LiteBrite
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2005
- Messages
- 5,604
Hubby, DD20 and I were at the Fort May 8-16, 2008, and Im ashamed to have to tell you that Im just now getting around to coming here to tell you about it, even though you guys were very helpful when we were planning that trip. 
Part of my problem is that I didnt have a camera on that trip, so I used DDs, and Ive been waiting all this time for her to get around to sending me the pictures so that I could include them in this report, but Ive reconciled myself to the fact that I may not ever see them,
and Im ready to attempt to paint word pictures for you instead.
Our little family has a long history with, and a deep and abiding affection for the Fort. We took our first trip there in a borrowed pop-up when DD was 5, and the Fort was a big part of the reason that immediately on our return from that trip, we bought our own used pop-up, which we took on a number of trips there.
Eventually we sold the pop-up and moved up to a bunkhouse trailer, which also frequented FW at least a couple of times most years, until we sold it 3 years ago.
We did without camping at all for a while, but we missed it so much that hubby and I decided to try tent camping. We bought a tent and a good air mattress last spring, did a trial run at our favorite close-to-home state park, and made plans for our week at the Fort in May.
We had requested the 1500 loop when we reserved our site we stayed there all of those trips with the pop-up except one time when we got stuck with 2000, which we didnt care for felt too far from everything. Sadly, the day we arrived was a day the 1500 loop was closed for some maintenance or something, and we ended up on 2000 again. They did tell us we could move to 1500 the next day if we liked, but we werent unhappy enough to consider breaking down and setting up again, so we just sucked it up and stayed there.
We were given a fairly large site, which was a good thing, since we had 2 tents one 17x10, and one 10x8. I realize that is a ridiculous amount of space for 3 people, but since we had both tents, we thought we might as well give DD her privacy. They did both fit on the site, but just barely. We had a screen room with us, too, but there was no way we could fit that sucker as well, so we gave up on that notion. I had the feeling that our neighbors probably were staring at our huge set-up, waiting to see how many people would come pouring out of those tents, and rubbing their eyes in disbelief when they saw it was just the three of us!
The site directly across from us had two families staying on it in two tiny little pup tents each tent apparently held a mom and dad and two little ones in about the same amount of space we were using for our clothes. 
We still didnt love the 2000 loop. It still felt too far from the action, and outside of that special Fort Wilderness feeling. I dont know how else to describe that, but we totally felt it when we visited the Meadow and the Pool and Pioneer Hall. Maybe that sums it up - we felt like we were staying someplace else entirely, and just visiting the Fort when we were in the "good parts".
That being said, it was still wonderful to be back at the Fort after our few years of exile from it. I didnt mind tent camping at all. Having a good air mattress and a tent big enough to stand up and walk around in made it very enjoyable. The May weather was perfect for sleeping at night, although it was a little too hot to enjoy hanging around the site during the day, which is a bit problematic when youre tired and youd like to come back for a mid-day rest.
We didnt get any rain while we were there, although there was one night that was very windy, which was a little freaky in the tent.
Nothing blew away, though, so that was all right.
We did breakfast at the site every morning but one no cooking, just cereal, or bologna sandwiches, but we did percolate coffee on one of those single burner things over a propane cylinder. Camping is just not camping without fresh coffee! The rest of our meals we ate out, but we did enjoy a few adult beverages around the campsite in the evenings.
We knew there was supposed to be a foot path between 2000 and the Meadow, cutting through Creekside Meadow, but we never found it. DD and I wanted to go for a swim one afternoon, but we didnt feel like taking the bus, so hubby just shuttled us over there in the car and dropped us off right by the 1500 bus stop. I realize this is against the rules ::cop: , but we decided to go all outlaw and do it anyway. I just took a cell phone and called hubby when we were ready to be chauffeured back to the palace.
We had a port-a-potty with us for the middle of the night, which we kept in the second room of our big tent, and when it needed emptying, hubby just drove it to an empty site on a full-hookup loop and took care of that there. No big deal.
Tearing down the last morning took waaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer than we anticipated, which we really should have known it would. Of course, the misery of this was compounded many times over by the misery of having to leave WDW and the Fort. That just makes for one sad, hard slog of a job.
So, the verdict is we still love the Fort deeply
, although we dont love the 2000 loop. Hubby and I are planning a just the two of us return soon we were hoping originally for October (and we do have a reservation), but its starting to look like we may have to delay until January, since some unexpected troubles with our house ate up some of that trips budget. Dont you hate having to spend your fun money on un-fun stuff? 
Of course, tent camping in January will present its own set of unique challenges, but thats what makes life interesting, right? 
Part of my problem is that I didnt have a camera on that trip, so I used DDs, and Ive been waiting all this time for her to get around to sending me the pictures so that I could include them in this report, but Ive reconciled myself to the fact that I may not ever see them,
and Im ready to attempt to paint word pictures for you instead.Our little family has a long history with, and a deep and abiding affection for the Fort. We took our first trip there in a borrowed pop-up when DD was 5, and the Fort was a big part of the reason that immediately on our return from that trip, we bought our own used pop-up, which we took on a number of trips there.
Eventually we sold the pop-up and moved up to a bunkhouse trailer, which also frequented FW at least a couple of times most years, until we sold it 3 years ago.
We did without camping at all for a while, but we missed it so much that hubby and I decided to try tent camping. We bought a tent and a good air mattress last spring, did a trial run at our favorite close-to-home state park, and made plans for our week at the Fort in May.
We had requested the 1500 loop when we reserved our site we stayed there all of those trips with the pop-up except one time when we got stuck with 2000, which we didnt care for felt too far from everything. Sadly, the day we arrived was a day the 1500 loop was closed for some maintenance or something, and we ended up on 2000 again. They did tell us we could move to 1500 the next day if we liked, but we werent unhappy enough to consider breaking down and setting up again, so we just sucked it up and stayed there.
We were given a fairly large site, which was a good thing, since we had 2 tents one 17x10, and one 10x8. I realize that is a ridiculous amount of space for 3 people, but since we had both tents, we thought we might as well give DD her privacy. They did both fit on the site, but just barely. We had a screen room with us, too, but there was no way we could fit that sucker as well, so we gave up on that notion. I had the feeling that our neighbors probably were staring at our huge set-up, waiting to see how many people would come pouring out of those tents, and rubbing their eyes in disbelief when they saw it was just the three of us!
The site directly across from us had two families staying on it in two tiny little pup tents each tent apparently held a mom and dad and two little ones in about the same amount of space we were using for our clothes. We still didnt love the 2000 loop. It still felt too far from the action, and outside of that special Fort Wilderness feeling. I dont know how else to describe that, but we totally felt it when we visited the Meadow and the Pool and Pioneer Hall. Maybe that sums it up - we felt like we were staying someplace else entirely, and just visiting the Fort when we were in the "good parts".
That being said, it was still wonderful to be back at the Fort after our few years of exile from it. I didnt mind tent camping at all. Having a good air mattress and a tent big enough to stand up and walk around in made it very enjoyable. The May weather was perfect for sleeping at night, although it was a little too hot to enjoy hanging around the site during the day, which is a bit problematic when youre tired and youd like to come back for a mid-day rest.
We didnt get any rain while we were there, although there was one night that was very windy, which was a little freaky in the tent.
Nothing blew away, though, so that was all right.We did breakfast at the site every morning but one no cooking, just cereal, or bologna sandwiches, but we did percolate coffee on one of those single burner things over a propane cylinder. Camping is just not camping without fresh coffee! The rest of our meals we ate out, but we did enjoy a few adult beverages around the campsite in the evenings.
We knew there was supposed to be a foot path between 2000 and the Meadow, cutting through Creekside Meadow, but we never found it. DD and I wanted to go for a swim one afternoon, but we didnt feel like taking the bus, so hubby just shuttled us over there in the car and dropped us off right by the 1500 bus stop. I realize this is against the rules ::cop: , but we decided to go all outlaw and do it anyway. I just took a cell phone and called hubby when we were ready to be chauffeured back to the palace.
We had a port-a-potty with us for the middle of the night, which we kept in the second room of our big tent, and when it needed emptying, hubby just drove it to an empty site on a full-hookup loop and took care of that there. No big deal.
Tearing down the last morning took waaaaaaaaaaaaaay longer than we anticipated, which we really should have known it would. Of course, the misery of this was compounded many times over by the misery of having to leave WDW and the Fort. That just makes for one sad, hard slog of a job.
So, the verdict is we still love the Fort deeply
, although we dont love the 2000 loop. Hubby and I are planning a just the two of us return soon we were hoping originally for October (and we do have a reservation), but its starting to look like we may have to delay until January, since some unexpected troubles with our house ate up some of that trips budget. Dont you hate having to spend your fun money on un-fun stuff? Of course, tent camping in January will present its own set of unique challenges, but thats what makes life interesting, right? 
i enjoy tent camping. We have a 
It sounds like you had a fun trip. I think I could handle your style of tent camping. Since you didn't plan on making meals there, that probably made packing up much easier...a lot less stuff to bring 
