How much is too much?

[talulabelle]

It's too much when you are pay close to or more what it costs to stay in an onsite hotel. For that price, you could stay in a moderate during a special, not even just a Value. AND someone would come in and clean your room and make your bed for you. That is way TOO MUCH just to use their land. You could pay the same and use their land, and their buildings, and their beds.

 

[AuburnJen92]

Sorry for your loss locals, but the secret is out. Be glad for the years you had this gem essentially to yourself, and for a steal.

You just couldn't leave that out could you? Had to go on a rant and add it. Frankly, I am tired of it. You seem to want to bash us at every turn. This discussion had nothing to do with locals at all, and yet, here you are. I was going to just sit and watch this one go by but you seem to have this obsession with hacking at us at every turn. I know I am not the only one that feels this way either. I am just the one that is speaking up. Enough already. I, and a lot of other locals, used to go to the fort for weekends and enjoy ourselves at the parks or just at the fort. The new tiered system has made that prohibitive now. I know all about supply and demand and understand it fully. I don't agree with their new system and that is why I don't agree with their pricing system at the fort and that is why it is prohibitive now for people to stay there frequently.

I guarantee if things get bad enough at FW that they won't be going to people out of state to ask to fill their sites. They'll advertise in Florida, and usually, the locals come through for them.

 

[Shan-man]

Before I get started, let me say that I take no offense to anything you said, nor do I intend offense (either in my previous post or this one).

I think it depends on the individual. Some people use the Fort for a “vacation destination,” others (like myself) use it for a “crash-pad” and yes, it most certainly serves that function as well. While that may not be your intended use, be careful about discounting others who may use it in that fashion.

I think it is objectively true that Fort Wilderness is a vacation destination. Disney has marketed it as such, and built the facilities and activities to make it such. And the public has largely embraced it as such. I did not say one must use it as such. I just said that it may not function ideally for someone who only wants to use it as a crash-pad. Which, BTW, seems to be your complaint too, since you seem to be balking at these prices for your use. My only argument is that this shouldn't be a surprise since the Fort is so much more than a crash-pad.

In addition, this still does not address the issue of how a concrete pad can be more expensive to operate than a motel/hotel room. Sure I understand the laws of supply and demand, but it seems to me that the answer might be to build Fort Wilderness #2 and/or expand the current offerings to meet the need while providing a place to stay for families who are less fortunate financially. Disney has done this with all the other resorts…why not another campground?

I'm sorry, but this is one of my hot-buttons (as Cindy found out a couple of months ago!) but the Fort offers SO MUCH MORE for your night's fee than a concrete pad! If all you want is a pad and hookups, Turkey Lake is just up the road for $20 per night. Just because you don't avail yourself of the offerings don't insist the Fort is not worth it because it's more expensive than a motel room. I am not angry with you (or Cindy) over this, but the idea that the Fort is so meager and pedestrian (akin to highway exit campgrounds!) just really irritates me. It's not personal. Ok, I feel better now

As far as expansion, I hope they find a way to do it, and that prices might moderate some. That would be wonderful. But I have seen the plats and Fort Wilderness is surrounded by wetland preserves, so, unless they find someway of reclassifying that land, expansion will be quite limited.

My goal while at WDW is to visit the parks…not sit at my camper ... The reason I stay at the Fort is mostly financial ... In short, we choose the Fort because it enables us to visit WDW more often. To state that we shouldn’t consider the cost or use the Fort in a way which is different from your own seems a little elitist to me.

I'm glad that the Fort provides you an economical alternative, and as long as you find it to be so I say go for it... just be aware that your fees are paying for a lot more than what you are using and at some point the cost will probably outstrip your use. I don't think I said anything like either of the last statements. I said the Fort might not lend itself well to your intended use, as a budget motel, and that to expect that it would might be unfair... just as complaining that any other destination resort seems really expensive compared to the Motel 8 (or Turkey Lake). But hey, if you want to spend a grand a night to crash and shower at the Grand Floridian that's your prerogative, just as it is to do it at the Fort for $120 a night. I'm just saying that complaining 'it is what it is' and not 'what you want it to be' might be a little unreasonable.

Do I enjoy the Fort in the limited time that I am there? Absolutely, it is the greatest and most beautiful campground I know and we love it. Perhaps we may not spend as much time there as you, but it is a beautiful place to be.

Ahhh, sweet agreement!

 

[des1954]

Warning! This is going to be very long.

Okay....I'm probably one of the few people on this board that, as an adult, has camped at FtW more than most people. Since 1974, we have stayed at the Fort several weekends each year in addition to weekly vacations. In the winters of 2002/03 & 2003/04, we stayed a consecutive 3.5 months. Since 04 (when we built our home just 25 miles from FtW) we try to stay one weekend a month, plus 2 extended stays of 10 days or more. DH & I can both easily drive to our work locations from FtW, and do. We bicycle frequently (weekly) at FtW when not staying there. Those are my "qualifications" as an expert over most of the life-span of FtW.

Here's the take on the "packed" conditions of FtW.....

Prior to 9/11/01, you could call CRO a week in advance and book a site. It didn't matter if it was off or on season, you could usually get in...with the exception of the week between Christmas and New Years. Then came 9/11.

We had a ressie for the Thurs-Sun following 9/11. The campground, the other resorts, and all the parks were EMPTY!! (Due to flights being grounded, and people being scared in general.) We decided to go ahead with our plans because (a) at the time we lived 1.5 hours away & thought what the heck and (b) if Disney were a terrorist target - again - what the heck! What better place to die than at WDW.

After 9/11/01 and until approx 2007 when the economy started dumping, people got RV crazy. They figured it was a safer way to travel, and in a lot of ways more convenient. Unless you camp in a tent, it isn't cheaper by any means.

Between 2001 and now, people had more disposable income, and a lot of people either bought vacation property in Florida or bought RV's to be able to vacation in comfort in Florida and have the flexibility of camping other places. That's when things started to really boom at FtW.

Starting towards the end of 2002, it was getting harder and harder to call CRO a week out and get a ressie. Little by little, you had to call a month ahead, two months ahead, etc....until now, you almost have to book a year ahead. Up until February 2004, they offered a "Winter Settler's" rate for those people staying 28 days or longer. It was a very substancial discount of $850/month for full-hook up sites or $925/month for preferred sites. The last I knew in winter 2003/4, they had over 250 winter people staying from October until March. (I was one of those people 2 years in a row.) In 2003 it also started getting damned near impossible to get any kind of reservation - so Disney made the decision to end the "Winter Settler" discount as of end of season 2004. They left the pricing as whatever price you were charged the first night of your ressie, that's the price you paid for your entire 28 days. If you knew the pricing system, you still could end up paying a very reduced rate if your bookings started on the cheapest day. Then in January 2008, things changed....

Disney realized they could charge a day-by-day rate & people would still come. And come they have - which is good for FtW - bad for people who want to come to FtW on a last minute whim.

Now, here's my take on the future of FtW. I think we are going to see the popularity of FtW take a down-turn. Why??? The economic bubble has burst, and people are giving up their RV's, either by choice or by repossession, because of less disposable income - or by losing their income altogether. Camping equipment is a luxury - not a necessity.

5 miles from where I live is one of Florida's largest Auto Auction sites. Up until last summer (2008) it was usually full of cars, and very few RV's and boats. Now? It is SLAP FULL of RV's (mostly Class A's & 5'ers) and large boats. These are approximately 95% repo's. There are very few cars in the lot. On a recent trip to Lazy Days RV in Tampa, they had approximately one-third the amount of RV's on display (maybe less), than what they've had in years past. They've let go of some of their sales staff, and others have left on their own because they weren't making any money. A friend of ours who has been with Bates RV for 17 years, just left for another job because he had 3 months in which he had no sales - which equated to no paycheck. Another acquaintance of ours owns a small TT/Pop-Up dealership in Lakeland (Conibear RV), and he is struggling to keep the doors open.

If you factor in all the economics of camping (equipment, cost of fuel, cost of insurance, cost of site) people who can hang on to their equipment, afford the insurance and the fuel, may not be able to afford FtW prices. Those who have lost their equipment, obviously, will no longer be going to FtW.

For those reasons stated, I think FtW will see a gradual down-turn in bookings and may have to re-think their pricing plans. When all is said and done, those within a reasonable driving distance (say 6 hours or less) will continue to come for extended weekends, while those who have to drive long distances will opt for less expensive camping accomodations.

It has mostly been the local, weekend crowd that, over the years, has kept FtW afloat. Again, up until 2001, you mostly saw Florida plates on the RV's at FtW, and even now, Florida plates still comprise a majority of the campers at FtW - except for maybe 4 - 5 weeks out of the year that are the big vacation weeks.

This is JMHO based on observation and not on any statistical data.

 

[Shan-man]

Deb, thanks for sharing your long-view of the situation.

Oh boy, here I go again, about to say something that will draw some fire my way (how stupid can one guy be?)! I think Disney will have to get pretty desperate to start offering big discounts to locals. Locals typically only want to drop in for the weekend, which breaks-up the availability for out-of-town'ers. So, unless their occupancy is WAY down they don't want to start selling "weekends only" and having un-bookable blocks of days in between. Plus, locals are (generally) less likely to buy souvenirs and expensive meals. And, they often don't buy park tickets - opting to stay out of the parks or preferring (greatly discounted) season passes. These challenges are pretty unique to Fort Wilderness, since extended stays at other resorts are pretty uncommon: 5-6 days at other resorts are pretty long, but at FW that's a pretty short stay. Disney would do much better making good deals for neighboring states, where folks are more apt to spend several days, be buying park tickets (or much more expensive non-FL season passes), utilizing more dining (because it is harder to carry enough food for a longer trip), and they since they don't come often they will buy souvenirs. Again, I am generalizing.

But, from what I've seen, Disney has no incentive to offer anyone discounts as the Fort seems to be staying pretty full. As others have mentioned, there is spectacularly low overhead to renting "concrete pads" so I imagine they can turn a profit even with occupancy at about 10-15%, and from what I've been hearing it sounds like they are at only 10-15% availability recently. Also, in December, on the 500 loop I did take notice of the license plates, and I would say perhaps 1 in 6 was from Florida, and at least a few of those were only there for the weekend (or a long weekend). Most folks seemed to be from the (far) north (MI, WI, MN). I know this changes seasonally.

If however, the RV industry does hit the rocks and the Fort fails to be profitable, I'm sure they will come pandering to their Fl friends/fiends hoping they will again bail them out... I just wouldn't hold my breath for that day to come.

 

[JPG]

Shan-man, Excellent points!!
I agree 100%...As for the locals, the Fort is not your personal campground and hang out. I know some of you think it is, but it belongs to Disney and is there to make profits and provide folks with a nice RESORT for vacationers to come to and get a very different experience than what can be obtained at any "ordinary" campground. Not to provide some super cheap place for you to hang out and party. I know it pisses you off, but that's life.

Sure some are selling their RVs as a result of the economy, but I would also caution you not to buy into the idea that it is like that everywhere. Geographically speaking, there are only a few pockets of the US where this is occurring, Florida being one of them....

Jen......all I can say is, GOOD GRIEF!!!

 

[team bradfield]

Shan-man, Excellent points!!
I agree 100%...As for the locals, the Fort is not your personal campground and hang out. I know some of you think it is, but it belongs to Disney and is there to make profits and provide folks with a nice RESORT for vacationers to come to and get a very different experience than what can be obtained at any "ordinary" campground. Not to provide some super cheap place for you to hang out and party. I know it pisses you off, but that's life.

Sure some are selling their RVs as a result of the economy, but I would also caution you not to buy into the idea that it is like that everywhere. Geographically speaking, there are only a few pockets of the US where this is occurring, Florida being one of them....

Jen......all I can say is, GOOD GRIEF!!!

JPG, I was expecting Jen....ROLL TIDE!

 

[des1954]

Disney has NEVER offered special pricing at FtW to Florida residents. So I'm not sure where anyone got that idea from. I don't even think they extend discounts to CM's anymore, which used to be a given. And, if you read my comments about the "Winter Settler" rates, that was pandering to the retired northerners, and not the full-time residents of Florida. The only reason we did extended stays was because in 2002/3 my DH retired (while I drove back and forth to Tampa each day to go to work - yes - from FtW to Tampa - 73 miles each way) and in 2003/4 I retired and wanted my chance for a long stay at FtW. We got the "winter settler" rates just like anyone else who booked 28 day ressies, and no other discounts - even though we are Fl residents, stock holders, and Fl Resident passholders - which we've had since 1990.

I've been camping at FtW thru thick and thin, and discounts are opened to everyone, not just Florida residents. We don't get any special site discounts just because we live in Florida. Now that being said, occasionally they offer special discounts to annual passholders, but not exclusively to Florida resident passholders.

I never said that FtW was just for local Floridians. We truly enjoy meeting people who stay at FtW from all over the country & some from other countries.

All I'm saying is that, due to proximity, Floridians are more likely to use the Fort than other people.

JPG - Lazy Days is the largest RV dealership in the USA. People come from all over to buy RV's from them, and I'm here to tell you, they are experiencing very slow sales right now. It's not just here in Florida.

The community I live in is exclusive to RV owners. For over 50% of the homeowners, this is a second home. The homes are built with RV ports to park under. We currently have 25% of the homes up for sale, two that I know of have been foreclosed on, and some people have lost their RV's due to repossession - and these are NORTHERNERS - not - FLORIDIANS.
So, please, don't generalize.

BTW - how many times have either of you been to the Fort since it opened? I can say with honesty, I've stayed on average since 1974, 4 weekends and 2 weeks every year with the exception of 1987 to 1991 when we didn't have any camping equipment. Those years, we stayed at either POFQ, PORS, the Poly, or CR once a month. So..... you don't think the locals have an impact on Disney? Think again. I'm just one of MANY Floridians who prefer Disney over other places.

Oh yeah....during the 87-91 years, we also stayed in the cabins about 5 times. We also drive over to Disney just for dinner sometimes without going into a park. And <gasp> I also shop at D.D. for Christmas and birthday shopping & just to shop in general! OH NO!!! I'm not a NORTHERNER!!! I CAN'T DO THAT!!!

AND (I'm not done yet) What REALLY pizzez me off are some of the long term winter guests that think us "weekenders" are invading THEIR campground. Yes - I've heard some of them say that. We've gotten to know a lot of the winter people from our MANY stays - and that's how they view FtW. Not all, mind you, but some. Just so I'm not accused of "profiling". (LOL)

 

[nikkipowell1]

Disney has NEVER offered special pricing at FtW to Florida residents. So I'm not sure where anyone got that idea from. I don't even think they extend discounts to CM's anymore, which used to be a given. And, if you read my comments about the "Winter Settler" rates, that was pandering to the retired northerners, and not the full-time residents of Florida. The only reason we did extended stays was because in 2002/3 my DH retired (while I drove back and forth to Tampa each day to go to work - yes - from FtW to Tampa - 73 miles each way) and in 2003/4 I retired and wanted my chance for a long stay at FtW. We got the "winter settler" rates just like anyone else who booked 28 day ressies, and no other discounts - even though we are Fl residents, stock holders, and Fl Resident passholders - which we've had since 1990.

I've been camping at FtW thru thick and thin, and discounts are opened to everyone, not just Florida residents. We don't get any special site discounts just because we live in Florida. Now that being said, occasionally they offer special discounts to annual passholders, but not exclusively to Florida resident passholders.

I never said that FtW was just for local Floridians. We truly enjoy meeting people who stay at FtW from all over the country & some from other countries.

All I'm saying is that, due to proximity, Floridians are more likely to use the Fort than other people.

JPG - Lazy Days is the largest RV dealership in the USA. People come from all over to buy RV's from them, and I'm here to tell you, they are experiencing very slow sales right now. It's not just here in Florida.

The community I live in is exclusive to RV owners. For over 50% of the homeowners, this is a second home. The homes are built with RV ports to park under. We currently have 25% of the homes up for sale, two that I know of have been foreclosed on, and some people have lost their RV's due to repossession - and these are NORTHERNERS - not - FLORIDIANS.
So, please, don't generalize.

BTW - how many times have either of you been to the Fort since it opened? I can say with honesty, I've stayed on average since 1974, 4 weekends and 2 weeks every year with the exception of 1987 to 1991 when we didn't have any camping equipment. Those years, we stayed at either POFQ, PORS, the Poly, or CR once a month. So..... you don't think the locals have an impact on Disney? Think again. I'm just one of MANY Floridians who prefer Disney over other places.

Oh yeah....during the 87-91 years, we also stayed in the cabins about 5 times. We also drive over to Disney just for dinner sometimes without going into a park. And <gasp> I also shop at D.D. for Christmas and birthday shopping & just to shop in general! OH NO!!! I'm not a NORTHERNER!!! I CAN'T DO THAT!!!

You go girlfriend, btw I used to live in Clearwater for many years, many years back. Graduated from Countryside High School.

 

[VAN]

We live in Michigan and have a pop-up. For the past several years we have driven to Florida with the pop-up for a 10 night stay at the Fort. Agree that it has gotten quite expensive. Now that the kids are grown, it is just my DH and self. I had reservations at the Fort for this spring, but because of the resonable airfare and the great resort discounts we cancelled at the Fort and stayed at a value resort instead.

We are going again in September for the free dining.

I still love the Fort and would prefer to stay there; however, the economics of the trip is that it is cheaper to fly and stay at a value resort. With it just being the two of us, meals aren't as expensive as when there were four of us.

Anyway, our camper will be used this summer at Lake Michigan for two extended weekends, but other than that - no Florida trip with the camper for the foreseeable future.

p.s. I walked through the campground last week to take a peak at the new pool - it is going to be awesome!

 

[JPG]

Debbie, I did not say that sales of RVs were off, I was referring to folks either losing their current RV or having to sell their current RV.
AND.....I understand that locals have an impact on the Fort, that is usually the case with any attraction or destination.....I live on the Alabama coast and sure there are always a lot of Alabamians at Gulf Shores, but the "out of state" folks are who they really market to....Just the way it is....

Anyway, its funny to me that I constantly read on these forums that Disney is making a HUGE mistake and are going to suffer, blah blah blah.....Well it seems to me that the Disney Company is pretty smart and have been in business along time. So, they must be doing something right. Everything they try doesn't always work, but they always come back with something profitable...


Anyway....I ain't gonna argue about it life is too short....

May God Bless America and ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!

 

[des1954]

Just so you know....Disney is marketing Florida Resident Annual Pass rates to Ga, Al, NC & SC residents. The BIG thing keeping Disney full right now are the 4 nites for price of 3 & the "free" dining plans. Disney is the expert marketer's of the world, and WDW will do whatever it takes to keep the $$$ flowing into their pockets. I'm just sad that the quality of the food is suffering in order to provide these packages - even at the CS stands. We USED to love to go to Boma's, Le Cellier, Chef Mickey's, Biergarten, Cape May, and even some of the food courts at PO & AS just for dinner or lunch. Now, the quality has gone down so badly, that we can't justify the rates they charge.

Our absolute favorite was Roaring Forks at WL before they remodeled it. Each night they had a "Chef's Special" that was terrific. Saturday nite they featured an open faced turkey sandwich with mashed taters. It was GREAT! There also was a baked potato bar at the snack bar at the GF which was a treat. Alas....both are gone. (sigh).

My original point (which I don't think I got across very well) is that probably within the next year or two, FtW ressies are going to start to decrease - unless the economy does a big turn around. When that happens, the "suits" will be forced to re-think prices.

On the <ahem> good side.... a LOT of the winter folks opted to winter at other resorts this year - leaving more spaces available for families to come to FtW. Fort management had a meeting with the winter people in March of '03 explaining that there would be no more Winter Settler rates starting in '04 and that basically, the Fort would survive without the winter people. They were right. I've honestly never seen the Fort so consistently packed as it has been since 2007. It just means I have to do some advanced planning now instead of deciding today that I want to stay at FtW next weekend. Don't cry for me....I'll survive!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I find it hard to believe the global recession is just hitting "pockets" of the country like Florida. Some may be harder hit than others, but it is far more widespread. The reality is the RV industry is "hitting the rocks." But don't take my word for it - check out Fleetwood, who recently declared bankruptcy. Ask the folks in Elkhart, Indianna how things are going in the industry - they'll let you know when the next auction is for supplies for RV manufacturing, which they have plenty of time to go to since they are unemployed. And hate to break it to you, folks, but none of us top the list for spending at Disney and keeping the mouse afloat. According to my buddy the CM, the top spenders at the World of Disney are (drum roll, please) the wealthy middle easterners who peel off tons of cash to keep their little ones in mouse gear. Now, I still say, for me, Disney has crossed the line, at least for the present, with the cost of a campsite and what I get for it.

 

[juligrl]

Why do we use the Fort? Simple mathematics. Staying at the Fort is still the cheapest alternative for staying on-site at WDW when one considers the ability to prepare one’s own meals.

Throw free dining into the equation and for a tent camper, minus a kitchen, the Fort is not the cheapest option.
If I were the chief magic maker at Disney... I'd declare free dining valid on all FtW campsites above the basic ones. I guess that's why I'm not employed by Disney.

 

[Shan-man]

Let me back up a step or two. First, I have to say I did not see Jen's post until a couple of minutes ago (because someone referred to it) and if I had I would not have posted the more recent posts that got Deb worked up. I fear I have already burned my bridges with Jen (who I regarded as a dear cyber-friend) and I certainly don't want to go down that same path with Deb. You'll just have to believe that I have said nothing with animus, and if we were all sitting around the campfire I think we'd all be getting along. Cold electronic type seems to come across so harsh!

Second, I have no dislike of locals! Really! In fact I very much so want to be one! And if I ever am, I will probably find a way to get to the Fort 3-4 times a year if the prices stay like they are, and I will have an AP and use it even more often. If Deb's predictions come true and FW hits the skids and offers huge discounts (to APs, or FL, or good neighbor states) then I will take advantage of them and come even more often. I'm not being anti-local when I suggest that Disney's best interests might be served by marketing to neighbor states more so than to locals... I'm just trying to examine what I think would work best for their interests. I'm also not being anti-local by saying that the Fort is not ideally suited to being a replacement for a weekend-getaway type of CG. That's just not what it is anymore. The fact that locals were able to utilize it as such for so long should bring joy for the memories, not bitter disdain for the fact that it isn't that way anymore.

Third, I didn't generalize (in the slightest) about who is loosing their RVs! I made some general statements about how (many) AP-holders use the parks, and surmised that courting them is perhaps not the best use of the discount dollar. I generalized and said generally they stay shorter, spend less on food, and don't buy souvenirs, generally. Deb is obviously an exception, since she used to eat at a lot of nice restaurants (before the quality nose-dived [nose-dove? LOL]). I'm sure there are lots of APs who prove this statement wrong -- if it were stated as a universal... that's why I said GENERALLY.

If I were to make a generalized statement about who is loosing their RV's I'd probably say that a lot of retired folks with their income tied to the stock market (i.e. 401k's largely vested in "income" funds, ugh!) are having to part with everything non-essential. The only reason I even mentioned northerners is that there were a lot of them at the Fort and not a lot of Floridians (not that I have anything against Floridians, or locals, really!)

Finally, I thought I had heard about FL resident discounts here, the same as I had about good-neighbor state discounts. Sorry if I was misinformed.

I certainly didn't intend to spur anyone on to anger, though I suspected that by voicing my opinion it might lead to that. At the same time I don't really want to feel like I have to walk on egg-shells in order to participate in the community. Between loosing Jen as a friend over a similar discussion and loosing the right to talk about religion and politics, I feel like I'm a couple of "broken eggs" away from hanging up these boards altogether. I have already all but abandoned the Community Board. I sure don't want my friendship with Deb to be that "broken egg". I hope you'll forgive me for having a differing opinion and being just stupid enough to share it



Edit: Oh, just one more thing - to try to put this puppy back on track:

My original point (which I don't think I got across very well) is that probably within the next year or two, FtW ressies are going to start to decrease - unless the economy does a big turn around. When that happens, the "suits" will be forced to re-think prices

I certainly agree: if your predictions on FW bookings come true, the execs will have to rethink and I hope that they come up with some attractive deals for my fellow fiends who have decided the current pricing structure is too high for them. I wish you all (locals included) many happy days at the Fort, and Fort-filled dreams to carry you through your days away!

 

[WDWFWfan]

Throw free dining into the equation and for a tent camper, minus a kitchen, the Fort is not the cheapest option.
If I were the chief magic maker at Disney... I'd declare free dining valid on all FtW campsites above the basic ones. I guess that's why I'm not employed by Disney.

True...that is if you have the luxury of traveling during the time they offer free dining which we do not. For the rest of the year, the Fort is our most affordable alternative.

 

[Live4FW]

Just so you know....Disney is marketing Florida Resident Annual Pass rates to Ga, Al, NC & SC residents.

Deb,

Can you provide a link or something. I just went on the official website and it wants a FL zipcode and I see no mention of good neighbor states.

TKS

 

[des1954]

Deb,

Can you provide a link or something. I just went on the official website and it wants a FL zipcode and I see no mention of good neighbor states.

TKS

Perhaps that offer is over now. Starting last November, the Florida Res. AP rate was extended to 4 other states. IIRC, the last commercial I saw regarding this was maybe January or February. You may wish to call and see if it's still being offered and just not advertised.

Shan - For the record - yeah, I get steamed up when it's assumed there are separate price plans for Floridians vs. out of stater's. I have heard that all my life regarding the "natives" getting special prices on everything - including groceries. But I can assure you Floridian's don't have a "secret tattoo or handshake" at any checkout register to give us better deals (LOL).

Shan, I don't hold grudges. We're still cyber-friends (and Fort Friends). I just wish to make it clear that Floridians have never received "special pricing" on sites at FtW. To my recollection, the only special deals Florida Residents w/AP's have ever received at Disney were on the cabins, the CR, & the Poly - and that was back in the early 90's during the months of January, Sept. & Oct. You could get a room or cabin for $99/nite, and you could only get those if you called the minute you received your notice in the mail. They had very little availability for those rates. Now, the new "specials" are offered to anyone, anywhere. I can't remember the last time I saw a special rate on rooms to Fl. AP holders.

All in all, when you compare the prices at FtW with other comparable CG's (and what's comparable to Disney?), Disney is not that far out of line. Our neighbors just returned from a week in Key West and paid $150/nite (tax incl) for a site. The KOA on US192 in Kissemmee charges over $100/nite during season & that is a very crappy campground. River Ranch in Lake Wales, (which is as nice as FtW) charges about the same price as Disney.

I just want to set the record straight that there is, and never has been, special deals on sites at FtW for Fl. residents. Other resorts, yes. FtW sites, no.

 

[loveDmouse]

The Fort is still a way cheaper option for us then staying at one of the resorts. Besides, as many of us know, it is a life style and I would rather sleep in my own bed and have my own bathroom. We can eat cheaper by cooking many of our own meals.
(I know some people (probably no one around here) like to say you need to include your costs of the rv in that but we don't. You don't add you vehicle payment into your costs of a trip do you?? Seems silly to me.)

Honestly our campgrounds around here are not much cheaper in season then what we stay at the Fort for in early December and you get WAY more at the Fort.

It would have to be WAY cheaper to stay at a resort (preferably deluxe but would go for moderate) for us to switch. To tell you the truth though I can't imagine coming to Disney and not staying at the Fort. It just wouldn't seem right.

Also, it doesn't seem to me that anyone gets any better rates at the Fort no matter where you are from. Unless you are lucky to get a AAA discount that seems to be it. I think they should offer Free Dining. They could limit it to just the amount of people who would be in a room. Seems only fair.

Happy Camping!

 

[dtum]

What makes me sad is that this trip may be our last family trip. DH and I have picked up a lot of the cost for our kids families and won't be able to do that again with retirement looming and, unfortunately, Disney on what my kids salaries are is probably out of the question. DH and I can go alone and go at a cheaper time, but kids all have families in school so are stuck with most expensive time. Guess we start looking at another place for our family trips - not Disney, but we'll have just as good a time as long as we are together.