the_Meirkat 5 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Hello All! I am so relieved and happy to have found this site! What a lively bunch y'all are! My family (eight adults, four teenagers, a five year old and two infants) is camping at Fort Wilderness for the First Time Ever, October 3-11. Most of us are experienced campers but not knowing the ins and outs at Fort Wilderness is making me anxious. (I might have some control issues.) I am flailing about in all the information available and hope some of you veterans can sort me out. My main question is about golf carts and mobility scooters. My mom is a cancer patient and oughtn't wear herself out walking everywhere, so I've arranged a mobility scooter for the length of our trip. If I have the scooter for Mom, can the rest of our group manage well enough with just one golf cart? My thought is moms and infants in the golf cart with an adult to drive, then the rest of us pile on bikes, for rambles about, trips to and from bus stops, etc. Am I on the right track with this? Or should I pony up renting enough golf carts to move the entire group? Second thing, Premium versus Preferred. Our TT is 32' with a rear fixed storage box extending another two feet. Will we fit in a Preferred spot? I know what the dimensions say, and what's listed as within the realm of possible, but y'all have done this before, so tell me the truth? :) Item B of the Second thing, we need two campsites. (Renting a camper for my niece and her family, who have Never Been To Disney(!)) Is there a loop best suited to "shared" space between two set-ups? And the Third thing. The Mickey street light. Is there a Rule that first time campers at Fort Wilderness shouldn't have them? I mean, is it a traditional Rite to go the first time, meet folks, get the instructions, then go home and make the light post for the next trip? :) Okay, enough of me. Thanks for listening! Looking forward to hearing from y'all! Laurel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mtnmanky...aka Leon 72 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Better answers will be along shortly, but WELCOME! :wave1: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Welcome, Laurel! October is a great time to visit the Fort. I'll take a stab at your questions: Golf Cart: One golf cart plus bikes will work. Yeah, it would be nice to have enough for everyone to ride, but it would be expensive. One will get the job done. Bikes work fine at the Fort. Premium v. Preferred : You don't need a premium for a 34' trailer. It'll fit on a preferred. Since you're renting two sites, save a little money by going preferred, or even full. Two sites next to each other: Doesn't matter- there are plenty of sites on all the loops where they can accommodate this. Mickey Light: If you want one, have at it. I think that covers your questions. There's no need to stress. The Fort is a great place, and you're going to have a blast. Please feel free to ask away. TCD pixiesteno 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 594 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 :Welcome: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Welcome!!!! Lots of your questions have been answered, but personally, I prefer Premium or Full Hookup for larger groups. The preferred sites are really close together, and while your trailer should fit, getting the camper in there is a bit more difficult, those loop roads are tight. Premium and Full Hookup can be closer to the "center" of the campground, and if you have a large group going to either the settlement or the outpost to catch a bus, that puts you half-way between each. The preferred are way up near the marina, and since buses except Magic Kingdom boat are at the Outpost, that is a long bike ride/scooter ride to the outpost most days. Premium and full hookup also gets you closer to the main pool. I honestly would recommend requesting 900 loop or 1400 Loop for Premium Or 1600 or 1700 Loop for Full. Also, have someone actually drive the scooter to whichever transportation hub you are going to and have mom ride the golf cart (unless she is confident enough to ride through the campground on her scooter). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Welcome!!!! Lots of your questions have been answered, but personally, I prefer Premium or Full Hookup for larger groups. The preferred sites are really close together, and while your trailer should fit, getting the camper in there is a bit more difficult, those loop roads are tight. Premium and Full Hookup can be closer to the "center" of the campground, and if you have a large group going to either the settlement or the outpost to catch a bus, that puts you half-way between each. The preferred are way up near the marina, and since buses except Magic Kingdom boat are at the Outpost, that is a long bike ride/scooter ride to the outpost most days. Premium and full hookup also gets you closer to the main pool. I honestly would recommend requesting 900 loop or 1400 Loop for Premium Or 1600 or 1700 Loop for Full. Also, have someone actually drive the scooter to whichever transportation hub you are going to and have mom ride the golf cart (unless she is confident enough to ride through the campground on her scooter). I agree with Carol. I'd go with Premium or Full. Just avoid loop 1900. Will the five year old have a stroller? If so, it might be tough to get three strollers, two moms, a 5yo, two infants, and a driver on one golf cart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
red...Susan 37 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 We just made two Mickey lampposts. Start early it took us a while to get all the pieces. Unless you live in Florida you have to order them. We had to use amazon to get the globes we wanted.Most of the bike rides took us fifteen minutes. You need lights after dark. It is really dark in some areas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_Meirkat 5 Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Thank you all for the welcome and info! I hadn't even thought about the "gear" required for the babies. (Can you tell my kids are the teenagers?) The five year old will most likely be carried around everywhere by the older kids. She's tiny and my kids love hauling her up on their shoulders, so no stroller for her, but both babies will have a stroller and bag each, no doubt. And my sister over-packs in the worst kind of way, so her kid's bag will be HUGE. Our golf cart will be full really quick, won't it? Better look into renting at least one more. Better to use outside company or risk availability at the Fort? About Mom and driving the scooter to the hub, is that the better way to handle it? I do wonder about driving the scooter to hubs, and spending all its battery just getting to a Park. I'm trying to memorize the Fort map, so I know all the spots y'all mention. I forgot to say we'll have dogs with us. The pawprints on the map indicate the pet-okay spots, right? Does anyone recommend a particular one of those loops for our two site group? Thank you again, so much, for all the info! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Welcome!! You can find a full listing of which loops are pet loops (and some other good info) on this page...http://www.fortfiends.net/_/accomodations/loop-information/site-classifications-r61 All of the full hookup sites are pet friendly. The only places posted that no dogs are allowed is the Outpost (by the bus stop/reception), Settlement/Marina, and Pool/Meadows area. We usually don't walk our dogs through non-pet loops, just out of courtesy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Do your pets have long, silky hair? If so, there are many loops to avoid because of the cypress tree droppings which cling to long hair. We stayed in the 1900 loop once with our Schnauzer. Every time we took her out it took us 20-30 minutes to clean the cypress out of her hair. By all means get your golf carts from an outside company. It will save you a lot of money. Where are you renting your mom's scooter from? Walker Mobility has replacement scooters at each park so if hers runs out of battery power it's easy to get a replacement. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Retired and Happy (Ken) 101 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Not sure how many moms and infants there will be, but most GC's seat four, although an extra small child or two can usually slip in. There are some 6-seaters available from Disney, but I understand these cannot be reserved ahead of time and you must prove you have more than 4 in your party (which you obviously can). Non-Disney GC's can be reserved including 6 seaters, but there may be a problem having a non-Disney delivered to your site(s) at the Fort. Also note the GC rides on the street and the scooter and bikes on the sidewalks. And the hubs mentioned are the bus stops at the Outpost (near checkin) and at the Settlement (near the Marina at the opposite end of the Fort). There is no driving GC or scooters to either the Parks or other resorts. There are busses from the Outpost to all Parks except MK, and there are boats from the marina to MK (small boats cannot carry scooters, but the larger boat can). There are some loops designated as pet loops, but they have been known to place pets in any loop when things get crowded. Designated pet loops have bag stations, but others do not. You are expected to perform cleanups whther you or the Fort provides the bags. Loop 500 and Loop 300 are the closest loops to the Dog park where dogs can run free for a while (500 premium and 300 preferred). Also the preferred loops are the three oldest loops with smaller sites and are located closest to the marina. The premium loops are toward the mid section of the Fort, but a map should make their locations clearer. Enough for now? And Welcome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Retired and Happy (Ken) 101 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 And don't forget to link your two reservations together and provide any information concerning desired locations, loops, etc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_Meirkat 5 Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Do your pets have long, silky hair? If so, there are many loops to avoid because of the cypress tree droppings which cling to long hair. We stayed in the 1900 loop once with our Schnauzer. Every time we took her out it took us 20-30 minutes to clean the cypress out of her hair. By all means get your golf carts from an outside company. It will save you a lot of money. Where are you renting your mom's scooter from? Walker Mobility has replacement scooters at each park so if hers runs out of battery power it's easy to get a replacement. Hello, Gwen! Cypress droppings, hmm, that does sound problematic for my Golden. She isn't silky-furred but does have a very long outer coat. She brings "yard" into the house coming in from outside. Definitely crossing 1900 off the list. :) The other dog is a Shar-Pei and more cat than dog, so no worries there. Walker is the company I'm using! Yay! You have reassured me it was the right choice. Thank you! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted June 6, 2014 Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 Looks like you've already got lots of great information; the only thing I'd add... is make sure to save a day for relaxing at the Fort. There is a lot to do there (or you can do nothing :) ). Have a WONDERFUL trip and... :welcome: pixiesteno 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_Meirkat 5 Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2014 And don't forget to link your two reservations together and provide any information concerning desired locations, loops, etc.Hello, Neighbors! I'm in Stockbridge. We were just at the Lasershow this past Saturday. Love the Stone Mountain area! This linking you speak of, this is done when the reservations are actually made, yes? Also, 6 seater golf carts...Brilliant! I am on a quest for one of these now. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
the_Meirkat 5 Posted June 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Looks like you've already got lots of great information; the only thing I'd add... is make sure to save a day for relaxing at the Fort. There is a lot to do there (or you can do nothing :) ). Have a WONDERFUL trip and... :welcome:That is such good advice, thank you! I am hoping to "force" us to relax a bit, by only purchasing Park Hoppers for half the time we are staying. I'm a little worried I'll regret the decision, but there does seem to be so much not-theme-park stuff to do and see. Thanks for the welcome! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Katman1356...Jason 1,140 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Hello, Neighbors! I'm in Stockbridge. We were just at the Lasershow this past Saturday. Love the Stone Mountain area! This linking you speak of, this is done when the reservations are actually made, yes? Also, 6 seater golf carts...Brilliant! I am on a quest for one of these now. :) Yes when you book your reservations you or your Travel Agent can make what is called a travel with link. A special number is assigned that tells the person assigning the sites these people are together and they will try to keep the sites as close to each other as possible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Katman1356...Jason 1,140 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 That is such good advice, thank you! I am hoping to "force" us to relax a bit, by only purchasing Park Hoppers for half the time we are staying. I'm a little worried I'll regret the decision, but there does seem to be so much not-theme-park stuff to do and see. Thanks for the welcome! Unless you are buying separate tickets Park Hoppers are for the length of the ticket. They are a one time additional fee of about $60 regardless of how many days your ticket is for. If buying separate tickets make sure you do the math to see if it will actually save you money. Around day 4 the additional price per day drops significantly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 One other thing to remember is that you can add park hopping to a base ticket at any time. I usually tell people not to buy it until they're sure they're going to use it. You may find that one park per day is plenty, in which case you'll save yourselves some money. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Katman1356...Jason 1,140 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 One other thing to remember is that you can add park hopping to a base ticket at any time. I usually tell people not to buy it until they're sure they're going to use it. You may find that one park per day is plenty, in which case you'll save yourselves some money. :) I absolutely agree with that. I will note that Disney wants you to have one full day now left on your ticket if you add extra days. I have not confirmed that applies to adding park hopping yet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
red...Susan 37 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 We where at the 1700 loop in May with my little very fluffy white dog for two weeks. She stayed clean the whole time. We do not walk her on pavement because she picks up oil off of it but she did not pick up much off of the ground around the campsite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis 105 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Welcome I would also recommend getting a full hoop up site and with the size of your group I would request to be near a comfort station. You will also have a better chance to park 2 vehicles at a site on the full hook up loops. I am assuming ya'll will have multiple vehicles with the size of your group. I would rent a 6 seat cart from an outside company. I also wanted to mention that there are internal buses that stop near the entrance of all loops that go anywhere you need in the campground that your mother on her scooter and some of the crew could use to haul baby equipment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 I absolutely agree with that. I will note that Disney wants you to have one full day now left on your ticket if you add extra days. I have not confirmed that applies to adding park hopping yet. Good to know - thanks, Jason! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Katman1356...Jason 1,140 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Good to know - thanks, Jason!I have hear it can still be done but it requires getting someone who knows and getting a manager to approve. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted June 7, 2014 Report Share Posted June 7, 2014 Welcome!!! There is so much to do right at the Fort that getting tickets for only half your stay is great. Take the kids fishing, go to the pool, play games, relax, and go to the campfire with Chip n Dale. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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