Price increase

[girl disney]

Let me start by saying how much I love Fort Wilderness and it has always been rather expensive. However I just booked for March 2021 and I can't believe the price!! $227 a night. I was just there last year at Halloween and it was $100 a night cheaper. This is just too much and I think I will have to cancel. Does anyone know a reasonably priced, nice campground nearby?
Thank you

 

[bama_ed]

Well, girl disney, you chose the second most expensive time to stay at the Fort (after Christmas/New Years time). Most of March is priced to capture the spring break folks who are captives to their school calendars. The weeks before/after Easter (which is a moving holiday) are also very expensive.

I prep a table of campsite costs as they become available for the coming year. 2020 rates are here: FW 2020 Rates see post #21 and 2021, although bookable on the phone, exact rates haven't been set yet for 2021 so they work from the 2020 rates. For those reading, using this can give you an idea of how much rates vary during the course of the year. My link also has 2019 rates under the 2020 rates so you can see year-over-year change (note Premium Meadow are new for 2020 and were "carved out" of the 2019 Premium inventory).

To answer your question, there are off-site options within a 30 minute drive of WDW.

KOA Kissimmee: east of WDW on Hwy 192. We've had folks stay there recently and say it was small but nice. Nearest KOA

Lake Louisa State Park: Florida state park just south of Clairmont on Hwy 27 west of WDW. I stay here one night before my arrival at the Fort-30 minutes to the MK Toll Booth. You reserve a specific site-very few have shade. Note no AC in Comfort Stations (which are nice otherwise) oh and close to civilization (WalMart, Walgreens, restaurants, etc.). $24 sites (some with sewer) with an 11 month booking window. LLSP on Reserve America

The following are various forms of rv parks/campsites with a mix of time share or club ownership, long term guests, etc. but allow short term stays (space permitting). I have not stayed at any of these and don't have an idea on rates but they have been mentioned here.

- Thousand Trails: Orlando RV Resort. South of Lake Louisa SP on Hwy 27 - Orlando RV
- Encore: Lake Magic west of WDW on Hwy 192 - Lake Magic
- Encore: Sherwood Forest east of WDW on Hwy 192 - Sherwood Forest
- Encore: Tropical Palms east of WDW on Hwy 192 (closer than Sherwood) - Tropical Palms

Encore owns Thousand Trails or visa versa or they have a co-marketing arrangement. You'll see the other's logo on each site usually. Dunno.

You will want to probably sit on your Fort reservation until rates for these become available for 2021 travel. And of course you would have to pay the daily rate for theme park parking and lose 30 days on FP booking. Due to the time of year these other places will also have high rates (although not FW level) so you can decide if the savings are still worth it.

Good luck!

Bama Ed

 

[girl disney]

Well, girl disney, you chose the second most expensive time to stay at the Fort (after Christmas/New Years time). Most of March is priced to capture the spring break folks who are captives to their school calendars. The weeks before/after Easter (which is a moving holiday) are also very expensive.

I prep a table of campsite costs as they become available for the coming year. 2020 rates are here: FW 2020 Rates see post #21 and 2021, although bookable on the phone, exact rates haven't been set yet for 2021 so they work from the 2020 rates. For those reading, using this can give you an idea of how much rates vary during the course of the year. My link also has 2019 rates under the 2020 rates so you can see year-over-year change (note Premium Meadow are new for 2020 and were "carved out" of the 2019 Premium inventory).

To answer your question, there are off-site options within a 30 minute drive of WDW.

KOA Kissimmee: east of WDW on Hwy 192. We've had folks stay there recently and say it was small but nice. Nearest KOA

Lake Louisa State Park: Florida state park just south of Clairmont on Hwy 27 west of WDW. I stay here one night before my arrival at the Fort-30 minutes to the MK Toll Booth. You reserve a specific site-very few have shade. Note no AC in Comfort Stations (which are nice otherwise) oh and close to civilization (WalMart, Walgreens, restaurants, etc.). $24 sites (some with sewer) with an 11 month booking window. LLSP on Reserve America

The following are various forms of rv parks/campsites with a mix of time share or club ownership, long term guests, etc. but allow short term stays (space permitting). I have not stayed at any of these and don't have an idea on rates but they have been mentioned here.

- Thousand Trails: Orlando RV Resort. South of Lake Louisa SP on Hwy 27 - Orlando RV
- Encore: Lake Magic west of WDW on Hwy 192 - Lake Magic
- Encore: Sherwood Forest east of WDW on Hwy 192 - Sherwood Forest
- Encore: Tropical Palms east of WDW on Hwy 192 (closer than Sherwood) - Tropical Palms

Encore owns Thousand Trails or visa versa or they have a co-marketing arrangement. You'll see the other's logo on each site usually. Dunno.

You will want to probably sit on your Fort reservation until rates for these become available for 2021 travel. And of course you would have to pay the daily rate for theme park parking and lose 30 days on FP booking. Due to the time of year these other places will also have high rates (although not FW level) so you can decide if the savings are still worth it.

Good luck!

Bama Ed

Thank you so much, the info is incredibly helpful. We're switching weeks and are working out how to make it a little more affordable. I was just shocked at how expensive it is since I didn't know the price until I called. But, I can't imagine not staying at the Fort.

 

[rdaky]

We stayed at Tropical Palms last Summer and it was quite a bit cheaper than Ft. Wilderness. It is very close to the parks and everything was so clean. Super clean bathrooms, clean laundry facilities, nice pool. I would absolutely stay there again.

 

[John VN]

We stayed at Tropical Palms last Summer and it was quite a bit cheaper than Ft. Wilderness. It is very close to the parks and everything was so clean. Super clean bathrooms, clean laundry facilities, nice pool. I would absolutely stay there again.

Another T-Palms happy camper here.

 

[girl disney]

We stayed one night at the KOA in Orlando last year before heading to the Fort. It was okay but small. I will check out Tropical Palms. Thank you....it's always great to hear from people who have stayed there.

 

[rdaky]

We stayed one night at the KOA in Orlando last year before heading to the Fort. It was okay but small. I will check out Tropical Palms. Thank you....it's always great to hear from people who have stayed there.

Well, it's definitely not Ft. Wilderness, so if you can't imagine staying anywhere else and you're willing to pay the price, then you might be disappointed at Tropical Palms or anywhere else. However, we've stayed at so many different types of places and I can honestly say TP was a nice place- friendly, clean, security, quiet, especially when we only paid around $50/night for a FHU. We are staying at Ft. Wilderness next Summer only because our kids have been begging to try it and we're finally going to cave. But there is no way I could justify spending $200+ on a campsite.

 

[BeachMama13]

Let me start by saying how much I love Fort Wilderness and it has always been rather expensive. However I just booked for March 2021 and I can't believe the price!! $227 a night. I was just there last year at Halloween and it was $100 a night cheaper. This is just too much and I think I will have to cancel. Does anyone know a reasonably priced, nice campground nearby?
Thank you

What category campsite was this for? Premium Meadows? I've got March 2021 booked at $202 a night for Premium. Still a high price but you might look at a Full Hook Up, and see if you can save some $$ there.

 

[girl disney]

The price was $202 a might before taxes. After taxes it was $227 a night. For one week it's $1590.75....I mean that's crazy for a campsite. The week was 3/14 - 3/21/21 and it was Meadiws premium. Last time we stayed 10/31/18, meadows wasn't a separate category. I'm switching weeks and trying to get a cheaper site but my husband is really upset with Disney and what he feels is just unreasonable.

 

[ruthies12]

I'm right there with you! We are going in March and paying over $1600 for our 8 nights. What kills me is that it is just a campsite, I know that everyone talks about it being spring break season and more expensive but I priced out the same week at Pop Century in a preferred room and it was only $100 more for the whole week. Considering we are bringing our own linens, bath items, etc and don't get housekeeping services in our camper I do think it is extremely ridiculous for them to charge that price.

I wish I could have changed our dates but we are going for my dd's bday and I want to be there on the actual day. I do think this is going to be our last Disney trip for quite awhile though. Their prices are increasing at a rate much higher than the rest of the economy and it's just not feeling worth it to me anymore which makes me sad.

 

[BeachMama13]

The price was $202 a might before taxes. After taxes it was $227 a night. For one week it's $1590.75....I mean that's crazy for a campsite. The week was 3/14 - 3/21/21 and it was Meadiws premium. Last time we stayed 10/31/18, meadows wasn't a separate category. I'm switching weeks and trying to get a cheaper site but my husband is really upset with Disney and what he feels is just unreasonable.

Gotcha, yep, I'm in the same boat but our reservations are for a few more days. 3/12-3/21. Unfortunately, we can't really change our week as it's when the kids are off. I don't like the high prices either, but we've paid a lot more for a house on the beach in the summer.

Worst case, we may cut a few days off and go somewhere else for part of the week. It does suck though. :/

 

[rdaky]

I'm right there with you! We are going in March and paying over $1600 for our 8 nights. What kills me is that it is just a campsite, I know that everyone talks about it being spring break season and more expensive but I priced out the same week at Pop Century in a preferred room and it was only $100 more for the whole week. Considering we are bringing our own linens, bath items, etc and don't get housekeeping services in our camper I do think it is extremely ridiculous for them to charge that price.

It really is outrageous. Granted you can stick 10 people on a campsite and not in Pop Century, so there is that. But you could also get 2 value rooms at a discount and fit 8 people. And let's just add it is extremely rare that campsites get any kind of discount. I imagine it's because they don't have to. As long as people continue to spend $150+/night for a campsite, they will continue to charge that much.

 

[team bradfield]

you cant cook meals at Pop

 

[bama_ed]

you cant cook meals at Pop

And can you sit outside your room and enjoy a friendly, polite conversation with your neighbors?

I get the point about Fort campsite prices - I remember when the price topped $100 a night and we all were aghast! Then they phased in Premium loops late 2008-early 2009 (to be able to justify more for Premium) and split Full from Preferred (to be able to justify more for Preferred). And now carved out Premium Meadow for the same reasons.

But the Fort isn't just any campsite. Compare its rates to other limited capacity-high demand locations like the Florida Keys private campgrounds and all of a sudden the Fort's rates are not as ridiculous. They aren't going to expand the Fort and we'll be lucky to keep what we've got. So yes, try to travel off-season when possible or drop back to a cheaper category of site if your rig size and other requirements allow.

I don't begrudge Disney raising rates (they finally popped in a new 2020 rate season for Halloween) as were I a private businessman I would raise rates to the point where I stop maximizing revenues. But I do believe Disney could make a few changes regarding their rates and reservation system that would better justify the price they charge.

Don't like the price? Don't pay it then. Alter dates or stay somewhere else. Cook/eat a few more meals at the site to save dining dollars. Skip the golf cart rental and <gasp > walk the campground or bring a bike. I stay my first night at a state park nearby for $24 a night and roll into the Fort early the next morning because my normal arrival time from where I live (late afternoon) means Disney would charge me mega-$$$$ to sleep and breathe their air. Buy one less day's ticket. Spend less on merch.

I hope the OP can find some more affordable times to travel to the Fort.

Bama Ed

 

[RamblingMad]

I'm right there with you! We are going in March and paying over $1600 for our 8 nights. What kills me is that it is just a campsite, I know that everyone talks about it being spring break season and more expensive but I priced out the same week at Pop Century in a preferred room and it was only $100 more for the whole week. Considering we are bringing our own linens, bath items, etc and don't get housekeeping services in our camper I do think it is extremely ridiculous for them to charge that price.

Meanwhile, I have three car camping trips planned for 2020, where I will be tent camping. The total cost for these three trips is: $40. One trip is $20 for the weekend. The other two are $10 for the weekend. That's for three extended weekend trips. I'm waiting to apply for fall backpacking permits for the GC, and those will be less than $100 for two nights.

You're really paying a lot for the Disney premium.

When I RV camped with my parents, they liked the Jellystone parks for their amenities.

 

[bama_ed]

You're really paying a lot for the Disney premium.

But hey we aren't having to put up with:

- daily parking fees for the parks and the extended commuting time
- 30 days less Fast Pass
- the loss of other Disney entertainment from our campsite which costs zero
- the back and forth hassle
- the waiting for the permits
- missing out on our Fort friends (visiting and socializing)

Everything has value associated with it for convenience/value (or not). You're choices aren't mine. Keep following your plan. Good luck!

Bama Ed

 

[RamblingMad]

Everything has value associated with it for convenience/value (or not). You're choices aren't mine. Keep following your plan. Good luck!

There are definitely perks. What blows my mind is how much more Disney costs versus alternatives. They're not even in the same ballpark.

 

[bama_ed]

There are definitely perks. What blows my mind is how much more Disney costs versus alternatives. They're not even in the same ballpark.

Well yeah exactly - now you understand my point. You're trying to compare apples to oranges.

Bare bones lodging versus resort amenities with entertainment and location aren't comparable. I have years literally sleeping on my back in a tent on the ground in the middle of nowhere and am better for it. That's when you appreciate the perks.

Keep following your plan! Good luck!

Bama Ed

 

[girl disney]

I agree that Fort Wilderness is above and beyond what is offered at other campgrounds but that was what we were thinking when the price was $100 a night cheaper than it is now. We were going every year and went twice in 2018, but now I think we're being priced out and it makes me sad. I'll be there in 2021 with extended family (3 staying at the Fort) but I may have to stay off property part of the time to afford it. We're retirees and just can't keep up and there must be others in the same situation.

 

[Mary2e]

I stayed last March in preferred and paid the high season prices. While we really weren't trying to save money and wanted to try renting and RV, after we paid for the site and the RV, we could have stayed in a cabin, paid the $50 extra a day for the dog, and spent the same money, though we did get more from the rental company than what is in the cabin.

The prices for the sites have gotten really, really expensive and they're still hard to get.