Tent camping vs. room... trying to decide

[MackenzieFL]

Hey all! We are FL residents and starting to think about our annual Fall trip to WDW

Here is the funny thing-- we never really stay in a room. We've done a couple of weekend jaunts at All Star Movies, but even that I haven't done in a couple of years. Most of the time we tent camp at Ft. Wilderness because it's cheaper & has a hot tub & we are used to FL heat; we like camping, too.

Budget is usually the TOP of our priority when it comes to keeping accommodations at a WDW resort, dining & travel low-- that gives us more spending money for tickets & events and other things.

The cost of accommodations (6 nights), food & renting a car for us to camp at the tent sites at Ft. Wilderness is about $2200.

That's for a family of 4 or 5 (depending if my adult daughter comes). Mind you, we don't eat a lot of fancy sit-down meals-- maybe 1 nice late lunch at the Trail's End, but mornings are things like dry cereal & yoohoos or protien bars and fruit cups from my dry food stockpile, and dinners are usually grabbing sandwiches or pizza at the HESS station as we leave the parks late at night

And the $2200 is just for those 3 things, not including park tickets or souvenirs or MNSSHP tickets or whatevs.

So (more to the point) I wonder how much it would be to do Port Orleans-- Disney website says it will be about $220 per night for room that accomodates 4+small child in September. I wonder if we would qualify for a dining plan dining plan and if we're not camping then I wouldn't have to rent a car for the week.

Do you think it would exceed $2200?


I should also say food isn't a big thing with us on vacation... half of us are type 1 diabetic (genetic on both sides) so we don't do buffets or big meals, us and the kids are more used to light grazing throughout the day so a cheap dining plan or whatever free one might come along, plus our own snack stuff, is probably going to be more than adequate. It would not be a loss to us to just grab a hot dog or a burger or chicken nuggets here and there, we're used to it. But I really have no idea what any dining plan entails, how much it costs, if it's free, or what.

We're mainly waiting for summer to come because that's when they usually trot out any fall package deals.

Sorry so long, as you can see I'm excited & confused about the trip, and rather dizzy by nature so it takes a while for things to sink in. Thanks!

 

[cleophus12]

Have you priced this out on their website? The way you describe your family's eating preferences, the dining plan may not be right for you. If it's free, that's one thing, but if you have to pay, you will probably do better to continue to eat in the room, etc. and have one nice meal a day. We used to love the dining plan, but in the past few years we have discovered that we are just as happy without it.

 

[SRiley1985]

You said that you are a family of 5 (possibly). In order to price it out, I would have to know the ages of everyone. I think that the free QSDP would work for your family. It's 2 quick service meals and 1 snack per person per day and 1 refillable mug to use during your resort stay. However, the package will have to include park tickets from Disney in order to get free dining so that is why the age of those in your party matters. So if POR is 220 per night, for 6 nights that would be $1320 for just the room. Add in the cost of park tickets and you will get your total cost. A 6 day base ticket for an adult (age 10+) is around $296. A 6 day ticket for those under 10 is around $276.

 

[brockash]

I just priced out Riverside for a week, with 3 adults and 2 kids (Disney kids) with a 6 day base ticket for each and it came to $2900. I'm not sure when you're going or the ages of your kids or how many days you want tickets for, but that's just to give you an idea. I priced out the week in Sept., when free dining is usually offered, so you'd probably be able to get free dining as well. In the past it has been the free regular dining plan, which would give each person, 1 table service meal a day, 1 counter service meal a day, 1 snack a day and a refillable mug. Based on your OP, there's no way I'd ever purchase the dining plan for your group, but if you're going in Sept., it should be free which is a nice perk. If it were up to me, I'd def. stay at Riverside as opposed to camping, especially when it looks like it really wouldn't cost you anymore, as you said the $2200 is before you guys buy park tickets.

 

[kapoof]

For 2,200.00 I would not be happy sleeping in tent, and using public bathrooms. treat yourself to a nice room at a value resort.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I find that price completely wrong, that's about 400.00 a night .... Say 200. For car leaves 2000. = 180.00 a night...

If you want cheap, why you renting a car ? Buses are free and get you where you want just as we'll, rental car waste of money...

We're staying at POFQ, six nights/seven days 1232.00...we have A/C, themed pool, close to food and buses.... You know what they have, alot more for less than a camp site at FW.... Heck I priced out a studio at WL for October for 6 days at 1300.00....

That's why I see your pricing wrong!

 

[SA mom]

Okay, I'm really curious how this camping thing works for you because we too like to camp, but never in the heat. Do you fly in with all your gear? Do you rent gear? If you have to rent a car, how do you get all your camping equipment there? Are you flying in? Are you renting a car to drive to WDW from your home? What about cooking? Do you just not cook at all?

And another question because we now have a diabetic in the family, how do you maintain control of blood sugar eating all those quickie meals? Our diabetic has gone on the paleo (do processed sugar or grains, no dairy) diet and doesn't eat fruit to control her blood sugar.

What is so special about the hot tub? Don't all resorts have one?

Thanks for any insight you could give.

 

[sabrinadv1]

I checked on this myself for spring. With the room discount it was actually only slightly cheaper ($60) to camp. The campgrounds are never included in the room discounts. POR has a hot tub and an awesome pool. We decided to go with two rooms at a value, but if y'all are use to camping together I would not think one room would be an issue. POR has rooms that will hold five, or you could check into the cabins at ft. Wilderness. With the cost being really close we couldn't justify the hassel of everything camping involves.

 

[MackenzieFL]

I checked on this myself for spring. With the room discount it was actually only slightly cheaper ($60) to camp. The campgrounds are never included in the room discounts. POR has a hot tub and an awesome pool. We decided to go with two rooms at a value, but if y'all are use to camping together I would not think one room would be an issue. POR has rooms that will hold five, or you could check into the cabins at ft. Wilderness. With the cost being really close we couldn't justify the hassel of everything camping involves.

Thanks... that's what I was thinking. If a room was only going to cost a hundred or two more, I would try it. But if it was going to run us several hundred, I'm happy enough camping.

I know a lot of people see camping as a hassle, but we do it a lot so it's pretty second nature to us. We enjoy it, and Disney camping is like luxury camping.

 

[francie57]

Have you considered renting points for a 2 bedroom villa. You would have a full kitchen for breakfast in the villa and snacks/drinks. You would also have a w/d in the room so you wouldn't have to pack as much. Sorry for me there would not be any tent camping since I am a deluxe girl all the way. I can say that as someone who tried camping and didn't like it at all. I would look into renting points.

 

[MackenzieFL]

Okay, I'm really curious how this camping thing works for you because we too like to camp, but never in the heat. Do you fly in with all your gear? Do you rent gear? If you have to rent a car, how do you get all your camping equipment there? Are you flying in? Are you renting a car to drive to WDW from your home? What about cooking? Do you just not cook at all?

And another question because we now have a diabetic in the family, how do you maintain control of blood sugar eating all those quickie meals? Our diabetic has gone on the paleo (do processed sugar or grains, no dairy) diet and doesn't eat fruit to control her blood sugar.

What is so special about the hot tub? Don't all resorts have one?

Thanks for any insight you could give.

Hi-- we only live an hour away, so we drive. I wouldn't recommend it if flying, the expense of bringing equipment on planes or renting camping gear off-sets the bargain of a campsite.

We don't have a car right now so we're renting one... we just throw our tents and gear in the trunk. We just have basic gear-- no fancy set-ups. It all fits in a trunk.

We deal with the blood sugar *very carefully* lol.

Instead of eating a full meal, we share meals & throw in an extra salad (like at Pinocchio Village Haus, 2 of us will share a personal pizza w/side salad, get an extra salad; that's one of our favorite Magic Kingdom stops). Or we might share an ice cream between 3 of us.

We graze throughout the day, we bring lots of dry food snacks & glucerna and stuff like that.

Check the BS a lot, and because you walk around so much and do so much exercise at Disney it helps to keep it down, too. We're so on the go it burns up excess.

Oh, and stay away from buffets.

As for the hot tub-- the value resorts don't have one. I'd rather camp and have a hot tub than stay in a basic room without one-- I like to end the day with a soak because I get so achey from being on my feet all day, cause usually I work sitting down.

 

[MackenzieFL]

Have you considered renting points for a 2 bedroom villa. You would have a full kitchen for breakfast in the villa and snacks/drinks. You would also have a w/d in the room so you wouldn't have to pack as much. Sorry for me there would not be any tent camping since I am a deluxe girl all the way. I can say that as someone who tried camping and didn't like it at all. I would look into renting points.

No, but thanks. Villas are out of our price range.

Besides, we tent camp a lot, we enjoy it at a family. Disney is like luxury tent camping so it's not an issue. We like nature. Totally not a deluxe girl here... I'm more outdoorsy, I don't even wear make-up.

 

[MackenzieFL]

I find that price completely wrong, that's about 400.00 a night .... Say 200. For car leaves 2000. = 180.00 a night...

If you want cheap, why you renting a car ? Buses are free and get you where you want just as we'll, rental car waste of money...

We're staying at POFQ, six nights/seven days 1232.00...we have A/C, themed pool, close to food and buses.... You know what they have, alot more for less than a camp site at FW.... Heck I priced out a studio at WL for October for 6 days at 1300.00....

That's why I see your pricing wrong!

In Sept. the Port Orleans cheapest rooms are about $220 per night. It comes out to about 1200 for 5 nights.

The campsites are about $55. It comes out to about 340 for 6 nights (we stay an extra night since it's so cheap).

If we camp we have to rent a car because it's hard to camp at Ft. Wilderness without a vehicle.

If we take the hotel room, we're only renting a car to get there, then to get back (2 days). We have to, because we don't have a car right now and that's the only way we can get there.

We don't fly because we are an hour away-- we have to drive in.

 

[MackenzieFL]

Have you priced this out on their website? The way you describe your family's eating preferences, the dining plan may not be right for you. If it's free, that's one thing, but if you have to pay, you will probably do better to continue to eat in the room, etc. and have one nice meal a day. We used to love the dining plan, but in the past few years we have discovered that we are just as happy without it.

You said that you are a family of 5 (possibly). In order to price it out, I would have to know the ages of everyone. I think that the free QSDP would work for your family. It's 2 quick service meals and 1 snack per person per day and 1 refillable mug to use during your resort stay. However, the package will have to include park tickets from Disney in order to get free dining so that is why the age of those in your party matters. So if POR is 220 per night, for 6 nights that would be $1320 for just the room. Add in the cost of park tickets and you will get your total cost. A 6 day base ticket for an adult (age 10+) is around $296. A 6 day ticket for those under 10 is around $276.

I just priced out Riverside for a week, with 3 adults and 2 kids (Disney kids) with a 6 day base ticket for each and it came to $2900. I'm not sure when you're going or the ages of your kids or how many days you want tickets for, but that's just to give you an idea. I priced out the week in Sept., when free dining is usually offered, so you'd probably be able to get free dining as well. In the past it has been the free regular dining plan, which would give each person, 1 table service meal a day, 1 counter service meal a day, 1 snack a day and a refillable mug. Based on your OP, there's no way I'd ever purchase the dining plan for your group, but if you're going in Sept., it should be free which is a nice perk. If it were up to me, I'd def. stay at Riverside as opposed to camping, especially when it looks like it really wouldn't cost you anymore, as you said the $2200 is before you guys buy park tickets.

For 2,200.00 I would not be happy sleeping in tent, and using public bathrooms. treat yourself to a nice room at a value resort.

Thanks everyone for bringing up some good points to look into; it's helped me figure out what to do. I have gone to the website to "price it out"... and you're right, the food plan isn't worth it for us because we tend to share meals & snacks so much, and we bring our own diabetic snacks.

Plus, we pay more for tickets to get the package. Florida resident ticket prices are cheaper.

I actually worked it out that it'll be only about $300 more and 1 day less for our trip if we nix the car rental, buy or own tickets at FL resident prices & buy our own food out of pocket.

One day less is not bad, considering we won't have to set up/break down camp or do laundry.

Value resort is actually not worth it if we go with 5, we would have to rent a family suite and that costs $40+ more per night than Port Orleans. If Port Orleans weren't an option, I prefer camping at Ft. Wilderness, with it's amenities, to the value resorts.

We actually consider getting the chance to camp as a perk, not a drawback, we just want to try something different. I was worried it wouldn't be in our budget but I guess it is.

Thanks everyone who answered!