Foxesdensouth 1 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi everyone, We are a Canadain Family living in SoCal - Mom, Dad and DD9. We enjoy San Diego and WDL very much.. but my DD is getting older, so I feel the need to make the trip to Mecca so to speak! LOL. We have a dog, called Whisky Pete, who is sweet as any rescue dog can be.. but he is small and can get him self worked into a small frenzy when we leave him alone to long when we are travelling. (Hotels etc). Info about us which may be helpful: *24 foot moter home with no towed car*3 weeks total for travel from San Diego and back*August 10 - 30 2016 are the travel dates we are looking at*Planning to use the doggie kenny for days when we are in the park - Questions: *Kennel Logistics? Unsure if its best to pay for overnights, how far in advance does it book it? Othe options? *Debating renting a car for the whole time we are in Orlando *Food Shopping? I know they have onsite, but as always its $$$. How far is the local Publics etc? *Thinking about basic food plan, you can mix and match correct? So one day we use 3 quick service meals, and another we use one? We are total foodies, and do not mind paying for good meals - but I think the upgraded meal plan would be too much food for even us! We might ge further ahead if we go lower, and then spash out a few times. *Universal Studios? How far is the drive? Or is it better to stay at a different location? *Transportation to parks - just Bus? Water? How long? *Other Hotels? How long? We want to hit a few places for dinner, and shows! *You can do that without a park ticket correct? *August in Orlando - close to water sites, or to many bugs? *Loops - Because we are paying for dog kenneling for days we are in the park, (And I am cheep LOL) I want the lowest priced lot I can get, but in a good location. We will have bikes. (Can you lock them up outside of the pool etc?) Any tips? We would rather walk further to be on a site with more "space" around it.. ie not stacked up then in a central location. *We looked at golf cart rentals, and its $$$ for us (me) to rent every day, but I can see us renting one, ONE day, just too "loop" and have fun. *Finally - we MIGHT at a short cruise (Disney/CCL/RCCL at the start or end of our trip - where on earth can we leave our RV? Thank you so much everyone! (Photo of us taking MANY moons ago when my DD was 5) BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Travisma 1,317 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Welcome. There are bike racks at the boat launch, settlement, outpost, and the pools. There are also fences you can lock the bikes to if you have a cable/chain. Closest grocery store is about 5 ? miles away which is a Winn-Dixie. Wal-Mart super center and Publix are a little further. Best bet is to load up before you hit the Fort. Universal is about a 1/2 hour or so drive. There is no transportation between Disney and Universal. A lot of campers utilize a taxi/limo service. If you do a search of the topics you will find comments/stories. Some do 1 or 2 day car rentals. I think Enterprise will brnig the car to the Fort. Boat to the MK, busses to the other parks. For Epcot you could take a boat to the Contemporary, then a monorail to the transportation center and transfer to the Epcot monorail. Will take longer but it's fun. August in FL will be hot, humid, probably rainy. Mosquitos more than likely and biting flies maybe, will be around. Not sure about the kennel options, other than most people rave about it. Hotel Hopping is one of the big attractions. You are welcome at all of them, except to use the pools. Others can answer about dining at them. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Welcome - and great photo!! I'll take a stab at a few of your questions... The kennel is about a 5 minute drive outside of the Fort. There used to be one located inside the Fort, but it is gone now. You'll need your own transportation to/from the kennel, Disney does not provide any.Here is the website... http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/waltdisneyworldresort/ Some folks here have experiences they can share using them. Agree with Travisma above - if you won't have a car, hit the Publix or Winn Dixie on your way in. There is one of each about 10 minutes away from the Downtown Disney area. You can get to other hotels on property via Disney transport by taking a bus to Downtown Disney (soon to be renamed Disney Springs) and then transferring to a resort bus. Resorts around Magic Kingdom can be reached by boat/monorail. Transport to parks:MK - boat (approx 15 minutes dock-to-dock)There are direct buses for all other parks - approx. 15-20 minutes stop-to-stopWith all of the above, keep in mind time to get to the dock/bus stop from your site and wait for the boat/bus. Generally it's a good idea to leave yourself an hour from your door. If you have a specific reservation you're trying to meet, personally I'd allow 90 minutes. Cheapest loops for a motorhome will be full hookup, all of which are also pet friendly. The full hookups are all located in one area, relatively close to the pool/Meadows recreation area. There aren't any really secluded sites or those that are spaced out a whole lot more than the others, but the full hookup sites are generally pretty roomy and shady. You can find more detailed loop/site info, including maps, links to videos of all loops, the Fort Fiends mobile app with site specs/photos and a Google Earth map here...http://www.fortfiends.net/_/accomodations/loop-information/site-classifications-r61 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ependydad...Doug 176 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi everyone, We are a Canadain Family living in SoCal - Mom, Dad and DD9. We enjoy San Diego and WDL very much.. but my DD is getting older, so I feel the need to make the trip to Mecca so to speak! LOL. We have a dog, called Whisky Pete, who is sweet as any rescue dog can be.. but he is small and can get him self worked into a small frenzy when we leave him alone to long when we are travelling. (Hotels etc).Welcome! Info about us which may be helpful: *24 foot moter home with no towed car*3 weeks total for travel from San Diego and back*August 10 - 30 2016 are the travel dates we are looking at*Planning to use the doggie kenny for days when we are in the park -Have you looked at the length of drive time it'll take? Make sure you account for that when you make your Disney plans. Questions: *Kennel Logistics? Unsure if its best to pay for overnights, how far in advance does it book it? Othe options?No idea. Hope others can chime in. *Debating renting a car for the whole time we are in OrlandoI wouldn't. Disney does a good job with transportation and worst case, you just rent a cab here or there. *Food Shopping? I know they have onsite, but as always its $$$. How far is the local Publics etc?A few miles away. As mentioned, probably easiest to stop on your way in. *Thinking about basic food plan, you can mix and match correct? So one day we use 3 quick service meals, and another we use one? We are total foodies, and do not mind paying for good meals - but I think the upgraded meal plan would be too much food for even us! We might ge further ahead if we go lower, and then spash out a few times.Yes, you can mix and match the plan. You get credits for the various meals. How you use them is up to you. We've done both plans- and you're right, the deluxe plan is a lot of food. With camping at the fort, a lot of people talk about eating at their own camper. There was a recent discussion about it; see if this thread helps. *Universal Studios? How far is the drive? Or is it better to stay at a different location?1/2 hour or so without traffic. Maybe a little more with traffic. Staying closer is your call- you need 2 good days to do both Universal parks. *Transportation to parks - just Bus? Water? How long?Buses, boats, and my son's favorite- the monorail! Waits vary depending on time of day, what's going on, etc. I generally budget an hour to get somewhere. *Other Hotels? How long? We want to hit a few places for dinner, and shows! *You can do that without a park ticket correct?Correct! You're welcome to hotel hop and check them out. You can use Disney transportation to get around. There are some really neat things- like the Animal Kingdom Lodge offers night vision goggles to see the animals. As mentioned, you just can't use their pools. As long as something isn't in a park, you don't need a ticket. *August in Orlando - close to water sites, or to many bugs?No idea. *Loops - Because we are paying for dog kenneling for days we are in the park, (And I am cheep LOL) I want the lowest priced lot I can get, but in a good location. We will have bikes. (Can you lock them up outside of the pool etc?) Any tips? We would rather walk further to be on a site with more "space" around it.. ie not stacked up then in a central location.Yes, you can lockup bikes wherever you go. No idea about the best loop- it really comes down to what you prefer to be near. *We looked at golf cart rentals, and its $$$ for us (me) to rent every day, but I can see us renting one, ONE day, just too "loop" and have fun.I'm the same way- I'm way too cheap for a golf cart rental outside of a day here or there. That said, off site rentals are usually cheaper, just way more of a hassle. *Finally - we MIGHT at a short cruise (Disney/CCL/RCCL at the start or end of our trip - where on earth can we leave our RV?Not sure. Maybe a local non-Disney campground? (Photo of us taking MANY moons ago when my DD was 5)Cute family! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 I don't have anything to add, but welcome to the group! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Somehow I missed the rental car question. Normally I'd say don't bother, but if you're looking to head up to Universal and use the kennel, it might be a good idea. It could also save you some bus time by being able to drive to other resorts. Plus that way you won't have to worry about parking your MH in the Publix parking lot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Welcome! I'd say you definitely need to add a rental car to the budget. You are not going to want to have to unhook and drive your motorhome to the kennel and then to the parks. Since you're new to RVing, you don't know what's involved with getting your RV set up just right on your site, and then getting all of the utilities connected. People do it, but I personally would not want to have to disconnect everything so I could take the pup to the kennel. Backing an RV into a spot can be a stressful event for a newbie. You don't want to have to do that every time the dog needs to be brought back from the kennel. Oh, and I think Whiskey Pete is an awesome name for a dog. Also, if you're trying to save money ditch the Disney Dining Plan. If you have a rental car, you can buy groceries off-site and eat most of your meals at your campsite. You will eat better, and you could easily pay for the rental car with the money you save. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Foxesdensouth 1 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks everyone! So far - Yes to car rental, but question.. can we drive and park for free at disney hotels if we are going for dinner? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the subject of where to park for the cruise- the manager of the Fort has been known to give permission and issue parking passes allowing guests who will be staying at the Fort before or after a cruise to leave their RV's in the overflow lot for no additional charge. If you do that, you will still need to get from WDW to the cruise port. It may be a better option to drive to the cruise port and pay for parking there. They have RV spots at Port Canaveral. They are pricey, though. There are satellite lots that provide shuttles to the port. You may want to look at one of those. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Thanks everyone! So far - Yes to car rental, but question.. can we drive and park for free at disney hotels if we are going for dinner? Absolutely yes. And, as a Fort guest, you also can park at all of the theme parks for no charge. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Absolutely yes. And, as a Fort guest, you also can park at all of the theme parks for no charge. TCD Make sure you get a parking pass when you check in and just pop that on the dash and you're good to park at all WDW parks, resorts and DTD for free. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the subject of Orlando in August . . . You can't even imagine. Whatever you're thinking about the heat and humidity, it's worse. But, I live in Florida. and always visit WDW in August. The Fort does a very good job with pest control, particularly in the summer months. Cross bugs off of the list of things you need to worry about. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 On the subject of Universal Studios . . . Yuck. Just kidding. It's not a bad drive from the Fort. No need to find a place to stay closer. As long as traffic is moving, you could make it in 30-40 minutes. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 When we went in November we bypassed I-4 altogether and went "the back way" up Turkey Lake/Palm Parkway. Took about 30 minutes and was a much less stressful ride with very little traffic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mouseketab.....Carol 1,261 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Also, on the Cruise parking. There are many hotels in Canaveral that have a "Stay and Park" with a shuttle. So you could stay the night before in a hotel near the port, have a place to park the RV, and get a shuttle to the ship. As far as the doggie daycare, you would most definitely need a car for that. However, is the separation anxiety a daily thing, or just an overnight thing. Couldn't he just stay in the MH while you are out? If you can leave the doggie in the MH, then I would just concentrate the car rental for a few days in the middle of your trip. Mid trip grocery shopping and a day at Universal. I do bring my truck pulling the camper, but it stays parked the entire time, except for offsite store runs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AuburnJen 771 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 I am fixing the title from FRIENDS to FrIENDS. I thought it necessary. Plus I get to say, NA NA NA NA NA to the fairies because they didn't catch it all morning! Welcome to our insanity! BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Foxesdensouth 1 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Doggie will not do well alone in RV and I don't want to be rushing back. Day overnight or mix of both. It depends! LOL Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Foxesdensouth 1 Posted February 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 LOL Thanks for having me, I feel like are bonding all ready! TI am fixing the title from FRIENDS to FrIENDS. I thought it necessary. Plus I get to say, NA NA NA NA NA to the fairies because they didn't catch it all morning! Welcome to our insanity! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MousingAround 0 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Welcome from another Californian (Northern)! We are planning our first visit to FW in April (only 55 days to go) but our trip will start about three weeks earlier because we are doing the "tourist" thing along the way. Great questions....I have found this site to be extremely helpful in our trip planning. I also recommend skipping the dining plan...we tried it once. We like eating breakfast in the MH and then dining out for lunch. If we eat dinner it is very light. Plus there aren't many vegetarian options. Enjoy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Welcome from another Californian (Northern)! I love that the Fiends are coast-to-coast! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twiceblessed....nacole 433 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 You've got lots of great answers all ready... so all I can add is another WELCOME!! Glad you're here :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 I am also glad to have a couple left coasters as Fiends. I wish I could be there the first time you see our castle. You're going to be mad! TCD BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MousingAround 0 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 TCD...we have Cars Lands at Disneyland! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
red...Susan 37 Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Reverse questions for our California people. I am going to Monterey for a weekend and tips? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Reverse questions for our California people. I am going to Monterey for a weekend and tips? Lived in the area for many years before moving to NC. Definitely go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is in Cannery Row and is close to the Old Fisherman's Wharf and the Customs House. All are within walking distance of each other. We also used to like going out to Point Lobos and other areas along the coast just for the views. If you are into golfing there's Spy Glass, Cedar Point and Pebble Beach although I don't know if they allow the public to play these days. If nothing else 17 Mile Drive is a nice drive and takes you by the courses. If you don't mind a little bit of a drive Santa Cruz is just up the coast and still has it's original seaside board walk and amusement park. Can't think of much more at the moment but will update if anything else comes to mind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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