Plans, they are afoot...

[Mal6586]

Good afternoon all!

I'm Mal, and while this is my second time to plan a trip on the DIS (and my 6th WDW visit overall), this is my first time planning a trip to the Fort! Roomie, at least 1 and up to 3 local friends (on and off, 2 of them may stay part of the time but not our entire stay), and myself will be "camping" September 6-11 in a cabin. I haven't reserved our cabin yet (hoping for some fall room only discounts), but I have flights for Roomie and me booked, and I just called today and reserved a golf cart with Kenny's Tee Time.

We are calling this our Disney Lite trip, because we are actually only planning on buying MNSSHP tickets for the 10th, and that is it as far as Disney tickets go. We will have one other "park" day at Discovery Cove (Local friend works there and gets a FABULOUS employee discount), but the rest is going to be exploring the Fort, seeing the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, a couple of other resort restaurants, but mostly hanging out at the cabin and getting to visit with our local friend(s).

We fly in late afternoon on Wednesday, so I know a grocery shopping trip will be on the itinerary for pretty much first thing on Thursday, as we plan to eat about half our meals in the cabin.

I'm also thinking of reserving a carriage ride after we do the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, provided we are no more than a party of 4 that particular night.

I'm itching to do some serious planning on this thing, but since we have another week and a half or so until ADRs open and probably another two months before room discounts (per last year's release dates), I'm curious to know if there's anything else I should know for our first stay at the Fort. Obviously more sunscreen and bug spray than I'm used to bringing will be on the shortlist, but are there any other unusual things we should think to pack or plan for? I would love to hear some suggestions for first time "campers"!

 

[G719]

Good afternoon all!

I'm Mal, and while this is my second time to plan a trip on the DIS (and my 6th WDW visit overall), this is my first time planning a trip to the Fort! Roomie, at least 1 and up to 3 local friends (on and off, 2 of them may stay part of the time but not our entire stay), and myself will be "camping" September 6-11 in a cabin. I haven't reserved our cabin yet (hoping for some fall room only discounts), but I have flights for Roomie and me booked, and I just called today and reserved a golf cart with Kenny's Tee Time.

We are calling this our Disney Lite trip, because we are actually only planning on buying MNSSHP tickets for the 10th, and that is it as far as Disney tickets go. We will have one other "park" day at Discovery Cove (Local friend works there and gets a FABULOUS employee discount), but the rest is going to be exploring the Fort, seeing the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, a couple of other resort restaurants, but mostly hanging out at the cabin and getting to visit with our local friend(s).

We fly in late afternoon on Wednesday, so I know a grocery shopping trip will be on the itinerary for pretty much first thing on Thursday, as we plan to eat about half our meals in the cabin.

I'm also thinking of reserving a carriage ride after we do the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue, provided we are no more than a party of 4 that particular night.

I'm itching to do some serious planning on this thing, but since we have another week and a half or so until ADRs open and probably another two months before room discounts (per last year's release dates), I'm curious to know if there's anything else I should know for our first stay at the Fort. Obviously more sunscreen and bug spray than I'm used to bringing will be on the shortlist, but are there any other unusual things we should think to pack or plan for? I would love to hear some suggestions for first time "campers"!

Pick up supplies for s'mores while at the grocery store and plan to attend the campfire sing along one night. They'll have a fire for roasting your marshmallows, Chip and Dale come out, and the sing along is a lot of fun. You can't go camping and not eat s'mores!

 

[Mal6586]

Pick up supplies for s'mores while at the grocery store and plan to attend the campfire sing along one night. They'll have a fire for roasting your marshmallows, Chip and Dale come out, and the sing along is a lot of fun. You can't go camping and not eat s'mores!

Ooooh yes! That would be perfect for the evening after we've spent the day at Discovery Cove! And I do love me some s'mores! Do people ever bring blankets or maybe a beach towel and sit in the area beside the benches? Or would that not be allowed? Seems like that might be a smidge more comfortable than the benches if we planned to stay for the movie.

 

[Jimsig]

[QUOTE="Mal6586, post: 57174644, member: 583239" I haven't reserved our cabin yet (hoping for some fall room only discounts), but I have flights for Roomie and me booked, and I just called today and reserved a golf cart with Kenny's Tee Time. [/QUOTE]

I believe you can always book a room now and then if they offer a room discount you can call back and change it to the new deal. That way you have a cabin already reserved. I know people do that with the free dining offers.

 

[bama_ed]

I believe you can always book a room now and then if they offer a room discount you can call back and change it to the new deal. That way you have a cabin already reserved. I know people do that with the free dining offers.

Not always Jim.

This only works if there is a vacancy for the same dates. Disney shut this down over a year ago because of the gaming taking place with Free Dining. So if you want to convert an existing reservation to Free Dining offers, it's technically dropping the old reservation and adding a new reservation. It's not a "change" on the current reservation.

Of course, if there is a vacancy, then it appears to work and things are fine. There are usually some room only discounts that come out around the end of May or early June for 3rd quarter. Personally I don't think the cabins sell out at that point in September as long as Mal's avoiding Labor Day weekend.

For Mal, the sides of the benches at the movie/campfire/singalong are pretty far to the side to spread out and watch the movie. There is plenty of space between the front benches and the movie screen but be adviced it's all gravel (except for the paved sidewalk down the middle between the benches from the back to the front row of benches).

Bama Ed

 

[Mal6586]

Not always Jim.

This only works if there is a vacancy for the same dates. Disney shut this down over a year ago because of the gaming taking place with Free Dining. So if you want to convert an existing reservation to Free Dining offers, it's technically dropping the old reservation and adding a new reservation. It's not a "change" on the current reservation.

Of course, if there is a vacancy, then it appears to work and things are fine. There are usually some room only discounts that come out around the end of May or early June for 3rd quarter. Personally I don't think the cabins sell out at that point in September as long as you're avoiding Labor Day weekend which you are.

For Mal, the sides of the benches at the movie/campfire/singalong are pretty far to the side to spread out and watch the movie. There is plenty of space between the front benches and the movie screen but be adviced it's all gravel (except for the paved sidewalk down the middle between the benches from the back to the front row of benches).

Bama Ed

I had also heard that if too many of a certain room type were already reserved, they'd have no reason to include them in the discount. And I know just my one reservation wouldn't probably be enough to tip that scale, but I'd just feel better waiting for it to come out just in case everyone had the same idea.

Thanks for the campfire info! Maybe we'll bring blankets just in case we decide to camp out on the gravel, and if not, we can always fold them to pad the bench.

 

[Jimsig]

Not always Jim.

This only works if there is a vacancy for the same dates. Disney shut this down over a year ago because of the gaming taking place with Free Dining. So if you want to convert an existing reservation to Free Dining offers, it's technically dropping the old reservation and adding a new reservation. It's not a "change" on the current reservation.

Of course, if there is a vacancy, then it appears to work and things are fine. There are usually some room only discounts that come out around the end of May or early June for 3rd quarter. Personally I don't think the cabins sell out at that point in September as long as Mal's avoiding Labor Day weekend.

For Mal, the sides of the benches at the movie/campfire/singalong are pretty far to the side to spread out and watch the movie. There is plenty of space between the front benches and the movie screen but be adviced it's all gravel (except for the paved sidewalk down the middle between the benches from the back to the front row of benches).

Bama Ed

Thanks for the heads up. I didn't realize they had done this.