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Keeping up my questions...so here is another. We always go grocery shopping before our camping trips and then just pack up coolers filled with the cold groceries and then take it to the camp grounds and then unpack and put stuff in the fridge from there. Our new camper has a decent sized inside fridge and also has a smaller outside (outside kitchen area) fridge. So fridge space for camping is actually pretty good. We enjoy cooking our own meals and feel like after all the expenses we have laid out for the trailer, truck, fuel, site fees etc then we kind of owe it to ourselves to save where we can and not eating out a bunch helps.

I see people talking about a trading post and I assume you can buy basic grocery type stuff there...I picture a 7/11 type stocked store at best...maybe I'm wrong...but I also imagine that the prices at said store are much higher than those at a regular grocery store. So are there any decent grocery stores near by....15 or 20 minute drive? What do you guys do?

Here in Texas we have what's called HEB grocery stores...they are hands down better than going to say Walmart or Albertsons or Safeway. Are there grocery stores near FW that are better than others. I'm thinking the first morning we are there we would probably make a run to the grocery store and buy what we want for the week.

Obviously we will be going out to eat from time to time...for sure want to hit up one of those character dinners I've hard yall talking about for the girls.

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Yup- Trading Post prices are very high and selection is very limited. Under no circumstances do you want to buy your beer there. We are talking $15+ for a six pack of domestic beer.

Publix is a nice Florida supermarket chain. There are a couple within a 15-20 minute drive of the Fort. There is also a pretty nice Winn Dixie store.

TCD

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There are several Walmart Supercenters, Publix, and Winn Dixie all within 10 miles of the Fort. For camper needs there is a cmping world, and there is also another RV parts place that folks recommend.

For things like water and soft drinks, the Hess gas stations on property have great prices. Also, top off the gas tank on your way out of town at Hess. Cheapest gas in the area

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There are several Walmart Supercenters, Publix, and Winn Dixie all within 10 miles of the Fort. For camper needs there is a cmping world, and there is also another RV parts place that folks recommend.

For things like water and soft drinks, the Hess gas stations on property have great prices. Also, top off the gas tank on your way out of town at Hess. Cheapest gas in the area

Good stuff guys. The RV parts/camping world info is good to know. On a trip like that where we will be gone for a while there could be some things that happen that can't wait to be fixed.

Does this Hess station have diesel?

The RV parts and possible trouble also had me thinking about my truck. Are there any recommended mechanic (diesel mechanic) garages near by. I'm hoping we don't have issues but it's great to plan for the worst so I'm not scrambling if an issue comes up.

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Diesel mechanic. I don't. know, but there is a AAA car care center right on roperty which folks have recommended for generel car stuff.

There are 3 hess stations. I "think" they have diesel

The only station with Diesel is the one at the Car Care Center near the MK the other two only have gas.

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For an idea of what the Trading Posts carry and prices, check out this page...

http://www.fortfiends.net/_/misc/meadows-trading-post-r98

We like to go to the Winn-Dixie at 11957 S Apopka Vineland Rd, Orlando, FL, just a short 5-10 minute drive.

Ditto! Nice store, decent prices, pretty good beer section. There is also a good-sized ABC liquor store in the same plaza.

If you go "the back way" out of the Fort and bypass Downtown Disney, it's a really easy trip.

Exiting the Fort take a left.

Follow that straight through the light in front of Golden Oak all the way to the end. (Be careful of the speed bumps and random stop signs.)

Take a right onto 535 and follow to the intersection of Apopka-Vineland, take a left at that light.

The Winn-Dixie will be about 1/4 mile up the road on your right.

Totally agree about avoiding Goodings at Crossroads (right outside DTD). It may sound convenient but their selection is pretty awful and prices are ridiculous.

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How they get away with that I don't know.

Free enterprise, they can charge whatever they want.

Actually we find that the Disney Hess prices seem to be on par, if not a little cheaper than the surrounding area.

It's always 4 cents more than the off property Hess station that I drive by on my way in. And their price is as low or lower than any station near WDW.

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I usually get gas at the WalMart on 535 when I need it say for a rental car. When I leave going north, I stop at the T/A where the Turnpike rejoins I-75. For groceries we usually either go to Walmart or Winn-Dixie, depending on where we are. We have been known to pick up a few items at a Trading Post when we just needed some small item like a loaf of bread or a carton of ice cream.

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There was just a story on about 2 gas stations near the Orlando airport that charge like 2 dollars more per gallon. I guess the issue was they kinda hide there signs with prices and prey on tourists who are returning rental cars. I always look at the pump price before I start refilling.

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It's always 4 cents more than the off property Hess station that I drive by on my way in. And their price is as low or lower than any station near WDW.

I should have been more specific - we're usually milling around the DTD/Apopka-Vineland side of WDW, near I-4 on up to I-drive/Universal-ish area.

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There was just a story on about 2 gas stations near the Orlando airport that charge like 2 dollars more per gallon. I guess the issue was they kinda hide there signs with prices and prey on tourists who are returning rental cars. I always look at the pump price before I start refilling.

The one guy Curt mentions does actually have a big ol' sign out like any regular gas station.

They're also sort of off the main drag (at least not right out on A-V) and there are other gas stations fairly close. I can't imagine why anyone would ever pull in there. Even if they did without seeing the sign, I'd be burning rubber as soon as I saw the price on the pump.

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I haven't seen others talk about the prices of meat at Winn-Dixie, Walmart or Publix down there, but I will tell you that we take our meat with us. It is WAY cheaper at our local Piggly Wiggly. We plan ahead a bit and freeze the meat before we leave. Other stuff seems reasonable at the stores.

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