5kidsmommy

Hmm... perhaps Disney has finally found a way to erase one of the last remaining "quiet" seasons.

That's how it seemed to me. We were there midweek this January and long waits were pretty normal. There were tons of chanting people following flags which was nice because we were able to run the other way when we saw them. 

While I love the weather in January I don't know if I can do January again, this year it was just too crowded. I think that the news is out that January was nice and not crowded. 

We are partial to 1700. We have a 24' hybrid, folded out it's about 31'. While it's a little further from all the perks I like the 1700 loop because the sites are roomy and we aren't on top of our neighbors. For me space is a big deal. Some people prefer the big concrete pads but since we have a large carpet it's a non-issue for us. 

Must have been a glitch in the system, I double checked this morning and the sites are there. So strange but we all know their site has issues from time to time. 

When are you trying to book for?

 

No word yet on definitive closures in the full hook-ups.

Various dates in September, October, November and December. I was just trying to see what was available as we are super flexible. It was just weird because full did not come up once but every other class of site was there, full didn't even show up as unavailable. 

Are the full hook-up loops scheduled for refurbishing? I am trying to make reservations online and I can't find them available at all. 

Just got back from a 4 night visit... we have a 23' hybrid (I think it's around 26' with the back bunk opened) and stayed in the 1500 loop with no problems.  Missed the sewer hook-up, but the size of our pad worked fine for both our camper and our truck (plus a 12x12 awning out back).

Our hybrid is 24' closed and about 31' open, I prefer the full hookups because I like to be able to use my sink and toilet. The cost difference is so small it just doesn't seem worth is to not use all the features of my trailer. 

My advice is similar to the other fiends. I also suggest going for rope drop. Give yourself plenty of time to there, some of the parks can take up to an hour to travel to when you include waiting for the bus. Getting to MK is the quickest and the boat ride was what my kids loved the most when they were young. With a little one I would hit the parks early, get fastpasses for the rides you want a little later in the morning and hit the character lines first thing since you said that is what she is excited about. Also make sure to enjoy the fort. We like to hit the parks early then come back and have the day to hang out at the pool or check out the animals. There is so much to do. Relax, be flexible and smile...you will have a blast. 

I have five kids, hence the name and my kids learned from the time they could walk that they are not to go on other people's property that includes campsites. I definitely think you should say something, what they are doing is wrong and you are right to be upset. 

Thanks for this. Just ordered one from camping world since they are including the lock boxes. I don't worry at the fort but sometimes we stop at slightly sketchy places when traveling and I don't want it to go up missing. Thanks again for educating all of us on this issue. 

This is something my husband and I go back and forth on every year. Summer is here and I am online looking at RVs again. Currently we have a hybrid TT. What I love about it is the size. We have five kids, although this summer we will be down to four as the oldest is heading off to college. So size is a factor. My kids are all teens so the ability to have some private space is an issue. Our current TT is a KZ Coyote 23cfk. It has three fold out queen beds, a sofa and a dinette. It does have a slide also. So once we are set up it's spacious, no one is on top of each other. But traveling is another thing. We are on top of each other in the suburban. It's easy to tow, it's short when folding down but my husband is a former trucker so backing up and towing a trailer isn't a big deal anyhow. I like the idea of the kids having more seating option in a MH. And of course the set up of our TT can be a pain at night after a long day of traveling, although with all hands on deck it only takes about 20 minutes. Also since money is always tight we wouldn't be able to get a very expensive MH, probably an older 29'-30' class C. Sigh. 

So yeah once again, the pros and cons tell me to stick with our TT have until we have less kids at home. 

We were going to store ours at a friend's farm but it is about 45 minutes from our home and it just wasn't feasible. So now we store it in an outside storage facility 10 minutes from our home. We are in Ohio and it is uncovered, probably should be covered but we don't cover it. 

We've got info on some off-site vendors that Fiends have recommended here...

http://www.fortfiends.net/_/info/golf-cart-rentals-disney-fort-wilderness-and-r100

 

Best bet is to call for current rates and availability, but offsite rentals can be significantly less - sometimes 30-40% cheaper depending on the vendor and length of rental.

Thanks! I just found it. I'll give Kenny a call on Thursday. 

We weren't planning on getting a golf cart because we bring our bikes and love using them but there is no way my oldest will be able to ride his bike so we are in need of a golf cart. I understand that you can rent one from offsite. Are they less expensive? And how much would be looking at for 6 days. Thanks for any advice. 

Thanks all. I did check out the reviews before I asked but I just like you folks so much I considered your opinions more important. I think that is where we will be staying. It's a nice stopping point. 

We will be heading out in 6 days for our trip down to the Fort. Despite my suggestion to drive all night  :rofl2: my husband and kids want to stop and rest. I am looking at the Savannah South KOA and I am wondering if anyone has any experience with that particular KOA or has any other suggestions in that area. We also have Good Sam so a place that accepts that is fine. We have a large family which is why KOAs usually work for us. We won't be using any other amenities besides the bathrooms so as long as those are clean we are fine. Any suggestions are welcome. 

Well, we decided on a Forest River 3170 DS class C after looking at all the options. Going to pick it up on Friday!

I have read every post on this thread at least 3 times and tried to take all recommendations:

It is on the E450 chassis so we made sure this until has airbags we can inflate or deflate to account for the load we are planning to haul. It has Bigfoot leveling jacks so unlike the last few trips with the 5er I won't be one of those families that are out yelling at each other trying to get parked and leveled. Bunk model with cab bunk so we have tons of sleeping capacity in case our 2 kiddos bring friends at some point but the bottom bunk is a jack knife couch fora comfortable hangout while we are traveling (it is a 16 hour drive to and from The Fort).

We did go new even though we were on a budget, but our dealer was excellent about our monetary restrictions and really worked the price down to the level we were seeing used models at.

Its time to start packing and planning as many trips to WDW as possible for 2014!!!

That is the most amazing motorhome I have ever seen. I would love something like that for my large family, we would all have our own beds!!!  You are going to make so many memories in it. Congratulations! 

I thought about doing a scooter but I have a few questions. We would need to rent from an outside company because he is under 18 and I know he can't use the Disney ones. I just don't know where we would keep it at camp. Are they light enough to pick up and put in the back of our suburban or should we just lock it up under our awning? I also don't know if he will have the stamina to drive himself around. I worry about his getting exhausted especially if it's warm. He has been having issues with severe swelling of his limbs (as well as pain and weakness) and with a wheelchair either my husband or I will be in charge of pushing him around. And yeah I realize the assistance program has changed. I am not real worried about getting the time stamp and coming back although we are a family of 7 and I understand the limit is 6. Our youngest child is autistic though so if I get a card for my oldest then I will get one for the youngest also. Anyhow I am looking forward to this trip. I am hoping my son will bounce back soon. With his sickness he can have really good days and really bad days. We have 8 days until we leave, fingers crossed that he will be doing better. 

I am really hoping that my son doesn't get dirty looks. He has a chronic illness and rarely leaves the house now, many days just getting out of bed is difficult. We are still planning on our Disney vacation because we are all looking forward to it and honestly I am hoping getting out and being a normal teenager will help. He is easily fatigued so while he can walk I don't want him walking all over the parks so we will be getting a wheelchair. I thought about ordering off site but he will only really need it while in the parks. I am sure some people will give us snotty looks but frankly I don't care, I just don't want it to ruin the trip for him. I doubt we will be getting an assistance pass though because we aren't going at a busy time of year and we will just plan accordingly. If he gets to exhausted in line, he can just sit on the ground. :)

We took a two week trip out to the pacific northwest this summer but that is it. We had a few small trips planned but they didn't work out. Even though I homeschool the kids still have loads of activities and my husband owns a business so trying to get away is a chore. Looking forward to our 6 days at the the fort in January. And hoping to take a few more trips next year. 

Don't bust her bubble. Grandma went swimming numerous days in Feb as long as the temp was around 75. You have to remember that the FORT keeps the pool around 80 in the winter.

This is so good to here, we are set to come in on January 5th and my kids want to swim. Heck as long as the temps are in the 70s and maybe even the high 60s my kids will be in the pool. We are from Ohio though so we can handle what some might consider cold temps. 

We live about 1050 miles from the Fort in the Cleveland, Ohio area, we usually do the trip in two days, one long day and one short one. 

This summer though we took a trip all the way out to Seattle Washington then drove down to the bottom of Oregon then down to Utah and then back home. The entire trip was a little over 5,500 miles and we did the trip in two weeks. It was really fun and the trailer was super easy to tow. 

I just downloaded the app and it is very impressive. I will have my DH go through and figure out a few sites to request. Since we have a hybrid we always add several feet to the size. It's a 23 footer but once the back bed tips out it adds 5 feet at least. I figure it's best to say we have a 30 foot trailer that way they won't put us in a tiny spot but with this app we will be able to know before we head off to the site if it will work. Thanks a million. 

These tips you guys give are great. 

We are all done with elementary school this year, although all but my oldest are homeschooled so sometimes I forget their grades. We have a senior, a sophomore, a freshman, a 7th grader and a 6th grader this year. I don't know where the time went. Only thing about them leaving is more trips because less kids at home means less expenses.