Please somebody talk me into tent camping for 6 days at WDW!

[dutton]

I have a partial site booked for 10/2 - 10-7. We have a 2 room tent and another smaller one. We have 3 boys and 1 girl (11,9,6,4) who are excited to go camping at WDW. We love to camp but haven't been for over 2 nights and never when it has rained. I am starting to get cold feet and try to go for the cabin. We can afford it but I would rather have the extra money to do other fun stuff. I think if we get a cabin we will still spend all of our time outside! My fear is that it will rain alot and we'll be miserable. Also I think getting ready to go to and from the parks will take more time. Other times when we camp we just stay at the river and look like you know what by the time we go home. If anyone has any words of encouragement, I would really appreciate it!!

Suzanne

 

[campingcorgi]

Go for it! It'll be an adventure! October actually seems to be one of the dryer months (I checked the weather patterns at allearsnet.com). Don't worry about getting ready--you can all hit the comfort station at the same time and actually be ready quicker than all of you using one bathroom.

Now don't get me wrong--the cabins are great, too. But if the kids are willing then I'd give it a try! You'll be making memories!!!

 

[tazdeb]

My family could be hired as drought busters. Everytime we go camping it pours. Our solution, a rain fly. It is a tarp that fits over your tent, and can be bought for around $30. FW has sand pads that absorb rain, is in a forest that blocks it and has great showers. One other trick we use is we bring reclining lawn chairs that we put in the tent and put our clothes and other items up on to keep them off the ground. We also bring blow up mattresses so if any condesation collects on the floor of the tent (more of a problem in Florida) everything stays dry....TAZ

 

[gardendame]

I sure hope you get a lot of responses to this thread! I have had the camping fever lately, and am considering cancelling our POR ressies for October and switching to the campground. DH and I camped often (before kids) and have not tried since they were born (12, 8, 6). I think they would enjoy camping, but I'm too chicken to practice tent camping so far away from home.
I have read a lot about the cabins, and there are lots of posts from RV'ers, but I would be very interested to hear from the veteran Disney Tent Campers - pros and cons.

 

[donac]

I have tent camped there three times. I love it. October sounds like a great month. We have camped in AUg and it has been very rainy. A large rainfly is a great idea. We have done this twice. ALso use mats to kee things off the ground so that things stay try. It is a great place to camp and kids love it. It will go by very quickly. Try for the 1500 loop. It is small near a bus stop. The lower numbers are near the comfort station. It is across the street from the pool, the trading post, the tennnis courts, the bike and canoe barn and the campfire. Try to save some time to have fun at the campgrounds. Don't forget to eat at least once at Trails End. It is the best priced buffet in the entire world.

Dona

 

[1Venus]

I think you'll have lots of fun. I went camping for the 1st time in October. DH didn't think I'd last one night in a tent without all the creature comforts of a hotel. He was so surprised that I didn't even want to leave after our 4 days there. I'm going back in May for 6 days!

Of course we didn't have any rain, so I'm also a bit apprehensive about that. Our tent has a rainfly, but now I'm thinking I might need an additional tarp, just in case. And this time I am going to be more aggressive against mosquitos. I obviously didn't use a strong enough repellant since I looked as though I had chicken pox by the time I left.

Go for it! It will be an experience your family will cherish for a lifetime!

 

[Gunship Guy]

We just returned home from Ft Wilderness about 2 hours ago. Saw a lot of tent campers with big, sloppy smiles on their faces. And this was after 2 days of rain!

If you find yourself knee-deep in rain water just go knock on the door of one of those nice, warm trailers. We had a family knock on our door one night when it got cold outside. They asked if their kids could come in and get warm. The kids ended up spending the night on the fold-out sofa bed.

When you're at Ft Wilderness even the rain doesn't seem so bad.

 

[bsbkmacgowan]

I didn't go camping with my husband and our 2 daughters until staying at FW in April of 2002... and we were in our first tent, an 8x8 dome.

Having grown up camping, (first in a tent, then a straight pop-up Phoenix... no bed "boots" at the ends like today's pop-ups... then the "luxury" of a 15-foot Coachmen trailer that actually slept our whole family of 5!) I was cool with the whole thing. Brian, having spent 8 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, well, he was used to it, too. Now, Bonnie and Kellie, while initially thrilled with the idea, were more than just a little freaked that there were *GASP* BUGS at a campground!
Bonnie Kellie Brian Sandy

However, once they got past that, everything was fantastic. We were in the 2000 loop, nearly across the drive from the comfort station (and yes, they are very roomy and clean!) We relied almost exclusively on the bus transportation (except for the very few times we ventured off property) and we had an absolutely wonderful time!

In April, we only encountered one very light rainshower... just enough to put a few spots on the van is all.

Now that we have a 2nd tent (a much larger one that both Brian and I can stand up in!) I want to go back!!!

You'll do fine!


Sandy (and Brian, Bonnie & Kellie!)

 

[clkelley]

Tent Camping in Ft. Wilderness is great!!!!!!

I have stayed there 3 trips in December only in a tent!!!

I love it!!!! Just for the record, it has poured on at least two of my Ft. Wilderness trips, and I stayed dry!!!!

To help keep the tent dry and your stuff dry, do the following:

Thorougly waterproof your tents with seam sealer and some type of Scotch Guard spray stuff.

Use a sheet of plastic under your tent (I use 6 mill painters plastic) Cut it to be about an inch smaller all the way around under your tent.
Use a sheet of plastic inside your tent. That way if some does seep up, it will be under the plastic.

Also underneath everything, get a sheet or two of the very thin painters plastic and just throw that away at the end of the trip. That sandy pad at Ft. Wilderness gets gross, especially if it gets wet. That keeps the bottom of your tent and your groundsheet cleaner.

Try to bring a small fan to run in your tent. That helps get rid of the condensation that builds up at night when your sleeping. There is electricity at the partial hookup sites, so bring all the extension cords and power strips you want for any electric stuff you may have.

Open up all the windows during the day to help air things out.

Even if it is cold at night, keeps those windows in the tent at least cracked a bit, that will help reduce night time condensation.

As others suggested have some type of a raincovering in front of your tent and possibly over your tent. That way if it is raining, you can get in and out of your tent without being wet. It is also a place to set your chairs and hang the rain gear from.

The only things I actually put in my tent are my air mattress and my bed linens. The rest I keep in the truck. I have one of those Rubbermaid drawer sets that I set up in the back seat of the truck and just pull out what I need each day and have a laundry bag next to that.

I have a small school backpack that I put a change of clothes and my shower stuff in, and just grab that on the way to the shower house in the morning. I repeat the process in the evening. I don't change clothes in my tent.

I have a small rubbermaid bin just outside my tent for shoes and sandals, etc. and a small carpet to wipe off my feet before entering the tent.

As far as getting ready each day, as someone else said, there are 4-5 showers, sinks, and commodes per comfort station, so everyone can get ready at the same time, just make sure everyone has their own shower kit of shampoo, soap, etc.

Hope this helps you make that decision to Tent Camp at Ft. Wilderness!!!!!

Carol