Parking at your site.

[des1954]

We just got home from a weekend at the fort!

As is our custom, we love to go "looping" in our golf cart & see all the various camping equipment & how people have things set up. After all our years of camping at WDW (since '74), this is the first time I have witnessed so many people not paying attention to where or how they park their vehicles (cars, trucks). There were many, many vehicles parked with their front ends hanging out in the road. A definite no-no!!

Think about it.... you've just checked in, been assigned your site, and are super excited about being at the fort. You get to your site only to discover some numb-skull across the street from your site has their truck half in the road, leaving you no room to maneuver your rig into your site! You walk over & knock on their door, trying deperately to not look angry... no one's there! Arrrgh!!! Not wanting to appear as if you're not a capable camper, you spend the next 30 to 45 minutes jockeying your rig, inch by inch, back & forth until.... at last .... you are finally in.

If the guy across the street had only paid attention to someone other than himself, you could have been in, set up, and having your first beer in 20 minutes or less!

So please everyone.... be careful about parking your car or truck at your site. Look at it from someone else's perspective! Let's keep everyone a happy camper.

 

[bradisgoofy]

I agree. When we stayed in April, as we drove to our site in the 800 loop there were several tow vehicles sticking out into the road. There were even kids toys in the roadway.

 

[John VN]

I have notice a difference in camper awareness at FW with-in the last 5 years. I think the increase of the me-first attitude has coincided with the increasing number of RVers and bigger RVs.

 

[DisCamper]

over they July 4 weekend we saw site with 2-4 cars parked on them and one site had 3 cars and 1 TT and a popup on it Disney did not say anything to any one.

 

[lawnspecialties]

....... You get to your site only to discover some numb-skull across the street from your site has their truck half in the road, leaving you no room to maneuver your rig into your site!.......

Thanks des. Haven't heard that word in quite a while.

Actually though, that's where the Fort folks should have already stepped in. You're always gonna' have some zero out there who doesn't have a care in the world for anyone but himself. To avoid any problems, the CM's should have those situations nipped.

Most other campgrounds we go to (including state parks) won't tolerate that. You'd think the highest rated campground in the country would do the same.

 

[stacktester]

over they July 4 weekend we saw site with 2-4 cars parked on them and one site had 3 cars and 1 TT and a popup on it Disney did not say anything to any one.

They must not have driven on that loop. Our friends who were in the 1400 loop had a guest come by to pick up his nephew and I'd say within 10 minutes they were ready to put the parking pass size warning note on the windshield. I agree that a lot of people do leave the noses in the road.

 

[big kahuna1]

I agree and it is my biggest pet peeve at the Fort. The sites are already tight enough without the parking situation. Between the trees, the camp site post markers, garbage cans and the recycle stations...I do not need a parked vehicle as an added obstacle. I have had to ask people to move their vehicles in the past and was lucky they were at their trailers.

Also, depending on the CM you get they can help although most I have seen haven't a clue.

 

[clkelley]

I agree. I have enough trouble backing. (Still push it in place 99% of the time.) However, I WILL NOT add to that problem. As a matter of fact, once I get unloaded, my truck is going to the overflow lot. I've been Scout camping for years, and one of the main rules is once you are unloaded and set up, get the cars out of the campsite. I love that rule. Makes it look more like camping and not a parking lot!!!

 

[becky1960]

You are right on, this past june we went to assigned site and could not fit because of a fence and were assigned another site and cars were parked accros from that site so you could not back in.. The sites are usually long enough if people would move their RV back further.

 

[Colson39]

We've had this problem as well, although luckily so far it hasn't been our direct neighbors so it hasn't interfered with us actually backin in.

However, I do know that Disney is pretty strict on the multiple cars at one campsite rule. A couple of times we were just dropping items off and were asked to move the car, and it had only been there 30 minutes at most.

And I agree, there is plenty of room to park everything as long as you're willing to spend some time positioning everything. There is no reason any car/truck should be hanging out in the middle of the road.

 

[Us3]

Yep, its difficult enough! We were in the 400 loop, tight site with a 33ft camper and long bed truck. The site across had everything out of the road, but the golf cart and bikes were up front very close to the road. Thank goodness my hubby is an expert "backer"...no way I could have done it! The fellow camper came out and asked if we wanted him to move the cart and bikes, but dh was able to make it w/o moving them.

 

[iradi8]

We noticed the same thing in the 300 loop when we were there a couple of weeks ago. I saw a lot of trucks sticking out onto the road. It made it really hard when we left (especially going around the curves in the road) driving out of the loop.

We were in a site in the 300 loop once where we had to park dh's truck in the lot up front. The site would not fit our 40' camper and our truck. We didn't want to pick a different site because we had just spent about 20 min. or more doing just that The first site we were assigned to was waaaay too short (just for our camper). Then they gave us another that there was no way we would be able to back into it. So, we found this open site where the camper would fit and we knew we could get into it. Then we figured out that the truck would not fit sideways into the site (trees, posts, garbage cans in the way on both sides of the driveway). The camper was backed in against trees and brush -- we couldn't go back any more. We would have been sticking into the road less than a foot but we didnt' think that was acceptable. Apparently it is

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

To keep our rig off the street we find its necessary to often back up so far that the wheels on our fiver are in the stone bed. No big deal to us as long as the patio area is still on pavement. I've noticed that many campers are unwilling to back off the pavement. This leaves their tow vehicle/ toad/ golf cart right at or on the road making everyone else fight their way around . On several occasions we have struggled for 20-30 mins jockeying around backing into a site only to finally get in , catch our breath and have a look around....then realize the camper across from us has his truck parked at the road and still has 10ft behind his unit. For safety reasons I prefer my truck to be as far off the road as possible. Nothing ruins a camping trip faster than damage done ....especially when caused by someone else.

 

[jsmla]

We noticed the same thing in the 300 loop when we were there a couple of weeks ago. I saw a lot of trucks sticking out onto the road. It made it really hard when we left (especially going around the curves in the road) driving out of the loop.

We were in a site in the 300 loop once where we had to park dh's truck in the lot up front. The site would not fit our 40' camper and our truck. We didn't want to pick a different site because we had just spent about 20 min. or more doing just that The first site we were assigned to was waaaay too short (just for our camper). Then they gave us another that there was no way we would be able to back into it. So, we found this open site where the camper would fit and we knew we could get into it. Then we figured out that the truck would not fit sideways into the site (trees, posts, garbage cans in the way on both sides of the driveway). The camper was backed in against trees and brush -- we couldn't go back any more. We would have been sticking into the road less than a foot but we didnt' think that was acceptable. Apparently it is

We've requested the 300 loop (we'll have a pet) and now I'm worried. Do you think we'll have trouble with a 24' TT and an extended cab long bed pick-up? If so, is there a better loop for us? There is no way hubby will consent to leaving the truck up at the front. He's barely okay with Disney World as it is and hates the busses. I don't know if it matters but I don't think parking the TT will be a huge problem. Hubby drives a hot-shot trailer and has mad trailering skillz. He can park anything. I'm just worried about not being able to fit both trailer and truck on the spot. I mean our trailer is only 24' so they should fit, right?

Jennifer

 

[des1954]

Most sites on the 300 loop are large enough to accomodate any rig - (except for site 360 - it's a shorty) although the back side of the loop can be a little dicey to back in a long trailer. It's a tight curve without much maneverability.

The thing is...most sites are long enough for any rig if you back far enough into it. I believe a lot of campers think they cannot park on the coquina shell at the rear of the site. Not true! We had a 45' MH (notice-"had"- way too big) on some sites you wouldn't think could accomodate such a big rig. But, if you back all the way in, you'd be surprised how much space you have in the front of the site.

If you're concerned about jacks or leveling equipment sinking in, just bring along a couple of square concrete patio stones to put under your jacks. What's even better - and what we use - are hi-grade plastic discs that are used under the pilings of mobile homes when they are set up. Just find a mobile home distributor in your area and ask them for the name & number of the company that sets up their houses. We were able to get 4 of them for about $75.00. We will probably lose them before we have to replace them - they are that durable!!

I was a little hesitant to start this thread thinking I was maybe a little too critical. I'm glad to see others feel the same way about people hanging out into the street. Maybe we should all email Ft. Wilderness and ask them to dole out a few more notes to the offenders!

There's one CM by the name of Gene who is a real stickler about parking. He's a really nice guy - but is truly a "by the rules" CM. When we see him putting notes on cars...we always thank him!

 

[iradi8]

Here's a pic of the site that wouldn't fit dh's truck (where we had to park in the lot). As you can see we were touching the trees.

Here's a site that we really like because we can back waaaay up onto the shell pad and then there's no trouble parking the truck in front. We have a golf cart in the back of our toy hauler so in this site we can just load/unload it at the site.

 

[Gillian]

You know, if you email disney through the "contact us" link at the bottom of their website, they will forward the info to the people at FW.

Maybe they will start reminding people at check in about parking, backing all the way in, etc., if we bug 'em.