Tent Camping at the Fort experience

[Retroecho]

Hi friends!
Wanted to give my thoughts on tent camping at the fort for those who are curious. I was the only adult, my husband joined later in the trip. I have four boys ages 6-15.
we were in loop 1500 which I definitely loved. Close to the Meadows and pretty quiet until Friday night.

I highly recommend bringing a rug or foam to put on the floor of the tent. What I thought was going to be more like sand were super pokey rocks.

we super loved the pool and are always impressed with the lifeguards.

I didn’t realize there weren’t fire pits but I wasn’t super keen on a fire anyway.

the biggest thing for me was that renting a cart is nearly required. Especially if you plan on going to the Settlement for dinner or coffee in the morning. This makes it a little less affordable but a whole lotta fun. Also, masks are required and enforced on golf carts (which makes little sense since they aren’t required on the pool deck even when walking around but I digress).


from Sunday to Friday the loop behind us was completely empty. The vibe was super chilled and quiet Come Friday evening though it was like party central. Lots of lights and loud talking/yelling/screaming. We didn’t mind it was just really funny how dramatically it changed. They had opened the behind loop and it really was different.

Overall we LOVED camping. The biggest con for us is that on Friday we did go to Hollywood studios and honestly coming back from the park to sleep in a tent was exhausting I need ac and a comfy bed after a park day for sure. but overall it was a wonderful experience.

 

[Teamubr]

Thanks for the tenting update. I've heard the 1500 loop is great for tents and popups. It has been years since I tent camped. I'm old now and A/C would be essential this time of year for me, especially after a long park day.

It is funny how the Full loops (1600-1900) take on their own life on the weekends. Especially this time of year when the near locals start to emerge from the Summer heat. It is probably fun if you are part of the party. Probably a little annoying if you are trying to get kids down to sleep at a reasonable hour.

Glad you had a good time. Hopefully you get to make a return trip soon.

j

 

[YohoAPiratesLife4Me]

Hi! Can you rent tents or is it strictly bring your own? We have only ever stayed in the cabins! Thank you!

 

[2goofycampers]

Hi! Can you rent tents or is it strictly bring your own? We have only ever stayed in the cabins! Thank you!

If they are not using them for group camping they have rented out tents in the past. But, who knows if Covid has changed that. I would call the Fort directly.

 

[bama_ed]

If they are not using them for group camping they have rented out tents in the past. But, who knows if Covid has changed that. I would call the Fort directly.

IIRC the cost of a rental tent (they set up for you and take it down) was around $35/night. They also rent folding cots (so you don't have to be on the ground) for around $5-6 per night if you want those. And the Tent, Full, and Preferred level sites have the gravel tent pads.

Bama Ed

 

[YohoAPiratesLife4Me]

Thank you, everyone!

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

We were in Loop 400 (site 419) from Oct 23-29, with a travel trailer and also a tent. Loop 500 was absolute insanity until after the weekend and then it got quieter. We were nervous just driving our truck through there looking around, so many people and kids running around, maybe a family reunion or something happening. And super tight spaces with all the carts and trucks. 419 turned out to be a great spot. Close to comfort station for our tenter and space between the next site was good being on an internal curve. We were initially offered 712, but didn't want our tenter to cross the road in the middle of the night to nearest comfort station or have to walk over to 800 loop.

 

[BarbLynnM]

We did a tent rental August 2019, and our experience was, overall, pretty negative. Pros: you have a tent standing when you get there. We flew in and didn't want to rent a vehicle, so when we got to the fort we were wondering how we'd get to the site. Fortunately, a Cast Member was happy to drive us and our luggage to our site. The tent was put up excellently.

Cons: for $50 per night with an extra $10 per night for 2 cot rentals ( ETA: $5 per night each), we got two filthy cots and a mildew laden tent. We had previously been made aware there weren't a lot of tents, and we were only there for three days to experience Galaxy's Edge, so we didn't want to take the time to ask for a different set of cots and tent. If I had it to do over again, I would most certainly do so as it was miserable once the heat and smell got to us.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have saved the money we spent on the rental and used it to buy the tent we already had and pay the dang airline charge for extra luggage. The only benefit we had was that the tent was up when we got there, and we weren't going to be in it during the day.

The upshot: cast members were awesome as usual, the tent/cots needed to be thrown out. The experience others have may be different than ours (I hope so!) but I wouldn't recommend taking the chance.

 

[MiniMN]

I know it's silly, but this is an experience I'd like to have just once to say I did it. I can bring extra luggage so getting a tent and some gear there is actually doable.

 

[Sjm9911]

I would buy a tent at wallmart and an ac, then toss them at the end of the week. Would probably be cheaper.