Who Is Up For A Fort Wilderness DISMeet? (discussion thread)

[bama_ed]

Folks,

I wanted to tee up a subject that has been discussed at our Gulf State Park DISMeet (visit the Camping Community Board and find the threads) in the past about trying to pull off a DISMeet at Fort Wilderness.

Doing a DISMeet at Fort Wilderness is a natural step. We all end up there at one time or another. So to the degree there is flexibility and advance planning in scheduling a Fort vacation, we talked at Gulf about trying this in the next year or two. Past Fort DISMeets have occurred during popular times like Christmas, Halloween, and spring break and we've done some pot luck lunches which have been really fun. But now let's try to make it more than just a random occurrence.

A couple of things are a given.

• A Disney vacation usually has lots to do already (parks, activities, meals) with some time for the Fort.
• The more people involved, the more difficult it is to coordinate a meet-and-greet or meal due to calendar commitments.
• There are those that have traditional times of year to visit (or not visit) so a DISMeet time window may not work.
• And it's a given any time frame won't work for everybody for some other reason.

But we'd like to try the best we can.

At Gulf we discussed possible dates and came up with two possibilities foremost: that same May period after/around Memorial Day and possibly mid-October. Both are:

• not as hot as July and not as cold as January
• not as expensive as Peak (Christmas or spring break) but not as inexpensive as Value times
• easier (but not easy) if school kids are involved. Memorial Day week is after school lets out for many of us in the South at least and October can leverage Columbus Day (a Monday) to lessen the number of days missed for work/school

As to when, the May 2019 option is probably not a good one. Twelve of us already have a site reserved at Gulf State Park for then (more are welcome!) and we would like to still have that event there/then. October 2019 is the next valid window (Columbus Day is Monday Oct 14) so something in the Oct 13-19, 2019 range. We are shooting for a window of time and not exact common arrival and departure days. Theoretically, May 2020 could be on the table for the Fort if there is enough interest (the Gulf DISMeet could go on hiatus for a year). That week is Sunday May 24 to Saturday May 30, 2020 with Memorial Day on Monday May 25.

TLDR Version (Too Long Didn't Read [all-the-gobledy-gook-Ed-wrote-above])

1. Fort DISMeet: is anybody interested?
2. When: October 2019 during Columbus Day week or May 2020 around Memorial Day week?
3. Try to schedule one lunch or dinner as a group at the Fort? (not a restaurant) so everyone can leave the same mid-day or evening unscheduled if that date is known far enough in advance. Then you can always mix-mingle-visit one another's sites as Fort campers do anytime during your stay.

There are other considerations: use a travel agent for the group (why? what is the value added?) or not; assume we all try to cluster based on what type of site each person needs like in the Full-1500-1200/1300 cluster. Or not.

Finally, if you're shy about meeting any of us, all I can say is I've met many of you and have enjoyed meeting each and every one.

What do you think?

Bama Ed

PS - my lean is for October Columbus Day week 2019. We are inside its booking window now. MK is decorated for Halloween and offers the Not-So-Scary hard ticket event beside normal park hours. Plus May 2020 sounds so far away.... Although I usually book a Preferred I could book a Full if we wanted to try to cluster closer together and not be spread over kingdom come.

PPS - Kudos to Teamubr, bjschil, and others who are planning a MidWest DISMeet this summer

PPPS - DISMeets can be anytime that people want to get together and set a date.

 

[FtW Mike]

Ed as Flametamer was busy with his daughter I reached out to his TA as we use her as well. Basic answers to the important questions are as follows

DISCOUNT She advised that as we will be booking for most part campsites a discount is most likely on in the table. Should we have enough others come on board that book cabins or rooms in an other resort something might be available.
GROUP to be recognized as a group she needs to book 10 sites or more for us.
SITES Everyone is free to book the sort of site that works best for them and for the duration that works best for them but she would try to get attendees near each other for the category they book
ADDED COST Not a factor she gets paid by Disney in the form of commission.
Any other questions about using a TA let me know and I can try to answer them. Hint she is now actively booking Nov 2019.

For me I would prefer Oct time frame Weather a tad cooler than Sept and crowds still not full on Holiday levels but that was pre Food and Wine festival days. But for now I will abstain on committing or voting as my nephew is getting married Columbus day weekend in 2019 so we'll be camping in Va. that weekend.

 

[Teamubr]

Ed,

Thanks for getting this rolling. For us, 2019 is out. We are joining everyone again at GSP in May and another vacation next year will likely be in the Caribbean or somewhere completely different. DW is looking at Europe too. We can be in for 2020 though. Either May or October is good. DW would prefer October since the weather should be cooler. Galaxy's Edge will be open in 2020 too.

I'll keep following along here to see what shapes up.

j

 

[bama_ed]

We are joining everyone again at GSP in May and another vacation next year will likely be in the Caribbean or somewhere completely different. DW is looking at Europe too.

j

Okay Jim. Anchors away

I did London, Paris (DLP), and the Riviera in summer 2015. DW will enjoy it.

Bama Ed

 

[tigger92662]

We would be in for either 2019 or 2020. As Jim @Teamubr pointed out, Star Wars land would be open 2020. I'm not a huge Star Wars fan, but I'm very interested.
Maybe 2020 would be better as it would give others plenty of time to plan . Maybe 2019 GSP as a springboard to 2020

 

[tiggerdad]

2019 is off books for us it looks like. We have the GSP Dismeet in May.

2019 is our 20th wedding anniversary, and we are talking about maybe a trip to Hawaii or the Caribbean for that.

I think, I'm not sure, but I think I've got them talked into letting me be off 2 weeks next summer. If so, the family and I are gonna try and make a camping run to Yellowstone.

These will effectively eliminate us from 2019 trip for Disney.

2020 however, open in May around Memorial Day or Columbus Day week in October.

 

[team bradfield]

2019 is off for us, same issue as tiggerdad, but 30th anniversary. New Zealand bound, LOTR fans. Tigger if you do yellowstone south, coulter bay resort in the tetons is 2nd in my book to FW. If you go yellowstone north, Rocky Mountain Campground in Gardiner, MT is good, right at the north entrance. Yellowstone (3) times.

Ed, we're planning on FW in May 2020

 

[tiggerdad]

2019 is off for us, same issue as tiggerdad, but 30th anniversary. New Zealand bound, LOTR fans. Tigger if you do yellowstone south, coulter bay resort in the tetons is 2nd in my book to FW. If you go yellowstone north, Rocky Mountain Campground in Gardiner, MT is good, right at the north entrance. Yellowstone (3) times.

Ed, we're planning on FW in May 2020

I will Roger that.

@snowmedic , it ain't a party without a mustache. You got any input?

 

[bama_ed]

2019 is off for us, same issue as tiggerdad, but 30th anniversary. New Zealand bound, LOTR fans.

LOTR? What does this acronym stand for? Google says "Lord of the Rings" but that doesn't fit.

Bama Ed

 

[FtW Mike]

Tiggerdad don't tell your bride but she would have gotten less time if she killed you.

 

[amcc]

LOTR? What does this acronym stand for? Google says "Lord of the Rings" but that doesn't fit.

Bama Ed

It is Lord of the Rings! The movies were filmed there.

 

[amcc]

I’m interested. Probably not with all the kids but we can probably swing a weekend. Either date sounds good.

 

[friendofeeyore]

Grumpy has us going to The Fort oct 23 thru Nov 7th 2019. We will be their this Nov & Dec 2018. Our kids & us will be going in Oct 2020 not sure of the dates. Just tell us what everyone else wants & we will be there if God willing & the Creek don’t rise.

 

[PaHunter]

We could probably swing a trip in Oct 2020, maybe take the nephews down, or do an adults only trip then take them down in Jan/Feb of 2021. Could buy AP's if doing that.

 

[jbrostek]

Interested, but not sure I can swing a 3rd RV trip in for 2019. 2020 is possible, though logistics will have to be thought out.

 

[team bradfield]

It is Lord of the Rings! The movies were filmed there.

 

[snowmedic]

@snowmedic , it ain't a party without a mustache. You got any input?

OK, so I gave this a quick read through at work yesterday and another go at it just now. With doing a Jan/Feb trip this year ( I know that is not what the options are ), it was just a little to cold for this northern boy, it was just a different kind of cold, but we are going to do it again this year. After that we are going back to our Mar. and Oct. Disney trips but I am open to moving March to May for a group Dis-meet. Either year 2019-2020 is fine with us, I was actually looking at Oct. 2019 a few nights ago so we will have that booked already by the end of the weekend.

So with that said I will keep following along and see what comes about and plan accordingly. It will be nice to get to see some fellow Dis-ers again, and meet up with a lot of new Dis-ers.

 

[FtW Mike]

I will Roger that.

@snowmedic , it ain't a party without a mustache. You got any input?

What is my Handlebar Chopped acorns

 

[tiggerdad]

Well, bad news for us.

School calendar came out. Starting this year school won't get out until the Wednesday after Memorial Day. They added an entire week where usually it ended the Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend.

This may very well remove me from the Memorial Day Dismeet all together.

 

[PaHunter]

Well, bad news for us.

School calendar came out. Starting this year school won't get out until the Wednesday after Memorial Day. They added an entire week where usually it ended the Wednesday before Memorial Day weekend.

This may very well remove me from the Memorial Day Dismeet all together.

But that can't be, we already all chipped in and purchased a bug repellent net suit for your DW, so she could enjoy the outdoors also.