How do you make the trip?

[jwo1976]

We live just south of Birmingham, AL (about 15 minutes). According to Google maps trip time to the Fort is 8 hrs 22 mins. With 2 children 11 & 4, and my bladder, the ride is right at 10 hours. This makes for a looooooong day of travel. In order to make it down and get backed into the site we left at 4 am cst. Kinda messes you up for a day or 2.
Would you / do you break up the trip into 2 days? If so do you find a pull through camp ground or do you just find a cheap motel and hope there is room to park with you camper? We have a pop up so its not bad to set up but its not like a quick stop and open the door and ready to sleep either. Also I am the only driver, wife will NOT drive with the camper hooked up.

 

[thegales]

We live just south of Birmingham, AL (about 15 minutes). According to Google maps trip time to the Fort is 8 hrs 22 mins. With 2 children 11 & 4, and my bladder, the ride is right at 10 hours. This makes for a looooooong day of travel. In order to make it down and get backed into the site we left at 4 am cst. Kinda messes you up for a day or 2. Would you / do you break up the trip into 2 days? If so do you find a pull through camp ground or do you just find a cheap motel and hope there is room to park with you camper? We have a pop up so its not bad to set up but its not like a quick stop and open the door and ready to sleep either. Also I am the only driver, wife will NOT drive with the camper hooked up.

We are about 30 minutes closer than you, and we always do a stop about two hours from the World. In the morning, you do the last bit of driving, check into the campground, set up, and you still have a good bit a day left to go to the park or roam the Fort.

For the stop, look for the inexpensive room, then Google Map the location to see what their parking lot is like and if there would be room in the back to park your car and trailer. For my work, I often pull a small trailer, and I have not had a difficult time parking my truck and trailer at most hotels.

And for return trip, we will sometimes stay at the same place. We can spend a long day in the park, drive a couple of hours, then sleep in the next morning. We still get home at a reasonable hour.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Our drive is 16 hours and we too plan to leave at 4am. Driving the first day 14 hours and the second only 2. This way we are at Fort early in the morning and get a full day in.

We will be getting a hotel room for two reasons (1) just tents this time so we have no other option (2) I would just for the ease of it. Driving a full day wears you out and that is extra work in the evening. You might not want to deal with it. Plus slows you down in the morning for getting on the road.

A few years back hubby sent some of his truck drivers and a 5th wheel to Montana to work for 3 months (oil=$$$) and after their job was finished we drove from Illinois to Montana to pick it up and bring back home. It was dirty and no way was I sleeping in it nor the kids and so we opt for hotel rooms and made it a 3 night trip on the way back home stopping at the Bad Lands and Mount Rushmore and we did not have any problems finding accommodating parking lots at hotels and it was a large 5th wheel.

Best of luck on your trip!

 

[teagues]

We have a pretty similar drive (8hrs according to google, which usually takes us 10). For us it's probably easier because we have only 1 kid, but then I-95 and I-4 are just terrible so it might be a wash.

Normally we'd hit the road around 7am and hope to make it to the campsite before sunset. We're morning people, but I still cannot imagine hitting the road at 4am. You're right about that messing you up for at least a day.

On the way back, we'd also drive straight through, except that I'd be tempted to send the wife and kid over to MK at rope drop for a couple of hours while I got everything ready to roll. Two years ago we did that and I drove over to fetch them at the pick up/drop off place at the TTC when everything was ready. That worked really well.

 

[thegales]

?..

On the way back, we'd also drive straight through, except that I'd be tempted to send the wife and kid over to MK at rope drop for a couple of hours while I got everything ready to roll. Two years ago we did that and I drove over to fetch them at the pick up/drop off place at the TTC when everything was ready. That worked really well.

Ha, I love this idea!

 

[garneska]

We are west of atlanta, the drive is 8.5 hours in the rig with one stop. Going to wdw we do it in two days. If we leave after work earlyish on a Friday we go 4 hours and stop at Valdosta. Lately because of time change we have left on Saturday and drive 7 hours to Ocala. I actually like the leave sat and do a short drive Sunday. We try to find an inexpensive CG close to 75. We hook up water and power, no sewer and put out slides. Easy to close up the next day.

On the return we do it all in one shot. We get home after dark but can still park rv overnight at house then I start laundry and the following day we take the rv to its storage facility.

 

[snowmedic]

The Fort is 1500 miles from our driveway, I will work from 6 a.m. till about 3 and get home, pack anything into the car that isn't then leave out at about 4:30 that same afternoon and drive straight through, ( 22 hrs.), Drive straight through on the way home, just seems like it takes longer to get back.

 

[jgdsoarin]

We drive 12 hours and always stop overnight on the way there. I don't want to be exhausted before the vacation even starts. Sometimes we drive straight through coming home, but I prefer hanging around WDW a few hours on our leave day and stopping overnight. It feels like an extra day of vacation. Our next trip will be my first towing a camper. We made reservations at KOAs going and coming...in a cabin. Inexpensive, I don't have to set up my camper or tent for one night, and we feel like we are camping (a little). Plus, I know they will have room to park my little camper.

 

[jbrostek]

Our trip is about 16 hours of driving to get there. We run about 10-11 hours on the road the first day and try to keep the second day at 6 hours or less.

If I was on a 10 hour run, I would just get going by 7-8 am and get here the same day. While it may be dark, I would still one day it at that distance.

 

[bama_ed]

jwo,

We're pretty close (I'm over by the Hoover Met) but there are three options in my mind:

1. get up early and drive straight thru getting there at 5pm under the best circumstances
2. leave after work and stop at a hotel (when I had the popup) or maybe a Flying J now somewhere between Dothan and Tallahassee to maximize drive time
3. get up not-as-early and overnight near the Fort and cruise over early the next morning (like 9am).

Right now my preference is #3.

I don't like #1 because with the popup I had, setup at 5-7pm was tense (Captain Daddy, my nickname is), we were all hungry, and it was usually dark. For this I got to pay a full night's rate to Disney.

Option #2 was used depending on if I had to work on departure day or how many days of vacation I chose to burn. I didn't like the extra expense and since my Aliner is still new-to-me I haven't done the cheap/free overnight yet.

I'm choosing #3 because I can get in late and park/sleep for $25 instead of $100 at the Fort. With the Aliner I can stay hitched, just will plug in and drop the rear stabilizers. Easy smeazy. I can cruise to the Fort in 30 minutes before 9am, back in, and still take my morning shower at a Fort Comfort Station and have the full day to enjoy.

So it depends on money, how much vacation time you have, when you leave, and (to me) what you have planned the day after arrival. I hate arriving late at night, going through the stress mentioned above of setup and dinner at night, then rolling out early in the morning for a rope drop.

But I always try to linger as long as possible at the Fort on check out day even though we always drive back to the 'Ham straight through.

Bama Ed

 

[jamescorey]

While this is sort of off topic, I noticed that several of you have mentioned getting to within "striking distance" of WDW and arriving early the next morning. I know that the "official" check in time is 1:00, but will they let you check in early? My wife and I are staying at FW for the first time in June, and I would love to get in as early as I can. We have a full hook up site reserved, but not preferred or premium. We are only about 6 hours from Disney directly on 75 in Central Georgia, so the drive isn't that bad. Our plan was to leave home around 7:00 AM, which would put us there by 1:00 PM, but I am not opposed to driving to say Gainesville and spending the night. We are in a travel trailer, so we could literally pull in, sleep, and leave.

 

[bama_ed]

While this is sort of off topic, I noticed that several of you have mentioned getting to within "striking distance" of WDW and arriving early the next morning. I know that the "official" check in time is 1:00, but will they let you check in early? My wife and I are staying at FW for the first time in June, and I would love to get in as early as I can. We have a full hook up site reserved, but not preferred or premium. We are only about 6 hours from Disney directly on 75 in Central Georgia, so the drive isn't that bad. Our plan was to leave home around 7:00 AM, which would put us there by 1:00 PM, but I am not opposed to driving to say Gainesville and spending the night. We are in a travel trailer, so we could literally pull in, sleep, and leave.

James,

Yes you can check in early. You might use the SEARCH function on this topic and TheRustyScupper (who is a Fort CastMember) has posted some great info on the subject (I give him a hard time and try to keep his ego in check, but seriously he is a good guy).

Bottom line is you can check in as early as 630am. Every arrival is pre-assigned a campsite. Sometimes that site will have someone checking out the same day you are checking in. When they leave a Fort CM needs an hour or two to blow/clean/prep the site so it isn't immediately available. If you arrive before the official 1pm time, you can check in early IF A SPOT IS AVAILABLE. This is the little "wing it" section. If you booked a Premium and your Premium pre-assigned site isn't ready yet, you can ask to take possession of another Premium that is immediately available. But...

It may not be in the loop you wanted.

It may not be near a Comfort Station that you wanted.

It may not be near a Bust Stop that you wanted.

The best scenario is to check in early on a weekday during the non-busy period and be flexible.

EARLY = getting in at 630am is practically a free day to me
WEEKDAY = less arrivals than the Friday or Saturday weekend/week long stays
NON-BUSY = low times of the year when sites usually are available at all types
FLEXIBLE = if you are hung up on a specific single loop, it might not be available. But the one next to it might be.

If your pre-assigned site was vacant last night, CONGRATS. You will get it right away.

I've requested specific loops and arrived at 11am to check in and REALLY wanted that loop (1500 which is a Tent Loop) and I was told I was preassigned a site in 1500 but someone was checking out that morning and it had to be prepped/cleaned. I said I would wait for it since I wanted 1500. The CM will not tell you your pre-assigned number but they will generally tell you the loop (the fine art of negotiation - always be polite and pleasant with the CM checking you in). The CM took my cellphone number, we went off-property to lunch, and we got a text during the meal saying site 1521 was ready for us to just drive down to and set up.

I'll be staying at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont the night before I arrive. I'll be getting in around 6pm, do grocery shopping at the Clermont WalMart to stock the fridge and chill the food, and check in at LLSP for $25 after hours. I'll stay hitched, just plug in, then leave in the morning for the 30 minute drive to the Fort. LLSP is a state park, not an RV resort, so set expectations accordingly. But I've done it before and it worked well. Once I get to the Fort I hate having to leave for groceries or paying for a full day (night) and only spending a few hours for that rate.

At least that's my plan this week, anyway.

Bama Ed

PS - this is basically the same policy as WDW's hotels. If you get there and a room of the type you've reserved is ready, you can check in early.

 

[jamescorey]

James,

Yes you can check in early. You might use the SEARCH function on this topic and TheRustyScupper (who is a Fort CastMember) has posted some great info on the subject (I give him a hard time and try to keep his ego in check, but seriously he is a good guy).

Bottom line is you can check in as early as 630am. Every arrival is pre-assigned a campsite. Sometimes that site will have someone checking out the same day you are checking in. When they leave a Fort CM needs an hour or two to blow/clean/prep the site so it isn't immediately available. If you arrive before the official 1pm time, you can check in early IF A SPOT IS AVAILABLE. This is the little "wing it" section. If you booked a Premium and your Premium pre-assigned site isn't ready yet, you can ask to take possession of another Premium that is immediately available. But...

It may not be in the loop you wanted.

It may not be near a Comfort Station that you wanted.

It may not be near a Bust Stop that you wanted.

The best scenario is to check in early on a weekday during the non-busy period and be flexible.

EARLY = getting in at 630am is practically a free day to me
WEEKDAY = less arrivals than the Friday or Saturday weekend/week long stays
NON-BUSY = low times of the year when sites usually are available at all types
FLEXIBLE = if you are hung up on a specific single loop, it might not be available. But the one next to it might be.

If your pre-assigned site was vacant last night, CONGRATS. You will get it right away.

I've requested specific loops and arrived at 11am to check in and REALLY wanted that loop (1500 which is a Tent Loop) and I was told I was preassigned a loop in 1500 but someone was checking out that morning and it had to be prepped/cleaned. I said I would wait for it since I wanted 1500. The CM will not tell you your pre-assigned number but they will generally tell you the loop (the fine art of negotiation - always be polite and pleasant with the CM checking you in). The CM took my cellphone number, we went off-property to lunch, and we got a text during the meal saying site 1521 was ready for us to just drive down to and set up.

I'll be staying at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont the night before I arrive. I'll be getting in around 6pm, do grocery shopping at the Clermont WalMart to stock the fridge and chill the food, and check in at LLSP for $25 after hours. I'll stay hitched, just plug in, then leave in the morning for the 30 minute drive to the Fort. LLSP is a state park, not an RV resort, so set expectations accordingly. But I've done it before and it worked well. Once I get to the Fort I hate having to leave for groceries or paying for a full day (night) and only spending a few hours for that rate.

At least that's my plan this week, anyway.

Bama Ed

PS - this is basically the same policy as WDW's hotels. If you get there and a room of the type you've reserved is ready, you can check in early.

Ed,
Thanks so much for the insight! I read your post to my wife, and she really likes the idea of leaving early afternoon on Thursday when I get off work, driving down and staying near the Gainesville/Ocala area, getting some sleep, and cruising on in mid-morning for our Friday check-in.

 

[Teamubr]

We do the same as others on here. Coming from outside St Louis, it's 1004 miles to the Fort entrance. We try to arrive mid morning on check in day.

Lately we have been leaving after work 2 days before check in and staying in Clarksville, TN. It's about 4 hrs from home. Usually pull in by 10 pm. We could leave the next morning and have a slightly longer drive before an over night, but we are usually anxious to get going. Leaving after work makes it feel like we are on our way. The day before arrival we drive from Clarksville to the GA/FL border. Stay over between Valdosta and Lake City. This make for a pretty easy day. Arrival day, we get up early and drive the last few hours into the Fort.

Coming home... Leave the Fort early and drive straight through... 17 hrs or so.

j

 

[ruthies12]

We live in Northern Kentucky 892 miles from the Fort. We haven't been yet, but have driven our camper to Myrtle Beach and to Destin which are both 11 and a half hour trips which usually take us about 12.

We have split up the drive before going to the beach and I hate it. I feel like I'm losing a whole day of vacation and it makes the whole drive seem longer to me. I'd rather arrive late at night and wake up the next morning already there.

However, we have a really nice class A motorhome and everything is automatic so all we have to do to set up is plug it in and push a few buttons. So arriving late at night is not a big deal for us.

Google says the Fort is 12 and a half hours for us and I'm hoping we make it in 14 to 15. My DH and I can both split the driving (he is a firefighter and I was a firefighter in my 20's and learned to drive firetrucks so it is not a big deal to drive the camper for either of us).

We are bad parents and will allow the 6 year old out of her seat to use the potty while we are still moving and whichever one of us isn't driving will walk her to it (other kid is still in diapers). This keeps our stops to the minimum. I also will make sandwiches and even cook sometimes while we are going down the road. And on the longer trips we try to find a mcdonald's with a playplace, DH will drop the girls and I off and then go fill up with gas while I take them inside to let them run around. Then he will come back and we will order some nuggets to go and get back on the road. Gives the kids a good 20 minutes of play time without wasting time at all.

My plan for our trip to the Fort is to pull out by 5 am. We are heading there on Thanksgiving day this year and I'm hoping there will be no traffic since it will be the actual holiday (we live by all our family and are with them constantly so I don't feel bad about missing dinner ). My hope is to be pulling in to the Fort by 8 pm that night. We will pull in and go to bed.

Then the next day I have planned as a Fort day so we can finish setting up in the morning and putting out the Christmas decorations, go swimming if warm enough, etc. Not planning a park day the next day will also allow us to stop overnight if we need to, we can just find a parking lot somewhere and be fine, we have a generator. We are staying til the following Sunday so we will have 10 nights there. We will drive straight through on the way home too.

 

[Maligator]

Wow, I wish I was only 8hrs away! We drive from MA. I leave about midnight to avoid traffic through NYC and stop in North Carolina to stay overnight after driving about 12hrs (14-15 considering meal breaks and rest stops). The next morning, I leave about 5am and arrive at the fort in the afternoon. I am so excited to be there that being tired isn't even on my mind! I work nights so maybe I am just used to it.

Last time we had booked Ohana at 9pm on the day of arrival because it was all that was available. Had a great time so we already booked Ohana for 8pm on arrival for our April trip!

 

[tiggerdad]

We travel from Mississippi, and the ride is about 650 miles. Pulling the camper this is about 11 hours. The first time we left around 4am and arrived late in evening and setup was hard just to being tired.

This time we left at 9pm and arrived around 8am. I parked it, unhooked and napped about 2 hours. The wife and kids went roaming while I slept. I got up, did setup and was done by 12 and joined them and didn't really feel that bad at all.

I did get a nap of about 2 hours before we left that night. Went pretty well actually. I prefer driving at night, less traffic and easier on the eyes. Easier in and out of fuel stops as well. Girls, 9 and 3 slept nearly the entire trip, so no fussing and no stopping for restroom every 100 miles.

 

[Maggie at the Fort]

From Charleston SC we left early afternoon. Got a hotel offsite outside of downtown Disney and got there around 10. This was before we had kids and we went and walked around downtown disney, got up the next morning after a few hours sleep, checked in at the fort, dropped our camper on our site (that was ready that early) caught the ferry to the Magic Kingdom and made it by rope drop!

From the upstate of SC, with a 18 month old we drove over night and got the fort in the morning. This was a disaster! We were groggy setting up, she fell at the campsite and had to go to the emergency room for stitches. No way to say that because we were tired, she fell but we still felt guilty and dealing with the er while exhausted was a bad time.

From the upstate with a 3 year old and 1 year old, we planned to leave at 4 am. My husband normally gets up by 5 for work anyway. Unfortunately, the 1 year old woke up at 2 am with a tummy bug and we were up with him. Fortunately it was very fast acting and we were on the road by 8 am and there by about 5:30.

This trip we will either leave early on Friday or later in the day on Thurs and plan on a hotel stop on the way down. Waiting to hear about my husband's work schedule before deciding for sure. Praying for no blood or vomit this trip!!!

 

[PaHunter]

our first trip down and we will be leaving the Scranton area in PA about 4am. Plan on stopping at New Green Acres for the night and then continue down on Sunday rolling in to Disney about noon. Coming back leave early and hit a campground in VA, spend the night and then home. Google Maps says it is 1100, to 1200 miles depending on route.

 

[disneydizzy2]

We purchased our dream RV this last summer . We are planning our first trip to FW Jan 2016. The boards are my lifeline!!