Christmas - Campground

[Disneymom20]

Hi!

We are barely home from this trip and planning again! For the record we won't go in July again! Too hot!
We are planning a trip for December 2017, over Christmas for the first time (19th-27th). We have a trailer booked, but was on the site tonight and was looking at the Wilderness Lodge, it is more expensive but looks pretty incredible during the holidays. My oldest son mentioned about what it would be like to wake up in the trailer on Christmas morning.

My question is...has anyone stayed either in the campground or the lodge over Christmas and what has their experience been? Preference one over the other? Is the Wilderness Lodge worth the extra money? We are a family of 6 and would have to do the deluxe room.

Does anyone know if the Disney Floral and Gifts deliver to the trailers in the campground? I was also looking there for some ideas.

Thanks!

 

[Disneypeach]

I spent Christmas at the Fort three years ago and loved it. Didn't go to the parks (too crowded) just hung out at the campground riding bikes checking out the decorations and watching the little campers play with their new toys. We've stayed at the Lodge but not during Christmas. We loved the place (standard room) but love the peacefulness and friendliness of the campground more.

Either way you decide I'm sure y'all will have fun!

 

[FtW Mike]

We are going this year arriving 23 Dec and staying into Jan. We can't see waking up Christmas day without our little furballs more so now that 2 adopted us 2 1/2 weeks ago. Two years ago we were there just after New Years and took time to explore as many of the resorts as we could for Holiday Decorations and hae to say that Wilderness Lodge is breathtaking in the decor but we can't wait to wake up in the FORT Christmas day

 

[jv3cv1]

We went last year and are going next year Dec 18th - Dec 28th we love the fort we have done lots of the resorts but we never do much at the resort so it was always a waste of money for us to do the deluxe resorts. We also like to bring our dogs with us. We love the fort at Christmas we do a Breakfast and then head to AK Christmas Day and then end up at MK for the evening. We have been to Disney over the years a lot so the crowds did not seem to be a problem to us. We do go to alot of the resort to look at the decorations and eat at them.

 

[Nevaland]

We've been doing the Fort every other Christmas for a few years now and LOVE it!! I think the Fort is the absolute best resort at Christmas time!! However, we have never stayed elsewhere at Christmas time, just other times during the years. Last year we enjoyed driving around the golf cart in the evening viewing all the decorations. The golf cart parade on Christmas Eve is always a delight! We have a tradition of CG for Christmas Eve dinner, then on Christmas Day we spend the day at the Fort cooking a big brunch, after gifts ofcourse, and enjoying some family time.

We absolutely love the WL and have stayed there a handful of times. But I can't say comparing the experience of staying at the Lodge vs staying at the Fort is the same. They are different experiences. Luxury Camping vs Luxury Resort. We do make a point of visiting some of the other resorts during Christmas to see the decorations. Personally we love the Fort at Christmas! It's very very festive, including listening to the sleigh rides that will pass thru the loops in the evening.

Unfortunately I cannot be much of help to your question about the Disney Floral delivery

IMO, there is no better time at Disney than Christmas, assuming hitting every ride multiple times is not a top priority and your ok planning and dealing with larger crowds. We love it and look forward to going (already booked for 2017)!!! Hope this helps a little!!

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

OP, you're on the camping board here, so I can't say I'm surprised by the pro-Fort answers. I have to wonder what the hotel types of people would say on the general Resort board if you posted this question there. Surely someone thinks that Christmas is a time for pampered luxury that only a deluxe resort can deliver. ;-)

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We stayed at Villas at WL this past Christmas. We are DVC owners and it wasn't our home resort but wait listed 4 nights there. Well I was delighted when it came up. We did a spilt stay with that and SSR and CSR. We enjoyed them all but at Christmas VWL stole my heart 100%. The tree in the lobby, the carol singers , the theme. Plus the transport was amazing. Plus there was construction work going on which did not bother us at all! I have my eye on the new DVC offering here that is how much it enhanced my wife and I.

 

[bama_ed]

OP, you're on the camping board here, so I can't say I'm surprised by the pro-Fort answers. I have to wonder what the hotel types of people would say on the general Resort board if you posted this question there. Surely someone thinks that Christmas is a time for pampered luxury that only a deluxe resort can deliver. ;-)

I get EXACTLY what you're saying, TigerlillyAJ!

I have been once (albeit a long time ago) at Christmas time and it is special in EVERY resort. They are beautiful - no doubt about it. Plus the parks are all decked out.

Simply put, I have to say I love waking up in my own bed (in "our" camper) at the Fort every morning. If I want to see the Christmas decorations at the resorts, by all means, that is something I will get around to and see. I loved visiting the GF and smelling the gingerbread in the main lobby - and I bought a piece of gingerbread to eat. Yummy!

The Fort is decorated as are the other resorts plus you have the Christmas horse wagons and carriages clopping through the loops in the late afternoons and evenings. And folks "looping" in golf carts to see the Christmas decorations the other guests have put up on their sites (some are quite elaborate IIRC).

The Wilderness Lodge is very nice (DW says she would like to stay there if she wasn't at the Fort - me, I vote for Port Orleans Riverside). But the OP mentioned her son asked about waking up in the trailer at the Fort on Christmas morning. Any Christmas "magic" at the resorts that you do individually can be done at the Fort (plus the other activities like the marshmallow roast, the Chip & Dale singalong, and nightly movie (which doesn't happen at the resorts nightly)).

I think the boy would like to feel like he was "camping" outdoors. And Florida in December, while it can have a wide variety of weather, is generally moderate and nice for the outside time.

Bama Ed