Last week of March...tent camp or rent RV? Opinions wanted.

[leagirl12]

We are planning a trip for our Spring Break which will be the last week of March. Trying to decide if we would have an enjoyable trip if we tent camped or should we spend the extra $$$ to rent an RV. We used to tent camp all of the time but with two busy teens we haven't had time to do it in the last year or two. The trip will be me, my husband, and our two teen kiddos.

I should also add we will probably spend more time at the Fort than at the parks. I imagine crowds will be high as our Spring Break will fall the week prior to Easter Sunday and I have heard this is a busy time.

 

[bama_ed]

leagirl12,

Howdy from Hoover, AL.

We went to the Fort this past March 2014 in the last week (same as you are planning). Weather was wonderful and would have been perfect for tenting (we were in a popup).

Since that's the week leading into Easter, that's the Fort's peak spring attendance week. I think it's the 3rd busiest week (Christmas-New Years #1, Thanksgiving #2, week before Easter #3) of the year.

If you have the camping stuff and experience, you'll probably be fine. If you have the extra money to spend on an RV, then that's fine too. You can possibly spend some of the RV dough on extras for the teens ("hey tenting saved us some money") and possibly a nice dinner at a restaurant - pocket the rest if you tent. Although it would be a new experience for you if you rented (you might like it so much you'll get a trailer or RV of your own).

I've rambled. Up to you.

Bama Ed

 

[leagirl12]

Hi there Bama_Ed in Hoover.

I am in Hayden....only about 45 min north of you. We have all of the tent camping equipment so we are covered there. Oh I want an RV and hopefully will have one in the future but with two driving age teens (cars, insurance, and upcoming college) it might be a little while.

Thanks for the info. The more I look into the crowd levels the more I am unsure about this week. Just one more question..do you think the Fort will be so full that we won't be able to enjoy hiding out from the park crowds there? Wondering now if this whole trip is a bad idea. What do you think?

 

[bama_ed]

Hi there Bama_Ed in Hoover.

I am in Hayden....only about 45 min north of you. We have all of the tent camping equipment so we are covered there. Oh I want an RV and hopefully will have one in the future but with two driving age teens (cars, insurance, and upcoming college) it might be a little while.

Thanks for the info. The more I look into the crowd levels the more I am unsure about this week. Just one more question..do you think the Fort will be so full that we won't be able to enjoy hiding out from the park crowds there? Wondering now if this whole trip is a bad idea. What do you think?

Oh I'm with you on that one, Sista!

I got 2 boys in college and a girl in high screwel. We are trapped by the school calendar as to when we can go to WDW and my insistence that I don't do WDW in the summer months (June, July, August) as you can tell by my signature. So this past year, same as you, yeah it's busy but it's when we can go.

Best way I would advise is to go to the parks early (before rope drop), leave after lunch (or have lunch at the Fort), chill at the Fort or the Fort pool, and head back to the same park in the evening. I noticed particularly when we were at MK (we got there 45 minutes before rope drop and were at the rope) that we walked on Buzz, Space Mtn 2x, Teacups, Pooh, Peter Pan, and Haunted all before 11am. Then the crowds showed up and it was wall-to-wall until after supper. Then the crowds left again and we walked on a bunch of stuff.

So plan your FP+ for mornings or evenings. You can drive to all parks except MK. I took the small boat to Contemporary about 745am to walk to the MK and got to the rope at 815am (they dropped it about 10 minutes early 850am). Use the big boat for the go back-forth at lunch/evening and night. With this strategy, you probably won't ride EVERYTHING but you can get the main stuff in a low stress way.

It's all about setting expectations. In that setting, an AC RV might be nice to take a afternoon nap in before the pool....

BTW, which direction do your drive to WDW? Do you go down to Montgomery to Dothan to I-10 (our primary route) or do you take I-20 to Atlanta then I-75 South (about 20 minutes longer for me but all interstate if I can avoid Atlanta traffic)? Just wondered what others around here do. Since they finished working on I-20 between Leeds and Pell City, I might try it again next.

Bama Ed

 

[leagirl12]

We go Montgomery to Dothan to I-10. It's been a few years but we have gone 280 and also through Atlanta....I hate both! I prefer going through Dothan. Seems to be much quicker.

We are going to the Fort for the first time for a short trip in October. We are planning to drive through the night leaving after our kids football game. We will be leaving from the game in Springville and going down. Because we are leaving from that side of town we will go through Atlanta. Since it has been a few years I will be interested to see how we feel about it this time.

 

[KristinU]

We have been to the Fort two of the three busiest weeks that Bama Ed mentions...hitting the third for a trifecta this year

But you nailed it Leagirl12, the Fort is a great place to escape the crowds of the busy times. I totally felt like the Fort was a nice escape both during Thanksgiving and Easter. Yes, the pool area was busy, but not like we couldn't swim.

We are big on rope drop then coming back and relaxing. It worked great!

I should dig up the live TR thread that I posted during our Easter week trip for you, it might give a good idea of the pace of the Fort that week.

And I really don't have a feel for tent vs. RV for you. If you have all your own gear already and are comfy with your sleeping acoutrements I may lean toward tenting and spend the saved $$$ on something special. But the A/C of an RV might be nice to have!

 

[KristinU]

Here's our trip report thread from Easter week 2012: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2903275

 

[parmtoo]

The last week of March is also our spring break. I work for our local school district, so this is when we will go.
We've been at busier times of year, and will plan for large crowds in the parks.
I'm interested in info about the temp at that time of year? Warm enough to swim?

 

[bama_ed]

The last week of March is also our spring break. I work for our local school district, so this is when we will go.
We've been at busier times of year, and will plan for large crowds in the parks.
I'm interested in info about the temp at that time of year? Warm enough to swim?

Well it's hit-and-miss. The average high/low then is 79/58 but we went to the MK on March 26 and it only got up to 63 (but it was sunny) and down to 45 that night.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/orlando-fl/32801/month/328169?monyr=3/01/2014

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

I'm interested in info about the temp at that time of year? Warm enough to swim?

I'll preface this by stating I live in St Louis (but I travel a lot) and I'll let the "locals" confirm or deny,

but

I think late winter/early spring is some of the hardest weather to predict at WDW. I have been down over Valentine's Day. The weather was perfect. High in the upper 70's most days. Lows in the upper 50s. I have also been down over spring break in March and had to wear jackets and long pants the whole time. Highs in the 60s to 70 and lows in the 40s.

j

 

[jaredjohn4]

We flew to Disneyland one spring break and it was cold. Laughed each day at the hotel as people got off the plane, got to the hotel and hit the pool in the afternoon. The life guards all had coats and hats on. As soon as we got back from CA, we made reservations in FLA for the next spring break. It was only about 5 degrees warmer. We didn't spend much time at the pool. Last year spring break wasn't bad. Ran the air conditioner two days and the heater two nights. It's really a crap shoot. We are going back to FLA again next spring break and are not concerned. Life at Disney and the fort is great, just don't plan on spending everyday at the pool or beach and you won't be disappointed. We did rope drop, lunch, then fast passes, table service dinner, then went back to the fort to relax and get ready for the next day.
Good luck, just manage your expectations.

1975 Fort Wilderness 2 Nights 500 Loop..........1977 Off Property 5 Nights.............................1993 Off Property 7 Nights
1885 Dixie Landings 7 Nights.........................2003 Fort Wilderness 7 Nights 1400 Loop.........2006 Disneyland - Off Property 7 Nights
2006 Fort Wilderness 12 Nights 900 Loop........2009 Fort Wilderness 14 Nights 1300 Loop.......2010 Disneyland - Paradise Pier 8 Nights
2011 Fort Wilderness 11 Nights 1300 Loop......2013 Fort Wilderness 10 Nights 1300 Loop
** 2008 Chevy Express Conversion Van / 2007 Coleman Bayside **