Is it still worth it to bring RV to Disney?

[Sjm9911]

I think its more the age. Shes 10 for this coming trip and allready saying shes not a kid anymore, lol. When she gets older i can see maybe going back. But shes ready , in her own mind, for bigger stuff. We will see. She said that last time also, dad i dont want to go on frozen ,i dont like that anymore. But we had to go back to the park an extra day to ride it again. Same with the character meets. She qas adament about not doing them, but ran to everyone she saw.

 

[Stratman50th]

My daughter is 26. My mother ruined her and that's all she thinks of, going to WDW. She lives in Tacoma, about 3k miles from us. The problem is she still believes mom and dad are supposed to cover air fare for her and the BF, as well as park tickets and accommodations for the duration. I've advised her that the days of us providing for her entertainment and vacations are a thing of the past.

 

[StormyCA]

Quite a difference in percentage between the hotels and the campground. I think they're trying to make the campground as 'profitable' per square foot as the budget hotels, most of which have at least 2 stories. You know, one campsite vs 2-3 hotel rooms stacked on top of each other in the same 'square-footprint'.

Or trying to price everybody out so they can build their accursed DVC without us being there giving the stink eye to everyone 'on the other side'.

 

[Teamubr]

While not exactly apples to apples, I think it is directionally correct.

I have a 14 day, Sunday-Sunday Premium package with two- 10 day Hopper tickets for the last 2 weeks of September, leading into the first weekend of October (50th Anniversary)- The total package price is $3,325.

I have in my cart, a 14 day Sunday-Sunday package on a Premium site with two- 10 day Hopper tickets for January 9-22, 2022. Same site type and tickets as the September trip. The total price is $3,475. $150 difference, or about $10/day. That could be a seasonal difference, but per Ed's Campsite Price Comparison for 2021, both stays are "Value" (January) or "Value2" (October) periods. The Sept/October stay has two up priced days for the 50th and the January stay has 3 up priced days for MLK Day. The difference between "Value" and "Value2" is Value is $5/night more expensive ($137 vs $132 for a Premium Weekday).

What this boils down to is about $5/day for the package difference. We know from the TPAS forum that the average ticket price increase for next year is $5/day. If all this really pans out, it would imply no increase for the campsite.

I'm anxiously waiting for Ed's spreadsheet magic, but I'll be shocked if this plays out.

j

 

[bama_ed]

I'm anxiously waiting for Ed's spreadsheet magic, but I'll be shocked if this plays out.

There was only a slight price increase for me, Teamubr, for my mid-January Value weekday rate year-over-year. Last year with tax the nightly rate for a Tent site was $89 with tax in my 2021 rate table and my reservation for next year at 2022 rates was only $91 per night. So a very slight increase.

And now that ticket prices are date-range specific, the once-a-year ticket price increase annual change may be a thing of the past. Now that you can reserve a room and buy tickets 500 days (nearly 17 months) in advance, I think they have moved to tweaking the ticket price monthly (always updating month 17 rates) rather than dropping one big change per year. Even non-package folks who buy tickets a few months in advance for park reservations or ADR reasons will still get tweaked along. Now that prices are date specific, they can already charge more for Christmas time or whatever and blame capacity/demand.

And after the price increases for Fort campsites we've had the last two years, their customer base needs a breather. And they can always play with the margins like moving the high Spring rate period back into the last week of January rather than starting in early February as it once did.

Bama Ed

PS - I'm waiting for the day when 2-night reservations or less can only be made 60-90 days in advance. It's coming - mark my words. The march toward increased profits demanded by WDW management is relentless.

 

[mickeyfan0805]

Quite a difference in percentage between the hotels and the campground. I think they're trying to make the campground as 'profitable' per square foot as the budget hotels, most of which have at least 2 stories. You know, one campsite vs 2-3 hotel rooms stacked on top of each other in the same 'square-footprint'.

Or trying to price everybody out so they can build their accursed DVC without us being there giving the stink eye to everyone 'on the other side'.

While I agree on the profit motive, I think the 'per square foot' model doesn't apply. I did a quick comparison with the Pop Century. Pop has twice the 'rooms' (sites and cabins at the Fort), but the Fort is a good 6-8x the size of the Pop campus. Add in the fact that Pop guests are forced into additional spending on food that can be avoided by Fort guests, and the income per square foot is in a completely different league. Disney could clearly make more if they leveled the Fort and turned it into resort space, but they have plenty of land where they can build other resorts if they are needed. The Fort allows them to try to maximize profits from a group of people who might be less likely to utilize their traditional resorts, and as long as they have guests clamoring to make reservations 499 nights in advance, they will continue to raise prices.

 

[tiggerdad]

While I agree on the profit motive, I think the 'per square foot' model doesn't apply. I did a quick comparison with the Pop Century. Pop has twice the 'rooms' (sites and cabins at the Fort), but the Fort is a good 6-8x the size of the Pop campus. Add in the fact that Pop guests are forced into additional spending on food that can be avoided by Fort guests, and the income per square foot is in a completely different league. Disney could clearly make more if they leveled the Fort and turned it into resort space, but they have plenty of land where they can build other resorts if they are needed. The Fort allows them to try to maximize profits from a group of people who might be less likely to utilize their traditional resorts, and as long as they have guests clamoring to make reservations 499 nights in advance, they will continue to raise prices.

yep, you nailed it

 

[NightGuardianAngel]

Before purchasing a travel trailer, make sure you have a truck that is powerful enough to tow it and make sure the truck can handle the payload as well (You should never exceed 80% of your truck’s towing capacity). My recommendation is you could rent a travel trailer and try it out before buying one to see if you will enjoy it. Purchasing a travel trailer is a huge decision and a big investment, plus requires a lot of maintenance as well to keep it in ship shape. It is worth it if you love to camp and travel a lot. There are many companies that not only will allow you to rent a travel trailer, but will transport it to the campsite and set it up for you and when you check out , you just leave the keys and they break down the camp and haul it away (This option will also allow you to fly there as well). Also, remember that towing a travel trailer can lower your fuel mileage considerably as well too and towing it may come with a learning curve as well too, especially if you have to back it up into a campsite and have never done it previously. These are just my suggestions.

As for me, I love camping and being out in nature. I believe Fort Wilderness is still worth it because they provide do many amenities that you will not find at any other RV resort (some included with your rate and some for an extra fee), such as an onsite restaurant, movie nights, carriage rides, fun activities, free transportation to the Disney theme parks, and much more. Plus, an advantage to camping is you can cook your own meals as well which can save lots of money as well as being able to bring your dog or cat along too.

If you don’t have a golf cart, you might want to rent one to get around the park. They don’t allow you to park your car or truck anywhere in the park except for your campsite.

 

[4077]

Hah… almost got suckered again, but saw really quick (this time) that the OP’s OP was from 2020

Came to the end thinking perhaps an update… oh well…

 

[Teamubr]

Ghost Posts.

You gotta love 'em.

These are fun though.

For anyone reading this from the beginning, I want to clarify something in the resurrection post.

(You should never exceed 80% of your truck’s towing capacity).

You will see this recommendation on a lot of towing groups. For people with limited towing experience or are uncomfortable towing, 80% is a good rule of thumb, but it is not a mandate. Tow/weight ratings from the manufacturer are established as the "limit" based on design, engineering and system limitations. Pulling something that is 50% of capacity will definitely feel and perform differently than something very near 100%, but that doesn't mean towing between 81-100% is dangerous and should always be avoided. If you understand the differences and have significant towing experience AND are comfortable, nothing wrong with towing right up to the manufacturers recommendation.

I have literally 10s of thousands of miles towing everything from 1,000 lb utility trailers to 21,000 lb, 48ft race trailers. Know your limits (the vehicle, trailer and your personal comfort level) and pick a combination (truck/trailer) that fits within those.

I pulled this 65ft long combination all over the country when I was racing. I was within 500lbs of several weight limits, quite comfortably, without any drama. The trailer was 21,150lbs with 2 cars, tools, spares and everything we needed for a weekend.



j