Tents afterall! Help me with my plan, pleaaaase?

[Violet Parr]

Hi all! So we've been back and forth on our plans and briefly ditched our plans to tent for 12 nights. We booked a cabin, but couldn't justify the cost since we tented for that long 3 Decembers ago and had the time of our lives. It's a $2700 difference, and he'd rather blow that at the Lego store or take another trip in 2011.

SO, we're in tents the first two weeks in Dec. We're flying, so all of our gear will be going on a plane with us and arriving MME. (Dh is great at packing and we're sending one box ahead of us.)

Here is what I need help with:

WWYD? Our flight puts us getting in after dark on a Saturday night. We obviously won't have our choice of sites as the weekend campers will all be there. Last time we were in the same position, so we stayed at Coronado Springs for one night and then switched the next day. Our luggage got hopelessly lost, so we ended up unable to set up camp until after dark afterall! We don't expect lightning to strike again this time.)

So. Should we just take a tent site for the entire 12 days and hope for the best with location (and setting up camp in the dark with 3 kids including a toddler) or should we plan to stay elsewhere for one night?

We really want to get 1500 again, because with our eldest child's needs (Asperger's and anxiety disorder) it was a HUGE help to be near the CS, Meadows area, and bus. We were also near the canal so we had a lot of quiet space and room.


So, tents all 12 nights and hope for the best, or stay in other resort for one night and set up camp in daylight on Sunday, hoping for a good spot in 1500? (I know there is no guarantee, btw.)

Thanks for any advice. I'm really waffling on this decision for some reason and DH has reached his max capacity for dealing with my issues this week!

VP

 

[auntie]

Can you have the luggage sent to the Fort..and just keep one bag with you for what you would need overnight to take to the resort? This way..no waiting on the transfer of luggage the following day.. and you can set up the following morning/afternoon in daylight at the Fort.

 

[clkelley]

Maybe stay at a Cabin the first night, so that it is not a huge hassle to move your "stuff" from the cabins to your site.

 

[Violet Parr]

Maybe stay at a Cabin the first night, so that it is not a huge hassle to move your "stuff" from the cabins to your site.

Ah, that is good thinking! And it puts us near MK for our first day so we can occupy the kids that morning while we wait to check out/in.

I'm off to call CRO!


VP

 

[deanna85]

Maybe stay at a Cabin the first night, so that it is not a huge hassle to move your "stuff" from the cabins to your site.

I second that idea!!

 

[Violet Parr]

Got it! The trip is now booked, done, paid for, all set! No more changes, no more discussions! (Right?)

I feel like listening to this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcBME4r5Bo8

Thanks for the help, everyone!

VP

 

[kaguilbeau]

That was easy!

Have fun - I'm jealous!

 

[allmydisneydreams]

Do you happen to know what site you were in in 1500 - and was it large enough for a huge tent? I am thinking of requesting for our Nov trip, but I don't know the numbers of any of the good sites

 

[Violet Parr]

Do you happen to know what site you were in in 1500 - and was it large enough for a huge tent? I am thinking of requesting for our Nov trip, but I don't know the numbers of any of the good sites

We have been desperately trying to remember our site number. We were on the outside of the loop, backed up to the canal. There was a grapefruit tree next to our site. We were close to being the middle site on the outside. 1514? 1513? And stupid me took NO pictures of the actual site. I guess we were having too much fun. I did look on the Google Earth thing but still couldn't figure it out.

We had a 12x10 and an 11x11. They JUST fit on the sand pad together.

Good luck!

 

[duffy]

It's a $2700 difference, and he'd rather blow that at the Lego store or take another trip in 2011.

Legos OR another trip? That's a lot of Legos!!

 

[SandrA9810]

You could also rent the disney tents. I don't know much about them, but they set them up for you.

I've fumbled in the dark many of times with the tent, killed the truck battery a couple times. I liked to head out Friday after work, so we'd have 3 nights and start early saturday in the parks, instead of dealing with the drive in the morning, the tent set up, and being tired.

And if you're doing the cabins, just let them know when you check in about your transfer, they'll probably have a site ready for you. The earlier you go, the more likely your chances are to get a site that wasn't rented the previously night. So there's no need for them to clean up the site that day.

 

[skyp4WDW]

You can also make your reservations; get your luggage tags from the Magical Express saying "Fort Wilderness" and then call and switch to a different resort for the first night, and have your luggage go straight to Ft Wilderness. (We've done this a couple of times now and it works very well).
About your special needs child... Call Ft Wilderness and ask to speak with a Manager about your Loop request. The chances of getting what your hoping for will be greatly increased. Enjoy your visit.

 

[DisCamper]

You could also rent the disney tents. I don't know much about them, but they set them up for you.

I've fumbled in the dark many of times with the tent, killed the truck battery a couple times. I liked to head out Friday after work, so we'd have 3 nights and start early saturday in the parks, instead of dealing with the drive in the morning, the tent set up, and being tired.

And if you're doing the cabins, just let them know when you check in about your transfer, they'll probably have a site ready for you. The earlier you go, the more likely your chances are to get a site that wasn't rented the previously night. So there's no need for them to clean up the site that day.

That what I'm doing for my Halloween trip. I'm coming in around 11pm Friday the tent and my cart will already be on my site. When i leave early monday just throw everything in the car and leave. Let Disney Do all the work.