Looks Like we are going to tent it in Dec!!

[Rland8228]

I am a little nervous but we have gotten a check that we were not supposed to get until next year and hubby said we could take a trip down. My only issue is we have never been camping and it will be December... in a tent Im thinking im crazy! It would be DS 6 DS 6months and DH and myself. I know everyone says I wouldn't bring the baby but we really dont have a choice. Any advice at all?

 

[auralia]

I would save the $ an go at a different time. Temps could be in the 40s or lower at night and keeping the baby warm AND safe would be pretty hard in a tent. We went when ds was 9 months in September staying in a hotel and even that was tough... In a camper or hotel room sure no problem but in a tent in the winter. I'd be too worried about the lo.

 

[TOGA]

I trailer camped in January and the temps can vary to very cold to quite warm. Good luck!

 

[Tented1]

We are going in Dec. this year but my DD will be 10. If you are from PA I assume you know what cold is and that you have looked up the average temps. for FL during the time you plan on being their. I live in Louisiana and our coldest month here is February. Last winter we didn't have a winter. Do we get a blue norther once in a while? Yes. Does FL? Yes. Can you leave the campground in the event it gets too cold and go to a hotel? Yes. Can an infant be safe in a campground? Well, its our origin. My mother camped on the river with my infant sister and her baby bed, a tarp, a coleman stove, no electricty, no running water (but access to), mosquito bars and cots. I grew up in a house that had a wood heater in one room.

You are your own best guage of what you know you can do and what's best for you and your family.

Happy Camping!

 

[Tented1]

oops: *there

there, that's better.

 

[North of Mouse]

I am a little nervous but we have gotten a check that we were not supposed to get until next year and hubby said we could take a trip down. My only issue is we have never been camping and it will be December... in a tent Im thinking im crazy! It would be DS 6 DS 6months and DH and myself. I know everyone says I wouldn't bring the baby but we really dont have a choice. Any advice at all?

O.K. you DID ask for advice Wait until spring, and the weather will be warmer (Mar-Apr) I'm a deep south LA girl and the weather can be very unpredictable from Dec-Feb. We went to Disney Dec. '10 and nearly froze (and we are in a MH). It was an unusual year, yes, but that's the point - you never know.

If you go, bring lots of bedding, coats, hats, gloves, etc. You will probably need a *tent-safe* heater also, especially with a little one (feeding, changing him at night). You are a very brave mom IMO As much as I love my Disney trips, that would be a *no-go* for me!

 

[Texashokies]

Another December 2010 survivor here. Temps were below freezing on several nights. You may want to budget for some hotel nights in case the temps get too cold.

 

[awoogala]

Honestly? If you were experienced campers who knew what they were getting into, I'd say go for it. But first time campers and Disney and a 9 mth old? That's a lot of of hard things in one trip. I would suggest looking into a value or even cheaper, an offsite like la quinta. At least until you have a bit more camping experience, or the baby was a bit older.
Tent camping is on of those things you get better at, and first time, with a 9 month old, would push me past a comfort level (we are mid level experience tent campers, and we still wouldn't bring a 9 mth old...too much for me!)

 

[Rland8228]

Yeah not sure what we are gonna do. I posted this in the theme park board that we were going and was dec worth it. I didn't post we were thinking of camping. We would stay at a value but I thought we could save money by camping. I think we might just save the money for our June trip. And then maybe go next dec and stay at a hotel. I feel like such and idiot I have posted on these boards for years and we constantly go back and forth with camping or not. I swear one day I will lol!!!

 

[sirenia88]

Hi,

Just a thought here. Did you think about renting a trailer? You could get the camping experience while getting some additional protection from the elements. I don't know if it is out of your budget. These are things you have to decide. My parents are renting a trailer when we go down in a few days. My mother found the price of renting was better than driving the motor home down.

Being first timers, I would suggest try tent camping closer to home a few times. This way you get a good idea of what to expect and how to react to it. I didn't catch this point in your post the first time around.

As a side note, my parents tented with me many of times when I really young and quoting my mother, I was camping while she was pregnant with me. I did the tent and under the stars thing until I was in my mid to late 20s. The last couple of years my wife and I were either borrowing their motor home or shacking up with them. Last year we felt it was time to get our own RV and we bought a trailer. So I am second generation RVer and camping in some form or another since I was born. My DD wants to go tent camping at some point. FW? Maybe....

 

[Rland8228]

Hi,

Just a thought here. Did you think about renting a trailer? You could get the camping experience while getting some additional protection from the elements. I don't know if it is out of your budget. These are things you have to decide. My parents are renting a trailer when we go down in a few days. My mother found the price of renting was better than driving the motor home down.

Being first timers, I would suggest try tent camping closer to home a few times. This way you get a good idea of what to expect and how to react to it. I didn't catch this point in your post the first time around.

As a side note, my parents tented with me many of times when I really young and quoting my mother, I was camping while she was pregnant with me. I did the tent and under the stars thing until I was in my mid to late 20s. The last couple of years my wife and I were either borrowing their motor home or shacking up with them. Last year we felt it was time to get our own RV and we bought a trailer. So I am second generation RVer and camping in some form or another since I was born. My DD wants to go tent camping at some point. FW? Maybe....

I wish that we could but that's out of the budget but we were considering it for our June trip. I have actually grown up and personally worked on rvs my life. My father is a rv mechanic and has completely custom built one from the ground up a couple of times. We would love to buy an rv but don't think that will happen anytime soon. My husband is the big camper since that is the type of vacations his family could afford. DS is dying to tent camp we will see I'm not sure, I'm having big snake phobia problems lol.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hi,

Just a thought here. Did you think about renting a trailer? You could get the camping experience while getting some additional protection from the elements. I don't know if it is out of your budget. These are things you have to decide. My parents are renting a trailer when we go down in a few days. My mother found the price of renting was better than driving the motor home down.

Being first timers, I would suggest try tent camping closer to home a few times. This way you get a good idea of what to expect and how to react to it. I didn't catch this point in your post the first time around.

As a side note, my parents tented with me many of times when I really young and quoting my mother, I was camping while she was pregnant with me. I did the tent and under the stars thing until I was in my mid to late 20s. The last couple of years my wife and I were either borrowing their motor home or shacking up with them. Last year we felt it was time to get our own RV and we bought a trailer. So I am second generation RVer and camping in some form or another since I was born. My DD wants to go tent camping at some point. FW? Maybe....

Just wondering - how could renting a trailer be cheaper than driving a MH down? We drive our MH down also, but even allowing for extra fuel (cost, minus gas for car comparison), minus hotel costs (one each way), minus daily rental for rental trailer. There is no way that a trailer rental for us would be anywhere closer to cheaper It also negates the main reason we like our MH - our bed, our own personal "house", convenience enroute, not having to pack/unpack.
Like I said, just curious, we have been life long RV'ers and love it.

 

[Tented1]

See. You know what's best for you. Try a laid back camp first. TBH I'm getting kind of nervous myself! LOL's I want my DD to experience camping and Disney again before she hits the tween stage so I'm trying to kill 2 birds with 1 stone plus I don't want to be home for Christmas.

 

[ctpooh]

Another December 2010 survivor as well.. It was cold BUT we were saved by our electric blanket, so much so we slept in shorts and t shirts and were toasty warm!! YOU CAN DO IT!!

 

[sirenia88]

Hello,

*sorry to the OP about hijacking their thread with a related off shoot.

Just wondering - how could renting a trailer be cheaper than driving a MH down? We drive our MH down also, but even allowing for extra fuel (cost, minus gas for car comparison), minus hotel costs (one each way), minus daily rental for rental trailer. There is no way that a trailer rental for us would be anywhere closer to cheaper It also negates the main reason we like our MH - our bed, our own personal "house", convenience enroute, not having to pack/unpack.
Like I said, just curious, we have been life long RV'ers and love it.

Easy. My parent's motor home needs new tires and suspension which is a shame since my father really takes care of the it. Most people who ask him about it don't believe it's an 1989 chassis because the exterior and interior are well kept. This year my dad only drove the MH on real short trips using only lower speed roads. He feels the tires are too old to be at highway speed and they are showing signs of sidewall issues. The suspension is factory original. My father stated he would want to have than redone before going on such a long trip. The tires have not been replaced since 2000 which was just after their last long distance trip down to Myrtle Beach SC. However, next year is slated for the tires and suspension work.

My mother is a bookkeeper so she's good with numbers. She figured out mileage, fuel amounts, costs to bring the motor home up to long distance, roadworthy condition, it was going to be cheaper to drive down in the minivan and rent a trailer for the 1 1/2 weeks are going to be there. Added bonus would be having their minivan as transportation to other places besides the property itself. If they had drove their Class C down, we would not have been able to drive around for other attractions. My Ext cab pick up would not be able to carry all of us which would have facilitated a car rental. So it worked out better since there would be no car rental involved, repair work to the MH can be held off til next year, and better gas mileage. plus added bonus they have an entertainment center in their minivan so the DD will be super happy to watch Disney movies while chilling with the DGPs!

 

[Charitycase20]

I guess my question to you would be why not? I've been camping (we're tenters too) with my little people since they were very small and I found that it was easier then than it is now! They weren't as vocal and mobile!

If you do decide to go, make sure you take a small heater, we use fleece blankets inbetween the air mattress and the sheets and warm jammies. Granted when we where at FW in January it was in the 80s. And if it gets too cold in your estimation for the baby, put he/she in the bed next to you...toasty warm for everyone.

Or if you can find some wiggle room in the budget, I have a contact that you can rent a pop-up from for $60 a night, the perfect compromise between a tent and a camper. www.fortcamperrental.com

Good luck!

 

[englishteacha]

Camping is great, but if you're a novice, going all the way to Disney with a little baby might be a bit overwhelming. Why not stay at an offsite hotel or condo to save money? You can still do all the fun park things. Maybe bring the tent and stuff and do a night or two at FW, but spend most of the trip staying at a hotel or condo? I assume that if you're considering camping, you'd be driving anyway, so staying offsite wouldn't require a car rental and you wouldn't be using Magical Express from the airport anyway.

I have a 4 month old and we have taken her camping in the backyard, and to a summer camp as a family where we stayed in a cabin (she was only 6 weeks old at camp!). Both were great and lots of fun, but we're experienced campers so it was old hat for my husband and I. We just had to figure out how to get things done with a little baby there, too.

 

[gillenkl]

I would consider a value with free dining over tent camping.

 

[North of Mouse]

Hello,

*sorry to the OP about hijacking their thread with a related off shoot.



Easy. My parent's motor home needs new tires and suspension which is a shame since my father really takes care of the it. Most people who ask him about it don't believe it's an 1989 chassis because the exterior and interior are well kept. This year my dad only drove the MH on real short trips using only lower speed roads. He feels the tires are too old to be at highway speed and they are showing signs of sidewall issues. The suspension is factory original. My father stated he would want to have than redone before going on such a long trip. The tires have not been replaced since 2000 which was just after their last long distance trip down to Myrtle Beach SC. However, next year is slated for the tires and suspension work.

My mother is a bookkeeper so she's good with numbers. She figured out mileage, fuel amounts, costs to bring the motor home up to long distance, roadworthy condition, it was going to be cheaper to drive down in the minivan and rent a trailer for the 1 1/2 weeks are going to be there. Added bonus would be having their minivan as transportation to other places besides the property itself. If they had drove their Class C down, we would not have been able to drive around for other attractions. My Ext cab pick up would not be able to carry all of us which would have facilitated a car rental. So it worked out better since there would be no car rental involved, repair work to the MH can be held off til next year, and better gas mileage. plus added bonus they have an entertainment center in their minivan so the DD will be super happy to watch Disney movies while chilling with the DGPs!

OK, I perfectly understand now - thought you meant just expenses for trip down.

 

[FortForever]

Like most others have said, the weather here in central Florida is just to unpredictable in December to tent with an infant. There is not that much price difference between the value resorts and a campsite to make it worth the risk. And renting a camper would bring the cost higher than a room. If it were just the older child, I wouldn't hesitate.

I am a life long camper who has taken my kids and grandkids camping since birth, and I wouldn't do it. I have nearly 50 years of tent camping experience and would be uncomfortable with an infant in a tent in December. As your first tent camping experience, it could end up more of a nightmare than a vacation.

It's only the first of October here and it's already gotten chilly enough to cut the furnace on at night. It gets colder here than some people realize. Although you could use an electric heater in a tent, it's not always a great idea. If you do that, be sure to keep the heater away from tent walls and in the tallest part of the tent. The concentrated heat from a heater can ruin the tent fabric. It is also much harder to regulate the temperature in a tent.

Good luck and enjoy your vacation, whatever you decide.