New to the Fort! Questions!

Tenstew

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
We arrive at the fort on May 11. Staying through May 18 in a premium site. It will be our first time there but a dream we have always had! I have many questions.

Loop to request? It is just me (52) and DH(54). 31.5' Fifth Wheel with F250 Pickup. We will have our bikes but no golf cart. We would like semi private (quiet). We would prefer NOT to be near the pool. (We aren't the cranky type so some noise is ok, and we know kids will be kids but we need would like some peace too.) We had a friend recommend the 400 and 500 loops. What do you think? I've done enough research to know we may not get our request. Stayed in enough other resorts to know that. Any other suggestions?

Bikes for travel to buses/boats? Would this be a good idea? We have a lock to lock them up. Are there parking racks to do this? Or should we use the internal buses? We decided not to spend the $ on a golf cart rental.

Any other suggestions for a Fort newbie will be greatly appreciated! We are not new to camping, just to the Fort. We take many camping trips throughout the year mostly staying at State Parks in Texas.

One more question: How do you handle the travel from your home? On We are coming from the Texas Gulf Coast. We are anticipating 17-20 hours of travel time. We usually drive our car (every year) when we go to WDW. This is our first time with the RV. Do you make reservations for an overnight stay along the way? or just look for a place when you are ready to stop for the night? We are leaving early morning on Friday, May 10 and were hoping to make it to at least to Florida before dark thirty. Any suggestions between Pensacola and Tallahassee? or should we try to go further? My DH isn't too keen driving too long after dark.

Looking forward to hearing from you!! I have been reading and reading hoping to get answers before posting but
 
Are you on a full hook or premium site. 4 or 6, 7 or 8. We have stayed at Pennsicola Rv Just off I 10 and they were great. Not fancy but clean and fast off and on. Owner is retired Florida PD. We love 800, 700, and 600. Just spent month in 600 and requested 800 for month in fall. Anyplace close to lake not 100 or 200 is great. Be safe and have fun. Coffee in early morning sitting in rocking chair with feet on the rail.
 
Are you on a full hook or premium site. 4 or 6, 7 or 8. We have stayed at Pennsicola Rv Just off I 10 and they were great. Not fancy but clean and fast off and on. Owner is retired Florida PD. We love 800, 700, and 600. Just spent month in 600 and requested 800 for month in fall. Anyplace close to lake not 100 or 200 is great. Be safe and have fun. Coffee in early morning sitting in rocking chair with feet on the rail.
Premium Site! Thanks for the Pennsicola RV recommendation. Did you book in advance? We are not sure how long we will drive so hate to book in advance if I don't have to.
 
We booked same day. Should be ok this time if year. Tell them recommended by retired from Oregon. We love 800 lap. 815, 816. 820. Good luck
 


Sorry, no advice here as I am just a tent camper. Just wanted to tell you to have a great trip. We stayed at the fort for the first time last year and we fell in love. We also camp several times a year in Ohio State parks and the fort definitely far exceeded our expectations. Already have our next trip booked.
 
1100 is quiet and away from the activities.
Bikes would be nice to get from place to place and to ride around and look at the other loops. There are bike racks. Be sure to have front and rear lights if you ride them at night.
 


I think you will be fine in almost any of the Premium loops. Maybe not parts of 1400- it is a circle inside a circle and closest to the campfire. We've been there twice. Most of the Fort in early morning and during the day, is pretty quiet. Most people are out at the parks. I have never found any Premium or Preferred loops to be "noisy".

There are places to lock up bikes near the marina and Outpost bus stop, but they can fill up fast. I have usually found a fence or something else to lock up to. Don't forget some kind of light if you are riding back to your site after night. Florida law, but the Fort can also be pretty dark in places

As for a place to stay on the way, we also have a 17ish hour drive (1004 miles). ON the way down, we stay overnight somewhere so arrival day isn't too late and we aren't exhausted. Coming home, I drive straight through. I have always booked a place in advance, especially if it is near a holiday. One trip going to my parents condos in St Pete, we decided to just stop anywhere. It turned out to be a huge college football weekend and there was nothing for 200 miles. Since then I like to know I have a spot.

j
 
Sorry, no advice here as I am just a tent camper. Just wanted to tell you to have a great trip. We stayed at the fort for the first time last year and we fell in love. We also camp several times a year in Ohio State parks and the fort definitely far exceeded our expectations. Already have our next trip booked.
Thank you so much! We are so excited! This has been my "dream" vacation for years! To be at Disney and "sleep in my own bed", LOL!!!!
 
1100 is quiet and away from the activities.
Bikes would be nice to get from place to place and to ride around and look at the other loops. There are bike racks. Be sure to have front and rear lights if you ride them at night.
Thanks so much!! Yes, we plan on bringing our bikes. We have lights and a lock. :thanks:
 
As for a place to stay on the way, we also have a 17ish hour drive (1004 miles). ON the way down, we stay overnight somewhere so arrival day isn't too late and we aren't exhausted. Coming home, I drive straight through. I have always booked a place in advance, especially if it is near a holiday. One trip going to my parents condos in St Pete, we decided to just stop anywhere. It turned out to be a huge college football weekend and there was nothing for 200 miles. Since then I like to know I have a spot.
Great advice! Thank you!
 
Thanks so much to all the replies and suggestions.

I am almost wondering if I should just NOT make any requests and just see what I get. :scared: I'm used to being in a preferred room in a resort so this is totally different for me.

I am a little worried because we probably won't arrive until after 2pm. (I know, I know, but my DH won't leave before Friday morning and our arrival date is Saturday)

This is our first time to pull our fifth wheel this far. We usually stay in Texas with it. So I guess I will just take what I can get...makes me nervous, but I 'm hearing that all the sites are pretty good.

HOPING for the best!!:flower1:
 
We live in Central Texas - Fayette County. We allow us 3 days for our arrival. 1st stop will be Baton Rouge, La., next day Perry, Fl. This time we are staying the 3 rd night approx 30 mins. from the Fort. DH makes reservations for each stop week B4 we leave. We will be @ the Fort 5/12 thru 5/22. Stay away from loop 1300, too noisy for us. Have a great trip & lots of fun @ the Happiness Place on this earth!! PS we also do not drive after dark is why we take 3 days.
 
I second the recommendation for loop 1100. You are almost exactly the same ages as we are and we had the same "wants" in a loop. 1100 fits all of those wants. It was quiet our whole week!

If you have bikes, you'll really enjoy riding around the fort. I didn't bring ours this past trip so we rented a golf cart. Bikes will do the same thing and you'll save the $$.

Check out my trip report for some pictures of our site, 1103. It was HUGE and private. We absolutely could not have been happier with the loop.
 
We were in 800 loop last July, great loop, just walked to marina to catch boat to MK, close to bus pickups for transport to other parks.
 
700 has always been quiet on our trips, we did the bike thing once, never again, seemed to rain every night about the time we got back to the Fort, a very long wet ride back to the RV.

I try to keep the drive under 400 miles, which takes us 3.5 days, but that is part of our vacation.

I always book stays not, 30 years ago this June for our honeymoon we went tent camping in the Shawnee National Forest. we did not make any reservations, so we spent the first night in the truck as everything was full, the DuQuoin county fairgrounds dirt track races were going on
 
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Thanks so much to all the replies and suggestions.

I am almost wondering if I should just NOT make any requests and just see what I get. :scared: I'm used to being in a preferred room in a resort so this is totally different for me.

If this is your first visit to the Fort, I'd say let fate play its hand and don't make any loop request.

Once you arrive, if there is something you are VIOLENTLY opposed to when you drive to your site then you can go back to the Check-in lobby (or call them from a phone located at each Comfort Station [what I did]) and ask them to swap you out.

During your initial stay, walk, bus to, or explore the other loops in your non-park times to see what you might prefer on a next visit. So many variables in play here but that's what I would recommend to first timers. Good luck - I'm excited for you!

Bama Ed

PS - and don't ever, EVER get hung up about particular site. Because they can't give it to you when you arrive if somebody is already on it. So keep it to just looking at loops....
 
If this is your first visit to the Fort, I'd say let fate play its hand and don't make any loop request.

Once you arrive, if there is something you are VIOLENTLY opposed to when you drive to your site then you can go back to the Check-in lobby (or call them from a phone located at each Comfort Station [what I did]) and ask them to swap you out.

During your initial stay, walk, bus to, or explore the other loops in your non-park times to see what you might prefer on a next visit. So many variables in play here but that's what I would recommend to first timers. Good luck - I'm excited for you!

Bama Ed

PS - and don't ever, EVER get hung up about particular site. Because they can't give it to you when you arrive if somebody is already on it. So keep it to just looking at loops....
Thank you so much!! I think that is what I am going to do.
 
Trying to get a trip planned for early September- have always stayed on property at Resorts in the past. I know you get the Disney Express with resort stays, does it also cover Fort Wilderness? Thanks!
 
I know you get the Disney Express with resort stays, does it also cover Fort Wilderness? Thanks!
Yes it does! My wife flew in to meet us last September and I am doing it this September to stay a few days with friends that will be at the Fort.

I did have to call the transportation line to set it up instead of using the MDE app. The app wants to make a reservation for the everyone in the group.

Here's the number to call: (And Welcome! to the Fort Forum.)

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j
 

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