Preferred vs Premium campsite? Which site should I book?

[landryfam]

I understand that Premium sites are bigger and have new bbq pits and tables. I can't find a map or drawing that shows how big the two are to figure out how big I really need.

We have a Ford F250 and a 35 ft fifth wheel...2 adults, 2kids (ages 8 & 5).
We want to be close to the marina and campfire program.

Any advice on what type of site we should book? Loop recommendation?

Thanks for your help

 

[stacktester]

I would say loop 400 or 700 which are premium with that size 5'er. Reason I said those is because they are both very close to the marina sidewalk entrance. There is loops 100 and 200 that are closer which are preferred category but the sites are so tight in that loop I wouldn't recommend them.

 

[DisneyBishops]

We stayed in loop 200 Friday until today. We had no problem getting in or out. There were some big 5th wheels and big pushers that had no trouble getting in or out. The only bad thing was wet because of all the rain. It rained everyday we were there. The coquina was a mess. It would have been better in a premium because of no coquina.

 

[landryfam]

aren't the 400 and 700 pet loops?

I need to make sure I find a loop that is f250 and 35ft fifth wheel friendly...not to far from the marina and campfire...

not so sure about listening to dogs barking on my vacation.....

thanks for the tips

I

 

[ynottony99]

Mention your needs and concerns about the site to the CM at check in. They are able to tell you the dimensions of the site you have received before you finish check in. If you get to your assigned site and it just won't work, all is not lost. Circle the loop and find something that will. Use a house phone from a comfort station to call the front desk and explain your situation. If the site you found is not already assigned, they will usually gladly reassign you to it.

 

[landryfam]

thanks for the replies

 

[stacktester]

aren't the 400 and 700 pet loops?

I need to make sure I find a loop that is f250 and 35ft fifth wheel friendly...not to far from the marina and campfire...

not so sure about listening to dogs barking on my vacation.....

thanks for the tips

I

500,700 and 800 are premium and are about 1/2 way to what you want. The premium sites are going to be long enough to fit you. As far as the dogs, you're going to be hard pressed to find a loop without a dog in it. From experience though and with quite a few fort trips I have never been bothered by a barking dog. If there's a problem you can bet a phone call to the desk will fix it.

 

[69RoadRunner]

100 is a preferred loop, and while the site was big enough, getting into it was quite a challenge. There wasn't much room to maneuver in the loop for my site.

 

[DisneyBishops]

aren't the 400 and 700 pet loops?

I need to make sure I find a loop that is f250 and 35ft fifth wheel friendly...not to far from the marina and campfire...

not so sure about listening to dogs barking on my vacation.....

thanks for the tips

I

I think all of the loops are now pet friendly. We just stayed in 200 and while there were no doggie bag dispensers there were plenty of dogs. I even had my dog with me. So I would say the entire fort is pet friendly now.

 

[landryfam]

Thanks guys....

This will be our first time staying at the fort....we love to camp
We have a chocolate lab that we have considered taking...I just don't think he will do well being locked inside the camper or being chained outside. I could see my dog aggravating everyone barking the whole time

I will have to make the decision to take him along or find someone to keep him while we are gone. Good to hear yall have no complaints on other peeps pets

 

[BradyBz12]

We've had good luck when it comes to other people's dogs too. We have 3 of our own that always camp with us, and the only recommendation I'd make is that if your dog isn't used to camping with you and spending time just hanging out quietly in the camper, FW probably isn't a great place to try that out for the first time. Mostly because you're likely to be gone to the parks for long hours and your dog has to be safely inside the camper whenever you're not there.

If you have a chance to do some trial runs ahead of time, that's always a great idea. We also bring lots of safe chew toys to leave with our dogs, draw the blinds and crank up the "white noise" (fan or A/C and TV) so that they can't see or hear anything outside. They don't bark at what they can't see/hear.

You always have the FW kennel as an option too. If you run a search, there are some threads floating around where people have talked about their experiences, which seem to be mostly favorable.

And if it helps at all, here are the "pet rules" from the agreement we had to sign at check-in in December...

"Separate Campsites for Guests with Pets
Guests who wish to keep their pets at their site must stay in a designated Pet Loop. The sites in these areas have water, electricty, and sewer hook-ups, and are convenient to the Comfort Stations and Pet Paths.

For the safety and convenience of all guests, a few guidelines have been established for these areas. Owners not adhering to these policies will be required to board the pets in the kennel at the overnight fee of $18.00 per dog and $13.00 per cat.

- Guests must be with their pet whenever it is outside of the motor home.
- Pets must be on a leash or tether, no longer than eight feet at all times. This includes Pet Loops and Pet Paths.
- Pets are not permitted at the Comfort Station or Recreation areas.
- Guests are responsible for cleaning up after their pet.
- Pets are not allowed in pop-up trailers or tents."

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

 

[Shan-man]

I just don't think he will do well being locked inside the camper or being chained outside.

I just wanted to add that dogs are not SUPPOSED to be chained outside of the camper unless the owner is present. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but the only way the pets are SUPPOSED to be left unattended is inside a hard-walled camping unit... though, presumably quiet dogs crated inside a hybrid is acceptable also.

 

[BradyBz12]

oops.... double post

 

[BradyBz12]

I just wanted to add that dogs are not SUPPOSED to be chained outside of the camper unless the owner is present. That's not to say it doesn't happen

fwiw, people we know did leave their dog tied outside their MH a few years ago when they weren't there at the site. He was perfectly quiet, but someone reported them to the front desk (apparently they weren't too happy with the sight of an enormous German Shepherd laying there quietly keeping watch ).

They returned to find a note from Disney on the MH telling them that their dog had to be IN the camper or kenneled.

Not really sure Disney knows how to categorize hybrids. The rules we got said no dogs in popups or tents, so we actually asked specifically about the hybrid when we first got it. We were told that it was not a problem as long as they didn't disturb our neighbors.

And we work hard to make sure they don't, as we don't ever want to be the subject of the "our neighbor's dog is barking" thread.

 

[landryfam]

I just wanted to add that dogs are not SUPPOSED to be chained outside of the camper unless the owner is present. That's not to say it doesn't happen, but the only way the pets are SUPPOSED to be left unattended is inside a hard-walled camping unit... though, presumably quiet dogs crated inside a hybrid is acceptable also.

Just wanted to say the GE project is awesome. I started looking at it last night

Must have taken lots of time....shows your heart belongs to the fort. Thanks for sharing this with everyone!

 

[mdoc]

Don't count on the premium sites being larger than the preferred sites. Disney didn't change the actual length and width of the sites, nor did they widen loop roads. It appears that all they did was replace the coquina pads that used to be there with concrete and widen the aprons. Some of the largest sites in the campground are the 1600-1900 full hookup loops. There are most definitely some premium sites that'll be tight for you. We were assigned to a site in the premium 1400 loop on our last trip that was smaller than any site I've ever had at the Fort. While we could get into the site without any problem, we couldn't fit both our 45' motorhome and our car onto the site - the motorhome took up nearly the entire length of the site and literally came within a couple feet of the road, and there was barely room next to it for the picnic table - forget a car. I had to call the front desk and ask to be switched to a different site. They then tried to put us on a site in Little Bear (the interior 1400 loop), where we'd have trouble getting around the loop, and that's premium as well. We've actually stayed in the 400 loop twice in the past year, and we liked our sites (although not all sites in a loop are similarly sized) and the proximity to the settlement. 500 looked nice as well. 700, which is also close to the settlement, was under construction when we were last there, so I haven't seen it completed.

Just be sure to tell them the size of your equipment when you make your reservation (or call back to have it added to your reservation) and tell them that fitting comfortably is your first priority (if that's the case). Then, if they put you in a site not to your liking, have the front desk number programmed into your cell phone and call them to get it switched before you waste your time backing in.

We don't usually take our dogs to the Fort, but when we went in March/April, we took our nearly 5 month old puppy along because the people watching our other dogs at home weren't comfortable with a puppy. We used the Disney kennels when we spent full days in the parks (both the one at FW and the one at Epcot), and we were very happy with them. It's a nice option to have if you're not sure how your dog will do alone in the camper for an extended period.