FORT WILDERNESS NEWBIE desperately seeking help

[Topo Bella]

In my hour of need ... these boards are my refuge for all things Disney and I find myself at a total loss for our next trip. My gang of 7 (including grandparents) is planning to take an RV to Fort Wilderness. Since I'm in charge of planning and I don't want to disappoint my family - I need some advice.

We have a 32 ft rv and a tent which we are planing on using for overflow. I was hoping for a convenient loop (100 - 300) to the marina but these loops don't look to have sites big enough for both RV and tent. Am I mistaken about this? Is there another loop or loops that are recommended? We'd be fine being by the pool area as well.

Also, we are currently planning to go the first week of December. Is this a risky time weather-wise? We usually go first week of Nov., but this year, December looks better. Any suggestions?

We've never camped at WDW since my parents always come with us and they were reluctant to stay at FW, buy my kids talked them into it and they are so looking forward to this.

THANKS!

 

[gmflanigan]

We go the 1st week of December every year. The weather is beautiful--warm days, cool nights. Most of the time we don't need heat or air in the rv. If you need a bigger pad try a premium site.

 

[freshlybarked]

We have a 32' Class C rv and usually stay in Loop 300 because we travel with dogs. In addition to the RV we usually have a car and a 10 x 10 canopy we use. There is room for all of that. If you don't mind paying a little more you could move to Loops 400 and 500 which are about the same distance from the marina and have larger sites, but there is no place to anchor a tent as the larger sites have removed the shell pad at the back/side. If you put the tent close to the side of the pad you could anchor part in the area off the pad, but that would only be on 2 sides. I would think 100 and 200 would be similar.

 

[mnsprk]

We had our 37' plus the car in 300 (no pet) and there was stil room to put up a tent if we needed it.
Also just because you don't have a pet doesn't mean you won't end up on 300 or even vice-versa. They seem to put pets/no pets where ever they have room..

 

[Topo Bella]

We had our 37' plus the car in 300 (no pet) and there was stil room to put up a tent if we needed it.
Also just because you don't have a pet doesn't mean you won't end up on 300 or even vice-versa. They seem to put pets/no pets where ever they have room..

I thought that 300 would be a good loop. Didn't realize that they allowed no-dog people there. I am really, really new to this FW stuff - thanks!

 

[des1954]

We have a 32' Class A and last trip stayed in the 200 loop. We had our coach, trailer for the cart parked behind the coach, a tent for my brother, and our car on the site. No problem at all. The only bad thing about a premium site (none on 100-300) is that they are TOTALLY concrete, and not conducive to setting up a tent on. You can do it, but you won't be able to stake it down. You should be fine on any site in the 100 to 300 loops.

 

[UAB master]

In my hour of need ... these boards are my refuge for all things Disney and I find myself at a total loss for our next trip. My gang of 7 (including grandparents) is planning to take an RV to Fort Wilderness. Since I'm in charge of planning and I don't want to disappoint my family - I need some advice.

We have a 32 ft rv and a tent which we are planing on using for overflow. I was hoping for a convenient loop (100 - 300) to the marina but these loops don't look to have sites big enough for both RV and tent. Am I mistaken about this? Is there another loop or loops that are recommended? We'd be fine being by the pool area as well.

Also, we are currently planning to go the first week of December. Is this a risky time weather-wise? We usually go first week of Nov., but this year, December looks better. Any suggestions?

We've never camped at WDW since my parents always come with us and they were reluctant to stay at FW, buy my kids talked them into it and they are so looking forward to this.

THANKS!

I noticed you normally go 1st week of November. How are the crowds then? We're planning a trip Nov. 5- 13, 2010 and would love to know what to expect. Also, how's the weather then??

 

[Disney Bunny]

In my hour of need ... these boards are my refuge for all things Disney and I find myself at a total loss for our next trip. My gang of 7 (including grandparents) is planning to take an RV to Fort Wilderness. Since I'm in charge of planning and I don't want to disappoint my family - I need some advice.

We have a 32 ft rv and a tent which we are planing on using for overflow. I was hoping for a convenient loop (100 - 300) to the marina but these loops don't look to have sites big enough for both RV and tent. Am I mistaken about this? Is there another loop or loops that are recommended? We'd be fine being by the pool area as well.

Also, we are currently planning to go the first week of December. Is this a risky time weather-wise? We usually go first week of Nov., but this year, December looks better. Any suggestions?

We've never camped at WDW since my parents always come with us and they were reluctant to stay at FW, buy my kids talked them into it and they are so looking forward to this.

THANKS!

We were on site 825 our last trip. Premium site with plenty of room for a large overflow tent. We have a 32' 5th wheel. About a 10 minute walk to the marina and a 2 minute or so walk to a bus stop.

 

[Disney Bunny]

We have a 32' Class A and last trip stayed in the 200 loop. We had our coach, trailer for the cart parked behind the coach, a tent for my brother, and our car on the site. No problem at all. The only bad thing about a premium site (none on 100-300) is that they are TOTALLY concrete, and not conducive to setting up a tent on. You can do it, but you won't be able to stake it down. You should be fine on any site in the 100 to 300 loops.

I have to disagree that all the premium sites are totally concrete and no placeto put a tent that can be staked down. While that may be true of the inboard sites, we were on an outboard site on Loop 800 and there was PLENTY of room to stake down a tent behind a number of the sites on either side of us.

 

[ElementCamper]

Word to the wise, stay on the site! Don't put ANYTHING on the grass, you may get an unhappy 'note' on your site!

 

[disney4dan]

I don't know if things have changed since August 2008, but we were upgraded from a requested site in the 1400 loop to site 401. The photos below show that we were able to fit our 29 foot trailer, the truck, a tent inside a screen room (extra rain protection and shade), and still had some room to move further back on the coquina shells.

Not sure if they have concrete over the area of the shells or not. We wanted the 1400 loop to be close to the Meadows area for the campfire and movies. When checking in, the CM commented that we had been upgraded and thought we would appreciate the site. He was right, it was very close to the marina, HDDR and Settlement area. But we never ended up catching the movie or campfire, so he also gave us a reason to go back!

 

[Shan-man]

Yes, loop 400 (and 1400, for that matter) has since been converted to a Premium, which means that sand area has been paved, and the pad widened a bit, and the entrance to the pad has likely been flared a bit. So there is no place to put a tent that required stakes at the corners, unless you put it in a spot of grass and risk the wrath of the nasty-gram.

 

[motherwild]

Dec is a wonderful time to go. Everything is decorated for Christmas. I think any site at the Fort is good. We have always stayed in the 300 loop. We always travel with a pet. My dog loves the dog park.
Bring your Christmas decorations do you can decorate your site.

 

[BradyBz12]

I noticed you normally go 1st week of November. How are the crowds then? We're planning a trip Nov. 5- 13, 2010 and would love to know what to expect. Also, how's the weather then??

We went the first 2-3 weeks of Dec in '06, '07, '08 - weather is dry and normally days are 70-80, nights 50-60. But it can also be a bit wacky, and we've seen nights dip down near freezing too.

Crowds this time get a bit busier every year. They used to be pretty low, but now they're closer to what I'd call "moderate." Even still, armed with enough WDW knowledge and/or a decent touring plan, we still never wait more than 20 mins for anything.

This past year we went Nov 1-20. Weather was similar, maybe a tick warmer, and still nice and dry. Crowds were great - the week before Thanksgiving it was like we had the whole place to ourselves (shhhhhh - don't tell anyone!) We walked into EP one afternoon and Soarin had a 5 minute wait! One day at HS we rode TSM 4 times - only once with FP and never waiting more than 30 mins the other times.

 

[mnsprk]

. Crowds were great - the week before Thanksgiving it was like we had the whole place to ourselves (shhhhhh - don't tell anyone!) .

OH well, there goes that secret! Been that way the last few years we've been there.

 

[auntie]

Yes, loop 400 (and 1400, for that matter) has since been converted to a Premium, which means that sand area has been paved, and the pad widened a bit, and the entrance to the pad has likely been flared a bit. So there is no place to put a tent that required stakes at the corners, unless you put it in a spot of grass and risk the wrath of the nasty-gram.


Just wondering. I'm not a tent camper. We have a travel trailer, and have not yet taken it to FW. That being said, for those that want to add a tent to the site...isn't it a PITA to have to put that in sand?

A little off topic..but I was wondering. for those that want to add a tent to the site...isn't it a PITA to have to put a tent in that in sand?
I imagine it would be tracked in and out of the RV as well. YUK.
Am I to understand that you are not permitted to put a tent on a grass area of the site?...

 

[Topo Bella]

I noticed you normally go 1st week of November. How are the crowds then? We're planning a trip Nov. 5- 13, 2010 and would love to know what to expect. Also, how's the weather then??

We love going that week. Weather-wise we've been fortunate to have lovely weather - warm enough to swim during the middle of the day, but comfortable during the evenings. Crowd-wise, that week is "Jersey Week" because many NJ schools have off all or a part of that week and so the end of that week can get a little crazy, but this year, Jersey Week actually ends the weekend of the 5th, so you should have good crowds. (Even with the Jersey folks there, the crowds have never been unmanageable.)

We have to go later this year because my son has commitments for sports. Otherwise, we'd be there the same time you are ...

Have fun!

 

[BradyBz12]

isn't it a PITA to have to put a tent in that in sand? I imagine it would be tracked in and out of the RV as well.

We put the dogs' pen on the sand pad and just put our camping mat under it. That and an extra little door mat outside the TT kept the sand out quite nicely.

Now the cypress needles on the other hand.....