Some last minute golf cart questions-parking!

[minniebride]

We are leaving in a week and I just have some last minute queetions that I'm hoping someone can answer....

We are staying at WL and renting a golf cart on Christmas Eve to check out FW (our first time visiting there!) We plan to pick up the cart around 1pm and ride around until around 3:30. We have 4pm HDDR tickets, so would like to park it there.

My questions are:

1) Will we have trouble finding parking in the mid-late afternoon on Christmas Eve? Or are there ample spaces available over there? What is the alternative if there is no parking?

2) How much time should we allow looking for parking in order to make it to the HDDR on time?

3) Also, has there ever been any instances of people stealing golf carts when you leave them parked? Or taking the wrong one? Do they have license plates or anything to tell them apart from one another?

Sorry, I hope that doesn't sound like a really dumb question-I've never been on a golf cart before & also never been to FW!!!

4) Last question: We were told we could drop off the cart anytime of the night when we are done and we just leave the key in a locked box. Are these boxes located at ever parking area??

TIA!!

 

[minniebride]

Just a shameless bump!

Anyone??

 

[minniebride]

One last bump!

Can anyone help out a soon-to-be WDW bride and first time visiter to FW???

 

[bama_ed]

We are leaving in a week and I just have some last minute queetions that I'm hoping someone can answer....

We are staying at WL and renting a golf cart on Christmas Eve to check out FW (our first time visiting there!) We plan to pick up the cart around 1pm and ride around until around 3:30. We have 4pm HDDR tickets, so would like to park it there.

My questions are:

1) Will we have trouble finding parking in the mid-late afternoon on Christmas Eve? Or are there ample spaces available over there? What is the alternative if there is no parking?

2) How much time should we allow looking for parking in order to make it to the HDDR on time?

3) Also, has there ever been any instances of people stealing golf carts when you leave them parked? Or taking the wrong one? Do they have license plates or anything to tell them apart from one another?

Sorry, I hope that doesn't sound like a really dumb question-I've never been on a golf cart before & also never been to FW!!!

4) Last question: We were told we could drop off the cart anytime of the night when we are done and we just leave the key in a locked box. Are these boxes located at ever parking area??

TIA!!

I'll answer these for you.

First, golf cart pick-up at the Fort is at the Fort check-in area near the big parking lot (this area is called the Outpost and the internal Fort bus station here called the Outpost Depot/Bus Stop). Carts are lined up here by the check-in building.

Second, the HDDR (love it!) is down at the other end of the Fort near the beach/marina/Trails End. This area is referred to as the Settlement area with the Settlement Trading Post down near the beach and the internal bus station Settlement Depot/Bus Stop. If you bus over from WL you come in at the Settlement area. Hop an internal bus to the Outpost area to pick up your cart then you can explore all you want.

So here are the answers to your specific questions.

1. Down near HDDR there are three parking areas for carts. One is near the Settlement Bus Station (backs up against the 700 loop on the main road). A second area is down between the Settlement Trading Post and the beach (mainly for folks catching a boat somewhere). The third area is along the sidewalk between 700 and the Settlement Trading Post. It is heavily wooded but this wide sidewalk is for carts and about halfway down is a turnoff with a large sandy area to park directly across from the entrance to Trails End.

2. The Fort will probably be jammed full by Christmas Eve so parking will be at a premium but the early HDDR you will be at should give you time to park at one of the 3 spots listed above. If you get there 30 min early they will take your picture (for a fee), you can check in, and relax. In the past they have had Christmas Carols sung by local choirs while people are waiting for HDDR to open. Many good decorations are in the 100/200/700 area anyway.

3. Carts have numbers. They have wandered off before but if there is anyway you can leave something on your cart to identify it that would help (of course THAT could wander off too). I believe the keys are numbered too.

4. I would guess the key drop is back at the check-in area where you picked the cart up. So when you are done using it you will have to drive it back up to the Outpost Check-in area, drop it, and then make your way back via bus to WL. When you pick up your cart/key you can confirm the return method but I bet that's how it goes. Carts do NOT get returned or keys dropped off down around HDDR.

So relax, enjoy seeing all the decorations all OVER the Fort, eat some fried chicken at HDDR for me, and when it's all over, come back here to the DIS and tell us how it went. Some of us are STUCK at home for Christmas .

Bama ED

PS - Congratulations and best wishes, bride-to-be

 

[Born 2 Fish]

I'll answer these for you.
So relax, enjoy seeing all the decorations all OVER the Fort, eat some fried chicken at HDDR for me, and whhttp://www.disboards.com/images/editor/menupop.gifen it's all over, come back here to the DIS and tell us how it went. Some of us are STUCK at home for Christmas .

Bama ED

PS - Congratulations and best wishes, bride-to-be

Yes !!Very cool !! Bride to be. Congrats to you both !
So are ya'll gett'n hitched at the Mouse House ??? And are we invited ?

Oh, and ditto on what Ed said, and drink some beer for me,

 

[minniebride]

I'll answer these for you.

First, golf cart pick-up at the Fort is at the Fort check-in area near the big parking lot (this area is called the Outpost and the internal Fort bus station here called the Outpost Depot/Bus Stop). Carts are lined up here by the check-in building.

Second, the HDDR (love it!) is down at the other end of the Fort near the beach/marina/Trails End. This area is referred to as the Settlement area with the Settlement Trading Post down near the beach and the internal bus station Settlement Depot/Bus Stop. If you bus over from WL you come in at the Settlement area. Hop an internal bus to the Outpost area to pick up your cart then you can explore all you want.

So here are the answers to your specific questions.

1. Down near HDDR there are three parking areas for carts. One is near the Settlement Bus Station (backs up against the 700 loop on the main road). A second area is down between the Settlement Trading Post and the beach (mainly for folks catching a boat somewhere). The third area is along the sidewalk between 700 and the Settlement Trading Post. It is heavily wooded but this wide sidewalk is for carts and about halfway down is a turnoff with a large sandy area to park directly across from the entrance to Trails End.

2. The Fort will probably be jammed full by Christmas Eve so parking will be at a premium but the early HDDR you will be at should give you time to park at one of the 3 spots listed above. If you get there 30 min early they will take your picture (for a fee), you can check in, and relax. In the past they have had Christmas Carols sung by local choirs while people are waiting for HDDR to open. Many good decorations are in the 100/200/700 area anyway.

3. Carts have numbers. They have wandered off before but if there is anyway you can leave something on your cart to identify it that would help (of course THAT could wander off too). I believe the keys are numbered too.

4. I would guess the key drop is back at the check-in area where you picked the cart up. So when you are done using it you will have to drive it back up to the Outpost Check-in area, drop it, and then make your way back via bus to WL. When you pick up your cart/key you can confirm the return method but I bet that's how it goes. Carts do NOT get returned or keys dropped off down around HDDR.

So relax, enjoy seeing all the decorations all OVER the Fort, eat some fried chicken at HDDR for me, and when it's all over, come back here to the DIS and tell us how it went. Some of us are STUCK at home for Christmas .

Bama ED

PS - Congratulations and best wishes, bride-to-be

Yes !!Very cool !! Bride to be. Congrats to you both !
So are ya'll gett'n hitched at the Mouse House ??? And are we invited ?

Oh, and ditto on what Ed said, and drink some beer for me,

Thank you so much-you guys are amazing & that was so helpful!!!!

Now one last little question-How often do the buses run to WL and also from the Outpost back to the Settlement?

We will definitely plan to arrive to HDDR 30 minutes early-I am a sucker for Christmas caroling LOL & we are really excited to see the show!!

Is beer included at the HDDR????
We are getting married at the Swan! Then split stay honeymoon at Poly & WL (our first time at both). We are really excited to check out Fort Wilderness because we are interested in possibly camping there for our next trip!!

 

[bama_ed]

Thank you so much-you guys are amazing & that was so helpful!!!!

Now one last little question-How often do the buses run to WL and also from the Outpost back to the Settlement?

We will definitely plan to arrive to HDDR 30 minutes early-I am a sucker for Christmas caroling LOL & we are really excited to see the show!!

Is beer included at the HDDR????
We are getting married at the Swan! Then split stay honeymoon at Poly & WL (our first time at both). We are really excited to check out Fort Wilderness because we are interested in possibly camping there for our next trip!!

Minniebride,

Frank and I will make ourselves available to stand in as witnesses at your upcoming wedding. Just tell the parson to keep the homily short because I get cranky if I know the food at the reception is getting cold. Frank gets anxious if there are adult beverages somewhere nearby that are closing in on room temperature. Nevertheless, we're willing to make the sacrifices necessary to pull off your big day!

Seriously, to your questions....

Busses don't run on a set schedule. <wish they did> They can run 5 minutes apart or 20 minutes apart. I don't have a better answer than that I'm afraid. That goes for internal Fort busses and those between the Fort and WL. You can also catch a boat from WL to the Fort as an alternative.

As a matter of fact, beer is unlimited <domestic only> at HDDR. I do remember a HDDR in early June where it was warm outside, the air conditioning was cold inside HDDR, and the beer gave a buzz. It's served in pitchers so keep your waitress hopping with the next pitcher.

We Fort campers are happy to let you and the Mister camp with us sometime in the future but let's keep it on the down low, okay? We wouldn't want it to get filled up when we want to visit.

Bama ED

 

[2goofycampers]

Forget the beer, all you can drink Sangria.

 

[Duane]

From the time you pick up the cart, you can have it until 11:00 the following day... So if you want to explore more of the Fort and didn't get a chance to the day before, just leave it parked at the Settlement Bus Stop parking area, take the key with you, take the bus or boat back to WL and come back the next morning for more looping (as us campers call it).

We did this very same thing over Thanksgiving even though we were not staying at the Fort for that particular trip. We were over at Saratoga Springs and just drove the car over and parked in the Outpost Parking lot. We parked our cart at the Outpost Bus Stop Parking area overnight. I came back the next day and rode around for an hour or two before returning the cart. The Fort is a magical place in the early morning....

When you return the cart, there is a sign that shows you where to go for check-in. It will be on the across the way from where you picked the cart up (basically on the other side of where the RV's check in) If you turn in the cart after hours, there will be a key drop box for you to place the keys to the cart.