Premium Campsites ..includes what?

[Ivette1980]

So after so many different plans and playing the what's cheaper game, I came up with the idea of camping. I am sort of on the fence between doing this and cabin. Actually I'm scared.

I would select Premium b/c it seems like there would be more to make us comfortable, but what does this exactly include? Am I better off in the Cabin my first time at the Fort. Would I be able to view the campsites if I book a Cabin just to get an idea a next time .. maybe.

Are the tents provided or do I have to bring my own? Can one tent fit a family of 6 comfortably? I don't want to have to seperate since its our first time doing this. Kids would want to be with us both.

I am travelling with 3 little boys ages 8,6 and 5 and a teen girl. I am pretty sure they would enjoy it, ... what activities are there at the sites are they the same for both camping and cabin? What are golf carts for? Where do you need to go with them? Lastly, I promise ... do we need to rent a car or the Disney buses available, are the stops far from cabins or camp sites?

Sorry for all the questions , but all your answer and help will seriously help me to book. And I'd like to book this weekend. Oh and we are going in August (bugs?) for my DS 5th Bday. phew

 

[BradyBz12]

Welcome! I'll take a stab at answering some of your questions...

I would select Premium b/c it seems like there would be more to make us comfortable, but what does this exactly include?

All sites have water, electric and cable. All sites except "partial hookup" have sewer connections as well. Premium sites are fully paved (all other sites are partially paved with sand pads) and can generally accommodate larger rigs more easily. Preferred sites are loops 100, 200 and 300 only, and are considered "preferred" because of their proximity to the Settlement/Marina area. I'll let others chime in on Full/Partial sites, as I haven't stayed in those.

Am I better off in the Cabin my first time at the Fort. Would I be able to view the campsites if I book a Cabin just to get an idea a next time .. maybe.

Really your call. If you haven't camped before cabins might be easier, but that said FW is one of the nicest "easiest" campgrounds I know of. Once you're inside FW you are free to tour around as much as you like to check out the whole place - camping loops included.

Are the tents provided or do I have to bring my own? Can one tent fit a family of 6 comfortably?

Disney does rent tents for an extra fee (IIRC $35/night on top of your site fee) They even set them up for you. I'm not sure how many people they accomodate.

... what activities are there at the sites are they the same for both camping and cabin?

Loads of activities at the Fort open to all guests - cabins and campsites alike. There's a pool, hot tub, splash zone for the young ones, canoeing, nightly campfire sing-a-long, lots more. Check out THIS LINK for more info.

What are golf carts for? Where do you need to go with them?

FW is huge (map HERE) and some folks prefer to rent carts in order to get around and/or enjoy the resort more easily. You can park your carts at the main bus stop, pool area, both trading posts, Trails End restaurant and the marina area. There is no car parking inside the resort except at your site/cabin (and 15 min parking at Meadows Trading post) so carts can be a nice way to get around, although they're not a necessity. More cart info HERE

Lastly, I promise ... do we need to rent a car or the Disney buses available, are the stops far from cabins or camp sites?

Disney transportation will get you wherever you need to go. There are internal buses in FW that go to all the cabin/camping loops. To get to the parks you can take the boat to MK and buses everywhere else.

Hope this helps!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Disney will even rent you a fishing pole if you cant bring your own,

 

[Jaylens Papa]

If your playing the Cheaper game, the cabins aren't that cheap.

 

[mnsprk]

If your playing the Cheaper game, the cabins aren't that cheap.

But they do provide everything, dishes, linens, cookware, tv, cd player, and the Mousekeepers do the dishes.

 

[Disney Bunny]

The fact that you are asking about renting a car makes me wonder if you are flying to Walt Disney World. Because if you are flying, I heartily recommend that you not camp unless you are prepared to bring everything with you on the plane and that is going to cost you a pretty penny in baggage fees.

 

[Shan-man]

Since Monique did a good job with the facts, I'll just throw in opinion...

1) There is no reason to spend more on a campsite than what you'll pay for a partial since you will be in a tent (i.e. have no need for sewer or large paved pads). Disney is already going to be gouging you for the tent rental, why pay more than you have to for the site? I believe the tents Disney rents hold 4 people, and cots are an extra $5 each. You have to provide your own bedding or sleeping bags. It doesn't sound like you are going to have a car or I'd recommend buying a couple of cheap (i.e. disposable/give-away) tents at Walmart when you arrive. But then again, if you have no car how are you going to get groceries, charcoal, and other sundries. You might do better renting a car instead of renting the tents and cots.

2) The cabins are quite expensive, so if you are looking for cheap ways to stay you might want to work up the price to stay at a budget resort and get the counter service meal plan. Or, look into renting a pop-up from someone like www.makecampingeasy.com or a big trailer home from campatthefort.com. Both of these options deliver to your site and set up for you, and are cheaper (usually MUCH cheaper) than renting a cabin. You may still want to rent a car to get from the airport to the Fort so you can pick up groceries for your stay.

 

[CampingBandit]

A few things come to mind:

When are you travelling?
It can be awful in a tent during the hottest times of year....

Have you camped before?
Do you have the necessities of camping? (those items needed lists can be long), and how do you plan to transport everything (as airlines are charging extra for checked luggage) I mean we are talking about stuff besides clothes - sleeping bags/bedding/pillows...towels, flashlights/lanterns, etc., camping ain't always easy... or cheap, LOL

If you don't have these things (and if you do - by the time you pay to transport it all-whose gonna carry all that stuff?) you might be better off in a cabin, especially if you can take advantage of a free dining offer. If you can afford the cabins, go for it. I agree, go with the counter service plan....Then you can check out the Fort and see if actual camping in the future is something you want to do. FYI You do not want to pay for a Premium site if you will be in a tent, they really are intended for RVs, and the sand pad areas are very small.

Consider one of the RV rentals Shan mentioned - I think everything is provided, you just show up with your clothes and food...if camping is the route you want to go.

As for the carts, they are just fun and not required by any means, but the kids enjoy it and it does make getting around the large compound easier.

 

[clkelley]

If you are tent camping, I would not recommend a premium site. I would recommend a partial site. The only "extra" thing a premium site has is concrete over the entire site and sewer. Neither of those things are good for tent camping. You need a partial to have a the large sand area to set up tents and places to put a stake in the ground. You really don't need sewer for tent camping. You can dump your dish water in the bath house.

I have flown and tent camped before, but it was before they started charging luggage fees. It is still possible with Southwest as they allow two 50 lb checked containers per person. With 6 of you, that would be 600 lbs of stuff you could bring.

If possible, I would bring two tents. One just for the 6 of you to sleep in, then a 2nd tent for your "stuff".

Also bring some type of dining shelter or tarp.

Then of course air mattresses, bedding, clothes, bag chairs, etc.

At least 1 power strip for cell phones, camera chargers, etc. Then at least a 50 ft. outdoor extension cord.

Cooking while tent camping and flying is almost impossible, so you should plan to eat out most meals.

You could have staples delivered by www.gardengrocer.com or www.wegoshop.com.
(Items such as water, soft drinks, beer, quickie breakfast items, etc., styrofoam cooler). You can buy ice at the comfort stations for $2.00 a bag. You will have to replace it daily.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Personally, I think this may be a formula for disaster. As much as we all love camping especially at the Fort, this is a person who has decided to try camping with 3 little kids and one teenager, with no equipment, with no car to get supplies, planning on sleeping in a tent in Florida in August. Sorry, but by the time you add up all the expense of this, they will all be better off (and happier) staying in perhaps a value suite. This may sound cruel, but I would strongly recommend the OP look at other options.

 

[Ivette1980]

yeah ...you think.

 

[clkelley]

That was genuine concern and good advice!! Camping CAN be fun IF you are prepared, but can be absolutely MISERABLE if you are not prepared.

 

[Disney Bunny]

Personally, I think this may be a formula for disaster. As much as we all love camping especially at the Fort, this is a person who has decided to try camping with 3 little kids and one teenager, with no equipment, with no car to get supplies, planning on sleeping in a tent in Florida in August. Sorry, but by the time you add up all the expense of this, they will all be better off (and happier) staying in perhaps a value suite. This may sound cruel, but I would strongly recommend the OP look at other options.

I absolutely support what Jim is telling you here. I have looked at some of your other posts concerning your plans and it's a little confusing trying to follow some of it. Originally looked like it was just going to be you and DH coming to the parks prior to boarding a Carnival cruise. Now you are talking about the whole family coming to Disney. Your business, but you came on here looking for advice and that is what all of us are trying to give you. For first time camping, I absolutely would NOT try to fly from NYC (which one of your posts indicates that you would be flying out of) with 8 people and trying to bring all the gear you will need even if you could afford the resulting baggage fees. As another poster pointed out, all the airlines these days except for Southwest have baggage fees. You might be able to pull this off if you arranged for an RV ahead of time, but it looks like you are trying to do this trip as cheaply as possible.....totally understandable as I do the same.....and you would be just as well off to get 2 rooms at one of the values as to pay for the RV rental and then pay for the FW campsite as well. Trust me.....I considered doing the same thing and my stay at CSR actually was cheaper. My DH and I have been camping our entire married lives......29 years in July. Our first camping trip only 30 minutes from home was almost a disaster. We didn't know how to put up a tent (we had rented one from navy MWR and it didn't come with directions), we immediately forgot what the guy told us on how to operate the white gas stove, and we neglected to bring a lot of key things we needed.......and it was just us thank goodness. We want to help you make a good decision based on our knowledge. I personally think this is just not the right choice for you at this time, but only you can ultimately decide whether it is or not.

 

[BradyBz12]

That was genuine concern and good advice!! Camping CAN be fun IF you are prepared, but can be absolutely MISERABLE if you are not prepared.

Very true - and I can tell you that one from personal experience. Camping - especially tent camping - can be a ton of fun, but it's also some amount of work and requires a lot of stuff/planning to pull it off well and comfortably. Especially true the first time out, and especially camping with kids. While the Fort is probably one of the "easiest" campgrounds for newbies, it's still camping and the "stuff/planning" part isn't any less involved.

If you're up for it - great! But if it starts to sound overwhelming and like something that's going to be really tough to pull off easily in your particular situation, you really might want to explore some other options.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

 

[Disney Bunny]

Very true - and I can tell you that one from personal experience. Camping - especially tent camping - can be a ton of fun, but it's also some amount of work and requires a lot of stuff/planning to pull it off well and comfortably. Especially true the first time out, and especially camping with kids. While the Fort is probably one of the "easiest" campgrounds for newbies, it's still camping and the "stuff/planning" part isn't any less involved.

If you're up for it - great! But if it starts to sound overwhelming and like something that's going to be really tough to pull off easily in your particular situation, you really might want to explore some other options.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Totally agree. We tent camped for 16 years before moving up into a pop-up, travel trailer and now 5th wheel. We have had to deal with damaged tent poles, leaking tents, and a storm that destroyed a screen tent. Wouldn't trade the memories for anything. We were able to take our kids to see and do things that a lot of adults have never seen or done. We used to camp with various friends, a lot of them new to camping, who never ceased to be amazed at the little things that they would forget to bring. I became known as the best prepared of all of us, but that came after a lot of years of working to get it down to a science and keeping dedicated camping items and not relying on trying to remember what to grab from the house.

Personally, I would not tent camp in August, but that is just me. I grew up in Tampa and I remember those hot, muggy, humid nights. Can't deal with it now that I am older.