Lots of Disney Questions

[KAC]

Hi! This will be my family's first visit to Walt Disney World. We are planning to go in August 2003. We have a pop up trailer that we can take with us. Here are my questions:

1. Do the prices for camping at Fort Wilderness go down in the off season?

2. I have seen the special for the 5 day hopper that is being offered right now and I'm wondering if specials come up often or not?

3. Where is the cheapest place to get the park passes and what pass would be best for first time visitors? We have 2 daughters aged 8 and 10.

4. Is there any good camping spots close to WDW?

5. After all my camping questions, now I'll ask a hotel question! Would we be better off looking for good prices on a hotel rather than bringing our trailer?

Sorry for all the questions but I really don't know a lot about WDW except that I want to see the excitement on my kids' faces.
Thanks!!!!!

KAC

 

[SandraC]

WELCOME TO THE CDN DIS BOARDS! You will find lots of great advice here!

Baboo camped at WDW, so she can answer lots of questions! Also the Camping boards would help too.

I'll do my best to assist with your questions.

1. Yes, I've seen all resort prices go down during off season. Check out www.mousesavers.com for a history of deals. You will save money!

2. I don't know of a 5 day hopper pass, but there is a 7 day hopper plus (4 options) pass right now. It's a buy-one-get-the second 50% of. We bought these tickets in 2001 and again in 2002 and loved them! They do expire, but that's okay because we use all the days! You can get these tickets at the DS and TA's. Must be bought in Canada.

3. You can get a 5% discount off hopper passes at the Walmart in Kissimmee, at the TA there. I found the DS to have good prices. If you are planning on returning, the hopper passes are great, they don't expire!

4. Don't know.

5. I have seen great resort discounts at the end of the summer! Watch www.mousesavers.com for the info!

GOOD LUCK! S

 

[Debbie]

Welcome, KAC!

You'll get lots of information and hints on these boards. Be sure to query the Camping board about Fort Wilderness. I haven't camped, but stayed in the cabins, and there are lots of things to keep you occupied at FW.

Ticket deals don't happen for August trips (the only time we can get there!). They are sooo expensive, aren't they?

If you are campers, then FW will be a terrific way for you to see WDW. Resorts (usually the deluxe) will sometimes have deals, but the codes don't come out until much closer to the date. Last summer, there was a deal for the cheaper All Stars, too, but who knows for this year? Our family did the Courtyard by Marriott at Downtown Disney with their $20.02 rate for Sun.-Thurs.

Contrary to many people's belief, the summer is not off-season at Disney. The off-season begins the very last week of August onsite, although many off-site hotels begin their cheaper rates during the middle of August.

Whatever you decide-camping or hotel, onsite or off-you will have a great family vacation!

 

[Baboo]

Welcome to the DIS KAC! As the others have said, your best bet for answers about camping is the Camping Board, but as Sandra said, we have camped there. It was the best camp ground we've ever stayed at. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, and they keep everything spotless. When we were there in January 2000, I think we paid $15.00 US per night, which is unbeatable for on site. You still get the perks for staying on site, like Early Entry (EE) when they offer it, and all the transportation comes right to your doorstep. There is a boat that runs from the campground to the Magic Kingdom, and the ride is great. I would certainly recommend staying at FW, but you might want to keep in mind that the weather in August is VERY hot and humid, so you might prefer the comfort of an air conditioned hotel room.

 

[great white north]

KAC: We just went to DWLD in early Dec. I also have a hardtop trailer that I wanted to take to camp in Fort Wilderness. Even in low season (which I only think the last week of Aug. would be because most US schools start back 1-2 weeks earlier than us) you would probably be looking at min. $35.00US to camp there. We ended up flying because after a car accident I don't think I could handle the drive. I camped there as a teenager. It is the most luxurious campground probably in the world. While we were there in Dec. we went to check out the horseback riding for my daughter which is in the campground entrance. We drove around the park. Just as beautiful as 25 years ago. Mostly $200,000 and up A-class motorhomes there. I didn't see to many hardtops!! We stayed 7 nights at all-stars and 2 nights at courtyard by Marriot. Got both places for good price.

My opinion of whether it is worth taking your trailer:

1. If you are just planning on driving down with 1 stop-over each way and really only taking trailer to save on hotel costs? LEAVE TRAILER AT HOME
2.If you are satisfied with just regular hotel, you can get a room for about the same cost as camping.
3.Yes there are campgrounds in Orlando but are basically a place to park your trailer and lay your head. (Not like our Provincial Parks for scenery)
4. For the time you are going you may wish you had air-conditioning in your trailer and you should be able to get nice hotels for a fair price.
5.This is a holiday for you and your hubby. Hauling a trailer and everything that goes with camping is still alot of work. Extra costs for fuel and wear and tear on your vehicle from hauling trailer.
6.Keep an eye on mousesavers as the summer gets closer for some deals.
We also have 2 kids 7 and 10 which was a perfect age for disney. We bought the 7 dayhopper (50%off 2nd.) but only used 5 days and 2 plusses. When you know how many days you will want for the parks there are alot of websites that sell discount passes.
Welcome aboard, happy planning and don't hesitate to post your questions. The things I learn't and the money I saved was great for my trip.

 

[SandraC]

We spent an afternoon at FW in April and it was so lovely. During the day it was empty. I guess lots of folks were at the parks. We went to Trail's End Buffet for the lunch. We went just at the end of the lunch. Great food and the price is remarkable. We made this our big meal of the day and ate ice cream at Beaches and Cream at BC. We were the only people in the whoel restaurant! The pony rides accommodate pretty big kids. My dd was 8.5 years old and very tall, about 64 pounds and loved the pony ride. The petting zoo is a lot of fun too. It was fun just walking around the campgrounds. It was the nicest campground I have ever seen. S

 

[SandraC]

Oh, I forgot to mention, each night there is a movie and Chip and Dale campfire with songs! Now how fun is that! S

 

[PoohBWV]

I see that you have received lots of good replies from everyone here, but I still wanted to say WELCOME! Keep those questions coming.