Well everyone, we have a contract with DISNEY for our Fort Wilderness DISMeet in October 2020. Yea! It may sound far off, but it will be here before you know it.
Here are the details and how the process will play out:
1. The dates are "generally" arriving by Sunday night October 11, 2020 to Saturday night October 17, 2020. I say GENERALLY because that's how the meet schedule will be planned, but you're on vacation - you can come and go as you please or blow off the few activities we have planned (but we would like to see your smiling faces).
2. I expect most arrivals to occur Saturday/Sunday October 10/11, 2020 with
our one planned event day being Monday October 12. Ideally, we will have a rough outline of Monday events before we hit the 180-day mark, but
please leave Monday, October 12, open for now. Other activities will likely be happening throughout the week, but they might be ad hoc and optional.
3. We have a LIMITED number of sites in the contract for the week prior to October 10th, beginning on Sunday October 4, 2020. In our past surveys and threads, some of you expressed a desire to arrive early or stay later. Our contracted rates run from Sunday October 4, 2020 to Sunday October 18, 2020. If you want to arrive before Sunday October 4, 2020 or stay after Saturday night, October 17 (contract check-out is Sunday October 18, 2020), you must book your own individual reservation just for those periods outside October 4-17.
4. Beginning Saturday night October 10, 2020 our FULL allotment of sites becomes available, so the majority of arrivals can occur that weekend. And our full allotment runs through the last day of the contract, Sunday morning October 18, 2020.
5. Because we have a group contract, the process has a mix of room only reservation aspects AND package aspects. Initially you will pay only one night's rate as a deposit (similar to room only); however, the remaining balance of your full site cost must be paid approximately one month before the contract start date of October 4, 2020 (September 4, 2020 - similar to package). Cancellations can occur up to five days before arrival (similar to room only). Park tickets and meal plans are NOT part of this contract and must be purchased separately.
6. Our contract is predominantly for Premium sites with a few Full sites and even fewer cabins at contracted rates. Attendees booking a Premium site will be assigned together in a Premium loop TBD and attendees with a Full site reservation will be assigned together in a Full loop TBD at some point in summer 2020. Cabins should be similar.
7. Disney is prepared to begin accepting reservations on this group contract in the middle of next week (tentatively 06/12/19). One good aspect of a contract is that we are not rushed to book the reservations. Disney will hold our contracted capacity for the time specified in the contract. Once Disney is ready to begin accepting our group reservations, the booking process can begin.
8. An Early Interest Priority will be given to those that replied in the recent FEEDBACK REQUESTED thread and also those who have supported and attended past regional Camping DISMeets (I have a list). This Early Interest Priority window will begin when reservations begin being accepted (tentatively 06/12/19) and will extend for two weeks (tentatively until 06/26/19). At that time, reservations will be open to DIS Camping members and their invited guests. We wanted to recognize the early interest and prior DISMeet participation. I anticipate a number of sites will be available after the 2 weeks, but our contract is for a designated number of sites. When they are gone, they're gone, so book early.
Send me a PM if you are interested in booking a campsite on the contract and I will reply with more information (rates, process) once the Early Interest Priority period ends.
Bama Ed
PS - Lordy, I hope this works.
PPS -
@Boomer1 I need you to enable your receiving a Private Message. Right now your Profile settings are such that I can not send anything to you (tested that).
PPPS - I will keep post #1 updated with any latest/greatest news and updates and copy/paste any contents of post #1 down to a current post.