Question for all you campers?

[momminnie]

Is it cheaper for you to go on a Disney camping vacation than one a a value resort? How much does it usually cost you for a disney trip? I'm a wanna be camper. Trailer camper not tent. Too chicken.

 

[chief19spixi]

To me it is cheaper! I have a family of 5 and booking 2 rooms never less the family suite thing <--- I guess thats what its called... Is not my cup of tea when it comes to price and comfort! You see at the fort it is nice an quiet.. no kids screaming including my own cause most campers have the common sense to be quite when its dark out!!

 

[CampingChristy]

I don't know if I can answer your question using a dollar figure.

We choose to camp because we love to camp!

Even if I "could" stay at the nicest resort, I know I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I enjoy camping. It just gets in you blood.

I wouldn't want to tent camp either, but love the feeling of being outside, this is why we are Pop Up campers by choice!! You get the best of both worlds. You are off the ground with a bed, air conditioning, fridge, microwave, tv...you get the picture. And at the same time I get to enjoy the feeling of sleeping in the "tent" environment.

The cost savings to me is the $$ saved with buying food for the family. You can be in the parks and then come back to camp for lunch, and also go back to the parks after eating. This is a time to eat and rest and then go back to fight the crowds!!

Plus instead of having just a hotel room you have a whole "set up" that you make your own!!

The Fort would be an awesome place to fall in love with camping!!

 

[ntsammy5]

The answer to your question is maybe.

There are a lot of variables, but excluding things that are merely preference, I'd guess that the costs are roughly similar.

 

[big kahuna1]

I owuld agree that it would be close compared to a value resort except a possible savings in the food arena. As to comfort, I prefer my own bed and the freedom, peace and enjoyment of camping over a hotel room anyday.

 

[LONE-STAR]

Its only cheaper if you already own your camper/rv. If you factor in monthly rv payment, repair bill's, and mantaince that alone would pay for a trip to disney. Now if you already own a trailer and you are staying long enough to offset the higher fuel bill from towing a trailer then you will come out a little cheaper maybe. I have figured it up staying in my 5er is cheaper then staying at WL.I stayed at POP one time and doubt I will ever stay at a value resort again. But then I love the FORT.

 

[momminnie]

Thanks for all the response. Keep them coming.

 

[TheGreatGonzo]

For me on my solo trips, the scales have finally tipped to where it's cheaper and probably easier to fly down and stay in a value - or even a moderate sometimes. Take notice I've never done it and have no desire to do so in the foreseeable future. I much prefer camping even though it takes me 16 or 17 hours of driving each way and about $500 for fuel to pull the PUP down now. Besides, IMHO there’s a much more pleasant class of people at FW.

 

[Mmketeer]

Well for me camping is much cheaper!
I love the 4 star resorts, but they are extremly expensive and worse most of them don't take my four-legged kids. Heck, Disney's Value resorts can run $100 a night and they are just a small themed hotel room and they don't allow my kids either.
I also love cruising, but again I haven't found a cruiseline that will allow me to take my kids and if I don't bring them then I have to pay alot of money to pay a professional to come stay with them over night here in there own home (around $85 for 24hr care plus tip). And, no family doesn't cut it, cause' if I am paying them then their are expected to stay in the house with the kids or taking them for walks etc. Mostly, my kids do nap time in the morning and afternoon (like right now) and enjoy just laying around on the couch with an occasinal walk and ball toss. They also have a fenced in yard with a doggy door leading out to it, so other than at night you don't even have to take them out. I think it's a pretty cush job as we also have every channel you can imagine to watch on tv and we live on a nice quiet gated horse farm. But, I am picky about who I let take care of my kids and my family isn't even good enough. LOL! Most people don't understand that I just want them to be here, sitting on the couch with them or hanging out, not out running errands, going to work or going out to the movies etc.
Yes, they are spoiled, but hey most people wouldn't just put their kids in a cage or leave them over night alone either. I say most, caues' I am sure their a few folks out there that would like to do that to their kids when they are acting up. LOL! Anyway, taking them with us is cheaper and brings me a lot less stress than when they aren't with me. So, back to camping it is for us and with the economy the way it is, I think we picked a great time to get back into it.

PS
You can also stay at other camprounds-non Disney for vacation for even less $. DH and I are staying at the beginning of May at Holiday Cove near the beach of Bradenton for only $35 a night and that includes pet fee, cable access and free internet! So the gas prices may suck, but for us Camping in our 5th wheel is still cheaper than anything else we have been doing for the past few years!

 

[dblr]

We camp because we like it also we have our own bed all the time plus I can get my coffee in the morning without having to get all cleaned up as not to scare other folks in the morning with that wake up look. We are also DVC members so we do use other resorts but mostly the condos.

 

[Colson39]

It all depends. If you're not getting a premium camping site, and you don't factor in any discounts, the prices are normally pretty similar.

Fort Wilderness used to be about 10-15 bucks cheaper than the All-Stars, but recently they're about the same in price. Honestly, I think there is much more to do at the Fort, and you're getting a lot more bang for your buck. From the Hoop Dee Doo to boat transportation to being able to see the fireworks to carriage rides, you just have a lot more options.

Not that there is anything wrong with the All-Star. We stay at the Pop Century at least once a year, normally when we have some spur of the moment trip and there is nothing available at other resorts. Pop Century really isn't all that bad, although I really prefer not to stay in the other All-Stars anymore.

 

[Momof626x3]

Camping is cheaper for us because we are a family of 5 and we would have to get 2 rooms at Pop to fit all of us in. We are also camping during value season which cuts the price alot. Plus I can just feed my picky kids at the camper and at the end of the day everyone sleeps in their own bed so I don't have to hear, "He's kicking me! He won't be quiet! How come he always gets that side of the bed?" And while the kids settle down to sleep DH and I can go outside and play cards and relax.

 

[dtum]

I doubt it's cheaper for just DH and myself, but once you've camped (30 years now) it never leaves the blood. The feeling of sleeping in your own bed, getting up in the a.m. and walking around in your jammies while making breakfast and just plain relaxing in your home away from home can't be beat. Love my 5r and would never go on any vacation without it.

 

[jellen3]

Well, I got my campsite for under 70 a night and since we are a family of five..we would've had to get two rooms. We only eat out once a day and carry snacks since we are camping so for us it is cheaper. The gas to drive and the cost of plane tickets seems to be the same for us...but we don't have to buy food at the airport and all of that so we save money that way as well.

We have access to inlaws small motorhome though and a lot of people don't have that..

 

[Rhonda]

We camp in a tent, and we love it!

It is probably a little cheaper, but not really enough to justify it, if we didn't enjoy camping. We stay at FW because it's the BEST Disney resort!! (sssshhhhh....don't tell anybody that!)

 

[AuburnJen92]

I know with the rv payment every month the the 5 months of insurance payments, it is not cheaper looking at that alone. However, we got the rv for more than the fort, so it actually evens out if we factor in the college football games we go to and the huge amount of money they want for those hotel rooms. Nothing beats the quiet hours at FW. I don't think I would be happy going back to a hotel.

 

[loriandmatt]

it is cheaper but only because:

- we are not making camper payments - it's paid off

- we have a small pop up so we generally only reserve a partial hook up site (about 3-4 years ago, i landed a discount code on an off season rate....i was staying at the fort for $24/night. it was so cheap we splurged and stayed for 14 nights. heck, i can't even stay at a Jersey campsite for that cheap!!! sadly, i fear those days are long gone though.)

- we eat some meals from the camper, pack snacks because we have the room in the tow vehicle, and again, since we have our car with us, can drive off property for some cheaper places to eat....i dig a waffle house now and again, and my kids think shoney's buffet is high living.

- we purchase AP's and plan our vacations so that we get two yearly trips out of them. that first year, our trip may not be cheaper, but the 2nd year on those already paid for AP's is certainly a cheap vaca.

 

[Tent Camping Mom]

For us (family of 3, tent camping), it’s more expensive for us to stay at the Fort. We don’t do a lot of cooking and we tend to indulge ourselves in everything the Fort has to offer...rent a golf cart for the length of stay, rent water mice, horseback ride, Hoop-dee-doo, Segway Tour, Haunted Hayride or Carriage Ride, etc. In fact, our last trip was more cost-comparable to a Moderate. We stayed at the Fort more than we went to the parks. Now when we stay at a Value, our whole intention is to hit the parks non-stop, so for us the Value would be cheaper.

I can see where the Fort could be cheaper if you camp, already having the RV and tow vehicle, or in our case, already having a tent, just pass on the amenities and it will be cheaper.

On another note, I do know a family who stayed at a Value and all their meals were in their room…camping in the All-star Movies!

 

[disney4dan]

If we only went to the Fort with our camper, it might be questionable on the cost comparison, but we use our camper at least 5 times per year and save a fortune on hotel charges.

We are a family of 5, which frequently means two rooms or a condo/suite which is less affordable.

Also, we are going to the Fort in August for $46 per night compared to two of the Value Resorts at about $98 per room per night. That, and we will be cooking some of our own meals to save some serious cash there. Even if it was only breakfast, that would amount to about $30 per day for the family for breakfast in the Food Court.

We go camping several times a year to get some "down time" and get away from the electronic stuff (like this computer!!!).

Hope you give it a try and enjoy it.

 

[ditchdoc1017]

This will be our first trip to FW but with 5 doing the numbers. Even with the extra gas it will be 400 to 500 cheaper at the FW. I have to pay for the TT so why not use it. Also my TT is bigger than most rooms.