Category Archives: Best Campsites

Is Camp Margaritaville like having a cheeseburger in paradise?

Central Florida Premier RV Resort

Camp where? Camp how? Camp when?

No matter what type of camping you enjoy, those three questions dominate your camping life. We have come to realize that we are not hardcore backwoods tent campers but kudos to those that are. We are a couple that enjoys RV Resorts. We also enjoy having the grandkids and their cousins tag along…NOT ALWAYS… but most of the time. We don’t have a big, fancy RV just a simple travel trailer but we like the big, fancy parks with lots of amenities.

The past 3 years, “has it really been three years?” We have focused on camping in the SE USA. Of course we were limited because of the pandemic but we have been to some great places in Alabama, Georgia & Florida so far. Recently, we spent our time in sunny Florida at Camp Margaritaville.

The main pool area and tiki bar reminded me of some of my favorite cruises. This place is great for families and for adults. We met young couples & young families that started full-time RVing last year and spent their past few months at Camp Margaritaville. We also met retirees that love to hang out at the Chill Bar and adult pool area and have camped for weeks.

Splash pad area for kids under 10 & nice walk-in pool

If you like RV Resorts this is the place for you. I was a little worried when booking our pull-through site because of the lack of shade trees. However the weather was not super hot and we had mostly partly-cloudy skies (unusual for Florida). When we return, I will most likely book a pull-through site with a private tiki hut. They are fairly large and can at least offer some additional shade.

PROS OF CAMP MARGARITAVILLE

Location-Location-Location Very easy to get to and not far from all the tourist spots in Central Florida. It is located between Tampa and Orlando. We were traveling south on I-75 so we took the turnpike and exited to go through Groveland, Florida. Then it was a straight shot to Polk City and then Auburndale. Very little traffic and nice country views. I avoid I-4 like the plague!

Full Hookups & Big Rig Access There are gravel spots and back-in but it seemed like most of the spots were pull-through and not too close to the neighbors. Our site was a concrete pad with a large paver style area under the picnic table & where we placed our reclining chairs. If you don’t have an RV, no problem, rent one of their cute cabins. Since I work for York, my family quickly spotted our York Air Conditioning unit on one of the cabins. Good choice!

ACTIVITIES GALORE – Not just for kids but adults too. Activities are scheduled each day with fun activity directors. Too much to list but believe me they have so much to do. The mini-golf course is beautiful and nicely laid out and the best part is you don’t even have to pay to play! We also saw basketball courts and more. There is also a main pool area that reminds me of a cruise ship and in the back of the park on the lake is a Chill Bar and Pool area, mostly used by adults.. You can also relax on a covered deck by the lake with drink in hand and watch the sun set in hues of pink, orange, yellow and purple.

They also have a nice workout room and outside of the park there is easy access to a walking/biking trail.

THIS PLACE IS ALMOST SPOTLESS ! This park is extremely well taken care. Even the dumpster areas.

GOOD FOOD & DECENT PRICES By the main pool you can order food like burgers, pizza, etc. One day I had the daily special – conch fritters. No joke it was not crazy expensive. We purchased large reusable cups for around $15 that you could refill at the soda dispenser. On Saturdays they have a food truck.

LARGE SOCIAL FIREPITS, DJ NIGHT & HAPPY HOUR Enough said, “I am there”!

SPECIAL OFFERS FOR MILITARY, FIRST RESPONDERS & FLORIDA RESIDENTS – I think they should extend this to nurses. My daughter is a nurse and nurses work hard all the time but the past three years were brutal for them.

DILIGENT RANGERS & PLEASANT STAFF – When you arrive you will be presented with arm bands to wear during your stay. The rangers make frequent trips around the park checking for arm bands. A great safety measure. The staff is very helpful & extremely friendly.

DOG FRIENDLY – Great areas for dogs to stretch their legs

CONS OF CAMP MARGARITAVILLE

PRICEY – but remember it is a resort with a lot of amenities. And it doesn’t seem out of line with other RV Resorts we have stayed at and it is top notch.

HMMMM, I am wracking my brain here but I can’t really think of another con. Well, maybe live entertainment, like acoustic guitarists or 2 person groups back at the adult pool. It may be something they offer but not while we were there.

If you are looking for an RV Resort that is fun for all, you can’t go wrong with Florida’s Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale. We recommend ordering a cheeseburger and a margarita. It will feel a little like paradise.

Disney’s Fort Wilderness fairy tale camping

The video above gives just a small glimpse of this amazing Disney RV resort

Trying to convince a man that living full-time in an RV after retiring will be exciting and fun has been a challenge. The challenge is REAL, especially when this person does not enjoy vacations, hates cruising, refuses to fly and has little interest in hobbies. So, slowly through the course of the past few years I have dragged him to RV shows and RV showrooms, and he finally consented to earnestly try and consider the idea. Together we watch youtube videos and read blogs about RV life and are now sharing our thoughts and information through Camper Crazy Buzz.

However, he is still not totally convinced. I decided to try another tactic. I would introduce him to an over the top style of camping that may seal the deal. You see, this guy who hates anything to do with fun and vacationing (with the exception of going to see the trees change colors in the fall)… he has a specific weakness for the Wonderful World of Disney.

In the mid 90’s we moved to Orlando and he enjoyed watching the fireworks from our living room window at night. He loved walking through what was known then as Downtown Disney, and even enjoyed occasionally going to the parks. Something about the place…get this….makes him happy! He has even suggested that after retiring we should just move back to Orlando.

My plan… take him to Fort Wilderness. However, my plan backfired. We had been busy for many days helping family pack up to move. We were tired and I wanted to take a break, but he refused. He said he could not do anything related to my “camper crazy” dream and suggested I take our eight year old granddaughter on a “camper crazy” adventure.

I think he imagined that at eight years old she would be really bored looking at RVs and that would burst my camper crazy bubble. Our granddaughters are the center of our world and the main reason he is even considering that maybe, just maybe he will buy an RV. He has said that it “may be fun to take the girls on road trips in an RV”.

He just did not realize what I had planned. Surprise!!! Our granddaughter had a phenomenal time. We met up with some family staying at Fort Wilderness. Although, I had only planned on staying a few hours and look around and visit the pool, we stayed the night, thanks to a flat tire. My granddaughter experienced her first night in a “two-story camper”. “What is that?” you ask. It is what my granddaughter called the fifth-wheel camper we stayed in.

Of course, like anything Disney, Fort Wilderness is beautiful and designed in a charming, fairy tale frontier style. You can almost imagine walking the grounds, as you round the bend, you will run into the Seven Dwarfs or Winnie the Pooh and his gang. Needless to say, it is not your run-of-the-mill campground.

Fully equipped campsites can accommodate anything from tents to large Class A motor-homes. Finding your spot is easy since the sites are setup in loops. There is plenty of room between each site and designed in a way that features the beauty of Florida’s great outdoors and without feeling like your privacy is jeopardized. Your basic hookups are available at most sites along with cable TV, a picnic table and a grill.

Woof Woof! Many of our family members and friends that camp like to take their dogs with them. Many of the sites at Fort Wilderness are pet friendly with the exception of those camping in a tent or a popup style camper. As expected, there will be an additional charge to bring your pet, currently posted as $5 per night, but many find it well worth the added expense. Well behaved pets can be taken on the pet walking trails as long as they are on a lead, or they can play off leash at the Waggin Trail’s dog park. What if you want to spend the day at one of the parks and don’t want to leave Fido in the camper all day? Disney has an answer for that. Day and overnight care is available at the Best Friend’s Kennel Care.

With a resort boasting 750 acres of lush wilderness, you may want to explore the resort by renting a golf cart at the reception outpost. It is a great way to get the kids back to the RV after their hard day splashing around in the pool, canoeing, or galloping along the happy trails on horseback. If you are not up to riding the trails, catch a wagon ride or take a carriage ride. Don’t fret there are plenty of fun-filled activities for adults and children. Even though the horse and pony rides, wagon ride, carriage ride all comes with an additional cost, you may find that this is the best vacation you have taken in a long time.

Evenings offer activities such as gobbling up roasted marshmallows at the “campfire sing-along”, having fun watching a Disney film at the outside theater, enjoying dinner and a show at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, or finding delight in the beautiful boat parade with all your favorite Disney characters, and then ending the day with breathtaking fireworks.

So now you are like, “I wanna go there but I don’t even own an RV” 😦 sad face, pout, tears in your eyes!!! Never fear…Disney wants you to feel like you are a happy camper too. SHHHH, do not tell my husband but there are log-cabins nestled within this wilderness with a private patio and a modern kitchen. But don’t worry, you don’t have to wash those dishes, housekeeping will do it for you. I know what you are thinking, ‘who wants to go to the grocery store on the way to a resort cabin?” No worries, pre-order your groceries long before you arrive. Make your list and then email, fax or snail mail to Disney. How great is that?

Cabins with modern kitchen and patio

As you probably realize, the cost for campsites and cabin rentals within Fort Wilderness will not be your typical campground cost. But then again, this is not your typical campground. In fact, my little great-niece said it was the best vacation she has ever been on. When her dad asked, “better than when you were kissed by the dolphin, and you shook the hand of the sea lion and fed the sharks?” With a big smile she answered with a resounding, “yes”.

All I can say is, the visit to Fort Wilderness heightened my “camper craziness” and made my granddaughter a little “camper crazy” too. Hopefully my fairy tale dream will come true and our family will be camping at Disney’s Fort Wilderness very soon.