ftwildernessrick

We will be taking our 1st trip to Disney World in September. We have 7 in the family, 1 -16yr old, 1-9yr old, 1- 7yr old (she will be turning 8 while there) and 3 yr old twins...(5 girls/1boy)..We will be staying at Fort Wilderness Campground in the RV. Looking for any tips or ideas of what to expect while there. We are new to the RV and need as much input as we can get. Please give us ideas even if you think it is dumb...we might not have thought of it.

Should we stock up on the bug repelants?

Would a mosquito deleto be in order to bring (we don't plan on every day at the parks)?

You usually don't have problems with mosquitos, the deer flies can be annoying at certain times of the year. Disney does spray & sometimes you have to nudge them a bit if you have a problem. Having said all that, I always carry one of those bottles of bug spray that you hook to your hose & can spray your campsite if you need to. Carry some type of repellant if you go to the campfire program at night, just in case.

Should we request one area over another (loops)?

It is mostly a personal preference - what type of camping unit do you have?

What will crowds be like at this time..should I pack extra tolerance? :>)

The early fall is one of our favorite times to go. It is still plenty warm enough to swim and you miss the crowds from the spring & summer times. But don't forget, since it is a slower time of the year, the parks will close earlier, so plan your day accordingly.

We are leaving from the Phila area, mapquest says it's a 16hour drive.. anyone know if that is close?

What are the fun things do on a rainy or off day from the parks? We do not have a tow vehicle and $ wont be there for a rental?

Downtown Disney & Resort hopping is among our favorites. Don't forget that rain & Florida go hand in hand. It can cloud up & storm for 30 minutes, then the sun pops back out. During the warmer seasons, my family & I all wear a Trek type sandle. That way if it rains, we just trudge through the puddles. Nothing worse than wet tennis shoes & socks (except for wet underwear, lol).

Any help would be great...thanks in advance!!

I think the proximity to the pool & the Meadow recreation area in general would be a big +.

Buffets are usually good too - plenty of choices for everyone!  Crystal Palace at the MK always has a carved meat or two, potatoes, veggies, etc.  If he likes smoked meats, then Whispering Canyon at the WL is great!

I agree with both choices, & you can't beat the Canyon Skillet at Whispering Canyon.

This year's dates:

May 22 - May 29  (would be there earlier, but DD is getting her Master's, she offered to skip the ceremony for an extra few days at the Fort, but we decided to watch her do the walk. Did I tell you that all my family are Fiends at heart?)

November 11 - 20

I could probably get someone to design a scheme in purple & gold with a tiger on each side. :popcorn:

Site 116, which is my favorite (May 2010)

Site 110 - I barely squeezed in, one heck of a back in turn with inches to spare. (Oct 2010)

The site on my signature is 929 from Aug/Sep 2009 - I enjoyed this location for a premium site.

We have not done the DDP in some years. Instead, since we have AP's we do TIW. If we are there only a week or so, we eat out mostly. Usually, my DW & I will eat a light breakfast, then for the rest of the day we will split a CS meal and eat one big TS meal and use TIW.

If we are there for 2 weeks, we eat out about 50% of the time. We are big on the crock pot or pre-made & frozen type meals.

We do like to eat out, because it is half the fun with some of the restaurants DW has to offer. When we are at one of the parks and it is meal time, we refer to it as going to the food ride. :argh:

I don't blame you, I would do it myself also and I am not that good. I redid the striping on my Winebago Elandan some years back after they wanted almost $3,000 to redo it.

And, as good as your cart looks, you should do OK.

A map of the Fort.