DISmeet at the Fort 2024?

[jbrostek]

If we have most of the loop booked then yes, pretty sure I could get into the site knowing my neighbors would clear a path and watch my 6.

 

[Teamubr]

go to YouTube and search fort wilderness 1700 loop to see the video… doesn’t look so scary for backing in as I thought it would…

I was in 1600 last January and it was easy to navigate and I had a decent site. I think all the Full loops would be fine. I was going to see how much the price difference is between a Premium and a Full, but will probably go with a Full. Since we plan on coming down for 2 weeks, even if the Premium is only $30/night more, that is still over $400 I would have to fork out for a little wider site. Here was my site in 1600. This was along the back side and backed up to the 1500 Tent loop. Plenty of room for the 42ft me and the toad.





j

 

[jbrostek]

I can get it into my drivway without using the neighbors lawn, I am sure I can get into a Disney sight as long as I dont have someone parked 1.5mm inside the yellow line. Even in premium that can be difficult when it swings around like the titanic. If I am doing 2 weeks then you make a good point, and as long as Tmobile has upgraded like it has around here I should have no problem with VPN for work.

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Normally I would say you can add (or remove) people, but with the changes implemented post-Covid requiring a cancel/rebook for date changes, it is worth confirming if changing people will impact the reservation.

j

Perhaps I used the wrong phrase. I'll add my family when I book. I recall saying that we all want to say I'm traveling with @Teamubr, @jbrostek, @bama_ed, etc so we'll be placed near each other in lieu of the group reservation contract that was the original plan. But that's what I remember and who can trust my memory...me included.

If that's a thing, does that have to be on there for the original booking? I'm just thinking I know 3 of your full names. I don't think they're going to take first name and DIS account as gospel.

 

[Teamubr]

Perhaps I used the wrong phrase. I'll add my family when I book. I recall saying that we all want to say I'm traveling with @Teamubr, @jbrostek, @bama_ed, etc so we'll be placed near each other in lieu of the group reservation contract that was the original plan. But that's what I remember and who can trust my memory...me included.

I'm not sure how often that works or how we would do it today. The only time we tried it, friends were driving their motorhome down and we flew in to join them for a few days. Their son and his family were staying in a cabin. They asked to be in a Full loop close to the cabins where their son would be. They did get in the 2100 loop closer to the cabins, but their son was in a cabin loop a bit away.

With a group our size, I don't know how we/they would manage that.

j

 

[jbrostek]

I am not sure how they would manage it either, but if we book a bunch of the full hookup, and all have travel with, there are only so many loops they would put us in. So I could see them giving us the same loop if possible.

The most I have traveled with to Disney was 5 RVs and while we where not all next to each other, we did end up in the same loop. Some of us side by side, I was 2 sites down from one pair and 2 more sites down the loop was another pair.

 

[bama_ed]

I am not sure how they would manage it either, but if we book a bunch of the full hookup, and all have travel with, there are only so many loops they would put us in. So I could see them giving us the same loop if possible.

The most I have traveled with to Disney was 5 RVs and while we where not all next to each other, we did end up in the same loop. Some of us side by side, I was 2 sites down from one pair and 2 more sites down the loop was another pair.

How did you implement the "travelling with", @jbrostek? Upon arrival at the Fort or in the time between making the reservation and arrival? Is it a note added to the reservation made via a phone call? Using their reservation # and arrival day? Or last name? I've never used this option. I guess we should all point to one of the early arrivers? Or one for Full sites and one for Premium sites?

Ed

 

[jbrostek]

When setting up the 'travel with' I was armed with at least one reservation number and full name, arrival. Now I am not sure how this might have changed in the latest....upgrade (more like downgrade). Last round I called both in at the same time, but I knew the other families information.

I took a few momemts to ask a cast member on chat. She susggested that we get our reservations, and if we know the reservations we would like to request for a 'room' nearby, we can call that in afterwards. I think with this we should try to do that, and maybe even contact the front desk 30 days before arrival and request it there too.

 

[Teamubr]

I know some people claim they still fax site requests in. As my younger staff remind me, most fax machines are now only on display at the Smithsonian, so I don't know if faxes are actually a thing at the Fort or not. Given the rest of Disney IT, it is quite possible since the rest of their system seems to run on dial up modems and AS400s (Google it for the non-IT people. They came out in 1988)

If they are still taking (and reading) faxes, this might be the best option. Send a spreadsheet (looking at you @Part-Time Paradise ) a few weeks before we start to arrive, via fax with our reservation numbers, dates and names (and anything else PTP thinks it should have).

j

 

[jbrostek]

Well thats why I said contact, IE phone call to start. Then confirm would they prefer email, or require fax.

 

[4077]

I know some people claim they still fax site requests in. As my younger staff remind me, most fax machines are now only on display at the Smithsonian, so I don't know if faxes are actually a thing at the Fort or not. Given the rest of Disney IT, it is quite possible since the rest of their system seems to run on dial up modems and AS400s (Google it for the non-IT people. They came out in 1988)

If they are still taking (and reading) faxes, this might be the best option. Send a spreadsheet (looking at you @Part-Time Paradise ) a few weeks before we start to arrive, via fax with our reservation numbers, dates and names (and anything else PTP thinks it should have).

j

I think we can expect to do well… why just last week I got a video from Disney showing me the that they have implemented new technologies to get us in contact with the Fort front desk….

 

[bama_ed]

When setting up the 'travel with' I was armed with at least one reservation number and full name, arrival. Now I am not sure how this might have changed in the latest....upgrade (more like downgrade). Last round I called both in at the same time, but I knew the other families information.

I took a few moments to ask a cast member on chat. She suggested that we get our reservations, and if we know the reservations we would like to request for a 'room' nearby, we can call that in afterwards. I think with this we should try to do that, and maybe even contact the front desk 30 days before arrival and request it there too.

So bottom line in my mind is we don't have to figure this all out now or at least by May 31. Folks can make their own reservations for a Full or Premium site and then we have time to link up with "travel with" and float the idea of which loops to shoot for (1100/2100, 1200/1700, etc.).

I will probably do a Full campsite and might want to arrive on Wednesday October 30 because I would like to attempt to sign up for the Wine & Dine 2024 5k and 10k which @garneska advised would be on 11/1 and 11/2 in post #147. So my schedule might be arrive 10/30, bib pickup 10/31, 5k 11/1, 10k 11/2, DISMeet start 11/3.

@garneska, is the sign-up for Wine & Dine short races like the 5k and 10k as tight/limited/quick to sell out like the Marathon event every January? I have no feel for how the W/D events fill. The reason I ask is if it is quick to sell out (within hours), I might break 10/30-11/3 into a second separate reservation in case I don't get both short races, then I can cancel those nights easily and have a first separate reservation for the DISMeet dates.

We will figure this out as we go along.

Ed

 

[jbrostek]

Yes, after talking to the CM I do not believe we need to stress of over it, there is time to sort that out and the reservation request to be near another will not require a rebooking.

 

[cruising spud]

Let me make sure I have this-book a Full campsite for the dismeet, and later, align with one another. At this point the main idea to get a site. And, ask for Full. Yes?

 

[bama_ed]

Let me make sure I have this-book a Full campsite for the dismeet, and later, align with one another. At this point the main idea to get a site. And, ask for Full. Yes?

I think we are going to have folks in both Full and Premium sites this time around, @cruising spud. So book either one of those you prefer and then we will try to get clustered together in both the Full loop and Premium loop.

Yes the main thing now is to get a site. Arrive on or before Monday November 4 and try to stay for several days (but you determine the length of your stay).

We typically have had a group dinner one night early in the stay at the campground which we can also determine later.

Ed

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Thanks for the answer. Not urgent for 5/31, but something we need to figure out. I'll make a sheet that's private to attendees and categorize by what loop you reserved with everyone's info to send to FW.

As an aside, would a TA be helpful to help with all this? I think one wouldn't be bothered making this work if we hand them 20 different ressies to make.

 

[BleuB]

I think we can expect to do well… why just last week I got a video from Disney showing me the that they have implemented new technologies to get us in contact with the Fort front desk….

Wow! I used to operate one of those at my high school. What a relic.

 

[bama_ed]

Thanks for the answer. Not urgent for 5/31, but something we need to figure out. I'll make a sheet that's private to attendees and categorize by what loop you reserved with everyone's info to send to FW.

As an aside, would a TA be helpful to help with all this? I think one wouldn't be bothered making this work if we hand them 20 different ressies to make.

Jack,

In the thread I started on the main Camping Board about the 2024 booking, a poster noted that Travel Agents (TA) will not earn commission on booked Fort Wilderness campsites. That means there will be no money for them in working for us.

I'm not going to go behind WDW and determine who and who doesn't get commission for booking accommodations at WDW. What I CAN tell you is for our 2020 DISMeet (which I was the chief cat wrangler for), the TA working for us did earn a percentage for their efforts on our behalf. They earned it IMO.

TA's earn their money from doing work that benefits us AND pays them (which I am all for). If booking campsites in 2024 doesn't earn them commission, I appreciate the heads up. I often wondered why TA's got FW site commissions (a LONG BACK story I will tell you only in person) when the per-night revenue was not near Value or Moderate rates. Campsites are HARD to book MOST of the time for individuals so why pay?. Dreams Unlimited (the host of the DIS website) used to take request for any Disney Resorts on property EXCEPT campsites (nope, no past screen shots but it WUZ). It's the same as of today.




Cabins yep. Campsites nope. Campsites are nowhere on their website.

We're on our own and have to do the best we can.

And we can.

ED

 

[Part-Time Paradise]

Jack,

In the thread I started on the main Camping Board about the 2024 booking, a poster noted that Travel Agents (TA) will not earn commission on booked Fort Wilderness campsites. That means there will be no money for them in working for us.

I'm not going to go behind WDW and determine who and who doesn't get commission for booking accommodations at WDW. What I CAN tell you is for our 2020 DISMeet (which I was the chief cat wrangler for), the TA working for us did earn a percentage for their efforts on our behalf. They earned it IMO.

TA's earn their money from doing work that benefits us AND pays them (which I am all for). If booking campsites in 2024 doesn't earn them commission, I appreciate the heads up. I often wondered why TA's got FW site commissions (a LONG BACK story I will tell you only in person) when the per-night revenue was not near Value or Moderate rates. Campsites are HARD to book MOST of the time for individuals so why pay?. Dreams Unlimited (the host of the DIS website) used to take request for any Disney Resorts on property EXCEPT campsites (nope, no past screen shots but it WUZ). It's the same as of today.

View attachment 759876


Cabins yep. Campsites nope. Campsites are nowhere on their website.

We're on our own and have to do the best we can.

And we can.

ED

I missed the other thread. I was traveling for work this week and only keeping up here from notifications. Apologies.

This doesn't make much sense why they wouldn't make commission on sites, but I'm sure it's a monetary reason that far outweighs the logic the general public can scrape together.

OK. Spreadsheet...onward.

 

[cruising spud]

Still another question (or two)-we have only ever booked preferred sites at Disney (love being near the marina), but this time we are going to go with the group flow. I see some people are going to book premium over full campsites. Is that due to rv size? Premium offers bigger sites?
My main question-what are the majority of people doing? If I am coming to a dismeet, I would like to be where most of the people are, most of the time. Not that I'm planning to be clingy or anything.