2021 Slow Registration

[rgrimm]

We have been coming to FW for many years and our arrival/registration at FW have always been consistent over the years, well except for last November's trip (arrive 11/28/21). This was the first time, arriving at 1:00pm (our normal arrival time since we live just north of Jacksonville), that they didn't have a site ready for us. Infact, they must have been so under-staffed that they had us (and many other RVers) just parking in the grass alone the road from the Outpost area to the Loops as the overflow parking lot was full. We had to wait over 2 hours for our site. Since we have a 12volt Refrig, I ran the truck for most of the wait to keep the coach batteries charged and the refrig running. As I said, we have never had to wait for a site when arriving around 1:00 pm in the past.

So my question is, has anyone else experience such delays to get a site (not a specific requested site) during this past year or recently? Perhaps this was just a staffing issue on the particular day last November 28, 2021.

My hope is this year to arrive between 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm as years past with the hopes of leaving the RV drive-thru registration and head right to my site. This year's Christmas season trip is earlier, arriving Sunday, November 6th.

Looking forward to our annual Christmas season trip with our grandkids.

Thanks for your insight.

-Russ

 

[Corgidad]

2 hours wait at 1:00 sounds about right to me especially since you checked in on a Sunday. On almost every Sunday the Fort has between 400 and 500 campers checking out and most of them don't leave their site until 11:00 at the earliest and sometimes up to 1:00 or 2:00 pm. They are not short staffed but just the opposite they add extra "sites" CMs on Sunday when the checkouts hit a certain number. But those CMs can only clean and prep the sites for the new checkins when the guests check out so when you check in on any Sunday you are at the mercy of the guests checking out. Sunday is the biggest check out day for locals and the biggest check in day for out of towners and this is why the long waits for sites to be ready for check in on Sundays. If I were you I would try and arrange your check in day for Saturday or Monday or really any day except Sunday.

 

[rgrimm]

Corgidad: I understand what you are saying about Sundays can be busier then other days of the week, but I have always arrived on a Sunday and checked out on a Saturday and have never had to wait for a site when arriving around 1:00 until my trip in last November. My upcoming trip, arriving this Sunday (11/6), will be my first trip back since last year's trip. Perhaps you are correct that since my last year's trip that had a lengthy delay for a site, that things have changed at FW and now Sunday's are as you implied slow check-in and delays in getting a site. All I know is that all my Sunday arrivals prior to 11/2021 I had never experienced a delay to get to site.

So, I guess this Sunday I'll find out if check-in is as it always was for me or the new norm at FW for Sunday check-ins is Slow Registration.

Thanks for your reply.
-Russ

 

[jwo1976]

We actually showed up early (about 10 am on a saturday) back in June for our 2 week stay. Our site wasn't ready but there was room in the overflow. Since we rented a golfcart they let us go ahead and pick it up so we rode around. We noted several sites that were empty and went back to the front desk to ask about them. Our first choice was available for the 2 weeks and they gave it to us and we went straight back. Patience and flexibility are your friend when checking into somewhere like Disney.

 

[bama_ed]

We actually showed up early (about 10 am on a saturday) back in June for our 2 week stay. Our site wasn't ready but there was room in the overflow. Since we rented a golfcart they let us go ahead and pick it up so we rode around. We noted several sites that were empty and went back to the front desk to ask about them. Our first choice was available for the 2 weeks and they gave it to us and we went straight back. Patience and flexibility are your friend when checking into somewhere like Disney.

The computer systems pre-assign arriving guests a campsite based on what should be available on their arrival day. That site could have sat empty the night before or had a guest on it who left that same morning and it was cleaned by a CM.

The default is that you will wait for your pre-assigned site to be ready and texted to you unless you ask to take one that is already available (which sounds like the case for @jwo1976) which had been pre-assigned to somebody else. Behind the scenes, he got their campsite and they likely got his.

One thing I've learned the hard way is not all empty campsites are available to claim on check-in day. It's not uncommon that another guest did Early Check-In online and the system pre-assigned them a site. During ECI a guest can specify arrival time and the computer will consider that when sending the "site ready" text. But the guest may still be hours away. But once the ECI text has been sent to the guest with the site number, it's theirs even if it sits empty for hours (as it was in my case and later explained to me) until they finally show up.

I don't do ECI but usually arrive at the Fort around 6am so that I can do a swap in-person if needed before texts go out so I can get any of my handful of favorite sites (or at least pick from what's available that morning). Even if it's not ready, it's mine even if I have to wait because I checked in in person. It can't be swapped.

Got back from the Fort today and used the 6am check-in method in person. Not much to choose from, though, arriving October 30. But my method has generally worked well for me.

The worst combination of factors is arriving late in the day and doing in-person check-in. Your pre-assigned site may have been swapped by earlier arriving guests countless times before you show up. So you get to choose from whatever is left. Some folks don't care. I try to get a favorite but am willing to go with the flow as I did this week in 300 loop (not a fan ).

Bama Ed

 

[proudmomof4]

Corgidad: I understand what you are saying about Sundays can be busier then other days of the week, but I have always arrived on a Sunday and checked out on a Saturday and have never had to wait for a site when arriving around 1:00 until my trip in last November. My upcoming trip, arriving this Sunday (11/6), will be my first trip back since last year's trip. Perhaps you are correct that since my last year's trip that had a lengthy delay for a site, that things have changed at FW and now Sunday's are as you implied slow check-in and delays in getting a site. All I know is that all my Sunday arrivals prior to 11/2021 I had never experienced a delay to get to site.

So, I guess this Sunday I'll find out if check-in is as it always was for me or the new norm at FW for Sunday check-ins is Slow Registration.

Thanks for your reply.
-Russ

It looks like last year you checked in on the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

There are a LOT of people checking out that day, and a good number of them will stay at their site until the last minute. Many will stay past the 11:00 check out time.

I would say getting your site later, on that particular day, is the norm for that day.

I’m checking in on that Sunday this year, hubby wants to go early (we are 1.5 hours away), I told him we will be hanging out waiting for our site for a good while that day. But he still wants to go early just in case we get lucky. Fingers crossed.

 

[jwo1976]

The computer systems pre-assign arriving guests a campsite based on what should be available on their arrival day. That site could have sat empty the night before or had a guest on it who left that same morning and it was cleaned by a CM.

The default is that you will wait for your pre-assigned site to be ready and texted to you unless you ask to take one that is already available (which sounds like the case for @jwo1976) which had been pre-assigned to somebody else. Behind the scenes, he got their campsite and they likely got his.

One thing I've learned the hard way is not all empty campsites are available to claim on check-in day. It's not uncommon that another guest did Early Check-In online and the system pre-assigned them a site. During ECI a guest can specify arrival time and the computer will consider that when sending the "site ready" text. But the guest may still be hours away. But once the ECI text has been sent to the guest with the site number, it's theirs even if it sits empty for hours (as it was in my case and later explained to me) until they finally show up.

I don't do ECI but usually arrive at the Fort around 6am so that I can do a swap in-person if needed before texts go out so I can get any of my handful of favorite sites (or at least pick from what's available that morning). Even if it's not ready, it's mine even if I have to wait because I checked in in person. It can't be swapped.

Got back from the Fort today and used the 6am check-in method in person. Not much to choose from, though, arriving October 30. But my method has generally worked well for me.

The worst combination of factors is arriving late in the day and doing in-person check-in. Your pre-assigned site may have been swapped by earlier arriving guests countless times before you show up. So you get to choose from whatever is left. Some folks don't care. I try to get a favorite but am willing to go with the flow as I did this week in 300 loop (not a fan ).

Bama Ed

We likely did get someone's pre-assigned site. But we went in with a few to choose from and would have been satisfied with either or to wait. Doesn't hurt to ask, and like I said flexibility and patience is the key. If it had not been available we would have waited.

 

[rgrimm]

Just an update to my original post:

We arrived at FW on Sunday, 11-6 and had no wait checking in and getting a Site (733), so I guess our experience last year was not a Sunday 'Norm'. Check in was as it always had been for us.

But, thanks to Hurricane Nicole, Tuesday night we received our FW evacuation notice. With our check being Saturday (12th) and looking like sometime Friday we 'may' be the earliest we would be able to get back to FW (and having our Grandkids with us) we chose to just Check out Wednesday and head home rather than just move somewhere out of FW and then return.

-Russ

 

[Teamubr]

Thanks for the update. I think the check in experience is variable, but your experience last year was on the outlier side for a Sunday.

Glad you made it home safe.

j

 

[mco65]

Our Sept trip was a 5PM Monday arrival and there was only 1 other check in going on when we arrived. It was rather quick. Jan we are planning on arriving earlier in the day but still arriving on a Monday.