newbie here...need help! Another ? added

[littleangie]

so as title of the thread stated i am a newbie to the fort. I have convinced my hubby to try camping at Disney . We would be tent camping with a 8 person or bigger tent. So here is where i could use help. We are planning a 2 week trip in October-November of next year. What kind of weather could we get? We have only been to WDW in June and once in February. What are some of the essentials we would need to camp at Disney? Would renting a golf cart be advised? Please be kind, any and all advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. Hope to see you at the fort!

 

[FloridaTeacher]

First off renting a golf cart is so much fun and very convenient...I highly recommend it, but I would rent off site (if possible) because it is much cheaper. This is what we do. Florida weather is...shall we say...unpredictable, but you are going at a great time. For the most part the days are mild and the nights cool. Having said that however, it can be occasionally freakishly hot in October. I camp in a motor home (yes, I know some people don't call that camping) so I don't really know what you would need. I would say typical camping supplies. The Fort has awesome comfort stations and there are charcoal grills at every site.

Any who...any day at Disney is awesome!

We are 10 days out from our next visit!!!!

 

[peg110]

Not only can the weather get "Freakishly Hot" in October, it can get "Freakishly Cold" in November too. We have gone a couple times near the end of November and had days where we would go swimming and other days where we needed our hoodie sweatshirts during the day. Like FloridaTeacher stated, it will (generally) get cooler in the evening. It would be worthwhile to bring a heater for the tent. Obviously choose this wisely. We bring our Travel Trailer and bring an "Oil Filled Electric Heater". I like them because there are no "Elements" that are exposed and it's highly unlikely to cause a fire if something falls on it. Something like these will work good. A Fan is also a good idea too. If nothing more to keep air moving around the tent (warm or cool). Earlier October trips you may want to also bring some sort of AC for the tent as well.

I think weather-wise you can expect just about anything but not likely in the extremes (i.e. hurricanes or blizzards).

Renting a golf cart is really a personal choice. There is adequate transportation available. If, however, you want to "Roam" around the fort and check things out, a GC helps out. Bikes work well too if you bring them. If not you can rent them over by the Meadows. Just know that there really is no place to park a car/truck anywhere except your SITE and the front lot (over flow parking) so the driving of a car/truck to check out the Fort is typically out (and strongly discouraged)

Camping gear is really dependent upon what type of experience you want and how you plan on doing things. Are you going to eat at the site or are you going to eat at restaurants? Eating at your site means things like a stove, coolers, etc.. There is water at each site and electricity. Also there is cable available so you can bring a TV to hook up too.

Sleeping accommodations? Sleeping bags on the ground, on a mat, on a cot, or on an air mattress? Or do you want a nice queen/king (large) air mattress and bring full on linens to sleep on. Choice is up to you. I know some folks go all out and have tents set up nicer then some homes I have been in. Just keep in mind that things on the ground (inside the tent) have a potential for getting wet, so bins for clothes and such aren't a bad idea.

I am sure others will have more to chime in with as well.

 

[bama_ed]

so as title of the thread stated i am a newbie to the fort.

Hi littleangie. We were all newbs once too.

What kind of weather could we get?

Weather.com indicated the traditional averages are 82F for a high and 61F for a low on Halloween Day as a reference point. And by then you've entered the dry season (2-3 inches of rain a month) so it really is quite sweet for tent camping. The fall isn't quite as bad for wild temperature swings as say, January.

What are some of the essentials we would need to camp at Disney?

If you are starting out gathering gear, you want a good air mattress or cot with bedding or sleeping bag. I would recommend an electric cooler to use as a fridge to store food in (one of the benefits of camping is you can cook/eat at your site and save a little money). A simple little propane stove with the gas canisters or a good electric skillet (versatile, my choice). A couple extension cords, multi-strip, flashlight, towels, eating stuff (paper plates, plastic kfs). A big RubberMaid tub to store non-refridgerated food and other stuff in. And a flashlight.

Would renting a golf cart be advised?

Golf carts are an expensive convenience. About $65 a day from Disney and about $35-40 a day if rented from off-site. I don't bother with a golf cart. Sometimes we bring our bikes and my own two feet work just fine the rest of the time. Given the time of year you will be there, walking will be pleasant. About the only benefit I can see to a golf cart is seeing the campers' Halloween or other decorations in the loops but if you're there for two weeks, you can check out a loop or two per night on foot with no rush, no problem, and no expense. But if you have money to burn, it's up to you.

Please be kind

No problem here. DIS camping folks are pretty laid back.

any and all advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.

One piece of advice I would give is to beware the squirrels at the Fort. They are highly skilled at sniffing out your delicious snacks and getting into them. Don't keep any food in the tent because the nylon wall will not stop them. Put a rock or something heavy on the lid of your RubberMaid tub before leaving for a park (same for the cooler or a bungee or something to help keep the lid down). Campers are a game of "squirrel-versus-Cheetohs" to them and the squirrels are damn good at winning the game. You've been warned.

Let us hear from you with any follow-up questions. Elsewise, have a great trip.

Bama Ed

 

[littleangie]

ok new question......What are the dimensions of the sand pad for a tent site. We are purchasing a new tent and want to make sure it would fit. We are looking at one that is pretty big. If the disney site has the correct size than we have to find something different.

Also i am going to just keep on adding questions to this thread so i dont have to keep making a new one. So i will change the title so you guys can answer. I really appreciate you answering questions. I tried to ask in other places and no one answered back, so thank you so much! But i will apologize in advance if i ask alot of questions.

 

[littleangie]

One piece of advice I would give is to beware the squirrels at the Fort. They are highly skilled at sniffing out your delicious snacks and getting into them. Don't keep any food in the tent because the nylon wall will not stop them. Put a rock or something heavy on the lid of your RubberMaid tub before leaving for a park (same for the cooler or a bungee or something to help keep the lid down). Campers are a game of "squirrel-versus-Cheetohs" to them and the squirrels are damn good at winning the game. You've been warned.

Okay i'll say it i am a complete novice at camping going to the first time this month. So with that being said....what can we do to prevent the squirrels? I was planning on using some of the inside to put or food (in a plastic tub with locking lid) and the electric fridge or cooler. would you suggest that we keep it in the back of our car or what?

 

[4077]

ok new question......What are the dimensions of the sand pad for a tent site. We are purchasing a new tent and want to make sure it would fit. We are looking at one that is pretty big. If the disney site has the correct size than we have to find something different.

Also i am going to just keep on adding questions to this thread so i dont have to keep making a new one. So i will change the title so you guys can answer. I really appreciate you answering questions. I tried to ask in other places and no one answered back, so thank you so much! But i will apologize in advance if i ask alot of questions.

I know you will be getting plenty of responses, but here is a link to a thread that one of our resident "experts", Bama_Ed, made awhile back.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2901476


It's not a comprehensive list of all tent pads in the Fort and their sizes (nor was it intended to be), but it has good info and gives some idea of what you may be looking at in the 1500/2000 loops (the specific tent loops). If you type in "tent pad sizes" in the search tool, you get a good selection of threads that have this very topic discussed as it comes up fairly regularly. Of course, you can pitch a tent in any of the sites at Fort Wilderness, but your needs for each site might vary (i.e.: premium sites have no tent pad, so staking into ground will not be an option there). Big help is to have cast member note your tent size(s) on your reservation so that they may better accommodate your needs. Have a blast camping at the Fort when you get there!

 

[peg110]

Okay i'll say it i am a complete novice at camping going to the first time this month. So with that being said....what can we do to prevent the squirrels? I was planning on using some of the inside to put or food (in a plastic tub with locking lid) and the electric fridge or cooler. would you suggest that we keep it in the back of our car or what?

The best way to keep the squirrels away is to not have ANY food... Even then, they may still come around.

That being said, don't rely on things being in the tent being okay and safe from the local critters. Secure Coolers fridges, etc... with bungee or locks (I have a large cooler from my college days that actually has a Hasp and Lock). The squirrels are very adept at gaining access to things. Boxes are also not safe. If it's not in a HARD container that is secured, then putting them in car is a good idea (if it's feasible given the whether while you are there.)

The Rubbermaid tubs are probably good too, again, however, wrap a bungee or something similar around them to secure it.

 

[bama_ed]

Okay i'll say it i am a complete novice at camping going to the first time this month. So with that being said....what can we do to prevent the squirrels? I was planning on using some of the inside to put or food (in a plastic tub with locking lid) and the electric fridge or cooler. would you suggest that we keep it in the back of our car or what?

Well, you can do that with a cooler or fridge so those normally have a rubber seal. I'm not keen on the tote with the locking lid because smells can still attract the squirrels and they will chew their way into the tent even if they were eventually stopped by the lid. So my advice to you is cooler inside if you want and non-cold outside at the worst, all outside for the best.

Think of a nice big bag of Doritos that gets opened, partially enjoyed by you, then the top curled up and tossed in the tote. You put the tote in the tent and head off to the theme park for 14 hours. The bag's not air tight nor is the tote lid. MMMmmmm, they smell good. That gives them a long time to find it and go after it.

For the record when I've tent camped I leave all my food outside. Cold stuff in the electric cooler are generally safe to me. Non-cold stuff like bread and chips go and cereal go in the tote with something heavy on the lid. Years of camping and hundreds of nights have drilled into me not to bring food into the tent at all. Period.

Use your car for any expensive stuff not with you each day (an iPad or laptop for example) and lock them inside while you're away at the parks.

I don't mean to scare you with stories about the squirrels. But because so many campers go in/out at the Fort, they've developed a more cultured palette than your typical state park squirrel.

Bama Ed

 

[peg110]

I don't mean to scare you with stories about the squirrels. But because so many campers go in/out at the Fort, they've developed a more cultured palette than your typical state park squirrel.

Cultured Palette

That's how @tiggerdad is able to recruit them to the NSS. An army marches on its stomach!

 

[tltay2005]

Just my story on the squirrels. We had one chew a hole right through our propane hose! Must have dripped some pancake batter on it in the morning because when we got back to camp that afternoon we had no propane and there was a small hole that had been chewed in the hose.

 

[parrothead64]

Squirrels like the smell of propane or something, had nothing to do with pancake batter. I have heard many stories of them chewing propane hoses. When I had my pop up I covered the hose with plastic loom just in case to add a buffer. Don't know if it worked or not, but never had a problem, maybe just lucky.

 

[tiggerdad]

Ha ha! The squirrels are always keeping us on our toes.

My first experience was in the 400 loop where a family of about 5-6 were in a tree directly over us. It was a circus the whole trip. They were constantly up to something. You could literally feed some of them right out of your hand. However, they were sneaky. Once I was feeding a group of them bread and iIhad my back to the loaf of bread. I heard something and turned to find another squirrel tail deep in the loaf of bread. He came out with a whole piece, looks at me, and shoots under the camper. What's worse is the group I was feeding ran off. Obviously they were acting as decoys.

They are funny to watch, but usually if you'll keep your food in plastic containers it will usually be safe

 

[PaHunter]

Squirrels like the smell of propane or something, had nothing to do with pancake batter. I have heard many stories of them chewing propane hoses. When I had my pop up I covered the hose with plastic loom just in case to add a buffer. Don't know if it worked or not, but never had a problem, maybe just lucky.

Had an automotive mechanic tell me that wiring plastic is now made with peanut oil vs crude oil, so animals are more attracted to eating the plastic coating. Maybe this is also true of the propane hose ?? Didn't fact check it on snopes.... but is what I was told.

 

[amcc]

We camp in a popup. Overnight, we bungee our refrigerator that is outside under our EZ up. All our non-perishables I keep in the car although a squirrel jumped in there once when a kid left the hatch open after he grabbed his clothes. We also bungee all plastic tubs we keep outside not just for squirrels but for raccoons. We came out one morning to find that one of our tubs that had only one bungee had the corner bent up and raccoon prints all over it - they had swiped a marshmallow bag. Now everything gets bungeed in all directions. Squirrels also sneak under the shade walls of our EZ up regularly and get "trapped" in there and crazy until we carefully let them out.

This summer, a Florida black bear broke our EZ Up screen and tore apart our bungeed kitchen box to get at a tupperware of coffee and splenda that I forgot about. The claw marks through the thick plastic cover were impressive. Not that I've ever seen a bear in FW!!

 

[bama_ed]

Don't scare the OP littleangie with all these horror stories of squirrels, raccoons, and bears!

The Fort squirrels are harmless, hungry, and hairy. That's all.















But if you see these guys....

....or their leader....

....you found our poster tiggerdad's buddies. Best to pay them what they ask for as "insurance" and let them move on to shake down the campsite next to you. Yeah, I know it's a racket but what can you do?

Bama Ed

 

[FtW Mike]

All of us should heed the advice from Bama Ed posted above to littleangie for he is a wise and learned man and knows well of what he speaks. I would recommend utilizing a safe but I fear that lock picking is now skill taught at NSS training centers. Baring some large and agile dogs or well silenced heavy weapons we must depend on common sense to secure our tasty treats and goodies.

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

We went for our first time this year and I couldn't imagine not having our bikes bc FW is HUGE. So glad we brought them. So many golf carts but they are expensive and FW is the best place to bike ride, so much fun, can ride over to WL, etc. Loved it.

 

[5kidsmommy]

Others have given great advice. I would add to the list comfy chairs. It's wonderful to be able to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. You might want a dining canopy too. And while there are picnic tables at the site having a folding table is nice to prepare food or play games on. And I'm a bit of a glamper so I like having a rug. Stores like Home Depot or Lowe's have cheap indoor/outdoor rugs that spray off pretty easily. Don't forget the camping basics like lanterns and flashlights.

We are also in the no golf cart camp. Our first excuse was our family was too large. Then as more kids moved out I realized I was just really cheap. We bring bikes sometimes and walk. If you really want to check out the loops you could always just rent a golf cart for a day to go looping but they really aren't a necessity.

 

[5kidsmommy]

I have a squirrel story. We are always good at keeping all our food put away in our camper. What I totally forgot about on our last trip was our bags for corn hole. We went to play a game and realized the squirrels had chewed threw every single bag.