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Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park in Caledonia, Wisconsin (just outside Milwaukee) is a family oriented campground. This means tremendous facilities: a mini-golf course, an incredibly popular contraption called a “jumping pillow,” and a gargantuan swimming pool complex that puts many water parks to shame.
It also means the park has a 3PM checkout time.
The result? THE PARK IS PACKED WITH WEEKEND BUSINESS. Over 200 sites occupied. Families LOVE being able to fully enjoy Sunday before departure. At noon on Sunday, the campground is filled with the voices of happy children at play.
The day prior to arriving at Jellystone, we departed a campground with an 11AM checkout time. Sadly, the 11AM checkout campground was a 75% empty ghost town. Site after site was unoccupied. (This didn’t stop the ubiquitous golf cart guy from rushing us off the property, though.)
Why bother making the effort of a weekend RV camping trip to a campground with an 11AM checkout time? I certainly wouldn’t, and many other people clearly draw the same conclusion.
I don’t own a campground. But if I did, I would enact checkout policies that encourage — not hinder — weekend business.
If you AGREE with afternoon checkout times, SHOW YOUR SUPPORT ON FACEBOOK. Simply “LIKE” our page for 2PM Campground Checkout Times.
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Sean Michael
Thanks Pete and MJB. As you state, 3 posts out of 2700+ is hardly beating a topic to death. Anyone who doesn’t want to discuss the topic is free to read a different post.
This topic elicits emotional responses. The all-too-common 11AM checkout is an annoyance that has bugged me for years. I suspect it has bugged a LOT of people, but no one has ever really spoken up.
I agree that the 11AM checkout is probably a carryover from the hotel industry. But RVs are not hotels. Indeed, RV stays are BETTER than hotel stays — afternoon checkouts should be one more huge advantage for RV travel.
If afternoon checkouts became the accepted industry standard, the RVIA (RV Industry Association) could boast of these policies as another advantage of RV travel vis-a-vis hotels. Yes, it could even help sell RVs. (“While others are scrambling to vacate their hotel room, you’ll be relaxing at your campsite.”)
From a financial standpoint, an afternoon checkout time costs the campground NOTHING. Yet it significantly improves the camping experience for many, especially families with children, weekend campers, and those dealing with physical disabilities. Over time this better consumer experience will boost campground revenues via repeat business, especially for those campgrounds that cater to families and weekend campers.
As we’ve seen, it’s even possible for campgrounds to accommodate early arrivals while still offering afternoon checkout. Everybody wins!
MJB
Just saw the post about ‘Like’ on Facebook. Make that ‘Three’ posts does not constitute beating a topic to death. Hmm, now I wonder how many is *does* take. š
MJB
Two Blog posts does not constitute beating a topic to death’.
All caps is considered rude and shouting. see link:
http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ia_nq.htm
The fees of $5.00 per hour are enough to keep me on time, but at least this park gives you the option. I think I’ll *risk* ‘beating the horse’ by adding the policy here:
CAMPSITES:
Check in time for Campsites is 4pm and Check out time is 3pm. If you are interested in checking in early, you may do so as long as your campsite is available. There are no early check in charges for early arrivals after 2pm. We do have an early check charge of $5 per hour, per campsite, for each hour prior to 2pm or for check outs after 3pm. Please notify the office by 10am on your scheduled departure date if you are interested in a late departure so they can make sure your site is available.
Campsites are not hotel rooms or cabins they can be ‘cleaned’ in 5 or 10 minutes max. I think the checkout times are just carryover from the hotel industry, where the main purpose is just a bed to sleep in overnight. RVs are a different world.
Sean Michael: Blog on Brother, Blog on.
To all others: Don’t be a Lurker or a Troll. š
Pete
Sean,
First my opinion on the subject. I agree that a later checkout time for most weekend campers would probably be beneficial. It has been my experience that on Sunday’s, most campers are leaving the campground rather than checking in. By allowing campers to stay longer on a day that has the fewest checkins, it would give the campground more opportunity to make money. When we are at a CG that has an 11am checkout, we are spending our time cleaning, gathering up our stuff, and getting read to go. If the checkout time was later, it would give us more time to do things at the CG.
Now, my thoughts about the comments by Tex. I respect the right for others to have an opinion, but after reading back through the comments by Tex, all I hear is that he disagrees with the fact that you posted on a subject for a second time. I think he disagrees with the subject of later checkout times, but he really did not state an opinion on the subject at hand. I have found that when anybody feels strongly about a subject, they will bring it up more that once. If it is a subject that does not interest me in a posting forum, I can skip it and find something that does interest me.
To Tex, if you disagree with Sean on this subject, you can state so and your reasons why, but please keep your comments to the subject and not to weather or not something should be brought up.
Sean Michael
Hi Sean (am I talking to myself again? ;-)) I agree that more research is in order. My impression of the Jellystone Park is that checkout policy is one part of a comprehensive strategy to create a family friendly environment. I agree that a 3PM checkout time — by itself — won’t transform a business overnight. HOWEVER, over time it will likely have a positive impact, most especially on weekend traffic from families.
I would also add that Jellystone accommodates BOTH EARLY CHECK-INS and LATE CHECK-OUTS. Check-in time is 2PM, but you can check-in early ($5 per hour early) if you like. You can also check-out after 3PM ($5 per hour later) if you like.
I might add that the Jellystone Park is not cheap — it costs over $50 a night during peak season. The Park charges a $6 per night amenity fee. It’s not cheap, and yet on weekends it is PACKED. By my rough calculations (doing the 200-plus site math), the park probably generated over $20000 in revenue this past weekend.
Cheers!
Sean Michael
Hi Michael (aka Pseudonym),
Thanks for your comment. Ironically, by stopping to read & comment on this post, you have contributed to its traffic flow! If you really find this topic so distasteful, your best approach is to simply ignore it.
Also, you and your friend “Tex” are posting under fake names. I am not afraid to attach my REAL NAME and REAL PICTURE to my comments. If you want your comments to have any credibility, I suggest you stop hiding behind a fake name. There’s nothing more common, and less impressive, than an anonymous Internet critic. And frankly, your IP/email addresses and Internet provider pretty much reveal your identity anyway, so you might as well act like an adult and use your real name.
Best regards,
Sean
Sean Michael
Hi Tex,
With all due respect, it seems to me that you are wanting to argue, or worse, simply attack. It’s healthy and constructive to debate the merits of a particular issue. But your position seems to be that the issue should not even be discussed (or rather, since it has been discussed previously it should never be discussed again). This is a version of “I don’t agree with what you are saying; therefore, I oppose your right to say it.”
There are 2700+ other posts on RV.net, all available to you free of charge. Instead of spewing negative energy at me on this post, why not move on to browse something else? Life’s too short to argue on the Internet.
To answer your final question with specificity, I “KNOW THEY ALL HAVENāT ALREADY CONSIDERED IT ā AS BUSINESS PEOPLE” because I’ve been on the road for the past six weeks, in eight different states and one Canadian province, staying at a variety of different campgrounds, talking to different owners. Policies (and indeed campground ownership) are always in flux.
For example, I spoke with the new owners of a campground in Sault St. Marie (Michigan/Ontario) last week. They have owned the campground for less than a month. They confessed that they are learning new aspects of the business every day. Frankly, it would be naive to assume that ALL campground owners EVERYWHERE have already considered and made final, permanent decisions with regard to every campground policy.
This post simply offers a SPECIFIC example — the Jellystone Park in Wisconsin — of a family-oriented campground that’s enjoying financial success in this uncertain economy. That success is due to a thriving weekend business. Weekend traffic is boosted by the checkout policy. For anyone who says the policy is not workable, here’s clear and inarguable evidence to the contrary.
By the way, my wife has family in the Dallas area. Most of the Texans I’ve met have been laid back, friendly folks!
Cheers,
Sean
Sean Michael
Hi Hockeyfan,
I agree – a little bit of leeway goes a long way. The Jellystone campground does a couple of things right (which I’ll details in a future comment).
Thanks,
Sean
Sean Michael
Hi Jim,
Thanks much for your support and your positive energy. Much appreciated! Yes, I agree that it takes more than a single post to explore all facets of an issue and to raise awareness. We’ll continue to explore this topic from time to time. We’ll also post updates on the Facebook page. I’m sure I’ll continue to suffer a few verbal arrows along the way. š Cheers!
Sean
Sean
If it can be proven that late checkout times would increase a campground’s revenue over the entire month (and not just for a few days each month), I’m sure they would be willing to change. But I’m not convinced that a later checkout time would significantly change peoples selection of a campground since most family weekenders based their choice on its location rather then its policies.
I’m personally happy with checkout times not going past noon. Late checkout times don’t work for those of us who like to drive in the cool morning hours and arrive early enough to do enjoy most of our first day at our new location. Having to wait several hours for people to leave their campsite at a popular location isn’t my idea of a fun time so I’ll pass on campgrounds with the 3pm checkout.
A Pseudonym
Couldn’t agree more with Tex!
Tex
Hi Sean,
Thanks for your questions in response to my comment. I guess I could answer your questions with another question. All of the bloggers on RV.Net invite Comments from us, the readers, and I read all of the bloggers. Son, you are as worthy of blunt feedback as any of the others, whether that feedback be a critical reaction or slobbering praise. So, if you donāt like it and can’t accept honest, straightforward Comments that provide you with critical feedback without becoming defensive, why don’t you just opt out of Comments or publish to a different audience?
Furthermore, despite your earlier articles that were somewhat entertaining, you seem stuck, now, on making a “unique” case study of some sort in favor of your pet peeve. If you are stuck journalistically on check-out times for all the camp sites in the USA, and only want Comments that agree with your pet peeve, I will certainly click past your blog in the future.
Now, if your goal āis to raise awareness amongst campground owners of the issue, in order to explore how these policies may affect businessā, the question is; HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHEN YOU REACH YOUR GOAL?
And then the next question is, HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY ALL HAVENāT ALREADY CONSIDERED IT – AS BUSINESS PEOPLE – AND THE RESULT IS WHAT YOU NOW SEE?
Good luck,
Tex
Hockeyfan
Our park has a noon checkout , but many people stay somewhat beyond that time. This seems to be just logical as you would not want everyone trying to beat the clock to get out at one time.
I am a seasonal renter and don’t have to deal with it but it seems that allowing a bit of leeway , say about an hour or so would improve flow and safety in the parks.
Jim
Try again, THANK YOU, I agree, you must tell them and show them time and time again. Keep it up, maybe the campground owners will get the message and rethink their position
Jim
Sean,
Sean Michael
Hi Tex,
Thanks for your comment. I guess I could answer your questions with a question. There are over 2700 posts on RV.net; why did you choose to stop and complain on this one? If you don’t like a particular post, there are many others to read. It’s free – if you don’t like it, don’t click it. š
Furthermore, this post offers a unique case study of a successful campground with a checkout policy that works well for many families. My goal is to raise awareness amongst campground owners of the issue, in order to explore how these policies may affect business.
Happy camping!
Sean
Tex
Didn’t we already milk this topic dry a few weeks back? You got plenty of feedback that time, so why not just move on? Why beat this topic to death?