How hard is tent camping?

[Franniex4]

Ok we have never been to WDW and we were planning on staying at Pop Century but plans have changed a bit and now in order for us to still go we will be tent camping, not really looking forward to that part but I so want to go to Disney as none but my hubby has ever been. So it will be me, hubby and 4 teenagers. Any thoughts?


Frannie

 

[LegoMom3]

Camping can be as easy or as hard as you make it! With your group, you may want to consider two tents, or one of those very large ones that has two rooms to it. Depends on how everyone feels about the close quarters.

A cot to sleep on gets you up off the ground and is more like a bed than just your sleeping bag on a ground pad. Take a look at this site:

http://www.title-3.com/FWFacts.htm

About 3/4 of the way down the page (which has lots of great FW info, by the way), there is a photo under the "Tent Camping" paragraph of a pretty elaborate site! I love it and have been telling DH I want our site set up that way when we go next year! LOL! (click on the photo to see it enlarged).

When we camp (tent) we always bring power strips and extension cords so I can use my little microwave and ALWAYS the coffee maker! A screen house or similar shelter is a great place to set up the picnic table and/or cooking area. A few camp chairs (the canvas folding type) to relax in and you'll be pretty comfy!

If you're not used to camping then it will definitely be a different experience for you, but as you mention it can mean the difference in going to WDW or not! That is our situation - we are avid campers so this is purely fun for us, but we are a family of 5 and since our youngest is now 3, we can't fit in one value-resort room anymore, and simply cannot afford either 2 of those rooms or a moderate resort right now. So, it's off to FW we go!

FW is a wonderful campground and still very "Disney," so you should have a great time. If you generally enjoy the outdoors, there's lot to do right there. Be sure to head to the beach one night and check out the Electric Water Pageant!...it's great.

 

[John VN]

Ok we have never been to WDW and we were planning on staying at Pop Century but plans have changed a bit and now in order for us to still go we will be tent camping, not really looking forward to that part but I so want to go to Disney as none but my hubby has ever been. So it will be me, hubby and 4 teenagers. Any thoughts?


Frannie

I have never tent camped in the true sense of the word but DW has. We have a motorhome and many people say they camp in a MH but I do not consider being in a MH as camping.

With that being said let me guote DW regarding tenting as an alternative to MHing, "no way, ho zay ".

If all envolved are super adventurists then go for it but it might be prudent to have a test camping tryout in the back yard. I think that coming back to a tent after a long, tiring and maybe hot day at the parks might not be the ideal respite one would want (especially teenagers). There are other reasons I can think of but I do not want to go there.

I will probably get pounced on by tenters but these are my thoughts and you asked for some.

What ever you decide, good luck and have fun.

John

 

[JCTigger]

Ok we have never been to WDW and we were planning on staying at Pop Century but plans have changed a bit and now in order for us to still go we will be tent camping, not really looking forward to that part but I so want to go to Disney as none but my hubby has ever been. So it will be me, hubby and 4 teenagers. Any thoughts?


Frannie

Ive never camped before at FW but I have been camping now for 10 yrs or so this october will be my first "adventure" in camping at disney world...my personal experiance on camping and having lived in florida..... if your gunna do this then DO NOT go in the summer at all.... fall or early spring would be your best bets...its way to hot to even try and fall asleep comfortably in the summer... if your gunna drive down bring some luxuries from home.. you can get a camp site that has cable hook up so bring a small tv... you will deffinatly want to buy you gear before you go and test it out.. go to a local KOA camp ground or what evers close to you but not to far from your house that if you deperatly need something you can go back and get it. make sure that camping is comfortable to you... instead of getting a bulky cot go for an air mattress....and since its something new for your family itll be a load of fun however it may not seem so at the time just roll with the punches....

Hope that was helpful and good luck youll need it!

 

[westjones]

We tent camped at FW a couple of years ago (in April). We had a tent with air mattresses. We set up a screen house and that is where we ate breakfast. I had a portable fridge that we plugged in and ran the cord into the tent and left it there all day.

We only ate breakfast and evening snacks at the campsite. The rest of our meals we ate at the parks.

We didn't hang out at FW too much after the first day. We did go to the campfire program and watched the movie on our first night. It was nice.

The shower houses are very nice and very clean (the cleanest of any campground we have ever stayed at before--they are even air conditioned). There are laundry facilities by the restrooms (air conditioned also).

We had a fun trip. We are DVC members, but we like to try different things each time we go. We haven't tried the cabins, but I hope to next year.

DJ

 

[Franniex4]

Thanks so much!! Wonderful responses, I used to camp alot when I was a kid, what else was there to do for a family of 10 lol and we have tent camped once an oh I so hated it, when I was a kid we had a small camper, I didn't like the cooking over an open fire thing lol the kids however love tenting! we have 2 tents a small 2 person and a larger 6 person tent and we have an 8 passanger van that has a fold out bed, u know where I am at right lol The plan is to be there March 13-16 is that too cold to camp? I have several quick and casual vouchers that r gonna come in handy as I so do not want to cook lol thanks again so much I was afraid it was gonna be miserable and the kids wouldn't enjoy it but I really think they don't care they r there!! lol


Frannie this is me doing the happy dance

 

[terri01p]

I have never really been to WDW in march, but I say go for it, camping really is a state of mind, if you are prepared, and the kids are ready to help set up, go for it have fun. Then post your trip report, I never see anyone post a trip report from FTW , I don't know if people think , we have all been there and done that or maybe I'm not looking for them in the right places, but I would sure love to read someones trip report about campground, setup, transportation, tips...etc...go for it, and then maybe others will read your report and say wow, not to bad, I'll try that. We "camp" in our travel trailer and I have learned alot from reading how other people did things. We use to have a pop-up when our kids were small and when we first started taking it out and setting up it would always end up in a fight, heat, set-up, confusion, we were such a sight, one time even had neighbors bring chairs around like we were the afternoon show , lol. After that we got our " quite" plan together, and now only use" strong" hand signals.

 

[Whosemom]

I took my kids tent camping around Ohio by myself, and they were 8,5, and 3 last summer. We had a blast. One trip we ate supper at a restaurant and breakfasted on cold poptarts, so how easy was that? Next time, they insisted on campfire food. oh well LOL

But it sounds like you know tent camping, and just were wondering about FW in particular.

I'm imagining teens at Disney, and figure when you finally get to the tent, you will all just colapse anyway, so where you fall (tent vs motel) won't matter anyway.

You most likely will end up too far from the pool to walk, that might be something the kids don't like. But you can get around on the bus. I'm assuming finances were part of your decision, so renting a golf cart might be out. If its not, I bet they'd have a blast on that!

The buffet there on the campground is DELISH! And we found that after pigging out there, we didn't need lunch until 3, and then a very light supper and bedtime snack. Speaking of food and therefore cooking, you aren't allowed a fire anyway.

I'm so jealous, can I come, too?

 

[pamkass]

We started going to WDW in 1988 in a tent. That was all we could afford at the time. We went for about 4 years that way. OMG we had SO much fun. There is so much to do in Fort Wilderness that we would make a day there. You will have alot of fun .

 

[minkydog]

Tent camping at FWin March sounds like a good situation. Not too cold, not too awfully humid. If you are taking two tents everyone will have plenty of room. Consider renting a golf cart for a few days so the kids will have some fun wheels.The teens can take the buses to Disney Quest, if they want and you and DH can go down to Crockett's Tavern--very relaxing. Fort Wilderness is very clean and very nice. Nicest campground i've ever seen.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

[The buffet there on the campground is DELISH! And we found that after pigging out there, we didn't need lunch until 3, and then a very light supper and bedtime snack. Speaking of food and therefore cooking, you aren't allowed a fire anyway.[/QUOTE]


But each site does have a grill.

 

[westjones]

If you can bring bikes, that will help. It is fun to bike around the campground.
DJ

 

[westjones]

Check out this website, it has some great FW info:

http://www.title-3.com/FWFacts.htm

 

[VAN]

We're from SW Michigan and have a pop-up. We've camped (first year was with a tent) at Ft. Wilderness probably 3 out of 4 years ... always at the end of March. The past two years at least I have written and posted (on the Trip Reports site) our lengthy trip reports ... so anyone wishing to read a camper's report should look me up.

We leave Friday for a two week stay at the Fort. I plan to do a report again.

 

[Franniex4]

I have never really been to WDW in march, but I say go for it, camping really is a state of mind, if you are prepared, and the kids are ready to help set up, go for it have fun. Then post your trip report, I never see anyone post a trip report from FTW , I don't know if people think , we have all been there and done that or maybe I'm not looking for them in the right places, but I would sure love to read someones trip report about campground, setup, transportation, tips...etc...go for it, and then maybe others will read your report and say wow, not to bad, I'll try that. We "camp" in our travel trailer and I have learned alot from reading how other people did things. We use to have a pop-up when our kids were small and when we first started taking it out and setting up it would always end up in a fight, heat, set-up, confusion, we were such a sight, one time even had neighbors bring chairs around like we were the afternoon show , lol. After that we got our " quite" plan together, and now only use" strong" hand signals.

Oh yeah lol this will be us, we r always that way but that is cuz my hubby who isn't mr. wilderness can't take directions LOL I swear if he got lost in the woods he would never get out lol The kids r all excited to camp as that is what some of them wanted to do in the first place, my oldest daughter is 16 and she is like umm well if this is the only way I guess so lol. That is a great suggestiong about the golfcart!! My 15 yr old had a hip replacement in October so that would be great for him, ummm gonna check out the food there too what else what else oh yeah off to read the trip report! and yep I sure will post one for ya all about tenting only lol aught to be a riot!

Frannie

 

[MrsPete]

Tent camping is not hard; however, it is very different from a hotel stay. Remember that you'll be coming back to a tent, not an air-conditioned room. You'll have to deal with bugs, a hike to the rest room, and community showers. And you'll have to keep your valuables secured in your car. On the plus side, you'll have much more space than a single hotel room and campers tend to be very friendly people.

I love tent camping, but I don't want to do it at Disney. When we camp, camping IS the destination. We enjoy kicking back around the fire, etc. I don't want to try to get everyone up and out early for the early-entry park from a campground.

Camping at Disney is also fairly expensive (as camping goes, of course). The tent camping sites run $50 or more per night! With luck, you can get a room in the value hotels for not much more! Of course, you can count on saving by preparing your own meals in your campsite.

 

[emeraldlover]

We tent camped at FW two years in a row in March during spring break. One year it was very warm and comfy, and the next it was cold and rainy. We used air mattresses as I cannot stand to sleep on the ground. Since the sites have electricity you can cook on electric grills, bring a propane grill, etc.

We have since moved up to a travel trailer (tent, pop-up, TT). Many people believe that MH or TT aren't camping, but I still do all my cooking outside and spend all my time outside except for using the bathroom and beds. It also is more comfortable when you end up with rain for several days, it is more comfortable then being in a tent.