SITES AT DISNEY

Dear Tater & Friends,
Cool pic of trailer from 70's!
Your forum...so helpful.
This is our 2nd year with 40' A-Class and going to Fort Wilderness for the first time, with HighSchool kids. We used to stay at Wilderness Lodge before we had a motorhome.
Anyway, I saw you offered to give personalized reccomendations for sites based on family needs. So if you have time, I'd love your advice.
40' A-class, 4 slides, no car, will rent golf cart
>>contact number for Kenny TeeTime Golf Cart, please<<
2 adults (in 50's), 2 teenagers, and single young adult.
We like it private, but also close to full comfort station for showers, etc.
Love dogs, but not waking us , so will avoid a dog loop.
Seems like being closer to marina for view and transportation is a plus also?
Thanks so much.
Any advice welcome.
Valerie
LaLu2 @ aol.com

to the forum, Valerie.

We had lots of fun with that little trailer. It was cozy, but just perfect at the time.

First we'll address the issue of dogs. We don't travel with pets and don't want them waking us - but, no matter where we've stayed at Fort Wilderness, barking dogs have never been a problem.

It's getting hard to get a specific camp site, but Disney will attempt to get you in the loop of your choice. I can suggest some specific sites, and if they aren't backed up at check-in when you arrive, and if you get a friendly, helpful cast member, you might be able to get one. I would suggest calling Fort Wilderness about 3 days before your arrival to ask for the loop of your choice - emphasize that you would like to be near a CS. If it's important to you, also ask to be near a bus stop.

Near the Marina, I would suggest loop 100 (mid-price), with a site on the outside of the loop. Outer sites are usually a little roomier.... but I honestly don't know if they will all accomodate slides on both sides. I would suggest 105, 107, or 108.

Also near the Marina is loop 400 (high priced). Almost any of the outside sites would be good except sites 421 and 422. They are side by side, and almost share the entry into the sites. There are also a few inside sites in loop 400 that would work. I would recommend 402, 404, 414 (CS), 424, 425, 427 and 431.

Loop 600 (high priced). Not particularly close to a CS. I think the nearest one would be in loop 1400, and that one gets shared by the people at the campfire sing-along in the evenings. BUT, it has waterfront property. There are 6 sites that back up to a lagoon. This area is centrally located. The Meadow Pool is nearby, along with quite a few recreational activities. 602, 604, 605, 608, 610, and 612 all back up to the lagoon. 601 doesn't quite back up to the lagoon, but the picnic table side is facing the lagoon. Walk out of your site at the back, and you will find the Meadows Trading Post. There is no shade on the waterfront sites.

Loop 800 (high priced) has large long sites, and I would suggest anything from 814 to 823. Some are inside sites and some are outside. All good from what I can remember. 822 and 823 are close to the CS.

Loops 900 and 1000 (high price) are small, but the sites are big. Sites 929, 930, 931, 932 1001, 1003 and 1004 are close to a CS and to a Bus Stop - and right across the road from the Meadows Trading Post.

Loops 1200 (high priced) and 1300 (high priced) share an entrance road - but it is 2-lanes, so there isn't any congestion. All of the sites in 1200 and 1300 are long and wide, with one exception. I don't like site 1206 because it is parallel to the road, and the picnic table is on the side where people will be driving by. We were put there once, it was like living in a fishbowl, and we spent absolutely no time outside. 1217, 1218, 1221 and 1222 are close to the CS. All of the sites in loop 1300 are good. 1302, 1305, 1306, and 1307 are all near the CS.

Loops 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900 (low priced) All of the sites are roomy and long, but the back part of the length is sand. Because of the size of these sites and the lower price, they are sometimes hard to get.

These are just some of the loops. I can cover the rest, if you'd like in another post.

Tee Time Golf Cart Rental (Kenny) - 1(407) 276-0809
(no website) - email:ttimegolfcarts@aol.com .

Transportation -
From marina - Magic Kingdom, Epcot (via monorail), Wilderness Lodge, Contemporary.

From outpost (check-in) - Buses to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Downtown Disney, Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach.

Internal buses travel the roads of Fort Wilderness, stopping at Bus Stops along the way. At each end of their routes, they drop off/pick up near the outpost (check-in) and near the settlement (marina). There are golf cart parking lots near the marina, and near the outpost.

I think I've covered it all. Let me know if you need anything else. If I don't have the info, I know where to find it.

Tater

I knew Tater would have the low-down on that stuff.
to the forum Valerie

Must be on the Disney payroll:)))

Last time we went to Disney we brought our teenage girls. All they wanted to do was sleep. Can you believe it....SLEEP? We had WAY more fun than them. We met another couple who brought their teenage granddaughter. Same thing. Well ours are older now and mostly on their own. We may be going back in a year or so with NO KIDS..lol. Hope yours are not like ours and they actually enjoy Disney.

mga60tw wrote:Must be on the Disney payroll:)))

At one time I thought I'd like to be on their payroll. Wouldn't move to Florida to do it, but people who worked at The Disney Store got all the same perks as the ones that worked at WDW, and I actually considered it...... briefly.

Tater

Do you know what Kenny charges for golf carts?

Here are some reported quotes from Kenny. It appears that the longer you rent, the cheaper the cost per day is. Kenny's quotes include tax and delivery. For comparison, if you rent from Disney, the daily rate is $63.54 ($59.00 plus tax).

23 days - $470.00
15 days - $400.00
14 days - $360.00
11 days - $350.00
10 days - $350.00
7 days - $245.00
6 days - $210.00

Thank you

What are the benefits of having a golf cart at Disney? Im planning to hit Disney in Florida one of these years.


Earl

Can't remember what Kenny's quote was for this trip. It's about half of what Disney charges.

Kenny called the night before we arrived. Told us to give him a call when we were in the campground. Then about half an hour (maybe less) after we called, a couple people pulled up in golf carts. I walked out and said "neither of you look like Kenny." The lady is a travel agent, the man - her husband. They were camping in loop 1200, and were delivering carts to the campsite for Kenny. Good deal. As a travel agent, she says she can get us real good discounts on campsites - discounts that "normal" people can't get. We might try her next time we book..... still thinking about it. If I can find some comments about her on the Disney forums I read sometimes, I'll be able to make up my mind. Will let you know if we use her, and if she got us a good deal.

Tater

The advantage to a golf cart is mobility. Once you are there, your vehicle is useless because you can't park it by the marina and there are only 4 spots at the general store. They really want everybody using the buses or carts. They do not allow "Gator / Ranger" UTV's, but I did see one while we were there. We have never had a golf cart, but this trip we sure did wish we had one a few days. It never fails, you get back to the marina from a long day in the parks, and your bus pulls out as you get to the stop. Then it seems like it takes another 20 minutes for another one that goes to your loop. If you had a cart, you'd been back at the camper enjoying a nice cold beverage. I'm not sure the cost is justified though.

Mopar_Earl wrote:What are the benefits of having a golf cart at Disney? Im planning to hit Disney in Florida one of these years.

Earl, Fort Wilderness is a large campground... approximately 1 mile from the entrance to the marina. Having a golf cart makes traveling around the campground much more convenient. People use the carts to go to the pools, playgrounds, the dog park, the marina, restaurant, stores, and the Outpost bus stop where you can catch a bus to all of the parks except Magic Kingdom. A number of people also use the cart for "looping" which can be described as driving around the 28 camping and cabin loops and sightseeing... looking at other RV's, camping setups, or decorations.

Fort Wilderness also has internal buses, with bus stops at most loop entrances, that will also get you to any destination within the campground. Many people ask if a cart is needed when staying at FW. Of course, the answer is no as many people manage just fine without one. We've had trips where we've had a cart, other trips with just bikes, and some trips with neither. In my opinion, having a cart is a luxury, albeit one that is hard to give up once you've had it. If someone in your group has mobility issues, then it may be a good idea to get a cart as some of the loops are large and just getting to the bus stop can be a good walk. Of course, you can always request a site near the bus stop if this was the case.

Scruffy and Tater wrote:The lady is a travel agent, the man - her husband. They were camping in loop 1200, and were delivering carts to the campsite for Kenny. Good deal. As a travel agent, she says she can get us real good discounts on campsites - discounts that "normal" people can't get. We might try her next time we book..... still thinking about it. If I can find some comments about her on the Disney forums I read sometimes, I'll be able to make up my mind. Will let you know if we use her, and if she got us a good deal.

Tater, if the travel agent's name is Rhonda, I've heard good things about her although I have no experience booking with her. I'd also be interested to know what her discounts are. I've always been able to get a AAA or AP discount on my reservation... I wonder if she can get a larger discount. I've never used a travel agent before because I like to have control of my reservation... it would have to be a good discount for me to give up that control.

Jeff,
How do you make your reservations - on-line or by phone. We always do on-line and never get any discounts. I check pretty often for AP discounts, but never find them for Fort Wilderness. We have another trip planned for January, but haven't made reservations yet. Please tell me how you do it. I have a telephone phobia (this is true) but would work up the courage to make a call if I could save us some $$.

I think this travel agent is Nancy. She is from New Jersey, and they started home several days ago, and about half-way home, her son said they were having snow up there. They turned around and came back to Fort Wilderness.

Tater

Tater, I usually call but I have made a couple of reservations online by following a link for the AP discount on the passholder website. To get the AAA discount, you need to call (or possibly make your reservations through AAA).

I normally make my reservations a year or more in advance. The AAA discounts come out very early. For example, the AAA discounts for 2012 were probably put in the system in August or September of this year. There is a set number of discounted sites for each level (premium, preferred, full, and partial) and once they are gone, that's it.

There have been times that there weren't any discounts left when I made my reservation, but I call every couple of weeks and have them check again. If someone who had a discount cancels, that discount is put back in the system.

A couple of times I have booked with the AP discount and then kept checking for an AAA discount (or vice versa). When one became available, I compare the rates and then decide whether to keep the AP rate or switch to the AAA rate. It used to be that the AP rate was much better (in the 35% range) but over the last 4-5 years, the AAA rate has been better. For example, this summer, my discount was 18% with AAA while the AP discount was only 10%.

When you phone to make the reservation, the CM won't ask you if you are an AAA member or have an AP. You specifically have to ask if they can check to see if either discount is available. I have found that once you inquire about one of these discounts, they really look to see if they can find you something.

Disney is also known for sending out PIN code offers via postcards and emails. I went for years without getting one and then about 2 years ago I received my first one. Since then, I've received many others and have actually had 3 emailed to me since we returned at the end of August. These PIN code offers are normally in the 20% - 45% range depending on the resort level (deluxe, moderate, value) and will usually have a specified date period attached to them. It seems to be a mystery how you get your address/email on Disney's list but I did everything people suggest such as ordering a vacation planning video, creating an itinerary on their website, and booking a vacation and then exiting when the price was displayed. When you do this, it asks you why you didn't continue and gives you a list of options to choose from. I would choose that the price was more than I wanted to pay. I have no idea what, if any, of these put me on their distribution list, but I'm glad I'm now receiving these PIN offers. These offers can't be transferred to another person as they are attached to your account with Disney and the CMs can see the offer when you call in.

Calling isn't that bad... you'll more than likely have to wait on hold for a while (usually about 10 minutes or less but I have waited about 45 before) but they play some nice background music. I'm guessing the best time to call would probably be on a work day between 9-5 as opposed to weekends or nights. You probably already know the number but I'll include it for others that don't... 1-407-WDISNEY.

When we stayed in the Disney hotel resorts, I always booked on-line and was able to get discounts. We get the e-mails with PINs, but their list of discounted resorts never seems to have Fort Wilderness on it. This is where a phone call would probably work very well. I've always heard that calling as soon as reservations begin in the morning is best...... but I just don't like to get up that early. Mid morning always worked for me.

I love on-line reservations. I have to sit and stare at the phone for awhile before I can get the courage to pick it up and dial. Speed dial helps, as does a sort of rehearsed first sentence. Once I get started, and the person on the other end is nice, I'm fine.....usually. Receiving phone calls doesn't bother me, especially with caller ID.

Tater

I checked and the AP discounts are out for January 2 - March 8 2012. It looks like they were released on October 5th. I went ahead and tried numerous dates in January, but unfortunately the only AP discount left is for partial hookup sites...

Room Only Offer
The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort
Check In: January 09, 2012 Check Out: January 13, 2012 Staying for: 4 nights, 5 days Adults: 2 Children: 0 Room Type: Tent or Pop-Up Campsite Tickets: None Package: Room Only
Special Rate: Jan-Feb Book Early Passholder Room Only Offer

Date Rate per Night
Mon, Jan 09 $ 40.80
Tue, Jan 10 $ 40.80
Wed, Jan 11 $ 40.80
Thu, Jan 12 $ 40.80

The normal price for these dates is $48 per night so that works out to a 15% discount.

If you are uncomfortable with calling, I would go up to the front desk and ask the concierge person if they would check for an AP discount for the dates you want. Many people have reported that the website will show no availability but they call and something is available... this has happened to me as well. I've been at the front desk and heard the CM making dining reservations for people... I'm sure they'd check to see about a room reservation for you.

Good luck.

Thanks for the info on the golf carts. Do they have keys to prevent someone from stealing your rental? I knew Disney was huge but didn't realize the campground was so big. Looking on the map I figured it was a short walk to any of the parks. I'll probably rent one when I go.
Are the carts gas or electric? If electric, do they have onboard chargers so you can charge it at your camp site?

Earl

Both Disney carts and carts from outside vendors have keys. Disney carts are electric and have onboard chargers and the outside vendors I've rented from have electric carts but have a seperate charger that I kept at the site. I use a cable lock to secure it to the trailer as there have been some that have apparently "walked away". I plug the cart in at the site each night when we are done using it and let it charge overnight. A full charge has always lasted the full day for us.

We do the same with our Kenny carts. The charger isn't attached or locked to the cart, and like Jeff says, some of them walk away. Things do have a way of disappearing, even at Disney World.

The golf carts have keys, but many of the carts use the same key. Last fall Kenny was telling Scruffy that he was in the process of re-keying all of his carts. Carts have a way of "driving off by themselves", most stay in the campground, and Kenny says he knows most of the places where they wind up.

Tater

You can never escape thieves. Do they have optional insurance for the carts for theft, vandals, accidents and such? I don't worry about my own stuff but rentals always has my guard up since its not mine, but I'm held responsible for the item.

I'll be sure to bug Tatar for info when I go since she's the Disney Pro and I'm virgin to Disney.

Earl

Earl,

If you have Mountain Bikes, I'd take them and save your money from the Cart. To me getting around on the bikes was much easier. A lot less headache. I've left mine ( Older Specialized Rockhopper ) sitting against the tree at the marina with no lock on it , Spent the day at magic kingdom and it was still waiting on me when I got back. Yea theres theives I guess anywhere you go , but I haven't had anything walk off from the campground. At just a regular pace you can get around on bikes faster than the carts.

Scruffy asked Kenny about insurance once. Kenny said not to worry. People sometimes take them for joyrides, but they don't take them out of the campground. I believe he carries insurance on the carts, both at Disney World, and on golf courses in the area.

Tater

I was amazed by all of the bicycles that were not locked up at the marina. Some of them looked to be brand new. I am trying to figure out how to carry our bikes down next time. No hitch on the back of the Cameo.

Many people really believe that since this is DISNEY no one will steal their stuff or harm their children. It can and WILL happen. We too see many bikes that aren't locked - and golf carts with the keys in them.

We ate lunch at Trail's End today. A woman took her little girl (maybe around 6 years old) to the playground that is located between Trail's End and the beach - and left her there to play. The woman came back to Trail's End alone. She wasn't even seated in a place where she could see the playground, not to say that would be any better - I guess she might be able to give a description of the person dragging the little girl away..... if that were to happen.

I wish people would think about it - a place like Disney World attracts pedophile's, pickpockets, and thieves, as well as innocent thinking people - Disney doesn't do background checks on everyone who comes on the property.

Tater

Well said!!