Never camped in my life, how do you like it?

[Chicago526]

Okay, I lied. I did camp once when I was about 5. I loved it, but I was also 5!

Now that I'm an adult, the idea of sleeping in a tent with a tree root in my back and sharing bathroom facilities with other campers is NOT my idea of a good time, even at WDW. Not to mention no A/C and bugsbugsbugsbugsbugs....

I'm spoilded, okay!

Now dear BF/hubby-to-be is Grizzly Adams re-born. So you see the problem...

I told BF that camping at WDW is cheap (compared to a WDW hotel) BUT that I would only consider doing it (for future trips, the next one we stay in style at the Poly!) if we get an RV or a popup of some kind. But, since the idea is to save money, I want to get a used one, and smaller rather than larger, as long as it has a bathroom so I don't have to use the ones at Ft. Wilderness. He thinks this is a fine compromise (mainly because he'll get to tow something with his truck.)

Anyway, I was wondering if there is anyone on this board that camps for the sake of a hubby/wife who likes it, and what do you think of it compared to staying in a hotel? Believe it or not, I am familure with FW because my family stayed in the cabins once (Now that's my idea of camping! ) and it is a nice place, so don't get me wrong. But a vacation to me is not doing my own cooking, cleaning, or bathing in OFF every night. Is it really that much work, or am I being too....snobby....about the whole thing?

 

[parmtoo]

Hi! Welcome!

I have to tell that we camp because we love it! It is a less exspencive way to go, but you have to enjoy it too.
We like having our own bed with us, our own food, we can bring our pet, ect....
We have three children and the 2 DD's are in their teens. We'd now require two rooms, or a more $$$ room. Camping at FW allows us more for the money we have to spend. We only eat breakfast in the camper, and dinner on days we don't do the parks.
You really don't have to do your own cooking, as you can still go out to eat.
Good luck with your camper search!

 

[allisophie]

this could be a long post so I'll try and keep it short...
I was NOT a camper.. DH Is Big time.. so we started out with the Tent..( Eureaka brand) for about 5 yrs we traveled all over the Us . Evenutally we took over his dads POP up ( he used it 3 x's
had a stroke....:O(
It was a plain jane starcraft.. we again camped all over the US up both coasts of the US.. I was admiring the 5th wheels and travel trailers.. kept hearing the "someday" in the meantime we socked away some dough.. bought a dodge ram quad cab.. and one day on a whim went to "look" we ended up with our 30 foot travel trailer... traded in the pop up... we were sad to see it go but I was SOO Happy to have my own bathroom... we were lucky that it was fully loaded. an older couple had ordered it and decided that they wanted a slide out .. it had been sitting on the lot for over a year when we came upon it... that was back in 99... I do know that the newer pop-ups have bathrooms but they are really small.... now a days they make em bigger with slide outs...

As for the hotels.. wellllllll......... Id take a hotel any day too :O) we have stayed at the resort at WDW more times than we have camped... One due to DH crazy work schedule ( he works for FED EX) and the fact that we had another child 4 yrs ago,,, sometimes the deals were too good to pass up...

this year we weighed out the cost of pulling the camper vs resort.. the girls wanted to stay at the campground and do fun stuff too.. (ie canoe /fishing. campfire movies)

if you have any specific questions you can email me personally if ya want

hope this helps

 

[tim5055]

Now I will admit our situation is the opposite of most. DW has always been a camper while I was the one who thought roughing it was going to Days Inn

You can get into it fairly inexpensivly in a tent BUT stick to pring/fll camping when it is cool. See if you like it, I'm betting you will.

At that point you and hubby can talk about a way off the ground. A used pop up camper may fit the bill.

 

[LTUDawg]

We found camping after several years of cub scouts and DW at the med/lux resorts. After the third kid, we NEEDED the balcony (awniing) and second bedroom. We loved camping in the 26 ft TT, but the 30 ft fifth wheel, well, it's heaven.
Bottom line, camping is great at FW. Pop ups and TT/FW make it evenbetter. For my $$ FW beats any resort, and I have been to many. S

 

[LTUDawg]

We found camping after several years of cub scouts and DW at the med/lux resorts. After the third kid, we NEEDED the balcony (awniing) and second bedroom. We loved camping in the 26 ft TT, but the 30 ft fifth wheel, well, it's heaven.
Bottom line, camping is great at FW. Pop ups and TT/FW make it evenbetter. For my $$ FW beats any resort, and I have been to many. S

 

[jann1033]

we don't "camp" like some do. we never cook at the site, eat our meals out. hence we don't clean much either, except the occasional laundry i'd do in a hotel also. we have never had a problem with bugs at disney. i always assumed they spray or something. and the bathrooms at FW are as clean as at some hotels I have stayed at, just a little father walk down the hall ( and i don't have to worry about bears like i do some other places we camp)

all and all my all time favorite place to camp..we actually like it better in fw than at a value resort ( pop). our last trip was the first we did not stay at fw and we really missed it!. usually we take a tent but since we are getting old(er) and our backs and joints groan more, lately we have taken a van but the camp sites are nice and cushiony, never got a tree root in our back there yet.

plus i have stayed at a few "nice " hotels and found hair in the bed ...yuk, always makes me wonder what i am NOT seeing..... at least camping any dirt is "MY " dirt and I can wear shower shoes!

 

[LMC]

I was more of a camper than DH so it was at my urging that we get a camper. We did tent camp when it was just the two of us and that was ok but when you add kids, it gets hard. We went tent camping two years ago w/ our then 7, 4, 1 yo's and we couldn't get the 1yo to go to bed so that was the last of our tent camping (I don't miss the middle of the night bathroom runs either!). Now we go in our tt and it is sooooo much nicer! We have our own beds, bathroom (however, FW b/r's are so nice I usually go take a long hot shower there each night after the kids are in bed). We can grab a bite to eat whenever we want and since we have 5, we would have to stay at a more $$$ resort or get two rooms at an allstar.

 

[Chicago526]

Thanks for the advice! I do think I'll enjoy camping, I really LIKE the outdoors. My main concern is making sure I'm comfortable enough to sleep each night (If I don't get enough sleep, then you really WILL need to worry about a "bear" running through FW) and that I have bathroom/shower facilities (I am VERY fussy about this!). When we stayed at the cabins in '98, it did seem like a very nice campground, though, so I'll give it a try.

We won't be doing this for a few years, we've got some other stuff comming up that we need to take care of. I just like to think things through waaaaaaaay in advance, it helps me be comfortable with new situations.

Thanks again, everyone!

 

[mum of two pirates]

I love to camp, My DH doesn't hate it, "i'll try it again in about never" We have been together 14.5 years. He went once when i was preg. 7 years ago with his buddy and i hunting, one night. then when our secound son was two, the kids and i camped all week with friends and he came out friday night, half a night and we went home with a sick two year old, I was willing to stay and deal with it thoe. then this last 4th of july. The kids and I again camped all week with rel. and he stayed at my parents and came out at 5am saterday morning, then stayed with them again sat night. I would say he doesn't like it much, but the boys and i go often in the summer for a week at a time. I love it, so do they, my job in life is to give my children all the opertunities i can, it's cheap and so much fun. I was thinking of adding a few days on at WDW before our cruise in 06 and would love to do fw but we will have a 8 hour plane ride and two much stuff to pack, we could just go with tents but i would not go without my coleman air mattress, never. Just to much extra to pack. But we love to camp (the boys and i) we are doing three days this week and three next week at silverwood, Idaho and are camping again, already did a week this summer. But i would try it, it's so fun, just have a flashlight next to you so when you wake up you can flip it on and know were you are.

 

[LMC]

how about shipping your gear to FW than shipping it home before you cruise? alot of people post on this forum that they ship items ahead of time to the campground (I guess those are the folks that are flying). It maybe worth checking into if you have your heart set on camping at FW prior to cruising.

 

[murph103]

DH grew up camping with his family. I went for the first time with his family before we were married (20 years). They had a big travel trailer and it was okay. After we got married and had DD, we tried tent camping and I hated it. I told DH we weren't ever going again unless we had a/c and real beds with sheets. We bought our Palomino Mustang SC 4years ago and we love it. It has a/c, hot & cold running water, an indoor shower/cassette potty combo and an outside shower. We didn't take it to WDW when we went last month, but we still had a great time. But there's something about knowing whose been sleeping on the sheets and whose bottom has been on the toilet seat. Next time I want to take the camper and stay at FW.

Good luck in your camper search. I suggest you find an RV show near you and you'll be able to see lots of different models. You'll probably find something that suits your needs.

 

[clkelley]

I love camping!! Ft. Wilderness is the cadillac of campgrounds for tent campers!!

I tent camp at Ft. Wilderness each December and I don't cook at all!! That's the best part, there are 200 some odd restaurants at your disposal. The same as if you are at any other Disney resort.

I actually find clothes washing easier at Ft. Wilderness than at the other resorts because the washers/dryers are at the comfort station, not at the pools. I drop a load in the wash each night on my way to the shower. After I get out of my shower I drop the load in the dryer and go back to the campsite and get on the computer and download the days pictures and get online for a bit. (I have a wireless access card for the laptop). Then I go back and pick up the clothes and put them away.

There are NO roots in the tent sites at Ft. Wilderness. You have plenty of electricity for fans, lights, mini fridge, computer, and AIR MATTRESS PUMP.

Hope this helps!!

Carol

 

[We4mickey]

have been going to wdw from the time they open in 71.Have been camping all my life and loven it. Started in tent then to a popup,hotels are ok they cost to much. When camping you bring all your food,ect ,alot cheaper. the campground is more relaxen then the resorts. my 2cents

 

[SharBear4]

I love the thought of camping but DH does not. I've thought about renting an RV while there and then staying at FW. Would it be horribly expensive?

 

[TiffJ]

We just bought a pop up and I love it! We found an older one that had been kept in great condition for a great price. I had only been camping 1 time in 7th grade & HATED IT! I am somewhat of a princess when it comes to me being comfortable. We have a/c that keeps the camper cold enough to hang meat in & my family sleeps better in the pop up than they do it home. (DH doesnt snore & DS3 doesnt get up several times a night) My friends cant believe I love it so much. Pretty much a city girl but now I am a scout leader and am learning to adapt. I can't wait to bring it down to FW and camp! If you like the outdoors you will love camping in a pop up!