Car Camping at Fort Wilderness

[citadelminnie]

Hi guys!
My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to WDW hopefully in December. We are both college students so we are budgeting this trip to T. I have been to Disney many times in my 21 years, whereas my boyfriend has only been once in his 23 years, so I really want to make this special and memorable for him. That being said, a memorable trip on a budget is going to necessitate cutting corners a little bit. My hope is to stay on property for the perks of both ease of transportation and extra magic hours, but staying in a resort is going to be about $140/night for 4 nights which is pretty steep for us. My question is, with the $53/night rate for a spot at Fort Wilderness Campground, would it be worth it to just buy a car mattress, some snacks, pb&js and some portable fans, pack one bag, and sleep in the car there? My boyfriend and I don't have much objection to "comfort stations" and being in a small space (we are both pretty short ). This way we could have more money for park hopper passes, dining, etc.. Believe me, I know this isn't super practical and parents would lose it if their kids did this, but I think it is possible IF we are able to park the car there. Attached is a picture of my car and a picture of the mattress for reference. Let me know what you guys think or if anyone has done this before! Thanks guys!

 

[drizgirl]

Does the campground have showers?

 

[Sans Souci]

Here is a thread about car camping from last year. Apparently someone did do it, but only for a night.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/camping-in-my-car-at-the-fort.912259/page-2

 

[citadelminnie]

Does the campground have showers?

It does! They call them "comfort stations" with bathrooms and showers.

 

[epcotisbest]

Buy a tent, some folding chairs and a couple of air mattresses for the tent. You will be much more comfortable and have more room.
You can get a good tent to use in the future, or a cheap tent to get by for one trip. Loop 2000 is for tents and the campsites there are very nice.
You can keep your cooler in the back of the car, stock it with sandwich makings, drinks, frozen water bottles etc...and save lots of money on food too.
Lots more practical and comfortable than trying to sleep in the car.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

You can find a pretty decent tent at an affordable price. As another mentioned, add in a couple folding chairs and maybe a card/camping table and you'll have a nice setup without a big price tag. The car option seems to really limit both space and where your gear can go when you're sleeping.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

In December? 100% absolutely yes.

 

[epcotisbest]

You can find a pretty decent tent at an affordable price. As another mentioned, add in a couple folding chairs and maybe a card/camping table and you'll have a nice setup without a big price tag. The car option seems to really limit both space and where your gear can go when you're sleeping.

Yes, and once this year's camping season is over, there will be sales on tents at probably good prices. Might even pick up a decent used one. I bought a couple of Intex twin air mattresses and a pump at a very reasonable price not long ago. Plug the pump in the car lighter and pump them up in a minute or two and they are fairly comfortable.

 

[epcotisbest]

In December? 100% absolutely yes.

Yes, December is a great time to camp at Disney. Great weather during the day, can get a little chilly some mornings, but nothing that an extra blanket or quilt can't fix.

 

[Jahona]

A good tent is going to cost you about $50. An air mattress will cost between $20-$30 and may not include a pump. Florida in December can be somewhat cool at night. Make sure to put a blanket under you as well as above you as an air mattress will suck the heat out from you.

 

[larryz]

There are several styles of "car-tents" that can turn your car, suv or mini-van into an extended living/sleeping area...

 

[epcotisbest]

There are several styles of "car-tents" that can turn your car, suv or mini-van into an extended living/sleeping area...

Yes, that is a good idea too. They give you much more room, and you can still use the space in the back of the car for a bed area. I have not personally used one of these, but they look intriguing.

 

[s&k'smom]

Maybe you could borrow some things for your trip. Someone always has chairs and coolers, if you have facebook put it out to your friends to borrow a tent. Have fun.

 

[J_Krafty24]

I would try to borrow a tent (and maybe other camping gear) from a friend. By the time you add pillows and blankets, clothes, a cooler with food and anything else you will need for the trip the car would be pretty cramped. Even if you still end up sleeping in the car having a tent would give you a place to put all your stuff while you are taking up the majority of the space in the car sleeping.

 

[Bairstow]

Anyone remember the thread we had on here where people were swearing up and down that Disney would kick you out if you rented a Fort Wilderness campsite but slept in your car?

 

[Jahona]

Anyone remember the thread we had on here where people were swearing up and down that Disney would kick you out if you rented a Fort Wilderness campsite but slept in your car?

Vaguely. I was thinking there was a post similar that a few months ago. The reason I remember given was people were booking offsite hotels and resorts along with Fort Wilderness to get the on site perks.

 

[Weather_Lady]

My family always camped at FW when I was growing up. The comfort stations (offering hot showers and restroom facilities, ice vending machine, etc.) are well-appointed and conveniently located -- the nicest of any campground I've ever been to, really. My Mom even used to do laundry there (which allowed us to pack half as much).

I wouldn't hesitate to do it again, although as others said, if it's within your means, an inexpensive tent with an air mattress or cots (I'll bet if you ask around, you won't even need to buy these things -- just borrow from friends) will give you greater space and comfort, and allow you to store clothes and food in the car more conveniently. My husband and I camped for couple of nights in my old SUV when we were newlyweds, and the problem we immediately ran into was that once you've converted the rear 80% of the vehicle into a bed, you now have almost nowhere to put a cooler and/or clothes and shoes and other stuff.

Here's a nice photo gallery of FWC: http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com/disneys-fort-wilderness-gallery

 

[wagner1225]

Hi guys!
My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to WDW hopefully in December. We are both college students so we are budgeting this trip to T. I have been to Disney many times in my 21 years, whereas my boyfriend has only been once in his 23 years, so I really want to make this special and memorable for him. That being said, a memorable trip on a budget is going to necessitate cutting corners a little bit. My hope is to stay on property for the perks of both ease of transportation and extra magic hours, but staying in a resort is going to be about $140/night for 4 nights which is pretty steep for us. My question is, with the $53/night rate for a spot at Fort Wilderness Campground, would it be worth it to just buy a car mattress, some snacks, pb&js and some portable fans, pack one bag, and sleep in the car there? My boyfriend and I don't have much objection to "comfort stations" and being in a small space (we are both pretty short ). This way we could have more money for park hopper passes, dining, etc.. Believe me, I know this isn't super practical and parents would lose it if their kids did this, but I think it is possible IF we are able to park the car there. Attached is a picture of my car and a picture of the mattress for reference. Let me know what you guys think or if anyone has done this before! Thanks guys!

We have stayed in a truck camper several times, and I have seen 18 Wheel truck cabs with sleeper there also, it be nice to have a popup tent cover so you can have a place to sit for stand for coffee etc..

 

[Marijil]

i say go for it...if you have camping experience

 

[TARDIS]

Technically it's a tent. But my tent is attached to my CRV and we have a car mattress and sleep in the back just like your photo(all our supplies are put in the tent part). It was my first camping trip last year and I had a blast. We are open to close people so we only need a place to sleep and shower. I was skeptical since I'm not a camping person,but the comfort stations were great! Showers at certain times were a wait but I learned when and when not to schedule my shower time. I say do it! You will have fun regardless and it's a experience I bet you will remember.