Old Cabins to Be Removed, New DVC Cabins Coming To Fort Wilderness

[tinkerjo]

I love this.

I never mind showing off how we travel. This is a great opportunity to show the DVC folks the pleasure of having your own bed, bringing as much and whatever food I want from home and enjoying the great outdoors. I've stayed at SSR and OKW before. The rooms were great, but felt like a "rental". I used to travel a lot and have stayed in everything from a Motel 6 to the Ritz (or Disney DVC- not the Ritz). I'll take my own place and camp when I can.

As for the DVC snooty crowd, the only place I've encountered them was online (keyboard warriors likely). At WDW, everyone seems to get along whether they are staying at an All Stars or the Riviera. I've had more people surprised WDW had a campground or were fascinated with it and asking questions, than people looking down at us "lowly campers".

If I do run into someone turning their nose up, I'll be happy to show them my coach and we can discuss costs and smiles/mile vs what they have in DVC for their week or two a year.

j

Well, I have had people look down on me for camping at the Fort, BUT, we tent camped. Still, we had a great time!!!! We Camped in February and had absolutely perfect weather. I don’t care if people look down on me because we had a ton of fun and for way cheaper than they did. Our last trip was DVC renting points and it was really nice but we could have saved a ton of money and still had a good time, just depends on the trip. I would love to have a camper but can’t seem to talk DH into it.

 

[Teamubr]

Well, I have had people look down on me for camping at the Fort, BUT, we tent camped.

You are Fort heroes! I tent camped years ago, but never at the Fort. In our younger years, DW would tent camp with me, but she was a little more insistent on having a real bathroom and A/C, especially at races in the Midwest summer. On our honeymoon, we took 2 weeks seeing Gatlinburg and Myrtle Beach. We had a hotel room in Gatlinburg for a few nights and tent camped everywhere else. We were young and poor, but we had a great time. I love seeing all the creative ways everyone sets up camp to make things comfortable, especially the tent campers. There are some pretty cool setups.

There are 2 conversations I love having online with the DVC snooty crowd. The first is your method, tent camping at the Fort, and I compare how many trips/days you get to stay at WDW each year vs how much they pay for DVC (buy in+ annual fees) for only 1 week. The second is to shut down the people that think us campers are poor. Usually a pic of some of our rigs (many WAY into the 6 figures) and ask how much they are paying for their annual week at WDW. Then I remind them I get to use mine as much as I want and aren't limited to 1 week at Disney. Like I said earlier, the only place I've seen outright snootiness was online. Maybe people won't say it to your face (the joys of the internet).

j

 

[bama_ed]

I love this.

I never mind showing off how we travel. This is a great opportunity to show the DVC folks the pleasure of having your own bed, bringing as much and whatever food I want from home and enjoying the great outdoors. I've stayed at SSR and OKW before. The rooms were great, but felt like a "rental". I used to travel a lot and have stayed in everything from a Motel 6 to the Ritz (or Disney DVC- definitely not the Ritz ). I'll take my own place and camp when I can.

As for the DVC snooty crowd, the only place I've encountered them was online (keyboard warriors likely). At WDW, everyone seems to get along whether they are staying at an All Stars or the Riviera. I've had more people surprised WDW had a campground or were fascinated with it and asking questions, than people looking down at us "lowly campers".

If I do run into someone turning their nose up, I'll be happy to show them my coach and we can discuss costs and smiles/mile vs what they have in DVC for their week or two a year.

j

I chuckled at comments across the Interwebz about needing to upgrade the dining "experience" at the Fort since DVC was coming. Heck, the best meal at Disney World is whatever I'm cooking at that moment. Duh.

I'm going to let this play out and run a while. It might be a wonderful people-watching opportunity.



But the conversion will go relatively quickly.

Ed

 

[Stratman50th]

The second is to shut down the people that think us campers are poor. Usually a pic of some of our rigs (many WAY into the 6 figures) and ask how much they are paying for their annual week at WDW. Then I remind them I get to use mine as much as I want and aren't limited to 1 week at Disney. Like I said earlier, the only place I've seen outright snootiness was online. Maybe people won't say it to your face (the joys of the internet).

j

We aren't poor? Ha! I personally would put up my rig (interior accommodations) against any room on property. Our rolling condo!
Hahaha, here's a picture of our "coma cabinet".

 

[StormyCA]

Be it a humble tent or a luxury ClassA or 5er, it's all about it being 'ours'. No one else's, ours. We can have it the way we want, when we want it. No one has been staying in our rigs the weeks before, no one will be moving in when we're done.

And for many of us who keep our rigs 'travel ready' all we have to do is throw in clothing, get some groceries and we're on our way!

If I had money to burn and was years younger (or had grandkids) maybe I'd be 'into' DVC (or any timeshare). But as it is, they don't have all that much to offer me that I don't already have. I'm happy for those who have found DVC to be the way they love to 'do Disney' and many happy days to them. But I'm happy to do Disney my way, towing my 'home away from home' behind a big old truck!

 

[Teamubr]

Hahaha, here's a picture of our "coma cabinet".

Coma Cabinet- Love it. But all I see are fancy glasses. I probably shouldn't take a pic of the inside of one of my cabinets. I'd immediately be invited to be Bill's friend.

Be it a humble tent or a luxury ClassA or 5er, it's all about it being 'ours'. No one else's, ours. We can have it the way we want, when we want it. No one has been staying in our rigs the weeks before, no one will be moving in when we're done.

And for many of us who keep our rigs 'travel ready' all we have to do is throw in clothing, get some groceries and we're on our way!

If I had money to burn and was years younger (or had grandkids) maybe I'd be 'into' DVC (or any timeshare). But as it is, they don't have all that much to offer me that I don't already have. I'm happy for those who have found DVC to be the way they love to 'do Disney' and many happy days to them. But I'm happy to do Disney my way, towing my 'home away from home' behind a big old truck!

"Camping" really is a lifestyle. For those that don't, it is either a curiosity or something with a negative impression (bugs, heat, dirt, outhouses, fussy/leaky tents, no place to shower, sleeping on the ground). Those of us that do get it, understand for all the reasons you listed. I don't try to convince people camping is better than DVC, but I will help them understand how the lifestyle is much more than they understand and definitely more than DVC can offer.

I also have looked at buying in to DVC several times over the years, but can never get the math to work out in my head. Maybe if funds were unlimited and I was younger when a 30 year contract made sense, but not today.

j

 

[bama_ed]

We aren't poor? Ha! I personally would put up my rig (interior accommodations) against any room on property. Our rolling condo!
Hahaha, here's a picture of our "coma cabinet".
View attachment 759360

Don if you have all the ingredients for a whiskey sour just outside of the frame of this pic, I'm gonna be knocking on your door next time we are both at the Fort. We need to put all that lovely cut glass drinkware to good use.

To repeat a line I often use, my trailer is my condo at the beach, my cabin in the mountains, and my time share at WDW. And like Stormy sez ....

Be it a humble tent or a luxury ClassA or 5er, it's all about it being 'ours'. No one else's, ours. We can have it the way we want, when we want it. No one has been staying in our rigs the weeks before, no one will be moving in when we're done.

Me

 

[BleuB]

my trailer is my condo at the beach, my cabin in the mountains, and my time share at WDW

Same for my tent!
I'm willing to pay for luxury accommodations. I also love waking up outdoors to the symphony of nature. You can't buy that feeling!

 

[StageTek]

I've stayed at the Cabins five times. I'm hoping I can get my "old guy" friends together for one more stay before this atrocity happens.

However, I'm thinking of doing a few days in a tent there after reading some of the comments. In cooler weather than my usual September solo trip...

 

[Lisann]

No one should look down on anyone for staying in a tent. If I could get my sisters to try it for just one night, I would!

 

[Boopuff]

I’ve owned everything from tents to a class a motor coach. I also own DVC. We used to live in the Midwest so heading south wasnt a big deal. Living out west, gas prices, its cost prohibitive to do the drive. We still love the Fort. And I’d most likely look into a DVC stay in the cabins.

 

[Teamubr]

It may not be directly related to the cabins converting to DVC, but I thought this was a good place to leave this. (Shared from one of my Fb groups)



j

 

[StormyCA]

I’ve owned everything from tents to a class a motor coach. I also own DVC. We used to live in the Midwest so heading south wasnt a big deal. Living out west, gas prices, its cost prohibitive to do the drive. We still love the Fort. And I’d most likely look into a DVC stay in the cabins.

We've calc'd it out and it's still cheaper for us to pull our trailer from No Cal to FtW than it would be to do an 'equal' trip flying and staying in a Disney hotel with 'comparable' amenities. 'Comparable' meaning staying somewhere with a kitchen so that would be either the Cabins or one of the DVC places that rent to 'civilians' (I have Celiac so having a kitchen is really important) and also having a rental car (a 'must' for nDH). Plus our trips are normally 6-8 weeks and include secondary destinations.

Yes, we could do a 'fly/stay' trip a lot cheaper by staying in a room in a budget resort and not renting a car, but then we'd also have to add in paying for all meals (and that can get pricy, especially with dietary restrictions). But why give up things we want to 'do Disney' the way we love.

 

[Boopuff]

We've calc'd it out and it's still cheaper for us to pull our trailer from No Cal to FtW than it would be to do an 'equal' trip flying and staying in a Disney hotel with 'comparable' amenities. 'Comparable' meaning staying somewhere with a kitchen so that would be either the Cabins or one of the DVC places that rent to 'civilians' (I have Celiac so having a kitchen is really important) and also having a rental car (a 'must' for nDH). Plus our trips are normally 6-8 weeks and include secondary destinations.

Yes, we could do a 'fly/stay' trip a lot cheaper by staying in a room in a budget resort and not renting a car, but then we'd also have to add in paying for all meals (and that can get pricy, especially with dietary restrictions). But why give up things we want to 'do Disney' the way we love.

Our problem is the vacation time. It would eat up way too much time to drive there and back. We'd have a micro-vacation! (plus we only have one driver)

 

[StormyCA]

Our problem is the vacation time. It would eat up way too much time to drive there and back. We'd have a micro-vacation! (plus we only have one driver)

That's true. I should have mentioned that we're retired and take 7-8 days to drive each way and obviously have pretty 'unlimited vacation time' lol.

We only have one driver, too. nDH ("non-Disney Husband") tried to 'teach' me to tow by putting me on I-40 out in the middle of nowhere 'because it was a straightaway and should be easy for you'. I lasted 10 miles with semis whizzing by me and when I pulled over I went into hysterics with relief. Not exaggerating..real hysterics. He hasn't tried to 'teach' me since. I've volunteered to take a professional RV towing class (they do exist) if he really needs my 'help' but he's decided he couldn't stand the strain of watching me tow after all. lol

 

[HopperFan]

THIS sounds like they will have to use existing footprint, plumbing, electrical etc. > "The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort is projected to open in 2024 ..."


"The proposed plans to expand Fort Wilderness with a Disney Vacation Club addition call for more than 350 new cabins to replace the existing cabins at the resort, which have delighted guests for many years and will soon be ready for a refresh. Additionally, the proposed cabins would be built with an eye toward the environment, utilizing the footprint of the existing cabins and taking advantage of more energy-efficient features.

Design concepts offer a fresh take on the current cabin experience and are inspired by the resort’s idyllic setting, while also paying homage to the resort’s unique culture and heritage through the magic of Disney storytelling. Each proposed, stand-alone cabin offers spacious accommodations, sleeping up to six adults, and features a bedroom, bathroom, living room, full kitchen and private patio. A select number of cabins are also expected to be dog-friendly."

"The planned cabins are part of a collection of improvement projects underway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground that are designed to enhance the guest experience. Examples include proposed pool and walking trail enhancements as well as new expanded dining experiences at Trail’s End Restaurant and Crockett’s Tavern, with more exciting news to come."

PER Disney Tourist Blog (Tom Bricker)

Yes, you're probably right that they'll take the path of least resistance and leave the footprint as it. Maybe, I'm just reading too much into the concept art!

I guess I just have a soft spot for the frontier theme!

Disney already announced they are keeping the existing footprints.

This is my concern, too. The concept art does not seem to match the FW theming nor look like it will blend so well into its environment. ...Which makes me concerned for FW as a whole.

Does Disney not like Disney theming anymore? Does Disney not like Disney anymore?!

What is Disney theming? They long ago stopped worrying about conflicts.

At least in Ft Wilderness the cabins are completely apart of everything else. When we stay in cabins we don't even know there are tents and RVs there. They could even create a private DVC area there, with their own pool and amenities that no one else can use ... if they want.

 

[JETS70]

Ok......gonna throw out a thought........a dark thought, but a thought none the less. Disney is going to convert all the cabins to DVC. We all know that this is a cash cow for Disney. Say that all goes as Disney plans and the cabins sell out quick. Does Disney say "we did really well" and stop at 350? Does Disney instead say "we sold 350 DVC cabins so let's convert another loop to DVC cabins". Remember the time they converted a cabin loop to a campsite loop? After talking with a friend who has pretty good knowledge of the campground comings and goings, is this the beginning of the end of the campground as we know it. They have taken away commission for TA's booking campsites. This means that your TA will do you booking for free or we are going to have to sit on the phone for what could be hours to get that coveted hard to get reservation. This change in itself says a lot about how Disney feels about the camping community. To my knowledge they did not take away TA commission for any other Disney resorts. With this being said.........I don't see a lot of what Disney is doing at the Fort as fanning the flames of a love affair with us campers. They already tried to push us out with Reflections. Lets face it, pushing us out with individual cabins (that demand on average 2x the price of a campsite on the same footprint) has to be a cheaper option than building an entire resort. As has been said many times before, we bring our own accommodations, our own food, we don't spend every day of our stay rope dropping every park.............

Hey @bama_ed, do you reckon Disney might consider kicking us to the other side of the road and give us another campground..........say named Camp Davey Crocket........

Steve

 

[bama_ed]

Hey @bama_ed, do you reckon Disney might consider kicking us to the other side of the road and give us another campground..........say named Camp Davey Crocket........

Steve

Steve, a few thoughts came to mind based on your post:

1. Okay, the Fort is the only WDW resort that won't pay TA commissions in 2024. But if we visitors just book online ourselves, the other general managers at, for example at the Value resorts, might say to themselves, "hey, I can help my bottom line too by not paying TA commissions". After maybe two years, you might see the "zero commission" policy spread to other WDW resorts (I'm looking at you, All Stars).

2. As an aside, the "cabin loop that they converted to a camping loop" had originally been a camping loop (2100) when it was built about 1976. But to your point, they theoretically could and would try to pick off the lower priced site categories. They would pick off maybe the Full category (1600-1900, 2100) and drop DVC cabins there with very little extra work (like paving the gravel tent pads). Tent loops would require more work (sewer lines all around) and some sites in 1500 are not cabin size. But Full loops would keep DVC Cabins clustered together on one end of the Fort. However, I fear that to implement this plan they would have to beef up the tempermental, delicate, frequently-being-worked-on electrical systems that support those Full loops (at least 1600-1900).

3. And regarding Camp Davy Crockett, I wish they had done a woodsy, nature DVC the heck OVER THERE across Vista Boulevard and left Fort Wilderness alone! But along the lines of your post, they could also convert Premium Meadow loops (supposedly in prime Fort locations) to be a DVC RV resort-within-a-resort that we always wanted. Or heck, convert the whole blamed Fort into a DVC RV timeshare.

I figure I only got about 15-20 years left of camping and Disney will keep picking the low hanging fruit every couple years around the resorts. By the end I hope I can just hunker down in one of those little campsites in 1500 in the back against the canal and remember the good ol' days when a real steam train ran through the campground.

Ed

PS - UK baseball is #1 in baseball RPI after this past weekend. Kentucky is now a school.



PPS - Bama in at #11 same RPI list

 

[Teamubr]

Steve,

I think we have to see how the cabins sell. The cabins have underperformed as nightly rentals for a long time. The conversion of the 2100 loop back to Full showed this. I think converting to DVC addresses this low occupancy with immediate cash flow and tests the waters to see if a "Moderate" DVC will work. It seems like there is a lot of interest in the cabins from the DVC side, but I suspect many think it will be a lower priced buy in to the system instead of truly wanting to be at the Fort. If all 350+ cabins sell quickly, we may be at risk of losing a camping loop, but more likely, if the cabins sell extremely well, is they will build additional cabin loops down towards the group camping area and add new DVC amenities in that direction. There is plenty of land back there and it is removed enough from the camping loops to feel "exclusive" for the DVC crowd that demands that.

j

 

[JETS70]

Steve, a few thoughts came to mind based on your post:

1. Okay, the Fort is the only WDW resort that won't pay TA commissions in 2024. But if we visitors just book online ourselves, the other general managers at, for example at the Value resorts, might say to themselves, "hey, I can help my bottom line too by not paying TA commissions". After maybe two years, you might see the "zero commission" policy spread to other WDW resorts (I'm looking at you, All Stars).

2. As an aside, the "cabin loop that they converted to a camping loop" had originally been a camping loop (2100) when it was built about 1976. But to your point, they theoretically could and would try to pick off the lower priced site categories. They would pick off maybe the Full category (1600-1900, 2100) and drop DVC cabins there with very little extra work (like paving the gravel tent pads). Tent loops would require more work (sewer lines all around) and some sites in 1500 are not cabin size. But Full loops would keep DVC Cabins clustered together on one end of the Fort. However, I fear that to implement this plan they would have to beef up the tempermental, delicate, frequently-being-worked-on electrical systems that support those Full loops (at least 1600-1900).

3. And regarding Camp Davy Crockett, I wish they had done a woodsy, nature DVC the heck OVER THERE across Vista Boulevard and left Fort Wilderness alone! But along the lines of your post, they could also convert Premium Meadow loops (supposedly in prime Fort locations) to be a DVC RV resort-within-a-resort that we always wanted. Or heck, convert the whole blamed Fort into a DVC RV timeshare.

I figure I only got about 15-20 years left of camping and Disney will keep picking the low hanging fruit every couple years around the resorts. By the end I hope I can just hunker down in one of those little campsites in 1500 in the back against the canal and remember the good ol' days when a real steam train ran through the campground.

Ed

PS - UK baseball is #1 in baseball RPI after this past weekend. Kentucky is now a school.

View attachment 760864

PPS - Bama in at #11 same RPI list

All points well taken. I only wish that I could have experienced the Fort "back then". We have been going long enough to remember the good times with our kids. I always did like your Camp Davey Crocket idea but like even more the idea of putting the DVC across the road and leaving "the Fort" alone.

Coach Mingione said after last years close but not quite year that he was going to improve the RPI and SOS. He has done a great job of that. We need to continue that trend. Looking forward to this weekend and hosting Florida . Talk has it that if we get at least 1, our hosting chances are good. I just pre-paid for Regional and possible Super Regional tickets. 2017 was so much fun. Baseball school.............