Is Camping at Disney's Ft Wilderness Really Camping?

I can count this as the first time I had to set up a tent in a downpour. To make it more interesting, I had purchased a four person (which doesn't seem possible) backpacking tent from Wal-mart on a whim, and took it along without waterproofing it or even checking it out beforehand....took it fresh out of the box and started setting it up in the rain (one of my finer moments in life). So, there I was with an eight year old and a ten year old, getting soaked and hoping it wouldn't start thundering and lightening, but we were at Disney after all and magical things do happen here, don't they? And even though it was Disney, I was pleasantly surprised at how cheap it could be if you knew how to work it.

Our Cub Scout pack planned this trip to Disney's Ft Wilderness about four months ago. That was when our deposit was due. This place is so popular, it's hard to get a foot in the door, so the earlier you can get a reservation, the better. I can't tell you how excited the kids were to actually get in the van and go! As a group, we decided to camp in the individual camping spaces, an asphalt "driveway" with a sand and crushed shell pad. Two families would share a pad. Each family would pay $67 a night for their family...not bad for Disney. The other alternative would've been to camp in Creekside Meadow, a grassy knoll area in the Southwest corner of Ft Wilderness. There, it costs $10 per head per night (which can be pricey for larger families) and is actually geared more towards groups with ample fire rings, a sand volleyball court and a slew of picnic tables. In the other individual camping sections, like ours, campfires are not allowed. Each camping pad does have a little grill, so marshmallow roasting can be done there if need be, but it just isn't the same now, is it?

One thing about Disney....Disney has rules..and a whole lot of them. Many of us were miffed that we could only have one vehicle at each campsite, and a few of us who tried to break the rule were swiftly admonished. So, lots of unloading and consolidating stuff in one vehicle. I already mentioned no campfires outside of the established areas. You also had to remember your keycard lest you get locked out of the comfort stations after midnight...something that's easy to forget when you wake up and your kid has to go...right now!

A word about these "comfort stations" as they were called....very nice and clean. There were numerous ones around. You could always find a bathroom no matter where you were in the "fort". They were air conditioned and the showers were private with nice hot water and the pressure was more than excellent. My only complaint here was no ledges for parking your gear and stuff, although they did have hooks on the walls. So bring a toiletry bag and maybe another bag for your clothes to hang onto these hooks. You don't want to have to put stuff on the floor. The only benches were back by the showers.

Each camping site did have water and electricity. If you come with your RV, they also have a sewage hook-up and some of the premium sites have cable TV. If you're totally not a camper, try out the cabins. They have maid service and I believe internet as well.

I know Disney is known for nickel and diming their visitors, but there isn't too much of that here. We attended a fun pool party and some of us played bingo. The kids got whacked in dodge ball and there were plenty of balls and things to borrow to play beach volleyball, soccer, football or whatever sport you could dream up. For a little money, you could also rent bicycles and golf carts, go on a carriage ride, a moonlit hay ride and even have your little ones ride the ponies down by the marina. Don't forget the Hoop-de-Doo Musical Revue served with dinner or Mickey's Backyard BBQ Party, pricier options to spend your money on.

We just took the free air-conditioned buses all around the Disney complex. You can check out all the other Disney resorts with these buses. Some of our group went to the Disney resort that had giraffes poking around near the lobby and were already looking into finding some kind of super discount fare online. We took the free boat ride and checked out some of the resorts that were right on the lake. The boat can also take you to the Magic Kingdom and the monorail system...all extra fun at no cost. If you do decide to go to the Magic Kingdom, be sure to go early! We were astounded by the absolute hoards of humanity that were showing up around 11am! Being a guest at Ft Wilderness (or any of the other Disney resorts) also allows you park access before and after the general population is in the park, which translates into less crowds and shorter lines. This program is called Extra Magic Hours, so be sure to check which park is open early and which one is open late on the days you are there.

The kids' highlights?

• Watching a movie under the stars while eating through bags full of roasted marshmallows and smores. The staff conveniently keep two firepits going throughout the show. Before the movie, Disney's Chip and Dale came out along with a lady on a guitar playing singalong songs. This singing and dancing was a big treat for the younger, six and under crowd.
  

• Swimming and playing in the heated pool. There are two pools on site. We were in the bigger one, nothing special really, but hey, the kids like any pool with water in it.
  

• Taking the boat on the lake and wondering what was on that island in the middle of the lake. Lots of enclosed netting and even a small shipwreck were up against the rocks. I enjoyed seeing the different resorts that we passed by, one being the Wilderness Lodge and the others were Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Disney's Contemporary Resort. There were also some smaller hotels along the shoreline, with a new one just being constructed......obviously a lot of lodging choices!

• Taking home a few memories. I don't like to purchase "stuff" at theme parks or vacation destinations (for the most part) as souveniers. Do your due diligence and research what your local Disney store at the mall (or online) has for sale. Then buy it while you are still at home. You'll find similar stuff here at Disney but at a much higher price tag. If you really want to be thrifty, buy the stuff on eBay or even second hand. You are NOT depriving your child of anything by doing this! I've done it MANY times and my kids were never the wiser!
  

If we had had more time, we would've:

• Taken that moonlit ride; we were told you could see the nightly fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom from here and at the marina
  

• Rented one of the Seadoo or pontoon boats (there are about three different types of boats to rent, plus you can do a fishing trip or rent a larger boat and a skipper)

• Had a picnic lunch down at the marina (volleyball net, beach, tables, loungers and hammocks to hang out with)

• Rented a golf cart to get around quicker

• If we had stayed longer, we might've visited one of the Disney theme parts. Again, I would've researched all the deals online. I know Florida Hospital is giving out Disney tickets if you donate at least $59 to their hospital...a small price to pay, knowing you are helping in some small way. The military also has a small discount. See your local ITR office on post, as well as tickets thru the military's Shades of Green Resort in Orlando. We actually plan to attend a timeshare presentation at the Hilton Grand Vacation Club to get some free Disney tickets. Of course you have to be pretty tough to attend one of these and not buy a timeshare, but since my husband is a Hilton rewards program member, and we've read some of the reviews from others who stayed at this particular timeshare, we've found that it isn't as high pressure as most.
  

All in all, a fun and low-cost trip that we would do again. Before you go, be sure to read this Ft Wilderness Fact Sheet. I found everything accurate there, except for the directions. If you are coming from the south, take Exit 62 and follow the signs for "Magic Kingdom". Has anyone here done Disney in any capacity? Stayed at a resort or visited one of the theme parks? Do you have any tips to share? What was the best ticket price or hotel you could find? Which resorts or theme parks were your favorites?

Tent Camping with the Scouts at Ft Desoto Beach

My boys are both in Cub Scouts. This past weekend, my 10 year old and I braved the mosquitos and some other kind of strange biting insect to camp at Ft Desoto Beach with his group of Webelos (yes, a kind of Scout). It was a long but fun packed and informative weekend and since Mom is not a camper and rarely sees the inside of a tent, I had to follow some camping protocol to get my butt in gear....literally.

Early last week, I did get a Rubbermaid bin together with all the basic camping necessities. I figured this wouldn't be the last trip, so I wanted to at least make the prep as painless as possible and be able to just re-use the container full of stuff at a later date...and I know there will be a later date, at least as far as the Scouts are concerned. I packed the container with:

• A dishpan (yes, I even washed dishes); our leader had an impressive three dishpan arrangement. One bin had hot soapy water, the next had hot water and the third had cold water. Each pan also had a splash of bleach mixed in. This was how we were supposed to clean the dishes and keep down the paper plate and garbage waste.

• I did have (warning, here's the boring but necessary stuff) coffee/teapot, some cooking implements, papertowels, toilet paper, can opener, condiments (salt/pepper, onion flakes and garlic), matches, vinyl tablecloth, plastic flatware and some plastic plates, camping mugs (the kind that you can throw and not break), duct tape, heavy duty aluminum foil, potholders, box cutter, pocket knife, mallet (not for self defense but pounding down tent stakes), trashbags and ziploc bags and small containers of syrup and dishwashing liquid in the bin

• I also threw in a few scrub sponges, dishrags, a container of anti-bacterial wipes, a firestarter log, a few bungee cords and a container of medium clip binders and safety pins

• Don't forget your first aid kit, with your basic necessities. Throw in kid's Tylenol (and stuff for you), something for sore throats, Benadryl (pill and cream), bug spray, sunscreen and a thermometer.

• A cheap two burner gas camping stove (I think I paid $20 for ours) does work just fine; Everyone complains about them saying they only cook at one temperature...high, but I was able to get mine to cook everything from pancakes to boiling water; don't forget two small propane containers and something to light the stove with
  

Believe it or not, all that fit into one bin (except the stove and propane). Get a smaller bin for all the dry food you will be bringing and then a cooler for your stuff that needs to stay cold. It helps to also have a water cooler filled with mostly ice and then some water to stay hydrated. Ours stayed cool the whole weekend. Of course, don't forget the tent, the stakes, rainfly and a tarp!

Some other observations and things I would keep in mind the next time we camp, because I know this won't be our last one:

• Have a critter-proof plan to keep those critters out of your food and stuff. I heard some serious raccoon stories! We had bungee cords and big rocks to keep the coolers shut and ended up keeping everything that couldn't be tied down in the bathroom (yes, this wasn't totally primitive camping, you know; the youth group camping site at Ft Desoto Park was very nice and secluded, right by the water; we ended up using the handicap one person bathroom as the storage area)

• Do bring extra tent stakes; we had a person forget theirs

• Check with the campsite office beforehand; some don't allow you to collect firewood and you may have to bring some from home; there may also be other restrictions
  

• Do bring some raingear and check the weather report for the area beforehand; have all the emergency/camp office/ranger numbers handy

• Bring a fully charged cell phone

• Know where your car keys are at all times

• A camping trip is not complete without Smores; bring all the fixins' and long-handled implements (I actually bought some long forks that look like coathangers)

• Bring an individual air mattress for each camper instead of a double or queen sized one; you'll sleep easier not getting tossed around when your bedmate decides to move; the twin size mattresses are easier to move around, blow up and don't hog up all your tent space; don't forget the battery operated air pump (bring extra batteries)

• Bring a bag of charcoal; even if you don't have grills; you can easily make the two recipes below in any firepit and it's easier if you have coals

Since I did travel with some seasoned campers, I was fortunate enough to try these tasty dishes, because really, I didn't come up with them on my own...well, actually I pigged out on them, if I want to be totally honest with you:

Dinner Foil Packets

frozen hamburger patty (which is already partially thawed from being in your cooler)
handful frozen green beans
handful frozen corn
chunks of potato cut with an apple sectioner (you know what I'm talking about?)
Dash of salt and pepper
a few splashes of Italian salad dressing

Put all ingredients into a double layer packet of heavy duty foil. Make sure the foil is folded into a bag, double creasing the open ends. Lay on a bed of coals (when they are grey and glowing). I think ours took like 45 minutes to cook. The food is done when you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork. You can also make this recipe with canned veggies, and it'll also cook quicker.

Cobbler

large can of fruit filling (we had cherry one night and then peach the next)
box of yellow or white cake mix
butter

You are going to need a camping cast iron dutch oven for this one. Dump in the fruit filling. Dump in the box of cake mix. Put pats of butter on top. Close lid and put in firepit. Arrange coal around the outsides and on lid. In about a half hour, you'll have a steaming cobbler that just melts in your mouth!

The cobbler was an even bigger treat than expected, because one of our moms had the sense of mind to bring little containers of vanilla ice cream. She had packed it in ice that afternoon, and the ice cream was just at the right consistency to eat with the cobbler...yum!

Since our leader had her act together, the kids had a full two days of activites planned. Saturday, the kids participated in an interactive nature walk at the ranger station. Also at the station, they were able to see displays of fossils, jars in specimens (which were "way cool" the kids said), photos, shells and a variety of other interesting "hands on" items. Of course, visiting the fort and exploring its underground cavernous rooms was a real highlight. The views from the top of the fort were just "awesome". Bring a pair of binoculars to get the full effect.

Sunday, our leader had arranged a mini lifeguard session with Ft Desoto's lifeguards. The kids learned about what lifeguards do, heard some interesting stories and got their hands on a lot of the lifeguarding equipment, to include the swim boards and lifesaving equipment. While training in the water, they also saw a manatee lazily swimming by and a few stingrays going about their business. My recommendation for Scout leaders, even if there isn't an advertised program for kids or Scouts, just ask what they can offer for your group. You may be pleasantly surprised like we were!

If you've never been to Ft Desoto Beach and you get a chance to come to the St Petersburg/Tampa area, it is well worth a visit. Dr. Beach even gave North Beach at Ft Desoto the #1 Beach in America rating in 2005! The sand is a beautiful white powder, and the beach has a long sloping shelf, perfect for the kids to enjoy themselves without going off an immediate drop-off. There is even a large tidal pool to wade through and watch the fish. The scenery at the mouth of Tampa Bay and Anclote Key with its lighthouse are just breathtaking!

So, as with any other Cub Scout activity, it paid off to be prepared. We had a great weekend, and the only glitch or discomfort we experienced the entire time were those darn biting insects...even though we had bug spray...they still managed to get to us somehow...and still today, I'm not sure what they were.

Do you have any beach, camping or Scout stories to share? Let's hear them!

This article and others on family life can be found at "The Carnival of Family Life".