Does Disney have Plans to Move FW?

[stillh2o]

I have heard that there is some talk at Disney planning to move FW to another place. A friend in the know " We can move FW to other part because campers can camp anywhere they don't need lake front sites we came take FW make in lake Front Disney Vacation Club Villas this would make them easy to sell" So we will see if this happens I hope not wwe go to FW about 8 times a year.

 

[Disney Campers]

this is the first I have heard this rumor, i doubt it would happen, the Fort is one of the original resorts, I would love to see another camping option on disney property - somewhere near animal kingdom, we can wish anyway

 

[bicker]

I have never heard anything like this, but it does make logical sense to me. I was commenting to someone a few days ago how Fort Wilderness represents not only a premium location but also represent a very high footprint-to-guest ratio. Even the deluxe resorts keep that number low (more square-footage per guest than the moderates, but more floors, so smaller footprint), in order to make most profitable use of the premium location.

 

[John VN]

Many DVC Members would like to have a MONORAIL DVC Resort so I would think Disney could do something with CR before tearing down FW. They still have to finish SSR.

John

 

[stillh2o]

DVC seems to be the way they are go just think sell the same room 52 times a year for big money. Disney tear down anything to make more money.

 

[Live4FW]

I have always wondered why they don't do a membership campground. I would sign so quick it would make salespersons not required. They could even add a set of sites between FW and WL. They could revamp River Country as a themed pool area.

 

[campingcorgi]

We keep asking at the DVC desks if they are doing FW yet cause we'd buy-in, too! They just keep saying they can't make it a good value for us. I say they can, just make it cost fewer points for FW and make a good loop near the beach--and make it deluxe! Pull-thrus, pets, lake-front, a neat pool--that would be great!

 

[John VN]

We keep asking at the DVC desks if they are doing FW yet cause we'd buy-in, too! They just keep saying they can't make it a good value for us. I say they can, just make it cost fewer points for FW and make a good loop near the beach--and make it deluxe! Pull-thrus, pets, lake-front, a neat pool--that would be great!

Would be cool if they did that since we haven't been using our points for DVC stays. Will be using a bunch of points for the Member Cruise though.

John

 

[bicker]

We keep asking at the DVC desks if they are doing FW yet cause we'd buy-in, too! They just keep saying they can't make it a good value for us. I say they can, just make it cost fewer points for FW

Given that land is so valuable, a FW DVC would probably have to cost more than a regular mid-rise DVC.

 

[stillh2o]

I heard they would move FW to another place and Build Disney Vacation Club Villas in that location. Disney planning "Campers can camp anywhere they don't need lake front sites" This make me mad that they think of campers that way.

 

[bicker]

I wouldn't interpret it personally. It surely wouldn't be due to folks at Disney not appreciating or respecting their camper-guests, but rather just a reflection of what is or isn't the most profitable use of the assets they have available.

One thing that came to mind as I was thinking about this is that it seems to follow on from a rumor from, gosh, about 10 (?) years ago, just after WL opened. It was so fantastically popular that there was lots of discussion about cloning the resort, just around the bend of the lake, i.e., about where Fort Wilderness is.

 

[stillh2o]

why will way not update FW Look at the new and some old hotel pools thay have updated with slide and lazy Rivers but FW still has the old pools from the 70's.
Some of the comfort station have been updated but not all of them. The sites are how to small for newer RV's .

 

[bicker]

why will way not update FW

I didn't get the impression that this rumor was related to any perceived problem with FW the way it is, i.e., being needful of updating. Rather, I got the impression was that the rumor was related to the need to better capitalize on the asset that is the wonderful location of FW. I suppose that if they could get as much profit by updating FW, that would be one approach, but it doesn't seem as likely to me that they could substantiate raising campground prices enough to represent a comparable increase in profit as what would be represented by the rumored moving of FW to make room for a deluxe resort or DVC property.

 

[stillh2o]

FW make Disney a boat load of money new hotel cost millions and are not full all the time but FW is most likely full most the time. The cost of FW sites are $65-89 i can stay at all stars resort for that.

 

[bicker]

Interesting. How much money do they actually make on Fort Wilderness? Does anyone know how many campsites there are?

I think there are about 6,000 rooms at the All-Star Resorts, and it is about half as big as Fort Wilderness I think.

 

[stillh2o]

I think there are 742 camp sites and i don;t know the # of i think it;s over 100 cabins. So you have sites for $65-95 per night and cabins $305.51 a night Fw make a lot of money for disney why can't they update FW??

 

[bicker]

Hmmm... that doesn't sound promising. $68,000 of revenue per day for campsites versus $600,000 of revenue per day for a hotel.

 

[tim5055]

I think there are 742 camp sites and i don;t know the # of i think it;s over 100 cabins. So you have sites for $65-95 per night and cabins $305.51 a night Fw make a lot of money for disney why can't they update FW??

Actually the 2006 pricing has campsites as low as $39 per night for a partial hook up and $44 for a full hook up durning "value season" (which is more than 1/3 of the year). Plus the $305 for a cabin is rack rate, most folks get it for a lot less.

I had to go back to my old Disney stuff to figure this out, and here is the "History of Fort Wilderness" as I know it:

Fort Wilderness opened November 1971 on 750 acres between the Contemporary Resort and the Walt Disney World Village. At that time it had 231 camping sites including loops 100 - 600.

June 1973 added 481 sites, loops 700 - 1900

April 1974 Pioneer Hall opened

June 1976 added 113 sites, loops 2000 - 2100

June 1976 River Country opened

April 1979 added Creekside Meadow group camping area

December 1986 added 383 trailer sites*, loops 2200 - 2800


* the current sites of cabins had rental Terry Trailers on them

So that's a total of 1208 camping sites which includes over 400 cabins.

Granted, Disney is making money on FW. It usually has the highest occupancy of all the resorts and consumes far fewer castmembers to keep it running.

In their defense, Disney has been regularly updating FW. The comfort stations have gone through two complete overhauls that I can remember, almost the entire electrical system has been upgraded and cable was added to the "preferred" loops.

The big issue with FW is that the roads and loops were designed in a previous time with much smaller RVs. They have been slowly eliminating trees that interfere with awnings and slides, but if they take too many out folks will be bi***ing because it is like camping in a parking lot.

 

[stillh2o]

No not comfort stations have been update the 800 &1100 -1300 loop and the pools are still the same as hey where in the 70's. The Contempory and polynesian have updated there pool FW is like going back in history.

 

[campingcorgi]

Hey, I just got back from a short trip and we stayed at the AllStars (never again!!) and the pools there were plain, too. Sure, they are themed--one was painted like piano keys and the other had a squirting statue--but otherwise they are 'cement ponds'. I'll take FW anyday!!

In the profit margin for FW don't forget the golf cart rentals--each rental effectively doubles the cost of a campsite. I bet they also find that campers do a lot of purchasing. The shop at the AllStars only had a few people shopping while the Meadows and Settlement Trading Posts are usually very busy.

I think Disney can see as well as we can that the growth of rving will only continue. They still have lots of land and don't need to tear something down that works well just to build something new. If anything, they could add a DVC area nearby with the same Wilderness theming.

I'm not too worried about the future of FW--and I'm moving to Orlando next week with the intention of being 'home' at FW a lot!!!