The Fort Wilderness Camping Rate Summary for 2022 Is Available

[Brett Wyman]

Brett,

Do you think this could be something of an apples-vs-oranges comparison though? Premium Meadow sites are the most expensive category in the resort campground. Wouldn't it be appropriate to compare its rates to the most expensive category over at the resort hotel (Pop)? Which appears to be a Preferred Pool View? A PPV room during Christmas-to-New Years is $335 + tax which is $377 out-of-pocket (PM is $298). Pop still well exceeds the exorbitantly priced PM campsite.

And wouldn't that mean that a Standard Room at Pop would be comparable to a Tent campsite at the Fort?

At least over the decades since I've been going to WDW (I is old now) they have built tons of hotel rooms for various price points and added DVC capacity. And they added about 20 campsites (in-fill 600 closer to the Meadow TP) in the same time frame. Fort Wilderness is being squeezed by constrained supply and ever growing demand. At least on the hotel side some of that supply-and-demand equation has been offset by increased supply (but room rates continue to go up fast too, I get it).

At some point, however, the "pricing streams" may indeed cross.

Bama Ed

Yeah you're right I was poking fun mostly. I think a popup/tent site is $150 the same time Pop is $298. So there is some "savings" I guess! With the boom in RV sales as long as the demand is there prices will keep going up! Sometimes you just want to camp. We are booked for a site Presidents day week 2022 even though we own DVC and could stay there instead.

 

[MudQueen22]

Yeah you're right I was poking fun mostly. I think a popup/tent site is $150 the same time Pop is $298. So there is some "savings" I guess! With the boom in RV sales as long as the demand is there prices will keep going up! Sometimes you just want to camp. We are booked for a site Presidents day week 2022 even though we own DVC and could stay there instead.

There may be savings, even comparing apples to apples. However, when you factor in fuel (depending on the distance you are traveling), that can eat up a lot of that savings. When I did my apples-to-apples comparison (all standard and FHU rates), the savings fluctuated a few hundred dollars either way, depending largely on the values offering a Fun-in-the-Sun discount as they have traditionally done during the summer. In some of my calculations, it was cheaper to stay at the Pop than to bring my camper and stay at the Fort.
With the Fort being in demand (understandable, if you ask me), I don't suspect they will offer summer discounts.

 

[bama_ed]

Yeah you're right I was poking fun mostly. I think a popup/tent site is $150 the same time Pop is $298. So there is some "savings" I guess! With the boom in RV sales as long as the demand is there prices will keep going up! Sometimes you just want to camp. We are booked for a site Presidents day week 2022 even though we own DVC and could stay there instead.

And for anyone whose interested, I can step you through the cost allocation process to determine the incremental cost of the camper (that you paid for up front) to add to the site cost for a REAL apples to apples comparison. Trailers and rv's aren't cheap as we say - they're a lifestyle choice on vacation.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

When I did my apples-to-apples comparison (all standard and FHU rates), the savings fluctuated a few hundred dollars either way, depending largely on the values offering a Fun-in-the-Sun discount as they have traditionally done during the summer.

I used to do this when planning every trip. I still have a "Travel" spreadsheet where I would put in a Value resort, a Moderate and the Fort. Factored in fuel towing vs driving. A Value was very close to the same as the Fort. The deciding monetary factor was food. And then you consider the atmosphere of the Fort vs the resorts. There are a few resorts that have a very nice atmosphere, but they don't fall in the Value category.

j

 

[MudQueen22]

And for anyone whose interested, I can step you through the cost allocation process to determine the incremental cost of the camper (that you paid for up front) to add to the site cost for a REAL apples to apples comparison. Trailers and rv's aren't cheap as we say - they're a lifestyle choice on vacation.

Bama Ed

lol. I'm frugal enough that I have done this for our regular, in-state camping trips.
We have an entry-level model that we paid cash. My goal is to keep it 15 years, so I figured up my travel expenses with this in mind. Of course, once we factor maintenance, insurance, and storage fees into the budget, that's out the window. Without the former, it's a very good deal for us. In all honesty, our family could not afford the 30 nights per year of travel if we had to stay in hotels and eat out. Our modest TT makes this affordable when we travel in-state. WDW is just a different ballgame for us.

 

[jbrostek]

9 times out of 10 the Fort wins for stays over 4-5 days. For us when we compare I factor in the fuel, travel time (giving it a cost compared to the cost of a 2.5 hour flight in lost time), and when doing other resorts I need to include the pet sitter or boarding costs. Even with us buying a 2020 and more expensive RV then the previous one I can only factor in a small slice of that cost in staying because we use the RV for more then just FW and for my money I use the RV from March through November so we definitely get our money's worth out of it.

A friend of mine is a blended family of 6 and FW always beats out every time as they need two rooms or rent enough points for a big villa.

 

[MudQueen22]

A friend of mine is a blended family of 6 and FW always beats out every time as they need two rooms or rent enough points for a big villa.

You make an excellent point about family size. There are only four of us in our family. If we had even one more child (older than age 3), that would likely tip the scales in favor of the Fort for economy. Standard value rooms do not accommodate more than four people over age 3. People with five or more in the family either need to get a suite at a value or go up to a moderate. That one person ramps up the lodging costs significantly, IMO.

 

[Sjm9911]

When I booked for this year, I did compare the value resorts. With airfare at the time , the fort was about 1500 cheaper for 3 people. This probably changed as more flights were added. And the pices may have changed due to more places opening up. To me , if i dive i might as well take the camper. The most money i save is in making my own food. We do most meals at the campsite, so breakfast, make and take snaks or lunch, and come back and make dinner. We only eat out a few times during our stay there. Part of this is because my daughter has food allergies. Disney is great with that but it also adds a lot of extra time into dining stops. And sometimes , last trip, we waited at the frozen bakery place in line, and were told she could eat nothing in the place. So , we bring our own stuff. As ed said, camers are not cheap, and nor is disney. There are ways to save and skimp on stuff to make it happen if you plan it out. We atually have it prety good, for some disney is a once in a lifetime event.

 

[jbrostek]

The most money i save is in making my own food. We do most meals at the campsite, so breakfast, make and take snaks or lunch, and come back and make dinner. We only eat out a few times during our stay there.

This is where we find our savings on longer trips. We don't cook a lot of dinners, but the savings on breakfast and lunches are huge after a few days. I know how we roll and knew that even on a good weekend we eat at the camper about 50% of the time. But once you get to 4-5 days that is when we do see the savings as we would be more inclined to eat at the RV and not offset it by eating at a more expensive resteraunt.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Trailers and rv's aren't cheap as we say - they're a lifestyle choice on vacation.

Bama Ed

I just saw this from leisurervcenter.com
Winnebago presents video tour of
The All-New 2022 Winnebago EKKO
All the bells and whistles for (!!! $163,000.00 )
Fun to see this presentation on YouTube

 

[PaHunter]

At some point, however, the "pricing streams" may indeed cross.

Bama Ed

Never cross the streams, that would be bad. Good safety tip Egon......

 

[bama_ed]

Never cross the streams, that would be bad. Good safety tip Egon......

View attachment 570026

GB (The Original [and only IMO]) was on tv last weekend and I watched it. So it was definitely on my mind still when I typed about streams crossing because I heard fresh in my head right after I did so, " .... that would be bad ....".

And I got to use a Blues Brothers gif earlier in the thread too.

Great minds think alike.

Ed

 

[Sjm9911]

Look up how many cars were smashed up to make the blues brothers , lol.

 

[DL1WDW2]

I love the Blues Brothers Act at Universal Studios... and it is different during the holidays!