Cabins at Fort Wilderness Points Charts Posted! For Sale and Booking Dates too!

[Jimmy Geppetto]

Is this what you’re looking for?

These incentives are terrible! Someone tell me this is a DVC early April Fools joke!

 

[Hubalorian]

These incentives are terrible! Someone tell me this is a DVC early April Fools joke!

Any word on if you can use magical beginnings or what use years they will let you select? Magical beginnings might help some to get the price per point under the $200 threshold?

 

[bama_ed]

I just got back from 8 days at Fort Wilderness which was a mostly camping stay but we did tack one night in a cabin on at the end.

We went over to Wilderness Lodge to eat lunch at Geyser Point during our stay and while there I had this thought about how Fort Wilderness could eventually relate to Copper Creek (there at WL).

Hear me out.

The Fort Wilderness (current) cabins had to be dealt with NOW. They had reached the end of their useful life per IRS rules and had to be removed or replaced. Does Disney pay to replace and continue to book as hotel rooms and recover costs over another 27.5 years?

Or does Disney pass that space to DVC and let DVC put new cabins on and get their money out much faster? We know the answer to that question. They're doing DVC and it will take 18 months to fully convert all cabins.

The CFW are similar to the Copper Creek Villas IN THAT they are stand alone housing units - which if by themselves would also have high(er) dues but that is offset by the converted hotel room units in WL which have more efficiencies of cost (and would by themselves have low(er) dues that produces the current "blended" dues rate for rooms/villas at Copper Creek. And the villas are a small proportion of the overall housing offered at Copper Creek.

DVC started prep for Reflections at FW on the old River Country property and spent a LOT of money clearing the land and laying in utilities. I believe DVC will come back at some point (soon) and build a DVC property (or shared property like the Reflections plan) which will be in the same trust or association as the CFW. The new Reflections-like DVC will have the lower cost dues due to efficiencies and when blended with the CFW dues rate will reduce the overall dues cost of CFW units. And it would have available more amenities to use.

Do you think something like that could be possible?

The legacy cabins had to be dealt with NOW. A new successor to Reflections can come LATER when the market/economy dictates. Who knows what will be the next DVC planned (and there will be one planned of course) after Poly Tower and CFW are completed. Could the next planned DVC be built on the shoreline of Bay Lake on the already prepped River Country land?

TLDR version:

CFW similar to CCR villas (higher stand alone dues cost)
Future Reflections similar to CCR units converted from hotel rooms (lower stand alone dues cost)
If joined together in the same dues pool of expenses

Net result: lower blended dues on the CFW side due to the NOW/LATER angle.

Just a thought.

Bama Ed

 

[5kidsmommy]

I love the Fort, we enjoy bringing down our camper. We also love DVC. I just don't see who will be buying into these. The pool situation and the whole getting around the Fort situation is just not ideal. The dues though are so laughably high. The points chart is nice and low but I just don't see any reason to buy into these.

 

[hhisc16]

I just got back from 8 days at Fort Wilderness which was a mostly camping stay but we did tack one night in a cabin on at the end.

We went over to Wilderness Lodge to eat lunch at Geyser Point during our stay and while there I had this thought about how Fort Wilderness could eventually relate to Copper Creek (there at WL).

Hear me out.

The Fort Wilderness (current) cabins had to be dealt with NOW. They had reached the end of their useful life per IRS rules and had to be removed or replaced. Does Disney pay to replace and continue to book as hotel rooms and recover costs over another 27.5 years?

Or does Disney pass that space to DVC and let DVC put new cabins on and get their money out much faster? We know the answer to that question. They're doing DVC and it will take 18 months to fully convert all cabins.

The CFW are similar to the Copper Creek Villas IN THAT they are stand alone housing units - which if by themselves would also have high(er) dues but that is offset by the converted hotel room units in WL which have more efficiencies of cost (and would by themselves have low(er) dues that produces the current "blended" dues rate for rooms/villas at Copper Creek. And the villas are a small proportion of the overall housing offered at Copper Creek.

DVC started prep for Reflections at FW on the old River Country property and spent a LOT of money clearing the land and laying in utilities. I believe DVC will come back at some point (soon) and build a DVC property (or shared property like the Reflections plan) which will be in the same trust or association as the CFW. The new Reflections-like DVC will have the lower cost dues due to efficiencies and when blended with the CFW dues rate will reduce the overall dues cost of CFW units.

Do you think something like that could be possible?

The legacy cabins had to be dealt with NOW. A new successor to Reflections can come LATER when the market/economy dictates. Who knows what will be the next DVC planned (and there will be one planned of course) after Poly Tower and CFW are completed. Could the next planned DVC be built on the shoreline of Bay Lake on the already prepped River Country land?

TLDR version:

CFW similar to CCR villas (higher stand alone dues cost)
Future Reflections similar to CCR units converted from hotel rooms (lower stand alone dues cost)
If joined together in the same dues pool of expenses

Net result: lower blended dues on the CFW side due to the NOW/LATER angle.

Just a thought.

Bama Ed

were the first cabins installed in 1971?
when were the second cabins installed?

 

[Frugal Fairy Tales]

Disney is getting worse at getting me to hand over money to them.

 

[clarker99]

If the plan is to build out the FW area with more amenities, you would think that would be a selling feature and they would be promoting that. Also, if you are planning to add units to the trust in the future with another development that feels like pertinent news to share.

 

[bama_ed]

Also being fresh back from the Fort:

- internal busses run frequently - I didn't wait more than 5 minutes for one
- golf carts are an expensive addition but certainly not a requirement
- how many other DVC properties can you literally park at your room door?
- don't know anything about how pets are handled, @CarolynFH, since we don't have one.
- If comparing CFW (sleeps 6) to a 1BR alternative (sleeps 4), add 50% more to the alternative for an apples-to-apples cost comparison.
- a week at the end of January (my recent stay) requires 100 more points at Copper Creek than at CFW (2025)

I am not planning to buy into CFW now but just wanted to make sure these points were put out there.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

were the first cabins installed in 1971?
when were the second cabins installed?

No cabins in '71 although there were some installed later (more boxy looking). Don't know much about them (where/when) but I've seen pics and heard them referred to.

The current legacy cabins are the 2nd generation of cabins therefore and were placed in late 1990s (abt 1998) and with a max 27.5 year IRS life for manufactured housing, you can do the math and see that by mid-2025 they need to be gotten out of service. Which ties very nicely to the 18 month replacement plan (which I was told once it gets going will be done at an average rate of 2 cabins per day for 365 cabins).

Bama Ed

PS - 18 months as in they were prepping a work yard in the big overflow parking field near the Fort's Hitch/Un-hitch area this month (Jan-24) and 18 months from now is Jul-25. I asked when they would actually start the cabin replacement and was told mid/late March 2024. The work yard will be there for 18 months.

 

[bama_ed]

Work yard prep under way pics from last week:









Once all the decking is put down (and most of it is) it will be fenced and gated at both ends.

Bama Ed

 

[CastAStone]

I find the value in the cabins from a member who has direct points. The point chart itself has a lot of value IMO. However, I would not want this as my home resort especially with those dues. I am glad we have the cabins in the portfolio to choose from at the seven month mark, but am unsure about how they are going to sell these direct at the current price and incentive levels

That’s how I feel too. I don’t have direct points but if I did I would value this highly given the point chart and that it sleeps 6.

I will likely rent points to stay here at some point.

 

[bama_ed]

By the way, do the wild turkeys walk through your resort like they own the place as they do at Fort Wilderness?

 

[bama_ed]

If the plan is to build out the FW area with more amenities, you would think that would be a selling feature and they would be promoting that. Also, if you are planning to add units to the trust in the future with another development that feels like pertinent news to share.

And people would ask 'when' and DVC does not typically tip their hand until ready to do so.

All I was saying was that it's a possibility; not a probability; and not an eventuality.

Bama Ed

 

[Leia's Mom]

Bama Ed has some really good points. Here's another. I just lost my 14 year old black lab. I am devastated. Boarding her was well over $350 a week. I have two adult children who have lives and I hope to have grandchildren someday. They are going to want room (maybe even two cabins). Both of them love the Fort. I have a spouse who likes Disney World, but isn't interested in parking as much as I am. We drive down so we'll have a car outside our cabin (which just makes everything easy). The cabins are just different from a hotel. Add to that the dog factor (which will be a thing for me someday). . . That's worth a lot. Is it as good of a deal financially as the others? Probably not. But honestly, is Disney as good of a deal as other vacations? Not stopping most of us. . .

 

[tidefan]

Bama Ed has some really good points. Here's another. I just lost my 14 year old black lab. I am devastated. Boarding her was well over $350 a week. I have two adult children who have lives and I hope to have grandchildren someday. They are going to want room (maybe even two cabins). Both of them love the Fort. I have a spouse who likes Disney World, but isn't interested in parking as much as I am. We drive down so we'll have a car outside our cabin (which just makes everything easy). The cabins are just different from a hotel. Add to that the dog factor (which will be a thing for me someday). . . That's worth a lot. Is it as good of a deal financially as the others? Probably not. But honestly, is Disney as good of a deal as other vacations? Not stopping most of us. . .

Just remember that bringing your dog will tack on an extra at least $210 each week.

 

[The_MT]

Horrible dues and pitiful incentives. I will try to book a stay within the 7 month mark with my direct points.

 

[bryaalre]

No cabins in '71 although there were some installed later (more boxy looking). Don't know much about them (where/when) but I've seen pics and heard them referred to.

The current legacy cabins are the 2nd generation of cabins therefore and were placed in late 1990s (abt 1998) and with a max 27.5 year IRS life for manufactured housing, you can do the math and see that by mid-2025 they need to be gotten out of service. Which ties very nicely to the 18 month replacement plan (which I was told once it gets going will be done at an average rate of 2 cabins per day for 365 cabins).

Bama Ed

PS - 18 months as in they were prepping a work yard in the big overflow parking field near the Fort's Hitch/Un-hitch area this month (Jan-24) and 18 months from now is Jul-25. I asked when they would actually start the cabin replacement and was told mid/late March 2024. The work yard will be there for 18 months.

To add, Disney is not being forced to change out the cabins after 27.5 years, the IRS stipulations are for depreciation schedules and using 27.5 years to do so for mobile homes. After the 27.5 years of depreciation, the mobile home has been fully depreciated on the entity's books but the entity can still choose to utilize the home as they see fit.

 

[maui22]

I just got back from 8 days at Fort Wilderness which was a mostly camping stay but we did tack one night in a cabin on at the end.

We went over to Wilderness Lodge to eat lunch at Geyser Point during our stay and while there I had this thought about how Fort Wilderness could eventually relate to Copper Creek (there at WL).

Hear me out.

The Fort Wilderness (current) cabins had to be dealt with NOW. They had reached the end of their useful life per IRS rules and had to be removed or replaced. Does Disney pay to replace and continue to book as hotel rooms and recover costs over another 27.5 years?

Or does Disney pass that space to DVC and let DVC put new cabins on and get their money out much faster? We know the answer to that question. They're doing DVC and it will take 18 months to fully convert all cabins.

The CFW are similar to the Copper Creek Villas IN THAT they are stand alone housing units - which if by themselves would also have high(er) dues but that is offset by the converted hotel room units in WL which have more efficiencies of cost (and would by themselves have low(er) dues that produces the current "blended" dues rate for rooms/villas at Copper Creek. And the villas are a small proportion of the overall housing offered at Copper Creek.

DVC started prep for Reflections at FW on the old River Country property and spent a LOT of money clearing the land and laying in utilities. I believe DVC will come back at some point (soon) and build a DVC property (or shared property like the Reflections plan) which will be in the same trust or association as the CFW. The new Reflections-like DVC will have the lower cost dues due to efficiencies and when blended with the CFW dues rate will reduce the overall dues cost of CFW units. And it would have available more amenities to use.

Do you think something like that could be possible?

The legacy cabins had to be dealt with NOW. A new successor to Reflections can come LATER when the market/economy dictates. Who knows what will be the next DVC planned (and there will be one planned of course) after Poly Tower and CFW are completed. Could the next planned DVC be built on the shoreline of Bay Lake on the already prepped River Country land?

TLDR version:

CFW similar to CCR villas (higher stand alone dues cost)
Future Reflections similar to CCR units converted from hotel rooms (lower stand alone dues cost)
If joined together in the same dues pool of expenses

Net result: lower blended dues on the CFW side due to the NOW/LATER angle.

Just a thought.

Bama Ed

I think you nailed it. Reflections 2.0 and CFW will become the trust/association.

If Disney does what you suggest, it's similar to the plans they announced for PVB with tower addition.

Look at all the complaints when BPK was added to VGF. Many posts about how it harmed the value to original VGF tower owners. Compare that to PVB having been the reverse, essentially studios but based on Disney's words at members meeting, they were willing to announce new information that tower is currently planned to be part of PVB association.

No need for them to rush sales of CFW if they announce later this year that Reflections 2.0 is the next build and will be part of the CFW association. At that point, you get an association with all the room categories and amenities DVC owners expect. If Disney wants to honor Walt, they build a great pool area in honor of River Country.

For those that don't know, FW was one of the three Disney resort areas when WDW opened. Imagine CFW/Refletions with River Country pool area popularity spring-fall. FW popularity during Halloween and Christmas. Any imagineer should be relishing the opportunity to make this property what it deserves to be.

 

[clarker99]

And people would ask 'when' and DVC does not typically tip their hand until ready to do so.

All I was saying was that it's a possibility; not a probability; and not an eventuality.

Bama Ed

Yeah, I wasn't responding to anything you posted. I am just projecting my disappointment bc I really love the idea of these Cabins. I would love to know if enhancements are coming plus if they are adding units that would likely drive down MF's in the future.

 

[maui22]

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