Tent Camping at FW in August???

[magicalmom]

Has anybody ever done this?

I suggested this, but ,DH thinks I'm nuts - he's concerned about the rains, the daily thunderstorms with winds, the bugs, and sleeping in a tent in the heat and humidity.

So, is August doable in a tent? Is a pop-out trailer better?

Thanks so much in advance -

Kate

[Jasper]

I really wouldn't worry about any of the issues you mentioned because the rains in August are usually short in duration(assuming there are no hurricanes) and go a long way to knocking the bugs down. Plus, I suspect Disney sprays for bugs in the campground

What I would be concerned about is the heat and humidity. Even at night it can still be rather hot and humid. If you have a pop up with AC I think you will be happier.

[faline]

I've tent camped in Disney World but never in August. Our tent trips were during October and May. October was perfect weather for tent camping!

Do you camp regularly outside of Disney World?

[magicalmom]

We don't camp yet - we've just been saying we'd like to, and I've gradually been amassing the equipment (isn't it amazing how everything you're looking for will eventually turn up at the neighborhood thrift store?)

I just thought - hey, we love WDW, and they have what I hear is one of the best campgrounds on the planet, so it seemed like a logical place to begin. Our only problem is, it's August or nothing.

DH fears we'll wake up in puddles, or get heatstroke, or be eaten by creatures. But it seemed to me that FW has to be the least wild wilderness we could find.

I'm hoping somebody on the boards has tried it in summer, and will weigh in with words of encouragement and advice I can show DH.

Thanks!

Kate

[AndrewJackson]

Tent camping anytime in the summer at Walt Disney World can be difficult, especially if you are not used to camping. It will be in the 90s everyday, plus high humidity, causing the heat index to be in the 100s. With the tent, there is no way to get out of the heat. It will also only get down to the mid 70s in the middle of the night.

The other problem is the daily rain. You can expect one every day in the afternoon. You have to plan on moving everything in the tent to the middle everyday you leave, just in case you spring a leak.

If you happen to get too much sun one day, and are a bit burnt, you might be miserable throughout the night.

To answer your questions...

Is August doable in a tent? Yes, it is doable.
Is a pop-out trailer better? Definitely.

[faline]

If you've never been camping before, I'd suggest taking a weekend camping trip close to home. There are many family and public campgrounds throughout the U.S. It would be far better to find out you hate to camp on a quick local, weekend trip than n a more extensive trip to Disney World!

While we haven't amped at Disney in Augut, wehave tent camped in Virginia in the summer time. Nights can be quit hot and sticky in a tent. During the day, thee are plenty of opportunities to vist air conditioned sites (or pools or lakes) to get a break from the heat and humidity.

[buzznwoodysmom]

I don't mean to rain on your parade, but I completely agree with your husband. When I first read your thread title I thought to myself, Is she serious! LOL. I have to admit though, I am not all that fond of tent camping to begin with. You couldn't pay me enough to camp in a tent, in Florida, in August. I would think it would be miserable. We stayed at WDW in May last year and I couldn't wait to get back to our room at night to take a good bath and sleep in a nice air conditioned room. If you decide to go through with it, good luck. I'd love to read the trip reports to see how it went.

[Buttercup]

I absolutely LOVE tent camping, especially at Fort Wilderness. I loved it so much, I convinced my sister to try it and now SHE loves it too!

BUT...
There is no way I would ever tent camp in August in Florida. NO WAY.
We always camp there in late April/early May. The evenings are warm and nice, and the days are relatively hot out. But with a tent zipped up for the day (in case of rain), your "home" for the week is basically a pressure cooker of heat. And that's in April.

You can't go back to your tent for an afternoon nap... you don't even want to crawl in there during the day to get something out of your suitcase. It feels like a hot car that's been sitting in a parking lot all day. We usually get up every day at about 7:00am in the morning because by then, the tent is getting too hot to sleep in. And again, that's in April.

SO... in conclusion...
if you tent camp in August, you are basically guaranteed to have unbearable heat during the day (even in the shade) - your tent will be a sauna - and I suspect that you won't have a very comfortable sleep at night because even the breeze is hot and muggy at that time of year.

I wouldn't do it. Air conditioning is a MUST in the summer in Florida.

[Magic Fanatic]

My had is off to all of you that tent camp between April in August. That has to be brutal!

[bkfree]

We Camp a lot, but have never camped at Disney. YC is usually our base. But we will be in Tampa in Nov. the week before Thanskgiving and have the chance to catch a few days at WDW, but since we just got back, want to do it on the cheap. SInce we tent camp already, have all the gear, I was wondering who has tent camped at FW during Nov.
If you have, what sites offer the most privacy or less crowded area, if that exists?

[ibrowse17]

As a long time tent camper and Disney/FW lover, I can firmly say that I would not even consider tent camping during the summer months. After a long, hot day in the parks, the last thing you want is a long , hot night in your tent. We love to tent camp, but during the summer I break out our camper with AC.

[FloridaTeacher]

No Way. As a native Floridian, I can tell you, you'll definitely suffer with the heat and humidity of August. You'll also have to worry about the heat and humidity. Did I mention the heat and humidity would be unbearable?

[tungpo1]

Its hot and humid I will bet anything tent camping in August is going to be rough I live just south of Orlando. Central, south florida is always hot and humind we get a few weeks of cool weather during winter but thats about it.