Returning to the topic at hand…
Campground Pros, Cons, and Quirks
When doing pre-check in, I had told them I planned to arrive at 9 am, and we got our ‘room’ ready text at 8:45! Originally, I had intended to head over first thing after breakfast and park in their front overflow lot until our site was ready so we could go ahead and start exploring resorts or something, but the high for the day was 85, which means a trailer sitting without electric hookup in a parking lot could easily hit 90, if not 95. We made it to our site around 10, without needing to stop at front reception. (Campground quirk: Getting a site map from the entrance gate was on one hand really nice and on the other, we were a bit confused initially about where stuff was at the campground. If I hadn’t researched things like the campground bus system, I would have been very lost. We ended up explaining the buses to at least 2 other families in the 48 hours we were at FW.)
We had called in a request for loop 1100 and were put in 1200. 1200 and 1300 share a bathhouse, but we lucked out with a site almost directly across from it. This was very convenient, because we had 2 truck tent sleepers (DH and I) in addition to 5 in the RV and our parents are a little skiddish about using the RV bathroom at night because of noise. 
And in the morning we’d need more space for all of us to get ready at once. We were also very close to one of the playgrounds and 1 loop away from the arcade/pool area.
The bathhouse ended up being a con, because it key locks from 12 am to 6 am and we still don’t know how we were supposed to open it. Our magic bands did not work and I couldn’t get the ‘unlock room’ function on my phone to load. Happily, the men’s restroom didn’t lock and we were able to tag team using it. The 2nd morning, my dad tested restroom doors on his early morning walk and found out that neither of the 1100 loop restrooms were locked. When you’re trying to walk to the bus at 6:15, a bathroom locked until 6 is a bit of a problem. That said, the bathhouse was very nice and very clean. There were 3 showers. It took a few minutes to get hot water but water pressure was excellent and each shower has a little changing area. If you book a full hookup site (AKA not one of the tent only sites), you’ll most likely be one of the only people on the loop using the bathhouse.
We had booked a premium site even though we have a smaller RV, because that’s what was available. The sites are designed to accommodate 43 foot 5th wheels and motorhomes, so we had tons of space. Premium sites are all one large concrete pad (up to 18x60), so our picnic area was paved too. And we had plenty of space to park all 3 of our vehicles (Grandparents drove separately). I told them to expect to pay for overflow parking and be told to park elsewhere, but CM specifically told them they could park at our site as long as they fit. (We have a standard full hookup site booked for our next trip, so the paved area will probably only be 10 feet wide.)
Interior Campground buses are nice, but you’ll probably have to wait 10-15 minutes for it. We were smack in the middle of the campground, so either end was a 12 minute walk or a 5 minute bus ride (once you’re on it). If a golf cart doesn’t break the bank, I’d definitely recommend renting one. I will also say that needing to take 2 forms of transportation to get anywhere started to get annoying fast. At Disney we’re trying to maximize time and get to EE early and all that, and the idea of waiting for 2 buses before you get to a park is enough to make me want to drive myself everywhere. (We had planned to drive to EP and HS, but at MK, driving still means monorail or ferry, so :shrug:)
The kids splash pad area had significantly more water than I expected. It’s more tiny water park than splash pad. The boys loved it and were immediately drenched. Bring your own towel or plan to drip dry.
In addition to a water taxi to MK, there are also buses to MK on the same end of the campground. Buses to WL also came by frequently, so you could easily plan to stay at one resort and have a meal at the other.
We got our birthday buttons at Settlement Trading Post. There’s a really nice big playground here too. They must have just built it, because it’s not exactly where it’s marked on the map.
There’s a lot to do at the campground, most of which we didn’t get to experience. We did take the water taxi to MK about 15 minutes before fireworks, which turned into our own little fireworks cruise. We watched the show begin from the water and then the captain lingered for most of the show at the dock, before departing again.
One thing people love to do this time of year is drive golf carts around to see all the decorated campsites. Our loop was top notch, but I do wish we could have seen more of the decorations. Mostly Christmas, but some Halloween and Thanksgiving up too.
If you already have an RV, staying at the campground is a very affordable way to stay on property. There’s at least one local company approved to deliver and set up RVs that people rent, but I think the price would total up to a moderate hotel and I’d choose to stay elsewhere. We spend multiple months each year RVing and we have our rig set up just like we like it. Someone not used to an RV would probably find it more unfamiliar than cozy.
and we got parked at a local Orlando campground. We had planned to have a hotdog cookout for dinner, but I forgot to double check their firepit policy and we didn’t have any charcoal for park grills, so I ended up making them on the stove. On a brighter note, the park had a really nice playground set, so the boys burned off a lot of energy there.
