Considering First Trip

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

TCD is correct that we make the trip fairly regular from Central Louisiana. 860 miles one way. I don't think I can give you good advice though cause I spent over ten years cross country driving in a Peterbilt and that is what we use to tow our fiver with now. I only stop once for fuel. We like to leave Louisiana around 4 in the afternoon and drive until close to midnight. That puts us at the rest area on I-10 just east of Crestview, FL. We crawl in the fiver and sleep until daylight then hit the road again. That puts us pulling in to the Fort at 1pm Fort time. Our two children and two dogs travel very well and we only have to make a few restroom stops, usually at a rest area. The return trip home is done in one day. We check out around 8am Fort time and truck it on home, getting there 16 hours later. Like I said though, my tow vehicle is not normal.

the inside:

It gets 10 miles per gallon and holds 180 gallons of fuel. Has room for 4 adults and two kids to ride comfortably.

The only good advice I can give is GO! You will love the Fort!

I think I just figured out what I want for a tow vehicle. Course I have to get a CDL for that first.

[Specularius 102]

OK, enough hijack.........

Back to the original topic, You could make the trip in an easy 2 and a half days. First day make it Baton Rouge. Next day make it to Madison, FL. and final day make it to the Fort before lunch. That is 8 hours the first two days.

[CakeHenn 4]

Well I want to thank everyone and this site for turning my afternoon nonproductive as far as work goes but very productive as far as planning goes.

Here is what I'm thinking now so far with the suggestions. First day I leave the day before I had planned at 3 pm on the thursday and drive the 313 miles it takes to get to Lake Charles LA. Google says that's about a 5 hour drive. I figure with one stop....it would be about a 6 hour trip assuming no terrible traffic. From there that's 832 miles to FW. If I then break that up into two days I could make a stop somewhere around Crestview FL on day two (the Friday) which is 432 miles from Lake Charles...or I could push it farther in order to get there sooner that Saturday.

I feel like I've made some progress here :)

[Specularius 102]

I think I just figured out what I want for a tow vehicle. Course I have to get a CDL for that first.

No CDL required. It is registered as an RV Private truck.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Oh my god… This broke my brain. ROFL

I remember as a child, my father pulled out of the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We took a 3 hour rest area nap somewhere around Denver Colorado and made it home to Central Louisiana in under 36 hours, a day and half after leaving Wyoming.

My husband was dutifully trained by Dad when we started dating. I'd be disowned and divorced if I said "six hours! time to stop!!!" That's lunch time, we have 10 more hours to go.

Mom detested it though. Hated our trips, come to find out, because we never took it slow. I love it. Drive like a bandit out of hell to where you're going, and relax relax relax when you get there.

That's a great story!

I hope CakeHenn creates some memories like that for his daughters.

And give your dad a hug next chance you get.

TCD

[magnoliafig 51]

I was able to park it at an angle in front of the fiver on site 728 from the 27th of Dec to the 3rd of January and not have any tire touching the grass. I didn't take any pictures though. I did have an incident with a grill on site 623 though. That was a tough parking job with the trees beside the entrance to the site. Here is a picture from site 623 from last February.

Yes he did. When I saw Stef complaining about some jackwagon running over a grill on a site in the 500 loop (her red, white boo trip), I thought "oh no. oh no no no. A fiend is not unknowingly complaining about another fiend and that fiend in question is my husband" I had to walk out and ask very hesitantly, Honey, which site were we on last time?

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I bet you would push a bit further on day 2, and make your arrival day shorter. I know I would. Excitement builds!

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Well I want to thank everyone and this site for turning my afternoon nonproductive as far as work goes but very productive as far as planning goes.

Here is what I'm thinking now so far with the suggestions. First day I leave the day before I had planned at 3 pm on the thursday and drive the 313 miles it takes to get to Lake Charles LA. Google says that's about a 5 hour drive. I figure with one stop....it would be about a 6 hour trip assuming no terrible traffic. From there that's 832 miles to FW. If I then break that up into two days I could make a stop somewhere around Crestview FL on day two (the Friday) which is 432 miles from Lake Charles...or I could push it farther in order to get there sooner that Saturday.

I feel like I've made some progress here :)

That's what Fiends are for!!!!!!

Now that you know how to get there, just a note, you can make reservations at the Fort 500 days out, but for your time frame, you can easily wait until 2014 rates are released which will be sometime this August.

Then dining reservations start 180 days out.

Then start perusing the other sections to decide what level site you want, and go from there!!!

[magnoliafig 51]

I'm the same way cause I work. But some day..... I want to take at least three months where the trip IS the destination, so 200 - 300 miles then stop for 2 days is my goal!

Yup! Mom and Dad are divorced, but he still loves to travel. He is planning his first long distance long term road trip touring the Alaskan highway. Two months, two weeks to get there, two weeks to get back, a month just driving wherever he wants to go.

[CakeHenn 4]

OK, enough hijack.........

Back to the original topic, You could make the trip in an easy 2 and a half days. First day make it Baton Rouge. Next day make it to Madison, FL. and final day make it to the Fort before lunch. That is 8 hours the first two days.

That's actually not a bad plan either...a bit longer the first day/evening...but that third day would be just over 200 miles and very easy.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Oh my god… This broke my brain. ROFL

I remember as a child, my father pulled out of the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. We took a 3 hour rest area nap somewhere around Denver Colorado and made it home to Central Louisiana in under 36 hours, a day and half after leaving Wyoming.

My husband was dutifully trained by Dad when we started dating. I'd be disowned and divorced if I said "six hours! time to stop!!!" That's lunch time, we have 10 more hours to go.

Mom detested it though. Hated our trips, come to find out, because we never took it slow. I love it. Drive like a bandit out of hell to where you're going, and relax relax relax when you get there.

It had taken me years to learn this one. My dad was a 3:30am get your butt in the car we stop when I say we stop kinda driver.... My IH is not

[CakeHenn 4]

That's what Fiends are for!!!!!!

Now that you know how to get there, just a note, you can make reservations at the Fort 500 days out, but for your time frame, you can easily wait until 2014 rates are released which will be sometime this August.

Then dining reservations start 180 days out.

Then start perusing the other sections to decide what level site you want, and go from there!!!

I think after the trip it will be down hill from there. But yeah I've looked at the Disney Packages and ended up with more questions than answers. I'll keep researching and as questions come up I'll post. I'm a fairly frugal guy so I'm sure with yall's help I'll be able to get the best bang for my buck for what we actually want to do vs going crazy and paying for stuff we don't really need.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I think after the trip it will be down hill from there. But yeah I've looked at the Disney Packages and ended up with more questions than answers. I'll keep researching and as questions come up I'll post. I'm a fairly frugal guy so I'm sure with yall's help I'll be able to get the best bang for my buck for what we actually want to do vs going crazy and paying for stuff we don't really need.

2 words: Crock Pot

[magnoliafig 51]

That's actually not a bad plan either...a bit longer the first day/evening...but that third day would be just over 200 miles and very easy.

As a disney fan, we have done it both ways. There is a state park 11 miles from the entrance to WDW. It took us all of thirty minutes to make the drive when we pulled out.

We have also stopped 4-5 hours away. To me it's a bigger thrill to wait for the orange orchards, and finally seeing them. Knowing you're getting close. And then there is the citrus stand I always love to stop at. And the truck plaza we always stop for bathroom break and whatnot. There are landmarks in those last two or three hours that are part of the trip I'd miss. It's kind of like getting married. The walk up the aisle is one of the best parts. If you started the wedding while sitting on the front pew, you miss some magic.

So for us the trip starts that morning. A 200 mile morning is awesome. :)

[Judy in Texas 150]

Yup! Mom and Dad are divorced, but he still loves to travel. He is planning his first long distance long term road trip touring the Alaskan highway. Two months, two weeks to get there, two weeks to get back, a month just driving wherever he wants to go.

Tell your Dad to check out the campgrounds in Girdwood and Seward. The Girdwood one was quiet with nice big wooded sites. I saw two in Seward. One is near the aquarium right on the water. One is on the north end of town and is a little more remote. I think it has military rates.

[CakeHenn 4]

2 words: Crock Pot

We have our RV cooking down. Most trips we cook all our own meals....we sometimes will go out to eat one day of a trip while making a run to get fuel and other supplies we may need.

[.....Gary 85]

Marilyn & I used to do the the two long day deal in a 40' MH, it's not that bad w/ "The Fort in the Headlights". The trip home, however, is ALWAYS a bummer. Now we have a 2500 6.6 Duramax and a 42' Toy Hauler and I can say that those trips would have a lot more comfortable with this setup. Now that we're retired we don't hurry as much.

We've hauled a BUNCH of Grandkids down there and they always do well, knowing what is at the end of the trip. Try and do a Princess Breakfast or Dinner the girls will love it.

By the way you adults will love it also.

[SCTigerCock 171]

I think that's a great idea for a lot of people...but we love OUR trailer and in my eyes I'd be cheating on the Eagle, lol. This is not something I'm going to consider but it would be a great idea for a family that is thinking about getting into RVing.

Can't blame ya! I don't care to do another trip anytime soon without our RV.

[PrincessNana 15]

Your girls are the perfect age to experience everything "princess " at Disney World. I miss the Princess days. I would suggest checking the areas you plan to stop to make sure they have a campground and that it is nice and that they have pull thrus. From Temple, you could stop at Cajun Palms, henderson, la (close to Baton Rouge ) about 8 hours. Nice big pull thru sites, easy on and off, plenty of things for the kids to do while you rest. They even have food and food delivery to your site if no one feels like cooking. they have a nice website if you would like to check them out. The next day you could make it to Madison, fl ( about 8 hrs) and spend the night at the Jellystone park. Again, easy on/ easy off, pull thru sites and lots of things for the kids to do while you rest. ( this was actually too long for us so we ended up stopping at the KOA west in Tallahassee,It's ok but nothing special.) The next day is an easy 4 hour drive to the Fort...you arrive rested and you still have most of the day to set up and enjoy the fort on your first day. We make the drive twice a year with our grand kids. For us, we prefer driving hard the first two days and rolling into Disney ready to have fun. We always look for campgrounds that are easy on-eay off, with something fun for the kids to do. Stop every couple of hours and let everyone, including you, walk around a little. I would also suggest picking up a book such as "The Next Exit" or "Exit Now" to help you find fuel stops your rig will fit into.

We learned this the hard way. We've done the trip in several different time configurations (depending on where our starting point is) and have stayed at quite a few of the campgrounds along the route, so if you need any help please let me know.

You're going to have a great time on your first trip to Disney!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

If you haven't already and want to poke around and see what the various sites/loops are like, take a look at the stuff we have stored on our Info pages. Specifically, look under "accomodations" on the Site Map...

http://www.fortfiends.net/_/info/site-map-find-what-you-need-here-r99

There are videos of all camping loops except 2000 and a link to a super handy site app that gives you all the skinny on each individual site.

[Disneyzombie-Brenda 10]

Read all the trip reports!

You should try to do at least one Princess Character Meal. In my opinion the breakfast at the castle in the Magic Kingdom is the best. Try to get an ADR(reservation) before the park opens on your first day at the Magic Kingdom. It’s not easy to get this reservation. It’s so magical for a little Princesses first experience to walk into the park and head straight for the castle and meet Cinderella first thing. Not to mention the great photo opps with no people on Main street

Oh and make sure to bring some princess attire.

[CakeHenn 4]

Your girls are the perfect age to experience everything "princess " at Disney World. I miss the Princess days. I would suggest checking the areas you plan to stop to make sure they have a campground and that it is nice and that they have pull thrus. From Temple, you could stop at Cajun Palms, henderson, la (close to Baton Rouge ) about 8 hours. Nice big pull thru sites, easy on and off, plenty of things for the kids to do while you rest. They even have food and food delivery to your site if no one feels like cooking. they have a nice website if you would like to check them out. The next day you could make it to Madison, fl ( about 8 hrs) and spend the night at the Jellystone park. Again, easy on/ easy off, pull thru sites and lots of things for the kids to do while you rest. ( this was actually too long for us so we ended up stopping at the KOA west in Tallahassee,It's ok but nothing special.) The next day is an easy 4 hour drive to the Fort...you arrive rested and you still have most of the day to set up and enjoy the fort on your first day. We make the drive twice a year with our grand kids. For us, we prefer driving hard the first two days and rolling into Disney ready to have fun. We always look for campgrounds that are easy on-eay off, with something fun for the kids to do. Stop every couple of hours and let everyone, including you, walk around a little. I would also suggest picking up a book such as "The Next Exit" or "Exit Now" to help you find fuel stops your rig will fit into.

We learned this the hard way. We've done the trip in several different time configurations (depending on where our starting point is) and have stayed at quite a few of the campgrounds along the route, so if you need any help please let me know.

You're going to have a great time on your first trip to Disney!

Great info. Thanks. I'm at the point now where I almost want to say forget next summer....let's go this summer! Not sure I could pull that off though.

[CakeHenn 4]

If you haven't already and want to poke around and see what the various sites/loops are like, take a look at the stuff we have stored on our Info pages. Specifically, look under "accomodations" on the Site Map...

http://www.fortfiend...u-need-here-r99

There are videos of all camping loops except 2000 and a link to a super handy site app that gives you all the skinny on each individual site.

I'll for sure check it out. Last night I downloaded a few apps including the Fiends app that has pics and descriptions of each site! The app is so simple yet very informative. I think just based on looking at the map that we would want to stay close to the swimming areas and playgrounds.

[CakeHenn 4]

Read all the trip reports!

You should try to do at least one Princess Character Meal. In my opinion the breakfast at the castle in the Magic Kingdom is the best. Try to get an ADR(reservation) before the park opens on your first day at the Magic Kingdom. It’s not easy to get this reservation. It’s so magical for a little Princesses first experience to walk into the park and head straight for the castle and meet Cinderella first thing. Not to mention the great photo opps with no people on Main street

Oh and make sure to bring some princess attire.

The character meal sounds like something we certainly need to do. I guess I'll need to read up more on that. We have the princess attire covered!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great info. Thanks. I'm at the point now where I almost want to say forget next summer....let's go this summer! Not sure I could pull that off though.

Your daughters are 5 and 3, right?

Mine are 21, 17 and 17.

We started going to the Fort when they were around the age of your daughters.

And, we have been back, many, many times.

I wouldn't trade any of those times for anything.

You probably already know this, but time flies! My twins are gettting ready to graduate from High School, and we have been looking through a lot of old photos lately. I know it's a cliche', but when I look at those photos, it seems like it was only yesterday that we were pushing the twins around in strollers. Now they drive, and will be heading off to college.

If you can go this summer, go!

TCD