Starbuc71

This is shocking news. Disney to charge an outrageous price for convenience. Who would have thought suck a thing

16 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

Thank you for explaining the problem.     

 

So in your ipinion the buses really isnt an issue?

 

We were staying at Pop Century a few weeks ago and a kid wasn’t wearing a swim diaper and had an accident in the main pool. The recreation CM told us that we could use one of the other pools. And then whispered to us that we could go across the bridge and use the Art of Animation main pool.  I said “don’t they have MB readers?”  She said yes but not at every gate.   So we went over there. It’s a really cool pool. 

 

BTW. Did you know the campfire at the Fort is open to anyone?  Fort guest, Disney resort guest, and non-disney resort guest?  

IMHO. The campfire should be for Fort guests only.  But that’s just my opinion. 

I think the buses should have readers since paying guest are paying for the “free transportation “. I know it does not happen a lot , but I’m sure there are many non paying guest that go to one resort or Disney Springs then ride the buses to get to other ones for some reason or maybe just to look around.  It will also save you from paying the parks parking fee   Also non resort guest like to park hop and take the buses   I think the resort monorail should also have a reader

i also think the campfire should be for campers only. It’s not that big and most people ar just rude these days are high makes it twice as bad

last week we drove over from Tampa to have dinner at ohanas.  When we pulled up to the poly we had our AP magic bands on since we were heading to Epcot after dinner (driving to Epcot).  The guard said thanks for having our magic bands and scanned them for our dinner reservations.  He said they are cracking down on resort free parking  I agree to put magic ban readers on all buses

on another note, thank you shoreline99 for your awesome post   Yes, I am somewhat a local, but when we visit for a day to a park, we don’t take any advantage of a resort.  

When we are lucky to get a campground for a weekend trip, which is usually never nowadays, we should be treated like every other paying camper.  I agree the people who are true freeloaders should be stopped, but if we pay we shouldn’t be looked upon as freeloading locals

Duh...I’m stupid.   Lol

Imho, the cabins are definitely not worth the cost for a family of 4 or below unless you have a CM discount or your sharing with another family.  I’m sure Disney knows this since the majority of the time, there are many empty cabins.  As far as other Disney resorts go, besides the value resorts, I can not afford them so I can’t comment if they are worth the price.  I will say, I know most of the rooms at the higher end resorts are your basic hotel room with upgrades like a new tv like every other resort in the world. The contemporary is a great example. I suppose with that resort, you are paying for the convenience of the location. For well over $500 a night, your paying for something.  Living close to WDW makes us locals look at things differently....I think.  I have friends up north who save all year for that magic vacation that may take 5-6 grand out of your wallet, so I guess it’s a deal for them.  I know at the moment since I’m trying to plan a once in a lifetime trip to Disneyland next year. I don’t think it’s going to happen due to price.  This is why I complain about the cost of the campsites now going so high. A once a year trip to the best campground in the country may seem ok to pay a high price, but to a local who wanted to get away from time to time to visit Disney on a budget is now gone and will never come back

On 10/22/2018 at 8:29 AM, djsamuel said:

Took me about 10 seconds! ☺️

I don’t get it

......and it begins.  3 years of opinions about this horrible monstrosity of a resort

On 10/16/2018 at 10:18 PM, LONE-STAR said:

A little work beats a boring hotel room any day. And I don't care what class of room, not one other then the Fort has my truck 10' from the front door. We tried the resort and it was easy but we still came back and bought a camper. 

I work my rear off too much 51 weeks a year. I don’t want to do it on vacation any more...especially for the money we spend. I’m leaning more towards my wife nowadays.  If I could afford a class A and push a button for set up, I would enjoy camping again, but that will never happen. Renting a cabin in the smoky mountains for near the same price or cheaper than a concrete pad at Disney sounds much more inviting.   And the theme park there is better than Disney anyways

8 hours ago, Travisma said:

In the past, when we stayed at the Fort, we felt we were cheating if we spent the days or nights at the parks.

For what the Fort cost, I wanted to get my $$$ worth just hanging out there and enjoying it.

Do to logistics and costs, we haven't spent time at the Fort in a couple years.

We try to get to the parks every couple of months, and it's much easier just staying in a hotel.

Most of the time we get a place that has some sort of kitchen to save $$ on meals.

We will be going to our 3rd stay at a Holiday Inn Vacation Resort at 192 and 429.  

It's a quick drive to WDW using the back roads.

My daughter books thru work, $94 for a 2 bedroom/2 bath unit with a living room, full kitchen, dining area, washer/dryer, and a patio or balcony.

No, it's not the Fort, but the price is right, and it's a lot easier for a quick stay then setting up and breaking down a PUP, tent, screen room, outdoor kitchen, etc.  And a lot less to pack into the truck!

I think more and more people are thinking like you. I love the fort and wish I could spend weeks there. Financially we just can’t do it. And I agree   The set up and break down is a lot of work. As I get older, I want to do less work on vacation.  We are not rich enough to own a class A where pushing a button does the majority of the work. The pop out, the leveling jacks, the screen room the hoses the cables the sewer etc. it’s a lot especially if your trying to do a quick weekend

23 hours ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

The problem with hotels, is it's a hotel. Unless you spring for the big suites, with a balcony, there is no "lounging around" There is nothing better than stepping out under your awning and relaxing in the big gravity recliner in the morning. Or sitting around with a bunch of Fiends in the evening. Looping, checking out the decorations, etc. We no longer spend more than a couple hours a day at most in the parks. Hanging out at a hotel is not the same. Offsite is even worse. We have that stupid, heavy ECV to contend with. Loading it in the truck a couple of times a day is no fun.

Having said all that, some friends of ours now rent a house off 192. Private pool, pool table, 3 bedrooms, full kitchen, and for less than a site at the Fort. They also use an ECV. At least there, they can leave the ECV in the truck and run an extension cord through the window and charge it overnight without unloading it.

We tried to go cheap a couple of years ago at New Years and stayed in a flea trap hotel on 192. OMG!!!! Never again!!!

20 hours ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

It’s all in how you want to spend your money.  

For us Disney’s Resort prices are to high.    So we mainly stay in a condo at Wyndham bonnet creek.   I can watch the Epcot and HS fireworks from our balcony.   5 pools, 4 poolside bars. 6+ restaurants. Several fire pits, etc, etc.   and we absolutely love it there. And we can get a 2 bedroom condo, at Christmas for $1200 a week.   

all that being said we do miss the onsite properties. So we do a split stay.   This Christmas we will do 8 nights at bonnet creek and then we rented DVC points for an additional 2 nights at copper creek, 2 nights at the Poly, and 1 night at Saratoga Springs.   It’s a splurge but we do love the perks of  staying onsite. 

I agree with both of you.  To each their own but the fort is not what it was.  As someone else stated, if you can get a tent site for $69 and you enjoy tent camping, that a win win.   But for $180, I can’t justify it. I know there are true Disney freaks out there that live and sleep Disney, but I’m not one of them. To me after 10 years of camping at the fort, the looping is now not exciting as it used to be. And to be honest, as you all know, camping is a lot of work. With as much time as I spend at work these days, the nights swinging in my hammock does not make up for the tow, the set up and the breakdown.  It’s not as enjoyable as it once was. For the price camping at the fort, tickets and food for 7 days, I can do it in Dollywood for the same amount of time for almost 1/2 the price.  Again, I’m not that goo goo Gaga for Disney anymore

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

I know that hotels are not camping, and depending on the amount of people a hotel may not fit everyone.

Also some die-hards are dead set against staying off property, but sometimes you just got to bite the bullet.

We stayed at the Grand Villas a couple of weekends ago.  It's close to the parks by the Winn Dixie on Apopka Vineland just past where 535 turns.

We got a 1 bedroom suite with a kitchen for $77 a night including a resort fee.  My inlaws got a 2 bedroom with a huge living room, screened balcony and big kitchen for a little over $300 total for 3 days. They had 4 adults and 2 kids in there.

There are a lot of deals like this if you look.

You are not getting early admissions, but hey most of us have seen everything at the parks numerous times. 

You don't have the Disney ambiance, but for the amount of $$$$ you can save, you can blow it on tons of souvenirs at the Character Warehouse and have Mickeys coming out of every nook and cranny of the suite!

You have to decide if your situations will benefit by staying at a hotel or camping.

Savings on gas, wear and tear on your TV.  Just check in unload and go to the parks or relax instead of leveling, setting up screen rooms, kitchens, etc.

 

 

Totally agree.  For many years camping was a great alternative for cheaper prices while being able to experience all the amenities. I’m sure a lot of you can go all the way back to the 70’s talking about pricing, but in the early 2000’s the $90-$100 per night was a good fair price.  Fast forward and incorporate the high ticket prices with high nightly site prices and it’s just not a “true” bargain as it once was. Also the fort is no longer a “hidden Gem”.  The RV industry has seen a huge boom also. The RV you could once buy for $20K is now at least $30K.   The quality has declined in the units as the prices rose like everything else.   I agree staying off property is not even close to the magic you get staying at a Disney resort or campground but reality is reality. We will never be able to stay at any Disney resort besides the 3-4 value resorts due to prices.  I think the off site hotels and resorts are just over saturated and they have to run deals to compete. Disney does not have to do that. If you don’t pay, someone else will. Hence why we never see Disney discounts. I guess my parents felt the same way heading into the 80’s...lol

Wow was that kid annoying or what?

On 9/30/2018 at 11:26 AM, LONE-STAR said:

Sorry to hear that , I know you were really excited about that camper. But I know how you feel. Our camper got totalled and I am back and forth on getting another one. I want one really bad but I don't want one just as much.  I know I will get another one I just don't know when.

On 9/30/2018 at 11:26 AM, LONE-STAR said:

Sorry to hear that , I know you were really excited about that camper. But I know how you feel. Our camper got totalled and I am back and forth on getting another one. I want one really bad but I don't want one just as much.  I know I will get another one I just don't know when.

Wow, how did the camper get totaled?  So sorry to hear that. Yeah I’m bummed about the fort.  I just can’t do it anymore.  I’m so glad we got a good 10 year run of having some great family times there.  I know there are more campgrounds than just the fort, but the kids are spoiled and so are we.  I’ve had the camper advertised for 2 months now and not a bite.  I guess since it’s small and paid for it can sit and be a portable base camp during hurricanes...lol

I’m done booking a year out for reservations only to pay close to $180 a night for a premium site at prime times.  We gave up camping at the fort about a year ago and the family talked me into buying another camper.  This was a mistake and they now agree. The next reservation we have is for spring break and I had to pull the trip down to 4 days vs our normal 7 day stay due to the cost.  The last time we were at the fort was Memorial Day weekend and had a crappy time due to overcrowding at the fort and the parks.  The camper is now for sale and will probably be the last one for a while.  It’s a shame that the CEO’s have pushed people out of the parks due to pricing and now it’s pushing people out of the fort.  They could build more sites but never will due to Them not being full 24/7 yet you cant get a reservation.  They let people book ghost sites and the rules are not enforced more and more.  Then they try to look like good guys by adding some sort of mining for gem stone activity but charge up to $30 a bag for tiny rocks.   I’m done. 

I had a funny feeling you would be there for rope drop on the 30th

3 years huh.....amazing for one ride.  I guess it makes sense.  Pandora was almost 5 for one good ride and one so so ride

I would say up the creek campground https://www.upthecreekrvcamp.com/. But I bet they are booked. 5 minutes off the parkway by the island. Smokey bear is great but about 11 miles outside of Gatlinburg.  https://www.smokybearcampground.com/

On a different note, we went to whispering canyon last week for dinner. First time in a few years.  I vaguely remember it was not that good the last time, but I figured let’s try again.  We got the platter and Like I remember, it was horrible.  The brisket was all fat, the pulled pork was not pulled and 3 huge chunks of pork we thrown on the plate.  The chicken was mediocre and the sausage was just alright. The waitress stated the kitchen was backed up bad yet the place was 1/2 full.  There was some sort of Disney executive sitting by herself with a lap top and a note pad critique everything that was brought to her. Every cook and server must have visited that table 20 times. Maybe that’s why we got mediocre food.  Also, the air was down and it must have been 90 in there. Needless to say, we will be absent from there for a few more years

4 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Agreed. They are charging $50 a night for the cabin pet fee. That is way more than covering any cleaning or insurance costs. The pet fee is a pure and simple money grab. They could easily double it for the campsites and guests would pay it. 

TCD 

True, they can do whatever and I mean whatever they want and people will pay it.  The cabin I can see.  A pet cand destroy,stain or whatever. But at a campsite?  I guess if the dog does his business all over the concrete they may have to pressure wash or the inconsiderate people who never pick stuff up.  I guess $5 is a bargain 

You would think it was built into the $175 per night I’m paying for 

So what’s the deal with $5 extra a night if you have a dog?  Did I pay for the 1/2 broken milk bone I got when checking in?  Ridiculous 

I looked into best friends and $27 for one day of day sitting is not bad.  Unfortunately, I think she is too young at 10 weeks and her puppy appointment at the vet isn’t until next Sat so I don’t have all her shots yet.  I guess our plan is 2-3 hours max at the parks. We did buy a puppy kong and some PB. Hopefully that will keep her busy

21 minutes ago, gremlinbangles said:

I do believe all sites accept pets. Maybe someone can tell you which sites may be best suited to your situation. In the meantime maybe you can do some training at your house. Open vents or windows and leave her in it for about an hour see how she reacts and increase the time periods so it won't be such a shock?

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

Yeah,  not leaving her at the storage unit in Florida with 95 degree heat and no power for the AC.  Good thought though

17 minutes ago, Katman1356...Jason said:

All loops are now pet friendly. 

Great. Thank you 

I know this is somewhere on this site, but I need to know what premium sites allow pets.  I found an old thread that said only the 700 and 800 allow pets that are premium. We all know there are pets on every loop, but we just got a puppy and will be at the fort next week.  I don’t know how much crying she will be doing when we are away from the RV and I don’t want to tick people off.  I heard a rumor that all loops were pet friendly now. Help...lol