Anyone camp and stay at resort on same trip?

[Sharper]

While I have visited WDW many times, we have never camped there. Have recently gotten into tent camping (DS is in cub scouts) and have enjoyed that so much we definitely want to combine those two -- camping and Disney! My teenage daughter is NOT keen on camping (actually she likes it more than she wants to admit!) so we are also going to spend at 3-4 nights (out of probably 8) at a DVC resort. Also, we just bought a 28" travel trailer.

Now we are trying to decide what we will do. Camp the weekend before and after a four-night resort stay? Tent camp or bring the trailer? If we take the trailer and spend only three nights at a resort I am very tempted to keep the trailer set up at FW, if this is allowed. Perhaps by then we will feel more comfortable with it, but the thought of setting up, then moving and having to find a secure place to park it, then moving it BACK to FW seems a bit much. Or we could go with our "pre-camper trailer" plans and just tent camp.

Any experience with alternating camping with staying at a resort? I know that OKW will allow us to park our RV on their lot, but I don't yet know the policy of other resorts. Any input would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[DianeRD]

I'm very interested to hear some replies to your question.My DH and I are planning to stay at FW in July for a couple of weeks and ending our vacation with a few days at AKL.We are not sure what to do with our camper at that time.We are hoping that it won't be a problem to just park it at AKL.

 

[Gillian]

I don't know what you can do with your trailer either, but I can tell you that the simplest hotel room feels like major luxury after tent camping!

DH & I went tent/car camping around New Mexico a while back. After braving heat & storms for a week, we finally spent a night in a small hotel. It was WONDERFUL!!

I don't think I would do trailer-resort-trailer, and there's no way I'd do tent-resort-tent!! I think that would make everyone miserable, especially teen DD. I'd plan it FW for a while wither tent or trailer & then a resort at the end.

Where else besides OKW are you thinking of staying? I would think that BCV, or VWL would have room for you to park, but I'm not sure about BWV.

 

[Caskbill]

I know that OKW will allow us to park our RV on their lot, but I don't yet know the policy of other resorts.

Actually parking an RV at OKW is NOT allowed. A few people have done it anyway, but if you check your member's book you'll see that OKW does not allow campers.

We've combined camping (Class-A RV) with our DVC stays in the past. While somewhat of a hassle to move between the two, it's manageable. On one trip doing that, we spent 10 days at FW, then 5-days at BWV, then 2 days back at FW, then 5 days at OKW. The worst part is that you pretty much lose a half a day every time you change resorts.

If staying at OKW you park your camper at the PO lot.

At BWV you can park it out in the far lot, out by where the taxis wait. You get to this lot by doing an immediate left turn after going through the BWV guard gate.

Don't know about VWL.

We were at BCV 2-weeks ago and I did see a few campers parked at the back of the self-park lot so apparently it's OK there.

Also I know in the past you could park your rig in that large parking lot just outside of FW. We did that years ago leaving our boat there in that lot while we took the MH into the campground. Don't know what their current policy is on this anymore.

 

[Sharper]

Originally posted by Caskbill
Actually parking an RV at OKW is NOT allowed. A few people have done it anyway, but if you check your member's book you'll see that OKW does not allow campers.

?? The guidebook is exactly where we go the info about parking at OKW. If you look at the main OKW page it has a note "Attention RV Owners" that provides information as to how they will accommodate campers, including parking them in the regular lot if they are not too big.

 

[Caskbill]

Sharper, we're not home right now so I can't check the guidebook. Maybe they changed it for '03?

Anyway, whatever the book says should be current policy. I'll check it when I get home next week.

Is it possible that by 'regular lot' they're talking about PO's lot. That's where they had us park in the past.

 

[Sharper]

I re-read it just to be sure. It is on the member's guide on the DVC website as well as my 2002-03 book. I didn't know why they were so specific about parking availability at OKW and not the others unless it has to do with OKW's being around longer and having established a policy, or perhaps just having more parking and a different parking setup.

If we moved from FW we would not really need immediate access to the camper so something a bit more distant (yet secure) would be fine. I can always call the resorts but hoped to get some info/advice from someone who had been through this. Anyone?

 

[BrightScouter]

We've done this many times although we just bought into the DVC this last trip. It was something that made us think long and hard about before buying DVC. For most people, DVC saves them a lot of money. With campers like us, it will cost us money. But we did it anyway.

I called member services and asked EXACTLY where we would be allowed to park our MH. I called the FW desk, and member services did also and asked about parking in the main FW lot. They said that was not allowed. I see it all the time, but I want to follow their policy. They then called the BCV desk and asked them what to do. BCV staff said they ask you to park them at the far end of the last lot. Member services also called the security "shanty" and asked if that was truly correct. They agreed. Member services assured me that each DVC resort has parking "someplace".

I have done this many times with non-DVC resorts and it has never been a problem.

We almost always stay in the tent/trailer/mh first, then move to the hotel. It works great for us. We get packed up a few days before we have to leave and get a couple days to relax and get cleaned up and rested for the trip back home.

Any other questions I didn't cover?

 

[Sharper]

Del -- Thanks for the info!

 

[Kaitysmom]

This won't help DVC, OKW question, but we have done this at a regular resort. We are staying at FW for 10 days and ending our trip at Wilderness Lodge. Last year we stayed at the Poly and were told that we could park the camper at the resort - we had no problem. Same info given this year when I called to book WL. (I thought we would have to leave it at FW).

 

[DianeRD]

Thank you, Kaitysmom.That's exactly what I wanted to hear.Oh boy! We are going to have a blast!

 

[jenny2]

We have also done this. We had an 8 night stay in our 27' TT at FW in September, and then moved over to AKL for 2 nights. Security just told us to park the truck and trailer way in the back of the lot. When I told the front desk, just to make sure, they said "Security runs the show... whatever they said is fine with us."

Hope this helps!