FW vs Tropical Palms

[khewston]

We are going to WDW in September and trying to decide where to stay. We have stayed at Tropical Palms fun resort a couple of years ago and really liked it. I priced the vacation through Disney and also through Tropical Palms. Fort Wilderness is only going to cost us about $50 more than Tropical Palms. We've never stayed at Fort Wilderness so I'm asking you guys for some advice before we decide.
This is what I like about Tropical Palms:
Very close to stores
sites are big
pool area is nice
that 'tropical' palm tree atomsphere
in walking distance to old town

For everyone who's stayed at Fort Wilderness...what do you like about it?

TIA
Kathy

 

[FWCamper]

I like it because i love Disney...the sites are clean and private.

Otherwise i think the pool stinks. I don't think there are palm trees but there are plenty of pine trees. And it is huge and you can ride your bike for a long distance on property.

My il's did not like it because they thought it was expensive, the sites were too difficult to back into and they didn't want to be in Disney.

I however, spent probably close to 30 days a year camping there and would live there if i could. It is like being in a bubble away from the real world, i don't feel that way at any other campground.

 

[FWCamper]

I wanted to add that the one thing i definately miss when there is not having a campfire at the site. Sure you can go to the big one, but the unsupervised children really annoy me. And you can't really sit around it because it isn't set up that way.

 

[TurnR@TheMouseHouse]

I think it's a matter of what your vacation means to you and what you want to do.

When I pull into FW I'm on Disney property. I stay in the World. I have no interest in stores, Old Town, Orlando or anything outside of the World. I don't want to drive, I just want to relax and take in all things Disney.

I can take the boat to MK or to the monorail. I can take buses to the other resorts to dine. I can sit on the rockers at Trails End and watch the people go by. I can walk around the campground and enjoy nature. I can watch wishes from the Beach. I can spot a deer or watch a turtle cross the road.

I live in my RV full time, so like FWCamper I could live there!!

 

[mrsgus06]

I also think that the pools stink, but they do the job. I think the answer to a themed pool lies in River Country. What a waste of space! There is no other place to camp in my opinion. My kids live to camp at Ft. Wilderness. Like the other posters state I would live in Ft. Wilderness if I could also. As a matter of fact, I am moving in June 11 and not moving out until July 31 so I am trying my best to live there .

 

[mantaz]

I like being in the park at FW. Never have used the pool as we go in Dec. I like the quiteness of the park and seeing the decorations everyone has put out. The boat ride over to MK is nice as you can get a wonderful view of the other hotels and the park.

But the most important thing for you is to stay where you feel comfortable. Maybe just hop a boat over to FW on a visit to WDW and explore the campgrounds. That way you can see if it is for you!!


Angela

 

[ugadog99]

I become very emotional when talking about Ft. Wilderness. Growing up, we camped at the Fort every spring break. My best memories from childhood are associated with FTW and Disney. We got away from Disney for a while and I forgot how very special it is. In November 2001, I took my girls on their first Disney trip. We stayed at CBR and WL, but made a trip over to the Fort just for me. The moment I stepped off the launch I remembered all I had been missing. So, the next few trips we stayed in the cabins and loved it. However, something was still missing. Two weeks ago I bought a new-to-us popup. In less than three months we will be back camping at the Fort finally. Ft. Wilderness just has something special that no other campground has. The quiet and peace from the parks is a part of it, but there is so much more. The pool issue doesn't really bother us. It is a basic pool, but like others, I think River Country could be made into something spectacular for the campers. My girls don't complain about the pool and it is a place to swim and relax. The other good things about FTW far outweigh the pool issue for us.

 

[AnnamarieZ]

We pulled our camper from Wisconsin in October 2003 for our first experience. I had visited there several times growing up, but never camped there. Let me tell you... once you camp there - you compare all the time!

We had the best experiences (too many to list)! As far as the pool was concerned, we had the Meadow pool all to ourselves one day - the lifeguard took our picture. How cool is that!

Pop Century is where we wanted to try this time (December 2005), but the more we talk about it, the more we want to go back. The catch is we will not have our camper anymore. We will be tenting!

Enjoy!

 

[LMC]

I'm in the other boat than you are. We are trying to get FW ressies for December but can't so we are booked at Tropical Palms for now. I will keep trying to get back to FW.

My kids absolutely LOVE it at FW!!! It is just a different atmosphere there than any other campground. While I know that TPs has alot of kid themed areas, I know we will miss FW dearly if we can't get in. We have a trip booked already in May and can't wait.

IMHO, the convenience of the transportation outweighs the $50 difference!!!