Questions about part time guests

[KyGirl]

My DH, DD5, and I have a preferred campsite booked for the last week of January and we are super excited! We'll be bringing our new (to us) camper for the first time. I posted six weeks or so ago with some questions but of course I already have a bunch more.

Anyway, my parents are planning to join us for all or some of that week and we are trying to work out those details.

So for the first question, it is my understanding that as long as everything fits, you can have both a camper and a tent on a preferred site. Am I correct that this is allowed? I was thinking that I read that there is both a concrete pad for the camper and a sand pad behind that for a tent. Our camper is small (maybe 20 ft in length?) so it wouldn't take up a long spot and there are not enough sleeping spots for five of us. In order for this to work, we'd have to add a tent to the mix.

All that said, there is some concern that they are not really prepared to commit to a whole week in a tent. We offered them a trade where we'd use the tent and they'd use the camper but being my parents, of course they don't want to do that. However, they really are looking forward to a FW experience with us. One possibility we have discussed is setting up the tent and having them stay maybe the first couple nights and the last couple nights with a stay at a nearby off property hotel for the middle three nights. The other three of us would of course still stay in the camper. They seemed really excited about this plan but I started thinking about the on property perks and access. Once I confirm that they are joining us, I would of course add them to our reservation. That would make five people and we can have up to ten right? So I guess I could still book their FP+ reservations with ours for the whole week? There wouldn't be any reason to (or even the ability to?) take them off the reservation for those middle days. And we'd be leaving their tent set up. And then to further that, they'd still have magic bands with charging abilities and here's the big question, could they park at the parks for free, like any on site guest would? If we both drove separately to say, Animal Kingdom, could we park both vehicles or would one of them need to pay? My DH has a long standing hatred of Disney buses so we usually drive to the parks but we could adjust this policy if we were only due one car's worth of daily parking. Plus we wouldn't be driving to MK of course as we can use a boat. (Yay!)

They would probably still join us on the campsite in the evening for dinner that we'd cook in the camper and then leave for their hotel for those three nights. I was going to ask if that's allowed but that seems like a dumb question. If we all sit around the campsite for dinner, why would Disney care if two of us left and slept somewhere else?

Oh and the nights they join us and actually stay at the site (or come for dinner), we'd need to leave either their car or our truck in the overflow lot right? Only one vehicle per site is what I thought I read.

We looked into booking them a room at Wilderness Lodge and wow, that's pretty far outside our budget. We're not trying to skirt the system though or do anything "wrong" so I don't want to do any of this stuff if it's not allowed. We're just trying to save their backs and give them a few nights of "senior comfort" in the middle of the vacation and it has opened up a whole new set of questions!

Lastly, am I overthinking all this and potentially driving myself crazy?!? That's pretty much what my DH thinks.....

 

[Cousin Ed C]

Even though there is no restriction on outside guests, I would just register them as staying at the campsite. You can have up to ten; there is no charge; they get Magic Bands and have all the privileges. They will also be able to drive through the gate without explaining themselves whenever they want. Sometimes you can park another car at your site.

 

[bama_ed]

I agree with Cousin Ed C. Put them on your reservation for the entire stay even if they want to spend a few days off site.

Maybe they could look for a hotel over on the Lake Buena Vista side that's convenient to the Fort.



From the Fort turn left onto Vista Blvd and follow it all the way to the Tee traffic light with Winter Garden-Vineland Road and turn right. Take it all the way to where it becomes Palm Parkway. The intersection of PP and South Apopka-Vineland Road has several hotels around it and it about 8-10 minutes from the Fort entrance and it's an easy drive.

Here is a map closeup showing some hotels:



In the grand scheme of things, you're still following the rules and not chopping up the reservation/people angle IMO.

Bama Ed

 

[Corgidad]

Have you thought of renting a camper for your parents and getting another site next to yours, the site rental and the camper rental would probably still be less than a hotel or another resort and that way they could stay with you on property the entire time. I would be more than happy to give you a persons name you could contact about renting, we have used him many times now for our family when they join us at FW.

 

[peg110]

 

[veraletta]

Just add them to your reservation, you paid for having up to 10 people. This way if they feel the need to stay at a hotel they can, leave and still come and hang out with you.