FW discounts?

[jtdl]

Are there ever substantial discounts on rates at FW? My family loves to camp but the rate for a site at FW is so close to the rate to stay at a value resort, I'm thinking I would rather have the conveniences of a motel room. I have always wanted to camp at FW. Can trailers be stored in the parking lots of the on-site resorts if we were to stay a few nights at FW and a few nights at one of the value resorts?

 

[F4disneyfan]

Are there ever substantial discounts on rates at FW? My family loves to camp but the rate for a site at FW is so close to the rate to stay at a value resort, I'm thinking I would rather have the conveniences of a motel room. I have always wanted to camp at FW. Can trailers be stored in the parking lots of the on-site resorts if we were to stay a few nights at FW and a few nights at one of the value resorts?

I do not believe there have ever really been any discounts of any VALUE so to speak on a site at FW the closest you would come to a discount is what used to be the winter settlers rates but from reading here I believe they even ended that program.

 

[tim5055]

You really have to compare "Apples to Apples"

2006 Rates (per night, tax not included)

All Stars Pricing
Room Type Value/Regular/Peak/Holiday
Standard $79/$99/$115/$125
Preferred $91/$111/$127/$137

FW Pricing
Room Type Value/Regular/Peak/Holiday/Pre-Holiday
Campsite - Elec/wtr $39/$55/$64/$75/$43
Campsite - Elec/wtr/swr $44/$66/$76/$87/$48
Campsite - Elec/wtr/swr/cbl $53/$72/$82/$92/$56

To continue the comparison I will compare "Preferred Room" at All Stars to a "Preferred ( Elec/wtr/swr/cbl) Campsite".

Value Season, FW= $53 AS= $91: FW saves $38 per night

Regular Season, FW= $72 AS=$111: FW saves $39 per night

Peak FW= $82 AS= 127:FW saves $45 per night

Comparing, you always save at FW.

Now, back to the original question, are there discounts at FW. Yes, they are available but they are usually few and far between. The most comon are AAA and annual passholder discounts.

The idea of discounts to Disney is not to give you a cheaper stay, it is to attract folks to "vacant" rooms/campsites. From what I gather, FW has the highest occupancy rate of all of Disney's properties so they don't need discounts to get folks to stay there. The prime example of this is that Disney created the "Pre-Holiday Season" ony for FW Because of the occupancy levels of FW they were able to raise the price.

Value season

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Unfortunately the cost of fuel eats up that difference between the values and FW. Most folks dont have quite as far to go as we do (1100 miles) Our trailblazer gets double the mileage that our truck does (21-22 for the TB vs 10 1/2 -11 for the truck and trailer)
You gotta love to camp in order to justify FW. The recreation choices at FW are much broader than at the hotels. I can do everything or nothing at all.

The real comparison is in food, with two teenage boys I could never afford to feed them every meal at the food court, and I can pull a cold one out of my cooler instead of paying $3 from Disney.

Scott

 

[F4disneyfan]

Unfortunately the cost of fuel eats up that difference between the values and FW. Most folks dont have quite as far to go as we do (1100 miles) Our trailblazer gets double the mileage that our truck does (21-22 for the TB vs 10 1/2 -11 for the truck and trailer)
You gotta love to camp in order to justify FW. The recreation choices at FW are much broader than at the hotels. I can do everything or nothing at all.

The real comparison is in food, with two teenage boys I could never afford to feed them every meal at the food court, and I can pull a cold one out of my cooler instead of paying $3 from Disney.

Scott

That is why you need to try renting points for a 1 bedroom DVC villa then you get to have your cold ones in the fridge and you have a full kitchen to prepare even the smallest meal if you wish so no dining out every meal. There is no replacement for our DVC it is by far the best value for staying at WDW for our family of 5 when we go for 2 weeks a year. Also we drive to WDW each trip from London Ontario Canada. So it is 2400Kilometers or so and about 20-24 hours drive depending on frequency of stops etc which is still better for us than flying with the cost of airfare for a family of 5 I can drive for the cost of 2 of us flying or even less usually.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Funny you should mention DVC, we had a Boardwalk and a Wilderness lodge add on that we sold after we bought the trailer. With our vacation budget shrinking we couldnt afford both the DVC and the trailer. We have such a good time at FW that we sold the DVC. We loved the DVC and it actually was a great value for us, not to mention we sold it for a small profit, we just loved camping at FW too much.

 

[F4disneyfan]

Funny you should mention DVC, we had a Boardwalk and a Wilderness lodge add on that we sold after we bought the trailer. With our vacation budget shrinking we couldnt afford both the DVC and the trailer. We have such a good time at FW that we sold the DVC. We loved the DVC and it actually was a great value for us, not to mention we sold it for a small profit, we just loved camping at FW too much.

LOL never would we sell our DVC we would sell my wifes new trailer and anything else we had to before giving up our DVC holidays.

 

[ynottony99]

We live in St. Petersburg, so the extra fuel cost is a minor concern. But if you are truly figuring the bottom line in money spent on a vacation, then I think a value resort would be the way to go. That is when you figure in cost of a trailer or rv, maintenance, insurance, tow vehicle, etc.

That said, we love having our trailer with all the obvious advantages over a hotel room.

If our finances were different, or if we lived a few states away, then I may feel differently.

 

[jtdl]

We already have a trailer, so do pay insurance, maintenance costs, etc already, but with the price of gas these days (we are also from Southwestern Ontario) I'm still not sure what would be the cheapest way to go. We would save on the price of food and,which is something I never thought about. We always had a few cold ones in our cooler in the motel room, so no difference there . We'd also save on the cost of a motel room for one night each way. I guess it would probably even out pricewise. Well, I guess I'll keep dreaming of camping in FW and maybe one of these years we'll actually do it.

 

[F4disneyfan]

We already have a trailer, so do pay insurance, maintenance costs, etc already, but with the price of gas these days (we are also from Southwestern Ontario) I'm still not sure what would be the cheapest way to go. We would save on the price of food and,which is something I never thought about. We always had a few cold ones in our cooler in the motel room, so no difference there . We'd also save on the cost of a motel room for one night each way. I guess it would probably even out pricewise. Well, I guess I'll keep dreaming of camping in FW and maybe one of these years we'll actually do it.

Our 2007 trip we are taking the tent trailer with us my wife camped at FW her first time ever going to Disney and numerous times therafter. So as much as I hate camping I am going to camp for 1 week and then we move to the 2 bedroom at SSR for the final week. Gas although it is getting up there is one of those things I do not even worry about it is a consumable and therefore always going to be used just like an oilchange and washerfluid. Gas could be 10 dollars a litre and I would still pay for it and still drive everywhere it isn't going to get any cheaper and I know this so I don't even worry about it anymore look at what they pay for gas in Europe it is about 2 to 3 times more expensive than over here in North America but we don't hear them whining about the cost of driving places. So I will let you know the increase in cost we filled up the van yesterday and have driven only in the city since then put over 120K on the van and used under 1/8th of a tank so we get good mileage which helps.

 

[jtdl]

F4disneyfan, you'll have to let us know how you enjoyed your first Disney camping expedition. We are actually looking to buy a tent trailer too, as - another gas complaint - we now have a 5th wheel which is way too expensive to pull around ($200 of gas to go 2.5 hrs from home and back) so it's going to stay parked seasonally in the park where it is and we'll pull a much lighter trailer when we travel. Hearing from a first timer may sway my decision one way or the other. I'll be looking forward to your comments when you return .

 

[F4disneyfan]

F4disneyfan, you'll have to let us know how you enjoyed your first Disney camping expedition. We are actually looking to buy a tent trailer too, as - another gas complaint - we now have a 5th wheel which is way too expensive to pull around ($200 of gas to go 2.5 hrs from home and back) so it's going to stay parked seasonally in the park where it is and we'll pull a much lighter trailer when we travel. Hearing from a first timer may sway my decision one way or the other. I'll be looking forward to your comments when you return .

You may not want to hear my comments as I hate camping I am doing this to appease my wife and her love of camping. in the summer we take separate holidays she goes camping with teh kids I go to the motorcycle races in Ohio and stay in a hotel LOL.

 

[Cookie Mom]

Cost of fuel/gas aside, we love camping and own a 38' fifth wheel trailer with four slides (okay, it's our way of camping, LOL!). Anyway, my DH and I have been to Disney three times and it was only the last time in 2004 that we were able to camp at Fort Wilderness. We absolutely love it there! I feel that for our family the benefits of camping far outweigh those of staying in a hotel. I really dislike the idea of sleeping in a bed where who knows how many other people have slept. I have stayed in hotels, many of which were very nice, but it's a last resort (parden the pun) for us now that we have a camping rig (this is our 4th RV in four years, but that's a whole other thread, LOL!). Also, since my DH won't fly, this is the best way for us to travel. For us, the worse part is that we have to figure in four days travel time into our vacation to Disney (2 days down and 2 days back to NY).

 

[F4disneyfan]

Cost of fuel/gas aside, we love camping and own a 38' fifth wheel trailer with four slides (okay, it's our way of camping, LOL!). Anyway, my DH and I have been to Disney three times and it was only the last time in 2004 that we were able to camp at Fort Wilderness. We absolutely love it there! I feel that for our family the benefits of camping far outweigh those of staying in a hotel. I really dislike the idea of sleeping in a bed where who knows how many other people have slept. I have stayed in hotels, many of which were very nice, but it's a last resort (parden the pun) for us now that we have a camping rig (this is our 4th RV in four years, but that's a whole other thread, LOL!). Also, since my DH won't fly, this is the best way for us to travel. For us, the worse part is that we have to figure in four days travel time into our vacation to Disney (2 days down and 2 days back to NY).

Wow that is a great deal of travel time where in NY do you live we travel from Ontario Canada and only take a day each way usually or a day and a half down a day back and it is over 2400 kilometers for us to get there.

 

[laceemouse]

F4disneyfan, I guess you have never considered that some folks don't enjoy driving non-stop for 24 hours! Even if you take turns driving/sleeping it is still dangerous for a lot of people to drive while they are exhausted. My dh and I could never do that. When he starts yawning it scares the CRAP out of me. Too much chance of an accident! We take two days to drive from Texas, we took two days to drive from Chicago. We would rather not be frazzled when we get there! We prefer driving, having our own car, ect....Our next trip we are staying at FW in a tent. It is way cheaper than the values for us, we would have to get 2 rooms. Maybe next time we will have the $$$ for a hotel. We like to stay on-site. We sold our 2 DVC contracts recently due to a whole mess of trouble, but we will survive without it. DVC, even renting points, is a lot of money!!!

 

[F4disneyfan]

F4disneyfan, I guess you have never considered that some folks don't enjoy driving non-stop for 24 hours! Even if you take turns driving/sleeping it is still dangerous for a lot of people to drive while they are exhausted. My dh and I could never do that. When he starts yawning it scares the CRAP out of me. Too much chance of an accident! We take two days to drive from Texas, we took two days to drive from Chicago. We would rather not be frazzled when we get there! We prefer driving, having our own car, ect....Our next trip we are staying at FW in a tent. It is way cheaper than the values for us, we would have to get 2 rooms. Maybe next time we will have the $$$ for a hotel. We like to stay on-site. We sold our 2 DVC contracts recently due to a whole mess of trouble, but we will survive without it. DVC, even renting points, is a lot of money!!!

I hear you about DVC being lots of money but it is the one thing we will not give up there are many other things we can eliminate or do without to have DVC LOL. As for the driving I guess it is all what you are used to. We were always in the car lots when we were younger and my dad is a truck driver I guess I got the whole long distance driving thing from him.

 

[Cookie Mom]

F4DisneyFan,

We live about 2 hours north of NYC in NY. It is an easy 20-24 hours of actual driving time for us. I do not tow the fiver and my DH couldn't possibly drive for that long amount of time. My back and neck would not handle that much time in the truck very well, nor would our two kids. Believe me, I'd love to be able to get down and back from Disney in a week, but that's not realistic for us.

 

[F4disneyfan]

F4DisneyFan,

We live about 2 hours north of NYC in NY. It is an easy 20-24 hours of actual driving time for us. I do not tow the fiver and my DH couldn't possibly drive for that long amount of time. My back and neck would not handle that much time in the truck very well, nor would our two kids. Believe me, I'd love to be able to get down and back from Disney in a week, but that's not realistic for us.

Oh I hear ya there we are lucky enough to have 3 kids that are great car travellers they are more at home sitting in the car than anywhere else LOL. The kids are only 3 5 and 9 4 5 and 10 for this trip in Dec but they love the car we are pulling the wifes trailer down next Dec not this trip even though I asked her if she wanted to switch from OKW to FW for the first part of the trip before the cruise and she said no way no how LOL.