Here's wishing I could 1) afford and 2) have the time for all 18 nights, but 9 nights will be awesome!

 

[mikhen]

Hey, That's when we'll be there.

 

[justcynn]

Hey, That's when we'll be there.

Cool, so I broke the news tonight expecting a wow - you're the greatest dad, or yippee we are going to Disney, instead I got - "but its tradition to go to Grandma's house on Thanksgiving, you are going to have to pick a different time"....oh well, I wanted to get the ressie just so its an option, can always cancel...pretty sure DW and the kids can get excited about it before then.

 

[bama_ed]

Cool, so I broke the news tonight expecting a wow - you're the greatest dad, or yippee we are going to Disney, instead I got - "but its tradition to go to Grandma's house on Thanksgiving, you are going to have to pick a different time"....oh well, I wanted to get the ressie just so its an option, can always cancel...pretty sure DW and the kids can get excited about it before then.

Last year we stayed Thanksgiving week at the Fort in our pop-up in loop 1500, cooked a turkey, the whole nine yards. Grandma and Grandpa got a room at Pop Century and joined us so we were all still together (along with my brother and sister and their families who stayed at Pop also). So can you make it a family affair?

Bama ED

 

[justcynn]

Last year we stayed Thanksgiving week at the Fort in our pop-up in loop 1500, cooked a turkey, the whole nine yards. Grandma and Grandpa got a room at Pop Century and joined us so we were all still together (along with my brother and sister and their families who stayed at Pop also). So can you make it a family affair?

Bama ED

Great minds must think a like, we were at a different grandma and grandpas tonight and I casually asked them if they might consider such a trip, sounds like they are considering it - question - can you have an extra tent on your campsite at Disney? I know the max number of people is 10, I assume the max Camper/RV is 1 but how about an extra tent? Our pop up is similar to yours in that is a high wall and technically could sleep 7-8, but 6 is about the comfortable max, so thinking an extra sleeping space would be in order if my mom and dad were to come along. We also generally have cheap airfare available to Orlando from where we live, so might talk Mom and Dad into flying one way or both ways to make them more comfortable (and have them take the youngest child on the plane with them to make me more comfortable for the 22 hour drive)

 

[stacktester]

Great minds must think a like, we were at a different grandma and grandpas tonight and I casually asked them if they might consider such a trip, sounds like they are considering it - question - can you have an extra tent on your campsite at Disney? I know the max number of people is 10, I assume the max Camper/RV is 1 but how about an extra tent? Our pop up is similar to yours in that is a high wall and technically could sleep 7-8, but 6 is about the comfortable max, so thinking an extra sleeping space would be in order if my mom and dad were to come along. We also generally have cheap airfare available to Orlando from where we live, so might talk Mom and Dad into flying one way or both ways to make them more comfortable (and have them take the youngest child on the plane with them to make me more comfortable for the 22 hour drive)

Instead of a room at the pop you could always rent a pop up and another site so the fam doesn't have to be so far away.

 

[bama_ed]

Great minds must think a like, we were at a different grandma and grandpas tonight and I casually asked them if they might consider such a trip, sounds like they are considering it - question - can you have an extra tent on your campsite at Disney? I know the max number of people is 10, I assume the max Camper/RV is 1 but how about an extra tent? Our pop up is similar to yours in that is a high wall and technically could sleep 7-8, but 6 is about the comfortable max, so thinking an extra sleeping space would be in order if my mom and dad were to come along. We also generally have cheap airfare available to Orlando from where we live, so might talk Mom and Dad into flying one way or both ways to make them more comfortable (and have them take the youngest child on the plane with them to make me more comfortable for the 22 hour drive)

You are allowed to have a tent along with a camper on a Fort site. Of course, the tent needs to go on the pad of your site and not off in the grass and since you reserved a Partial site (tent/pop-up) you'll be fine with the sand pad that comes with it. In fact, when we were there last year we had a tent also so my brother, SIL, and 3 boys could off-load some of their boys to our tent so they could fit into Pop-C.

As the other poster suggested, there are rental outfits that will rent a pop-up or a 5th wheel and you could do that, rent a second site, and have everyone together that way. Depends on how many of you there are and how much space you need, and who's willing to pay what. Of course, the fiver won't go on a Partial site if that's what you choose to do. The pop-up link is http://www.makecampingeasy.com/ and the fiver is http://www.campatthefort.com/public/index.asp. Both have been used frequently by DIS members with good results.

So you've got some options (pup+Pop, pup+tent, pup+rental fiver, pup+rental pup). Orlando in the late fall is nice.

Bama ED

 

[ftwildernessrick]

Don't foget to make your dining ressies 180 days out (from first date of stay), epecially because of TG. If you don't have a preference for TG dinner, Trails End at FW is good along with the Whispering Canyon at WL. If your group is 8 or more you will need to call group reservations at 407-939-5665.

The Liberty Tree Tavern at MK is also neat, but the food is better at TE or WC.

Enjoy !!

 

[justcynn]

thanks for the suggestions everyone. My parents are close to retirement and are trying to save every last penny for that day, this would be a "cheap" get away for them by staying on our site, eating our food, etc, but the memories for my kids (and me) would last a lifetime of sharing this experience with them, I am in the process of talking my sister into going so we get another site and more space for everyone. Strange how quickly life goes by, for too many years I took for granted that my parents would always be here, now I realize we have to make time at every opportunityh