Fort Wilderness, Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL

There's about a 1000 books and web sites that'll tell you how to "do" Disney World so I won't bother other than a couple of tips. I will say that Fort Wilderness is the only place to stay as far as I'm concerned. They don't offer and discounts on camping (no meal plans either but I'd suggest you eat somewhere else anyhow) but our site ended up around $55 per night, not bad for Disney. The sites have 3 levels (I think, it's kinda hard to figure out), premium, preferred and standard. The premium sites are closer to the back of the campground, nearer the boat dock, but I don't know where they consider the cut-off. The preferred sites have a larger pad (premium have the same size), some standard sites have a paved drive and the camping unit will be set up on gravel/sand. The preferred site pad are plenty large enough for but the largest rigs so I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor. When you reserve a site, you can ask for a certain site or loop but they won't guaranteed that you'll get it. They don't assign you a site until about a week before the date you're suppose to arrive so until then they can't even tell you what site you'll get. I'd suggest calling the week before you get there and make sure of your site, espescially if you requested a site that allows pets.

We stayed in site #552 (in the 1600s last time). It's a nice site but they're kinda close together. My first choice of sites would be in the 1600s, 1700s, 1800s or 1900s. They're spaced out a little, just not as close to the dock, the restaurant and the tavern. These are all pet loops, 100s and 200s are not pet loops but I don't know about the rest. It's a short walk to a bus stop or easy bike ride to the restaurant from anywhere in the park.

There are bus stops everywhere and seems like the buses are always running. It's not a problem to ride the bus to any of Disney's properties but driving can be a little quicker, parking at the parks is free because you're staying at the Fort. If you're going to the Magic Kingdom from Fort Wilderness, use the boat, it'll take you right to the front gate. You can rent a golf cart (or bring your own) for about $65 a day but biking is best/cheapest way to get around. They don't encourage a lot of driving around in the park, mostly just want you to enter or leave then bike or cart around the rest of the time. There are two stores, a restaurant, a bar and a dinner show at the campground, if you wanted a single beer (you couldn't buy it by the six-pack), it would run you $5.25, about a ten minute drive to Wal-Mart will save you a lot of money.

All sites are full hook-up with cable TV, fairly level and mostly shady.

These are sites 552 (left) and 550, right behind them and across the road is a fairly nice fenced dog park.

FYI    If you're using a GPS, it may try to take you to Wilderness Lodge (mine did anyway), just remember to follow the signs. Right after you go through the big gate to the Magic Kingdom, you'll be turning right in a couple of hundred yards.

Everybody should see the fireworks at the castle but you can get a pretty good view of them from the beach at the campground. If you want a seat, go early.

Site #552, the awning side was not to close to the neighbors but the folks on the site to the right were right up against our RV.

The best place I know of to get information about Disney is mousesavers.com. The only place to get any discounted tickets is undercovertourist.com  and don't expect too much of a discount.

Where to eat...

Here's some videos of some of the campground:

100s Loop

200s Loop

400s Loop

500s Loop

1500s Loop

1600s Loop

I didn't have time for a lot of pictures but the videos give you the idea, they're just kinda jerky. This is also not nearly all of the campground, it's to big to cover without a lot of time. One more tip, skip Universal. It's not worth the time and money plus the folks at Disney go out of their way to be nice to you, not so much at the other park.



Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Gregory E. Moore RV Resort, Destin (Santa Rosa Beach), Florida

If you're looking for a state park where the rednecks sit around the campfire, drinking beer, with the radios in their trucks blasting country music for half the night, this aint the place for you. If you want an RV resort with full hook-ups, cable TV and about 1/2 a mile from the beach, Topsail can't be beat.

Got a new video camera so I tried a quick "bike" tour of the campground. Just remember, it's unedited and it's me riding around on a bike so be sure to take your motion sickness medicine. (about 15 minutes long)

View Larger Map

It's just east of Destin and the entrance is from hwy 30A. A short 1/2 mile bike ride (on a bike path) will get you to the beach. A 10 minute drive west and you're in Destin and the public beaches or you can drive a couple of miles down 30A to a small public beach that's usually not crowded. There is also a tram that runs between the campground and the beach, every hour during peak season and every two hours other times. Check the bottom of the page for links to some places to eat in the area.

They have a lot of rules: no parking on the grass, no clothes lines, don't tie anything to trees and others but just to keep the park as nice as it is. It's really laid back Florida style, one of the rules is: alcohol only in designated areas and your campsite is a designated area (by the way, don't lay your rug on the grass, they'll ask you to move it and the sprinklers will wet your chair if you don't watch were you put it). Don't worry about the rules, just be aware of them.

The campground can be divided into four sections; the entrance section (sites 1 to 24), the older/open section (sites 25 to 56), the older/shady section (sites 57 to 91) and the new section (sites 101 to 168). I'll separate the pictures that way anyhow.

The Entrance Section

I consider these the least desirable sites, just because they're really open and all the traffic comes right down the middle of them. Don't get me wrong, I'd take one if that was all they had open and not complain. The worst sites at Topsail are better than most parks.

The Older/Open Section

The sites here are fairly shady, just not much between them. The small pool is in this section.

The laundry is also here, this is the butterfly garden on one side of it.

The Older/Shady Section

We've stayed in this section two or three times. The larger pine trees and some privacy between sites make it nice. Most all the sites in the park have some shade but these are shaded for more hours of the day. Some of these sites are close together but generally staggered so your not right in your neighbors doorway. They are also fairly long if you need the space.

The New Section

I think this section was completed in 1999 or 2000. It is really nice, landscaped and all. Very neat and level sites, some greenery between the sites, except for a few of the pull-throughs right at the entrance to this section. The sites in the corners are more private but they are all great sites. All the pictures were taken about noon (I think) so you can see the shade they get. Some have more in the AM and some more in the PM, but most have some shade.

Tram Stop at the campground.

The tram leaves from the parking lot at the campground entrance, I think anyone can park there and ride it to the beach but don't know what it costs. If you take a bike, it's an easy ride, only one small hill. You could walk it if your really into walking.

The Cabins 

 

The older cabins (I think they call them bungalows) look nice with a screened in porch and carport.

The new cabins were just finished this year, they're nice but kinda wide open around them until the trees grow in.

Tent Area

 The tent area just opened this year with the new cabins. FYI, they don't allow tents anywhere else in the park. They sell firewood at the store, I guess you can have a fire in the tent section, no fires allowed at the RV sites. There is a new bath house here and all the bath houses are air conditioned.

You park and then there is a trail (very short) to the site. The tent sites are $24 a night, best I can remember.

Topsail is by far the best campground close to the beach. At $42 a night it's not cheap by state park standards but it puts other state parks to shame. We go at least once a year, sometimes twice but 4 or 5 times wouldn't be to much. I'd recommend getting reservations, especially during the summer.

Topsail/FL State Park Site

Eating places:
Fudpucker's
Jordano's Pizza
Country Folk's Buffet, Florala, AL
Bayou Bill's
The Crab Trap
The Donut Hole

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, Port St. Joe, FL

If you do a lot of research on the internet about this place, you'll hear that it's isolated, it's got rats, the beaches are dirty and there are lots of bugs. Well, it is about an hour to the nearest Wal-Mart (Panama City) but there are a few smaller stores in Port St. Joe, less than 30 minutes and a couple of convienence stores on the peninsula. Don't worry about the rats (some kind of endangered beach rats), they mind their own business and have other things to worry about than the campers; that would be the rattle snakes, I saw one about 4' long in the campground along with deer, crabs, birds and lots of other wildlife. The beaches are not groomed like the ones near Destin, if sea weed and stuff washes up, that's where it stays. It's not trash, just the way it is. As far as the bugs, yep, there's lots, carry some bug spray.

The white sand beaches go on for miles. Each campground has it's on section of beach so it's not crowded at all. The Gulf Breeze campground is a little closer to the beach but it's an easy walk from the Shadey Pines campground.

Just through this shelter and over the dunes and your on the beach, it's part of the campground and there are boardwalks between the campgrounds and over to the beach.

This is the public beach in the park (bay side).

Gulf Breeze camping area from the road going to Shadey Pines. Gulf Breeze is not as shadey and more open, we liked Shadey Pines better. Gulf Breeze was almost like a group camp in some areas.

Our site, #60. From the camper you could not see another camper even though we were on the inside of the loop and an occupied site about 30' to the right. There are two bath houses in each campground, fairly clean but no A/C (HOT). The roads are paved but the sites are not (only 98 thru 103 are paved). Pay attention to the max lengths on the website, a lot of the sites will only hold a tent or a pop-up and all the hook-ups are 30 amp (no sewer).

Some of the paved sites, more room for big rigs but not as shaded.

Path in center of loop to bath house.

Deer, sorry but didn't get a picture of the 4' rattler or the rats.

These are pictures of the Gulf Breeze section.

A great place to camp if you want to kick back and enjoy the beach.

St Joe State Park

eatin' places