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

[we"reofftoneverland]

And as someone who owns a Vero contract, I can tell you that high annual dues hurt a lot. You rationalize to yourself when you are buying that it is not a big deal, but every year I realize we made a big mistake and wish we had just bought more SSR or even more RIV direct.

 

[kboo]

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

I think it's $30/nt? Of course it varies, but where we live it is more like $60 and up per night, and spaces sell out on holiday weekends if you didn't make a reservation.

 

[Minniemoo15]

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

If price and incentives are the same, who would ever choose CFW over PVB2, which will surely have lower dues, better transportation and actual deluxe amenities? Even if you want CFW’s low point chart you’d be way better off buying PVB2 and trading in early, if that is indeed how the new trust will work.

 

[RichVIII]

While I agree with most of the analysis, I don't know if we all are the target DVC members for this. Are there certainly existing members who will add on, sure. But we all have done math, and have massive spreadsheets (myself included) but having stayed in a "cabin" during COVID to get away at a campground, there is a community of folks who love this. We see an issue without a w/d, but that is from our viewpoint. Having a car next to your "resort" versus those of who miss Magic Express. We look at points charts and are trying to compare apples to apples or apples to oranges. Ignoring the trust for a minute, I think DVD is trying to diversify its buyers to keep printing money. The idea of offering lots of options (in or out of a trust) might make selling actually easier - we have something for everyone.

 

[Sandisw]

If price and incentives are the same, who would ever choose CFW over PVB2, which will surely have lower dues, better transportation and actual deluxe amenities? Even if you want CFW’s low point chart you’d be way better off buying PVB2 and trading in early, if that is indeed how the new trust will work.

Someone who wants to travel to CFW at certain times, get a FW, and for all the same reasons one chooses a home resort?

Even early trading doesn’t mean you are going to get what you want when you want.

If wanted to be at CFW most of the time, that is where I am buying, It’s like this summer, if I had added on, I’d have still chosen RIV over VGF because I like it better.

Remeber, though, if sales are not strong with the cabins, they don’t have to activate all of them and can use them for cash.

So, maybe it could push people to go direct for Poly tower because of the cabins??

 

[bobbiwoz]

And as someone who owns a Vero contract, I can tell you that high annual dues hurt a lot. You rationalize to yourself when you are buying that it is not a big deal, but every year I realize we made a big mistake and wish we had just bought more SSR or even more RIV direct.

I look at the high fees as just the price to pay for beachfront property. It’s cheaper than buying one, and we almost always get an ocean view inn room. We are very pleased with our VB points.

 

[DonMacGregor]

And as someone who owns a Vero contract, I can tell you that high annual dues hurt a lot. You rationalize to yourself when you are buying that it is not a big deal, but every year I realize we made a big mistake and wish we had just bought more SSR or even more RIV direct.

I just don't see the $600 per year delta between a 150-point SSR and CFW contract as being that oppressively high. At least not rising to the "hurt a lot" or "big mistake" level. I get that that is in addition to the $1,200 base in dues for SSR, but still...

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

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.

They might be. But couldn’t we also say that about DVC adding VGF to the DVC portfolio? The point charts made DVC very difficult for many families who bought in at OKW or even new buyers who were hoping to stay there for a week but couldn’t get past the number of points needed for a week stay. I know a long time member who refuses to stay anywhere but OKW (and maybe a few of the other low point chart resorts) because of this exact reason. They felt the product was changing and no longer for the average Disney family but the wealthier one. I don’t agree or disagree because I love VGF and RIV but I’m in a position where I can afford enough points for a week stay in a 1 or 2 bdrm.

And the argument to buy at SSR resale can be made for every situation but this is just an alternative option. I don’t think it’s any more or less exploitive than what they’ve always done.

But I will say if there isn’t an upgrade to the amenities and/or the addition of Reflections2.0 to add a bit more to the “deluxe” title, I do think DVC will be in way over their head with this resort. I just can’t get it out of my head that there’s more on the horizon. Maybe that’s naïve and wishful thinking.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

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.

Oh of course everyone should do their own math, I don’t think anyone would argue against that. But this product isn’t necessarily made for a family of 4 (but it can be if you want!) there are lots of reasonable options for smaller families. This is the first I’ve seen that can work for a family of 6 in a single unit with those point charts. Even an OKW 2bdr in September still require over 200 pts for a week stay (with still high-ish dues). I don’t think it’s a slam dunk in savings but it’s by no means a mistake either.

 

[clarker99]

People will vote with their wallets. All we can do is wait and see the sales data.

 

[princesscinderella]

Is this the worst DVC launch day buy-in ever? I can’t seem to understand why anyone in their right mind would buy into this resort as is.

I genuinely thought DVC would have to price this around $150-$170 after incentives for it to sell well on launch date, and yet the incentives are worse than every other actively selling resort! There's zero premium resort amenities to speak of, and yet they want to charge you like you’re buying in at the Grand Floridian while simultaneously starting your annual dues at an absurd rate! I’m so curious to see these miserable sales numbers in the next 3 months. DVC leadership needs a reality check in my opinion with this resort.

We thought that way when we bought at the original VGF on day one at $145pp (can't remember the exact price) with zero incentives for existing members. There were no fancy bags, welcome gifts or first 100 buyers commemorative resort feature like bay lake and kidani have. Now it looks like a deal, the high dues make me question however if FWC DVC will ever look like a deal.

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.

I agree that its a great way to use the space for a large family. My caveat is that you are buying a 50 year contract that becomes very restricted on resale. We bought in 2012 when our kids were little, now we have teens that don't always want to go with us and pretty soon they will all have flown the coop. Will you want to go there or WDW for the next 50 years once the kids are out of the picture? If the answer is yes then buy, if its no then just put the money you were going to spend on DVC into a savings account and use it to stay at the cabins on cash instead of locking yourself into the high dues for the next 50 years.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I just don't see the $400 per year delta between a 150-point SSR and CFW contract as being that oppressively high. At least not rising to the "hurt a lot" or "big mistake" level.

The problem is you see $400 and you rationalize no biggie. But it will be much higher in 5 years. It compounds. And if you end up with another resort in your portfolio, you will really see the difference and be angry at your misbehaving CFW child every December lol. You will think maybe I should have just bought RIV direct and traded in at 7 months. The dues will never be exorbitant at RIV because like BLT it is a tower and much easier to maintain. Plus, no pets. The dog cost will make the dues go up even more than Vero. Don’t underestimate how much dues will go up with that. The cleaning fee is not for dog wear and tear it is for cleaning. In real estate, your home value can take a 10% hit if it is obvious that you have let your pets run wild. It doesn’t have to be that way. We have a dog, and she is very well behaved. She is only allowed in four rooms in our house. She is not allowed upstairs. She is not allowed on furniture. She does not scratch anything. She is not allowed on certain carpets. When we are not home or at night, she is in her kennel. Her impact on our home is very minimal. But my impression from watching the likes of Tom morrow on utube is that most dog owners let their dogs jump onto beds and sofas and run wild. We also had another experience in a expensive hotel in nyc where we were very surprised to find out the hotel was dog friendly. The room was beautiful but had a musty almost wet dog smell— but the worst part was the dog in the room next door that clawed at the door day and night and whined the entire time. It was so bad we would bump into other shocked people in the elevator who would comment on it. We complained but the hotel claimed they could not do anything but move us— which they eventually did. I do not know where that dog’s owners were but they were obviously using the hotel as a kennel. There is no way that dog did not poop in the room because one day my husband was working in the room and he was there all day and the dog owner’s never came home the entire day. The entire dog thing is a bad idea. And if the dues are starting at $12– wow. They are STARTING in current Vero territory. I get it. Camping is fun. But be careful. This is a bad set up for buyers. And there are a lot of unknowns. If I wanted to stay at CFW, I’d buy RIV. And if I had a large family- which we do- I’d supplement with SSR resale and stay cheaply in 1 or 2 bedrooms other places too.

 

[DonMacGregor]

The problem is you see $400 and you rationalize no biggie. But it will be much higher in 5 years. It compounds. And if you end up with another resort in your portfolio, you will really see the difference and be angry at your misbehaving CFW child every December lol.

I did read the whole post, but right off the bat you need to consider that EVERY resort's dues will increase (certainly some more than others). We actually bought our first contract, direct, at SSR. I've since added points to the other three resorts in our portfolio, most recently buying 6 contracts at AUL, so we're actually increasing the price per point we are paying in dues as we expand our portfolio because that's where we want to stay.

I just don't see a new member, interested in CFW specifically, feeling like they made a "mistake" in purchasing a 150 point contract at the resort they want. It gives them the home-resort booking advantage, and it's not a big enough contract that they'll be using it regularly as SAP. If they turn around and fill their entire portfolio with similarly high-dues contracts, then that might be an issue, especially if they want to use those points as SAP (which is what we use our SSR points for). If they buy in initially at CFW, and add on else where (where they might not have as much interest in, and will use the points as SAP), then I still feel the extra dues, as long as it's not a huge contract or multiple contracts) is still worth it.

 

[New Mouse]

They could also be going the route of high initial price = awesome % off sales without putting a dent in the overall bottom line

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

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.

This is exactly the demo that the cabins were designed for and Disney should hire Swaggerwagon to help them create a promo video montage like this.

 

[MICKIMINI]

Do we know if there is a DVC sales center at Fort Wilderness with a model cabin to tour?

Maybe this has been addressed and I missed it, but my guide called yesterday and there is to be a model cabin at The Fort.

Also, there was "no space" for laundry in the cabins. He indicated the laundry building is to be completely redone. That is all I have...

 

[arich35]

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.

But at least there is a separate area where the adults can hang out while kids are sleeping. In a studio if your 5 year old is going to sleep at 9, you are pretty much stuck in bed

 

[Cyberc1978]

But at least there is a separate area where the adults can hang out while kids are sleeping. In a studio if your 5 year old is going to sleep at 9, you are pretty much stuck in bed

Thats correct - unless the parents wants to hang out on the bathroom

 

[SPLzero]

The problem is you see $400 and you rationalize no biggie. But it will be much higher in 5 years. It compounds. And if you end up with another resort in your portfolio, you will really see the difference and be angry at your misbehaving CFW child every December lol. You will think maybe I should have just bought RIV direct and traded in at 7 months. The dues will never be exorbitant at RIV because like BLT it is a tower and much easier to maintain. Plus, no pets. The dog cost will make the dues go up even more than Vero. Don’t underestimate how much dues will go up with that. The cleaning fee is not for dog wear and tear it is for cleaning. In real estate, your home value can take a 10% hit if it is obvious that you have let your pets run wild. It doesn’t have to be that way. We have a dog, and she is very well behaved. She is only allowed in four rooms in our house. She is not allowed upstairs. She is not allowed on furniture. She does not scratch anything. She is not allowed on certain carpets. When we are not home or at night, she is in her kennel. Her impact on our home is very minimal. But my impression from watching the likes of Tom morrow on utube is that most dog owners let their dogs jump onto beds and sofas and run wild. We also had another experience in a expensive hotel in nyc where we were very surprised to find out the hotel was dog friendly. The room was beautiful but had a musty almost wet dog smell— but the worst part was the dog in the room next door that clawed at the door day and night and whined the entire time. It was so bad we would bump into other shocked people in the elevator who would comment on it. We complained but the hotel claimed they could not do anything but move us— which they eventually did. I do not know where that dog’s owners were but they were obviously using the hotel as a kennel. There is no way that dog did not poop in the room because one day my husband was working in the room and he was there all day and the dog owner’s never came home the entire day. The entire dog thing is a bad idea. And if the dues are starting at $12– wow. They are STARTING in current Vero territory. I get it. Camping is fun. But be careful. This is a bad set up for buyers. And there are a lot of unknowns. If I wanted to stay at CFW, I’d buy RIV. And if I had a large family- which we do- I’d supplement with SSR resale and stay cheaply in 1 or 2 bedrooms other places too.

Are these cabins even marketed towards DVC/Deluxe guests? FW has its own cult following and this is geared towards them. as long as these rooms are priced below what they are currently paying with dues included Its a win win for those family's that go every year and stay in cabins.

 

[arich35]

Thats correct - unless the parents wants to hang out on the bathroom

Why we are glad we got Poly in a couple months lol