I'll get you my pretty... Camping alone at the fort with kids

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

I found the answer but had to go back a few years to remember the question...

Some of you might remember my mom stories from many years ago in a land far, far away. Yup, that was me who posted the following pre-trip vent after announcing to the family that I was taking the DDs tent camping alone.

Since many found it amusing, I just dug it out of the raging invisible floodwaters that my mom is sure are gonna sweep us off at any moment to share it again... and answer the question "Do you think it's safe for a woman & child to camp alone these days?"

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

The question as posted long long ago... okay so maybe only a few years ago... and actually nothing much has changed... well except the tent is a TT and DH is now a happy rv'er... but stilll, you'll get the idea...

My mom is flipping out b/c I'm camping with the girls alone. Tonight she even threw in the "do you have to pitch a tent?" question...

"well... no mom... not really, I lay down the magical tent bag and wave my wand and viola... all ready!" I thought it was a semi-appropiate response to a moronic city-mom type of question but she was unimpressed.

I swear I thought I heard her mumble "I'll get you, my pretty... and your little dog too!" under her breath... HA!... Little does she know that DB offered to puppy-sit so she'll be far out of reach too...

So, now my stepdad is ticked too b/c, after all, not only am I driving alone with their granddaughters but I have to pitch my own tent and I'm not even bothered by sleeping in it.

They insist --

1) the world isn't a safe place and women don't camp unattended with their children b/c campgrounds are now full of low rent degenerate types who might rob us, harm a woman, or steal a child.

2) If the sickos don't get us, the bugs or gators will

3) I won't be able to set the tent up properly and will either give up or it'll collapse on us and kill us or something

4) Even if I do get said tent set up, I might hit DD8 in the head with the hammer while trying to drive the anchors into the sand causing massive head trauma.

Either way, it sounds like I'm doomed. I didn't dare mention the Golf Cart which probably doesn't come with seat belts or a campfire.

After all, I'm not stupid - despite the fact that DD18 answered "yes" once when I asked "do you think I'm stupid" during a disagreement in public.

We should take a moment to note here that my early camping experience was vast and varied. It wasn't with them though. As the child of a divorced dad with too much visitation who didn't know what to do to keep two active kids entertained, we camped at least three weekends a month until we were in college. Then, as a parent and scout leader, group camping trips became a great time to socialize and take on an independant adult camper's role.

Oaky, I admit it's been a few years, but the youngest DD is positively thrilled with the opportunity and I'm looking forward to it, even if DH isn't able/willing to camp anymore.

So... consider this a vent... or maybe a pre-trip report. In a weak moment, it could also be a question though... "do you think it's dangerous or inadvisable for a woman and child to camp alone at the fort these days?" 

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

So... we dropped the little dog - a papillion puppy - off with my DB & his girl to babysit. I think we were all more worried about leaving a semi-new puppy than we were about the possibility of being raped, robbed, or pilaged.

DH swore that he'd "done all the camping he ever planned to do between the military and scout leaders." It was a shame... and it drove me crazy at first staying in all those horrid concierge rooms with the lounge full of pastries, desserts, DD's favorite plates of uncrustables garnished with gummy worms, drinks in the evenings... did I mention the port?  :rofl2: 

Oh, who am I kidding, life was good, the food was good, the staff was good... so good in fact that, one year when DD17 took her former BF (we'd taken the momma's boy along, a really bad decsion on my part...boy was that kid a loser... oops, hijacking my own already hijacked post again, sorry) back to the room to change into bathing suits shortly after the rest of our group had just headed down the sidewalk & into Epcot, My CM friend Phyllis called from the BCCL desk to ask if I knew my child had just headed down the hallway alone with a boy. :rofl2: I told her they were supposed to be going to the pool and to go use her key if they weren't back out in 10 minutes. Sure enough, Starla dearest can tell you, she turned the corner on the way to the pool five minutes later only to run smack into Phyllis headed full steam ahead to interrupt any potential hanky-panky. OMG are those CMs good and they had known my kids almost since they were born. That 4th floor with its seemingly secure elevator key access represented the very epitome of comfort & safety in a dangerous world according to my parents. Of course, they'd much rather I stayed home with the doors locked and hid in the basement at the slightest hint of a storm, but since we insisted on doing "this disney thing all the time" at least they were appeased we were doing it properly.

I can still see the astonishment on their faces when the youngest princess told them we'd be staying on by ourselves to tent camp. It was their worst nightmare come back to bite them in the... well you get the idea... Yes, life as they'd known it was about to change...

[Momoffive aka Loretta 34]

Love it.  Happy you posted it here!!  I think the only place I could tent camp without DH would be Disney. 

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

I should take a moment here to explain that DH was not being unreasonable by not wanting to do any more tent camping, though I sure told him often enough that I thought he was in the hope of changing his mind. To be fair, DH has disabilities that would make getting in & out of a tent... not to mention, up & down off the inflatable mattress... no picnic at the fort. Besides, back then there was work to think of.  Somebody had to pay the bills while mommy drank diet coke and played with the kiddos. Nobody could blame him for not wanting to... his words here... wake up with bugs in his teeth... on his only week off. Well, okay... maybe I did... but that's a wife's job...

Since I had more time than DH had, and prefer driving, I drove with the girls in my minivan. Did I mention that I'd done this a few years earlier in the old minivan and not only ran out of gas at 1 am on I-95 on the way down but the fan motor caught fire when I didn't turn off the a/c while stopped for hours on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in DC on the way home... you know that you're in a rough city when the folks stopped in traffic all around you only sit & watch as the flames come out of your engine compartment. The guy next to us might have been pulling a boat but friendly campers they were not...

Anyway, back to this trip... DH flew in after we arrived with the older DD's current BF for company. We spent ten days at the YC with our best buds, an absolutely terrific family we struck up a conversation with about wdw in a dance waiting area years ago and have traveled with as frequently as possible in the fifteen years since. They are true friends who know our faults and have no trouble laughing at... err loving us... anyway.  :rofl2:

Then DH flew home and we headed for FW. We were lucky really, the BF decided to take pity on us and stay an extra couple of days to help us break... errr, I mean set up... the tent. In reality, I think it was the talk of watermice and golf carts that swayed him to postpone his return flight, but hey, whatever it takes, right? :rofl2:

Our friends were staying on at YC for another week and called to check in on us, even lent us their extra inflatable mattress & sheets when BF decided to camp too, but nearly peed themselves laughing when I suggested they come over & check out our site for the day. Go figure... See if I offer to share my rain soaked piece of nylon with the freshly broken pole with them again... :rofl2:

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

Anyway, we are now :banana:  :dance: :banana: AT THE FORT  :banana: :dance: :banana:. The tent is set up... well sort of... somehow the pole on the side broke during the BF's pitching process. Ohhhh boy... now that was a moment there... when we both looked at each other and I just knew what we really wanted to pitch wasn't a tent. I'm also fairly sure we both knew exactly where we wanted the other to put it too...  :o

We've picked up the GC and are so pleased that the CM took one look at me standing there waiting to check in and and moved us to the 1500 loop. How awesome is that? We're just a few spots down from the comfort station and an easy walk to the pool.  :rofl2:

We pile into the GC and head down to the marina to use the watermouse voucher we had left over from YC before it expired. Starla & BF take out a boat, while DD & I explore. We'd been to the HDDR before, we'd explored the trading post before... but this time DD was doing it as a camper!

As we're walking toward the playground, a pair of armadillo mosey out into the road. DD stops dead in her tracks. I wasn't sure if she was afraid of spooking them or if they'd spooked her. Suddenly she spins around with her arms spread wide and proclaims "I love it here... this is the most magical place on the face of the planet!" I looked at her face with those mushy mommy tears hidden in the corners of my eyes and I knew that, in this place, at this moment, she was 100% correct...

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Aww, how precious :rofl2:

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

This was years ago, but the kids used sidewalk chalk to make sure folks would know who we were. Every time it rained they'd re-do it.  I even got a windshield size sheet of green posterboard for the van with my user name on it. We'd hoped someone would stop by and say Hi but no such luck.

Looking back on it now, I suspect perhaps that it was the green... should've been purple...  :rofl2:

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

Love it, I to got a little slack last year when I took my kids alone to the fort, it was a 12 hour drive, never tent camped for fun (my military exursions didnt really count) and first time at WDW.  My kids are 11, 10 , 9 and 2... IT was awesome!! never once felt concerned for our safety.  I will admit however, Disney is probably one of the very few places I'd do this.  We checked out Racoon Mountain in Chattanooga this weekend.... wouldnt sleep there by myself... not impressed or maybe I'm just spoiled from our Ft. experience.  Regardless, great report! 

[rdancemom... Pam 113]

Love it.  Happy you posted it here!!  I think the only place I could tent camp without DH would be Disney.

Thanks. I wouldn't even have considered camping alone anywhere but the fort too. Since then, I've been to a few places I feel like I could do it at but, thankfully, DH is totally on board now that he can sleep in a TT.  :parrot:

Aww, how precious :wiz:

*** blush *** darn hormones... I find myself a blubbering messs more often these days. Last year, I caught myself fighting back those mommy tears while watching Santa's arrival at the mall.  :-[

Still... it's moments like this that we parents end up remembering and cherishing forever. Having a child jaded by multiple wdw trips each year actually be so in love with the fort just made it all more  magical for me than I can say. Magical enough even to make the rainy days ahead still enjoyable... but more on that later...

Love it, I to got a little slack last year when I took my kids alone to the fort, it was a 12 hour drive, never tent camped for fun (my military exursions didnt really count) and first time at WDW.  My kids are 11, 10 , 9 and 2... IT was awesome!! never once felt concerned for our safety.

While I know that people with bad intent can be everywhere, the fort is one place I feel safe too. Before my parents flipped out, I never even considered it might be dangerous. Campers are folks who notice their neighbors, and I'm sure ours knew we were there solo part of the time, but we didn't experience any problems... well, except for breaking the tent pole and getting a bit wet in the rain. Typical disney stuff that seemed less irritating outside at the fort than it would have if we'd been running thru the rain to get inside the hotel and change. I figured we were already outside & wet, it was summer, no biggie, let's splash in a few extra puddles and enjoy it. Bring on the ducks! :banana:

I'd been staying on an extra few weeks or going down to FL a few weeks early alone with the girls for years before in the summer. DH would fly down to meet us and we'd do the family vacation,relaxing more and enjoying things he liked. Then once on our own we'd hit the outlets, eat cheap, go places he hated like AK and Sea World, ect. It was the best of both worlds and a way to make sure nobody sulked b/c they were forced to do something during our family week. Tent camping just seemed like a natural extension of our pattern. It ended up being the best we did all that year.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

"I love it here... this is the most magical place on the face of the planet!" I looked at her face with those mushy mommy tears hidden in the corners of my eyes and I knew that, in this place, at this moment, she was 100% correct...

Yup!  :rofl2:

:rofl2: