We’re Back - Trip Reports

[mash]

Hello! We are back from our two trips to Ft Wilderness. We hadn’t visited the Fort since Thanksgiving 2017. We recently purchased a Grand Design Imagine travel travel and took our maiden voyage August 20 - 23 and second trip Sept 1 - 5. I didn’t take very many pictures but I will share the ones I took and my general thoughts about the Fort since our last visit.

For our maiden voyage we were assigned site 112. I was very excited because we had not stayed in this loop before. I loved this spot as it was so close to the Settlement store and the beach to watch the fireworks and parade. The site was very tight on a curve in the road and tough to get the camper into it. Only because my husband is THE KING of backing in a trailer, he was able to back it in successfully! I was also add that I’ve never had a bad site in Ft Wilderness!

I’ll post more as I have time.

 

[bama_ed]

I see a site marker in one pic. 200 loop? Gravel in back and on sides so I guess so. The Preferred loops are my current fave.

Proceed, please.

Bama Ed

 

[tiggerdad]

Following along, my neck hurting though.

Take the pics with your phone horizontal and it'll post them correctly. For some reason it posts pic taken vertically and rotates them to the left.

As Ed said, please, proceed.

 

[serenitygr]

Following along, my neck hurting though.

Take the pics with your phone horizontal and it'll post them correctly. For some reason it posts pic taken vertically and rotates them to the left.

As Ed said, please, proceed.

Wait! Do you mean I should have my phone sideways to take pictures for them to post correctly! Or have it up and down? Now I’m confused I have two weeks to get this right and then it’s SHOWTIME!

 

[mash]

I see a site marker in one pic. 200 loop? Gravel in back and on sides so I guess so. The Preferred loops are my current fave.

Proceed, please.

Bama Ed

Our site was 112. It was very close to the walking path to the Settlement store. We also prefer the Preferred loops but will take whatever we can get!

 

[mash]

Following along, my neck hurting though.

Take the pics with your phone horizontal and it'll post them correctly. For some reason it posts pic taken vertically and rotates them to the left.

As Ed said, please, proceed.

Thanks for the tip! I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong with the pics. I’ll try rotating them before I post and see if that works.

 

[mash]

On this trip we did go into the parks briefly. We went to Animal Kingdom and went on Kali River Rapids to get wet and beat the heat and the safari. We also enjoyed a cold beer and some eggs rolls. The next day we went to Hollywood Studios, drank a frozen coke, made a loop around the park and left. It was just too hot and muggy to be enjoyable for me. And I’m a local that should be used to the heat!

Back to camping, I’m going to try and focus on the positive. It was interesting to see all the construction . I didn’t expect that it would affect the Fort. I thought there would be some spacing between the existing Fort property and the new resort, but clearly I was wrong! Here is a picture of the shoreline looking back at it from the dock where the boats depart for the Magic Kingdom. This area used to be a beautiful white sandy beach. Hopefully when the new resort is built it will be gorgeous and we will have some new places to eat and get a cocktail.

 

[mash]

I’ll add one tip for finding the coldest beer at Animal Kingdom. Near Kali River Rapids there is a small walk up window called Yak and Yeti Quality Beverages. This window can be found on the right side of the Yak and Yeti counter service restaurant. The beer was so cold and refreshing! We will definitely get beer from here again!

 

[bama_ed]

Our site was 112. It was very close to the walking path to the Settlement store. We also prefer the Preferred loops but will take whatever we can get!

Oops. Then I need to ask @Stratman50th if I can borrow his reading glasses.

Ok. 112 is down on the far end of 100 yep very close to the sidewalk to Settlement right behind you. Great spot.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Here is a picture of the shoreline looking back at it from the dock where the boats depart for the Magic Kingdom. This area used to be a beautiful white sandy beach. Hopefully when the new resort is built it will be gorgeous and we will have some new places to eat and get a cocktail.

Bama Ed

 

[Stratman50th]

Oops. Then I need to ask @Stratman50th if I can borrow his reading glasses.

Ok. 112 is down on the far end of 100 yep very close to the sidewalk to Settlement right behind you. Great spot.

Bama Ed

Don't forget to return them when you're done.....

 

[MadisonMike]

I thought they scrapped the new resort between FW and WL? Is it back on again?

 

[Disneyloverliz]

I thought they scrapped the new resort between FW and WL? Is it back on again?

Looked pretty deserted to me when I was there.

 

[mash]

Bama Ed

I know, I’m not real happy about it but I’m trying to stay positive. Who knows if they will scrap it or wait and pick it up later like they did with the Art of Animation resort.

 

[Disneyloverliz]

I know, I’m not real happy about it but I’m trying to stay positive. Who knows if they will scrap it or wait and pick it up later like they did with the Art of Animation resort.

I didn't know they did that with Art of Animation. I imagine it'll eventually start up again, then...although that's speculation on my part!

 

[mash]

I didn't know they did that with Art of Animation. I imagine it'll eventually start up again, then...although that's speculation on my part!

Art of Animation construction started before the 9/11 attacks. The construction came to a complete stop after the attack and sat untouched for quite a few years. So much so that grass and weeds grew all around it. I think, but don’t quote me, that it was originally an extension of the Pop resort. After the construction re-started it was turned into the Art of Animation.

 

[Teamubr]

I thought they scrapped the new resort between FW and WL?

For now...

Like others have said, nothing that far along is scrapped for long. Many of us have artists drawings and blue prints from over a decade ago for that resort. I have no doubt it will get built eventually.

j

 

[bama_ed]

For now...

Like others have said, nothing that far along is scrapped for long. Many of us have artists drawings and blue prints from over a decade ago for that resort. I have no doubt it will get built eventually.

j

Here is a good article with pictures about the two halves of Pop Century that got started in 1999. Only one half made it through to completion in 2003 (even that was slow due to 9/11 in 2001 and its impact on tourism). The other half, which already has some hotel and lobby buildings constructed, sat vacant. In 2010, the AoA concept was created and construction resumed on the former other half of Pop and the AoA resort opened in 2012.

https://themouselets.com/disneys-abandoned-hotel-the-history-of-art-of-animation-resort

Sadly for us, I think eventually Teamubr will be proved right. They've already sunk a lot of money into preparing the land and putting in infrastructure (utilities, redesigning the roads, etc.). My only hope is I'll be in the old folks home by then. I just hate to hear it brought up (reason for my gif).

Carry on, mash.

Bama Ed

PS - those old vacant buildings that were to become AoA were spooky looking when you looked at them "way over there across the way"

 

[mash]

Continuing on with the trip report, we always enjoy spotting wildlife at the Fort. Here are some pictures of deer that we spotted near the group camping area and a hawk hanging out on some playground equipment.

 

[mash]

One of my very favorite things about camping, at the Fort or any other campground is that you usually meet people and make new friends. On this trip there was a lovely young couple camping next to us. The guy was really interested in my husband’s new truck and they struck up a conversation. They were a delightful couple and they made us delicious bloody Mary’s two mornings and we shared a breakfast together one morning.