Halloween reservation ?s

[stitchfan18]

We’re planning to add a couple nights at the FW cabins before a family reunion trip in Oct/Nov next year. We mainly want to experience Halloween at FW, so I’m hoping someone can help me figure out the timing since we’re getting close to the 499 day window for booking our reservation. We’re planning to book a cabin October 29-31 before checking into a DVC villa with the rest of our family. If we check out on Halloween morning can we come back to trick or treat that evening, or is it better to stay an extra night in the cabin? In a normal year, could we bring grandparents with us for Halloween evening festivities if they weren’t staying at FW with us in the cabin? Anything else important to know for a FW Halloween first timer?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jimsig]

As a rule you can still use the amenities (pools etc) at your resort up until mid-night the day you check out. If you take Disney transportation no one will stop you from entering any resort. I would also imagine your magic band would also work at the gate to get you in up until midnight if you drove.

 

[Sjm9911]

It gets crowded at halloween, so i would book the night. Yes, you can have guests, or it was fine in 2019. If your doing the trick or treat thing, and want to see the majority of the loops, you need a golf cart. And they stoped renting them i believe, if you are not staying at the fort. There was limited parking in 2019 , so they told my brother to park on our campsite, we really didnt have the room but we squeezed him in anyway. Its packed, and well woth it. Best halloween stuff i have ever seen. And plenty of candy/ things for the kidos.

 

[PaHunter]

If you check out the morning of the 31st you are no longer a guest at the Fort and they will not let you in to trick or treat. They have been cracking down to "outsiders", if you are not a paying guest that night, you will not be admitted. And on Halloween they check Disney transportation to make sure you have a reservation at the Fort, before being allowed to board buses.

 

[stitchfan18]

Thank you for all the great information, I think we’ll go ahead and book Halloween night as well!

 

[bama_ed]

If you check out the morning of the 31st you are no longer a guest at the Fort and they will not let you in to trick or treat. They have been cracking down to "outsiders", if you are not a paying guest that night, you will not be admitted. And on Halloween they check Disney transportation to make sure you have a reservation at the Fort, before being allowed to board buses.

The thing I thought of is if the OP checks out on 10/31 and on the same day checks into the DVC as planned, then the magic band would show them as a guest of the DVC property and not the Fort and that could be problematic getting in that day (ToT starts generally around sunset which is 5pm or 6pm). On 10/31 as SJM said non-FW people get turned away unless they have a reservation for something inside the Fort (HDDR, TE, archery, horse ride, etc.).

I would take the safe route and book the night of 10/31 at the Fort too. We did Halloween in 2017 and it was a blast. But half the Fort checks out on 11/1.

Bama Ed

 

[stitchfan18]

The thing I thought of is if the OP checks out on 10/31 and on the same day checks into the DVC as planned, then the magic band would show them as a guest of the DVC property and not the Fort and that could be problematic getting in that day (ToT starts generally around sunset which is 5pm or 6pm). On 10/31 as SJM said non-FW people get turned away unless they have a reservation for something inside the Fort (HDDR, TE, archery, horse ride, etc.).

I would take the safe route and book the night of 10/31 at the Fort too. We did Halloween in 2017 and it was a blast. But half the Fort checks out on 11/1.

Bama Ed

Good advice! I think we’re set on staying Halloween too, I’ll probably have to call Disney and see how that’ll work if my parents have us listed in their DVC room though.
If we meet family for dinner at their resort, then drive them back to FW with us, will they have any problems accessing FW on Halloween in our car? We can look at just having dinner at TE if that’s the only way for guests to visit us.

 

[Sjm9911]

I think you'll be fine. My brother just needed the name and campsite number.

 

[friendofeeyore]

We were there 2019 for Halloween, which is not my favorite holiday, but I had a blast. We were in the Golf Cart parade, passed out over 1000 pieces of candy. All the children were so sweet & said thank you for the candy. We did MNSSP & too crowed for us. You go to certain areas & they give you a hand full of candy for each stop. Enjoy & so excited you will be staying @ The Fort for ToT. If you can get a golf cart, looping & see how all the great sites decorated.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

I've always heard how good the Halloween decorations are at the Fort. Are they up and on on 10/30, so you could go tour and enjoy them then without trying to trick or treat or anything. the night before Halloween? Are the Xmas decorations also really good at the Fort?

 

[bama_ed]

I think you'll be fine. My brother just needed the name and campsite number.

Well yeah the campsites can generally squeeze two cars but the cabins, I thought, only have room to park a single car. So even if the OP's family came up to the gate guard and said, "we're here to see the Smith family in cabin 2216", there may be no place for them to park of course.

Also for the OP, I've not heard that the cabin loops are big on ToT. I generally hear that more discussed in the camping loops. I was in loop 100 in 2017 (down nearest the lake) and it felt like ground zero. It was a 2-hour blur.

Bama Ed

 

[friendofeeyore]

Halloween decorations come up in Sept. until Nov. 1st & then the Christmas decorations are up & they are wonderful. We forget there is Thanksgiving between Halloween & Christmas. But I did see some sites decorated for Thanksgiving. So to answer your questions, you do not have to stay until ToT starts to see the decorations. If you are there on the 30th, that is when the Halloween golf cart parade is. If you want to see 2019's parade go to Fort Wilderness 2019 Halloween Golf Cart Parade. We were the second GC in line. Had a blast!

 

[bama_ed]

If you are there on the 30th, that is when the Halloween golf cart parade is. If you want to see 2019's parade go to Fort Wilderness 2019 Halloween Golf Cart Parade. We were the second GC in line. Had a blast!

You can watch the 2019 Halloween Golf Cart Parade in this thread.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...lf-cart-parade-video-and-pumpkin-pix.3777119/

Bama Ed

 

[friendofeeyore]

Thank you Bama ED, brought back so many great memories & the fun we had.

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

We were there 2019 for Halloween, which is not my favorite holiday, but I had a blast. We were in the Golf Cart parade, passed out over 1000 pieces of candy. All the children were so sweet & said thank you for the candy. We did MNSSP & too crowed for us. You go to certain areas & they give you a hand full of candy for each stop. Enjoy & so excited you will be staying @ The Fort for ToT. If you can get a golf cart, looping & see how all the great sites decorated.

Good to have an estimate on how much candy to bring, other than A LOT!

 

[Sjm9911]

Good to have an estimate on how much candy to bring, other than A LOT!

Definitely bring a ton if you in a nicer decorated loop. The tent loops went through less candy, the cabins well probably not much. I brought 6 costco size bags down. And in the tent loop went through 4. But i also just left them out, as we went trick or treating. Kinda left it up to the neighbors and the people to self regulate. Might have been people just passed us over as no one was there to hand stuff out. I did give out a ton of glow bracelets feom the golf cart. And people needed them , especially the small kids. Ot gets dark at night!

 

[Ringo10]

Love the GC parade. It is so neat!

Cheryl

 

[stitchfan18]

Edited because it helps to look at the correct year when making a reservation I was able to snag a reservation for next Halloween a couple days late!