Trip report--Snowbirds flight to WDW

[drafthorsecrazy]

December 21, 2008

Northern Ohio is not a friendly place. The temperature is hovering around 20 degrees. There is about 3-4" of snow on the ground and the weatherman is calling for freezing rain. The only thing worse than packing a camper in this type of weather is NOT packing and staying. Here is the camper the morning we left home. Can you see the ice coating?

We drove 10hrs the first day and stopped in Statesville N.C. for the night. Since the temperature was suppose to drop to 19 (in N.C.) we opted to spend that night at a motel. It was the best $49 we had spent so far! Hot water and a warm bed make happy travelers!

Dec.22, 08.
Today we only traveled 4 hrs. We stopped in Waltersboro S.C. at New Green Acres RV Park. I wasn't overly impressed with this place. Probably because I had a raging fever and chills that an electric blanket on high couldn't chase away. Yep...I had come down with the flu. I haven't had the flu in 15 yrs, but I got one now. Must be because I'd gotten my first flu shot this year. I won't gross anyone out with the details but being sick in a confined space like a camper is not pleasant. Too sick to take pictures of this campground.

Dec.23, 08
I drag myself out of the camper and pray I can make it for the 2 hr drive to Savannah Ga.

We arrived! We stayed here at Skidaway State Park for 4nights.

This is a great state park. You pick out your own site. All the sites are large and at least semi private. The roads are paved and are great for bicycling.
Our dog, Dakota all settled down for the night.

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

Here's my husband washing the grime off the truck----right before he got busted by a ranger. Sorry state of Ga. We didn't know you were still in a water draught.

Dec. 27, 08
Today we drove another 2 hrs south...well, it took 3 hrs because of all the wonderful road construction on I95 in southern Ga. We stayed at Country Oaks campground in Kingsland Ga. I must not have taken any pictures of the campground. Its just your average stopover type place. We stayed here because its a quick drive to Fernandina Beach just over into Fla.

We wanted to stay at Fort Clinch in Fernandina Beach but since it was the week after Christmas they were full. We did drive through the campground.

While at the beach we stopped for lunch/drinks at a outdoor patio restaurant.

Up next: We finally arrive at WDW

 

[DisneyBishops]

hey i saw your rig at the fort. I would have stopped by if you had a dis sign. do you guys have belgians? i think those horses are cool.

anyway

hope you made or make it home ok and are not sick now.

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

hey i saw your rig at the fort. I would have stopped by if you had a dis sign. do you guys have belgians? i think those horses are cool.

anyway

hope you made or make it home ok and are not sick now.

My sign was/is out! All are welcome to drop in and say hello. Yes, we have draft horses. We used this truck to pull our horse trailer to the shows and sales. Now, we just use it mostly to pull our camper

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

Dec. 30, 2008
I'm up early this morning. Who can sleep when you are going to Disney? Apparently my husband can. I had to light a serious fire under his backside to get him going. Why is it the last 3 hrs can seem like 3 days when you are trying to full fill a mouse house addiction? Going through Orlando on I4 was uneventful but still white knuckle driving---and that was me, the passenger. I was in co-pilot overdrive. "Slow down", "watch out", "change to the left lane", "look out for the idiot passing" and finally, "here's our EXIT!" We always come in World Drive. I know its longer, but nothing says Disney like driving through the main gate.

It was around 12:30 and our site was not ready. The CM couldn't tell us what site but said it was in the 1900 loop. But....I'd requested the 300??? "Sorry, this is all we have available" OK, I take a deep breath.....we are here.....its the holidays, I know FW is packed. We'll get settled in and negotiate a different site later. At 3pm we are backed into site 1917 with only one small accident. The lamp post directly in front of our site got readjusted by our front tire.

The mouse repairman had it fixed by the time we got our awning out. My husband profusely apologized and the repairman said, "Don't worry about it-- it happens daily. Its job security for me." Here is our site, 1917.

We spent the next few days relaxing since we knew the parks would be packed.
Sunset on Bay Lake.

On the porch.

At the Contemporary

Up next: Will we get the 300 loop?

 

[parrisk]

I am enjoying your report. The last time we were at the fort, we had a 39 ft. Toyhauler. I hated the site, but my husband refused to move once he had the camper successfully backed in.

Since then, we sold the toyhauler, traded the diesel on an F-150 and stopped camping for about a year. My daughter and I decided to visit Fort Wilderness on our Christmas trip. I realized just how much I missed being there.

We are Disney Vacation Club members. We have a vacation home near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in Tennessee. We really thought it was senseless to have a camper also. There is just something about Fort Wilderness!!! We came home from our trip and I immediately began trying to convince my husband that we needed another camper just so we could stay at the fort. It took me all of 1 minute and he wholeheartedly agreed. Less than a week later we found an excellent deal on a used Coleman pop-up. It's a big downgrade from what we had, but it's mainly so we can still stay at Fort Wilderness.

I am so ready for our April trip!

Once again, thanks for taking the time to do a TR.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

I am enjoying your report. The last time we were at the fort, we had a 39 ft. Toyhauler. I hated the site, but my husband refused to move once he had the camper successfully backed in.

Since then, we sold the toyhauler, traded the diesel on an F-150 and stopped camping for about a year. My daughter and I decided to visit Fort Wilderness on our Christmas trip. I realized just how much I missed being there.

We are Disney Vacation Club members. We have a vacation home near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg in Tennessee. We really thought it was senseless to have a camper also. There is just something about Fort Wilderness!!! We came home from our trip and I immediately began trying to convince my husband that we needed another camper just so we could stay at the fort. It took me all of 1 minute and he wholeheartedly agreed. Less than a week later we found an excellent deal on a used Coleman pop-up. It's a big downgrade from what we had, but it's mainly so we can still stay at Fort Wilderness.

I am so ready for our April trip!

Once again, thanks for taking the time to do a TR.

Good for you. I too had a similar experience. Tent camped in 2007 after about a 15 year absence. We have always tent camped per the budget. Fell in love with the Fort again, but upgraded to a popup because of the heat. Just too brutal even in Sept.
I know the big rigs are gorgeous, many are nicer than my home!!! I was talking to a friend the other day and he and his wife had just gone to a RV show. Could not believe some of the items in those rigs.
But my little popup has AC, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, 2 frigs, 2 beds and TV w/DVD. Can't imagine what else would be needed. I know, bath facilities, but a great deal of chemical warfare and dumping involved there. The comfort stations at the Fort are great.
I think you'll love the pup and I'll bet the Fort Force will be with you again.
Enjoy your trip and don't forget to report.

 

[Millermouseketeers]

I hope you are enjoying your trip and that you got moved to 300. It was nice to meet you. Have fun!

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Great photos. LOVE the sunset. How's Dakota during? Keep the report coming.....

 

[VACAMPER]

Thanks for the pics. Great report.

 

[parrisk]

Good for you. I too had a similar experience. Tent camped in 2007 after about a 15 year absence. We have always tent camped per the budget. Fell in love with the Fort again, but upgraded to a popup because of the heat. Just too brutal even in Sept.
I know the big rigs are gorgeous, many are nicer than my home!!! I was talking to a friend the other day and he and his wife had just gone to a RV show. Could not believe some of the items in those rigs.
But my little popup has AC, microwave, toaster, coffee maker, 2 frigs, 2 beds and TV w/DVD. Can't imagine what else would be needed. I know, bath facilities, but a great deal of chemical warfare and dumping involved there. The comfort stations at the Fort are great.
I think you'll love the pup and I'll bet the Fort Force will be with you again.
Enjoy your trip and don't forget to report.

I think we will enjoy it also. Through the years we kept upgrading and once we started staying at the fort we bought a golf cart, then had to have a way to haul it. It just got to be so stressful, and the price of diesel was skyrocketing. The hauler was nice. The kids would take friends on every trip. After we unloaded the cart, we would put down indoor outdoor carpet and the garage doubled as a bedroom for the kids. The kids are getting older and our 16 yr. old just won't go with us anymore, so I think the pup will serve us just fine. With our hauler we were limited and actually couldn't go to some places because they wouldn't have sites to fit us. I wanted something that I could help my husband tow so he wouldn't have to do all the driving.

My daughter and I were the only ones that used the bathroom in the camper, my husband and son always preferred the comfort stations anyway. I can't wait to try it out, and I was so excited to read about the addition of cable to loop 2000. It's just not a trip to Disney if you don't get to listen to Stacy every morning while getting ready to go to the park.

 

[phins_jazy]

Lovin your trip report! Can't wait to read more.

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

Jan. 2, 2009

Two yrs ago we had site 316 and really liked it so we found out it would be available on the 3rd. We cruised the 300 loop daily just to check out our future site. I felt like a kid with his nose against the candy store window. Except I was drooling over "my" FW site. On the 2nd we were doing our cruise and found site 303 empty. My mind kicked into overdrive. Could this highly sought after site be open? I rushed to the comfort station and picked up the house phone and politely asked...could we have site 303 instead ? After a few moments the CM said ........"Yes, you can have it!!!!!!! No need to come to the outpost I got the paperwork all switched for you. Have a magical day." I don't think we have ever broke camp so fast in our lives. Within 2 hrs we were tore down and set back up .

It was finally time to hit the parks. They were still crazy busy so we just hit a couple rides. Since my husband is a retired GM employee we went to Test Track. A quick flash to show proof of identity and we are given instructions on how to proceed to the front of the line. Here's my pic of the pic at the end of the ride.

We also did MK.

Ok.....that's about all for now. We are settled in and plan to hit the pool most afternoons and get some sun and park hop in the evenings. I'll be checking out the pool today to see if anything is happening there. As of yesterday it was open.
Thanks to all that have been reading along. I'll post more if and when something interesting happens.

 

[tellnotails]

love your stuff dhc.....how long ya guys down there.....

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

We are here until we are broke or Mar. 1.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Love the baby satellite setup. Who needs cable??? Well I do, but that's beside the point......
Keep em coming.

 

[parrisk]

We are here until we are broke or Mar. 1.

I am so jealous. Love the photos. Can't wait to hear more.

 

[lucy_love]

we were in site 1901 while you were in the 1900 loop we were neighbors

we like 300 the best too

 

[tellnotails]

lol.....we'll have ta look ya up.....we'll be down the 28.........can my daughters pet yer dog.....?

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

Dakota loves everyone; especially kids. The more pets the better!