Fort Wilderness 2018 Campsite Rates and Price Increases

[bama_ed]

Ed, can you hit the total button and tell us what it would cost to live at The Fort for 1 year?

I will work up that number today and put it in here, Denise.

ED

 

[bama_ed]

Well THAT was sooner than I thought. I am waiting for my DW and DD to get beautiful to go to the Farmer's Market this morning (me, I just walked 3 miles and am going to wait to get back from the Market to clean up ).

I hope everyone is sitting down.

I did calculate a year's stay at each of the campsite levels. Week day and weekend day counts were checked and double checked.

Drum roll please.....






At rack rate with taxes,

Tent Site for all of 2018: $34,549
Full Site for all of 2018: $44,458
Preferred Site for all of 2018: $49,970
Premium Site for all of 2018: $53,128

Yowza.

Bama Ed

 

[sweet maxine]

That's incredible!

 

[bama_ed]

Let's break it down.

For the Full site per year, that's an average of $3,700 per month.

What costs do you avoid every month?

My estimates:

$250 for a power bill
$100 for a water/sewer/garbage pickup bill
$150 for property tax (this one can vary widely)
$150 for tv and internet service
$300 for the equivalent of Homeowner's Association dues (on-call maintenance, mowing, decoration up/downs, pool maintenance, etc.)

That totals $950 per month. Let's round it to $1,000 which leaves an equivalent monthly living expense left over of $2,700 for housing.

Are there any other avoidable costs that I overlooked? Any estimates above I got very wrong? Vehicle, clothing, and food expense aren't reflected here nor are annual passes/tickets or other entertainment expense.

Bama Ed

 

[2goofycampers]

At rack rate with taxes,

Tent Site for all of 2018: $34,549
Full Site for all of 2018: $44,458
Preferred Site for all of 2018: $49,970
Premium Site for all of 2018: $53,128

Yowza.

Bama Ed

Is that all?

 

[John VN]

Let's break it down.

For the Full site per year, that's an average of $3,700 per month.

What costs do you avoid every month?

My estimates:

$250 for a power bill
$100 for a water/sewer/garbage pickup bill
$150 for property tax (this one can vary widely)
$150 for tv and internet service
$300 for the equivalent of Homeowner's Association dues (on-call maintenance, mowing, decoration up/downs, pool maintenance, etc.)

That totals $950 per month. Let's round it to $1,000 which leaves an equivalent monthly living expense left over of $2,700 for housing.

Are there any other avoidable costs that I overlooked? Any estimates above I got very wrong? Vehicle, clothing, and food expense aren't reflected here nor are annual passes/tickets or other entertainment expense.

Bama Ed

I consider a Premium campsite in our motorhome at FW to be located in a BILLION DOLLAR community. I can only imagine what a house ( 1 bedroom, 1.5 baths, living room, dining room, kitchen) in such a location would cost and then there would be the YEARLY INSURANCE on the house to add to your figure$$$$.

I'm almost ready to move in.

OOPS!!! I forgot, we also have a utility room with washer/dryer that I . Oh, and even a less expensive TENT SITE is still in that BILLION DOLLAR COMMUNITY.

 

[sweet maxine]

Does the internal transportation system consider in those numbers in some way? Also, there is a boat which transports the (yearly) resident to an amusement park, and back. Should that figure in somehow? What about the onsite security? Movies at night featuring largish chipmunks who sign autographs upon request? Is that included in the entertainment category? I certainly don't have that here in my neighborhood....

Oops! I forgot to add also the access nightly to a firepit for roasting marshmallows which are a necessary ingredient for making s'mores. Can we put a price on that?

 

[snowmedic]

Full Site for all of 2018: $44,458

I would have to agree with Bama Ed on this. His figures are right on.
I went and looked at the Disney site for available sites for every month in the full hook-up category, since that is what we stay in:

January: entire months stay is sold out, all sites, one might be able to piece ressies together.
February: all site category's are available, full sites avg. 103.67 per night, total cost, 3,148.94
March: all site category's available, full sites avg. 146.07 per night, total cost, 4,929.75
April: all site category's available, full sites avg. 120.28 per night, total cost, 3,924.08
May: all site category's available, full sites avg. 111.50 per night, total cost, 3,763.23
June: all site category's available, full sites avg. 111.17 per night, total cost, 3,627.10
July: all site category's available, full sites avg. 115.10 per night, total cost, 3,884.71
Aug: all site category's available, full sites avg. 93.43 per night, total cost, 3,153.43
Sept: all site category's available, full sites avg. 86.83 per night, total cost, 2,832.79
Oct: all site category's available, full sites avg. 93.00 per night, total cost, 3,138.75
Nov: all site category's available, full sites avg. 96.17 per night, total cost, 3,137.66
Dec: not available for entire month as it is still 499 days out, would only be able to look until Dec. 3.

Total cost for beginning of February to end of November: 35,540.44 with tax.

 

[bama_ed]

snowmedic,

I noticed you put September in green (I guess for its affordability).

I have the price profiles back to 2015 and noticed that for weekdays in September a tent site back then was $56 for a weekday night. In 2018, it's only $60.

So a $4 increase over 3 years isn't that much. I guess Disney is figuring out the elasticity of their pricing everywhere else (how high and low they can set days and weekends and still fill up). If I could get a week or two around the end of September in 1500 for $60 a night I would sure take it.

Bama Ed