All The Fort Wilderness 2020 Campsite Rack Rates and Analysis

bama_ed

It's kind of fun to do the impossible-Walt Disney
Joined
Sep 23, 2004
Folks,

Again for the 4th year in a row, I have put together a table of all the rack rates (non-discounted full price) for the campsites at Fort Wilderness for the calendar year 2020. The table is based on data provided by MouseSavers (an excellent resource): https://www.mousesavers.com/ .

With the release of new rates and packages this past Tuesday June 23, 2019 for 2020, we saw some pretty hefty increases across the board. A thread is already ongoing about breaking the $200 a night barrier (without tax). On top of that, Disney has dreamed up an extra surcharge idea to charge more for Premium Campsites that are very close to the Meadow Trading Post area (pool, campfire, TP, etc.) and called them "Premium Meadow" campsites. Establishing that category and comparing their 2020 prices to 2019 created a big jump in rates that won't necessarily repeat going forward.

A couple observations:

  • The rate data below from MouseSavers includes 12.5% tax and is rounded to the nearest whole dollar (essentially out-of-pocket cost).
  • Four new rate periods have been created (Halloween, Holiday 2 for the week Christmas to New Years, Marathon/Run Disney race in February, and Marathon/Run Disney race in April). Rates for these new ones are much higher than the non-special periods they sprang from.
  • Now there are 24 rate periods (Disney no longer names the periods but MouseSavers adds that for historical comparisons) up from 11 in 2009 (the oldest rate data I have).
  • For most existing rate periods and site types, the price increase for 2020 was in the 7-11% range (last year was 2-5%).
  • I would predict that when 2021 rolls around we will have a similar price increase again because the SWGE surge will not be over in 2020 and in 2021 the celebration begins for the Magic Kingdom's 50th Anniversary.
Here is the table (yellow are new rate periods for 2020):

2020 FW Rates-2.png

Here is the heat map with the year-over-year price comparisons:

2020 FW Heat Map-2.png

Finally, who wants to live for the entire year at the Fort? You'll have to dig deep for a 366-day stay (2020 is a leap year):

  • Tent/Pop-up: $39,997 (+8.5%)
  • Full: $51,328 (+8.7%)
  • Preferred: $57,370 (+9.1%)
  • Premium: $60,764 (+8.5)
  • Premium Meadow: $65,890 (+17.6% over 2019 Premium rates to establish this category)
If anyone sees an error in the data, please let me know.

Bama Ed
 
Thanks Ed, I will add this to the Fort info thread. Also, might I add OMG!
 
Is Marathon 3 the Star Wars Marathon?
that increase is NUTS.

Good job again Ed. I think we shall try September this next time, it seems to be the only time we can afford.
 


Is Marathon 3 the Star Wars Marathon?
that increase is NUTS.

Good job again Ed. I think we shall try September this next time, it seems to be the only time we can afford.

Yes the Marathon 3 in April is Star Wars weekend. Marathon 2 in February is the Princess. Those two were new this year. The Marathon 1 period in January for the Marathon weekend has been in existence for a while.

At times like these I am grateful that I am small enough to drop back to a Tent/Pop-up site if need be.

Bama Ed

PS - Oh and hey Denise when you put those in the Info Thread would add a sentence that says these are "rack rate with tax included". thanks
 
Thanks, bama_ed. Great info for planning stays during value season. Also a great guide for watching for some of the incredible Florida Resident rates that just happen to "pop up" during those times. Gotta love "value season"!
 


Thanks for putting this together....along with high school and those prices, looks like holiday times at the fort are over for us....August, it is :crazy2:
 
Minimum $29 difference between partial and full and every full rate is $101 at least along with a huge AP increase; looks like twice to the fort each year is over and done with for me. KOA has a nice pool and Lake Magic is available through Passport; love the fort but this is over my limit.
 
Minimum $29 difference between partial and full and every full rate is $101 at least along with a huge AP increase; looks like twice to the fort each year is over and done with for me. KOA has a nice pool and Lake Magic is available through Passport; love the fort but this is over my limit.

Good point. Marshel. I've noticed it in the past but didn't notice the Full this year were all now triple digit dollars. It's the "March of the Triple Digits" as the price went over $100 per night on the right hand side of the rate sheet years ago and has slowly slid to the left side. Now only Tent sites have any regular prices that are two digits (with tax) left.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Bama Ed
 
Thanks for all your work! I kind of want to know and then also don't want to know. It's a shame they keep bumping it up without a large increase in services. I imagine the hotel prices are going up by about the same amount also so I don't feel that bad, but it still hurts.
 
....It's a shame they keep bumping it up without a large increase in services. I imagine the hotel prices are going up by about the same amount also so I don't feel that bad, but it still hurts.

Anybody know how the revenue $$ per square foot of real estate at FW compares to the other Disney Resorts? I get the feeling that some Disney Exec is trying to exact the same $ per sq/ft from FW as they reap from all the other, brick & mortar resorts. At first glance it would seem FW cannot provide nearly the same revenue stream (for the amount of real estate footprint it has) when compared to any other resort. Just curious.
 
Those prices are getting crazy! I realize that there's supply and demand and the whole 'throw away' sites, but really!?!? Are any amenities are being added to justify the increase? You're already providing your own lodging.
 
I guess I’m in the minority but I’m glad Disney has decided to raise prices. As a shareholder I think they should better balance demand and pricing. Fort Wilderness and the parks in general are so busy that the prices are obviously not a hindrance to attendance. And an increase in prices will keep me from getting stuck beside undesirables.
 
Are any amenities are being added to justify the increase?

What other amenities do you expect? It’s already the best campground in the country by most anyone’s standards. Some would say Disney is adding amenities atThe Fort along with the new DVC project.
 
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I guess I’m in the minority but I’m glad Disney has decided to raise prices. As a shareholder I think they should better balance demand and pricing. Fort Wilderness and the parks in general are so busy that the prices are obviously not a hindrance to attendance. And an increase in prices will keep me from getting stuck beside undesirables.

I too am a shareholder but am not able to afford the increasing price Disney continues to put onto the consumer. I understand that Disney is a business and its their job to make money but at some point there has to be a line where Disney sees that they are beyond the reach of even its most loyal people. Hence perhaps why Disneyland is seeing its worst numbers in years. Disney is becoming out of reach for most people. I travel from Canada and want to stay onsite. The only way for me to afford a 14 day vacation onsite is to stay at the Fort but even with the increasing cost of the sites ( upwards of $220 per night plus the cost of renting a trailer) this may well be our last trip to DisneyWorld. The grand total of our trip for Dec. 2020 is upwards of $13,000. So I suppose if I am an undesireable because I am not able to afford this abhorrent cost of a vacation, then I guess you will have better people than our family staying beside you, and as a shareholder, I will still reap the benefits from you and yours spending your money there. So thank you for that.
 
I too am a shareholder but am not able to afford the increasing price Disney continues to put onto the consumer. I understand that Disney is a business and its their job to make money but at some point there has to be a line where Disney sees that they are beyond the reach of even its most loyal people. Hence perhaps why Disneyland is seeing its worst numbers in years. Disney is becoming out of reach for most people. I travel from Canada and want to stay onsite. The only way for me to afford a 14 day vacation onsite is to stay at the Fort but even with the increasing cost of the sites ( upwards of $220 per night plus the cost of renting a trailer) this may well be our last trip to DisneyWorld. The grand total of our trip for Dec. 2020 is upwards of $13,000. So I suppose if I am an undesireable because I am not able to afford this abhorrent cost of a vacation, then I guess you will have better people than our family staying beside you, and as a shareholder, I will still reap the benefits from you and yours spending your money there. So thank you for that.

Well said.
 
I too am a shareholder but am not able to afford the increasing price Disney continues to put onto the consumer.
You mean our dividend doesn't cover the increase? :duck:

I'm not priced out yet, but it certainly makes you reconsider. I'm going to St Thomas in a week. That trip, even counting airfare, will come in cheaper than a week at the Fort (with park tickets). We are going to the 2020 DIS Meet in October. I had originally planned on getting an AP for that trip, but now we are looking at Europe instead of multiple WDW trips. With the European economy, it will be the more cost effective vacation.

j
 
Thanks Ed for all the work you put into this for us! Wow, when you include these increases to the park ticket increases and all the other nickle and dime tactics it will for certain change our visiting habits. How sad!
 

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