Decorated sites ... where are the "old timers"?

[tiggerdad]

Glad to know they are starting to show up.

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[mymankeith]

I just returned from Disney yesterday, and I stayed at Caribbean Beach, and looking at the campsites at Fort Wilderness has been one thing I had been looking forward to during my vacation. We had to rely on the Disney bus system, so it was a lot of work for us to get to the Fort. Bus from Caribbean beach to Magic Kingdom then another bus to the Fort, and the same thing for our way back. We went on Dec 6th, used the internal bus to see the loops, and I have to say I was very disappointed.

Where I live in Missouri, we have a camper and we have a Halloween walk where EVERY campsite decorates, and from what I have read all these months on the forums, I just assumed ALL campsites were decorated. Not the case. Some loops had as little a 3 or 4 sites decorated and that was it.

The people who did decorate, did an AMAZING job. Some sites were great. We also saw some amazing Golf carts decorated!!! They were so cute!!! It was just so much work for us to get to the Fort and then still use the internal bus, we were just sad that there wasn't a lot more decorations.

I do want to say THANK YOU to all the people who did decorate!!!!!! We did love Fort Wildness itself, Me and my husband said hopefully when we retire, we can spend some time there with our camper. Everyone we talked to were very nice!!!

 

[tiggerdad]

This thread is starting to get on my nerves. Somebody went through all that trouble to just see a few decorated sites? My take on this is that campers are there, they just aren't decorating? Fixing to talk to my wife about moving next years trip to December. See if I can do my part...

 

[TwinkleKS]

We arrive on the 20th for Christmas week and are staying in the cabins. I'm looking at our stack of decorations and trying to figure out how we are going to get them in the suitcase

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

I am the OP and I must say ... things are starting to look a lot more festive around here!!

Yay! And thank you to everyone who is doing their part! ;-)

 

[serenitygr]

We'll be checking in sunday the 22nd and hope to do our part to help out! Just need to start gathering up extension cords! (oh, and somehow shovel out the RV!) LOL

 

[Born 2 Fish]

We'll be checking in sunday the 22nd and hope to do our part to help out! Just need to start gathering up extension cords! (oh, and somehow shovel out the RV!) LOL

Hey !! Me too !!!!
no I won't, I lied, but I'm sure ya'll will manage to have some fun without me.
Have a GREAT time !!

 

[bama_ed]

I posted this in another thread but this is the Samantha Brown/Travel Channel bit for the "Christmas at WDW" series that had a story on the FW camper decorations. It was probably filmed in 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM7kvK3FR2w&list=PLC917D0FF3926D7EF

Bama Ed

 

[veraletta]

Thanks for sharing bama_ed. I so enjoy watching to see how everyone decorated their sites...

 

[Mmketeer]

I posted this in another thread but this is the Samantha Brown/Travel Channel bit for the "Christmas at WDW" series that had a story on the FW camper decorations. It was probably filmed in 2006.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YM7kvK3FR2w&list=PLC917D0FF3926D7EF

Bama Ed

That's a great episode! She taped it right after we left that I year I believe. I wish we could get back to that.
And I want to personally thank all of those folks that told me to bring my Disney stuff even though I now have to go the week before Thanksgiving due to the cost. I am so glad I decorated even though it is added work. I think us DIS boarders should make a deal to always decorate during the holidays. I'll make the pledge....who's with me?

 

[serenitygr]

That's a great episode! She taped it right after we left that I year I believe. I wish we could get back to that.
And I want to personally thank all of those folks that told me to bring my Disney stuff even though I now have to go the week before Thanksgiving due to the cost. I am so glad I decorated even though it is added work. I think us DIS boarders should make a deal to always decorate during the holidays. I'll make the pledge....who's with me?

If we are ever lucky enough to go again during Christmas, I'd sure do it! So count me as a vote for YES!

 

[duranfan]

114 got a no trespassing notice. Heard officially it was for solicitation -she runs a travel biz that.only books fort. Also a. Lot of problems with intoxication, cussin at everyone. She flashed her breasts nye at marina area. They warned dozens of times.
She hords a lot of reservations then modifies. Disney losing money from the modifications.
Some of the other campers in upper loops her buddies and they party, upset Disney stood up to her.
She claims she's banned 4 a few yrs. I heard via cm it's for life. Glad that blowup gaudy village is gone.

 

[tiggerdad]

Hmmm, interesting. At first I was thinking Disney was running off the good campers, but if your information is true then it sounds like a good thing.

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[xie]

We will be there next week, and we will put our little bit of decoration up.

Re: the sub-thread going on in this topic, yes... prices are getting really high per night. Generally speaking, most of us haven't been getting huge yearly raises over the last decade, and frankly I miss being able to stay at Port Orleans for 89 a night. One of the reasons we switched to Fort Wilderness was lodging costs (of course, we also really like to camp and have a full kit of stuff for it, and live within a driving distance that makes hauling it all down to Florida do-able). But wow, the prices... just keep going up.

We have been talking about looking for someplace outside the gate, but we aren't sure we're comfortable leaving all our stuff (we tent camp) unattended while we're gone 16+ hours a day in the parks. So if anyone knows of a great, clean, safe place off property, we'd love to hear about it.

 

[bigblock396]

114 got a no trespassing notice. Heard officially it was for solicitation -she runs a travel biz that.only books fort. Also a. Lot of problems with intoxication, cussin at everyone. She flashed her breasts nye at marina area. They warned dozens of times.
She hords a lot of reservations then modifies. Disney losing money from the modifications.
Some of the other campers in upper loops her buddies and they party, upset Disney stood up to her.
She claims she's banned 4 a few yrs. I heard via cm it's for life. Glad that blowup gaudy village is gone.

Hm-m-m, very interesting. I really have a problem with some of the public intoxication that is present at the fort. One time we were near a group of drunks and it was not pleasant especially since we have kids with us. Glad Disney is "cleaning house" of this type of person. Good to know.

 

[duranfan]

I agree I don't like the drunken behavior at the fort. Disney decorations are better than anything any of us can make anyway.
There's a lot of other scams going on with other travel agents.
Disney is raising rates coz they can. They don't really want to promote guests wintering or even living there (yes). These guests in general aren't spending the kind of money on restaurants, recreation, shopping a limited stay camper does.
Heard Disney is reviewing issues.

 

[bama_ed]

114 got a no trespassing notice. Heard officially it was for solicitation -she runs a travel biz that.only books fort. She hords a lot of reservations then modifies. Disney losing money from the modifications.

That was the site I had been told about. What was news to me was the part about hording reservations. We've had posters here try to extend their stay and there were empty sites in their loop but when they went to the front desk they were told the Fort was FULL that night. And those empty sites remained empty overnight. Or other posters who had a friend who wanted to come in and camp but were told FULL when there were obvious empty sites around.

So that does explain the phenomenon we were seeing. Glad it got taken care of. Technically it may not be fraud but it sounds like serious manipulation. It's worth getting the boot right there.

Bama Ed

 

[duranfan]

Unfortunately, Disney hasn't yet fixed the practice and another one called phantom campers. This is where these home rentals book ft. Sites so they can offer up to 10 I'd cards to get benefits such as extra hrs. Seems expensive but the ta gets a group rate coz they r renting multiple sites.
Back to the modifying agent books prime time say during Xmas books weeks if not longer for each site. If clients want say Xmas week or a weekend then the guest if listed on the ressie. As time approaches if other part of the ressie is not sold then agent modifies ressies. It takes time for site to show it's available 24+hrs so ft. Loses money and guest who want the site get no availability.
What a mess and hopefully Disney will correct it.
There is no agent that can get dates no other Disney authorized ta can get unless they are doing things as mentioned.

 

[bama_ed]

duranfan, I do recall...

We had a poster a while back this summer that said sites were being reserved for the perks like Early Admission, etc but not being used. This was being done by Travel Agents. See post #2 in the thread below. Here is the relevant entry. It's along the same lines you mentioned.

The sites are being booked for the perks through travel agencies, but no one is actually using the sites. It's just to get the resort IDs. I hate it but it is what it is

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3124816&highlight=fact+sites

As to what folks spend when they are staying at the Fort, heck, for what they charge now to go to a park, I need something new to get me in. I love watching "Casablanca" over and over but it's free after the initial DVD cost has been paid. Why should I spend hundreds of dollars to see the same ol' same ol'? Granted, I haven't seen the new Fantasyland but Pirates is Pirates, Country Bears has been trimmed down (hate it, love the full show), Space Mountain is what it was the day it launched in the 1970's, etc. Don't get me started on AK, EP, or DHS (has the Indy Stunt Show changed since the day it launched?). This April I did a Fort visit with no Disney theme park days and had a great time.

All the costs of a Disney trip are higher every year and everything is going up except my paycheck.

Thanks for the updates!

Bama Ed

 

[duranfan]

I agree we don't go the parks as much as we use to. Don't bother to go to the new fantasyland till the signature attraction is open and don't go during pk seasons. Have no idea why some who could vaca during offseason wanna get caught in the crowds.
I agree the rates coz a lot of peep to scale back but in general there's someone willing to pay it.