News Disney Vacation Club announces plans for more than 350 new cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

[Bocabear]

My children are 9, 6, and 3. I've had young children since 2014. If I have in-unit washer and dryer I'll use it. If I don't, I don't care that much. It's certainly not something I would pay DOUBLE for. Because that's what we're talking about when we compare the cabins to a traditional 1 bedroom. The traditional 1 bedrooms cost double.


You caught me. My ability to do laundry on vacation is my SECOND-to-last priority. Running is my last priority.

well there is more to that than just laundry... there is also the convenience of staying in a resort with full amenities that is more convenient to transportation...Fort Wilderness (though it has a boat) always feels so cut off from the rest of the resort....

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I really like being able to do laundry, but it costs so many extra points for a 1BR that it's hard to justify the increase in room size.

1 bedroom versus a Studio, for me:

+++ King bed
+++ Capacity of 5 (depending on resort)
++ Ability to make breakfast
+ Ability to make (and refrigerate) other snacks/meals
+ Ability to do laundry
--- Points cost per night

The cabins won't have all of those positives, but they solve the major negative.

 

[PK2]

The laundromat at the Wilderness pool is pretty close to the cabins and serves the need. I get why some people might want the laundry in-room, but the cabin footprints aren't massive and I'd rather have that space used for something else rather than sitting there every day when I use it, like, once in a week-long stay.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

well there is more to that than just laundry... there is also the convenience of staying in a resort with full amenities that is more convenient to transportation...Fort Wilderness (though it has a boat) always feels so cut off from the rest of the resort....

I'm not saying "the Cabins at Fort Wilderness are the greatest thing ever and they're perfect for everybody and if you disagree you're an idiot."

Of course the right resort for a particular family is going to vary. But a lot of the DVC people are reacting to the cabins with full-on outrage, like they're the worst idea Disney has ever had and we should all be upset that they're part of the inventory.

For the people who love Fort Wilderness, the idea that it "feels so cut off from the rest of the resort" is the whole point.

 

[JD80]

All the DVC members are Very Mad Online that the units won't include laundry. Maybe I'm the oddball but my absolute last priority on vacation is the ability to do laundry.

I'm with you, but my wife loves having the option of doing a load of laundry. Having 3 kids probably does that to you.

 

[LAKid53]

I'm with you, but my wife loves having the option of doing a load of laundry. Having 3 kids probably does that to you.

Now imagine having 9 month old twins...

 

[Bocabear]

I like the cabins...I think they are a fun idea, but I also think rather then just slamming them into the space the old cabins were there should be a whole re-thought area for them... Like their own "village" with their own amenities, Pool, laundry, bus stop. and the laundry location for the "village" should be free which would make it easier to use ...

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I'm with you, but my wife loves having the option of doing a load of laundry. Having 3 kids probably does that to you.

There is always the option of doing a load of laundry though. Every DVC unit that doesn't include in-unit W/D has complimentary W/D use in the shared facilities. Sure it's not as convenient, but again, these cabins are going to cost HALF of what 1 bedrooms cost.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

About $198 at Riviera after incentives and closing costs.

…I just snarfed…

Starbucks doesn’t taste good backwards…usually forwards either

 

[Touchdown]

DVC is a giant scam, just like any timeshare. You don’t actually own anything you’re renting a portion of a year, but unlike normal renting, you have to pay for maintenance! What little you actually save over buying a regular hotel room is completely negated by the gigantic opportunity cost of that first purchase. Imagine if you put that 50-100k in a S&P 500 index fund 30 years ago, you would have 920k-1.84 million. Thats not taking into account the maintenance costs that could have been pooled to take a trip a little less often. Thats before we talk about any loans too. I cannot understand the mindset, especially when year after year the side benefits are reduced.

 

[JD80]

I like the cabins...I think they are a fun idea, but I also think rather then just slamming them into the space the old cabins were there should be a whole re-thought area for them... Like their own "village" with their own amenities, Pool, laundry, bus stop. and the laundry location for the "village" should be free which would make it easier to use ...

My family does cabin vacations in the summer with some old neighbors of ours that are RV people. They drive up their RV to a campsite, we rent a cabin nearby and we vacation. We've stayed at places like Jellystone or Sun Outdoors and their cabins are all basically the same with a variation on quality, age and comfort.

You don't need their own neighborhood, the whole camp ground is the neighborhood.

 

[JD80]

There is always the option of doing a load of laundry though. Every DVC unit that doesn't include in-unit W/D has complimentary W/D use in the shared facilities. Sure it's not as convenient, but again, these cabins are going to cost HALF of what 1 bedrooms cost.

Oh for sure, and my wife would agree just based on cost. We do laundry in shared facilities nearly every trip.

 

[JD80]

DVC is a giant scam, just like any timeshare. You don’t actually own anything you’re renting a portion of a year, but unlike normal renting, you have to pay for maintenance! What little you actually save over buying a regular hotel room is completely negated by the gigantic opportunity cost of that first purchase. Imagine if you put that 50-100k in a S&P 500 index fund 30 years ago, you would have 920k-1.84 million. Thats not taking into account the maintenance costs that could have been pooled to take a trip a little less often. Thats before we talk about any loans too. I cannot understand the mindset, especially when year after year the side benefits are reduced.

Sir, this is a Wendys.

 

[PK2]

I like the cabins...I think they are a fun idea, but I also think rather then just slamming them into the space the old cabins were there should be a whole re-thought area for them... Like their own "village" with their own amenities, Pool, laundry, bus stop. and the laundry location for the "village" should be free which would make it easier to use ...

I am surprised we haven't heard anything about an expansion of the Wilderness Pool area into something larger. I was really expecting that the conversion of these things to DVC would result in that area getting bigger, getting some more amenities, nicer pool, maybe some food or retail, to accommodate the cabins with something closer than the Meadow.

 

[JoeCamel]

I am surprised we haven't heard anything about an expansion of the Wilderness Pool area into something larger. I was really expecting that the conversion of these things to DVC would result in that area getting bigger, getting some more amenities, nicer pool, maybe some food or retail, to accommodate the cabins with something closer than the Meadow.

They sell them first then add if needed for continued sales, use the mark's money to fund the game

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

DVC is a giant scam, just like any timeshare. You don’t actually own anything you’re renting a portion of a year, but unlike normal renting, you have to pay for maintenance! What little you actually save over buying a regular hotel room is completely negated by the gigantic opportunity cost of that first purchase. Imagine if you put that 50-100k in a S&P 500 index fund 30 years ago, you would have 920k-1.84 million. Thats not taking into account the maintenance costs that could have been pooled to take a trip a little less often. Thats before we talk about any loans too. I cannot understand the mindset, especially when year after year the side benefits are reduced.

It’s wasn’t born a scam…it became one.

Huge price increases and now two clear deviations from the original standards calls it into questions

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I thought you were making a different argument on Riviera, but agree on the replacement front.

We'll see how it goes, but I expect them to easily be able to sell these units for cash reservations at $400+ per night, like the "suites" at AoA. And if they are having any trouble with that, they'll just take shut down more buildings at the All stars or Coronado to increase demand.

But remember they can’t just sell them cash free will
It’s a very small number

The dvc owners have rights to those rooms for about fitty years

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

My children are 9, 6, and 3. I've had young children since 2014. If I have in-unit washer and dryer I'll use it. If I don't, I don't care that much. It's certainly not something I would pay DOUBLE for. Because that's what we're talking about when we compare the cabins to a traditional 1 bedroom. The traditional 1 bedrooms cost double.

You’re not paying for a washing machine…you’re paying for pools, staff, restaurants and bars at locations with traditional dvc standards that this won’t deliver

You caught me. My ability to do laundry on vacation is my SECOND-to-last priority. Running is my last priority.

You sound like my “ I HATE running” T-shirt that I wear running

 

[CaptainAmerica]

You’re not paying for a washing machine…you’re paying for pools, staff, restaurants and bars at locations with traditional dvc standards that this won’t deliver...

...and it's priced accordingly.

I honestly don't see the problem. You get less, but it also costs less. Why is that bad?

 

[Disstevefan1]

Just don't call them cabins. Yes, I know they were never cabins, but they looked and were themed as cabins.

The new ones are Ikea themed little homes.