New golf cart rules, you need insurance if not using disney carts!

[hertamaniac]

This whole thing makes me angry and sad. My first stay was at the Fort in 1976. I went with my then girlfriend's family. They stayed in their pop-up, her sister's boyfriend and I were in a pup tent.
FF to 1989. That was our first family trip of many. We always drove, (except once) and went down multiple times a year. Stayed at the Poly, Contemporary, OKW, Port Orleans, (back when it was Port Orleans and Dixie landings. You know, back in the days before everyone was offended by everything). Treehouse Villas. Between 2010 and 2012 I became disenchanted and disgusted by what Disney World had become.
I think it was around 2018 our friends talked us into taking the motorhome to the Fort with them during Christmas. We had a good time! Even bought 3 day park hoppers. Two meals we always did over the previous 30 years, 'Ohana and last night before heading home, Trail's End. 'Ohana had been going down hill for several years in our opinion so that made our never again list. Luckily we still had Trail's End. Not just for the food which we enjoyed but the nostalgia of past trips.
My last stay on Disney property was our Dismeet at the Fort just after the COVID. Now they closed Trail's End. Nothing left for my wife and I there on property so we will take our travel and vacation dollars elsewhere.
The only exception is if you all are meeting there. Being only 25 minutes away I have no problem driving over to spend time with friends!

What a sad story and state of affairs. We consider ourselves recent FW fans. At first, we tried the cabins for 3 years in a row (2016, 2017 and 2018). We then felt it was time to try unknown and rented a 5th wheel to be dropped off on our site. We got the free golf cart for the duration of our week rental but had some unfortunate results with our brand-new rental.

What appealed to us most of FW was how it removed us from our central Florida home (about 45 minutes away) and completely enveloped us into a camping experience (right, wrong or indifferent). We fell in love with looping each stay, and the private/quiet pool was our friend. The show, fire pit cookout and meets were fabulous, but most importantly it was the space. I saw a glimpse of what it probably represented many years before we took a shot staying there.

We stopped doing the parks in 2019 when Covid hit and finally bought an AP this year (and a Discover Disney ticket). We didn't dislike HDD, but it's not our flavor. We like to cook on the grill and make loads of food we can use for several meals over the stay. And let me tell you about those wild turkeys.....

I can't say we won't be back, but it does raise an eyebrow with these recent changes. We're 90+% not DVC owner material, but enjoy the resorts via rental(s). With FW, I am not sure where it slots as compared to the other WDW DVC properties we enjoy.

Sorry these changes made a hard-lined decision for you and perhaps you might reconsider someday.

 

[Sjm9911]

Ok, It may be cheaper to buy this and ride around in disney! Maybe Ill even leave it there when I am done with it . Lol.

 

[tinkerjo]

We have one of those lol

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

@bama_ed

Our sleepy little golden secret place at WDW is changing and the rate of change seems to be accelerating.

I think you're spot on. And I think it has a heckuva lot to do with DVC coming in and not just 'liability' although that's a good excuse. With DVC I think the demand for carts is going to increase exponentially. DVC'ers are used to everything being within a convenient walking distance (or parking is available) and at FtW they simply aren't and there's no parking (at least for now). Frankly, I see either discounted cart rates or even cart included to make up for the 'inconvenience' since they're 'paying the big bucks' for DVC at FtW. So whereas you may have had a percentage of 'Cabin-ers' who were happy to ride the buses, you're going to have higher percentage of DVC-ers who are going to want/demand 'better' transportation (ie a cart).

I think DVC is going to add a lot of cart traffic. So they may be trying to counter balance by nixing off-site carts thinking that some people will end up NOT renting Disney carts due to the cost. And/or that some private cart owners won't or can't meet the new insurance requirement so will be leaving their carts at home.

"The times they are a-changin'"

Along with all this I believe a big part of the settlement area will be reconfigured to make the cart parking less scattered and haphazard. Over the years the parking has been cobbled together, I see that changing and the driving force is most likely DVC. Once Disney decided to monetize the Fort by adding DVC we have all been relegated to being along for the ride. The Fort will be less and less about the unique experience it was and more about some generic, vanilla decorated experience. Hopefully there will still be enough of the original DNA left after all of the changes. We have already adjusted our time spent at the Fort downward. Part of me is optimistic still though.

 

[StormyCA]

Ok, It may be cheaper to buy this and ride around in disney! Maybe Ill even leave it there when I am done with it . Lol. View attachment 857012

Does this mean we're going to have a 'traveling golf cart' thread at some point?

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

It reminds me of one I rented from an offsite vendor years ago.

 

[Sjm9911]

Just to compare, outside golf cart for my stay 320$ Disney golf cart for my stay 770$. More then double. I get that disney has to make $$$$. But at more the 2x the price, plus they dont have to deliver it I may be renting it for less days.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Just to compare, outside golf cart for my stay 320$ Disney golf cart for my stay 770$. More then double. I get that disney has to make $$$$. But at more the 2x the price, plus they dont have to deliver it I may be renting it for less days.

Wow I’ve never looked at the Disney pricing on the golf carts because we just never wanted to rent one but that is insane. Is it actually like $800 to rent a golf cart for a week?

 

[champagne&disney]

Wow I’ve never looked at the Disney pricing on the golf carts because we just never wanted to rent one but that is insane. Is it actually like $800 to rent a golf cart for a week?

It is $70 a night for a four-seater.

 

[Sjm9911]

Thats 11 days, 7 is like 490

 

[Sjm9911]

I just reduced the days. We will be in the park for the second half of the trip. While its nice to have a golf cart, its better to have the extra money and do a dinner or event. The golf cart will be key for halloween.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Thats 11 days, 7 is like 490

Still expensive!

 

[Sjm9911]

Still expensive!

Thats why we opted for 4. We need it for halloween and the days that lead up to halloween for looping!

 

[SL6827]

Will Disney ever stop the ability to bring in a golf cart?

 

[bama_ed]

Will Disney ever stop the ability to bring in a golf cart?

EVER is a mighty long time.

They've put out some reasonable rules, from THEIR point of view, to protect them (and by extension their guests) to have proper insurance coverage (or sign off as having it) because, God Forbid, stuff has happened at the Fort over the years with bikes, carts, etc.

Bottom line is Disney will let you bring a cart as along as nobody can sue Disney (God Forbid something happens but Disney told you the rules) which means the hurt party can sue YOU. (which is why YOU the cart user/renter needs some kind of coverage).

Welcome to Disney World Risk Management (Passing-The-Buck).

Caveat Emptor.

Bama Ed

 

[StormyCA]

Will Disney ever stop the ability to bring in a golf cart?

I agree with Ed. With the additional caveat that if Disney doesn't get the revenue they're expecting from this change, they may very well ban/restrict private carts if they think it'll increase that revenue stream.

They could simply outright ban them or could do what some RV parks are doing about 'older' rigs; you have to send pictures and details of your MH or trailer and they either say 'yea' or 'nay' about them. But I think for the RV parks it's more about 'keeping up appearances' than revenue stream. Point being though that Disney could create hoops to jump through or a blanket 'carts more that XX years old not allowed'.

Or Disney could restrict the type or size of cart. Last time we were there we saw some (I assume) private carts that looked more like jitneys; some had 3-4 rows of seats and looked like they'd seat 8-10 easily. Also saw some 'fat tire' carts that looked more suitable for off roading. Both of these cart types were 'lifted' higher than some pickups I've seen. Disney could say 'standard' golf carts only, max occupancy 6. I think they already ban ATVs & 'Gem' carts.

At any rate, if they want to further restrict private carts being brought in, it'd be easy enough to do.

 

[team bradfield]

Or Disney could restrict the type or size of cart. Last time we were there we saw some (I assume) private carts that looked more like jitneys; some had 3-4 rows of seats and looked like they'd seat 8-10 easily. Also saw some 'fat tire' carts that looked more suitable for off roading. Both of these cart types were 'lifted' higher than some pickups I've seen. Disney could say 'standard' golf carts only, max occupancy 6. I think they already ban ATVs & 'Gem' carts.

we were there in February and a family had a cart so wide it took up the whole path to Marina/TE parking, no one could pass her, folks actually had to back up so she could pass, i vote to ban those carts that are not "standard" size, cart parking can be enough of a challenge finding a spot and to have a cart take up 2 spots is ridiculous

 

[hertamaniac]

If Disney goes down the hard-core path of total restriction to any outside golf carts allowed onsite, I can't imagine how the internal rental system would be sustainable in its current configuration. It's already a burdensome event with limited CMs and shade. I know they're doing the best with the resources established, but it's a woeful experience begging for some logistics and structure.

Add, and I'm winging it here, 150 more golf carts to the fleet and they'll practically need a new structure to house the CM's in and a nice size lot for the carts. Add to that the maintenance and service to the new fleet and it would probably need a couple of FT CM staff to handle it.

And to its further detriment, I have severe hesitation of what the cart parades would be relegated to given a generic Disney FW cart. Would Disney prohibit certain modifications to their carts? This would take such a special attribute of FW away from us that it would really make a go to a no-go decision.

 

[bama_ed]

And to its further detriment, I have severe hesitation of what the cart parades would be relegated to given a generic Disney FW cart.

Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, is famously quoted as saying: “Any customer can have a car (the Model T) painted any color that he wants so long as it is black.”

The parades would lose some luster if the underlying cart done up with decorations were all green standard Disney carts.

But on one hand, that's not all bad. It's like kids having to wear identical uniforms in school - the end result being they have to develop personalities to create their own identity. So cart decorators would have to creatively try harder to stand out and would probably excel.

Bama Ed

 

[Sjm9911]

I can easily see them add a bring your own cart fee at 50 $ a day.