Is there any difference...

Paulaparm

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 3, 2020
Messages
801
Is it any better to check in on a Monday rather than a Sunday? Thinking maybe the campground might be a bit more empty on a Monday??
Edited to add: Our reservations begin Jan 31, 2022 and I'm wondering about adding a day at the beginning.
 
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I think it depends on the time of year. Fall, Winter and early Spring are when many of the Florida residents will book up the weekends because the weather is much better for camping. This winter, there have been many reports of the Fort feeling "full" on Friday and Saturday, just to have it half empty on Monday. In the pre-Covid era, Summer was when the rest of us came down for "vacation" (kids out of school, deep freeze in the north subsides and we de-winterize our rigs, longer drives=longer stays). Summer bookings seemed to follow a weekend to weekend pattern, so Mondays were full too. Not sure how it will be this Summer.

j
 
The last few times we've been down, it pretty much empties out on Sunday mornings. You'll have a lot of traffic leaving but coming in likely won't be bad on a Sunday. Just make sure to do online check-in and select the time you think you'll get there. They've been pretty good about getting your campsite to you before you get there and then you can just drive direct to your site.
 

We were there in July 2019 for ten nights. We checked in on a Wednesday, and our site was ready before we arrived. I think we arrived between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., and I received a text prior to 8:00 a.m. that our site was ready.

I will say that our loop appeared mostly full when we arrived, and it stayed the same throughout our stay. People would come and go steadily during our ten nights.
 
The last few times we've been down, it pretty much empties out on Sunday mornings. You'll have a lot of traffic leaving but coming in likely won't be bad on a Sunday.
I agree. We call it the camper parade on Sunday morning. We like arriving on Sunday. If we don't like the spot we are given, we generally are able to find a new spot and see if it is available. Usually a ton to pick from.
 
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I agree. We call it the camper parade on Sunday morning. We like arriving on Sunday. If we don't like the spot we are given, we generally are able to find a new spot and see if it is available. Usually a ton to pick from.

True. And I've noticed that more people are taking liberties with the 11am checkout time. On a recent visit, I checked into the Fort about 1130am in the drive through lanes and directly in front of me was a long, slow, steady line of trailers and rv's facing me as they crept their way toward the exits and out of the Fort. It is indeed, as @nomorethan8 says, a "camper parade".

The delayed departure (or everyone leaving at the same time) means the Cast Members cleaning sites are twittling their thumbs almost until 11am then have a bunch to clean all at 11am. You would think some folks leave at 8am (and those get cleaned), some leave at 9am (and those get cleaned), and so on and so forth. But if you come in by the mid-afternoon, all that has already transpired.

Bama Ed
 
Agreed @PaHunter they were not taking anyone’s spot but lots of folks leaving around 1. I would guess locals because those of us with a drive pull out early. On our departure day, some folks were headed back to Ohio. the day before all packed up like us. When I went to the bathhouse I saw them getting ready and by the time I was heading back to the camper they pulled out. However being there two weekends lots of folksleft closer to 1.
 














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