Tent camping by plane?

[Asuneda]

Ok this may be stupid... we've flights booked to WDW in May. We've never stayed at Fort Wilderness and would like to someday. However would it be practical or possible for this trip (we know it won't be our last). How hard do you think it would be to pack the essentials for a tent camping trip? We have a relatively light weight tent. We probably would still eat in the restaurants for most meals because we love so many (and have DDE and AP). This trip is only 3 nights.

 

[clkelley]

Yes, it is possible. I've done it on two occasions, and plan to do it again this December. I usually stay 6 or 7 nights when I camp at Ft. Wilderness.

The airlines allows you two 50lb bags of checked luggage, one carryon, and one personal item each. (Check your airline website for maximum weight and dimensions)

As a solo person, I brought the following.

A large duffle bag
A rubbermaid action packer bin
A carryon-size rolling bag
A daypack

Packed in these, I had the following:

Two 8x8 dome tents (one for me to sleep in, one for my gear)
Two rain shelters/canopies
Folding Chair
Folding Stool
Twin Size Air Mattress
Electric Pump
Sheets, Pillow
Electric Blanket
Battery Lantern
Battery Tent Lites (2)
Battery Fan (2)
Toiletries
2 Towels
2 Washcloths
3 Changes of Clothing
Laundry Detergent
Dryer Sheets
Plastic Sheeting for Groundcloths
Stake Mallet
Laptop
Cell Phone
40 ft Extension Cord
Power Strip
Digital Camera
Docking Station
Alarm Clock
Extra Batteries
Quarter Rolls for Laundry
Shower Shoes
Garbage Bags
Small Collapsing Cooler (I went over to Wilderness Lodge and filled it with ice)

I don't cook at Ft. Wilderness either.

For two of you, you will have double the allowance I had, and will only have a few extra clothes, a queen-size air mattress, and an extra folding chair, so it should be easy.

I put anything that was small, but had weight to it in my carryon and daypack.
Lantern
Batteries
Tent Lites
Tent Fans
Extension Cord
Power Strip
Quarter Rolls
Stake Mallet
Electric Controller for Electric Blanket
Air Mattress Pump
Computer
Digital Camera
Chargers/Plugs for Camera/Computer

Large, and lightweight items went into my checked luggage.

I took the tents out of their bags to distribute the contents evenly between my checked luggage.

I set my tents up sideways facing each other and put a shelter over the entrances, then set up the second shelter in front of my tents and set up my chair and stool. If you don't mind sending me PM with your email, I can email you a picture of my campsite.

I was on commuter flights, so I knew that my rolling carry-on would be gate-checked, so didn't worry about overstuffing it to fit under the seat or in overheads. I don't know what type of flights you are taking, so if you are on larger planes, you need to take that into consideration.

One thing I'm going to do next time to save space and weight is to not bring my own towels. Ft. Wilderness has pool towels, so when I arrive, I'm going to grab a couple of those from the pool and use them for my showers, then return them at the end of the trip.

Hope this helps,

Carol

 

[Asuneda]

Wow! Thanks so much for the detailed list. Now maybe I can convince my DH that it is possible! It would save us money and be a completely different WDW experience for us.

 

[jwill]

I have done it as well and really enjoyed my experience. It's something I will look back on with great memories. Practically all of my camping gear fit inside a hockey bag which was just under the dimensions for oversized luggage.

 

[mill4023]

I briefly considered doing this to save some money, but my wife said NO WAY. We live in Oregon where there are a million beautiful places to go camping so for our vacation, she definitely wants to be in a hotel. Of course, with kids, camping is a lot more work than a hotel. If we weren't traveling with kids, I'd definitely consider it. I'd love to experience the Disney version of camping and FW sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[Piglet54]

Carol, I can't thank you enough for your info on flying and tenting at FW. We got a great rate on airline tickets last night so it looks like we're flying instead of driving to Fort Wilderness.

One thing I'm going to do next time to save space and weight is to not bring my own towels. Ft. Wilderness has pool towels, so when I arrive, I'm going to grab a couple of those from the pool and use them for my showers, then return them at the end of the trip.

Another question,I've seen conflicting stories about towel availability. Do you or does anyone else know if there are still pool towels availalble for guest use?

 

[clkelley]

I saw the same thing. I don't know. I did see what looked like a standard "WDW Pool Towel" laying in the laundry room at the comfort station. I didn't actually go to Ft. Wilderness pool to see if they provided towels.

So, I may have to bring my own towels.

Carol

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Carol- We have graduated from tent camping to a camper, but I must compliment you on your thorough list. However, there are no towels at the Ft. Wilderness pools. We have been camping there for 10+ years, and there never have been towels at the pools at Ft. Wilderness.

 

[clkelley]

Thanks for the info!! I guess seeing a couple floating around the laundry room and comfort station I just assumed.

But you know what they say, when I assume, I make an a** out of u and me.

Carol