Renting an RV - does it make sense?

[Disneymom1220]

Hi everyone! I've been lurking for awhile, but am now a brand new member to the DIS boards. I love reading all of the posts on this board - you all seem like such a friendly group!

My husband and I are thinking of finally taking the plunge and taking our two children - ages 4 and 2 to Disney World for the first time. Believe me, it has been hard for me to hold off this long! But we wanted to make sure we didn't go until our oldest was a good age to take all of the magic in.

With that said, I'm still a little nervous as to how the kids will take to the parks. Sometimes my son does not want to do any rides, so I'm a little concerned that if he decides he doesn't want to do anything in the parks that we will feel like our vacation was a waste.

I started reading on this board about all of the wonderful experiences that can be had camping at Ft. Wilderness. At first, I was looking at renting a cabin but the cost of $299/night seemed so high. Plus, it really sounds like we would want to have a golf cart with 2 little ones so tack on another $50/day. We really would like to have a place to stay with at least a door between where we sleep and where the kids sleep since their bedtime is so early and we hate to have to turn our lights off before 9pm! Although we could stay at one of the hotels for considerably less, I really think the experiences at Ft. Wilderness sound so great for my two little ones.

So with all of that said, I started looking into having us drive down to Orlando and renting an RV for the week so that we could stay at Ft. Wilderness. It looks like we could rent a class C RV for approx $700-800 for the week. (this rate is before mileage but we won't have much of that since we will be renting and returning it to an Orlando location) A preferred campsite would be approx. $600 for the same amount of time. This would be about half the cost of the cabin. Does this sound like a reasonable alternative? Has anyone done this before? Are there any good rental places that you could recommend? Also, do you know if any of the local rental places might set up the RV/camper at the campsite since we aren't normally campers that might save us a lot of headaches with trying to park the thing and do all the hookups?

Any info that any of you might have on this would be greatly appreciated. Am I crazy for thinking this might be an option? I would love for something like this to work so that we can enjoy the benefits of camping at Disney!

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[ang38]

Hi,
We have rented many times and camped at FW. We've rented from home and driven down it one too. That cost as much as staying at a moderate once you added everything in. A few years back we rented from a local place that delivered and set it up for us. They were really nice people and we thought all was well with them. While we had some problems with the MH itself they worked it out for us. They had a refundable security deposit as all places do. We left the place in as clean a condition as we received it but were charged a cleaning fee that covered the whole $150 deposit. We called and were told that the cleaning company said it was dirty. No proof...so they sent us half back. This was a private company called Camp USA. If you want to chance it then I would look at their website and see what you think.

In Oct we are going to rent again local but from Cruise America which is a national brand. While it may not be as luxurious as private rental and they won't set it up or deliver it for us I would rather be safe than sorry. They are located in Orlando not far from FW. And the cost is really great!

It's not hard to park one of these and not hard to set up. We did it and didn't have a clue. They will show you all you need to know. The most important thing is the water and sewer. Listen and have a print out of what to do and when to do it. If you run into a problem most people at FW are more than happy to offer advise! You and your kids will have a great time. If you are in the preferred spots you really can go w/o a golf cart rental.The buses work really well at FW once you get the hang of them.

If you want more info email me and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have!

Good luck

 

[AlyLynn]

Hi! Congratulations on your upcoming trip, you'll have a great time. Don't worry about your youngest not wanting to do many rides. We have 4 children ages 2-13, and our youngest has a great time. There is so much to do besides the rides at Disney. Our 5 year old likes riding the bus the best!
I can't help you with the rental question...We bought a travel trailer this fall brand new, never having camped before! We love the cabins, and they can be a bit pricey, but if you eat your meals there, the costs can even out. How about the cabins some of the time, and tent camp a night or two? That might be just enough for your little ones, and Disney rents the equipment. That cuts down on the costs. The golf cart is a rough one... Our first time at FW, I felt we didn't need one, until we got there. We rented one our 2nd day! Our last trip was our first time in the trailer, in a preferred site, and honestly, even with 4 kids, it was an unnecessary expense. The kids love it, but we rarely used it
in the preferred site! Good luck!

 

[Shannone1]

I think that you may be better off staying at a value resort and just coming over and spending an afternoon at the fort. RV's are wonderful...but if you rent one and drive it down, you will be spending a lot for gas. Plus with the 2 kids strapped down in car seats, the drive may not be as much fun as you are thinking. If you wait and rent one there and have it set up...you are going to have to bring all of your bedding, linens, food, dishes, etc and set it all up when you get there. 2 year olds can also be a handful on a campsite. My nephew was 2.5 last summer and spent a day at the campground with us and I was totally worn out from chasing after him all day. He wasn't content to stay on our site...he kept running out to the road. It was exhausting.

I do think a cabin would be perfect for you....but I totally agree they are pretty expensive. I wish they were more reasonable, I would love to have my family come with us next time we are there, but they can't afford 12 nights in a cabin

 

[Disney Campers]

Camping is not for everyone, but your idea seems doable - by driving your car down you will save lots on gas, once your set up you would have a blast at the Fort, there is much to do to keep the kids happy in the Fort, Visit an RV show in your area to see how comfortable you and the family would be in the RV, space inside can be tight.

You must be careful when visiting the Fort for the first time, once that camping bug bites you usually have a payment book shortly thereafter.

 

[Disneymom1220]

Thank you to everyone for your replies. I agree that we could easily be bitten by the camping bug - it is always something that I thought I would really enjoy and this sounds like a fun way to try it out without committing too quickly! I also completely understand the comment about 2 1/2 year olds running around everywhere. My 4 year old son was very much that way at that age and he drove me crazy! Luckily my daughter seems less inclined to run away, but she is just turning 2 so that could change! Yes, the cabin would be the perfect solution if were not for the cost. I'll have to give it some more thought but I appreciate getting all of your opinions on my idea.

 

[mamaloya]

Well, if you can do it, I say go for it. Ask for a site next to a playground. If you get it, it will keep the littles occupied and in your site. Can't remember which ones that would be.

As for bringing your linens and such, some rental companies will also rent those as well. Then you just need to bring your groceries. If you are driving though, bringing the things you need won't be too difficult. I personally on serve quick breakfasts (unless we are doing a character one) only. I am on vacation and refuse to cook unless the budget is really tight. I bring bagels, frozen waffles, muffins, and oatmeal. I bring a toaster and a tea kettle as well. These seem to be the only things I use at FW. The rest of my pots and pans are not used there. In fact, I might as well get rid of them and use the space for shoes, because I have only used them once or twice.

I think the campground is better for my little ones than a hotel because they have space to run. I just go over the parameters as soon as we get there and they don't leave our site. You can bring some sand toys and they will stay busy. My kids have never left our site w/o permission, even when they were younger. They know they would immediately be sent inside w/o a chance of reprieve.

Well, whatever your decision, you will have a great trip.

 

[AuburnJen92]

You must be careful when visiting the Fort for the first time, once that camping bug bites you usually have a payment book shortly thereafter.

I totally agree. My payment book goes on forever.

 

[auntie]

I believe that there is a member here at the Dis that rents their unit ...they bring it to your site and set it up. It is a Wilderness 5th wheel that accomodates a good sized family. Seems that there are others like yourself who don't want to tow their rigs to FW or don't own one, but would like to stay in FW. We are thinking of doing the same. We have our own travel trailer, but for the most part are seasonal in an upstate NY campground. My husband also has no desire to tow from Long Island to Fla. Between not having the time..and now the price of gas, it's certainly something we would consider doing. I think the cabins are great and have stayed in them..but are not the same as staying in the regular camping loops, as they are a bit removed from the amenities the campground offers. I had little ones at the time, and we did wind up renting the golf cart. From what I recall the rental below comes totally equipped with everything you will need..as far as linens and any cooking utensils, dinnerware/silverware that you would need.

I hope this link works...http://www.fslawncare.com/rv/content/index.asp