Universal visit - Where would you camp?

[mickeyfan0805]

I need advice from my experts who know the lay of the land in central FL...

We are considering a trip that would land us in central FL for 3-4 nights while we visit Universal. It's part of a 2 week trip, so most nights would be in the camper, but we might spend 1-2 nights at a Universal Hotel in order to get access to their Express Pass for 2 days while having a room to return to if we need to escape the heat. So, we'd need to leave the camper at the campsite, unoccupied, for those couple of days. Where would you camp?

 

[team bradfield]

we did universal about 12 years ago, we just stayed at the fort and drove, its only about a half hour drive IIRC, but it was much cheaper to stay at FW back then

 

[mickeyfan0805]

we did universal about 12 years ago, we just stayed at the fort and drove, its only about a half hour drive IIRC, but it was much cheaper to stay at FW back then

Yeah - that's the challenge. Hard to pitch out $160-$170 per night for a campsite you will barely see - especially when the local KOA is $100 cheaper per night.

 

[rajak73]

2012 we stayed at Wekiva Falls Resort, around 30 miles from Universal. Address is Sorrento, but we always said by Sanford.

 

[Stratman50th]

I went back and read the original post and you didn't say that you were actually even going to the Fort this trip, just that you'd be in central Florida. I guess it's just assumed on here that you would be going to Disney but This could be wrong. If you are, would you be going to Universal in the middle of the trip or on the front/back side?
When you talk the $160-$170 per night are you including the Universal hotel stay and the camping site together? I've never stayed at a Universal hotel but I wonder if they have some parking available there in the lot that would accommodate campers/RVs, etc. I bet you aren't the first person that want's to do that.

 

[amylevan]

My parents are snow birds and stay at Winter Garden RV Park. It’s not the nicest campground I’ve ever stayed at, but it’s 15 miles from Universal and closer to $50/night.

My parents also report that it’s under newer management and is starting to turn itself around.

 

[2goofycampers]

Turkey Lake City Park, never been there but have heard good things.

 

[bama_ed]

Turkey Lake City Park, never been there but have heard good things.

Another vote for Turkey Lake.

Actually the technical name is Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake and yes it is run by the city of Orlando park system. I stayed there one night as a stopover on my way to camping in the Keys.

It is just on the north side of the Turnpike and only 4-5 miles to the Universal resorts. A site with full hooks is less than $30. The sites weren't as wide, level, or deep as the Fort but the price is right. As a popup camper who has to use the campground comfort stations, Turkey Lake's were tolerable and about what I expected from being run by a city government. I found a map of the campsites online to refer to when I set up the reservation (they tell you what site they are assigning you to when you make the reservation).

Here is the link:

https://www.orlando.gov/Parks-the-E...ake/Make-a-Reservation-in-Bill-Frederick-Park

As long as you use the campground as a place to sleep or to leave your camper set up at, mickeyfan0805, it will then meet your expectations. Grocery, gas, dining, etc. are not far.

Bama Ed