If There Were a FW Vacation Club...

[Napria]

Just daydreaming on a cold day . If Disney built a Vacation Club section at Ft. Wilderness, would you be for it or against it?

If you were interested in it, what would you like to see?

Personally, I'd be very interested in buying in. I'd love some luxury waterfront sites with extra width and tiki huts, somewhat like bluewater key rv resort. I also think it would be cool if it came with the option of an exclusive, upgraded Golf Cart. During the Year of a Million Dreams we were upgraded to a one of a kind Hummer-style golf cart that was black and had the Ft. Wilderness logo on it. It would be great to have that again.

 

[Bishoparc]

It'd be interesting but it'd probably be so expensive and they'd oversell it so much that none of us could afford to get into it or ever find an available reservation ;-) I love the Fort just like it is, I just wish they'd give you the ability to pick your campsite directly.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Mickey's Backyard BBQ & River Country plus the water front area between FW & WL will be (some areas currently are under construction now) revamped. Something (cabins, bungalows, DVC ish) will soon occupy the space.

 

[hawgwilld]

I kinda love the fort just the way it is.
Just my 2 coppers.

 

[tiggerdad]

Want no part of it. Expand and give me some more camping locations but I am not interested in a DVC at the Fort. Just seems to further take away from the theme for me.

 

[Judique]

Want no part of it. Expand and give me some more camping locations but I am not interested in a DVC at the Fort. Just seems to further take away from the theme for me.

Same here and I own DVC. I love the Poly, but now we have 20 bungalows blocking the view and I'll never be able to stay in one. That's also happening at Wilderness Lodge, but I'm not sure what the impact will be on the Fort.

Too few people benefit from these changes. Great moneymaker for Disney but not so great for the ordinary guy who got to go to Disney because they could afford to camp at the Fort.

But folks, money talks and they get what they want.....

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Like it or not, and I DON'T, Fort Wilderness/Wilderness Lodge are expanding to something "exclusive".

Again, construction for this (likely DVC) is happening between Fort Wilderness & Wilderness Lodge. Hubby and I saw a lot of down trees, dozers and other construction going on just two weeks ago. I heard from other campers Mickey BBQ would be moving and part of (if not all) River Country will be coming down to accommodate new Disney real estate. Now, I'm not sure what exactly will be going in, but obviously resort accomodations of some type.

 

[peg110]

I'd rather see more sites that perhaps had more Perks (or deluxe sites if you will) that maybe had more "Privacy" or perhaps a larger lot at a (yet more) premium price. I really don't want to see a DVC at the fort. I agree with others that it could take away from the overall experience. All that being said, I am happy with the way it is now. Other enhancements could be to the pool area or another restaurant perhaps central to the Fort or even more to the front.

 

[tiggerdad]

This is why I would be against it. I couldn't remember where I had put this picture back in 2012, but I managed to dig it up. This was proposed in September 2011.

I can honestly say, I am not sure that if this type of construction was to happen that it might not ruin the entire Fort Wilderness experience for me. I mean it. Camping and big multistory condos just do not mix well together.

I labeled the 700, 100, and 400 loops so you can get a perspective of what you are looking at. Hopefully you can see it clearly. Essentially it would make the petting farm and open grass area between Pioneer Hall and the busstop into a large parking lot. The DVC would sit roughly where the Old Rivercountry was located. Also a building behind the current Settlement Trading Post as another dining option on the old beach area.

I used Photobucket to post this since it is a large picture, but you really need to be able to zoom in to see the detail. You should be able to go through photobucket and get a large enough format to see it better. You should be able to click the picture and go to photobucket and zoom/download it.

 

[bama_ed]

Thanks for posting that, tiggerdad.

Napria, I have agitated in the past for an expansion of the Fort across the road (Vista Blvd?) from the main entrance that would have extra long/wide pull-through sites as its main benefit. It would back up against the Best Friends pet care which would be a plus for pet owners and it could leverage the existing infrastructure of the Fort.

While I would love water front campsites, Disney won't give it to campers. They want to stack rooms with a view 3 or 4 high so they can sell the same view multiple times. And they would charge megabucks.

Now if this expansion I mention were to be DVC/time share in nature, it would probably mean another pool, another trading post, and other amenities like that. I also think they could extend it down toward Epcot Blvd and they could build a raised, paved mound and make it a viewing stand for the fireworks/shows like Illuminations over Epcot (although I don't know if you could see anything with Spaceship Earth in the way).

I like the idea of souped up, different golf carts for the DVC Fort expansion. Besides the straight pull throughs that would be paved, I would also have paved patios or other side structures similar to what some of the RV parks (expensive ones) have down by the Gulf for each site.

Bama Ed

PS - oh, I would name it Camp Davy Crockett which is the name of the resort in Disneyland Paris that has Fort Wilderness-like cabins (no campsites though).

PPS - I wonder if people would be driving their golf carts across Vista back into the regular Fort at times the way BLT people use CR amenities or VGF people use GF amenities. The thought of more golf carts at the Fort makes my skin crawl.

 

[tiggerdad]

Another picture I found

 

[dmaxphil]

I own at VWL (Wilderness Lodge) and I could maybe be for it

IF

The main entrance to the DVC was separate from the Fort.

 

[Sur]

I used to see the value in DVC, but it is changing for the worst. The new Poly bungalows was a clever way of having a high profit bungalow paid for by the other owners, as actually renting them is too costly. Something similar at the Fort will be another exploitation of owners, or the points will be unreasonably high for what is gained.

I too do not enjoy seeing trees downed for growth, but know that the entire Disney area has undergone dramatic change. If a hotel type accommodation were built, it would detract from the feel of the Fort. Too many people brought in also.

 

[Magic Fanatic]

I'd rather see more sites that perhaps had more Perks (or deluxe sites if you will) that maybe had more "Privacy" or perhaps a larger lot at a (yet more) premium price. I really don't want to see a DVC at the fort. I agree with others that it could take away from the overall experience. All that being said, I am happy with the way it is now. Other enhancements could be to the pool area or another restaurant perhaps central to the Fort or even more to the front.

You are obviously an example of Disney's ideal target market. You are willing to pay more for a larger campsite with perks and increase privacy. What you described is similar to a "concierge" level but in a campground. This is exactly what's wrong with the campground now. Three different levels, three different price points with questionable added benefits. If you added this new super level at an even higher rate it will certainly lead to higher pricing at all levels. Come on, it's a campground! I would argue most campers enjoy interacting with other campers during their trips, it's part of the experience. For those that want more privacy, larger lots and premium perks there are many private high end RV resorts that will meet your needs. Unfortunately, your desires are probably already in the planning stages. I'm sure Disney could easily wipe out a loop or two of tent sites (the lowest price point) and "reimagine" them to some form of ultra luxury RV sites.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

The DVC already has a point set up to use sites and the cabins.

AKK

 

[peg110]

You are obviously an example of Disney's ideal target market. You are willing to pay more for a larger campsite with perks and increase privacy. What you described is similar to a "concierge" level but in a campground. This is exactly what's wrong with the campground now. Three different levels, three different price points with questionable added benefits. If you added this new super level at an even higher rate it will certainly lead to higher pricing at all levels. Come on, it's a campground! I would argue most campers enjoy interacting with other campers during their trips, it's part of the experience. For those that want more privacy, larger lots and premium perks there are many private high end RV resorts that will meet your needs. Unfortunately, your desires are probably already in the planning stages. I'm sure Disney could easily wipe out a loop or two of tent sites (the lowest price point) and "reimagine" them to some form of ultra luxury RV sites.

Let me "Re-phrase": I like the campground the way it is. I don't want to see the DVC, but if they had to do something, I'd rather see the more "Deluxe" type of site.

I realize most campers enjoy the interactivity, and perhaps part of my motivation for the "More space" comment is more about other campgrounds and less about Fort Wilderness. It just seems that so many campgrounds want to "Rack and Stack" the campers to the point where it's less about being in Nature and feels more like a parking lot with a couple of trees in the middle.

I think the BEST solution is to expand the campground a bit more to add more sites (at whatever level) and to NOT take the lesser priced sites and convert them. However, I think a little more space to get the rigs in, slightly wider roads (in the loops) perhaps a slightly larger parking area at the sites..... It's the little things that could make a huge difference imho.

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

I remember Ed's idea on the expansion of Fort Wilderness across the road. I believe it's a good idea, nothing no bigger or fancier. The Fort is a good thing, it's almost always booked up, so why change a good thing, just expand it back across the road. My only request would be to have a dozen or so sites that could fit 2 campers, motorhomes, tents, etc with multiple hook ups for family or friends that travel together, I know everyone wouldn't like it but the option would be there. I've seen site like this at a some Alabama State Parks and some in some C.O.E. parks.

I'm sure Disney has something in mind for Fort Wilderness sometime down the road. As campers and fans of FW and Disney they should come to us to review and oversee their plans for the Fort, not someone who has never slept in a tent or tried to back a camper into a site before. Just my opinion.

 

[amcc]

If it was a vacation club campground where I could actually live, I would lobby so hard to move there, live in the popup, and homeschool, that my husband wouldn't know what hit him But seriously, I had seen those drawings a while back and I really hate the intrusion of infrastructure (parking) into visible and central green space in FW. It seems that the horses would be gone from there too which is also a shame because that little barn was a hidden gem that no other resort could lay claim to. A 400+ space parking lot is a sea of asphalt and their landscaping seems to be the absolute minimum required by Code. They don't even make an effort to have a wide buffer between it and the FW guest areas. While the pool seems cool and different, I doubt that it would be accessible to guests of the Fort.

It seems that the fire lane and easternmost building encroach into the beach and would give a completely different feeling to the laid back, wild-feeling that the beach has now. That other new building on the east behind the existing store seems to eliminate that quiet little corner back there with the great view and fishing. These drawings are developed enough that I wouldn't doubt that they were working on the construction drawing phase already. If they aren't, they can certainly be picked up at any time and developed into construction drawings. Does anyone know if any permits for any of this work has been pulled? I've got 3 trips to the Fort reserved and I want to make sure I enjoy it as much as possible before any possible changes (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).

 

[Cadaverous Pallor]

The only really terrible thing about those plans is the location of the parking lot.

 

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Here's what it was supposed to look like when it was finished: