Fort Wilderness lessons learned for the first timer

[brat]

Ed

Thank you for serving, glad you are home safe with your family.

Sorry you did not have the fun you expected.

Springbreak would have been too tight for my older brother when he first came stateside.So room for one more also depends on your crowd comfort level as well.

We are on our way to Fort, we have a long drive so typing from our RV.

Because of my kids food issues all of our food is in our RV so we have no ADRs.(We might find a snack at some time along the way, hint DH loves carmels and there must be something the kids can eat as a snack)

Enjoy warming up and drying off.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Nobody hates crowds more than I,,but I'm pretty sure that WDW is the worlds single most popular vacation destination,
,how can you not expect crowds ?


When we go we always expect Disney to be crowded, sometimes they are just less crowded than others.

 

[stpetedisneydad]

Sorry to hear things didn't go well for you. I hope over time you will find it in your heart to give WDW another try. If you do, be sure to go through all the stuff in the packet they give you upon arrival. The fort has numerous activities everyday such as the nightly movie, electric boat parade, arts & crafts, pool parties etc, etc and not all of them are done everyday so it would be extremely time consuming for a CM to explain to every guest checking in everthing that will be happening. That is why they include a list of daily activities in the packet. I know the map is not to scale but in all honesty I've checked into alot of campgrounds over the years and none of them have been to scale, some have even looked like something that was probably hand drawn then photo copied. I agree the lighting at night is not condusive to setting up. We had to endure that once but we were fortunate enough the guy across from us turned his truck headlights on so we had some light. As for the KTTW cards, we personally never had an issue getting one for ever guest we listed on our reservation wether we've stayed at the fort or other WDW resort and we always get tickets separate. They're room keys that operate gates and room doors and are supposed to be shown to board WDW transportation but that rule is never enforced. They also have to be shown at every ride during extra magic hours. Again, I'm sorry you had such a bad time and I agree that WDW customer service has slipped in recent years but don't give up on the world. When time allows you spend more time researching and now that you've found this forum I guarantee you'll have a much better time.

 

[duffy]

Ed-thanks for your service to our country!!

Now, here's a lesson I'VE learned from your opening post: KOA Kampgrounds will ESCORT you to your spot??? I never knew that! We've never camped at a KOA, we tend to camp at state parks, or similar. Usually primitive conditions, no water, electricity, nothing. We're lucky if we get a map!!

Very often, we camp where there is no one there to sign us in and take our money. We know the drill: drive around and choose a spot, one of us will stay there with the tent and start erecting it, the other will go back to the empty gate house, fill out a card and drop it with payment into an envelope, and put the envelope in the box. Later, someone "official" will come by and check that we really are there. (we usually have a contest too: can the tent-erector get it set up before the payer gets back??)

Somehow, being escorted to our site just doesn't seem to fit with the whole "we're camping" idea! Campers seem to thrive on self-sufficiency.

 

[skyp4WDW]

Ed- It's a shame that some folks on this board feel the need to defend Ft Wilderness/WDW as though it were their own child... The truth of the matter is that sometimes people have really bad experiences when they go there. The purpose of this board is supposed to be information based. Thank you for taking the time to post and perhaps save another family from dealing with the exact same pitfalls that you encountered.

And thanks for your Service.

 

[Ed.Rollins]

Yes, KOA will escort you to your site to make sure you dont have any problems finding it, and to physically show you where all the hook up locations are. Its an added personal touch that makes things a lot easier. Like I stated in the original post, this was an after action lessons learned post. I went through my check in packet several times and very thoroughly and it said nothing about what time the floating electrical parade was. The small envelope that contained the cartoon map of the camp ground is where I was told the ID cards were supposed to be, but all that was in there was the map. I had never heard of the Wilderness Lodge until my packages were sent there by mistake (after the store clerk filled out the green form. (not me). A little rain wouldn't have stopped us, like some of the posters have stated. But I am not going to take my kids out in thunderstorms and tornado warning areas, the likes of which even the Florida residents said they haven't seen in nearly 100 years. Did my kids have fun? Yes, there were a few times when the rain let up long enough to get to the park and do some rides and meet the characters. My wife and I put on a smile and trooped through it so as not to ruin it for the kids. There were times when I felt I could have gone off and beaten the living crap out of some rude idiot with a smart mouth and thick New York or New Jersey accent who seemed bent on making our time there less enjoyable. They all looked different, but they all sounded and acted the same And We kept running into them everywhere. An earlier poster stated that Disneyland would except the WDW passes. We will give this a try later this summer. My 10 year old daughter was chosen through her school to go the Europe as a people to people ambassador and will get to go to Disney in France. So we are not giving up on Disney, we just think the experience at Disneyland is a much better fit with us. And works better with the way we like to do our vacations. You shouldn't have to spend your entire vacation on a schedule to keep reservations. And when you are paying the full price for a premium RV space at Fort Wilderness, the least they could do is escort you to the site if you arrive in the middle of the night. After all, the normal going rate for a comparable site is $29 per night verses Disneys $149.

 

[PrincessNana]

Ed---Thank you for serving our country and I'm sorry you had such a bad experience at Disney World. Our first trip to WDW and Ft. Wilderness( many, many years ago) was O.K., but not great, but we learned alot and our next trips were the magical experiences we had hoped for. But, I must add that I spend 6 months to a year planning everything so we don't have any meltdowns or major fights.:

Now, a question about the tickets for the more experienced Disney visitors. If you did not buy the "NO Expiration" option, would Disney Land in California still honor the leftover days on the ticket?

 

[zakerdog]

Now, a question about the tickets for the more experienced Disney visitors. If you did not buy the "NO Expiration" option, would Disney Land in California still honor the leftover days on the ticket?

No they won't once the ticket has expired.

 

[duffy]

Back to the "escorted" thing, I can't help but imagine how it would go where we like to camp:

We drive down the dirt road, following the KOA escort. Our site is...oh, let's say it's 1234. We see site 1224...followed by 1226...1228...1230...could it be that 1234 is coming soon? YES!! Right after 1232!! Woo hoo!

We pull in. The KOA escort says, "Here it is, folks! It's all yours! There's the hookups-oh, wait, you didn't get any. Well, if you had gotten them, they would be right there, pretty much impossible to miss. And in case you don't see it, there's the picnic table. There's the fire ring. Uh, there's the grass, right below our feet. Um...yeah. There's a tree. Oh, look! There's another tree!"

 

[skyp4WDW]

Back to the "escorted" thing, I can't help but imagine how it would go where we like to camp:

We drive down the dirt road, following the KOA escort. Our site is...oh, let's say it's 1234. We see site 1224...followed by 1226...1228...1230...could it be that 1234 is coming soon? YES!! Right after 1232!! Woo hoo!

We pull in. The KOA escort says, "Here it is, folks! It's all yours! There's the hookups-oh, wait, you didn't get any. Well, if you had gotten them, they would be right there, pretty much impossible to miss. And in case you don't see it, there's the picnic table. There's the fire ring. Uh, there's the grass, right below our feet. Um...yeah. There's a tree. Oh, look! There's another tree!"

Who are you helping with this type of post?

 

[martymarty]

when you are paying the full price for a premium RV space at Fort Wilderness,$149.

WOW Im going in JUNE PRIME TIME and got mine for $110............

 

[duffy]

Who are you helping with this type of post?

We're not allowed to laugh here? All our posts are supposed to just be helpful?

I guess your sense of humor doesn't match mine. See, I just thought it was funny that KOA escorts people to a patch of grass. You don't think it's funny. Ok.

 

[MeridianMama]

I don't think passes are interchangable between either parks. So if you buy Disneyland passes they are only good at Disneyland and vice versa.

As far as the escort thing goes... with the size that Fort Wilderness is, and the crazy rush on the check-in lanes - especially on the weekends - you would have to wait hours for an escort. Most KOA's I've been to are "mom & pop" operations that do not have 50 or more people checking in at one time so they can afford the luxury of a camp escort. And speaking of KOA's, there is one in Kissimmee on 192E that charges the same or more than Fort Wilderness. For your money you get a broken concrete pad right next to another broken concrete pad, poor facillities, and no security. On the plus side there is a Sam's Club right next door so you could sample your way through lunch and get a free meal.

 

[MandMLUVMMandDVC]

I've had KOA escorts really help (as in helping to guide DH backing, alleviating the inevitable argument between us!) and others that caused arguing and weren't helpful at all. I think that since most arrive during daylight it doesn't make since for FW to hire escorts, plus they'd have to increase our fees if they did.

As for crowds, it was Spring Break at the busiest tourist attraction in the world. I'd avoid it like the plague.

But, as much as I like FW, there have been a couple of 'visits from heck' where nothing went right. Then again they can't be held responsible for the rain.

 

[martymarty]

Then again they can't be held responsible for the rain.

Im bringing ponchos..........heck in the summer we live in the water at the lake, so Im not skeeered

 

[Mr.Myke]

Ed- It's a shame that some folks on this board feel the need to defend Ft Wilderness/WDW as though it were their own child... The truth of the matter is that sometimes people have really bad experiences when they go there. The purpose of this board is supposed to be information based. Thank you for taking the time to post and perhaps save another family from dealing with the exact same pitfalls that you encountered.

And thanks for your Service.

I am a little confused, do you love the Fort or hate it? Are encouraging people to visit or not.

Sure everyone has good and bad experiences, I have stayed at a KOA 3 times, it wasn't a good fit for me. I have also had bad experiences at WDW but most times it was because I didn't do my homework first.

 

[brat]

Just checked out of a KOA in New Mexico, DH is in Walmart trying to find a new camera he likes. We were asked if we needed an essort last night cause they were short handed. We got a hand drawn map and got ourselves in fine.Small compaired to the size of Fort based on what I have read. This one is your basic gravel and pads with hook-ups type.You know the type most folks just stop at for the night on their way someplace.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Back to the "escorted" thing, I can't help but imagine how it would go where we like to camp:

We drive down the dirt road, following the KOA escort. Our site is...oh, let's say it's 1234. We see site 1224...followed by 1226...1228...1230...could it be that 1234 is coming soon? YES!! Right after 1232!! Woo hoo!

We pull in. The KOA escort says, "Here it is, folks! It's all yours! There's the hookups-oh, wait, you didn't get any. Well, if you had gotten them, they would be right there, pretty much impossible to miss. And in case you don't see it, there's the picnic table. There's the fire ring. Uh, there's the grass, right below our feet. Um...yeah. There's a tree. Oh, look! There's another tree!"

I gotta say, I've never asked for a escort to a site,,I spose some folk have reasons to ask for a escort.
But I don't care who you are, that's some pretty funny stuff right there !


Lotta folk don't get my humor either. Ya can't take most of what I say serious.

 

[retired and happy]

skyp4WDW...You seem to be getting a little snarky lately. Don't be so negative. Enjoy the board or not. Just don't spoil it for everyone else.

 

[ArcticCat]

at first I reead this and thought, JERK... Then I realized there can be a ton learned here, since I have yet to make a trip to the fort. I re-read the post and thought that some of this could easily avoided with some extra planning and understanding. Not all, but some.

Bad service is bad service... plain and simple, even minor things can be amplified by mounting bad events.

I will take some of your post in concideration as I plan my trip for next March. Good luck in future trips, where ever they may be.

Ken