When do you line up for check-in?

[2tinksmom]

After many trips to Disney and staying at different resorts, we finally get to experience Fort Wilderness! I have been dutifully researching this board but still have one question. We will be driving 16 hours and arriving at around 3 in the morning. I believe check in is at 7, but can we get in line when we get there and then sleep a couple of hours or is there a "line up" time?
Thanks,
Michele

 

[tiggger1]

Check-in time for the campsites is 1 p.m, If you get there early and your site isnt ready they will make you park in the parking lot until it is.

what day is your reservations for? If you are coming in a 3 am of the day your reservation ( ex.. your reservation starts the 1st and you come in at 3am on the 2nd), then you should be able to go right to your site...if you are coming in early( 3 am on the 1st... you will probably have to wait until 1pm.. im not sure if they will let you sleep in the parking lot...( we were told no but not ive heard other say it was fine...)

 

[tim5055]

FW checks folks in 24/7 While the drive through check in is closed, they reception outpost desk is open.

Check in time is actually 1PM for campsites, not 7AM because check out is 11:00AM. You can't check in at 7am to get a site someone doesn't have to be out of until 11.

If you arrive prior to 1PM and you site is not ready, you can still get your resort IDs and enjoy the campground. There is a very large parking lot at the reception outpost, so you can stash the camper there and check out the pool or other activities. If you want, you can go to a park and make a day of it. When you return, get your site assignment and set up camp.

Now, with that said FW runs hot & cold on allowing folks to arrive in the wee hours of the morning and "sleep" in the overflow/day use lot. At times they have allowed it and at other times security asks folks to move on.

If you decide to stop just short of FW and crash in a parking lot, remember the closer you get to the Orlando area the more restrictive local governments have become on extended parking in lots. Depending on your direction of travel I would probably suggest stopping a couple of hours away and crash at a Cracker Barrel. They usually have RV/Bus spaces so you can stop, get a few hours sleep and when you get up have breakfast at CB. Then drive into FW figuring your arrival at around 8 or 9. At that time depending on your day pof arrival you may have a good chance of checking in and going right to your site. If not, at that point they will let you use the overflow lot, and as I said you can go to a park, enjoy the amenities of FW or cruise other resorts.

 

[2tinksmom]

Thanks so much for the info...that clears up a lot of my misinformation!
We will be arriving in the wee hours of the morn on the day we check in.
The Cracker Barrel idea sounds good.
Thanks,
Michele

 

[stacktester]

I stayed in the overflow once when we were coming from another campground late at night and nobody said anything. Tried it again that Thanksgiving and a security came up and said we couldn't do it. I would suggest stopping short of the fort and coming in around 0700 and just getting checked in. It also saves waiting in line by doing that.

There is a campground near Universal Studios that charges $10 a night for an overflow spot. It's called Turkey Lake CG at Bill Frederick Park. You can pay with a credit card and they will give you the keycode to check in. It's much safer and you won't be coming in waking up a loop of campers trying to get in your site.

 

[2tinksmom]

Oh, yea! When can you actually line up in the drive to check in?
Michele

 

[stacktester]

Oh, yea! When can you actually line up in the drive to check in?
Michele

I'd say come in as early as you like and get your keys and info packet. They'll give you a little card with a number to call and they'll tell you the site number then. I wouldn't suggest coming any earlier that 0500-0600. I was told they got pretty strict on the boondocking rules. If you are sent to the overflow, once you get your site number you can simply pull out and come back thru with no waiting.

 

[Millermouseketeers]

We came in this past Christmas at 2:30 am and were turned away! We went to Wal-Mart and told no parking with the pup. So went shopping at 2:30 am at the Wal-Mart with the very tired kids in tow. We finally went back about 5:30 and they checked us in. We even got a campsite but just parked and slept at the campsite so as not to disturb anyone. We just lucked out that the campsite was ready. But they were very firm with us about not parking there at 2:30.

 

[2tinksmom]

Wal-Mart turned you away?? Wow. That's was plan C...but we have now moved on to plan D which is a keeper. I was lucky enough to call yesterday and add another day on to both campsites at the beginning of our stay. They only had three spots available, so we were lucky. Now, we can leave a little later, check in and pull in and just sleep like the last poster did.
Michele