Short Fort Review-photos included

[elizablake]

We had planned to have breakfast at the Crystal Palace at 8:05 but we cancelled the ADR earlier in the trip. She had already met Winnie and the Pooh and the gang. Plus, we were having trouble figuring out how to get to the MK that early without taking a cab.

So we arrived at the MK by boat at 8:45 instead. We were excited about our second MK full day. It had already been deemed our favorite park.

We started in Fantasyland. Dumbo was first on the list, then Winnie the Pooh. Peter Pan was broken down so we rode It’s a Small World instead and Tomorrowland speedway.

DD wanted to meet Tinkerbell so we were waiting at Toontown 15 minutes before it opened. There was a small crowd but it was expected. As soon as the rope dropped people started rushing. They were pushing and dragging their little girls. I thought it was a little ridiculous. So what if you’re not the first one to Tinkerbell!

Everyone went to Tinkerbell and the princess line was empty. We were happy to only wait about 15 minutes since the wait was closer to an hour later in the day. The fairies were so cute and sweet. They took their time with each kid. DD got to meet 3.

After the fairies we went behind the Judges tent on the path past the train station and met some more characters.

Then we went to adventure land. DD met this little critter from The Lion King:

We wanted to ride Jungle Cruise. The posted wait time was 25 minutes. It was the longest line we waited in all week.

Next we rode Pirates of the Caribbean with a five minute wait. Then we met Captain Hook.

And then we met either Peter Pan or Clay Aiken, not sure which:

Then the haunted mansion with a 10 minute wait.

We checked back to see if Peter Pan was open, no luck.

DD had been talking about riding BTMR ever since she chickened out before. We walked over there but she had a change of heart. Too scary.

We stopped to ride the Magic Carpets with a very short wait. DD wanted to meet Aladdin but he was no where to be found.

We were all getting hungry for lunch so we left for the campground. But we stopped on the way out to meet....

 

[elizablake]

That afternoon, we all took a nap and went back to the MK after a snack. We didn’t get there till after 6:00. The place seemed empty. We rode Buzz, TTA, Dumbo twice, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, the Carousel and the Tea Cups twice before Wishes.

Empty Fantasyland!!

We watched Wishes from Fantasyland. It was kinda cool. You felt like you were in the middle of Wishes rather than watching it from a distance. Fireworks go off from the castle and behind Fantasyland so you have to keep turning back and forth and you can’t see Tinkerbell. So I wouldn’t recommend this viewing spot unless you have seen Wishes before.

DD fell asleep on the boat ride back. DD and I were starving so we got take out pizza and wings from Trail’s End. We ate in the RV, watched some TV and slept.

 

[DaveInTN]

...And then we met either Peter Pan or Clay Aiken, not sure which:

LMAO!! This is about the funniest thing I've read on here in a while. Between this and the thread with raccoon recipes, I'm about to lose it!

 

[clkelley]

We had planned to have breakfast at the Crystal Palace at 8:05 but we cancelled the ADR earlier in the trip. She had already met Winnie and the Pooh and the gang. Plus, we were having trouble figuring out how to get to the MK that early without taking a cab.

For future reference, early breakfast at the Magic Kingdom or any of the monorail resorts is easy. Just head to the marina, and board one of the small launches that runs between the Fort, Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge. That boat starts at 6:45am. Once you get to the Contemporary, it is a short walk or monorail ride to your destination!!

To get to early meals elewhere, just get down to the Outpost bus stop by 6:45 am and a bus should be available to any of those parks by 7am.

 

[elizablake]

For future reference, early breakfast at the Magic Kingdom or any of the monorail resorts is easy. Just head to the marina, and board one of the small launches that runs between the Fort, Contemporary, and Wilderness Lodge. That boat starts at 6:45am. Once you get to the Contemporary, it is a short walk or monorail ride to your destination!!

To get to early meals elewhere, just get down to the Outpost bus stop by 6:45 am and a bus should be available to any of those parks by 7am.

Thank you for the info and I'm sure your right.

The CMs told us that the boat to the monorail resorts didn't run till 8:00 and the same for the busses. I found it hard to believe that this question didn't come up all the time but two of the CMs we asked told us it was impossible for us to have a ressie at Crystal Palace that early because the park wasn't open. But they politely misinformed us and then wished us a magical day so I can't really be angry at them.

 

[MadFF]

Great trip report!

Being able to relax at Fort Wilderness is great. During our October trip, we actually slept in two mornings... didn't get going until 10AM!

 

[elizablake]

Great trip report!

Being able to relax at Fort Wilderness is great. During our October trip, we actually slept in two mornings... didn't get going until 10AM!

I agree. The atmosphere was so much more relaxing at the Fort that we found ourselves kicking back.

 

[elizablake]

We slept in Thursday and made it to EPCOT about 10:00. My DD wanted to dress like a princess and meet as many characters as she could. We got fast passes for Soarin’ and went to the character spot at EPCOT. The line was short and we were able to meet Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Pluto and Donald.

Afterwards we decided to explore the World Showcase. In Mexico, we rode the Fiesta Boat Tour.

In Norway we met the Troll, rode Maelstrom and ate school bread.

In China we met Mulan and the dragon (can’t remember his name). The CM at the Kidcot station wrote DD’s name in Chinese on her mask. Very cool.

In Germany we met Dopey!

In Morocco we met Aladdin and Jasmine:

In France we met the Beast and Sleeping Beauty

We looked for Mary Poppins in the UK but didn’t have any luck.

Bird was cute but didn't sign autographs.

 

[elizablake]

We used our Soarin’ FP on our way out. Awesome ride. I like being in the front row much better though.

We left EPCOT a little after 2:00 to try and catch the parade at MK. Here’s a happy princess on the Monorail:

We made it with a few minutes to spare. Here it comes. Love the fists clenched up in anticipation:

Spectromagic was scheduled at 7 so we had a few hours to kill. We were all starving so we stopped by Cosmic Ray’s. Not bad, we liked the topping bar. DD wanted to see Belle’s story time. DH went to fast passes for Peter Pan. Story time was cute. DD got to meet Belle after the show.

We rode the teacups and Winnie the Pooh. I remember seeing Monster Inc Laugh Floor but I don’t remember which day. So we possibly saw Monsters Inc. next.

"Daddy spin faster!"

 

[elizablake]

About 6:15 we found a spot for Spectromagic. I waited while DH and DD got cinnamon rolls. I also got DD a $10 balloon she had asked for all week. But get this…the balloon is still standing 4 weeks later. I don’t know if we just got a super-balloon or what but if they all last a month, then they are worth the $10. We all liked Spectromagic. I don’t think it’s worth a special trip but it’s worth seeing if you are already at MK.

We were all tired after Spectromagic so we gave our Peter Pan fast passes to the little boy sitting next to us and left.

 

[elizablake]

Our last day!!! We woke up a little bummed because the trip was over but we had an exciting day planned. Since MK was our favorite was wanted to end the trip with Wishes. HS was our second favorite and we hadn’t gotten enough of TSM so we started the day there. We were there for rope drop and enjoyed the 5 minute show. This time we all stayed together and followed the crowd to TSM. We took the time to get fast passes before we got in the standby line. I’m not sure if this is the best strategy or not but we wanted to get an early window to get more FPs for TOT and RRRC. There was about an hour difference in FP return times from when we got in the standby line and when we got off the ride. But we may have waited longer in the standby line because we got the FPs first. No way to know.

If I remember correctly my DH used the standby line to ride TOT while DD and I waited till we were able to get one fast pass for TOT (for me) and two fast passes for RRRC(for DH and I). Again we used my DD’s ticket to get FPs for us adults, not sure if that’s cheating or not.

DH got off TOT and we met up to go use our FPs for TSM. Our last ride. I am happy to report that I had the highest score of the trip and beat by DH by about 20,000 pts. Ha ha, bragging rights till our next trip.

Quick photo with the Green Army Man.

DH and DD went to ride Muppet Vision 3-D while I used my FPs and then we met at the playground.

We wanted to see the Stunt Show but I was in line for RRRC too long and we missed the 11:00 show. We left HS about noon with no real plan. We wanted to go back to Downtown Disney. Since there is not a direct bus we were planning on taking a bus to any resort and then catching the Downtown Disney bus from there but when we left HS we noticed the boat and thought it would be fun to ride it instead (we were in no rush). We got off at the beach and yahat club (BEAUTIFUL hotel) and caught the bus from there.

Does anyone know if that same boat goes to EPCOT?

When we got to Downtown Disney we decided that we would eat lunch at Rainforest Café. The food was pretty good and the atmosphere was great.

After lunch we went to Goofy’s Candy Company to get snacks for later. We also got a coffee.

From Downtown Disney we took the bus to the Contemporary and rode the Monorail to MK. It was fun getting to see some of the other resorts (I think we are lifelong FW fans though).

I didn’t take very many photos at MK that night. It was our last night and we were trying to take it all in. I remember riding Carosel of Progress, Space Mountain, TTA, Buzz, the Tea Cups, Tomorrowland Speedway, Winnie the Pooh (with fast pass), Mickey’s Philharmagic, Haunted Mansion, and Allidin’s Magic Carpets. The big news is that my DD finally was brave enough to ride BTMR. She loved it and was so proud to ride a real roller coaster. Even though it was a little busier than earlier in the week we were able to do a lot. We tried to get fastpasses for Peter Pan but they were out by 4:00 and the wait was 60 minutes!

About 7:30 we picked a spot for Wishes. We sat at the tables in front of the Plaza Resturant. We got food from Casey’s and popcorn from the nearby stand. We also ate our Goofy treats. We didn’t have the best view but I would sit there again. There were no trees blocking our view and it was nice to be able to sit in a chair.

MK didn’t close till 9:00 and DD wanted to ride Peter Pan so bad. We walked back to Fantasyland after Wishes and rode Winnie the Pooh one last time and then got in the long line for PP. We waited about 30 minutes. It was worth it. By the time we exited PP, the park was closed. DD felt asleep in her stroller. If I wasn’t so tired, I would have held onto the turnstiles until security dragged me out of there. I REALLY didn’t want the trip to be over but we had a great time. One last boat ride back to FW. We were able to see the Electrical Water Pageant from the boat.

Our last morning we slept in and packed up. At 10:00 the pony rides start so we took DD for one last pony ride and then it was time to leave.

 

[BradyBz12]

Thanks so much for sharing your trip report with us here. It was a great one, super photos, and so cool to see your DD having such a wonderful time.

Oh and yes - that same boat would have eventually made it's way to the International Gateway at Epcot.

 

[elizablake]

Thanks so much for sharing your trip report with us here. It was a great one, super photos, and so cool to see your DD having such a wonderful time.

Oh and yes - that same boat would have eventually made it's way to the International Gateway at Epcot.

Thank you.

Is the International Gateway by the World Showcase? So guests staying at those resorts can take a boat to HS and EPCOT?

 

[Shan-man]

Thank you so much for expanding your report beyond the borders of the Fort, I greatly enjoyed reliving my vacation through your, and your precious daughter's, eyes! Oh, BTW, the dragon's name is MuShu. And yes, the International Gateway is between UK and France in Epcot and the boats go to DHS via the Epcot-area resorts.

 

[elizablake]

Things we did right:

• Stayed at the Fort!!
• Fit Fantasmic into our schedule.
• Didn’t use the dining plan. We saved a lot of money and time. Plus we’re not really “restaurant people”.
• Stayed 9 nights. Any less time and we would have felt rushed.
• Didn’t purchase the photopass. Photos with our camera were enough.
• Took an afternoon break most days.
• Brought plenty of snacks and bottled waters.
• Got up early most days. The parks are soooo much more fun right after opening.
• Visited the character spot at EPCOT to meet Mickey.
• Spent more time at MK than any other park. Because my DD is 4, MK was the best park by far.
• Didn’t rent a car or tow ours. Disney transportation was just fine for us.
• I’m glad we paid to use tour guide websites. Since it was our first trip, we learned a lot. Also, the days that we didn’t go to a suggested park, we noticed a difference in crowds.
• I’m glad we didn’t make specific plans for most of our evenings and the last two days. It gave us the flexibility we wanted.

Things we should have done differently:

• Should have gone to Goofy’s Candy Co everyday
• Should have done more research on specific rides. I scared the crap out of my DD on Dinosaur and It’s Tough to be a Bug. We hadn’t planned to ride either of these so I didn’t do any pre-trip research.
• Should have budgeted to rent a golf cart.
• Should have made time in the afternoon to do Fort activities
• Should not have booked so many character meals. The Cinderella one was worth keeping but because the parks were so slow we could meet any characters we wanted without much of a line.
• Should have seen the parade at Animal Kingdom.
• Should have tried the Trail’s End buffet.
• Should have skipped dinner in the RV the night we went to EPCOT. Lots of tasty options in the World Showcase.
• Should have seen the stunt shows at HS.
• Should have found a way to use these smilies:

Now that I’ve finished my trip report, I’m even more depressed. We had planned for our trip to Disney to be a one time event. Maybe go back when DD is a teenager. But now that it’s over, I really want to go back sooner and bring my parents. Maybe next year.

I mentioned it to DH last weekend. Something like, “Wouldn’t it be fun to go to WDW next year with Granddaddy and Memaw?” He didn’t answer me just looked at me like I’m crazy. Not sure I can afford a divorce and a trip to Disney so it doesn’t look good.

 

[2goofycampers]

Time to leave.

The saddest words I know.



Loved the report.

 

[elizablake]

Thank you so much for expanding your report beyond the borders of the Fort, I greatly enjoyed reliving my vacation through your, and your precious daughter's, eyes! Oh, BTW, the dragon's name is MuShu. And yes, the International Gateway is between UK and France in Epcot and the boats go to DHS via the Epcot-area resorts.

Thank you for the info.

Oh..I also meant to thank you for the great directions you gave us before we left. They were perfect!

 

[Shan-man]

The best remedy for Post-Fort blues is to do a trip report (check), the second best is to make a reservation! I would recommend you pick a date you would like for your next trip and make a reservation way in advance... like 499 days (the max). Pick a time when something specific is going on that makes it different than just a generic trip to WDW: like Christmas with the special party and decorations (especially at the Fort), or halloween. Tell Hubby that the Fort books up quick and that you just want the ressie IN CASE you can use it, and it's only 1 night's deposit. If you can't use it, you can cancel within 5 days of the arrival date for a full refund. There is no risk, and you'll have the bug planted! Then start setting aside a little cash. I never use change and take the change I do get and put it in a jar. Every time I break a $20 I try to stash a few ones or a five in a different part of my wallet. Then you should start trying to involve him in some of your excitement about something you want to do next trip (whenever it may be), like sharing other folk's reviews of the Hoop Dee Doo. When he breaks down and says "sure, we'll have to do that next time" tell him it fills up months in advance and you'd better buy your tickets soon. Inch by inch you move from totally non-committed to having a vacation that is largely paid for, fully planned, and emotionally invested in. Good luck in your mission Agent Blake!

BTW - July 20 is 499 days from Dec 1, 2010... a super time to arrive at Fort Wilderness -- Pre-holiday rates, decorations are up, Candlelight Processional is running, and so is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!

 

[BradyBz12]

I mentioned it to DH last weekend. Something like, “Wouldn’t it be fun to go to WDW next year with Granddaddy and Memaw?” He didn’t answer me just looked at me like I’m crazy. Not sure I can afford a divorce and a trip to Disney so it doesn’t look good.

Give it a little time to percolate (Shannon's suggestion is great!) Reminisce, look at the pics, let DD go on and on about what a wonderful time she had...

Before you know it DH will be coming home saying, "I've been thinking, maybe it WOULD be fun to go back this year..."

After the first trip DH and I took together (land/sea - stayed at BC), he was very much "ok, that's enough for a while." Then we went back 2 years later and stayed off site. He was a bit more enthusiastic, but still "well, enough for a while..." So we went back 2 years later- this time with our first TT and our pups. He was pretty much sold, but that TT was kind of more than we needed and a bit tougher to deal with than we'd have liked (long story), so he wasn't super keen to come back right away.

Cut to 2 years later, our new hybrid TT that we love and use a TON, and our first time trying the DDP. That trip really cemented FW and Disney as "our vacation" for him and before we'd even packed up to leave he was brainstorming how we could manage to swing *3* weeks the next year.

The last 2 years we've booked the next trip before we even arrived.

It can happen. Good luck!!

 

[BradyBz12]

BTW - July 20 is 499 days from Dec 1, 2010... a super time to arrive at Fort Wilderness -- Pre-holiday rates, decorations are up, Candlelight Processional is running, and so is Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!

Ooh - thanks for the reminder. Gotta put that on my calendar too!