The key to getting the same site each time (specifically holidays) is

[MadCane 2]

We think we are going to modify our thanksgiving trip after the past trip as well, we stayed the 21st to the 1st of Dec

Monday and Tuesday it looked like a ghost town, lol

So next year I'm thinking to show up on the day before thanksgiving and staying the whole week after instead of the week before like the past.

[LONE-STAR 370]

We think we are going to modify our thanksgiving trip after the past trip as well, we stayed the 21st to the 1st of Dec

Monday and Tuesday it looked like a ghost town, lol

So next year I'm thinking to show up on the day before thanksgiving and staying the whole week after instead of the week before like the past.

Welcome to Fort fiends. In your avatar photo that golf cart. Is it white, pink, and have Tinker Bell on the front? If so I have always liked your cart.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

We think we are going to modify our thanksgiving trip after the past trip as well, we stayed the 21st to the 1st of Dec

Monday and Tuesday it looked like a ghost town, lol

So next year I'm thinking to show up on the day before thanksgiving and staying the whole week after instead of the week before like the past.

 

Great idea if you want to avoid the hubbub and enjoy some peace and quiet!  It's amazing how empty the Fort gets after Thanksgiving!

 

It's also been pretty empty that full week before Thanksgiving week, but the bonus to the week after is that you get all the Christmas decorations too.  :)

 

Oh and WELCOME to Fort Fiends!!

[keith_h 420]

Great idea if you want to avoid the hubbub and enjoy some peace and quiet!  It's amazing how empty the Fort gets after Thanksgiving!

 

It's also been pretty empty that full week before Thanksgiving week, but the bonus to the week after is that you get all the Christmas decorations too.  :)

 

Oh and WELCOME to Fort Fiends!!

 

That's the week we were there this year and it was quite nice. The campground was full but not crowded if you know what I mean. Even after the parks closed the internal buses weren't overcrowded and the fewer golfs carts flying around made it much safer for walkers like us. We've decided this will likely be the same week we shoot for on future visits to the Fort.

[Starbuc71 162]

It stinks when you have to plan fort trips around your kids school calendars. When they were in preschool it was great, we never went camping on busy times and we could even go up north to see the changing of the leaves Disney is on to this too since their block out dates align with most FL school break dates

[Travisma 1,317]

It stinks when you have to plan fort trips around your kids school calendars. When they were in preschool it was great, we never went camping on busy times and we could even go up north to see the changing of the leaves Disney is on to this too since their block out dates align with most FL school break dates

And then come the grandkids!

 

We are on the Hillsborough County school schedule because my wife watches my granddaughter after school and runs her to club and gym until our daughter gets out of work.

 

So things just make a big circle!

[CJHokie 43]

It stinks when you have to plan fort trips around your kids school calendars. When they were in preschool it was great, we never went camping on busy times and we could even go up north to see the changing of the leaves Disney is on to this too since their block out dates align with most FL school break dates

Yes! Mine are in HS & MS now and you just can't take them out of school.  When they were younger we had some great trips to DW during Sep. & Oct.

[LONE-STAR 370]

It stinks when you have to plan fort trips around your kids school calendars. When they were in preschool it was great, we never went camping on busy times and we could even go up north to see the changing of the leaves Disney is on to this too since their block out dates align with most FL school break dates

Yes having to work around school is no fun.

[LONE-STAR 370]

It stinks when you have to plan fort trips around your kids school calendars. When they were in preschool it was great, we never went camping on busy times and we could even go up north to see the changing of the leaves Disney is on to this too since their block out dates align with most FL school break dates

Yes having to work around school is no fun.

[CJHokie 43]

Yes having to work around school is no fun.

I used to be against year-round school, but now I think it would be great. 2 or 3 weeks off every so many weeks and you're not stuck with the masses everywhere you go in the summer, around Easter, or Christmas.

[keith_h 420]

Both of our girls grew up with year round until they reached high school. We always picked a track that had time off during October and April. The same track that had those usually gave us time off in January too. When they were in elementary school it worked out well as we would visit WDW in January after everyone else was back in school and most of the Brazilian groups had gone home.

[jlf 7]

When I went to make my reservation for Dec 2015, I wanted to reserve two, one for me and one for my son. Wanted to do one so we would be in the same loop, My TA said I could only reserve one and my son would have his own. But they would be linked so we would be together. We are here now and we are next to each

[LONE-STAR 370]

I used to be against year-round school, but now I think it would be great. 2 or 3 weeks off every so many weeks and you're not stuck with the masses everywhere you go in the summer, around Easter, or Christmas.

I always thought that year round school would be nice. Plus it would help kids prepare for working year round.

[Beckers 1,136]

I wish we had year round school. Brian doesn't have enough seniority to take off during summer vacation or Christmas/Easter. Hopefully they never get rid of Teachers convention in NJ and we will always have a built in vacation week. Another plus is most of the guys Brian work with live in PA so jersey week isn't something they need off.

[LONE-STAR 370]

I wish we had year round school. Brian doesn't have enough seniority to take off during summer vacation or Christmas/Easter. Hopefully they never get rid of Teachers convention in NJ and we will always have a built in vacation week. Another plus is most of the guys Brian work with live in PA so jersey week isn't something they need off.

Jersey week people, I have been that week. It was as busy as Thanksgiving in the parks.

[geoffdaddy 33]

You know, it could just be a matter of how long someone's there for.

 

We took our girls to do the arts and crafts thing over by the bike barn a couple trips back and were joined by another family. The CM asked where everyone was from and one of the girls from the other family said, "oh, we live here." I don't think she meant Orlando area, I think she meant Ft. Wilderness specifically. Now, as weird as that may sound, I believed her based on some of their other comments, and I have seen/heard reports of people staying for well over a year (one person stayed there for like 9 years straight!).

[geoffdaddy 33]

Oh yeah, we have seen that firsthand too I believe. The first couple times we stayed at the Fort we requested and got the 100 loop both trips were November trips, and each time the same RV was parked on the same site, with a TON of decorations. We asked one of the CMs in the Settlement Trading Post about it and she said, "oh yeah, they have been here for a couple years now..." So, it happens. I would love to know what they do to be able to afford a year long stay.

[LONE-STAR 370]

Oh yeah, we have seen that firsthand too I believe. The first couple times we stayed at the Fort we requested and got the 100 loop both trips were November trips, and each time the same RV was parked on the same site, with a TON of decorations. We asked one of the CMs in the Settlement Trading Post about it and she said, "oh yeah, they have been here for a couple years now..." So, it happens. I would love to know what they do to be able to afford a year long stay.

Retirement and now a travel agent.

[Travisma 1,317]

When I retire I'll be lucky to be able to afford a motel 6 one day a year!

[LONE-STAR 370]

When I retire I'll be lucky to be able to afford a motel 6 one day a year!

Maybe we can do a grand gathering there. I am sure we will be in the same boat.

[Hammer bird 6]

The fort is plagued by "phantom" reservations.  People book one night at the Fort so they get "on property"benefits and FP+ so the site they booked sits vacant.  I'm hopeful that Disney will close that loophole.  I also highly doubt that Disney has any year round residence.  That's a different type of RV park that has residential full-timers.  I think the CM meant that the couple arrives at the same time each year.

[Travisma 1,317]

The fort is plagued by "phantom" reservations.  People book one night at the Fort so they get "on property"benefits and FP+ so the site they booked sits vacant.  I'm hopeful that Disney will close that loophole.  I also highly doubt that Disney has any year round residence.  That's a different type of RV park that has residential full-timers.  I think the CM meant that the couple arrives at the same time each year.

Welcome to the group.

 

There are people that stay at the fort year round or close to year round.

 

They have to make multiple reservations to do it.

 

The phantom reservations do take away from others utilizing a site, but there is no real way that Disney can prevent it, and then again why should they care, they got their $$.

 

Now they have tried making a minimum stay requirement over weekends and especially around holidays.  That should prevent people from booking just 1 night in advance.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

The fort is plagued by "phantom" reservations.  People book one night at the Fort so they get "on property"benefits and FP+ so the site they booked sits vacant.  I'm hopeful that Disney will close that loophole.  I also highly doubt that Disney has any year round residence.  That's a different type of RV park that has residential full-timers.  I think the CM meant that the couple arrives at the same time each year.

 

Welcome!

 

We've discussed the "throwaway campsite" issue on here a lot. Ultimately, it has minimal to no impact on the availability of campsites.  These cheaters have learned that they can cancel their "throwaway" reservations after they get their MagicBands, get their deposit back, and keep the MagicBands and the FP+ reservations they got to make 60 days in advance. There are a few who keep the reservation, and pay for the one night to get the parking pass and EMH benefits, but those people are in the minority.  The cheaters already know how to not pay for parking and that EMH's aren't so much of a benefit anymore.  If the throwaway campsite issue caused sites to sit unused, there would be lots of empty sites during busy times, but there aren't.

 

Now they have tried making a minimum stay requirement over weekends and especially around holidays.  That should prevent people from booking just 1 night in advance.

 

The minimum stay requirement just blocks locals from being able to book weekends.  The cheaters can still easily cheat. They can book whatever minimum stay is required, pay the one night deposit, get their dining reservations ahead of non-cheaters, book their FP+'s at the 60 day mark, get their 10 MagicBands, and then cancel the reservation and get their deposit back.  And they keep all of their reservations that are supposedly a perk for on-site guests.  What a deal.  The loophole has not been closed at all.  It's still wide open, and being gleefully exploited and encouraged by unscrupulous travel agents according to posts I've read on other message boards.  I do think this practice does have some impact on making Fort reservations, as those available sites are kept out of the inventory until the cheaters cancel their reservations, but they do eventually end up back in the inventory, and are taken by guests who actually want to camp.

 

TCD

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

Just a note on that TCD. If you cancel a reservation that had allowed you to make FP+ selections they tell you now your FP selections will be cancelled as well.

[Grumpy and Grandma 739]

Just a note on that TCD. If you cancel a reservation that had allowed you to make FP+ selections they tell you now your FP selections will be cancelled as well.

Loop hole closed!