Is This The Fort Wilderness DVC That Is Planned?

[bama_ed]

I have to give a helmet tap to our DIS poster nabi who put this out there first.

This may be a day or two older but this board has been on top of the plans to move the Tri-Circle-D ranch and the Mickey's Backyard BBQ pavilion to other locations in the Fort and possibly a DVC get put in there. That plan kept getting pushed off in favor of the "easy sell" projects like the Grand Floridian DVC and now the Poly DVC which is under way.

We've known that the plans called for a semi-circular ring of buildings to back up behind the Trails End/Pioneer Hall building but this website here:

http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/resorts/other--proposed-resorts/2480-ft-wilderness-dvc-plans-leaked

shows what the plans could have been.

It's a little disappointing in that there isn't much imagination there to me. It's more of a continuation of the Wilderness Lodge DVC units along Bay Lake. (I've heard that WL DVC is one of the smaller DVC units on property - don't know if that's true).

It seems like Disney always has a DVC under construction with the GF having wrapped up and the Poly conversions and water bungalows next on deck. After that, will this be next?

Bama Ed

 

[bookwormde]

When the plans were first found a couple of years ago DVC had a larger inventory of points including AKV, so building this big of a resort (10 million points) made little sense. It was a good time to do 2 smaller 2.5-3 million point project stretching over 3 years. With BLT and SSR sold out and AKV soon to be the 3 million VGF points will likely only last till 2015 and the Poly points only till 2016 or early 2017. The river country villas would be at least an 18 month build and more likely 2 years (phase 1) so would have to be started by early 2015 if DVD wants to be sure they will not run out of WDW points, especially since poly DVC is likely to be wildly popular.

By the time it is built, river county DVC will likely be a 2 billion dollar gross sales project with construction cost of about 500 million. Disney wants to keep this major profit center going so if not river county then some other resort of similar size is a must.

There is also certainly room (without using any of FW space) for phase 3 and 4 of river county if they ever decided to plan and build it.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . After that, will this be next? . . .

1) With the profound greed of Ogre (I mean Iger), I am afraid the answer is YES.
2) But, I fear the effects.
. . . more crowds walking in-and-thru The Fort
. . . more crowds at Trails End
. . . more crowds at the beach and boat rentals
3) My biggest fear is the culture change at The Fort.
4) It will become just another resort and lose the campground ambiance.

 

[North of Mouse]

1) With the profound greed of Ogre (I mean Iger), I am afraid the answer is YES.
2) But, I fear the effects.
. . . more crowds walking in-and-thru The Fort
. . . more crowds at Trails End
. . . more crowds at the beach and boat rentals
3) My biggest fear is the culture change at The Fort.
4) It will become just another resort and lose the campground ambiance.

Agree 100%!

We can only hope it will not happen. As is, it became so much more 'busy' after they added the cabins. Would sure love to keep 'some' of our 'wilderness' as is!

 

[stpetedisneydad]

I can't even begin to imagine the devastation this would wreak upon the fort. For that entire grassy area and out buildings next to pioneer hall to be bulldozed for a parking lot is unfathomable. And to have all those 8 story buildings would be an eyesore. I'm afraid it will no longer be the fort but more of a DVC that happens to have an area for campers. The quiet quaintness that draws everyone to the fort will be lost forever but in typical "new" disney fashion, screw what people enjoy, do what makes money.

 

[tobikaye]

The thought of all the excess cars driving through FW to get to the DVC and parking next to Pioneer Hall is horrible. I enjoy staying in the cabins at FW and had hoped to try tent or trailer camping at FW in the next few years. If this project does come to reality and stays as that link indicates, I doubt I will want to stay or visit FW much. Between the noise/eyesore of the construction enjoying time at the marina or PH would be difficult. Then once it is built, that amount of additional people, even if they mostly stay within the DVC area, is going make a lot of issues currently not a problem at FW, especially if they share transportation.

 

[Judique]

I have to give a helmet tap to our DIS poster nabi who put this out there first.

This may be a day or two older but this board has been on top of the plans to move the Tri-Circle-D ranch and the Mickey's Backyard BBQ pavilion to other locations in the Fort and possibly a DVC get put in there. That plan kept getting pushed off in favor of the "easy sell" projects like the Grand Floridian DVC and now the Poly DVC which is under way.

We've known that the plans called for a semi-circular ring of buildings to back up behind the Trails End/Pioneer Hall building but this website here:

http://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/resorts/other--proposed-resorts/2480-ft-wilderness-dvc-plans-leaked

shows what the plans could have been.

It's a little disappointing in that there isn't much imagination there to me. It's more of a continuation of the Wilderness Lodge DVC units along Bay Lake. (I've heard that WL DVC is one of the smaller DVC units on property - don't know if that's true).

It seems like Disney always has a DVC under construction with the GF having wrapped up and the Poly conversions and water bungalows next on deck. After that, will this be next?

Bama Ed

The short answer is DVC has proven over and over to be a money maker for Disney.

The Magic Kingdom resort area is a big draw for DVC families.

I am a DVC member with plenty of points. I'm camping at the Fort first week in February and then moving to my DVC rooms (this time at GFV and at AKV club level.)

DVC has proposed and shelved many projects over the years since I've been a member.

That said, I think the Fort area has a lot of potential for DVC. WLV are booked all the time. Lots of members want a pet friendly DVC - Fort Wilderness is the only pet friendly resort area. The Fort has a lot going for it.

Personally, I hope they leave the Fort alone and find another area to build on. But if they build it, the DVC'ers will definitely come. They are just people like you and I, looking for a vacation that works for their families.

Disney is the entity looking to change the Fort. And they will do it if they see a high enough profit margin, or the next best profit center in their lineup.

 

[bama_ed]

The short answer is DVC has proven over and over to be a money maker for Disney.

The Magic Kingdom resort area is a big draw for DVC families.

I am a DVC member with plenty of points. I'm camping at the Fort first week in February and then moving to my DVC rooms (this time at GFV and at AKV club level.)

DVC has proposed and shelved many projects over the years since I've been a member.

That said, I think the Fort area has a lot of potential for DVC. WLV are booked all the time. Lots of members want a pet friendly DVC - Fort Wilderness is the only pet friendly resort area. The Fort has a lot going for it.

Personally, I hope they leave the Fort alone and find another area to build on. But if they build it, the DVC'ers will definitely come. They are just people like you and I, looking for a vacation that works for their families.

Disney is the entity looking to change the Fort. And they will do it if they see a high enough profit margin, or the next best profit center in their lineup.

Judique,

You bring up an interesting point I hadn't thought about.

A pet-friendly DVC would be something new and different in terms of what DVC has done up to now. There are the pet friendly loops at the Fort and the animal park over there between 300 and 500 loops as well. I'm not a pet owner (not any more since my Sophie dog went to heaven years ago) but as long as pet owners are responsible I wouldn't have an issue sharing the Fort with them. I think there would be certain design/build considerations for a pet-friendly resort in terms of choice of materials or design but pet owners would probably welcome those choices if it meant they could bring their pet with them.

If a resort was built back there in the proximity of the old River Country, I would hope the guest access would not be down through the Fort entranceway but along the bus/WDW road that comes in from Wilderness Lodge. The Fort has infrastructure in the settlement area (boat transportation, a Trading Post for sundries, a restaurant in Trails End) that would benefit from the increased visitor load a new DVC resort might bring.

Being pet-friendly would be distinctive for this resort and would set it apart from the other DVCs. The more I think about it, the more I think that is huge differentiator. Costs for pets, their care, and the impact on the resort would be reflected in the price but as I said, I believe pet owners would gladly pay a going rate for a pet-friendly DVC.

We shall see.

Bama Ed

 

[chateau]

Very interesting. I saw this topic in another DIS thread, to which Nabi referred, so I'm glad it was brought back up. Pets at a DVC, nice concept, the SIZE proposed, a bit much.

 

[articfox676]

I don't know if I would feel comfortable leaving our campsite decorated and items out when not there. With so many more people with access to the Fort that are not campers I have to give this extra thought.

Will we campers be permitted to wander through their DVC? Can we use their restaurants, CS, pool? Just wondering.

 

[bookwormde]

I don't know if I would feel comfortable leaving our campsite decorated and items out when not there. With so many more people with access to the Fort that are not campers I have to give this extra thought.

Will we campers be permitted to wander through their DVC? Can we use their restaurants, CS, pool? Just wondering.

Most of the freestanding DVC resorts have a different "feel" from the CRO resorts (less entitlement and more laid back), although there is always a few CRO and renters there. I think the DVC members who want to stay at the FW resort will be mostly the laid back ones who appreciate the uniqueness of the fort.

Typically DVC resorts are open to the public, for shopping, dining and visiting public areas. Guest facilities like the pools, hot tubs, exercise rooms, tennis courts, etc are for guests of the resort only. This would be true for DVC guest at FW also.

I think one of the impacts will be less availability of tent sites, since it will be so convenient to just pitch a tent rather than reserve an extra room for the hardier member of big groups.

 

[N365PA]

Im torn at this rumor. The DVC owner in me would LOVE to use my points to stay and access fort amenities (yes I know I can just hop a bus over from AKV or VWL...if I could get into VWL...). The kid who grew up at the Fort in a pop-up behind a hyundai elantra (it was a small pop-up) hates the idea of the fort being "ruined." Parking lot right at Pioneer Hall? Ugh. Excess cars driving fast through the fort with my kids on their bikes nearby? Doesn't seem like a good recipe.

In regards to the "type" people...they will stay where they buy. I won't spend $155+ a point to buy into the new resorts. I could barely stand paying $130 (makes me cringe) to buy into AKV. If they build this resort after Poly Villa's, all that will be available will be the tail end of the Poly sales and then this resort. There is a little different feel at the DVC resorts vs. All Star but I think this is due to the lack of immense groups of school aged children on sports / field trips. Most DVC people would get along with Fort people as 99% of us are Disney people. I just don't want to see THAT many people at the trading post's or Trail's end.

The plus side...looks like they'll have their own dock and maybe this means the extra people near-by will turn Crockett's back into what it was!

Clint

 

[John VN]

IMO, access to the DVC complex would have to be via WL entrance. FW is too family oriented to allow massive auto traffic. Children and adults walking or biking, pets being walked, golf carts on the roads are all unique to the Fort. No way on earth could that atmosphere continue if traffic increased.

I also think that any connecting roads would be gate restricted.

 

[nabi]

^^^ I sure hope so.

 

[Teamubr]

IMO, access to the DVC complex would have to be via WL entrance.

WL access road would be the most direct route, but when this came up a year or 2 ago, there was discussion about a new access road being built off Vista Blvd to the west of the current FW entrance. Looking at satelite images, there is a cleared path (power cut) that follows along the stream from Vista Blvd to just west of Pioneer Hall. This would take the road behind the cabin loops and the group camping area.

This makes more sense than using existing FW roads or the access road from WL and would be a dedicated, gated entrance to the new DVC property.

j

 

[John VN]

WL access road would be the most direct route, but when this came up a year or 2 ago, there was discussion about a new access road being built off Vista Blvd to the west of the current FW entrance. Looking at satelite images, there is a cleared path (power cut) that follows along the stream from Vista Blvd to just west of Pioneer Hall. This would take the road behind the cabin loops and the group camping area.

This makes more sense than using existing FW roads or the access road from WL and would be a dedicated, gated entrance to the new DVC property.

j

The clearing along the canal sure could be used.