WDW Help

How is the best way to go about getting reservations at WDW? We have looked online and it looks like everything is booked for the next yr or so. Is it better to call?

Thanks

Much better to call. And keep calling if they don't have the days you want. If I remember right, 2pm eastern is when the cancellations are in the system.

I checked on-line for Fort Wilderness a week or so ago, and nothing showed up. Then a couple days ago I looked again, and they had lots of sites available. I think sometimes the system just doesn't work.

When I made our reservations on-line for our trip Jan 24 to Feb 1, I couldn't get all the dates I wanted, so booked 5 days (arrive Sunday Jan 24, depart Friday, Jan 29). Three days later I checked for the weekend (arrive Jan 29 depart Feb 1) and was able to get those days too. The campground was pretty much filled the first couple days we were there, but emptied out a lot in mid-week.

You can call for reservations. You might be on hold for awhile, but don't hang up, just listen to the music and they'll get to you when your turn comes.

Have you researched the type of campsites that are available?

Tater

Scruffy and Tater wrote:Have you researched the type of campsites that are available?

Tater

We have looked a little. I was planning on looking here at the reviews for some advice. What area do you recommend? We do have a dog so I think I read somewhere they have pet friendly sites. Also what level of site would you recommend? Full Hookup/Preferred/Premium? I saw a price sheet that said the prem. sites are $74 but in looking at dates I found a date in July that said they where $85 or $95 a night. I think I saw where Admin had camped in the 300 section and said it was pretty good.

Anyone been down there over Thanksgiving? I am sure it will be packed!

Thanks for your help.

I spent a week in the 300 loop. There is an area that you can walk your dog by the river. You are also not to far from the water shuttles. I liked that section.
Jim

We usually stay in the Premium sites. There is ample space between campsites, the sites are paved and extra wide and most are extra long. They really aren't made for tents, but people find ways to set up their tents on the paved area. We love the premium sites. But, they are expensive, especially in certain seasons.... seasons that seem to be getting longer and longer. So, we are thinking of downgrading ourselves to Full hook-ups. I'll get to full hookups later.

Preferred sites are less expensive than Premium. They are long, but not paved all the way back. The sandy area at the back of the site is perfect for tents, canopies, or screen rooms. The paved area isn't as wide as the Premiums. The Preferred are close to the Settlement/Marina area. Some sites are kind of close together, but not all are. The roads going through the preferred loops don't seem as wide as the premium, and loop 300 has some curves that might making backing in a bit difficult. But, the preferred sites, seem to be the most sought after.

Now I'll get to Full hook-ups. There are 4 loops that are considered full hook-ups. They are all together in the same area. They are the least expensive of the sites that would accomodate motorhomes and most trailers. I don't think the full hook-ups have cable, which wouldn't bother us as long as we could get a clear view of the southern sky (Direct TV).

Partial hook-ups. These sites are intended for tents, pop-ups and small trailers, and small motorhomes (Class B for example). They have water and electric.

There are Comfort Stations in almost all of the loops - some loops that are close together share a Comfort Station. It seems like most loops are pet friendly. Just mention that when you make your reservations. Usually the person who checks you in will ask.

They also have the Fort Wilderness Cabins. Log park model trailers. They have a bedroom with a full size bed and a set of bunks, living room with murphy bed, kitchen, and bath. Some of them back up to campsites in loop 1100. We are thinking of staying in in that loop if our son and his wife would stay in one of the cabins. They'd be about 40-50 feet away from us, if we could get one of about 6 sites that we checked out on our last trip.

We stayed in loop 200 a couple years ago. We pulled in right behind another Wildcat, and after we checked-in and drove around to our campsite, the other Cat was backing in. He had some problems getting in because he was backing in to the right hand side - and there was a little kid who kept getting in the way. We lucked out. Our site was on the opposite side, so Scruffy was able to see where he was backing - we also had the little kid, but I told him to get out of our way. Nicely, of course. Oh - the other Wildcat was robertz, a member of the forum, and it wasn't planned for us to camp together.

We stayed in loop 1000 before it was upgraded to premium. It was very difficult to back into, even though it was on the left side. The entrance to the site was narrow with shrubbery. A truck was parked across the road right where our truck would have to swing. The guy happened to be home at the time, and volunteered to move his truck. That helped a lot. That loop has been upgraded, the sites are wider, the entrances to the sites have been widened even more, and the sites are longer, so people don't have to park so close to the road.

This is really getting long, isn't it?

One more thing, if you have Google earth, I can give you a website where you can download a Fort Wilderness software. With this software, you can ride through every loop, through the Meadows Trading Post/Bike Barn area, and through the Settlement area. The ride through the loops shows all of the sites on the outside of the loop, then goes around again to show the sites on the inside of the loops. Some of the sites have photos. I go to Google Earth for a ride around the campground every so often to get my Fort Wilderness "fix." By the way, Scruffy and I spotted a Wildcat in one of the tours through a loop.... and also in a photo of a campsite. I consider those Wildcat sightings.

GoogleEarth - Fort Wilderness
http://sites.google.com/site/shanmansdisney/fort-wilderness-site-maps/fortwildernesssitemapsisinalpha-release

Tater

Thanks for everyone's help We got through today and got our reservations. Looks like we will be checking out the 300 Loop.