Just curious- what about your STUFF while there?

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Hi,
I'm just curious- I'm not sure if this subject has come up before and already been answered but I can't seem to do a search here to find it if it has- so I'll ask.....

If you stay at FW and you do NOT have a big RV that you can fit everything into and lock it up tight- nor stay in a cabin..... meaning like a pop up camper or tent- what do you do with all your STUFF (I mean clothes and anything else you bring to make your stay more comfortable while there in all ways) when you leave your site to be gone for the duration of the day or maybe even late into the evening (or maybe one stop midday -but you know what I mean)??

Do you just leave it all out on your site? And if not- how do you lock it all up? If you have your vehicle do you pile it in the vehicle every day and lock it? But then what if you don't have a vehicle with you?

I'm just curious about this. I have been reading lots of threads and so far have not seen this come up and wondering..... I can't possibly be the only person in the world that wonders this?

BTW- I'm reading up for a possible stay here in the future- and there's no way I'm going to spend $229+ for a cabin- even though it sure would be nice! That would make us have to make our trip much shorter..... so we'd be camping out. Now at this time we only have tents- and might possibly have a pop up camper or small trailer- but no way will we have an RV before that first trip atleast- because that is a long way off for us I think and I don't want to wait that long for our next trip after our Nov/Dec trip! LOL So I'm really wondering.... I have seen a lot of pictures on some websites showing all this stuff set out- either around tents or under some kind of carport looking thing- even fridges and toasters and microwaves- you name it. Do they leave all that stuff out and nothing ever happens to it? No one EVER messes with your stuff or steals it?

 

[We4mickey]

your stuff is safe. we have been camping at FW for over 20 plus yrs. We have never had any problem with our stuff left outside
or while you are gone. started in a tent now pop-up.

 

[Pop-up-family]

We have lived and camped in Florida for over 20 years and have never ever had anyone steal at thing. I feel even safer about FW than other campgrounds around the state. We leave it all out, but very valuable things are locked in the truck. We have a pop-up and use those big rubbermaid totes to store things in, they work out really good, don't have to worry about your stuff getting wet when it rains, also keeps things organized and out of sight of by passers.

If your planning on a November to beginning of December tent camping trip, your picking a good time, we have great weather then, just throw in a ceramic heater just in case it gets chilly during the night.

P.S. Keep shopping for that Pop-up...you'll be glad you did

 

[house_of_princesses]

There's something special about campers. They just don't mess with other people's stuff! Now, we've had things stolen from our stroller (nothing big like a camera, but hats, wipe box, little things, even our stroller once! ) while in the parks, but never the campground. We have found this to be the norm wherever we go. Of course I wouldn't leave a treasured posession out in the open, (why tempt fate), but if someone wants my toaster oven that bad, they can have it!

I agree w/ Pop UP Family.... Keep shopping for that pop-up!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I'll go along with the others here by stating that, knock on wood, I have yet to have anything stolen from my campsite while unattended. Now that doesn't mean that it will never happen, and I do take some precautions. Our bikes are locked up to the picnic table when we go, the camper door is locked, although that only keeps honest people honest, since anybody could get in if they really wanted to, and anything valuable is locked in the truck. My rule of thumb - never leave anything unsecured that you cannot afford to lose. That being said, I wouldn't fret while I was away at the parks - chances are all of your stuff will be there when you return.

 

[Tigger-riffic Tracy]

I'm so glad you asked this. Was wondering the same thing.
Tracy

 

[TRAPPED-PARENT]

Agree with the others. We have a pop-up and I keep things I can't afford to lose locked in my vehicle. For other things, they are either in the camper, in Rubbermaid bins, or in a small tent (we have one of the "Insta-Tents" that you can get at Target -- doesn't take up much room and provides a space to keep the canvas chairs at night so they don't get wet from rain or the dew.

Just like at home, I tend to have things put away and the site "tidy" before leaving for extended periods of time.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Okay- thanks for the reassurances about things not being stolen.
Our trip will probably be around Nov (Thanksgiving holiday for the kids) but in 2004..... this year we're staying at ASSp.

The problem with locking up anything I can "afford" to lose is that I don't want to lose anything. LOL I'm just weird that way I guess- frugal to a fault. I don't want to have to rebuy ANYTHING. I even worry about in the resort rooms (value so far) about things being taken even though I know in my heart that the housekeeping would NOT do that. It's just my nature I guess. *sigh*

And even though I know DH would enjoy WDW soooo much more if we were staying on FW and camping out and all that (not my favorite thing in the world- by far.... but he and the kids love it) -the only time we've camped out up till now is with tents and not really leaving our site much. Definitely not leaving and going to theme parks all day. LOL

 

[DaddyDon]

I agree with the rest of post! Have had a sneaky squrill eat my bread before.lol But have stayed in a tent and my popup and have never lost any item.Not only at disney but any where we have camped
Good luck!

 

[house_of_princesses]

Bibiddy. I too, left my camping days with my college days! Not my thing, UNTIL he bought a TT. Now, I love it!! Sure, it's a might easier to stay in a hotel, but knowing my sheets are clean, my pillow is my pillow, I have my favorite drink/snack/breakfast item in my fridge, etc... it's worth the little inconvenience. I relax more in my TT than I ever would in a hotel room. FW is quiet, clean, friendly.... give it a try. Just once can't hurt. If you don't like it or the $15.00 cooler gets stolen (think of how much more you saved by camping vs. hotel!) go back to the hotels the following trip.

Above all, have fun!!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

LOL
See, that's why I want that TT so much more than the pop up- it's got the "I can lock it up and not worry about stuff" feature. LOL The pop up would be easy to get into unless we packed it all up and got it like ready to travel everytime we left I guess. So not going to do that. LOL

You brought up a valid point though- sorta. LOL For us, our daughter is 2 now but pretty soon we won't be able to stay at the resorts without getting 2 adjoining rooms (because of our children's young ages I would have to have that) and that's going to be a lot more expensive in the future. Couple that with the fact that DH would enjoy the atmosphere/etc of camping out at FW- really makes it where we need something like this. So we'll never have to worry about getting something with room for 5 or adjoining rooms and paying double for accomodations/rooms.

And THAT'S why I love the TT so much. I swear we could live in that thing if we had to. LOL Okay so it's a LOT tinier than a house and we'd go crazy living in it ofcourse- but we could do long long trips and vacations and camping out in it and be perfectly comfortable- and it would actually be better than it is now cramped in one resort or hotel room! It's sure a lot more room and amenities than the value resorts which is about all we can afford right now and certainly all we could afford when we'd need 2 rooms in the future! I mean really- what resorts besides the expensive DVC resorts or suites/etc have table for all of us (not just a tiny table with 2 chairs) and a couch and kitchenette with stove/sinks/microwave/fridge/freezer and bunk beds for the kids and sleep up to 10 (if you include children- I think for adults it would only sleep 8) and all that? (My kids all have bunk beds here at home- they love them. LOL So that was their favorite TT we looked at also) It would also be not only more affordable than 2 resort or hotel rooms but we could eat meals there sometimes and save money that way also.

What to do...... what to do.... LOL

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

FW is quiet, clean, friendly

Ps. I haven't stayed there- yet.... but I have been there twice while staying at ASMu on my last solo trip (going to campfire singalong twice) and looked around and was really impressed. It's like the nicest campground I've ever seen. I think we'd enjoy it there very much.

 

[house_of_princesses]

And THAT'S why I love the TT so much

Just make sure your vehicle will tow the TT. A Minor Point!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Well, see that's another issue. My mini-van (larger type) will pull the pop up no problem.... I can pull the big boat easy. But we'd have to use DH's 1-ton P/U to pulll the TT. And even then- it's an older model truck and while short distances (even without a TT/boat/etc) is fine and it's dependable for him to drive short distances and to/from work- he said long distances were not something he'd trust with this truck. He said something about the last time he drove an hour both ways it was giving him some problems with the clutch (or maybe that wasn't it- maybe it was something else. I can't remember exactly LOL)
Sooo, if we bought it- we could use it for camping trips and hunting trips close by- which is what we would do anyway with the tents- BUT for longer trips like future FW trips... we'd have to get another better truck that is more dependable for long trips. (not because of the TT, but because he wouldn't trust driving those long trips with the truck even if we drove it without hauling anything)

So that's something to consider also. Although who knows- within a year or two he is probably going to need a better truck REGARDLESS of whether we buy the TT and want to travel further or not. LOL

 

[clkelley]

One thing I do when I am tent camping without a vehicle, is I put those little combination locks through the zipper pulls of my tent. Even though somebody could get in very easily with a knife, it would not be as easy as just unzipping a tent.

However, I have been there on several occasions with nothing more than a tent, a rain/dining fly and a chair and nothing has ever happened to any of it. I keep the money and credit cards on me. If they need some of my clothing so badly, than so be it.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Thanks again for your post- to reassure me on this subject.

Just offhand- has anyone also camped out in Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin and Kansas (since those would be the areas we would most likely go- out of state places only if we had a pop up or the travel trailer- because of visiting relatives there) and had the same experience of things not being stolen even if not locked up tight/or locked up as best you can with canvas pop outs/etc that can be cut???

 

[tim5055]

I agree with the majority of the folks, I have never had a problem with anything stolen.

Don't get too "comfortable" with a TT being safer. Most major brands key them alike. Meanig if you have a key for a Terry TT, you can open most Terry TT within a few model years of yours.

I have heard many stories of folks who lost their keys and their neighbors were able to unlock the door for them.

When you visit dealers lots, look at the salesmans key ring. I bet there are only a few keys on there.

 

[Memph1s]

Even if you have a TT that you can lock up it is a lot of work to pick up and then put back out everything every time you leave the site. We have been camping for over 30 years and other than kids taking beer out of the cooler we have never had anything bothered. We probably leave $500 worth of stuff sitting out when we leave camp. No one item is that expensive but it adds up. Camping people in general seem to be trustworthy and with so many trustworthy people around you never know who is watching a campsite for their neighbor.