Ft. Newbie- Greetings!

[Bubblegum1286]

Hey everyone! I'm new to the DIS boards, but I'm a long time (shamefully long) squatter.

I'm a mom of 3, and I've visited the Disney parks 4 times. I've stayed off site twice, and in a value resort twice. This year is special. It'll be my fifth trip, but also- we're celebrating the adoption of our two little ones, who we've adopted from foster care! We've been planning this trip for YEARS and always said once we adopt, we're taking the fam to Disney! So this is it.

We're planning a trip to "the fort" in June and will be tent camping. My husband is super outdoorsie. We're taking 2 tents (one of them a 12 person, the other an 8), our family of 5 and my mom and brother. We've done a ton of research on surviving the heat in a tent and have purchased an air conditioning unit for our tent as well.

Thanks to all of your help, we're planning on staying at a Premium Site (if it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't have any clue what the difference between that and a basic tent site is).

My kids are 6, 4, and 3, and they have no clue we're planning this trip. We want it to be a complete surprise for them.

Thanks to you guys, I also plan on decorating our campsite and I know a ton of the super fun things to do at the fort. Thanks so much for the helpful advice you give! I look forward to getting to know you all better and gleaning even more from your helpful suggestions.

My first question: What does it cost to go horseback riding for adults and children?

Cheers!
-Kat

 

[tina.tina]

I hope you have a great trip!!!!

Horseback Trail Rides
$46 / 45 minutes
Guests 9 years of age and up can ride through an idyllic woodland teeming with deer, ducks, armadillos and rabbits. Perfect for beginner and intermediate riders, trail rides are a relaxing way to explore the natural beauty of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

Reservations are recommended, and closed-toe shoes are required. Riders must be over 48 inches tall and weigh under 250 pounds. Check-in is located at the entrance ofDisney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Introduce your junior cowboy or cowgirl to our 4-legged equine friends with an old-fashioned pony ride. Just a Little Horsin’ Around
Pint-sized cowpokes can climb aboard the petite ponies at Tri-Circle-D Ranch. Afterward, they may even get to see Cinderella’s Ponies!

Pony rides are offered daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM near Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Riders must be at least 2 years of age, under 80 pounds, no taller than 48 inches and able to hang on by themselves. A parent or guardian must lead the pony at all times.

A fee is associated with this activity. Tri-Circle accepts cash payments only. No reservations are necessary.

Call (407) 824-2832 for information about Tri-Circle-D Ranch’s other offerings, including horseback trail rides, wagon rides and private carriage rides.

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Thank you, Tina!

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Next question! We plan on being here from the wee morning of June 17th through the 24th. We were going to bring our bikes. However, if bikes aren't the best idea, how much do golf carts cost to rent for a week? I saw the day charge on the All Ears site, but I couldn't find the weekly charge. Thanks!

 

[tiggerdad]

Hi Bubblegum1286, and welcome to The Fort!

Be sure to bring some peanuts for the squirrels, they can get unruly if you don't pay them a tribute.

The golfcarts rent for $59 a day + tax. I don't believe there is any other rate, no matter how long you rent. A group of your size might need 2 carts or a 6 seater. You find the bikes more affordable as Disney is really carried away with their rental costs, especially compared to offsite renters who want like half as much.

Just wondering, will you be able to secure your tents on a premium site since there are no dirt pads on them? The reason I bring this up is in 2012 I went in June and major storm came through, busted up my awning and put several tents in the tent loops off into the woods. Just a concern of mine after that experience.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Hey Tiggerdad, Thanks so much for the info (and the squirrel peace-offerings suggestions). I misspoke (or mist-yped) in my intro. I meant to say we were staying at a PREFERRED site, not a Premium site. Oops. I had actually called DW and asked if tents can be secured with stakes at the Premium sites and they told me they could not be, but that they COULD be secured at the Preferred sites. So that's where we'll be staying. I understand that's a bit closer to the general stores and activities? Is this true? Sorry for the mix up!

 

[stobaugh6]

I'm new to The Fort as well (our 1st trip is in 50 days), so I don't have any tips or anything to share. I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on your adoption though!!! I pray you will have a fabulous Disney vacation!! I'm sure your kiddos will be so excited and have a great time. Make lots of forever memories!

Heather

 

[tina.tina]

Thank you, Tina!

You're very welcome. I also wanted to say congratulations on your adoption. My parents have done foster care for about 18 years. My 14 year old brother was actually adopted through foster care. He was premature and came home from the hospital to foster care with my parents when he was 3 weeks old. He is 2 months older than my daughter and they are great friends, in the same grade together at school. It was pretty wild that my mom had a newborn baby the same time as I did. The adoption wasn't final until he was 2 and my parents didn't have any major issues with the process but we know some people who have had some pretty emotional ordeals. I'm really happy that everything has worked out for your family.

 

[snowmedic]

Another tent camper at the Fort! Tent camping is quite an adventure and takes lots of planning. With making a list and making sure you have everything just to get set up. We have been going down for the past few years, we have a tote that we keep just our extra tent gear in, stakes, hammers, rope and things. Every time we go down I keep adding to it, saying I wish I had something. I would put it on the list and take it with us on the next trip.

We live in Vermont and leave all our camping stuff in a storage unit there in Florida so the car isn't so crowded when we go.

Hope you have a great trip, and Welcome to the Fort!

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Tina, thanks for sharing your parents' adoption story! Our kids came to us in June of 2013 at age 19 months and 3 years old. A little boy and a little girl. My biological son is 5 (will be six in just a few weeks). It worked out so my kids are all little stair-steps from each other. My son is 15 months older than my daughter, and she is 16 months older than my younger son. It makes for exhausting days but a lot of fun. They always have friends around. There is a reason my mom and brother are coming with me and my husband on this trip!!

Snowmedic, what's the best piece of advice you could give a Fort tent-camping newbie like myself??

 

[Teamubr]

BBGum,

You are going to love the Preferred sites. Loop 100 is my favorite. Being close to the beach, dock and the Settlement is great when you have kids (or old parents). Sounds like you've done all your homework on camping at the Fort. The A/C in the tent will be nice in June.

Congrats on the adoption too. My DS is also adopted. 15 years ago from Ukraine. He turned 2 10 days after we got back home. His first trip to the Fort was when he was 3 and we've been going at least every other since. He is as big a DIS fan as I am.

There is a reason my mom and brother are coming with me and my husband on this trip!!

Yep, having the adults out number the kids is always a good thing!

Be sure to bring some peanuts for the squirrels, they can get unruly if you don't pay them a tribute.

Tiggerdad,

Is that what you call it? A tribute? I think ransom, bribe, protection money sounds more like it.

j

 

[KristinU]

Welcome out of lurkdom!

You'll have a blast at the Fort! And definitely bring the bikes. We are huge fans of using bikes around the Fort. When our DS was your kids' ages we were able to get him to believe that golf carts were for the people who sadly didn't have bikes That doesn't work anymore (he's 11), but the fact that he wouldn't be able to drive it yet keeps us safe from the whining. One thing to remember is lights for the front and back of your bikes. Just little cheapies form Wally World or something will do the trick.

And congratulations on your adoptions! We, too, are an adoptive family

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

Welcome to the Camping forum!

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Hi and welcome to the camping forum!

Congrats on the adoptions!

I would double check on the ages for your little ones to trail ride. I think they have to be above 48 inches and 8 or one or both to do the trail rides. I do know they have to be under 48 inches to do pony rides and they are $8 for maybe 8 minutes.

You can get two tents on the tent sites, just to let you know.

Also I would double check on securing your tents down on your preferred site. I assume you will be running them width wide across the pavement and then staking them down around the grass (needle like) ground past the pavement...???

 

[snowmedic]

Snowmedic, what's the best piece of advice you could give a Fort tent-camping newbie like myself??

I think, the best advice I could give is to bring a piece of outdoor carpet to put down in front of your tent. It will help with catching some of the Coquina (sp) shell from the pad being tracked into the tent. We also had some commercial grade carpet inside our tent and a small upright vacuum.

 

[bama_ed]

Sign from April 2013 trip:





Bama Ed

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Excellent- thank you!

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Thanks snowmedic- I was thinking about possibly bringing a handheld dust buster or something like that. Tracking into the tent drives me CRAZY. I hate all the dirt and dead grass or sand that gets in there. It gets all over everything and just makes me miserable.

 

[Bubblegum1286]

Hi and welcome to the camping forum!


Also I would double check on securing your tents down on your preferred site. I assume you will be running them width wide across the pavement and then staking them down around the grass (needle like) ground past the pavement...???

Hmmmm can I get two large tents on a Loop 100 site? I'm torn now between location of the 100 loop vs. the size of the 1500s. Comments?

 

[tltay2005]

They also have a great hayride that the entire family can do together. Very reasonably priced, I think $8 for adults and $5 for kids.