What time is check-in for Fort Wilderness?

[notrub98]

Didn't see it anywhere in the FAQ...

 

[pxydst]

3 PM I believe, check out is at 11

 

[PaHunter]

pxydst would be correct there. It is officially at 3pm.

 

[notrub98]

Thanks folks!

 

[Nicole0519]

Officially, it's 3:00pm. We went this past weekend and arrived at 11:30am and our site was ready. We were able to go on to the campsite. From what I was told on the phone, in MOST instances, campsites are ready by 1pm and as long as they are ready, they will let you on!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Check-in at any WDW resort is any time after 6:05am.
. . . this is to become a registered guest, and not necessarily get your room key or campsite
. . . to get your room, check-in is 3:00pm or 4:00pm based upon the resort (3:00pm at The Fort).
2) But, getting your room or campsite at check-in is not guaranteed.
. . . some people get into their room or campsite as late as 6:00pm-7:00pm
. . . some people get into their room or campsite as early as 7:00am
. . . this is VERY FREQUENT t have t wait beyond the posted check-in time, and not just a once-in-a-while occurrence
. . . always have a Plan-B in case you have to wait for room or campsite access
3) REASONS FOR LATE ACCESS
. . . too few maid/housekeeping personnel
. . . rooms or campsites left too messy to cleanup in time
. . . guests who check-out late for afternoon or evening travel arrangements
. . . guests who go to the parks on their last day and don't return until after lunch

 

[Nicole0519]

I guess in my 26 years of camping at Fort Wilderness, I've been lucky. I've always gotten in early or on time to my campsite. We've checked in as early as 10am and were able to go to our site.

When I was younger, we went with a big group and sometimes took up the entire loop. We never had issues then.

We've never stayed at the cabins though. Always tent camped.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

in my 26 years of camping at Fort Wilderness, I've been lucky. I've always gotten in early or on time to my campsite.

1) Yes, lucky.
2) I would have thought you would have had to wait at least once.
3) Of course, it also depends upon the time of year you visit (busy or not)

 

[PaHunter]

Our campsites must have been occupied by the families that could not find the exit to the park.....the last two years we were there in Feb and sites were not ready. But it was ok, dropped the trailer in overflow and went to the park. This year we will see, only 25 more days....

 

[Nicole0519]

1) Yes, lucky.
2) I would have thought you would have had to wait at least once.
3) Of course, it also depends upon the time of year you visit (busy or not)

We either have gone in May or August. This upcoming year, we are going in April.

I guess I will consider myself lucky and if it ever happens, just roll with it, since it seems like it's more common than not!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

If your site isn't ready, can you unhitch in overflow and drive to a park or does the tow truck need to stay with the trailer? Just trying to decide if we should try and check in and if the site's not ready, if we should take the camper to another park in the meantime or what to do.

 

[bama_ed]

If your site isn't ready, can you unhitch in overflow and drive to a park or does the tow truck need to stay with the trailer? Just trying to decide if we should try and check in and if the site's not ready, if we should take the camper to another park in the meantime or what to do.

Yes you can unhitch and take off. If you gave a cell number in your pre/live check-in process, you'll get a text with your site number when it's ready. Your magic bands will open the gates on the "returning guests" side when you return to get the trailer and set up.

Although, you can save the time of hitch/unhitch by just pulling the trailer to the park, and then drive to your site when you get the text. Just unhitch the one time. At the park you might be directed to the "back 40" parking area or on the end of a new row a little back from the others. You simply go where you're told. If you've gotten into the Fort, you've already "checked in" and can park for free at whatever theme park you go to (rv's cost more than cars to park at the theme parks if you aren't a guest).

Bottom line is you can drop/unhitch at the overflow if you want to. There are pro's and con's.

Bama Ed

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

Thanks, very helpful! First trip to the Fort with the travel trailer. I think we'll just head to a park first to make it easier.

 

[Corgidad]

As always Ed is spot on, I will add one thing you can also leave your truck and trailer hooked up in the overflow lot and take a bus to the parks from the main bus stop very close to the overflow lot. Just remember if you are going to the Magic Kingdom you would have to take a Fort Wilderness internal bus to the Settlement where you would then take a boat to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[rideswithchrist]

As always Ed is spot on, I will add one thing you can also leave your truck and trailer hooked up in the overflow lot and take a bus to the parks from the main bus stop very close to the overflow lot. Just remember if you are going to the Magic Kingdom you would have to take a Fort Wilderness internal bus to the Settlement where you would then take a boat to the Magic Kingdom.

Thanks Corgidad! I was just about to ask this question.

 

[michelb]

FWIW, we pretty much always arrive around noon and I think we've always been able to go right to our site. We've also arrived early in the morning, left the RV in the overflow and gone to the park and then I've returned later to move it to our site.

 

[team bradfield]

I think we fall in the lucky group, we've never had to wait, always arrive between 11 and 2

 

[PaHunter]

As posted above, we have dropped our trailer and drove to the parks. We also one year left our trailer hitched and parked, then headed to the park. We have never been lucky enough for our site to be ready upon our arrival.

 

[gap2368]

I guess in my 26 years of camping at Fort Wilderness, I've been lucky. I've always gotten in early or on time to my campsite. We've checked in as early as 10am and were able to go to our site.

When I was younger, we went with a big group and sometimes took up the entire loop. We never had issues then.

We've never stayed at the cabins though. Always tent camped.

you are lucky. last time I was there they told us our site was close to being ready so we had a late lunch in the overflow lot still no call saying out sit was ready so off to the park we went we where leaving the park well past 8 pm when we got the text our site was ready