Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

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Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby JudyJB » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:20 pm

Here is my posting describing the Disney World Fort Wilderness Campground where I spent the second week in December. Be warned it is a long post with a lot of photos, but I did not know how to make it any shorter.

First, Disney’s website says it has four types of campsites:

• Premium (from $90) (Is double-wide the entire length and has a newer picnic table and full hookup. No place to put a tent, however, as it is asphalt entirely, except for a narrow gravel strip along the utility side. Ideal for long rigs with accompanying vehicles.)
• Preferred (from $81) (Is double-wide near the front, but wider in the back. There is a large gravel tent pad in the back. You can either put a tent here or back your larger vehicle all the way back.)
• Full Hookup (from $73) (These had a single-wide asphalt strip, with small pad in the back. There were longer than the tent or popup sites, but not as long as the Preferred or Premium sites. The picnic table was in the back, rather than on the side.)
• Tent or Popup (from $54) (These had a single wide, short asphalt pad and gravel in the back. Good site for a car or truck and a tent or two.

These are described and shown in photos on the Disney site at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resor ... tes-rooms/

Now, strangely, Sue and I saw a tent area where there were no individual sites and cars were parked off to the side. Not sure if this was a group site or what it was. No electric or hookups of any kind.

Here is my site and an area that was more crowded:
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And here is the entrance road and the bus stop, plus the entrance to Loop 1400. You can barely see my rig on the right hidden in the bushes:
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One of the nice things is that all of the full-hookup sites have cable TV and complimentary internet. The comfort stations also have laundry rooms, which were OK, but I did not even look into the showers or toilet areas, so I cannot attest to those. With your fee, you also get access to the pools and campfire program, plus the Disney transportation system, which means a ferry across the lake to the Magic Kingdom and some of the resorts. There is also bus service just about everywhere throughout Disney World.

With a package program, you also get discounted tickets to the theme parks. They have it set up that the daily rate for theme parks gets cheaper the more days you sign up for, so that the last day of my 7-day package was only $7 extra.

Notes:

• You cannot select a specific site, but they do ask you if you have any special requests. I chose a premium site and requested one near transportation, so I ended up only a couple of hundred feet from the bus stop in the 1400 loop. I had a large site with a lot of greenery on both sides and in the back, so I was very happy. I would not have been as happy with some of the more crowded areas, although the premium sites were a bit more spread out than some of the others.
• Some loop roads are pretty narrow. The loop I was in was a tight circle, but I managed with my 32’ rig, even if a trio of kids were riding around in my way at first. I saw a very long 6th wheel and pickup truck have problems going around the circle. You might want to note that you want a site easy to get into on your registration form.
• Also, pets are allowed at only some of the sites. Make sure you note pets on your registration form so you end up in a pet-friendly area.
• In addition, there are no open fires allowed and no fire pits provided. You ARE allowed to bring a metal fire pit, but there are fussy about what kinds are allowed. They are supposed to have mesh sides and a solid metal top to prevent embers from escaping.
• There is a small store, but it is mostly filled with Disney souvenirs. Best to bring a lot of food with you.

Here are some photos of the pools and recreation areas, including the campfire area, the canoeing pond, and the kiddie and adult pools:
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Here is the ferry dock and the camp store. You can also rent small boats at the ferry dock:
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The week with tickets for each day at one of the theme parks cost me almost $1,000, but it was something I had wanted very much to do and a treat to myself. It was a pleasant spot and the convenience of being so close to easy transportation was worth a lot to me. I spent almost no other money for food since I ate before and after I went to each theme park. Considering the cost of all other Disney resorts, this one was a bargain.

Two or three weeks before Christmas is a terrific time to come here. The resort and theme park decorations are up, and the campers who come every year with their decorations are mostly here. The weather can be variable, but it is not as hot as summer, certainly. The second week in December when I came is also considered a low-cost week in terms of sites, but it does get higher in the third week and during the holidays, so you might want to check. During the week, there were actually quite a few empty spots, I assume because kids are still in school.

Here are just a sampling of the photos I took of the camper decorations during the day. I rented a golf cart to get around the 700 acres and 699 campsites. Soos joined me for part of it and will have her own comments, I am sure. Disney is pretty lenient as to how many things they allow.

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This last one, by the way, had an entire train set in the tent to the left and kids games, plus a Santa in a tent to the right. The table in the front had plates with carrots for each of the reindeer.
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Here are some decorations at night.
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JudyJB
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"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts." Mark Twain.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby pattyk » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:45 pm

Thank you for your beautiful pictures. It seems like quite the place to be at this time of year.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby chalet05 » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:46 pm

Thanks, Judy! Next year is my turn - can't wait!
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby Redwahine » Wed Dec 19, 2012 2:53 pm

After looking at your pix DH agreed that next Xmas we will be a DW. Yeah. Even though we grew up in OC and went there Disneyland very often growing up, I just can't get enough. Never been as an adult without kids :lol: But gonna make reserv soon. :P

Anita, what dates are you thinkin about?
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby JudyJB » Wed Dec 19, 2012 3:28 pm

It's a great place to go without kids! Frankly, it is even preferable to go without kids.

One thing you might want to know--make dinner reservations at any of the big restaurants, especially in Epcot at least six months in advance. If you wait until the last minute, you will be out of luck.

We learned that two years ago in early February when I went there with my son and his wife, three little ones, and his mother-in-law. She and I tried to go out for a grandmas' night out and found very few choices in restaurants, even though it was not a busy time, supposedly.

Ditto for Downtown Disney restaurants and any of the big entertainment shows there.
Last edited by JudyJB on Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby chalet05 » Wed Dec 19, 2012 6:34 pm

Redwahine wrote:Anita, what dates are you thinkin about?


Chris, I have my Fort Wilderness reservations for Dec 1-12, 2013.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby rvgrammy1953 » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:11 pm

We've been to Disney World 3 times....once with "grown kids" (21 yrs. old)......once with little kids & their parents (kids..18 mos. to 10 yrs.) and once just the 2 of us.....guess which visit was the all around "very best"..........Yep, the last one..... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby Redwahine » Wed Dec 19, 2012 7:42 pm

Did you get your package deal through the campground ? Or 3rd party?
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby chalet05 » Wed Dec 19, 2012 8:29 pm

I got my reservations online at the Disney site. http://www.disneyworld.disney.go.com

That said, sometimes they will not let you reserve campsites on that site - I have no idea why. In fact, I got on just to review what I decided before I called them and there were the campsites!

This is their travel department number - (407) 939-7905. I used that 5 years ago and was very pleased with the person I talked with.

The package comes with admission tickets but add a little extra for park hopper (if you want to visit more than one park a day). They also have 3 prepaid dining plans. I like them because it makes me stop to eat and not look at the prices $$$$. Plus less fiddling with money or credit card.

This will be my 6th visit - 3rd at Christmas. Our first trip was with older DD and SIL; late hubby and I did 2; this will be 3rd on my own.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby MrsHomeSweetRoam » Wed Dec 19, 2012 9:05 pm

Wow, wonderful- I had no idea this existed. Thanks for sharing! ...one day!
Gena, traveling with her husband Russell and their "velcro dogs" Mike and Hazen.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby Redwahine » Wed Dec 19, 2012 10:37 pm

chalet05 wrote:
Redwahine wrote:Anita, what dates are you thinkin about?


Chris, I have my Fort Wilderness reservations for Dec 1-12, 2013.


We are making reservations for dates that will overlap!! Oh boy, another gtg!!!
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby Dawn309 » Wed Dec 19, 2012 11:01 pm

What a wonderful place for a mini GTG! You guys will have so much fun! Glad Sasquatch wants to go too.
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby chalet05 » Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:18 am

Chris, what dates?? Woohoo!!
Anita
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby Redwahine » Thu Dec 20, 2012 12:32 am

chalet05 wrote:Chris, what dates?? Woohoo!!

Will let you know. :P
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Re: Disney's Fort Wilderness Campground in December

Postby Nasoosie » Thu Dec 20, 2012 2:22 pm

For me, the best part of Fort wilderness was meeting Judy, and seeing her beautiful rig. My son works as a biologist at Disney (for a company that is in charge of all Disney's water----lakes, streams, swamps, you name it-----and so I can go there for free whenever. Not for camping, but just to visit. If a GTG were to be had there, I would have to hit the lottery win! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is extremely expensive at Disney World. I am so happy to have been able to see the place decked out for Christmas with Judy, however. Her golf cart saved us many miles of walking and getting lost! And the company was fun! I will remember it, but would I go back to camp? Nope-----not my style for camping, although I have always wanted to camp there, until I saw it. Fort Wilderness is about as wild as NY City!

thanks for the great pics, Judy----I had forgotten to take my camera!
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