Full Hook-up for son's 16th Birthday

[kjsstar]

So, excited just got off the phone with Disney and was able to change my partial hook-up site to a full hook-up site for the second week in March. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! but I'm terribly sorry to the person who had to cancel their trip. My son loves the full hook-up clover because it's so close to the pool and we've never been able to get a partial in the 1500 Loop.

 

[Teamubr]

Congrats! 1500 is a great location if you want to be close to the Meadows and the pool. It seems like availability at the 2 month mark does open up a bit. I think some people make reservations way in advance "just in case" and as the 2 month mark comes up, they realize they have to pay up the balance. Funny how actually spending the money gets you to re-evaluate.

j

 

[bama_ed]

I like the 1500 loop too and would book a Tent site every time if I knew I could get into it. But 1600 is a good choice and as you say all the Full loops keep you close to the pool/Trading Post/campfire area. And you are proof that if you can't get something initially that you keep trying and trying and trying and lots of times you can end up getting what you were looking for. We see that with holiday times too.

There's a few things you can do to help your chances of getting in 1500 but even then you still may not have a chance - they only improve the odds slightly.

I bet it won't be long before the Fort, which keeps looking for ways to increase revenue, will put an extra fee or kicker on a 1500 site versus a 2000 site if 1500 is requested and gotten. The demand structure within the Tent category (only 2 loops) makes it blindingly obvious that one loop is desired more than the other. I've rarely heard anyone here express a preference for 2000 over 1500 but I'm sure it happens at least occasionally.

They've micro-split the pricing seasons from 3 back in the old days (Holiday, Value, Regular or whatever they called them) into all the micro-seasons we have now (16 at last count and that's not counting the weekend kicker). Next they'll start micro-splitting the 4 site types (no clue what the most requested Premium site might be for example but they'll probably do it eventually) to drive more dollars. (would guess 1400?).

So congrats on your upcoming trip - glad you got the change you were looking for and I hope you have great weather.

Bama Ed

 

[cadawson]

There's a few things you can do to help your chances of getting in 1500 but even then you still may not have a chance - they only improve the odds slightly.

Hi Bama Ed, Just curious about what I can do to increase my chances of getting in loop 1500. I completed early check-in online the day it was available and requested loop 1500. Have to come down on a Saturday due to work. We are tent camping at FW for a week for the first time in March. Loved to be near the pool and Trading Post with our little son. Thanks!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . was able to change my partial hook-up site to a full hook-up site . . .

1) Phew!
2) When you wanted a "hookup" for the kid's 16th, I had something else in mind.
3) Glad you clarified that.
4) Thought you wanted to tie him to your trailer hitch (maybe?).

 

[bama_ed]

Hi Bama Ed, Just curious about what I can do to increase my chances of getting in loop 1500. I completed early check-in online the day it was available and requested loop 1500. Have to come down on a Saturday due to work. We are tent camping at FW for a week for the first time in March. Loved to be near the pool and Trading Post with our little son. Thanks!

cadawson,

Let's discuss your point here and get TRS' mind focused elsewhere...

The three things I recommend that can HELP your chances to get into 1500 are as follows:

1. Check in on a day of the week other than Friday or Saturday. This only helps when the Fort is not slammed full. Lots of folks come in for "weekends only" especially the nice tent camping weather times of spring and fall (and the before-after times near each). Fewer people overall at the Fort during mid-week means there may be empty sites in 1500 overnight available for you. Weekends fill up.

2. Check in before the official 1:00pm time on arrival day. The Fort (and all the Disney hotels) will let guests arriving early check in and get their room before the official check-in time if there is an empty room/site available. It may have been empty overnight or the guest on it checked out earlier that same morning and it has already been cleaned and prepped for the next guest. How early can you push this? Reports are as early as 6:30am but no promises. If you check in and a 1500 site is not available, you can offer to wait for a site after the departing guest has left (he has until 11:00am after all) and it's been cleaned/prepped. Politely offer to wait to the CM checking you in. They will bump someone who has been pre-assigned a 1500 site somewhere else since you are there at the moment. They will take your cellno. or email and send you the site number when it's ready and you can drive right down to it.

Every guest arriving every day is pre-assigned a site based on empties from the night before and people expected to leave that morning. Anyone arriving early can "bump" someone from their pre-assigned site and the CM will give it to you. If I'm assigned a 1500 site for sure (and oblivious to the fact I got it) and you arrive before me that same day and you were assigned 2000 but say you want 1500, they will bump me and give it to you and I won't know it happened.

Past trips I have asked for 1500 when I checked in, not gotten it but 2000 instead, and still drove thru 1500. It was slap full. So I ended up in 2000. Other times I have waited for a 1500 site and been texted while eating lunch while waiting that my site 1520 was ready (the CM will NOT tell you the site number until it is ready.)

3. And of course, using MDE request 1500 loop when the early checkin option becomes available 60 days before arrival.

So, to review:

A. Try to arrive not-on-a-Friday-or-Saturday
B. Request 1500 via MDE before arrival
C. Arrive as early as possible and if you weren't assigned 1500, ask for it politely - offer to wait.

That's all you can do, cadawson (and for anyone else reading who is interested). Even then it doesn't always work. But shorting of bribing somebody, this can't hurt. In your case, coming in on a Saturday is what it is and you've already done MDE. Just try to get there as soon as possible that morning.

Bama Ed

PS - I think there are only 20/21 sites in 1500 and nearly 70 in 2000 so already the odds are not in favor of 1500...

PPS - once you check in, even if you have to wait for a site, that site is yours and you won't be bumped. Therefore, if the CM says they can put you in 1500 but you have to wait, take it. The "can-be-bumped/can't-be-bumped" line is not possession of the site (being on it physically) but checking in.

 

[kjsstar]

Thanks for the tips Bama Ed. And for refocusing TRS's thoughts.

TRS - Never tempt the single mother of a teenage boy with thoughts of tying him to a trailer hitch. Although I am pretty lucky that he's mostly a good kid and stays out of trouble. Right now he's being almost angel like so that I don't cancel the trip.