Looking for feedback on campgrounds in/near/around Disney at Orlando

Phil H / Chicago · February 20, 2008, 08:18:14 AM

Hey guys,

My wife wants to collect some impute for a trip we are trying to put together in mid-May to Disney world in Orlando. We are planning to take the 45' coach and a honda civic tow. I would love to tell ya it's for the grandkids.....but then it's wrong to lie isn't it? Let's just say this is a learning experience so we will be better prepared when we take them next time.

Can you tell me about the on-site park and others around? All the good and bad?

Thanks,
Phil & Lin

TomC · February 20, 2008, 08:49:49 AM

Camp Wilderness is one of the highest rated (and most expensive) parks. The convenience factor and that you always have access to the parks even with private affairs makes it worth it in my book. It will be where I stay when I go to Orlando for Disney World. Good Luck, TomC

kyle4501 · February 20, 2008, 10:15:40 AM

I've stayed at Fort Wilderness, at the value resorts & off site. For me, the convenience of being so close out weighs the savings from off site (which are offset by parking fees & travel time).
Fort Wilderness is my top choice & is where we will be staying when we go in June (third week).

It is First Class all the way. The sites are separated by vegetation, so there is more privacy than you'd expect. The campground fills up quick, so make your reservations as early as possible.

Oh, if you stay on the property, you can take advantage of the 'extended hours', which means the park has fewer people & that means almost no waiting in line

WEC4104 · February 20, 2008, 10:36:16 AM

A few years ago, my wife heard that they were running discounted airfare/hotel deals for Disney trips. When she looked into it and found out the total cost for a family of five, she was very disappointed and scrapped the idea. I countered by suggesting we look at the cost of taking our bus. She said that was fine, but hadn't suggested it before because she knew how many hours of driving I would have to do. (She hasn't figured out yet that I actually ENJOY driving the bus for long stretches

)

Long story short, we ended up staying at Camp Wilderness for 5 days / 4 nights. I give it high marks. and would also enjoy staying there even if we didn't set foot in the theme parks. We would get up in the morning, eat breakfast in the bus (save big$) and walk 80 yards to catch a shuttle bus. From there we would usually catch the boat over to the park. Somedays we stayed in the park until late afternoon and came back to spend the evenings at the campsite. Other days we returned back to the campsite mid afternoon, took a swim and rested up to go back for a late evening at the parks. Lunches and dinners were a nice mix of campsite meals and Disney restaurants. My kids especially enjoyed dinner at the Japanese restaurant one night.

Be especially careful concerning the 45' length of your coach however. We had made our reservation weeks in advance telling them that we had a 35 foot coach. When we checked in they sent us to a specific site number. In the heavily wooded area, there was absolutely no way anyone could have gotten a 35 footer into the site they gave us. With the strategically placed trees, the best of drivers would have struggled to get a 24 footer into the site. Fortunately there was a help phone number on the paperwork they gave us and a quick cell phone call got us moved to a nearby site that was accessible. Disney must have some more wide open areas (and pull throughs) to accomodate larger rigs, but in the wooded area where we were I'm not sure you would have even been able to drive the camprground roads with a 45' + toad, let alone get into a site.

Overall, we had a great time saved a bundle compared to flying and hotels. My wife just remarked last week about planning another Disney trip. I asked her "Flying or bus?" and she responded "The bus, of course!"

Eagle · February 20, 2008, 11:50:58 AM

Phil try this site it has a world of info. Click on OPEN ROADS FORUM and then scroll to campgrounds.

RV.NET

Ednj · February 20, 2008, 12:56:08 PM

http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/96/1539.html?1028828908

PLACES WE STAY
"BNO BBS"
Pretty good info there.

busguy01 · February 20, 2008, 01:53:34 PM

Hi Phil:
Glad you are enjoying the coach. I have heard from Todd several times and think he will be out to visit in the spring. We are in Florida now and just went to Disney a couple of weeks ago. Definitely stay at fort wilderness!!! There are spots you can fit in - saw several 45'ers there. We are still in the Eagle and no problem getting parked. The "pet" loop ( 700's) is close to the marina and the bus stop. They will NOT guarantee a site but DO look at your wants.
Have fun.
JimH

Barn Owl · February 20, 2008, 02:06:16 PM

I am going there in Sept.

This is a great web site:

http://www.disneycampers.com/

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · February 20, 2008, 05:15:33 PM

Hi Phil,

We are at Ft Wilderness right now! have been all week. There are 7 Prevosts [45'] in the park and 3 Newells [45'] and me... the rest are S&S's and

campers... Stay away from Encore Property's [tropical Palms] and 3 others in the Disney area. They are over booking sites. I Know....They screwed me!

I booked over a month ago for a super site and when we arrived, they were full with no site for me.. Very lousy attitudes to go with that too...

We booked at Disney and the staff is Top Notch! the park is Huge, I think 3000 sites and we rented a golf cart too.. The nightly rates are $52.00 [full hookups]

and all the free transportation you get from Disney, the Fireworks, and free shows makes this resort the best value for your money in Orlando....

Stay out of the Magic Kingdom unless you like wall to wall crowds. You will get on 2 rides all day if you are lucky. Universal Studios is the best place to

go to maximumize your rides you can get on. Ebcot was also not so crowded.

Good Luck
Nick-

tekebird · February 20, 2008, 06:41:49 PM

my folks have stayed at Fort Winlernass....they give it good feedback

Phil H / Chicago · February 20, 2008, 08:23:04 PM

Thanks everyone. Sounds like FW will be the destination. I know it was the way my wife was leaning. Now I just need some warm weather to get some tires on the coach so we can go.

Phil

BusMom · February 21, 2008, 07:22:07 AM

Phil,
We are planning on going to Fort Wilderness at Christmas Time so let us know how the trip goes. Everything I have seen and heard makes it sound like the ideal place to stay.
Amy

Ednj · February 21, 2008, 08:01:42 AM

Quote from: Nick Badame Refrig. Co. on February 20, 2008, 05:15:33 PM
Hi Phil,

We are at Ft Wilderness right now! have been all week.

>
Nick,
While you are there check out some "Behind the Scenes" Tours at Disney World

The Greenhouse Tour was pretty cool.
http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/WDW/Tours.html#WDWT_GH
Ed

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · February 21, 2008, 02:48:17 PM

Thanks Ed,

That's cool....

Today we went to Disney's MGM Studios. Funny, Its not called MGM anymore.... It's now Disney's Hollywood Studios..

Michael Isiner is building a new Mega resort Hotel right next to the Contempory Hotel on some newly claimed land from Lake Vista...

It's a big secret that even all the Disney Employees don't know anything about it!

Geeze, I'm getting a little worn out from all the nightly Fireworks, Pete's Dragon boat light show's, the Wilderness lodge pool, Bananna Daquries,

tweeking my rental golf cart to do 30 mph, the Hoop Da Review, and all the food we are enjoying.... I need a vacation from all this...

If I only remembered to bring my patch cord for my camra you guy's would have been flooded with Florida sunshine pics....

Nick-

NewbeeMC9 · February 21, 2008, 03:44:05 PM

Parked the 40 ftr in CW, would stay there without the park hopper pass, plenty to do in the campground.
Also, get the mealplan!! if you like to eat

we ate dinners in epcot, meal is paid including tip, beverages, appetizers and dezzert. Hard to swallow the initial cost but ends up being the best deal in park. Our first meal was surf n turf in canada epcot, steak and lobster, for four bill was over 200 bucks, meal plan was 400 or so and we still had 2 more nights and 3 more lunches/breakfasts plus snacks. plus you would have spent more than 400 for 4 people to eat burgers in the park if you pay at time of purchase, good way to travel light.

We would go to early open park, pool in after noon, change clothes at 4:00 charlie storm, then go eat early at epcot , then go to late park, buses, Tram, and boats great and no parking worries.

And if you stay on site you get the reserve time for rides. you can reserve a time for one ride at a time and wait less than 10 min to ride. worth it to stay at campwilderness.