February 2017 trip

[Corrie87 0]

Yes, February, I'm a planner! LOL We've visited DisneyWorld theme parks many times but this year we are planning to stay at Fort Wilderness in our camper. I also will have my 1 year old son who hasn't been. I'm just wondering what are some must do's for staying on property for the first time and specifically at Fort Wilderness? We are also looking to stay on one of the premium sites can someone tell me if this is necessary and maybe make a recommendation on what loop? I am excited about the boat ride to Magic Kingdom and to see fireworks and the electrical parade but I'm worried too close may be too loud for my one year old? One last thing...last time we went in the first week of November and experienced very little wait time and not much crowds. It looks like from what I'm reading the last week of February should be the same level of crowds? Has anyone been around that time who can give me a better idea? I would love to not wait in super long lines with a one year old and my nephew will be 3.

 

Thanks so much!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Welcome!

I'll be happy to take a shot at giving you a loop recommendation, but there are some more details that would be helpful- are there other children in your party other than the 1 year old an 3 year old?  What kind of camper do you have, and how big is it?  Do you plan on visiting just the Magic Kingdom, or are you going to try and hit all the parks?  And how long are you staying?

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

Also, if it's a cool clear night, you will hear the fireworks pretty much throughout the campground.

Same with the Electrical Water Parade and the boat horns.

You can even hear fireworks from the other parks.

It will be a little louder closer to the Settlement area.  Another thing to consider if they are light sleepers is the bus noises.

All of this will depend on what type of camper you have.  Noises are a lot louder in a tent/popup then an RV or TT.

Have fun planning.

[Corrie87 0]

Total number of people will be 5 adults, 1, 3, 10, and 13 year olds. Our camper is 23'. We are planning right now to try to be there for Saturday check in and have Sunday to explore Fort Wilderness then all 4 parks Monday-Friday and then leaving that next Saturday.

[Corrie87 0]

9 minutes ago, Travisma said:

Also, if it's a cool clear night, you will hear the fireworks pretty much throughout the campground.

Same with the Electrical Water Parade and the boat horns.

You can even hear fireworks from the other parks.

It will be a little louder closer to the Settlement area.  Another thing to consider if they are light sleepers is the bus noises.

All of this will depend on what type of camper you have.  Noises are a lot louder in a tent/popup then an RV or TT.

Have fun planning.

I'm not super worried about normal noises, he's a heavy sleeper. I'm not gonna lie this is my first camper...so I don't know much about it. That's more my husband's thing. I'm the Disney planner! LOL it is not a tent or popup it says 18TO?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Welcome Corrie87! 

You've come to the right place for Disney planning. This place is chock full of them! 

No question is too big or small - let 'em fly!

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

2 hours ago, Corrie87 said:

Total number of people will be 5 adults, 1, 3, 10, and 13 year olds. Our camper is 23'. We are planning right now to try to be there for Saturday check in and have Sunday to explore Fort Wilderness then all 4 parks Monday-Friday and then leaving that next Saturday.

OK, so a party of 9, with four kids with an age range of 1-13.

You're going in February- the pools will be open, but probably won't be a huge priority, right?

Will you have more than the tow vehicle and the camper to park on the site, or are other party members arriving by other means?

Are you planning for 9 people to sleep in that 23' trailer?  Or are you going to have a tent or another site, or what?  9 in a 23' trailer sounds very cozy.

Although you could fit on a full or preferred site, you will probably want the room provided by a premium site, and you are also going to want to be on a loop that has a comfort station.  So, I would rule out 600 and 700.

Are you going to have any pets along on this trip?

2 hours ago, Corrie87 said:

 LOL it is not a tent or popup it says 18TO?

I'm trying to decipher what this means.

Do you have a hard sided travel trailer?

TCD

[CoachClough 12]

When I took my parents and niece along a few years back, my wife and 2 kids and I were in our camper, 100 loop, and my parents were in a cabin.  That worked out as we ate breakfast on our own, then met up to head into the parks.

We had my truck and their van for running errands, grocery runs etc.

 

[Corrie87 0]

3 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

OK, so a party of 9, with four kids with an age range of 1-13.

You're going in February- the pools will be open, but probably won't be a huge priority, right?

Will you have more than the tow vehicle and the camper to park on the site, or are other party members arriving by other means?

Are you planning for 9 people to sleep in that 23' trailer?  Or are you going to have a tent or another site, or what?  9 in a 23' trailer sounds very cozy.

Although you could fit on a full or preferred site, you will probably want the room provided by a premium site, and you are also going to want to be on a loop that has a comfort station.  So, I would rule out 600 and 700.

Are you going to have any pets along on this trip?

I'm trying to decipher what this means.

Do you have a hard sided travel trailer?

TCD

I saw somewhere you can have a tent with your camper. We were thinking the older kids in there...still cozy in the camper don't get me wrong but we figured we will really only be sleeping in there. Not like we'd be hanging out all day shoved in there together. We would have 2 cars. The SUV that will tow and then another car. Pools are not a huge priority no, i doubt it would be warm enough for the baby especially. We are not planning to bring the dog as it seems like a hassle worrying about providing care for him once we get there.

I have no idea what it means LOL

it is 2017 forest river cherokee wolf pup 18TO limited is exactly what it says online I'm trying to add a picture but it keeps saying I can only have 501KB but I see below it says .49MB I dunno.

[Corrie87 0]

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Now we are getting somewhere.

It sounds like you haven't camped in that trailer yet.  You should be sure to do that several times before heading to the Fort. Forest River says that it sleeps four, and you have nine.  Remember that the days are short in February and if the weather is bad, you all might be inside more than you think.

If you want a tent on your site along with the trailer, then you ought to think about a preferred or full hook up site, as there are tent pads on those sites, but the premium sites are all paved.  With that many people you are going to want to be close to a comfort station.  On a preferred or full hookup site, you might not have room to park both vehicles on the site. There is an overflow parking lot up at the front of the campground you can use, though.

One thing about tenting in February- it can get cold in Florida, so you will need to be prepared for that.  Electric blankets and a small electric space heater should be on your packing list.

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Great advice from TCD, and especially this...

2 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

It sounds like you haven't camped in that trailer yet.  You should be sure to do that several times before heading to the Fort.

 

Even if you just camp in the driveway, doing a few test runs will help you get the lay of the trailer land, figure out what stuff you need and don't need (space and weight are at a premium!), what fits best where, and how everything works ahead of time, so you can just sit back and enjoy your vacation later.

I'll also second the advice about February in Florida.  Expect anything from 80s to 30s (at night), and it could literally swing 50 degrees from one day to the next.  Layers are great to pack for clothing, and in fact I'd recommend warm socks, hats and mittens - just in case. 

[Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie 119]

We just visited the Fort this past Jan/Feb. Mornings and evenings can be very cool bUT by afternoon vrry comfortsble. We ate most breakfasts in the camper as it was too chilly for everyone outside. Clothing can be tricky as you basically have to pack for all seasons. The pool is heated and there is a hot tub. We swam just about everyday. The parks were crowded even though it is supposed to be a low crowd time. We had high 70's and a few 80 degree days. The nights were cool with lows in the 50's. Our first night it was 40 degrees. We also have children in your listed age range. The baby was easy I just made sure I had a hat and fleece blanket for the early mornings and late evenings. The blanket also provided extra shade in the afternoon hot sun. We were in the 500 loop. The evening fireworks are loud but more like thunder loud not explosive loud. Even from the beach it shouldn't frighten the little one. Hopefully you will havE nice weather but be prepared for all temps.

[Corrie87 0]

Thanks everyone! Maybe I posted the wrong picture but that is what our camper looks like although it sleeps 6 not 4. So we would have one extra (the baby) basically. We plan to be camping almost all summer before our trip, in fact we're heading to lake of the ozark this weekend! Yay! I can definitely deal with the weather changes. It was sort of like that when we went in November although maybe not so drastic just chilly mornings and evenings. The kids we're sticking in the tent are boy scouts so they have all they need to camp outdoors we will make sure to be prepared though! Any other advice about must do's on the campgrounds themselves?

 

 

Separate question: We are discussing doing Cinderella's Royal Table for just me and my husband since it will be my 30th birthday when we go. I know I need to try for ADR at 180 days but is this restaurant worth it? I love the princesses (Ariel especially) even though I'm 29 LOL

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

As far as activities go- there are lots of choices in the campground.  There are several playgrounds scattered around, as well as tetherball and basketball courts. 

The Bike Barn rents bikes, and loans sports equipment such as tennis rackets, shuffleboard equipment and the like.  If you can bring bikes, bring them- your kids will have fun riding around.  Renting is expensive.

There are organized recreation activities daily at the Meadow Swimming Pool- these include dance parties, trivia contests, as well as arts and craft projects.

There is a campfire every night at the Theater Under the Stars which you should plan on doing at least once.  There are fires set up for guests to use to roast marshmallows and make s'mores.  You can bring your own sticks and fixings, or you can purchase them there.  The campfire begins with a sing-a-long and appearances by Chip and Dale.  Fun times.  There are also organized recreation activities before the campfire.  The campfire is followed by the playing of a Disney movie.  There are benches and bleachers provided, or you can bring your own folding chairs or blanket to sit on.  The campfire and movie are free to attend.

You can rent a canoe or kayak to paddle around the Fort's canals at the Bike Barn.  Or, you can rent motorized boats to drive around Bay Lake down at the marina.

Make sure to dig up some fishing poles and bring them- kids love to fish, and there are plenty of places to do that around the Fort.  It's a fun and memorable activity for parents to enjoy with their children.

Make sure to visit the Tri-Circle-D Barn at the Settlement.  There, you can see the horses that work all around Disney World, including Cinderella's ponies.  Speaking of ponies, there are pony rides for kids available here too.

That ought to get you off to a good start!

Oh, and getting to your question about crowds, there are sites that spend a lot of time analyzing that issue and preparing crowd calendars.  One that is popular here is EasyWDW- here's a link to the crowd calendar page there: http://www.easywdw.com/easy/crowd-calendars/.  It looks like the last week of February is below average for crowds, so it's similar to the first week of November.

TCD

 

[Travisma 1,317]

One thing to do that is getting more popular (or we hit it at a good time) is the evening wagon rides from the Settlement. It's one of the best bargains you will find on Disney property.

Wagon Rides
children $5 or adults $8 / 25 minutes

Take an old-fashioned, horse-drawn wagon ride on a scenic tour through Disney’s Fort Wilderness Read More

Take an old-fashioned, horse-drawn wagon ride on a scenic tour through Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Available on a first-come, first-served basis, wagon rides depart daily at 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM (weather permitting) from the front of Pioneer Hall.

 

These 25-minute wagon rides cost $8 for Guests ages 10 and up, and $5 for Guests 3 to 9 years of age.

 

When we went it was the 4 of us and 1 other couple and the ride seemed a lot longer than 25 minutes.

Don't get this confused with the private carriage ride that is a LOT more expensive and doesn't seem to last as long.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

For planning purposes, make sure that you take some time to read the articles and documents that are available here on FortFiends.net.

Every month, our queen of content will post the activity schedule for that month.

This is what the schedule looked like for the past February- these things don't change too much, so next February's should be similar in terms of what is offered:

 

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

2 hours ago, Corrie87 said:

We plan to be camping almost all summer before our trip, in fact we're heading to lake of the ozark this weekend! Yay!

Enjoy!!!

If it's in the budget and especially if you're a princess fan, IMO Cinderella's Royal Table is worth doing once - especially if it's a special occasion.

But I'd say expect more from the atmosphere and princesses than the food.  The food isn't bad by any means, it's just not the best food you'll find around WDW if that's what you're looking for.

[PghBob 31]

We have done a mini-snowbird trip the past few Februarys.  The advice posted so far is spot on.  I am adding this only to reinforce a couple of points.  It gets cold in central Florida in February.  In Feb. 2015, one night got down to 34 degrees in FW.  So expect cool mornings and evenings, toasty warm during the day.

Because of the cool weather, it might be prudent for you to go a get a couple of electric heaters.  One for the tenters, and one for your RV.  We used ours quite a bit during Feb.  We got ours at a local Walmart for less than $20, one of the best RV investments we have made.

As TCD has spelled out in detail, there is much to do at the Fort.  I think your whole family will enjoy it.  BTW, remember the take-out area down at the Trail's End Dining at the Settlement area of the Fort.  Buckets of chicken for take out, pizza, and a few other things.  Best deal on Disney Property for feeding a group of people. 

[bdm 47]

As someone who has recently taken a 1 year old to Disney and stayed at a Monorail resort you are making a wise choice staying so close to the MK.

With my son we would get to the park early ride several toddler friendly rides, watch some shows then as the lunch crowed gathered we escaped back to the resort for a quick lunch then hour or so nap.  Then after the nap back into the park for some after noon fun rides and shows.