*April PreTrip & Trip Reports*

[burnaroonie]

We'll be there April 2 - 9.

Who else is coming? Anyone? Or will we have the Fort to ourselves?

Hey there! 18th thru 23rd for us! Inaugural trip to the Fort with our Runaway Coolcamp, and daughters boyfriend's never been to Disney.Only one park day for the wife and I. Will be kicking it at the Fort. Will try to get lots of pics!

 

[CruisingCamper]

Hey there! 18th thru 23rd for us! Inaugural trip to the Fort with our Runaway Coolcamp, and daughters boyfriend's never been to Disney.Only one park day for the wife and I. Will be kicking it at the Fort. Will try to get lots of pics!

We will be there from March 29 - April 7th, I hope! We have until the 5th right now, but I am trying to add a couple more nights. I try to add EVERYDAY and I am having no luck

It will be me, my DH, and our two sons. They are 9 and 4. My parents are also joining us on Mar 31 (my BDay) until April 3rd. We are all from Louisiana. I have requested the 700 Loop. We haven't ever stayed in that Loop, and would like to give it a try. We have stayed in 1300, 1400, 800, 400 and 500. I like the last three better than the first two.

 

[Beadlemania]

We'll be there for the first time on April 9-12 for our anniversary. It's actually my husband's first time camping and it'll be our kids too (3 year old twins and a 15 month old). We're tent camping in a preferred site. My twins have been begging to go camping and my husband thought he might be able to tough it out at Disney lol. I can't wait! Although I do realize I might be crazy to take three toddlers camping but I do think they'll have a blast!

 

[Napria]

We will be there from March 29 - April 7th, I hope! We have until the 5th right now, but I am trying to add a couple more nights. I try to add EVERYDAY and I am having no luck

It will be me, my DH, and our two sons. They are 9 and 4. My parents are also joining us on Mar 31 (my BDay) until April 3rd. We are all from Louisiana. I have requested the 700 Loop. We haven't ever stayed in that Loop, and would like to give it a try. We have stayed in 1300, 1400, 800, 400 and 500. I like the last three better than the first two.

We have also requested the 700 loop (again). We'll see if we actually get it this time. Maybe the third time will be a charm? They always seem to put us in the 800 loop, which is nice enough but why can't we ever get into the 700 loop?!

 

[Flametamr]

We got lucky last trip I guess. We requested 700 and got it. The trip before that we had requested 800 and was offered 700 and 1400. We chose to go back to 1400 that time. We're hoping for 700 again this time.

 

[CruisingCamper]

We have also requested the 700 loop (again). We'll see if we actually get it this time. Maybe the third time will be a charm? They always seem to put us in the 800 loop, which is nice enough but why can't we ever get into the 700 loop?!

When you arrive and see that u are not in 700, do you asked to be moved? And it's full? I guess there has to be someone checking out of it for u to get it...anyway, we have always gotten our requests. We do get there really early though, and just sit in the overflow lot. Like we get there at 7 or 8AM, so then we are the first in line for our loop request.

 

[CruisingCamper]

I got lucky yesterday and got my nights at the end of our trip added!!!! I am doing the happy dance!

So we get to stay 10 days again!!!!

 

[Flametamr]

I plan on arriving around 7 am and strongly request the 700 loop if I don't get it up front. I will park in the overflow and head to Blizzard Beach until my text comes in.

 

[peg110]

Perhaps I don't have enough trips to the fort, but it just seems to me that many of the loops have their Pluses and minuses. In our trips to the fort we have been in 300 loop and the 1400 loop. I liked both for very different reasons and I disliked both for very different reasons.

I haven't built a strong enough preference for any site yet. the 1400 loop was nice because it was quite central, overall for us. When we go in August we will just go for what they give us. We will probably need to update our reservation though. Should have the 34 footer (actually about 36' 6" from stem to stern) instead of our (soon to be) former 27 footer (actually about 31' 4"). That's probably my biggest concern about the site. Getting the rig in. Don't want to have to battle it too much.

P.S. Our first trip was in the 300 loop although we wanted "Premium" it was Preferred. No biggie. we got refunded the money Plus tickets for the 4 of us to the Luau at the Poly. Second trip was in 1400 also premium. We have also reserved Premium for August too, so hopefully no issues.

 

[Teamubr]

The Loop request conversation has me wondering.

How many people that have a Premium site have received your 1st choice on loop?

I have always book a Preferred except for our first trip when I didn't know the Fort layout. We booked a Premium and were in 1400. It was nice being close to the pool and Meadows Trading Post, but having to take the internal bus to go anywhere external got a little old. Because I'm cheap and didn't want to rent a golf cart, we booked Preferred since that first trip and requested 100 Loop. We got it 2 out of 3 trips. 200 loop the other time. I liked having a short walk to the Settlement, boat dock and on to MK or the Monorail. Since there are only 3 Preferred loops and they are all close to the Settlement, there wasn't a risk of ending up somewhere that required an internal bus trip to go anywhere.

Now that I have a MUCH larger 5er, I doubt I'll fit in the Preferreds anymore. With 15 Premium loops scattered all over the Fort and only 1 or 2 of them a short walk to the Settlement, I'm concerned that 2:15 odds mean I'll end up where I would really want a cart and don't have one.

Do I just reserve the cart (from an outside source) and enjoy where ever I end up or stay frugal (i.e. cheap) and take my chances?

j

 

[tiggerdad]

Jim,

Been 3 times and only on the first trip did I get my requested loop which was 400. Now, on that trip I didn't arrive until like 3:00 in the evening. Since then I have changed my travel plans and drive through the night, arriving early in the morning. Neither of those trips was my assigned site ready. However, I have since adjusted to an attitude of there not really being a bad loop and on both occasions I just asked for a list of open sites and chose one. I have now convinced myself that I will not be requesting specific loops anymore and will just go with however it lands and choose an open site on my arrival day if the assigned one is not ready. Figure, I'm going to enjoy it no matter what. So, if your arrival time is later in the day then your chances of getting your requested loop are greater since a prior occupant has probably left by that time.

As far as carts, we have rented offsite each of our visits but mainly due to the youngest being too small to ride a bike. Now she is up to the training wheels and doing pretty fair, so hopefully no more carts for us. I usually walk the place over at least 4-5 times while visiting to take pictures and see other sites, leaving the cart at the camper for the girls. If you like looping then I would suggest bikes, if they are not an option then a cart rental might suit you better. I like the walking part as it allows me to easily go "off path" and get pics of things like rail iron and critters.

 

[Judyfun]

Fulton County April 15 - 21st 1400 loop no kids but still love Disney

 

[Flametamr]

I have gotten my requested loop two out of three times. The one time I had good options but didn't realize it. I had requested 800 and they offered 700 and 1400. I chose to go back to 1400 being familiar with it. After looking around I decided I really like 700 and requested and got it on my next (last) trip. I did like Tiggerdad and drove thru the night arriving around 7 am. We're going in two weeks again for Spring Break. We will not be getting a cart this trip but taking bikes. Mainly because of our touring plans. Doing water parking in the mornings and parks every evening. We will get a cart for our Halloween trip. It is a must for trick or treat and looping to see decorations.

 

[Chickp]

We got our new air mattress for the trip! I am ridiculously excited about it. I am leaving my job (long story) so we decided not to get an RV right now, so at least I wanted a nicer "bed" for tent camping. It's a Coleman double high.

I have gotten my requested loop both times (1500) by going early, like 6:30 a.m., and checking in then. We are staying at POFQ the night before we camp so I have no problem just hanging out there til our site is ready!

 

[Teamubr]

I have since adjusted to an attitude of there not really being a bad loop and on both occasions I just asked for a list of open sites and chose one.

Thanks Michael and Flametamr,

We tow down to somewhere near Valdosta, GA/FL border the day before Fort arrival. That leaves a 4 hour or so drive in on arrival day. I never asked what was available when I arrived. I just made my requests in advance and took what they gave me. The only time I didn't get my requested 100 loop, I was in 200 close to the entrance, which was pretty much the same.

I'll likely just budget for a cart and not worry about what loop we end up with. I usually take my bike, but DW didn't have one until a couple of years ago and it has sat in the shed since that first year. She really isn't a bike person. DS' bike needs the front wheel realigned. Too many jumps over things. Since he got his license 2 years ago, the bike sits anyway.

And then we'll have my sister and 5 y/o niece...

j

 

[Napria]

I'm going to hope against hope that we'll get 700 loop. We requested it again. We'll see...

I'm thinking we'll leave about 5:00 AM and with luck we should arrive about 1:00 - 1:30. Hopefully we won't have to make too many stops. The puppy will be with us, and it will only be his second camping trip. But he didn't make us stop too much on our November trip to Pensacola.

 

[Camping Disney Man]

We Gwinnettians (as my wife calls us) will be celebrating our eighth trip to the Fort April 1-10. With moving to the new school system and Gwinnett not having a Fall break in October, we've switched up our regular trip. Looking forward to seeing the Fort in April. Gonna miss Halloween Decorations though. But just might put out one pumpkin just for fun .

 

[CruisingCamper]

Well, I had to come back to work to rest today! Don't get to say that very much. LOL I have worked the entire weekend in the RV. I wanted to clean it perfectly for the trip. I always say that I am going to do it and this weekend - we did!!! The whole thing is wiped down and dusted, floors have been swept, vacuumed, and even shampooed the carpet! And I know that with two little boys, it will be back a mess after about mile 5, but at least we are leaving home with it clean

Now, I just have to get our clothes packed in it before Friday morning! We have finally reached the week that we can tell the kids that we are leaving. My DS4, asks every day! But, what he will not understand is that we are leaving home on Friday but we won't actually be at WDW until Tuesday. We are spending Easter with my parents on the way

 

[Napria]

Yay! The first of us April people to head down! Safe travels

 

[doolittle]

Premium site booked for April 23-30. Requesting 800 loop. We'll be rolling in after dark so keeping our fingers crossed for getting it.