Crockett & Boone 0 Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 My Special Needs Venturing Crew is talking about going to Fort Wilderness to camp for a week. I'm thinking that using one or two sites in a partial hookup loop would be better fro them than creek side meadow. Thinking that 1500 loop would be closer to things for them than 2000 loop. Thoughts? Has anyone taken a group of youth/young adults to Fort Wilderness before? What were your experiences? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Welcome. Since the Fort allows up to 10 guests for each campsite, a lot of groups opt to rent campsites rather than use the group camping area. We have all seen that many times. The advantage of a campsite over the group camping area is that you will have electric and water at site, as well as parking right at the site. The disadvantage is that you will have less space for tents and a smaller comfort station for your campers to use. Also, the group camping area has fire pits for the groups to use, and you will have to bring your own approved fire pit to have a campfire at a campsite. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cortezcapt (Derek) 156 Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Welcome! We have all seen this rule ignored a lot but if you are a rule follower it's an RV and tent or 2 tents per site. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 1 hour ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said: Welcome! We have all seen this rule ignored a lot but if you are a rule follower it's an RV and tent or 2 tents per site. I have seen many people repeat that 2 tent per site rule, but I don't think that is really a rule. I've seen Disney set up three rental tents on one site. One RV per site is a rule, per this "love note" used by the Fort Rangers. But, there is no place on there for them to cite anyone for having more than two tents: This is the most current printed set of rules that I have- it only says that all of your equipment has to fit on the pad (except your dining structure, which can be 10' from the site), and no more than two cars per site: TCD BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cortezcapt (Derek) 156 Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 I was just going by what is on the Disney website. Though it only says that for tent and pop up, and full hook-up sites. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/rates-rooms/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 1 hour ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said: I was just going by what is on the Disney website. Though it only says that for tent and pop up, and full hook-up sites. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/rates-rooms/ Good point. But we've discussed the omissions and inconsistentancies of the website before. It only mentions pets in reference to the premium loops, and shows a tent set up in a preferred loop, but doesn't mention that RV's are welcome in those loops. I don't think anyone would argue that those site descriptions are the rules. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crockett & Boone 0 Posted October 7, 2017 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2017 Ok, we've decided to bring the crew, and are thinking of late September or early October of 2019 to give them time to fund raise. I'm going to be there in February of 2018 in the cabins, so I'm going to do some scouting of loop 1500 & 2000. I've always wanted to tent camp here, but family always nixes that. I used to come in RV back in the mid 70's & early 80's as a kid. This is by far my favorite resort. Since tent area is sand, I assume the drainage is pretty good? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cortezcapt (Derek) 156 Posted October 7, 2017 Report Share Posted October 7, 2017 17 minutes ago, Crockett & Boone said: Ok, we've decided to bring the crew, and are thinking of late September or early October of 2019 to give them time to fund raise. I'm going to be there in February of 2018 in the cabins, so I'm going to do some scouting of loop 1500 & 2000. I've always wanted to tent camp here, but family always nixes that. I used to come in RV back in the mid 70's & early 80's as a kid. This is by far my favorite resort. Since tent area is sand, I assume the drainage is pretty good? I don't have any experience tent camping at the Fort and I'm sure someone who does will be along with more info for you. The sand is actually hard packed crushed coquina/sand, I have read on here and seen where there can be low spots in the pads where water won't drain out. One of the Fiends had a problem with this and recommends bringing a small shovel to dig a drainage trench if needed. I would recommend making your reservations as soon as you can especially if you are getting multiple sites, they can always be cancelled or changed but often times weekend sites are very hard to get if you wait. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 On 10/7/2017 at 2:27 PM, Crockett & Boone said: Since tent area is sand, I assume the drainage is pretty good? You know what they say about assuming. As Derek already said, above, the pads are not sand- they are crushed coquina. It's harder and more compacted than sand would be. Depending on how long it's been since the pads were refreshed, the coquina could be very packed down and almost impenetrable. Thus, you could have a nice puddle or small lake on the camping pad. They are not graded to drain- and there are some sites where water will pool. It does drain eventually. The good news is that October is one of the drier months of the year: As far as digging trenches goes, that was always a big no-no when I was in the Boy Scouts. And, I think it should be a no-no at the Fort. Trenches cause erosion, and the next camper is going to have a site with an uneven surface. Not cool. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Seals 111 Posted October 9, 2017 Report Share Posted October 9, 2017 One April we were in the 2000 loop during a heavy overnight rainstorm and our site flooded. My husband was out there in the early morning while it was still raining using a piece of cardboard to try to push the water off the pad as a Fort vehicle drove slowly past our site. Luckily a nice man from Massachusetts in the next site asked us if we wanted to borrow his shovel and my husband dug paths off the pad so the water could drain. My advice is to bring a shovel! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 On 10/9/2017 at 12:46 PM, Seals said: One April we were in the 2000 loop during a heavy overnight rainstorm and our site flooded. My husband was out there in the early morning while it was still raining using a piece of cardboard to try to push the water off the pad as a Fort vehicle drove slowly past our site. Luckily a nice man from Massachusetts in the next site asked us if we wanted to borrow his shovel and my husband dug paths off the pad so the water could drain. My advice is to bring a shovel! We had a horrible site in the 1500 loop as far as water issues (the site itself was great).. It didn't even rain that hard and our tent flooded on 2 different days (even after the Forts fix). I was out there during the storm using a frisbee to move water out. I moved so much out of a low lying area I ended up with a hole about 2 feet deep. What was aggravating is the other pads around us just had very small puddles in a corner, and our entire pad was like a lake. Next trip I bought a small shovel with me. We started to get a flood, I dug a small trench over to the retaining wall and dug a hole down to the bottom and all the water flowed underneath and away from the tent. Never had an issue after that. For what you spend at the Fort for a site, it should be graded for drainage. Tri-Circle-D 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 55 minutes ago, Travisma said: For what you spend at the Fort for a site, it should be graded for drainage. Amen to that. And if they're going to use crushed coquina for the tent pads, it needs to be periodically refreshed, so it's not a completely hard, packed down surface. There are many sites that have exposed tree roots in the tent pads because the coquina has eroded. Tent campers shouldn't have to set up their tents on tree roots. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 1 minute ago, Tri-Circle-D said: Amen to that. And if they're going to use crushed coquina for the tent pads, it needs to be periodically refreshed, so it's not a completely hard, packed down surface. There are many sites that have exposed tree roots in the tent pads because the coquina has eroded. Tent campers shouldn't have to set up their tents on tree roots. TCD That's the premium partial loops.... an upcharge of $50 a night! Tri-Circle-D 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 8 minutes ago, Travisma said: That's the premium partial loops.... an upcharge of $50 a night! Don't give them any ideas. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kadancer 82 Posted October 17, 2017 Report Share Posted October 17, 2017 10 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said: Amen to that. And if they're going to use crushed coquina for the tent pads, it needs to be periodically refreshed, so it's not a completely hard, packed down surface. There are many sites that have exposed tree roots in the tent pads because the coquina has eroded. Tent campers shouldn't have to set up their tents on tree roots. TCD They did actually replace the boards around sites and refresh the coquina in some of the 2000 loop while we were there this summer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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