Cabins at Fort Wilderness Points Charts Posted! For Sale and Booking Dates too!

[MerlinandtheMouse]

A 1 bedroom at RIV gives you a washer dryer and a separate sleeping area from your kids. The two aren’t remotely comparable.

Buts it’s definitely not a studio either. It even sleeps more than a 1bdrm. So it can be more economical for a lot of families. I love access to a W/D but I don’t use it every time I’m in staying in a 1bdrm so for me, where it’s a slight annoyance, it’s not the end of the world to not have one. And that’s also an easy add-on if there’s enough feedback or in a refurbishment cycle.

And there is a separate sleeping area, you choose your sleeping arrangements the way that works for your family. I’ve heard of many families putting their kids in the 1bdrm at all the other resorts and they sleep in the living room area on the Murphy bed to use the kitchen and walk around and not worry about waking them up. It’s no different here. You can comfortably fit 3/4 kids in the bedroom and enjoy the childless space on the Murphy bed with easier access to the bathroom now too.

Again, it’s not perfect but for a lot of family of 5/6 who can’t afford enough points for a 2 bedroom or 2 studios, this is at least a decent alternative for a lower-point buy-in.

I just encourage everyone to do the FULL math. I crunched the numbers for us and comparing to Copper Creek, once all in (pro-rated up front cost per point, buying at average resale rates for CCR vs the direct with incentives for CFW, plus dues per point), the per week price for a week in the cabins is very little savings over a week in a 1-bedroom at CCR (about 10-15% during lower seasons and less than 5% during the highest two seasons). That delta will shrink if the annual dues increase at both resorts at a similar average percentage each year (because CFW is starting so much higher). I know it's not precisely apples to apples (given I'm comparing the pro-rated cost per point of CCR resale vs the pro-rated cost per point of CFW direct) but that's all that is available right now.

I love CCV and own there but man it’s inconvenient that the 1bdrm only sleep 4, so for this comparison to work more accurately, you’d need to compare it to points needed for a 2bdrm at CCV, or even 2 studios.

 

[Cyberc1978]

But they are comparable. If a family of 5 is looking to buy into DVC, and would like to have access to a kitchen, that is literally the comparison they will have to make. Would I rather spend less money and stay at CFW, or more money and stay at RIV.

We have to agree to disagree.

The only difference between a studio and the cabins are the kitchen / kitchenette and the sleeping surface for 6 vs 5

The bedroom is not separate if you sleep 6. You basically have a bunk room sharing a bedroom with your two kids. That’s the same as a studio. The size of the cabins are also more in line with a studio than a 1br.

 

[kanerf]

They should have curtains that cover up the bunk beds like the sleeper trains do. That would give a little more privacy to both the folks in the master bed and the bunkees.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

The only difference between a studio and the cabins are the kitchen / kitchenette and the sleeping surface for 6 vs 5

But that is a significant difference. And some 1bdrms don’t even sleep 5 so you’d have no choice but to move to a 2bdrm for your family of 5-6. This is clearly an economical option for larger families. I say this as someone who has on many occasion gotten a 1bdrm for just 2 people (I’m not proud of my “wasted” points but I do love the luxury haha)

And like I said above, plenty of families have put their kids in the separate 1bdrm space and sleep on the Murphy bed in the living room area so they can easier move around the kitchen and living space for a few extra hours without waking their kids that go to bed at 8pm. I don’t see why this couldn’t be the same.

Being able cook on your Disney vacation could save you a lot of money. Sleeping 5-6 in one space for low points/nt, with your car outside, can save you money. DVC appeals to a broad number of people. This isn’t for everyone but there are a lot who will might this useful.

 

[maui22]

We have to agree to disagree.

The only difference between a studio and the cabins are the kitchen / kitchenette and the sleeping surface for 6 vs 5

The bedroom is not separate if you sleep 6. You basically have a bunk room sharing a bedroom with your two kids. That’s the same as a studio. The size of the cabins are also more in line with a studio than a 1br.

I thought the same thing about the sleeping arrangement with the bunk bed in the bedroom, but then others posted what they have done in the past.

Give the kids the bedroom and the parents take the living room. It allowed them to put the kids to bed, close the door, and adults stayed up a bit later.

Another couple scenarios I think this arrangement works ok for:

1. When two families/couples travel together. Put 1-2 parents with 1-2 children in the bedroom and the others in the living room. Fewer points than two studios, a 1BR, or 2BR at other resorts.
2. Another one that we run into with my brother in law. He has one of those sleep machines to help him breath at night. His wife can't sleep in the same bedroom because of the machine. In their case, this would be a very economical way to travel. They also love the woods/outdoors feel.

Certainly not for everyone, but there are scenarios where it works well. Hard part is the dues make it impossible to justify buying there. Only way I see this working is if trust shares dues across all the properties in the trust (whether that's CFW + Reflections 2.0/River Country Lodge or a giant multi-property trust).

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

But they are comparable. If a family of 5 is looking to buy into DVC, and would like to have access to a kitchen, that is literally the comparison they will have to make. Would I rather spend less money and stay at CFW, or more money and stay at RIV.

My husband would calmly tell you no way is he staying in one room with a bunch of kids and without a washer dryer. Lol. So, obviously there is a big difference between CFW and any one bedroom. He also would tell you no way is he staying in a dog hotel. Dvc changed our vacations because we could put the kids in a separate room and have a washer dryer. When we were doing studios at the grand Floridian out of pocket dh hated vacations and would pull his hair out the entire time. That extra space is truly magical and luxurious. Putting your entire family in one room is doable, but not so fun, not as Walt would say, plus ing it. It’s a downgrade=not the same thing.

 

[The_MT]

CFW is a nice option for a family of 6. I grew up in a family of 6 that squeezed into rooms with 2 queen beds for many years. I had to sleep horizontally at the end of one bed at the feet of my brother and sister while my little brother slept with my mom and dad in the other bed. Having sleeping surfaces for all 6 of us would have been luxurious and I would have loved sleeping on the top bunk.

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

CFW is a nice option for a family of 6. I grew up in a family of 6 that squeezed into rooms with 2 queen beds for many years. I had to sleep horizontally at the end of one bed at the feet of my brother and sister while my little brother slept with my mom and dad in the other bed. Having sleeping surfaces for all 6 of us would have been luxurious and I would have loved sleeping on the top bunk.

My one and only childhood trip to Disney was 5 of us in an off-property Red Roof Inn, so maybe that's why I don't mind the idea of my family of 4 + 2 grandparents splitting a cabin. I really think they are going after the larger families, the families that travel with a grandparent or 2, or the Ft. Wilderness regulars who either already stay in cabins or might be willing to shift from a campsite to a cabin. Or families who stay in Art of Animation or All-Star Music Family Suites (which don't have full kitchens or washer/dryers, though they do have 2 bathrooms). Maybe the families of 5 who are in off-property hotels because Disney doesn't have an affordable option for them. Maybe they don't mind sales to current owners being slow because the cabins conversion was done with a new market in mind.

 

[kboo]

Being able cook on your Disney vacation could save you a lot of money. Sleeping 5-6 in one space for low points/nt, with your car outside, can save you money. DVC appeals to a broad number of people. This isn’t for everyone but there are a lot who will might this useful.

I agree - this initial sale is for new members who would not have considered DVC before. It puts DVC within reach of larger families (3-4 kids) who also might drive to save airfare (or are closer). The kitchen allows you to cook, you can bring your dog (and maybe save on boarding costs). If there's some pool hopping allowed, then there's a pool available. And if you were in a camping/glamping mindset anyway, it's easy enough to go do laundry at the laundry room.

Just having a kitchen, alone, would save a lot on food costs for a larger family. And yes, all of this is predicated on the 4 kids being in the bedroom. Grownups can hang out in the living room, on the deck, etc.

I can see the appeal for families that would otherwise be looking at points for a 1br or 2br anywhere else - the cost of entry might be prohibitive otherwise (e.g. 300 direct points at VGF prices = $50,000 which will not get you a week in a unit that sleeps 6) Compare $30,000 (still a lot) for an annual trip with your 4 kids, and the option to trade to other units... etc etc.

 

[Swaggerwagon]

If you have 4 kids like we do, the cabins make sense. We have spent many vacations there. My husband and I share the living room and have all that space after the kids bed time. The kids get their own room, with bunk beds which is super fun for them. I can close their door and pretend it isn’t messy in there. They can be normal volume because we don’t share a wall with our neighbors. And they get to ride a golf cart around which is one of their favorite parts of the vacation I can tell them to go play outside whenever they get too rambunctious. We can watch the Electric Water Pageant and Fireworks from the beach. We save money with the full kitchen. I do laundry on a swim afternoon, it is located right next to the pool. Your car is right next to the cabin which makes life easier. We eat s’mores with Chip and Dale. It’s like going to summer camp but with your whole family.

 

[accm]

Its funny how many people on here seems to think DVD should only sell what appeals to them. Newsflash - different people prioritize different things.

 

[wilkydelts]

Its funny how many people on here seems to think DVD should only sell what appeals to them. Newsflash - different people prioritize different things.

That is not even close to what the arguement is. The arguement is how much they are charging for that cabin and what you get in return.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

That is not even close to what the arguement is. The arguement is how much they are charging for that cabin and what you get in return.

Exactly. You are better off buying SSR resale and staying in one or two bedrooms. It would probably actually be cheaper. Disney is exploiting people with CFW.

 

[Sandisw]

There is definitely more to this than meets the eye. There are a few ways to go with this, and adding Poly into the trust is probably the worst way to go (in my opinion). I’m hoping it’s only because they are going to wrap up a Reflections in the trust with CFW and not make it an all encompassing trust of undeclared units at every resort. Thinking about the lack of deluxe amenities that CFW has, even adding other resorts undeclared units doesn’t fix that standalone issue, but adding Reflections does and makes the price make sense.

While it may be unlikely, given the comment, I think using Poly tower as a carrot could definitely ramp things up, even with the possibility of Reflectons coming back in the future.

You have to wonder…what if if they decided to do a second trust use plan with Poly tower.? The price and incentive becomes the same as CFW?

Now, they sell both with the notion that you buy which one you want as your home resort, but instead of having to wait for 7 months, you get access to the other trust property in the other plan sooner!

Through in Reflectons as a third trust property in the next few years? Hmmmmm

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I agree - this initial sale is for new members who would not have considered DVC before. It puts DVC within reach of larger families (3-4 kids) who also might drive to save airfare (or are closer). The kitchen allows you to cook, you can bring your dog (and maybe save on boarding costs). If there's some pool hopping allowed, then there's a pool available. And if you were in a camping/glamping mindset anyway, it's easy enough to go do laundry at the laundry room.

Just having a kitchen, alone, would save a lot on food costs for a larger family. And yes, all of this is predicated on the 4 kids being in the bedroom. Grownups can hang out in the living room, on the deck, etc.

I can see the appeal for families that would otherwise be looking at points for a 1br or 2br anywhere else - the cost of entry might be prohibitive otherwise (e.g. 300 direct points at VGF prices = $50,000 which will not get you a week in a unit that sleeps 6) Compare $30,000 (still a lot) for an annual trip with your 4 kids, and the option to trade to other units... etc etc.

How much are they charging a night for dogs? We only pay $35 per night to board our dog.

 

[Ruttangel]

The cabins will be really popular with 7 month stays, I just can’t see a flood of people who would buy there
It might be another that never sells out

 

[accm]

That is not even close to what the arguement is. The arguement is how much they are charging for that cabin and what you get in return.

Sure. Except as I calculated, they’re not really charging that much compared to the alternative.

 

[ocdb8r1]

I love CCV and own there but man it’s inconvenient that the 1bdrm only sleep 4, so for this comparison to work more accurately, you’d need to compare it to points needed for a 2bdrm at CCV, or even 2 studios.

Again, this is why I suggested that everyone should do their own FULL math. A 1 bed at CCV works for our family of 4 just fine...there are other sleep five 1-beds with points charts similar to CCV (or even better).

My point was that just because the points required are relatively low for the CFW cabin, that doesn't mean it's a slam dunk savings over other DVC options. The fact it can only be purchased direct right now (higher buy in than resale) and the much higher annual dues in some cases outweigh the lower number of points required.

 

[Hubalorian]

The cabins will be really popular with 7 month stays, I just can’t see a flood of people who would buy there
It might be another that never sells out

I’m sure they could sell out the declared inventory of 30 cabins. This could be a test pilot of what to do with the other cabins. They may revert back to the cash model for the rest of the cabins if the first 30 super struggle.

 

[CarolynFH]

everyone should do their own FULL math.

Exactly. The cabins will work great for some, not so much for others.