2008 rates...ouch......

[Colson39]

I wish I was a florida resident so I could offset some of the $100+ a nite sting........

Interesting is the opinion of economics offered by a broad spectrum of people....


Some will justify paying $500,000 for a rv and justify it by the money they save ....

Disney vacation club...... well I do the math ..no value ..just conveinient..


These are just a couple of consumption items that one can throw money at...

I believe most people are working class that visit and value the MAGICAL experience of The World .......especially the Fort...

Its that payment at the end of the month that slaps us back to reality....

There are no Florida discount rates during the holiday season, which is the $100 a night rate, sorry, you're wrong on that. So don't worry, we're still paying just as much as you.


P.S. I remember about 15 years ago when my parents were getting rid of their old van that under the floorboard we found an old reservation receipt from Fort Wilderness from the late 70's. Price for one night of camping? 6 bucks. Talk about a price change...lol

 

[mamaloya]

Colson, I did not think he was making fun of the rich, just showing confusion at the logic. Why would someone pay that much for an rv and say they got it because it saves them money when traveling. To me that is odd logic, but what the poster may not have gotten is that to someone who can pay that for a luxury RV, their idea of budget and ours may be different. They may normally fly 1st class and stay in luxury hotels. Having the luxury rv allows them the same luxury at a fraction of the cost. Some hotels are $2k a night and a 1st class seat is at least $800 depending on where you are going. So, to them, that rv is a bargain.

Now, my tt was only around $16K and I traded in so my payments are less per month than one night in a cabin (like half depending ont he season). The fort at $50 is a bargain to me. I looked up the prices in May, which is a time when we like to go as well, and it is over $80 per night. Now, AAA may bring it down to $70, but it is getting out of our range. We can't stay at a value resort because of our family size. I really love the fort and being at a disney resort, but I may be driven off site to a vacation home if this continues. That will be a sad day.

BTW, my tt also is a bargain for us traveling because we can stay at military campgrounds nicer than most CGs for around $12 a nite. Our vacations are longer and cheaper. There are also some in the luxury rigs at the military CGs parked right next to 15yo popups. Both are paying the same a night. The luxury coach though is staying in luxury. They would normally pay maybe $300 a night so they are saving more than those in the popup who might find a motel for $35 a night. So, even those in the $500K rigs are saving money by their standards.

I do have to say that if the increase continues, luxury coaches will be far more common than little tt's like mine.

 

[des1954]

WELL PUT COLSON 39!!! FW has alway been priced higher than other campgrounds, but, it is not LIKE any other campground. Florida residents only get additional discounts during the value times - that's it - so don't think you're at a disadvantage on holiday pricing.

DH & I have camped at Disney since the $6.00/night rate days - when we were only making $1.85/hour!! $42.00 for 7 nites of camping was very difficult for us to afford back then - and we weren't able to go as much as we wanted or during the time of year we wanted to go. We just couldn't afford it. After 40 years of working, we can afford more than we could in our 20's & 30's & 40's. That's just life, folks! You don't get married and start life fully equipped with all the amenities and pockets full of money - ya gotta work & save.

There are several campgrounds available in the Kissimmee/Clermont/Orlando area that are cheaper than FW. You have to choose what comfortably fits your budget and still allows you to have a great vacation time.

Price is all relative to what the market will bear and what the consumers will pay. Disney has not reached that price threshold yet. I doubt they ever will.

 

[Mr Man]

Do you think the matter of economics is different between those of us that say, live within an hour or two or three than that of those that live across the country and can only visit as a once every 5 years or have a once in a lifetime vacation. FW is about the only way I can afford to visit DW and stay inside the resort. These luxury resorts and the cabins at FW for that matter that charge a whopping 2-$300.00 a night a room is just way out of my league despite me wishing I was able to stay there for a few days. So i guess I do have a perceived value for what i see as entertainment value and that at some time, with continued price increases, that perceived value will drop and I will no longer patronize DW. To a certain extent it has already as far as the parks go. We rarely attend any of the parks when we camp. Primarily the cost factor. Once in a while we do go though. We just mostly enjoy the Fort and everything it offers

David,

Good point. If I lived within 3 hrs of Disneyworld I would be dead broke (but happy)!

In all seriousness, I wonder if DW would lose some magic if it became too convenient/available for me & mine. Nah, probably not. I would probably just stay offsite more often and use AP to compensate (there is a FL resident rate on these I think).

I look at it this way, at least FL residents generally don't have to worry about cost of flights/gas for long haul flights. I can attest this cost adds up (and that right quick). I drove a 36' MH from Houston,TX to Orlando in March. Used around 250 gallons of gas (yup, not diesel) total. My poor Exxon card was whupped.

As it stands, we are able to go to DW every 6 months and actually begin obsessively planning the next trip as soon as we end the previous. This could change if costs keep rising at the rate we are seeing. Again this is in my little world, your mileage may vary tm all rights reserved.


Regards,

 

[Colson39]

Yea, I used to hate living in Florida (I'm a native, one of the few ), but as I've gotten older I've come to realize there are some really nice perks to living in Florida.

Of course there are also some not so nice things. Like hurricanes :/

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I don't consider myself rich or poor, but I will admit I am cheap. So far, however, I have accepted Disney's increases. I only take one vacation a year, and I choose to spend it at FW. I am willing to pay what Disney asks because of that, but there will come a day when I say enough is enough. Then the search begins for another vacation destination.

 

[Colson39]

lol, I never thought I was cheap, that is, until I had a mortgage payment

 

[ftwildernessguy]

It's a good thing my wife likes to spend - sort of balances my life out. When I do buy something, though, I tend to spend a lot and buy quality.

 

[des1954]

Gentlemen....gentlemen..... the word is frugal, not cheap!!!

Colson39....in addition to Floridians dealing with hurricanes...how about endless summer days above 95 degrees & humidity so thick is slaps you in the face at 5:00am??? Ugh!!!

 

[Mr Man]

LOL@ frugal. This is an apt description.

I am a Project Manager by trade. I live and die by the budget in everything I do. (Of course, cost over-runs are part and partial of getting things done in this world.......)

For example:

FW budget for March:

Golf Cart:
Planned: 3 days @ $53 per day.
Actual: 7 days @ same rate. Got the hang of wheelying the darn thing on day 3 (had to continue).

Breakfast:
Planned: 1ea "to go" meal from TE per day x 7. How efficient this would be.
Actual: We all go and sit down to eat our B-fast (every day) and then catch 1st boat to MK (not talkin' bout full boats/limited seating nope nada nohow).

Beer:
Planned: 2ea 18 pack Michelob ultra amber (suitable for 5ea beers per day);.
Actual: 4ea cases of beer (and still had to go out to get more- DB showed up thirsty..)

Chip and Dale campfire thingy:
Planned: 3ea wire hanger. 3 bags marshmallows.
Actual: At least 1 of everything from the Chuckwagon (those are Disney sticks doncha know).

The list goes on.......

 

[tellnotails]

I believe that Walt.... in all his cunning ....designed the perfect vacation destination for all collars white or blue.......WDW

He wanted his own airport for petes sake.........

The hotels would meet the need for aireline travellers both white and blue...

The Fort would meet the needs of those who could not afford to fly or choose not........

30 years later we are at a point.... where love the fort or not..... your income will only allow so much......

Its sad to see the seperation grow so fast as of late....

 

[des1954]

Its sad to see the seperation grow so fast as of late

The separation of your $$$$ from your billfold to WDW!!!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Gentlemen....gentlemen..... the word is frugal, not cheap!!!

Colson39....in addition to Floridians dealing with hurricanes...how about endless summer days above 95 degrees & humidity so thick is slaps you in the face at 5:00am??? Ugh!!!

I don't wanna hear any more whining about the Florida weather from you poor souls "stuck" living there. Come on up to PA some winter and go through a Noreaster or two. That'll put some hair on your chest (or your head, Colson).

 

[des1954]

I don't wanna hear any more whining about the Florida weather from you poor souls "stuck" living there. Come on up to PA some winter and go through a Noreaster or two. That'll put some hair on your chest (or your head, Colson).

HOWDY ftwildernessguy!!!

I came from Buffalo, NY.... which is exactly why I've lived in Florida for 34 years!!! I went thru my fair share of snow, blizzards, ice, and the like! (Brrrrr!) I leave that to my DBro - ntsammy5 - he still lives in WNY (although he secretly wants to be a Floridian and live near Epcot, listen non-stop to Off-Kilter, & continuously do The Beers of the World Tour!).
And... I don't think I care to have hair on my chest!!

Debbie

 

[ftwildernessguy]

HOWDY, Debbie from Buffalo.

I grew up south of Buffalo in the snow belt, where they didn't even think of closing school unless there was 10inches on the ground. I could tell you stories - trudging through 8 feet of snow for 20 miles just to go to school, drifts so high houses were lost until July, you know, you been there. Anyway, PA is just a stop for me on my slow migration to Florida.

 

[Colson39]

The good news is there are always options out there. It is unfortunate if the Fort goes out of the price range of people, but there ARE options. Disney is a business after all, not a charity. They have never been cheap, I hope everyone knew this going in

As to the other topic....

I can't wait till it gets cool again so my freaking well water reserves aren't baking in 95 degree weather all day. Nothing like turning on the cold water in the bathroom and having to wait a minute for all the heated water to clear out first...lol.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

The good news is there are always options out there. It is unfortunate if the Fort goes out of the price range of people, but there ARE options. Disney is a business after all, not a charity. They have never been cheap, I hope everyone knew this going in

As to the other topic....

I can't wait till it gets cool again so my freaking well water reserves aren't baking in 95 degree weather all day. Nothing like turning on the cold water in the bathroom and having to wait a minute for all the heated water to clear out first...lol.

Okay, more whining from the Florida native - now he has to wait for cold water. Last winter it was so cold here there were ice cubes coming out of the hot water faucet.

 

[Colson39]

Would you like me to send some humidity your way?

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Would you like me to send some humidity your way?

Please do.

 

[David Johnson]

OMG!! It is so friggin hot down here now I could scramble an egg on the sidewalk! hehehe I can't wait till DECEMBER and JANUARY when its about 75. Of course it can get kinda cold here too. 45 maybe at night . I break out the woooly long underwear then.;-0. It's the humidity when it's cold ya know. lololol