The Fort Wilderness Camping Rate Summary for 2022 Is Available

[bama_ed]

During a recent lull in the DISBoards, I took the opportunity to work up the rate table for campsites at Fort Wilderness in the 2022 calendar year. You can currently book into summer 2022 on-line but this table is provided as a reference for easy-to-check rate information. I did not wait for my usual data source but compiled the data myself. I caught a few errors and corrected them but if you see something that looks incorrect, please let me know. My decision was to proceed with gathering my own data rather than wait for an unknown period of time for the data set.

Here's the latest:

• Note that these are rack rates for Fort Wilderness camp sites (not cabins) with the 12.5% tax INCLUDED. Thus the numbers represent a non-discounted out-of-pocket cost each night.
• Disney continues to tweak rates and cut rate periods into more, shorter ones in order to maximize revenue. As an example, 9 long rate periods cover nearly two-thirds of the year. Another 26 rate periods cover the remaining third. Sadly, the longest rate period is one of the highest with for the early March - late April spring break/Easter stretch 49 days.
• Because of the increased number of rate periods, I'm not showing a rate period name anymore or data related to it. Disney technically doesn't use them and changes in periods coupled with regular calendar changes makes those comparisons year-over-year more tricky.
• Surprisingly, the Tent and Full campsites had the biggest annual price hikes in 2022 over 2021 (+8.5% and 7.9% respectively) due mainly to strong increases starting after the July 4th rates and going to the end of September. The three more expensive categories were all at about +5.5%.
• Somewhat overlooked due to the pandemic were the 2021 price increases over 2020 which saw +10-11% in the three more expensive categories with +6.5% in Tent and +8.8% in Full so I would call that your anniversary spike. And in 2020 over 2019, increases were at least 8% plus Premium Meadow was carved out (+17% over 2019 plain Premium) rates. So 2022 represents a "slowdown" (LOL) in rate increases.
• Another trend played out further which is now after Thanksgiving week, basically every week through New Years is its own (higher) rate period. In the past the first and second week returned close to early November rates but no more.

Here are the numbers (highest and lowest rate periods are noted in green):



Who wants to live at the Fort full-time (on back-to-back 30-day reservations)?

It would cost Pam from "The Office":

• $46,216 for a Tent site
• $60,228 for a Full site
• $66,660 for a Preferred site
• $70,711 for a Premium site
• $76,919 for a Premium Meadow site

If every campsite were paid for at rack rates for every night in 2022, that would create exactly $50M in revenue (without tax, $56M with).

Finally, note how close the Christmas-New Years rates are to $300 a night in the Premium Meadow category. We will cross that Rubicon next year for sure. And two-digit nightly rates are few and far between only in the tent category.

Get to the Fort when you can for as long as you can.

Bama Ed

 

[PaHunter]

At 300 bucks a night, I better start getting some Mousekeeping service.

 

[Stratman50th]

Did anyone else get the 20% off on campsites email?

Offer Details
Book Through
May 27, 2021

Valid Travel Dates
Stays most nights April 11 through May 27, 2021
Length of Stay Requirements

• Minimum – 1 night
• Maximum – 14 nights

Important Details

• The number of campsites allocated for this offer is limited.
• Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same campsite.
• Length of stay requirements may apply.
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are not included in this offer.
• Advance reservations required.
• Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
• Valid ticket or pass and a park reservation for each day is required to visit the theme parks.

Book through
May 27, 2021
Check Availability
Have an Existing Reservation?
See if you can apply this special offer to your reservation. More Information - On the My Plans page, you’ll see your existing reservation. Select “Change Reservation” and then search for other Vacation Offers.Beginning of tooltip contentEnd of tooltip content

 

[Syndrome]

Thanks for the all the work on the rate chart @bama_ed .
Those rates are getting pretty salty !
Since we just returned from a "spring break" rate period of about $250. a night in a preferred , I feel a little better about booking our stay in 2022 for the "lower season" during Jan-Feb 2022 in a Full hook-up . Booked a full 30 days, but may need to tweak it a little shorter when we get closer to our dates.

 

[bama_ed]

Did anyone else get the 20% off on campsites email?

Offer Details
Book Through
May 27, 2021

Valid Travel Dates
Stays most nights April 11 through May 27, 2021
Length of Stay Requirements

• Minimum – 1 night
• Maximum – 14 nights

Important Details

• The number of campsites allocated for this offer is limited.
• Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same campsite.
• Length of stay requirements may apply.
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are not included in this offer.
• Advance reservations required.
• Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
• Valid ticket or pass and a park reservation for each day is required to visit the theme parks.

Book through
May 27, 2021
Check Availability
Have an Existing Reservation?
See if you can apply this special offer to your reservation. More Information - On the My Plans page, you’ll see your existing reservation. Select “Change Reservation” and then search for other Vacation Offers.Beginning of tooltip contentEnd of tooltip content

I didn't, Don, but you're special.

Here is the discount offer in the "Special Offers" section of the WDW website:

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/campsites-spring-offer/

Bama Ed

 

[Stratman50th]

Same offer.

 

[bama_ed]

Thanks for the all the work on the rate chart @bama_ed .
Those rates are getting pretty salty !
Since we just returned from a "spring break" rate period of about $250. a night in a preferred , I feel a little better about booking our stay in 2022 for the "lower season" during Jan-Feb 2022 in a Full hook-up . Booked a full 30 days, but may need to tweak it a little shorter when we get closer to our dates.

Syndrome, I have a brief non-park stay planned in January 2022 and I purposely hit that time window where the Tent rates are $91 (I have a pop-up). Being recently retired, I have the freedom now to travel whenever I want to just about for as long as I want to so I aimed for that low-rate period in January. That period right after the MLK Holiday is what that is. Sometimes you get these rates early in January but the way the calendar worked for the New Year's days in early January and then leading right into the Marathon rates/weekend, they didn't pop up until after MLK.

At 300 bucks a night, I better start getting some Mousekeeping service.

Chris, I checked the All Stars resorts and one of them has Christmas-New Years rates lower than $298 but that was for a Standard room and the Premium Meadows are like our camping version of suites. So not an apples-to-apples comparison but somebody usually comes along each year I've been posting these rates and says "that's more than a Value". Which it is. Because nobody wants to be stuck in a Value at Christmas - everybody wants to go looping and see camper Christmas decorations at Fort Wilderness instead. Duh.

Ed

 

[rideswithchrist]

Those prices just keep creeping! We will be there the first week in Feb, I am glad we changed it slightly- last time we were there the last week and into March, and I don't want to pay those prices.

I think any future trips will be in September.

 

[Syndrome]

Syndrome, I have a brief non-park stay planned in January 2022 and I purposely hit that time window where the Tent rates are $91 (I have a pop-up). Being recently retired, I have the freedom now to travel whenever I want to just about for as long as I want to so I aimed for that low-rate period in January. That period right after the MLK Holiday is what that is. Sometimes you get these rates early in January but the way the calendar worked for the New Year's days in early January and then leading right into the Marathon rates/weekend, they didn't pop up until after MLK.

Ed

Ed, we our planning on the week after MLK week , until sometime in Feb . Will be a few weeks at least . The drive down from PA, makes staying only 1 week, kind of tiring . So this (next) year , we are doing at least a few weeks .
Was debating on Preferred, Premium or Full , but for a multi week stay , the full hook up rates really start to be a way better savings . Plus we plan on renting a golf cart (from an outside vendor hopefully) , so being close to the dog park, meadows , settlement is really not that important so a Full hook up will be fine . Plus our dog (Golden Retriever) LOVES golf cart rides , lol .

Those prices just keep creeping! We will be there the first week in Feb, I am glad we changed it slightly- last time we were there the last week and into March, and I don't want to pay those prices.

I think any future trips will be in September.

We cant do Septembers anymore , lol . After years of August/September vacations at Disney while the kids were in school ........we just cant take that heat anymore . We prefer anywhere between October - March , and its usually Jan-Feb for us the past few years .

 

[morrik5]

Did anyone else get the 20% off on campsites email?

Offer Details
Book Through
May 27, 2021

Valid Travel Dates
Stays most nights April 11 through May 27, 2021
Length of Stay Requirements

• Minimum – 1 night
• Maximum – 14 nights

Important Details

• The number of campsites allocated for this offer is limited.
• Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same campsite.
• Length of stay requirements may apply.
• The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are not included in this offer.
• Advance reservations required.
• Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
• Valid ticket or pass and a park reservation for each day is required to visit the theme parks.

Book through
May 27, 2021
Check Availability
Have an Existing Reservation?
See if you can apply this special offer to your reservation. More Information - On the My Plans page, you’ll see your existing reservation. Select “Change Reservation” and then search for other Vacation Offers.Beginning of tooltip contentEnd of tooltip content

And "darn" we had to cancel our reservations starting April 18th

 

[rideswithchrist]

We cant do Septembers anymore , lol . After years of August/September vacations at Disney while the kids were in school ........we just cant take that heat anymore . We prefer anywhere between October - March , and its usually Jan-Feb for us the past few years .

I say "we live in Texas" but we live in CENTRAL TEXAS- we get the heat but not the crazy humidity, so we may only September once haha. It only saves us $300 anyway.

 

[Syndrome]

I say "we live in Texas" but we live in CENTRAL TEXAS- we get the heat but not the crazy humidity, so we may only September once haha. It only saves us $300 anyway.

Yea, we used to think August in Florida was hot ....... September was a whole other level of heat and humidity , lol. (as long as you have good A/C to cool off once in a while , you will be ok .

 

[wdw_dine_junkie]

When will the marathons be next year? And is MLK week busy? I'm tempted to move back a week or two to hit the lower rates MLK week. Theoretically if they are lowering the rates the crowds should be lower, but you never know.

 

[jbrostek]

Price and demand, if they keep raising prices and continue to maintain 80% or better occupancy then they will just keep pushing it. The fact that for the first time ever they are offering specials on campsites is started to show their value is not what it used to be?

I look at other areas and resort like campgrounds for comparison. Many are pushing past the 100/night for campsites for 2021 and I am sure higher for 2022. I am paying 98/night for mother's day weekend in Luray and 118/night for Hatteras NC in June. We were looking at August options for trips and unless we did state parks or less known areas the costs where in the 100 a night or better in some cases.

If I look around the Disney area for campgrounds some of them are nearly as expensive per night at least in the winter peak Florida times.

 

[bama_ed]

When will the marathons be next year? And is MLK week busy? I'm tempted to move back a week or two to hit the lower rates MLK week. Theoretically if they are lowering the rates the crowds should be lower, but you never know.

wdw_dine_junkie,

There are three marathons in the spring months:

- WDW Marathon usually the 2nd weekend of January (full Fort-personal experience) It will be Sun Jan 9, 2022 with the other runs (5k, 10, Half) in the days preceding)
- Princess Half Marathon usually around the 3rd weekend of February
- Star Wars Half Marathon usually around the 3rd weekend of April

My personal thought is that the week following the MLK Monday holiday is not that busy which is what the rates reflect. I think the busier time is the long weekend that concludes on MLK Monday. That's why I signed us up to arrive on MLK day (when those long weekend folks are leaving) and stay during the less expensive weekdays.

The rates used to drop back down to those low levels until we got up to Valentine's Day time/weekend when they started increasing as we entered spring time but Disney has been creeping that start date back into late January and it has really reduced the number of value-priced days in January.

But to answer your question, I think the Fort will be less crowded starting MLK day for a week or two and the parks probably will be too (holidays and big events are over for the time being). Plus we're only staying a couple days.

Bama Ed

 

[jbrostek]

Ed, it is definitely less busy a the fort post MLK. When we started to have issues getting dates around the Run Disney events in January we did a few years of February timeframe. MLK to presidents day it was clear the parks and campground where running at a much lower capacity. Even if things get more on normal trend for 2022 compared to recent history I think you will find that a good time to go. That timeframe will not be in our books for a while, but that is ok with us.

 

[garneska]

we spent 3 weeks at the fort this past Jan into Feb. Right after MLK. it was glorious. Not sure what 2022 will be like if everything is open and our new normal starts. I have my ressie for Marathon weekend.

 

[Sjm9911]

I may just do every other year. Or dare I say it, stay offsite and go to Universal........na, ill do every pther year. I did notice a significant jump in price from 2 years ago. Cost was more then what ed said when you add up that everything increases way more then inflation.

 

[StormyCA]

Our two prior trips and the upcoming one have been late April/early May. Weather's pretty good, the crowds are manageable, and the rates haven't been 'too bad'. Looking at the chart we may be wanting to shift to Jan/Feb or Sep as the rates for our 'usual' time are starting to get to the top of our budget.

But our next trip won't be until 2023/2024-ish and who knows what the prices will be. We may well be 'priced out' by then after you factor in fuel for a round trip cross-country towing drive. IF that happens nDH and will just have to gaze longingly into each other's eyes and say "We'll always have Ft Wilderness. We didn't have, we, we lost it until we came to back to Disney World. We got it back in 2021".

 

[Wendysofftoneverland]

We can't stand the Sept heat, so we got one of the cheaper weeks of January reserved. If prices keep going up (and once the kids get in school), we may be over at a value resort or Shades of Green, thinking longingly about the good old days at Ft. Wilderness.