Vol. 5 # 1 - Tiffin Motorhomes

DISNEY IN WINTERCool evenings. Warm days. An almost unlimitedagenda of interesting things to do. Great restaurants. Interestingpeople from all over the world. Walt Disney World in winter iscertainly a “best buy” for RVers escaping the cold of our northernstates. Having lived in Tampa for the last 10 years, the standingjoke after two or three January evenings in the low thirties is“Well, winter’s over now.” And that’s just about right, too!Living only an hour away from the vacation mecca, our familyhas visited WDW many times during the last decade. In fact, wehave spent Christmas Day at Disney twice, and each time ourthree grown children and their spouses loved it. Summer is hotand the lines are long. Spring Break is crowded with studentsof all ages.Several friends had mentioned the Disney resort and campgroundcalled Fort Wilderness. Before deciding to do this story,we made an exploratory visit to Fort Wilderness. If you havebeen to any of the Disney theme parks and noted how well theparks are groomed and maintained, you can count on the samequality of attention at Fort Wilderness. The campsites are nicelyspaced, RV pads are paved, and connections are well-designedwith 50-amp/water/sewer hookups.Fort Wilderness marked its 36th birthday on November 19.The 700-acre resort opened just two months after the MagicKingdom made its debut. Today the campground boasts 784campsites and 409 wilderness cabins.We began planning our January trip immediately. The ValueRate ($47) is available from Jan. 1 through Feb. 14. We pluggedin the dates for a two-week vacation and came up with $658 plustax. Serious Disneyphiles recommended a 10-day Park Hopperpass good for the 14 days we planned to be at Fort Wilderness.A Park Hopper pass allows you to visit any or all of the fourtheme parks during each day of your stay. Each of our ticketswas $281. Put the numbers together and you have a terrific twoweekvacation for less than $1,300. If you can claim Florida residency,Disney offers an annual pass (including park hopping)for $350 each plus tax.If gardening and flowers are your passion and hobby, you maywant to schedule your visit between March 18 and June 1 whenDisney presents the Epcot International Flower and GardenFestival. While those dates do not affect the park entrance rates,the campground rates increase to $69 or $79. Check wdwcamp.com for specific rate information.Before we begin exploring the parks, let’s take a closer look atFort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It really is a resort — agreat place for R&R even if you decide to skip the theme parks.If you have bicycles, bring them. They are the best way to travelwithin the resort property, and are also available for rent (1). TheTrading Post near the beach carries a broad selection of Disneysouvenirs, snacks, soft drinks, and limited RV supplies. Thereare two swimming pools, both heated. The Bay Lake Beach isa good place to work on your tan. But be sure to check localTV stations to learn what the “burn time” is for the day. They’rePhotography by Fred Thompson and Disney Public Relations1 2Text by Fred Thompson18 Roughing It Smoothly ??? 19