ftwildernessguy
10-29-2007, 01:39 PM
Here it is - my Reader's Digest trip report.
As I said in another thread, the Fort looks GREAT with the work they have been doing clearing all the junk out - very park-like and more in line with what you would expect from Disney. It was really looking shabby before. If you want to see what Kudzu (potato vines, whatever) will do to trees, take a look at what's left of the undeveloped area next to the trail to WL. Granted, this area was damaged pretty bad a few years ago by a hurricane, but the Kudzu has taken over and is killing off the trees that were left.
The 1900 was kind of swampy, as it usually is. There was a weekend grand gathering (St. Andrew's Lutheran church annual weekend) which tied up the 1600 and 1700 loops. Not sure if it is good economic sense for Disney to keep these loops so empty prior to just one weekend, but not my say.
The space shuttle launch last Tuesday was awesome. Could be seen easily from WDW.
There is a pretty large gator in the canal between the Meadows and the 1500 loop. I have a gator head in my office from a 2 1/2 footer and the head on this guy was about twice as big, so do the math. Best viewed early in the morning as he cruises for breakfast.
Pretty quiet overall at the fort until the weekend warriors show up on Friday night. It turns into a zoo. Some of these people are animals and give campers a bad name. The only golf cart abuse I saw was during this time, and mainly limited to one group drinking heavily and taking their off road cart onto the horse trail. Disney was not too happy about this one. On 19 October I was trying to get back into the fort and waited in line for an incredible amount of time while unregistered guests waited until their friends would open the gate with their cards. So there was a line of carts on one side of the gate with people standing with their passes ready, when the car with their buddies pulled up they would open the gate for them. The lone security guard told them a couple of times to stop but was all alone and essentially ignored. When I came up, you think they would open for me? Not a chance. I had to lean out of the truck and open the gate myself. The Fort was full of unauthorized cars parked everywhere, including empty sites. A guy from Pittsburgh coming in late actually ended up trying three sites - one was full of cars, one was impossible to get into (across from me) and then finally found one. The good part - they were all gone on Sunday.
Kungaloosh was flowing, as was the Labatt's and frozen Pina Coladas.
Had some old friends of ours over for a cook out one evening - they now live in Clermont and work at WDW. They got us in to MK one day for free.
Must do's at the parks - Nemo musical at AK (a miniature broadway production and worth the time), Lights, motors, action at the Studios, Haunted Mansion rehab at MK is AMAZING and really well done, Food and wine at Epcot (sausage in a pretzel roll at Germany, Becks Octoberfest beer at Germany, Cheese soup at Canada, stuffed cabbage at Poland, Greek salad at Greece, Pistachio Gelati at Italy- some of my favs).
Saw clkelly at the overflow lot while I walked Mickey the Wonder Beagle. She gave me a quick tour of the T@B and it is a neat little unit.
More rain than we have had in the past in October. Rained this past Friday night so I had to fold up wet and have been trying to dry out today. Most of the rain was at night, though, and had no effect on our good time.
Where did everyone get all those pictures of me posted on another thread? I thought I was pretty incognito. I got a little sore neck from lying on the ground on the one picture, and the peacock picture with me hunting Tarzan style was from a couple of years ago before I hunted them to extinction. That other picture gives you a good idea of the amount of water there was in the 1900 loop. I now have a recurrence of my jungle rot but a little Campho Phenique will clear that up toot sweet.
As I said in another thread, the Fort looks GREAT with the work they have been doing clearing all the junk out - very park-like and more in line with what you would expect from Disney. It was really looking shabby before. If you want to see what Kudzu (potato vines, whatever) will do to trees, take a look at what's left of the undeveloped area next to the trail to WL. Granted, this area was damaged pretty bad a few years ago by a hurricane, but the Kudzu has taken over and is killing off the trees that were left.
The 1900 was kind of swampy, as it usually is. There was a weekend grand gathering (St. Andrew's Lutheran church annual weekend) which tied up the 1600 and 1700 loops. Not sure if it is good economic sense for Disney to keep these loops so empty prior to just one weekend, but not my say.
The space shuttle launch last Tuesday was awesome. Could be seen easily from WDW.
There is a pretty large gator in the canal between the Meadows and the 1500 loop. I have a gator head in my office from a 2 1/2 footer and the head on this guy was about twice as big, so do the math. Best viewed early in the morning as he cruises for breakfast.
Pretty quiet overall at the fort until the weekend warriors show up on Friday night. It turns into a zoo. Some of these people are animals and give campers a bad name. The only golf cart abuse I saw was during this time, and mainly limited to one group drinking heavily and taking their off road cart onto the horse trail. Disney was not too happy about this one. On 19 October I was trying to get back into the fort and waited in line for an incredible amount of time while unregistered guests waited until their friends would open the gate with their cards. So there was a line of carts on one side of the gate with people standing with their passes ready, when the car with their buddies pulled up they would open the gate for them. The lone security guard told them a couple of times to stop but was all alone and essentially ignored. When I came up, you think they would open for me? Not a chance. I had to lean out of the truck and open the gate myself. The Fort was full of unauthorized cars parked everywhere, including empty sites. A guy from Pittsburgh coming in late actually ended up trying three sites - one was full of cars, one was impossible to get into (across from me) and then finally found one. The good part - they were all gone on Sunday.
Kungaloosh was flowing, as was the Labatt's and frozen Pina Coladas.
Had some old friends of ours over for a cook out one evening - they now live in Clermont and work at WDW. They got us in to MK one day for free.
Must do's at the parks - Nemo musical at AK (a miniature broadway production and worth the time), Lights, motors, action at the Studios, Haunted Mansion rehab at MK is AMAZING and really well done, Food and wine at Epcot (sausage in a pretzel roll at Germany, Becks Octoberfest beer at Germany, Cheese soup at Canada, stuffed cabbage at Poland, Greek salad at Greece, Pistachio Gelati at Italy- some of my favs).
Saw clkelly at the overflow lot while I walked Mickey the Wonder Beagle. She gave me a quick tour of the T@B and it is a neat little unit.
More rain than we have had in the past in October. Rained this past Friday night so I had to fold up wet and have been trying to dry out today. Most of the rain was at night, though, and had no effect on our good time.
Where did everyone get all those pictures of me posted on another thread? I thought I was pretty incognito. I got a little sore neck from lying on the ground on the one picture, and the peacock picture with me hunting Tarzan style was from a couple of years ago before I hunted them to extinction. That other picture gives you a good idea of the amount of water there was in the 1900 loop. I now have a recurrence of my jungle rot but a little Campho Phenique will clear that up toot sweet.