RV Rental and other questions from a FW newbie!

[kkayluvsdis]

Hi All!
This is my first time venturing down to the "Camping at Disney World" forum. My family is toying with the idea of renting a large RV and driving down to Disney World! I was hoping someone could help me out with a few things. First of all, where is the best place to rent an RV from? Are there certain features that we shouldn't go without? I seriously don't think I have ever set foot in an RV so any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated. Oh, the other thing I am concerned about is making the transition from being a resort guest numerous times to a "camper". Has anyone had a hard time going from multiple trips at Disney resorts to Fort Wilderness Campgrounds? I'm sure it will be a fun vacation, but with a different feel? Just hoping for some opinions from the pros!! Thanks in advance!
-Kelly

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Welcome to the camping boards.

I am not sure that you are going to find a lot of folks on here who can give you advice about renting an RV and driving it to the Fort. Most of the regulars here have their own equipment.

As for who it would be best to rent from, you will need to check that out in your local area. The two big national companies that I know of are Cruise America and El Monte RV. They both have websites, which you could easily find via a google search. There are smaller rental companies in other areas, and maybe there is one near you- but you will have to check on that. Before I bought my camper, I rented different types of RV's from smaller local companies, but they are here in Florida. I have no idea whether this is an option where you live.

As far as what amenities to look for in the rental RV, you are not going to be presented with a whole lot of choice. There will probably be a few different sized models to choose from, and that's it.

Before you get too far along with your planning, you should seriously crunch some numbers. One thing you will find is that it is EXPENSIVE to rent a motorhome for a long trip.

Fort Wilderness is a Walt Disney World resort in every respect. Yes, the Fort has a different feel, but so does every WDW resort.

Have fun, whatever you decide to do.

TCD

 

[ZeroMyHero]

I'm not a pro, but I will put in my 2 cents. Have you ever been camping before? If not, it will be quite different, as you won't have anyone coming to your RV to make your beds and clean your bathroom, of course. But FW is a really fun place with lots of activities for kids and adults alike, and I find that people in campgrounds tend to be friendlier than in hotels. It's much more social. Plus, they upgraded the pool with a slide and hot tub. If you have been camping before, you'll find it a pretty easy transition. FW is a fantastic campground, easily one of the best in the US if not the best.

I'm in a similar boat as you since we are currently trying to rent an RV for our upcoming trip, too, but we won't drive down in it this time. We're looking to pick it up when we get to Orlando - it'll save us a lot of money this way. The two big ones around the US are El Monte and Cruise America. I think the features you need will depend on how many people are going on vacation with you. The big companies all offer RVs with great amenities like good kitchens and bathrooms with showers. Go to their websites and check out what they have to offer. You might be able to find a smaller company in your area that will have lower prices. I've been researching for a few weeks now and am really overwhelmed by all the info out there but I'm still plugging along. Good luck!

 

[beccaewert]

Here's an idea....crunch the numbers and see what it will cost per night to stay at the fort along with renting an rv,...if you want to stay at the fort, why not try out a cabin? You get all the amenities and fun stuff the fort has to offer but your in a cabin. I've heard wonderful things about the cabins! After you the rent the rv for a week(or how many # of days your coming), pay for the gas to drive it to Florida, and the cost of the site per night,...it might be cheaper to stay in a cabin? Where are you coming from? Is the driver of the r.v. gonna be able to feel comfortable behind the wheel of a big r.v.? How many people are staying with you? Are you wanting to do the free dining promotion? Campsites are not eligible for that but the cabins are. There are alot of variables that play into consideration! Whatever you choose, you cannot go wrong with Fort (cabins or campsites) its a wonderful place....any more questions, ask away,...all of the wonderful fort fiends are experts (IMHO) and will point you in the right direction!

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Don't know if there are rules about posting specific company names here, so I won't. However, be aware that there is at least one company that will drop off a 5th wheel, set it up on your site, pick it up, etc... Prices are pretty reasonable and would let you get the camping experience without the rental cost of driving one down from NY.

Just another option.

 

[cyberdeb]

There is a person that frequents these boards that rents a fifth wheel trailer and will deliver it and set it up at Fort Wilderness. My brother and his family rented it one time and i plan to next year. It is a nice unit. Great for families. www.campatthefort.com

 

[IslandHtsCampers]

if your gonna rent a RV, start by renting the hilarious Robin Williams movie "RV". This flick will point you in the right direction of what not to do.

 

[pcrmommy]

We just rented a 32' RV earlier this month and went from MI to ME for a week. Our area has a limited # of rental companies, not much to choose from. The good thing about the company we used is that the models are all 2010 or newer. We had 8 people in the RV and used it mostly to travel "together", we only camped in it one night. It slept 10 people so we had plenty of room. For us it was cheaper than spending money on 8 plane tickets, paying for 8 round trip luggage fees, paying to park 2 cars at the airport for a week, and then renting 2 cars & paying for gas for those 2 rental cars for a week. Even w/gas at an average of $2.70 a gallon, this was cheaper for us.

We are planning on doing the came thing in April for our trip to FW, just renting a 36' instead since we'll be staying in it.

Good luck!!!

 

[clkelley]

As a previous poster stated, I also would recommend a local company that will set up AT the fort and take it away.

www.campatthefort.com also www.makecampingeasy.com

 

[thegoofyfamily]

I did some number crunching last week on this same topic. Pretty much every way we looked at it, it's less expensive in the cabins, but more fun IMO in an RV.

Have you thought about renting for a local weekend trip to get your bearings?

 

[heatherwillmom]

A friend of mine rented a large RV from a company called RV Rents. They are nationwide. He said it wasnt too expensive but I don't know how much it was. I do know that they have several sizes to choose from

 

[starrwars]

My wife and I (both Disney veterans) have rented an RV to stay at Fort Wilderness the last couple of years and had a blast. On our first Ft. Wilderness trip, we drove from St. Louis to Orlando in our normal vehicle and picked up a 26' Class C from Cruise America in Kissimmee. But on our 2nd visit to the Fort, we rented a 31' Class C from local rental agency in the St. Louis area and drove it all the way down. Both trips has their pluses and minuses.

Based on my experiences, I recommend for your first experience to drive down to Orlando in your regular car and pick up the RV in the area.
You will save quite a lot on gas, a few days off the rental fee, and you will have less of a risk of damaging the RV. Plus, you'll have your own car with you, so there won't be a need to rent one or tow one down. I've only rented through Cruise America, but there are several other agencies in the area like El Monte. The cost of the rental plus the campsite is about roughly what you would spend if you stayed at a Moderate resort. The only catch is that you'll have to arrange your arrival and departure around the operating hours of the rental agency and you'll have to get up early on your departure day to clean the RV out. But the stay is well worth it.

Now, driving down an RV was also a great experience. The cost was about double of what we spent on renting one in Orlando since we did a 11 day rental (instead of 6 renting in Orlando) and had to pay for gas and mileage fees; but it allowed us to have a more comfortable ride down, bring a lot more supplies, and bring our cats and guinea pigs with us. Also, the model we had was a bit more luxorous as well.

We've stayed at all of the different levels of resorts at WDW and didn't have any issues transitioning to the campground. We actually enjoy it more than a hotel resort since the campground has fresh air, more activities to do, and the fellow campers are some of the best folk. The only big change is that we tend to drive to the theme parks on our own instead of using the internal bus system.

Either way, you'll love staying at the Fort!

This year we are trying the Cabins out.

 

[DaveInTN]

Starrwars - Welcome to the camping boards!!!!

Only one post and you've already provided some great advice. The only thing is, next time try to work beer into your post.