Camping at Disney World? About This Page:

[AngelOn9]

I have to ask...has anyone ever camped(I mean as in a tent, not an RV)at Disney World? If not, have you ever considered it?

I'm asking cause a friend of mine has it in her head that this would be a GREAT idea. I'm not so sure although she is planning to go in October...so maybe?

I personally just don't know how comfortable that would be after several nights. What are your thoughts?

[unique77rn]

i can't speak for DW but we have stayed at a campaground outside of disney and tents were not allowed when questioning the staff at the site they sited wild life reasons (gators i'm assuming)

[graygables]

I seriously considered it over the weekend and spent a great deal of time researching it. It would seem that tent camping is great fun at WDW, safe, and the comfort stations are wonderful. Looking into it, I got a rate of $36 per night for a tent site. We have an aero bed (queen and 2 twins) and from what I understand, many people pack their clothes in a plastic dresser to avoid living out of a suitcase. There are, of course, some climate control "issues", but in the Fall, I would think a fan would suffice, though I heard that some people pack a window unit a/c (you have electric/water at your site). The amenities seem fantastic for the price. I would think with a well-equipped multi-room tent and air beds, it would be a pretty nice vacation! DH and I discussed it and he decided he would rather work his fanny off than have to use a "public" toilet every day (don't ask! ), but I have decided that if I ever get around to my solo trip, I may just camp and save my $$$ for souvenirs!

[luvnwdwgal]

My DH and I camped in a tent in Fort Wilderness for a couple days on our honeymoon in October of 1981. I was just 19 and it was my first trip to WDW, so it was ok, but truthfully I couldn't wait to get to a hotel. I just wasn't crazy about having to use the shower house. Give me a hotel room with a bathroom!

[Lesia in AL]

We very rarely stay any place other than FW. We do have an RV, though, but we use the campground amenities. The comfort stations are the cleanest I have EVER been in. Wonderful hot showers.

October can be Hot, can be Cold. Last year, 2003, it was WET. AT night only we had rain 4 nights in a row. Not just light rain - downpour rain. There were tent campers in our loop who bailed out and went to a hotel cause it was just tooooo wet.

[AngelOn9]

[ QUOTE ]
I seriously considered it over the weekend and spent a great deal of time researching it. It would seem that tent camping is great fun at WDW, safe, and the comfort stations are wonderful. Looking into it, I got a rate of $36 per night for a tent site. We have an aero bed (queen and 2 twins) and from what I understand, many people pack their clothes in a plastic dresser to avoid living out of a suitcase. There are, of course, some climate control "issues", but in the Fall, I would think a fan would suffice, though I heard that some people pack a window unit a/c (you have electric/water at your site). The amenities seem fantastic for the price. I would think with a well-equipped multi-room tent and air beds, it would be a pretty nice vacation! DH and I discussed it and he decided he would rather work his fanny off than have to use a "public" toilet every day (don't ask! ), but I have decided that if I ever get around to my solo trip, I may just camp and save my $$$ for souvenirs!

[/ QUOTE ]

You make a lot of really good points! Thanks for all of your insight! Its definately tempting to consider when you know all of that money can go toward souvenirs!

[AngelOn9]

Thanks to all of you for the feedback.

It helped give me a better idea of how this would work out if one tried it. I think the best bet would be to have air mattresses, go in a cooler month, and most of all...have a back up plan in case things just don't work out due to rain or some other unforseen event.

I imagine that another possible drawback to this option would be that you'd have to drive to WDW in order to have all the gear you'd need. Living in TX, that's quite the trek.

[AmndaSarek]

You could maybe consider renting a pop-up tent camper or a small RV and driving over from TX ... or borrowing one from a family friend? (My BIL has a pop-up camper and loans it to friends)

You still have to shower in the bathhouses, if you do the pop-up, but you would be sleeping on a bed and wouldn't be as threatened by the weather.

You might drop by the camping section in Wal-Mart or Sports Authority though and checkout some of the supplies. "Roughing-It" isn't quite as rough as it use to be ... air mattresses, compact grills, mini generators and re-chargeable appliances.

We have a small RV (under 25 feet long) and like that it is airconditioned and has it's own toilet, microwave, and fridge ... but we will be bringing the tent and sleeping bags along for a least one night out under the stars!

Definitely think about it!

[HiddenMickey]

Michele (michnash), one of the Passporter Guides tent camped for 3 weeks with her son last year. There is a lengthy trip report on the boards you can read if you search for it. She liked it and plans to do it again.

-HiddenMickey