October Trip Reports w/activity calendar

[tltay2005]

Yes, I know it's only July...but today is my 3 months till check in date, so I figured it was OK for me to start the thread. Plus, Halloween is probably the trip we plan the most for, as I am sure it is for others too.

We will be there from 10/29 - 11/2, making this year the first in the past four Halloween trips that we will be there for Halloween night. We usually head home on the 31st, so this trip will be extra fun (plus more planning, lol).

Please feel free to jump in and add your pre trip and trip reports. Hoping to see some of you there.

 

[sambuster]

Halloween at FW and DW is my favorite time of year. Will be there at the Fort from 10-26 to 11-8. see you then...SamBuster

 

[PrincessKimberly25]

I can't wait for Halloween at FW! It's our family's annual tradition and we look forward to it all year. We will be there from 10-26 to 11-3. Can't wait!!

 

[Christine raynor]

I can't wait for Halloween at FW! It's our family's annual tradition and we look forward to it all year. We will be there from 10-26 to 11-3. Can't wait!!

Less then 80 days untill we leave on the long, long drive from Arizona to the Fort. Hate the trip through Texas but no way around it. Will be at FW 10/25 - 11/24. Will have "Trick or Drink" table with Margurita's for halloween.

 

[friendofeeyore]

We arrive 10/23 thru 11/08 (trying to 3 extra days) so hopefully leaving on the following Monday Nov 11. Hope to see all of you.

 

[Sjm9911]

I will be there October 29 till nov 10 . Hope to meet some of you folks. We will be trick or treating in a rented golf cart, and hopefully my dad who lives in Florida will make the trip down. I rented the cart for him, lol. Maybe a meet up with adult beverages for the grown ups?!?

 

[Jorjabelle]

We’ll be there 10/19 to 10/26. First time staying at Fort Wilderness. We’ve gotten very into camping since getting our pop up camper 2 1/2 yrs ago. Can’t wait to take it to Disney!

MNSSHP is a favorite party. I think we’ll have a couple campsite decorations - but I’m really looking forward to seeing other sites Halloween themes and creativity.

I’m trying to hold myself back from over scheduling us in the parks and just trying to relax. I found a website that plays Frontierland/Fort Wilderness music - I keep that on background every once when looking through ideas and plans.

Nervous about the drive down on 95 from Delaware. But plan on going slow and steady - no rush to get to a week of fun and relaxing.

 

[Christine raynor]

We’ll be there 10/19 to 10/26. First time staying at Fort Wilderness. We’ve gotten very into camping since getting our pop up camper 2 1/2 yrs ago. Can’t wait to take it to Disney!

MNSSHP is a favorite party. I think we’ll have a couple campsite decorations - but I’m really looking forward to seeing other sites Halloween themes and creativity.

I’m trying to hold myself back from over scheduling us in the parks and just trying to relax. I found a website that plays Frontierland/Fort Wilderness music - I keep that on background every once when looking through ideas and plans.

Nervous about the drive down on 95 from Delaware. But plan on going slow and steady - no rush to get to a week of fun and relaxing.

We just received our new large FW wooden sign from master disney sign maker "Warren". We need to find a strong metal stand. If anyone has found what works we would love the info. Have observed lots of the signs around the fort but never took the time to look at the stands. Foolish me. Warren does really beautiful custom work.

 

[FtW Mike]

We’ll be there 10/19 to 10/26. First time staying at Fort Wilderness. We’ve gotten very into camping since getting our pop up camper 2 1/2 yrs ago. Can’t wait to take it to Disney!

MNSSHP is a favorite party. I think we’ll have a couple campsite decorations - but I’m really looking forward to seeing other sites Halloween themes and creativity.

I’m trying to hold myself back from over scheduling us in the parks and just trying to relax. I found a website that plays Frontierland/Fort Wilderness music - I keep that on background every once when looking through ideas and plans.

Nervous about the drive down on 95 from Delaware. But plan on going slow and steady - no rush to get to a week of fun and relaxing.

Jorjabelle as a fellow Delawarian I too don't care for that drive down 95. Aswelive just north of Dover I take the the Bay Bridge to 495 DC bypass (On average 90 min from my driveway) then stay on 95. If Bay Bridge Tunnel is more gooder for you make sure you know exactly the route you want to take. On our second trip we didn't plan enough and spent 2 hours getting thru Norfolk on 58. Once outside the city it was okay. We break trip into 3 days travel. I am sole driver have 2, 60 + people and 2, 3yr old pups so a stop every 2 hours or so is called for. When you can (After 10 posts) PM me, happy to share what we do in terms of our trip

 

[tltay2005]

Wow, looks like a good DIS crowd this year. Really jealous of those that are staying for weeks instead of just days like us. Working full time can really put a damper on Fort trips, lol.

We will be in the golf cart parade as we have been for the past years. We are doing the same theme as last year , but we are adding a few items, so I have started working on those. We don't really have a theme for our site, just the standard Halloween decorations. As soon as the stores start selling bulk candy, I will start stocking up.

 

[KPSmithSr]

We are scheduled to arrive Oct 18th and depart on Nov 15. This will be our 16th Food and Wine Festival and the 12th while staying at the Fort. Always look forward to Halloween and looping in a golf cart to see all the decorations. Hope everyone has a great time.

 

[Christine raynor]

Wow, looks like a good DIS crowd this year. Really jealous of those that are staying for weeks instead of just days like us. Working full time can really put a damper on Fort trips, lol.

We will be in the golf cart parade as we have been for the past years. We are doing the same theme as last year , but we are adding a few items, so I have started working on those. We don't really have a theme for our site, just the standard Halloween decorations. As soon as the stores start selling bulk candy, I will start stocking up.

Thanks all for starting the Oct/Nov thread early. We devide our trip into 1/3s. First third is planning/dreams, second third is trip itself, third is memories. It's great to start early. We are retired,70 years old and have lots of time to plan and dream.

 

[Sjm9911]

We’ll be there 10/19 to 10/26. First time staying at Fort Wilderness. We’ve gotten very into camping since getting our pop up camper 2 1/2 yrs ago. Can’t wait to take it to Disney!

MNSSHP is a favorite party. I think we’ll have a couple campsite decorations - but I’m really looking forward to seeing other sites Halloween themes and creativity.

I’m trying to hold myself back from over scheduling us in the parks and just trying to relax. I found a website that plays Frontierland/Fort Wilderness music - I keep that on background every once when looking through ideas and plans.

Nervous about the drive down on 95 from Delaware. But plan on going slow and steady - no rush to get to a week of fun and relaxing.

Me also, but from NJ. Just make sure the tires aren't out of age and are aired up. Check the heat in the hubs when you stop. You should be fine. Im planning on a 2 day trip down and a overnight at a hotel. I have no clue on what route I'll take. We will talk as it gets closer. Lol.

 

[friendofeeyore]

We plan to be in the GC parade also. Not sure how or what we will decorate the GC. Grumpy Aggie is the Halloween person. I like to pass out the candy to see how cute the kids dress up.

 

[Christine raynor]

Me also, but from NJ. Just make sure the tires aren't out of age and are aired up. Check the heat in the hubs when you stop. You should be fine. Im planning on a 2 day trip down and a overnight at a hotel. I have no clue on what route I'll take. We will talk as it gets closer. Lol.

Sjm9911 nice to see you on the thread, have not talked in several months. It will take us 20 days to florida from AZ because of a 10 say stop on Galveston Beach for a dog show. Will be in Permium loop hopefully 600,700 or 800. Keep in touch. Remember "trick or drinks".

 

[Sjm9911]

I got it bud! I Definetly will stop by.

 

[Jorjabelle]

I’m glad this thread started early as well - thanks to tltay2005!

We have two of us driving a Ford Expedition down with our 2007 high wall Fleetwood Niagara (with the slide out, king beds, walled bathroom, microwave, stove, AC and heat - weighing in at 3600 pds - I christened her Bertha the Big Beautiful Beast)

We repacked our wheel bearings in the spring at the start of camping season. And I bought all new upgraded tires and spare this spring that have done well through our camping season so far. I just got a sway bar for our drop hitch - I’m nervous about the amount of high speed highway driving on 95. We usually only travel 1-3 hrs to camp most weekends. Only 30% of the time on major highways like 95.

We have a good air jack to lift Bertha the Beast and we always travel with tool box and air compressor in the back of the Expedition. At 3600 pds, Niagara pop ups have a lot of weight on just two tires (single axle). So I always check the tire pressure for each camping trip - before we leave home and before the return trip.

For Disney, I’ll probably check the tire temps when we pull in to get gas with our IR temp sensor we use with our Blackstone griddle - tip I got from RVFTA podcast group. I guess a hot tire can potentially predict a blow out.

With luck - I have a rear camera that can get installed on the back license plate of Bertha and will transmit to screen in the Expedition- as long as I hook it up to the wiring for the running lights (not brake lights) we should have video of behind the camper traveling down the road. Installing that before Disney is my big project. Because Bertha is a high wall camper - we can’t see over her through the back window of the Expedition. I’d like to see behind us w the crazy drivers on 95.

With two adults switching driving - we are planning on doing the Bay Bridge Tunnel as well. Leaving from Dover, DE Friday @4 pm so we can be going through Norfolk, VA 8pm and stopping south of Fayetteville for the night.

We’ll find a hotel (motel 8 or such) off 95 to just pull in and sleep for 6-7 hrs. Then back on the road Saturday morning. I figure the traffic close to Fort Wilderness on a Saturday afternoon will be high - so we’ll just stay on 417 from Sanford and watch the Waze App to account for traffic.

Getting take out from P & J’s when we’ve set up and just relaxing at our new surroundings will be the best after the journey down!

 

[friendofeeyore]

What are your dates to arrive st the Happiness place? Safe travels.

 

[Sjm9911]

I might copy your way down ,lol. Its on my list. I have a pop up also, but not a high wall. You still cant see over the AC. Its close in weight to your weigh at 3500. I know the otheres will laugh at the small amount of weight, but the single axel is what bothers me also. Im taking 2 spares just in case. I usally keep the speed between 65 and 70 , depending on the road. We just did niagra falls, i had to slow down to 55 on some of the roads as the bumps that were in the road caused the camper to jump a bit. As the bumps were evenly spaced out, it kind of made it jump , jump , jump , and then the trailor started to sway a little. So , just take the roads and speed as safe as you can.

 

[Teamubr]

I know the otheres will laugh at the small amount of weight, but the single axel is what bothers me also.

We won't laugh, but I will mention that I have about 3500 lbs on EACH of the 4 tires on my 5er. But that's why I run load range G tires.
And nothing wrong with keeping 2 spares. I blew one of my tires leaving Gulf Shores last year. It took out the trailer brakes (and the gas line). I still had 600 miles to get home. I was more worried about not having another spare than not having brakes.

j