Finally scored at Disney but gollie gee !!!!!

cruising spud

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
If any of you have read my last two posts, you saw that my husband and I wanted to head on down to Disney in February and March of 2019. However, due to every single snowbird in the world obviously being in Disney during this time, there was no room at the inn.

Next, I spent some time thinking about where else we might like to go on vacation next year, but Disney was like a ping pong ball in my head.

So, I did some outside-the-box thinking and realized that---hey, we are retired, we can go to Disney another month. The trip doesn't HAVE to be in February and March. Don't laugh, it took me two entire days to come up with that thought. :rolleyes1

I called reservations and got a campsite for April, around Easter. Crowds looked average, weather was nice and prices in 2018, at $128, were lower than February and March. Great. BUT, the cost of a campsite for April 2019, had skyrocketed to $174.00 a night.

Now, I paid it. I mean, we want to go to Disney, but WOW !!! This is a piece of bare ground we are talking about. And, around Easter, not Christmas, not New Year's.

Maybe this is just me being frugal and sixty, remembering the cost of what things used to be. But, does anyone else think that this is an excessive price jump?
 
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Hi Spud. :wave2: It's me again. :rolleyes:

April is the MOST expensive time of the year at the Fort now (even more than Christmas-New Years by a few dollars). Since 2015 I have put this pricing chart together and posted it here on the DIS and the 2019 table is put in the FAQ/Info thread in post #22 https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...information-a-work-in-progress.3502095/page-2

For those looking at the chart, note it is Rack Rates (regular prices no discount) WITH TAX INCLUDED rounded to the nearest dollar. Since Easter Sunday is April 21, I'm guessing you got the week following and the week before Easter Sunday and the week after Easter Sunday are the busiest times of the spring.

I've been in April with my kids who were marching with their high school band in the parks and it's a beautiful weather time for sure. I've sat outside my popup and watched the Masters Golf Tournament (all four days) on tv which is another sure sign of spring.

But at least it's only one reservation you had to make, right?

Bama Ed

PS - In retirement (which is inching ever closer) I would like to shoot for the last week of Jan and first week of Feb - rates are pretty good then (relatively). A two week stay and a 10-day ticket. I want to try it with DW at least one time.
 
Ed,

You are the Holy Grail of all things Disney. I was using the Disney World pricing chart, which only included the 2018 rates.

And, you got it, we are leaving for Disney the Saturday before Palm Sunday. I asked about the rates later in the month, but the cast member in reservations said that all the rest of April was $174 a night.

And then, the next time we hit Florida will hopefully be for the Disney forum meet and greet. And, and, and, if we are incredibly lucky, with the world's best grandchildren.
 
Spud,

As fyi and for anyone reading.....

The last couple years Disney has released resort rates for the next year around mid/late June. I've tried to whip together the info in the chart and post it within about two weeks.

Denise, our Moderator, takes the chart and sticks it in the Info thread pinned at the top of the Camping Board.

The Fort is one of those places that, with the exception of a few infill sites in 600 loop and the conversion back/forth of 2100 loop, they haven't really added capacity. Meanwhile all the Boomers are retiring, buying rv's and campers, and enjoying their retirement. Simple economic theory says increased demand coupled with constrained supply yields higher prices. Disney has build hundreds/thousands of hotel rooms/DVC over the years as population grew but didn't add any more campsites for us poor ol' campers.

And they'll keep raising rates until we stop coming.

But if you're coming, the Fort is a great place to camp.

ED
 


If any of you have read my last two posts, you saw that my husband and I wanted to head on down to Disney in February and March of 2019. However, due to every single snowbird in the world obviously being in Disney during this time, there was no room at the inn.

Next, I spent some time thinking about where else we might like to go on vacation next year, but Disney was like a ping pong ball in my head.

So, I did some outside-the-box thinking and realized that---hey, we are retired, we can go to Disney another month. The trip doesn't HAVE to be in February and March. Don't laugh, it took me two entire days to come up with that thought. :rolleyes1

I called reservations and got a campsite for April, after Easter. Crowds looked average, weather was nice and prices in 2018, at $128, were lower than February and March. Great. BUT, the cost of a campsite for April 2019, after Easter, mind you, had skyrocketed to $174.00 a night.

Now, I paid it. I mean, we want to go to Disney, but WOW !!! This is a piece of bare ground we are talking about. And, after Easter, not Christmas, not New Year's.

Maybe this is just me being frugal and sixty, remembering the cost of what things used to be. But, does anyone else think that this is an excessive price jump?
Excessive? $174 per night for a place to pitch your own tent?

Um...Yes. In fact, I'm actually surprised that people will pay that.
 


Excessive? $174 per night for a place to pitch your own tent

Um...Yes. In fact, I'm actually surprised that people will pay that.

Shanti,

Sometimes I surprise myself.

Seriously, I paused when I was quoted this price. It is expensive. But, as I get older, I also realize that the timeframe I have left for fun, is a relatively small window. And if I can responsibility afford to go, I am going.
 
Seriously, I paused when I was quoted this price. It is expensive. But, as I get older, I also realize that the timeframe I have left for fun, is a relatively small window. And if I can responsibility afford to go, I am going.

This...it's not always about the cost. If we only worried about the cost of some things, we would do nothing. As we get older, priorities change, DW had some medical issues this year, hopefully all took care of now, but we had to stop and look at the future, we are close to retirement age, we don't know what tomorrow, next month or next year is going to bring. In my business, October is one of my busiest times, Bama Ed wants to have a dis meet in October, DW and I already are planning on that, going back to Disney in October 2020. Things may change before Oct 2020, we don't know, but as of now we are planning on being there. Life changes, priorities change, enjoy it while you can, you don't know what tomorrow will bring.
 
Congratulations! Have fun planning your trip. We don't even look closely at the cost anymore. Knowing the state of reservations, and how hard they can be to come by, most campers are more than willing to pay the price. We consider ourselves blessed to be able to visit a few times a year.
 
This...it's not always about the cost. If we only worried about the cost of some things, we would do nothing. As we get older, priorities change, DW had some medical issues this year, hopefully all took care of now, but we had to stop and look at the future, we are close to retirement age, we don't know what tomorrow, next month or next year is going to bring.

rajak73-Our family also, and for the first time ever, had some medical issues this past year. You are absolutely correct. This type of occurrence most certainly makes you seriously think about the direction your life needs to be headed in.

My thoughts are that it’s still cheaper than a room at a resort, more our style, way more relaxing, and no noisy people on the floor above you or noisy kids running up and down the halls!! More than worth it

tinkerjo-agreed. We love the rv.
 
I don’t know if we would ever do a resort again. Hate being cramped up in a room. Give me the wide open spaces of the fort. Even when we had a popup compared to our fifth wheel, it wasn’t much of a choice. And now we bring our dog with too. She loves looking for armadillos.
 
I don’t know if we would ever do a resort again. Hate being cramped up in a room. Give me the wide open spaces of the fort. Even when we had a popup compared to our fifth wheel, it wasn’t much of a choice. And now we bring our dog with too. She loves looking for armadillos.

Thats still on my bucket list for Ft. Wilderness, lol, I know, weird bucket list.:confused3 Every time we have been down to the Fort, everyone has seen a armadillos but me!:confused: Even the last trip, first time for DS and family and even they saw one! :crazy2: Maybe on our next trip, :bounce::bounce:
 
Just a caution about using crowd meters. Late April is normally quiet at DisneyWorld but from our experience, Easter is very busy. Unfortunately, this isn't really visible in the crowd meter since Easter dates vary from late March to late April.
 

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