New to camping at Disney....a couple of questions

[kzama5050]

Hi...we are new to camping! We bought a teardrop last year and dh and I are loving it. Decided to book a trip to Fort Wilderness with our two teens next month. I have a Tent/popup site reserved. The teens will be in a tent. Since we have never been to the campground, can anyone give advise on best spots in the tent area? Also not sure what all there is to do there. I have reserved a golf cart. Will dh be able to shore fish? We are Florida residents so a fishing license is not an issue. Any suggestions for activities for teens?
Thank you in advance...
Kristy

 

[PaHunter]

Sites are assigned to you by Disney. They have a computer that does that for them, then it is checked by a person. You could be in 1500 or in 2000. 2000 is the bigger loop of the two.

 

[Stratman50th]

@Bishoparc put this together. This should answer a lot of your "what to do at the fort" questions:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/what’s-open-at-the-fort-covid-updates.3821254/

 

[PaHunter]

Hi...we are new to camping! We bought a teardrop last year and dh and I are loving it. Decided to book a trip to Fort Wilderness with our two teens next month. I have a Tent/popup site reserved. The teens will be in a tent. Since we have never been to the campground, can anyone give advise on best spots in the tent area? Also not sure what all there is to do there. I have reserved a golf cart. Will dh be able to shore fish? We are Florida residents so a fishing license is not an issue. Any suggestions for activities for teens?
Thank you in advance...
Kristy

Welcome to the Disboards, we are the most friendly bunch here.

 

[bama_ed]

Kristy,

Fishing is only permitted now in the pond bounded by 600 loop, the movie amphitheater, the Bike Barn, and the Meadow Trading Post. A young child playing at the waterline was taken by an alligator years ago near the Grand Floridian and dragged under the water and died so Disney now has made most/all shoreline off-limits to sand castles and fishing and sun bathing (unless you are behind the rock/rope fence).

That means no fishing on the shore of Bay Lake (rope fence up with rocks close to shoreline) and not in the canal behind 300 loop.

There are plenty of "for fee" activities which Disney is only happy to take your money for.

Non-pay fun is following the old Fort Wilderness railroad ties behind 700 loop out to the emergence near the Settlement Bus Depot. Also the Tri-Circle D horse barn which is open 10a-3p to see the MK work horses (and other resort horses) in their stalls sleeping, eating, getting a bath, getting shoed by a farrier, or what have you (the pony rides take place here too). In the non-covid times there were organized games/activities in the field next to the Meadow Pool like volleyball, frisbee football, etc. The pool in the afternoons might be a good scene for the teens (hot tub, slide, back to hot tub, etc....). I doubt these are taking place in these covid times.

Also you may encounter some CM resistance (it's happened in the past) with the teardrop trailer being in a Tent/Popup site. Any rv/trailer is permitted one additional tent (by the rules that are rarely enforced). I hate to be the one to say so but better you hear it now rather than when you roll in. Tear drops don't technically qualify for those sites. The extra tent doesn't qualify you for the site category.

Teardrops qualify you for Full, Preferred, Premium, Premium Meadow. Then again, Disney may say nothing - they are VERY uneven when it comes to enforcing the rules. But at times they have asked people to move up to the Full+ sites when space became available during their stay.

Or else all the 45 foot rv's would be booking up the cheaper tent sites for all the holiday times and any other busy period like weekends in the spring/fall/winter. And then circling the campground looking for an empty all-hookup site to dump their tanks in every couple days (the Fort does NOT have a designated tank dump location).

Otherwise, have at it.

Bama Ed

 

[kzama5050]

Kristy,

Fishing is only permitted now in the pond bounded by 600 loop, the movie amphitheater, the Bike Barn, and the Meadow Trading Post. A young child playing at the waterline was taken by an alligator years ago near the Grand Floridian and dragged under the water and died so Disney now has made most/all shoreline off-limits to sand castles and fishing and sun bathing (unless you are behind the rock/rope fence).

That means no fishing on the shore of Bay Lake (rope fence up with rocks close to shoreline) and not in the canal behind 300 loop.

There are plenty of "for fee" activities which Disney is only happy to take your money for.

Non-pay fun is following the old Fort Wilderness railroad ties behind 700 loop out to the emergence near the Settlement Bus Depot. Also the Tri-Circle D horse barn which is open 10a-3p to see the MK work horses (and other resort horses) in their stalls sleeping, eating, getting a bath, getting shoed by a farrier, or what have you (the pony rides take place here too). In the non-covid times there were organized games/activities in the field next to the Meadow Pool like volleyball, frisbee football, etc. The pool in the afternoons might be a good scene for the teens (hot tub, slide, back to hot tub, etc....). I doubt these are taking place in these covid times.

Also you may encounter some CM resistance (it's happened in the past) with the teardrop trailer being in a Tent/Popup site. Any rv/trailer is permitted one additional tent (by the rules that are rarely enforced). I hate to be the one to say so but better you hear it now rather than when you roll in. Tear drops don't technically qualify for those sites. The extra tent doesn't qualify you for the site category.

Teardrops qualify you for Full, Preferred, Premium, Premium Meadow. Then again, Disney may say nothing - they are VERY uneven when it comes to enforcing the rules. But at times they have asked people to move up to the Full+ sites when space became available during their stay.

Or else all the 45 foot rv's would be booking up the cheaper tent sites for all the holiday times and any other busy period like weekends in the spring/fall/winter. And then circling the campground looking for an empty all-hookup site to dump their tanks in every couple days (the Fort does NOT have a designated tank dump location).

Otherwise, have at it.

Bama Ed

Thank you for the info! I will call Disney tomorrow to make sure our 11 foot tent on wheels is OK

 

[bama_ed]

Thank you for the info! I will call Disney tomorrow to make sure our 11 foot tent on wheels is OK

Please do.

And keep in mind it's not the size of the rig in question but the category.

Here is the "Tent or Pop-up Campsite" description on the WDW website"



"Pop-up" being any kind of folding or collapsible canvas trailer.

"Camper van" being the classical Class B category of rv.

Again, Disney is all over the place when it comes to enforcement. If any.

The concrete pad is a certain minimum size but the stone/(foremerly coquina) tent pad in the back tempts people who are long(er). Or who simply don't know.

Never heard of anyone being turned away from Fort Wilderness but there have been reports of having guests move up during their stay, as I said. Who knows what might come of it.

The more you know ......

Bama Ed

 

[2goofycampers]

Kristy!

My opinion is that 1500 is the better located tent loop.

 

[BarbLynnM]

We have a mini teardrop, 13 feet stem to stern (OP didn't post size of camper), and have a Pahaque side tent. Actually, we've seen T@g's with two site tents and a canopy on one site. We've mostly stayed at at Spanish Moss Lane (loop 2000), and have seen campers larger than ours there too. We've never had any issues.

 

[BusyFLmom]

Thank you for all the information!! I called Disney this morning and was told we would not be turned away from a tent site but I went ahead and upgraded to a preferred site. Even though our camper is only 11 feet, I think we will be more comfortable in a larger site.

 

[Teamubr]

@BusyFLmom,

The Preferred sites are about the same size as a Full or Popup/Tent, but you will love the location if you want to be by the Settlement and the marina with the boat to MK. 1500 loop (one of the 2 Tent/Popup loops) is really convenient to the pool and Meadows Trading Post, but it is much smaller than the 2000 loop, which is kind of far from everything.

Great choice on the Preferred site! Ask for the 100 loop.

j

 

[morrik5]

Kristy,

Fishing is only permitted now in the pond bounded by 600 loop, the movie amphitheater, the Bike Barn, and the Meadow Trading Post. A young child playing at the waterline was taken by an alligator years ago near the Grand Floridian and dragged under the water and died so Disney now has made most/all shoreline off-limits to sand castles and fishing and sun bathing (unless you are behind the rock/rope fence).

That means no fishing on the shore of Bay Lake (rope fence up with rocks close to shoreline) and not in the canal behind 300 loop.

There are plenty of "for fee" activities which Disney is only happy to take your money for.

Non-pay fun is following the old Fort Wilderness railroad ties behind 700 loop out to the emergence near the Settlement Bus Depot. Also the Tri-Circle D horse barn which is open 10a-3p to see the MK work horses (and other resort horses) in their stalls sleeping, eating, getting a bath, getting shoed by a farrier, or what have you (the pony rides take place here too). In the non-covid times there were organized games/activities in the field next to the Meadow Pool like volleyball, frisbee football, etc. The pool in the afternoons might be a good scene for the teens (hot tub, slide, back to hot tub, etc....). I doubt these are taking place in these covid times.

Also you may encounter some CM resistance (it's happened in the past) with the teardrop trailer being in a Tent/Popup site. Any rv/trailer is permitted one additional tent (by the rules that are rarely enforced). I hate to be the one to say so but better you hear it now rather than when you roll in. Tear drops don't technically qualify for those sites. The extra tent doesn't qualify you for the site category.

Teardrops qualify you for Full, Preferred, Premium, Premium Meadow. Then again, Disney may say nothing - they are VERY uneven when it comes to enforcing the rules. But at times they have asked people to move up to the Full+ sites when space became available during their stay.

Or else all the 45 foot rv's would be booking up the cheaper tent sites for all the holiday times and any other busy period like weekends in the spring/fall/winter. And then circling the campground looking for an empty all-hookup site to dump their tanks in every couple days (the Fort does NOT have a designated tank dump location).

Otherwise, have at it.

Bama Ed

Right on Bama Ed, I hear you about people dumping in an all-hookup site after it's vacated. Nothing worse than seeing someone back into the site next to you to empty their black tank into the basin just cleaned out by WDW hard working cast members. But I digress from the original topic...

 

[nomorethan8]

1500 is our favorite tent loop. The canal that runs behind that loop is chock full of fish. Your not supposed to fish there, but we have never been bothered there. It was to irresistible not to try and fish. And we were not the only ones there. It is pretty much an out of sight, out of mind spot, and was willing to beg for forgiveness if caught.

 

[BarbLynnM]

We have a mini teardrop, 13 feet stem to stern (OP didn't post size of camper), and have a Pahaque side tent. Actually, we've seen T@g's with two site tents and a canopy on one site. We've mostly stayed at at Spanish Moss Lane (loop 2000), and have seen campers larger than ours there too. We've never had any issues.

Side tents, not "site"

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

1500 is a great loop next to main pool area, many premium and preferred areas aren't as close or similar in closeness.

 

[rideswithchrist]

We have young kids, so I love the 2000 loop for the sparse of space in the middle. If I only had 2 teens, I think 1500 which is close to everything would be a much better fit. We drove through and I felt the 2000 loop had more space and privacy between sites. You can Youtube Roadtrippin and they do a loop video so you can get an idea of what to expect. It was done in the winter, so the lack of greenery is obvious- but it helped us pick a site in that loop.

I assume you teardrop does not have sewer, so you would be paying extra for amenities you can't fully hook up to anyway...although you could drop your grey water in the sewer lines.