Community Forums

vtwinwilly · 08-27-2012, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by windydaboo

I just booked a weekend at Fort Wilderness 2 days ago. $41 a night in the premium section plus 3 free tics to the park! I'll be bringing the bikes and Jeep as well as my dog! Sure hope I don't bother anybody when I fire up the Harley for a early morning ride....

Wow! $41 a night... That is a screaming deal!!!

Have a great time. Me and my family love the place, and IMHO, it is the campground by which all others should be judged.

windydaboo · 08-27-2012, 06:37 PM

Yes it is...
We have never been there before, but have been told it is a really nice resort with lots of activities for the kids. Luckily, my eldest sons girlfriend works at the park and got us the employee rate, 1/2 off! While the DW and I go on a USO Benefit ride, they will be taking the kids to the park, for free! He is an actor at Universal Studios, so we get free tics there as well. It's nice having connections.
In keeping with the theme of the thread, I was only asked what yr and make our RV was (as all c/g's do) and no mention was made of age or condition. My point is I don't have a run down, leaky, damaged, noisy rig... but if I did, I would still be right next to potential snobs paying full price in the premium section.
Personally, I don't care about the condition of the rig next door, I'm concerned with the people that it carries. I don't judge people by what they drive, but by their character.

fredaevans · 08-27-2012, 06:43 PM

"Personally, I don't care about the condition of the rig next door, I'm concerned with the people that it carries. I don't judge people by what they drive, but by their character"

So yes, some of the best folks I've met were in 'dated units.' Outside may have been 'dated' but the inside 'spotless.' My guess is the meck-e-nics were the same.
fae

jzick · 08-27-2012, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Use Disney's Fort Wilderness as a model. They discourage dumpy RVs and poor behaving patrons by charging a price high enough to weed out those individuals. Pretty simple huh?

I sure do not know where the idea that Disney will allow any rv into Ft. Wilderness if they can pay the price came from. Through the years I have personally seen two rvs turned away because of condition. One was this March. It was an old GMC held together literally with duct tape and wire, including a household window air conditioner supported with rope. Not sure what the "official" reason is, but there are criteria.

NeilV · 08-27-2012, 09:10 PM

I can see both sides of this. If I owed a campground I would not want something to come into my park that was so derilict that it posed a safety hazard to my other guests. Not a very good thing when any RV bursts into flames or blows up. A visual on a 10+ year old rig is probably the best you can do as a park owner and simply opt to reject those that look like they might catch fire or collapse at any moment.

vtwinwilly · 08-27-2012, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzick

I sure do not know where the idea that Disney will allow any rv into Ft. Wilderness if they can pay the price came from. Through the years I have personally seen two rvs turned away because of condition. One was this March. It was an old GMC held together literally with duct tape and wire, including a household window air conditioner supported with rope. Not sure what the "official" reason is, but there are criteria.

The point never was that they would or will allow anyone. The point is they don't beat their patrons over the head with a plethora of rules including an age rule. They take each one as they come and deal with each one individually. This requires extra effort and work on their part, but they only subject those offending individuals to that scrutiny, instead of carpet bombing every patron with blind, sweeping rules.

Now... What they charge does discourage many campers who are looking for a cheap place to park their heap, get drunk, and raise a ruckus. They'll move on to the $14 per night Corp of Engineers park. (OK.. that's unfair. I've been in some nice COE parks, but you get my point.)

Anyway, back to Fort Wilderness... When I drive up in my 1993 HR Navigator, there is no discussion of rules or the age of my coach. A Cast Member walks out to my motorhome and hands me my guest package, shows me where my campsite is, and ask if I have any questions. Then they very patiently and with a big smile answer every question I might have. In short, THEY TREAT ME LIKE A VALUED GUEST.

Expensive? Yes, but worth ever penny!

vtwinwilly · 08-28-2012, 09:03 AM

One last thing... well one more thing anyway...

I want to be clear!!! I believe campground owners should be able to do whatever they want with their business. I might not agree with it, and I may think I have a better solution, but at the end of this academic exercise they're the ones taking the risks and responsible for paying the bills.

They can run their campground anyway they want, and I'll defend their right to do so. I can choose to participate... or not. But I'll also exercise my ability (note I didn't say right) to express my opinion.

OK... I think this dead horse has had all the beating it can stand!

laj · 08-28-2012, 09:11 AM

Vtwinwilly:
Absolutely perfect position!

Midniteoyl · 08-28-2012, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vtwinwilly

One last thing... well one more thing anyway...

I want to be clear!!! I believe campground owners should be able to do whatever they want with their business. I might not agree with it, and I may think I have a better solution, but at the end of this academic exercise they're the ones taking the risks and responsible for paying the bills.

They can run their campground anyway they want, and I'll defend their right to do so. I can choose to participate... or not. But I'll also exercise my ability (note I didn't say right) to express my opinion.

OK... I think this dead horse has had all the beating it can stand!

Watch it..

Mochisme · 08-29-2012, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vtwinwilly

ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

gmasters · 09-10-2012, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clyon51

Damn I knew it

Brockx · 09-30-2012, 01:47 PM

Encountered a campground that does not rent to units older than 12 years with out seeing the unit, Panama City Beach Rv Resort. We were travelling day to day so we told them we would be there, but found another site so we called and cancelled.

The site we found was only a few months old at Navarre Beach Florida, very nice, happy to take our 16 year old money

. I understand the concern about older units, but it is a little disconcerting, maybe they need a back row

.

Anyway the site in Navarre is new and right on the waterway with a nice island view, the name is St. Rosa Sound RV Resort right on US98.

Navarre

TEFFY · 04-20-2013, 08:20 AM

When we were pushing our older MH (1986 Allegro) around the country I called a CG in Boise about staying there. The first thing out of his mount was "how old is your unit?" When I told him, his next statement was "we don't rent to rigs that old." I ask him if her could give me the name of another CG that would let a rig this old in from mid Sept. to the end of Feb. as we were going to work a shutdown/expansion at one of the local plants. You should have heard his fast turnaround about a stay that long during a slow part of the year. I stayed somewhere else but I did drive to his office and let him see my old rig that usually gets about 10,000 miles a year. I also pushed him about I had just come up from Texas to do that job. When we left, at the end of March, I also stopped by to tell him goodby. I doubt that he changed his ideas but I felt better.

fredaevans · 04-21-2013, 12:01 PM

I so hear you Teffy. Similar experience, but for fishing. CG's damned near empty during the winter. (Live there, a few full time residents, most of which work in the office to off set their space rent.) Full up in the summer, but the cash flow requirements are the same regardless of the Calendar date.

Didn't mind the $350/mth for the 'space' but Dear God did they over charge for the electric power. $100.00 (even??) for the first month. Second month I used the Gennie to power up the Batt's and used my internal lights, or 110 for the Internet (that was 'free'). Second month .... $68.00 and that's when I blew a 'personal fuze.'

Pointed out that my power cord wasn't even connected ... 'let's talk, and call a Police Man. If you don't I will.'

Bye the bye, fishing for winter Steelhead was great even if I didn't hook all that many.