January 2022 Trip Reports

[bama_ed]

I need to look into my E-Pass. I have a sticker on the Explorer that will be on the trailer behind the coach. Not sure how that will work. Can I just sail through and it will get picked up and charged?

Good question. The "toll by photo" option may not get the RV license plate since the trailer with the car might block the camera angle. The photo might get the last axle on the trailer which is where the Explorer would be. And that's where your E-Pass is. Would hate for it to photo you going through the toll booth AND also pick up the E-pass and charge it.

The current weather for our time at the Fort looks like high about 70F and lows about 50F.

South Florida after that (for us) showing daily highs around 80F and lows about 60F.

I'll take it.

Ed

PS - Kris, Marathon morning showing 51F for a low Saturday night leading into Sunday morning.

 

[Syndrome]

Forgot to add ourselves to the January list ............been a bit hectic lately , whoops .
Anyway we will be arriving to the fort on 1/23 and leaving a full 2 weeks later on 2/6 . Had to cut the "wishful thinking" 1 month reservation down to 2 weeks, but still glad to be going for 14 nights ! We reserved a preferred site, and will likely end up in the 300 loop (because of the fur kid coming along, lol ) . Already had some new Goodyear Endurance tires installed on our new 2021 Keystone RV (after 2 blowouts 15 minutes apart on R T95 around ST. Augustine / Jacksonville last year on the way home with our last RV .........yea the famous Power Kings strike again !) . Kind of hurt to install brand new tires on a brand new RV, but we dont want to go through that again ! Not Fun on Sunday afternoon ! Also upgraded the suspension with the Dexter easyflex axle system , with wet bolts . Seemed to REALLY help with the highway expansion joint "bucking" and rough roads on our last trip up to Maine . Golf cart is already reserved with Kenny for our stay .

I have a question that we have never had a need to figure out till this trip . Looking for some clarification .
Our (adult) daughter has decided she and her significant other would like to fly down (from Chicago) and join up for a few days , maybe 4-6 days . Of coarse , the WDW sticker shock has set-in and now the plan is to stay on our site in a tent for 4-5-6 days . We will be transporting the tent/aerobed/etc on our drive down , so they can just "show up" , lol . Her significant other is military , and I tried to tell them that military can get some significant discounts and/or stay at SOG . But alas , free is better than a discounted room rate, lol . Plus they kind of like to tent camp , so ........
I believe this is fully permitted , and I believe we are allowed up to 10 guests in a site including a separate tent on the backside of our site ? Are there any extra charges for 4 adults vs the 2 we have on the reservation now ? How do I go about adding them to the reservation , and do I need to declare an "extra" tent on the site ?
Anyone have any info on this .......

Thanks , cant wait for January !

 

[Syndrome]

SunPass ........
We use a SunPass transponder (the one mounted with suction cups to the inside of the windshield ).
When we get to Sanford area on 4 , we jump off onto 417 to avoid that dreaded RT 4 traffic in Orlando., and take 417 straight into WDW . SunPass when towing a travel trailer , as long as its listed as an active plate , will read the plate on the trailer only and charge accordingly . We have never been "double charged" to date .

This reminds me to make sure I added our new RV plate to Sunpass !
Done !

 

[Teamubr]

SunPass when towing a travel trailer , as long as its listed as an active plate , will read the plate on the trailer only and charge accordingly .

I added you to page 1. We will just miss you.

All our trips until now, we have pulled a trailer with the pass on the truck windshield and the charging worked out fine. This year, the sticker will be on the Explorer, on a trailer behind the coach. I'm sure the pass will get picked up, I'm just not sure what it will charge.

If the toll stations (pay by plate) are like one up north and out west, there are cameras facing both directions so they get front and rear. I wonder if I should add (or change) the plate in the system to be the coach plate?



j

 

[Teamubr]

I believe this is fully permitted , and I believe we are allowed up to 10 guests in a site including a separate tent on the backside of our site ? Are there any extra charges for 4 adults vs the 2 we have on the reservation now ? How do I go about adding them to the reservation , and do I need to declare an "extra" tent on the site ?
Anyone have any info on this .......

You are correct. Up to 10 allowed on the reservation for a camping site. No extra charge. You don't need to tell them about the tent. You can add them to the reservation now if you are on a room only reservation. If you are on a package, it gets a little more complicated since everyone on the package gets the same tickets, that I suspect they don't want/need (if DW's sig other is active duty, they can get discounted tickets at the on base PX in advanced).

Someone else will chime in about how to add them to a package (if you have one) without getting the same (or any) tickets. I'm not sure if calling will let you do it without the same tickets or waiting until you arrive.

j

 

[bama_ed]

You can now add names to a "room only" reservation via MDE (new functionality). No additional steps to specify an additional tent on your site. I did it a few weeks ago online.

Preferred sites, @Syndrome, can accommodate a tent (they should have a gravel tent pad on the back end of your paved site). You want loop 300 which is set up as such.

Bama Ed

PS - yeah kids are learning the WDW sticker shock. not gonna get better.

 

[Syndrome]

Thank all ,
We do not have a "package" , so I will just add them to the reservation . Good to know I do not have to "declare" a tent, lol .
Yes, hoping for loop 300 , as we have a pet. We were in 302 last year and it had great access to the dog park . Maybe the access to the dog park was "too good", as our dog just stared at all the dogs playing and constanly whined to go over and have fun, lol . Anything on the outside of loop 300 from 302 up to about 334 would be great though ! Love that remote walking area back on the creek .
We had 1300 loop one year just about on the road and right next to the playground . Didn't care for that much too much .

Not sure where I would tag the plate for Sunpass on that rig @Teamubr , lol . I would almost be tempted to tag the car hauler trailer ? Tagging the Explorer plate might mess up the system a bit ?

 

[bama_ed]

I paid for a membership today to the TouringPlans website (the authors of the Unofficial Guide to WDW for decades) for $18 for one year. Since I have two trips planned in the next 12 months, I could get some use out of it. Besides their Lines app, I'm interested in the customized touring plans feature. You tell it what day, what park, and what you want to ride/see, and blend of waits/walking mix, and it will spit out a recommended plan of what to see in order. Or you can move things around yourself and see how much it impacts the schedule.

So I played with it today and we would be able to see/do all we want to (MK) plus our table service lunch without having to pay for Genie+/LL. Of course that's only an estimate but it is reassuring. I think it will come in handy especially for the second trip. Anyway, does anyone else have an opinion on TouringPlans? I've always looked at the Crowd Calendar (the portions available to non-members) but since I sprung for a membership, I can see it all. Over the years it seems to have a pretty good reputation.

I'll see how it goes.

ED

PS - and at $18, I'm not out big money....

 

[Teamubr]

I had Touring Plans a few years ago. That was when you still had to pay to see crowd calendars. I think the pay features are much better now, but on other parts of the DIS, they are talking about how far off TP (and other prediction sites) have been due to Covid, 5Oth Anniversary and holidays. Lots of last minute adjustments. It is fairly cheap, so it's another reference point that doesn't cost too much. I'll be curious to see how it does for January. I suspect that is going to be a little easier to predict than the last few weeks.

j

 

[Dawnie]

Hello!! We left our home base in WA state (full timers) on November 1st, and will be arriving for our first time at Fort Wilderness on January 12, staying until the 26th in a Premium Meadow site We have been to WDW many times in January for Marathon Weekend and our anniversary on the 15th (38 years!), but this will be our fist time in our motorhome...and our first time with our dogs. Our dogs are used to being left in the motorhome since we still have to work at home, but we are not used to having to take a mid-day break while at the parks. Kenneling is not an option for these two. We have not been since 2014, so obviously things have changed a LOT since then. Also with planning this cross country trip, I am way behind on any actual planning for Disney. So...just feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole thing right now...but still very excited to be going home.

 

[Syndrome]

We have not been since 2014, so obviously things have changed a LOT since then. Also with planning this cross country trip, I am way behind on any actual planning for Disney. So...just feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole thing right now...but still very excited to be going home.

Well , if it makes it any easier to pre-plan for Disney .........there is none anymore ! lol Disney threw that playbook out.
About the ONLY thing you can plan ahead for is Theme Park "reservations" (if you have theme park tickets "paid for" already, you HAVE to make park reservations before you enter a park) ) , and dining reservations 60 days out (+10 if staying on site) . Everything else is "day of" planning in the parks .
I think Disney is trying to level the playing field with guests who dont plan anything ahead of time, the uber planners and everyone in between . Now everyone has to make most park attraction plans "day of" ........or not, and just go with the flow.
The last time we have been was about 10 months ago, and everything has changed again , lol . So, do not worry about it , and you are certainly not alone with the new WDW learning curve !

 

[Teamubr]

Welcome Dawnie! I added you to the first post. We will be there much of the same time. The only plans you need will be on Wednesday January 19th. That is the DIS meet at one of our sites. We haven't discussed all the details yet, but all the prior meets have involved sharing food, drink and Disney stories. It's always fun to put a face to the DIS name. You are more than welcome to join us. I suspect FtW Mike and I will work out the details the week before when we see who has the best site to get together on.

j

 

[FtW Mike]

Sounds like a plan on final planning Jim

 

[Teamubr]

Good question. The "toll by photo" option may not get the RV license plate since the trailer with the car might block the camera angle. The photo might get the last axle on the trailer which is where the Explorer would be. And that's where your E-Pass is.

I did a little investigation on the E-Pass site. I have the option to change the license plate attached to the sticker. I started to sub the motorhome plate on the account. I'm sure the RFID scanners aren't precise enough to determine where the sticker is on a 65 ft long setup.

Then I saw a "temporarily disable sticker" option. The stickers are free, so instead of switching license plate numbers for the sticker on the Explorer, I ordered a sticker for the coach and I'll temporarily disable the one on the Explorer so it doesn't double charge me. The stickers usually come in a week so I should have one for the MH in time. We arrive at the Fort 4 weeks from today.

j

 

[tigger92662]

Our dogs are used to being left in the motorhome since we still have to work at home, but we are not used to having to take a mid-day break while at the parks. Kenneling is not an option for these two.

Actually might work to your advantage. We go early, come back and run dogs at doggie park and return a little bit later to parks.
Usually about the time when many people are getting worn out and leaving. Just a thought.
Oh, and enjoy your stay
And by the way, we really like pictures and trip reports. Just sayin.

 

[Teamubr]

Coach is getting ready to emerge from a 2 month sleep. I was going to wait until New Years weekend to pull off the cover, but this weekend is going to be in the 60s. New Years weekend will be in the 30s.



j

 

[garneska]

It looks wrapped up like a present.

 

[Teamubr]

It looks wrapped up like a present.

Yep! Just like that. Don't tell anybody what it is though. It's a surprise.

j

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Alright. Alright. Alright.

Last night after a wonderful Christmas with my family, I was reminiscing about all the wonderful trips and memories we made at the Fort.

Two drink in, a peek at the reservations, and a window of opportunity....we will be seeing you all in 2 weeks.

Full hook up (hopefully our beloved 1800 loop) checking in January 9.

Can someone please confirm the pool refurbishments aren't happening until 2023? The website says 2023, but is that possibly a type O? They usually don't provide that much notice.

 

[garneska]

Melissa you might have picked up my open spot. Just want to remind you Sunday Jan 9 is marathon Sunday. You should be good going to the fort, especially if you get in in the afternoon. If you are an early bird check your route. Back way in should be fine but world drive will be backed up.