Overflow lot

[two4theroad]

Hi everyone, I'm in need of your input or advise. We will be arriving the day after Thanksgiving, which is one day earlier than we had initially planned when we made the reservation. Unfortunately I found out tonight we couldn't get a site for that night. Will we be able to park in the overflow lot there for the night? If that's not an option I'll take all the ideas you have. Thanks

 

[ftwildernessguy]

You are not allowed to stay overnight in the overflow lot.

Turkey Lake is a nearby park which a lot of people on the board have stayed at under similar circumstances. While I have never stayed there, it appears to be a nice place especially for an overnight stay.

 

[elizablake]

If all else fails, you could always spend the night in a Walmart parking lot. It wouldn't be more or less comfortable than the overflow lot.

 

[two4theroad]

I had a crummy feeling I wouldn't be able to stay in the overflow, but hey I had to find out for sure. Thanks for ideas you gave me so far and please keep them coming.

 

[Shan-man]

You will probably never pick up a one-day reservation, but if you try booking several days before your current ressie, or even overlapping the days you already have, you stand a much better chance. Then you can call in and drop days you don't need and combine the two reservations.

HIH

 

[clkelley]

Wal-Marts in Florida, especially in the Orlando area, will not let you park overnight either.

If you are coming down either I-75 or I-95, I would just try one of the campgrounds along there just before reaching Orlando, then head over to the Fort first thing in the morning. You can go ahead and check in any time after 7am and THEN park in overflow and enjoy your day. Your site will be ready sometime around 1pm, then you can go to your site and set up.

 

[elizablake]

Wal-Marts in Florida, especially in the Orlando area, will not let you park overnight either.

Oops. Sorry, I figured they had the same policy as GA. Good to know.

 

[BradyBz12]

Wal-Marts in Florida, especially in the Orlando area, will not let you park overnight either.

We found this out when we parked the TT in the WalMart parking lot in Kissimmee in the middle of the day, and about 3 seconds after we'd shut the car off, a security car raced over to tell us we couldn't stay there.

This is a county ordinance, not a WM rule, so don't bother trying to call around to all the WMs in the area... like we did before someone set us straight.

 

[BradyBz12]

Oops. Sorry, I figured they had the same policy as GA. Good to know.

FWIW, it apparently varies by county in FL, and of course the majorly popular tourist-y counties don't allow it (I've heard the county Daytona is in doesn't allow it either)

We have stayed overnight at the same Jacksonville WalMart the past 2 years without any trouble.

 

[stpetedisneydad]

We camped at a place called Tropical Palms a couple times a few years back. It's behind Old Town on 192 not far from WDW. It was a great park. Was very happy with it. http://www.tropicalpalmsresortfl.com/

 

[ftwildernessguy]

We camped at a place called Tropical Palms a couple times a few years back. It's behind Old Town on 192 not far from WDW. It was a great park. Was very happy with it. http://www.tropicalpalmsresortfl.com/

I have heard some good things about Tropical Palms, too.

 

[seashoreCM]

Wal-Marts in Florida, especially in the Orlando area, will not let you park overnight either.

Reminds me of an earlier lifetime (1975 or so) I drove down from New England to spend spring break in Florida and pulled over to a rest area halfway down the Keys (Rte 1) and shortly a policeman knocked on the window, waking me up, and saying "no camping except in a campground". (Yes, it was nighttime).

No campsite at Ft. Wilderness because you arrived a day early? Would you stay in a Motel 6 or some other budget place just offsite?

 

[motofamily]

Just an idea but maybe check in the COCO area you could do a day of the space center! Its not a far drive.

 

[ancfun]

We went last November to FW as a last minute trip. We were late leaving home and had planned driving half-way and just staying in a Wal-mart parking lot. After we were on the road, we decided to just go the whole way knowing we didn't have reservations for that night. We arrived around 1:30am and were allowed to stay in the overflow parking lot. We actually let all the slides out and connected our power cord to our friend's Class C(so we could have heat...set a record low that night). We didn't have any problems and got up the next morning and checked in by 8:00.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

There used to be a KOA in I-192 years back. Good enough for a one nighter. Or you could stay out on the coast the night before and drive in.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

We went last November to FW as a last minute trip. We were late leaving home and had planned driving half-way and just staying in a Wal-mart parking lot. After we were on the road, we decided to just go the whole way knowing we didn't have reservations for that night. We arrived around 1:30am and were allowed to stay in the overflow parking lot. We actually let all the slides out and connected our power cord to our friend's Class C(so we could have heat...set a record low that night). We didn't have any problems and got up the next morning and checked in by 8:00.

Officially, Disney's stand is no overnight camping in the overflow lot. In the past, campers who have ignored this have gotten a knock on their door by security in the middle of the night and told to move. I think you can understand why it is not a good idea to encourage this to be done routinely.

 

[des1954]

If all else fails, you could always spend the night in a Walmart parking lot. It wouldn't be more or less comfortable than the overflow lot.

I live locally and no Wal-Mart within driving distance of Disney will allow boondocking in their parking lots. Too many people set up house-keeping for weeks on end and Wal-Mart finally got sick of it.

I had a crummy feeling I wouldn't be able to stay in the overflow, but hey I had to find out for sure. Thanks for ideas you gave me so far and please keep them coming.

No, unfortunately too many people took advantage of spending days on end in the overflow lot & ruined it for anyone to stay overnight there. I'm thinking because the OP officially arrived on the DATE of their check-in, at 1:30am, someone took pity on them. Don't count on that.

May I suggest Jetty Park in Port Canaveral? It's not a "glam" park by any means, but it's right on the beach & you will possibly see one of the Disney cruise ships returning or leaving. It's nice enough for a one or two day stay.

Someone else suggested the KOA on US-192. DO NOT STAY THERE!! It's in an unsafe location, no security, and more expensive than FtW. There are other options - like Tropical Palms (also on US -192E), Encore on US 192 W & US Hwy 27, and Lake Louisa State Park on US Hwy 27 (north of US 192W).

In the meantime - keep calling CRO daily to add the day to your ressie. There's plenty of time & it can (and most likely will) happen. Just be persistant.

 

[two4theroad]

I want to thank everyone for your advise. I think I will keep calling and checking online to see if I can get that extra day. If not, maybe we will try that tropical palms. Has anyone stayed at a resort with their camper for one night? Will they let you stay at a resort if your towing a fifth wheel?

 

[clkelley]

I want to thank everyone for your advise. I think I will keep calling and checking online to see if I can get that extra day. If not, maybe we will try that tropical palms. Has anyone stayed at a resort with their camper for one night? Will they let you stay at a resort if your towing a fifth wheel?

Yes you can. There is plenty of parking at all of the resorts for your camper EXCEPT Old Key West.

Yep, that is another option. Grab a room at a Value or Moderate for the first night.

 

[Katie Wyatt]

We camp at the Fort about once a month and I ALWAYS notice a lot of campers in the overflow lot (???). It seems even when we catch the buses, the same campers are sitting in the same spots... Once there was a motorhome with their jacks down and there stairs dropped. We have thought about staying overnight and not pulling out our slides, but instead ended up staying at Wekiwa State Park (about 30 min North). If you do decide to take a chance, let me know how it turns out!!