Old Cabins to Be Removed, New DVC Cabins Coming To Fort Wilderness

[bama_ed]

Steve,

I think we have to see how the cabins sell. The cabins have underperformed as nightly rentals for a long time. The conversion of the 2100 loop back to Full showed this. I think converting to DVC addresses this low occupancy with immediate cash flow and tests the waters to see if a "Moderate" DVC will work. It seems like there is a lot of interest in the cabins from the DVC side, but I suspect many think it will be a lower priced buy in to the system instead of truly wanting to be at the Fort. If all 350+ cabins sell quickly, we may be at risk of losing a camping loop, but more likely, if the cabins sell extremely well, is they will build additional cabin loops down towards the group camping area and add new DVC amenities in that direction. There is plenty of land back there and it is removed enough from the camping loops to feel "exclusive" for the DVC crowd that demands that.

j

See, if the FW DVC Cabins were sold as a Moderate timeshare with typical prices per point but fewer points required per night, I might be interested in a resale bundle of points when my camping days wind down. Although I never seriously considered DVC because I love my pop-up at the Fort, the financial calculations around DVC ownership intrigue my mind. People always say with DVC "buy where you want to stay" quite often. The Fort is where I want to stay at WDW. I could see driving in to stay at my cabin a couple nights a year, come in with a bike rack on the back of the car rather than pulling a camper, and relive old times. Over the years we've camped in 10 different loops and stayed in 2 different cabin loops. There are memories there behind every tree practically.

Plus I got my name in the pavement in two different spots around the Fort so how could I stay anywhere else? In my mind that was like signing the papers.

Ed

PS - oh and Jim, if there was to be cabin expansion in the future, I hope it will be down in that direction. And NOT a camping loop conversion.

 

[Teamubr]

PS - oh and Jim, if there was to be cabin expansion in the future, I hope it will be down in that direction. And NOT a camping loop conversion.

I'm definitely with you, Ed. And it makes sense if there really is a big Fort DVC demand. The map below shows all the available unused area in close proximity to the cabin loops. As full as the Fort campsites are most of the year, it doesn't make sense to cut back on those. The 2 blue circles look like there is easily enough room to build at least 200 more cabins, a sit down reasturant, gift shop and new pool. I separated the 2 circles because there is a smallish canal that runs between them.

The green curved line to the left is a bigger canal and beyond that is the old VSTOL runway and I thought I read was unbuildable due to soil conditions.



j

 

[Saltywardog]

is the river country land unusable at all? cabins might not sink back there and doesnt require the foundation they can't do

 

[Teamubr]

is the river country land unusable at all? cabins might not sink back there and doesnt require the foundation they can't do

The old River Country site was raised for the now delayed DVC resort that was started before Covid. It is slowly growing back over, but is pretty much an abandoned construction site. Most of us think the DVC will get built eventually, so I don't think they would consider that for cabins. MUCH more profit potential for an actual DVC resort.

j

 

[Saltywardog]

The old River Country site was raised for the now delayed DVC resort that was started before Covid. It is slowly growing back over, but is pretty much an abandoned construction site. Most of us think the DVC will get built eventually, so I don't think they would consider that for cabins. MUCH more profit potential for an actual DVC resort.

j

I was hoping the site was to soft to put a heavy foundation and building didn't realize they just didn't want to spend money. Miss those woods

 

[branfam]

Reading online that ALL the cabins will be DVC now. Which makes me very unhappy.

I can say that when we were looking into room blocks for a Disney wedding in 2024, we were quoted $479 a night for a cabin. That is higher than AOA and ASMU suites.

 

[Teamubr]

I was hoping the site was to soft to put a heavy foundation and building didn't realize they just didn't want to spend money. Miss those woods

This is the current view of where River Country was. The cleared area without any trees and the circular road is where River Country was and the new resort will eventually go. The new stables are at the lower right of the cleared area.

I can say that when we were looking into room blocks for a Disney wedding in 2024, we were quoted $479 a night for a cabin. That is higher than AOA and ASMU suites.

The cabins have always been considered a "Moderate" level resort with pricing similar to CBR or POFQ/POR. $479/night still seems cheap, but considering you get a kitchen and enough room for more than 4 people, it isn't bad for Disney pricing.


j

 

[StormyCA]

@Teamubr

Hey, thank's for that aerial shot!

Just the other day I was wondering what it looked like 'back there'.

 

[Teamubr]

The satellites make it look better than it does from the ground. There are 8 ft chain link fences with fading scrims all around the border behind the settlement and along the road to WL. What you can see from the water and around the fences looks like an overgrown abandoned construction site.

j

 

[StormyCA]

The satellites make it look better than it does from the ground. There are 8 ft chain link fences with fading scrims all around the border behind the settlement and along the road to WL. What you can see from the water and around the fences looks like an overgrown abandoned construction site.

j

We got a taste of that view when we were there in 2021. I hate to know that they're just letting the scrims get all faded. The scrims are bad enough on their own!

I know Disney has wonderful horticulture and nursery departments and great landscaping crews. With the FL weather and humidity it wouldn't take long for some type of quick growing native shrubbery to grow tall enough and shield the 'view'. If they'd done that when they 'postponed' The-DVC-That-Must-Not-Be-Named I'm sure we'd have a nice thick hedge already, at least at the Settlement area.

 

[John VN]

DW has a number of cabins reserved for her Girl Scouts for the upcoming National Convention being held at WDW in July. Our first cabin stay at FW was in the 100 loop.

As former DVC Members our thinking is that the cabins will have a washer/dryer setup and a price that will could be fairly close to a 1BR.

 

[bama_ed]

As fyi I played with the Disney booking tool since reservations for 2024 opened up yesterday and checked on the present FW Cabins availability.

The last night that the cabins currently show for availability with a rate ($515) is the night of Thursday October 17, 2024 which is a Thursday. Meaning you would have to check out on Friday October 18.

Of course we assume that in January 2024 there will still be HUNDREDS of cabins available to book but by October 2024 there might only be Tens (one loop left maybe).

Bama Ed

 

[carlyle688]

Someone posted this on Facebook. The rumor is they are bringing it in as a DVC model.

EDIT: People are commenting that it’s not one of the new cabins.

 

[Stratman50th]

Someone posted this on Facebook. The rumor is they are bringing it in as a DVC model.

EDIT: People are commenting that it’s not one of the new cabins.

View attachment 764579

Two different things here. First, don't know about the DVC model, but it looks very much like the concept art that was posted earlier in this thread.
Next, anything is possible including this is a private coach heading to a Meadows Premium site. You never know what someone is going to show up with at the Fort. But I kind of doubt it. I'd throw out a bet here that this is headed for a foundation that's already been readied for the upgrade. Once installed and hooked up it will be a model to show as the replacement cabins.

 

[bama_ed]

Two different things here. First, don't know about the DVC model, but it looks very much like the concept art that was posted earlier in this thread.
Next, anything is possible including this is a private coach heading to a Meadows Premium site. You never know what someone is going to show up with at the Fort. But I kind of doubt it. I'd throw out a bet here that this is headed for a foundation that's already been readied for the upgrade. Once installed and hooked up it will be a model to show as the replacement cabins.

They still have that area down by the Settlement Bus Depot that they used to show Fleetwood Trailers at along the walkway down to Hoop Dee Doo Review. It had a nice ramp and hand railing at one time (can't remember if it's still there). But it would be a smart business move to put a model out there to gin up interest (or disdain) that people can look in the windows at (a walk-through might be too much to ask for). It would give people a feel for the size and space part of the value equation when prices are released.

Bama Ed

PS - sooner than waiting for them to start dropping models in the cabin loops to look at.

PPS - of course, knowing Disney's marketing style, they would drop a model in the grass between the Trails End arcade end of Pioneer Hall and the lake so EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON in that area or coming/going on a boat would have to look at it.

 

[gmi3804]

PPS - of course, knowing Disney's marketing style, they would drop a model in the grass between the Trails End arcade end of Pioneer Hall and the lake so EVERY.SINGLE.PERSON in that area or coming/going on a boat would have to look at it.

Maybe they’ll put one on the Boardwalk by the DVC Booth.

 

[tetera]

As fyi I played with the Disney booking tool since reservations for 2024 opened up yesterday and checked on the present FW Cabins availability.

The last night that the cabins currently show for availability with a rate ($515) is the night of Thursday October 17, 2024 which is a Thursday. Meaning you would have to check out on Friday October 18.

Of course we assume that in January 2024 there will still be HUNDREDS of cabins available to book but by October 2024 there might only be Tens (one loop left maybe).

Bama Ed

I wonder if that was a glitch from yesterday's IT nonsense or if that may actually be "the day" - looking at WDW online booking today it shows rates at the Cabins through the end of 2024 and it would let me make a (hypothetical) booking from October 18th - 24th...it would even let me (hypothetically) book checking in on NYE through January 6, 2025 (but not past that date):




That potential DVC model is highly suspicious, though....

 

[carlyle688]

Well I’ll be darned. It’s a private unit. Takes glamping to a new level.

 

[Stratman50th]

Well I’ll be darned. It’s a private unit. Takes glamping to a new level.

View attachment 764616

Fancy Park Model! I didn't see the car behind the sleeper until you posted this picture. Well, it does solidify my theory that people will bring anything to the Fort!

 

[gmi3804]

If this is a private camper/trailer, does that mean Disney is using an "off the shelf" (with maybe some decorative modifications) trailer for the new DVC units? Then again, weren't the old cabins pretty much off the shelf too?