Disney with 4 kids and a dog and we only lost one of them!!

[FIREKYMMIE]

i AM SO SORRY ABOUT YOU BABY... I WOULD HAVE LOST IT

 

[elizablake]

I thought my whole day was going to be ruined until I read this post! Can't wait to hear the rest!!

Nice use of suspense to keep us 'on the line'! Great TR so far, thanks for taking the time to share.

Ok, I'm hooked! Awesome trip report

I'm loving your trip report. It sounds like all of you were having a great time, at least up until your dog got lost. I'm hoping in your next installment you let us know that you were able to find him. How wonderful that you were able to take your nieces and nephew with you. The memories that all the kids are going to have of going to Disney together are priceless. Your pictures are beautiful as well. I'm looking forward to more.

i AM SO SORRY ABOUT YOU BABY... I WOULD HAVE LOST IT

Thank you. By this point we were so exhausted from not sleeping. We were also really hoarse from calling him for 24 hours straight.

 

[elizablake]

When we got back to the campsite, DH put the kids to sleep while I searched some more. A few campers were still up so I asked them to keep an eye out for my dog. He hadn't been spotted since that morning and I was starting to think I may never see him again. FW is just so huge there is no way to search every inch. Even then, he could have strayed far from the campground. All we could do was keep looking and hope for some luck.

DH and I took turns that night. I must have walked that canal 50 times. I saw more raccoons than I could count. About 4:00 we decided to go to bed for a few hours and search in the daylight. We decided to cancel our day at HS. The kids would understand.

About 6:30AM there was a knock on the RV door. I shook my husband and told him, "Get the door. Maybe it's Scooter." He responded, "Scooter can't knock on doors." It wasn't our dog knocking but it was the next best thing. It was security. Someone had just seen Scooter on the canal. We ran from the RV while still getting dressed. Yes, we left the children alone. We drove the golf cart to the canal. We split up and started calling Scooter. About 100 ft away we see Scooter come out of the woods.

We both started running towards him and he disappeared into the woods. I don't know why he didn't come to us. Perhaps he didn't recognize us or was still scared. We searched the woods but they were really thick and we couldn't see anything.

I stayed and DH went back to the RV to check on the sleeping kids and to get bug spray and dog food. I waited by the canal but there was no sign of him. DH dropped the stuff off with me and I sat up the dog food, sat in the grass and waited hoping he would come back.

After about 30 mins, he appeared about 75ft away. He was just sitting there by the edge of the woods with his nose in the air. I slowly got up and started moving towards him. After a few steps, I called him and he dashed back into the woods. Again, I searched the edge of the woods but could not find him. I was concerned about scaring him away from the area so I went back to sit and wait.

I called DH and told him what happened. We couldn't believe he hadn't come to me. We called pest control for help. They sent a gentleman out with several traps. We set them up with dog food inside. DH switched with me so I could feed the poor kids. He waited but didn't see Scooter. By then it was getting hotter and so far Scooter had only come out in the AM. He gets hot very easily so we figured he had found a shaded spot in the woods. DH left the traps and came back to the RV. The kids put on their swim suits. DH was going to drop me back off a the canal and take the kids to the pool.

We stopped at a comfort station and a woman (Faith from Pennsylvania) came running up and said she had just seen Scooter. He had approached her campsite. She tried to catch him but he ran back towards the canal. She was in the 1500 loop. She chased him towards the high brush where the canal makes a 90 degree turn towards the pool area.

Here's the area:

Several other campers had joined in the chase and were looking for him right now. We followed Faith to the canal and she showed us where he was last seen. By then about 15 campers were trying to find him. They all agreed that there was no where for him to go unless he swam across the canal. We told the kids to stay back because of snakes and DH and I started searching through the brush. Just when I was about to give up, my DH says,"Got him!" and pulls my dirty little furball from the brush.

He was hiding but his tail was sticking out (told you he isn't very smart). I lost it right there. DH handed Scooter to me and he started licking the tears from by face then he just nestled his head in my neck. I thanked Faith so many times. If it hadn't been for kind and caring campers like herself, we would have never found him. I am so thankful but also to the Fort staff that helped us in everyway they could.

We gave some cash to the kids who had helped corner him as a reward and we took him back home. He was hungry and thirsty but mostly he wanted to be held. DH took the kids to the pool and to get the traps and I stayed with Scooter. We didn't have any dog shampoo but I brushed him cut the mats from his fur. I called security to tell them Scooter was found. The guy on the other end of the phone sounded genuinely happy (probably because we would stop calling him now). I left a message for pest control that we found the dog and we would leave the traps at our campsite.

When the kids came back they wanted to go to a park so we decided to see Fantasmic. We took the bus to Hollywood Studios and got in line for the 9:00 Fantasmic at 7:30. Even though I had only gotten 2 hours sleep in the last 2 days, I felt great. My Scooter was safe in the RV and we could get back to our trip!

 

[2goofycampers]

On our way out we saw Devine. She is really flexible! My husband was a little too mesmerized. I would hate to lose my man to a plant.

So glad you found Scooter, I may have hugged him to death if he was mine.

Great TR.

 

[FIREKYMMIE]

 

[luapgib]

I just wanted to post that I have enjoyed reading your trip report.

 

[stacktester]

Great report. We were there last week too and didn't see or hear any of this.

 

[BradyBz12]

Agreed! And thank heavens you found Scooter and he was ok!!

I can't imagine how you were feeling, especially not wanting to worry the kids and ruin their vacation too. I once helped try and find a lost dog - long story... freaked out rescue dog that bolted from his foster home and went on the lam for 5 mos. When I got the call that he'd actually been found alive and well, I nearly collapsed on the phone.... and he wasn't even MY dog!

Can't wait to hear the rest of your TR, and I'm sure this will be a trip your family talks about forever... for lots of reasons!

 

[liv luvs disney]

Great report. We were there last week too and didn't see or hear any of this.

Mr. Mayor, you were too busy getting "snuck in" on various attractions. Typical politician.

 

[elizablake]

Great report. We were there last week too and didn't see or hear any of this.

Hope you had a good trip!

Once Scooter had been spotted by the canal, we spoke to mostly people over there. I did run across a few teenagers during my search and offered them a reward.

I wish we could have talked to everyone at the campground but it was just too big. I asked the front desk if I could hang lost dog signs at the bus stops but they refused-had to try.

 

[lorac4disney]

Great TR! I couldn't stop reading it. I'm glad you got Scooter back safely and got to enjoy the rest of your vacation. Can't wait to read more.

 

[stacktester]

Hope you had a good trip!

Once Scooter had been spotted by the canal, we spoke to mostly people over there. I did run across a few teenagers during my search and offered them a reward.

I wish we could have talked to everyone at the campground but it was just too big. I asked the front desk if I could hang lost dog signs at the bus stops but they refused-had to try.

You actually met my mom at the pool. I was telling her about the lost dog story today and she said she met you and you gave her a nice complement. She's 62 and you said she looked 45 lol.

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Now you see, that's the difference between this forum and other forums, they have bogus handwritten notes to non exsistant people. We have GREAT TR's, lost and FOUND babies and a great group of people aka Fort Wilderness Campers.

So VERY glad you found Scooter. I can't imagine losing one of my babies.

 

[Minnie&Mickey]

Oh my gosh, I have tears of happiness in my eyes right now. I am so happy that you found Scooter. I can't imagine going through what you went through. So glad it had a happy ending!

 

[OK GRUMPY]

Oh my me too! I have tears of joy! I'm so glad you found Scooter!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Oh Scooter you are naughty! Running off and scaring your mommy like that!


I'm so glad you found him and your trip report is awesome! I especially love all the photos that go along with every part of your trip report. Thanks for posting- can't wait to read the rest!

 

[elizablake]

You actually met my mom at the pool. I was telling her about the lost dog story today and she said she met you and you gave her a nice complement. She's 62 and you said she looked 45 lol.

I remember her! Your mom is very sweet and she does look 45! She said you were there with your whole family. Must have been a great trip.

Now you see, that's the difference between this forum and other forums, they have bogus handwritten notes to non exsistant people. We have GREAT TR's, lost and FOUND babies and a great group of people aka Fort Wilderness Campers.

So VERY glad you found Scooter. I can't imagine losing one of my babies.

No way we would have found him without the Fort Wilderness campers.

Oh my gosh, I have tears of happiness in my eyes right now. I am so happy that you found Scooter. I can't imagine going through what you went through. So glad it had a happy ending!

Thanks. Scooter had us scared for a while there.

Oh my me too! I have tears of joy! I'm so glad you found Scooter!

Thank you. I'm emotional anyway so I couldn't stop crying when we found him. Actually, all the kids were crying. They really missed him.

Oh Scooter you are naughty! Running off and scaring your mommy like that!


I'm so glad you found him and your trip report is awesome! I especially love all the photos that go along with every part of your trip report. Thanks for posting- can't wait to read the rest!

LOL. I take photos of everything. I even went back to the take photos of where Scooter was found.

 

[michelle9343]

Wow what an ordeal. I am sure that it must have felt like he was missing forever. Campers have to be some of the nicest people and I am so happy that so many help you find scooter.
Now I can't wait to read/ see the reat of your TR.

 

[elizablake]

When I left off, Scooter was safe in the RV and we were headed to Fantasmic. I realized how much stress I had been under. I have other dogs and it’s not that I love Scooter more - OK, maybe a little more- it’s just that Scooter is such a helpless moron. This is a dog that fell in the toilet (twice). He forgets that he is afraid of heights and jumps on the couch. Then paces and cries because he’s too scared to get down. He gets tangled in the curtains and is intimidated by his chew toys. So all I could think about for two days were all the horrible things that could happen to him. We were all so relieved. Even though I hadn’t gotten any real sleep since Sat night, I felt great.

Enough about the dog, we were headed to my favorite show! We arrived about 7:15. By 7:30 we had ice cream in hand and were getting in line for Fantasmic. We waited for about 10 mines and we were able to pick our seats. We choose a row about ¾ of the way back in the center. The best spot in my opinion!

By this point in the trip, we had learned the key to peace is assigned seating. We sat DN(10)-me-DD(4)-DH-DN(7)-DN(11) and didn’t have any bickering. We brought DN(10)‘s hand held PlayStation thingy, the Leapster, coloring books, a book for DN(11), snacks and glow sticks. The time flew by.

He's up to something:

When it got dark we opened the dollar store glow bracelets and shared with the other kids around us. Much cheaper than Disney glow toys! We had fun doing the wave and before we knew it, Fantasmic was beginning. In hindsight, we could have arrived 45 mins early and still gotten a seat but we didn’t want to go all the way to HS and miss the show. 1 ½ hours early will ensure your seat for the early show and we think it’s well worth the wait.

I knew the kids would love Fantasmic and I’m glad we were able to fit it into the schedule. The 10:30 show was too late for the little ones so we had to make the 9:00 one.

I love the beast

I don't know what he sees in her:

After the show we made our way out of the theater. We saw people lined up for the 10:30 show. It seemed like a small crowd. On our way out we noticed that Tower of Terror only had a 20 minute wait but people were leaving Fantasmic and pouring into the fast pass line. We would have joined the stand-by line but the little girls were tired and we had an early morning at EPCOT the next day.

DN(10) was complaining about aching feet. But when the bus filled up and people were standing he offered his seat to the lady standing beside him. I didn’t even have to give him “the look”. He made his aunt proud. Both little girls fell asleep on the bus ride. When we got back to the RV, I took Scooter to the bathroom (with two leashes) and we all quickly fell asleep.

 

[Boomer1]

I am really enjoying your trip report. Your pictures are amazing, very clear. I am thinking about investing in a new camera before our Dec. trip to WDW. What type of camera do you have and would you recommend it?