3/13/09 Construction Update w/ a few photos

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My favorite thing about the Disboards is the photos that people post. So, on this thread, I will share a bunch of photos that I took on a quick, surprise, quality control inspection of the Fort on 3/13/09. My two youngest DD’s had a light school day on Friday, so we took a mental health day and headed to WDW. We started our day at Hollywood Studios, where we got to see the American Idol Experience. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. We also hit Animal Kingdom, and squeezed in a very brief visit to the Fort at around 5 pm, which is when these photos were taken. On this thread, you will see photos of the construction work on the pool, 1400 loop, and 600, plus a few hidden surprises.
I posted about 20 of these photos on the pool update thread, but I am going to repost all of the photos in the order that they were taken so that you can look at them in context. I think you will end up looking at about 130 photos. Hopefully, that will hold you until I can get back to the Fort.
Since the pool construction is clearly going to extend past the previously announced 3/20/09 completion date, it looks like I am going to have to line up some more surprise inspections.
This first shot was taken over the fence just outside the arcade door. This is the best place to get a good overview of what is going on at the pool. No sneaking around required:

This photo is taken from the same spot, just looking more to the left:

These two photos are taken from the same spot, now looking all the way to the left, toward the restrooms. There is something leaning against the fence here. It looks like maybe a cut piece of Formica. The pool restrooms were redone recently, and were already in pretty good shape. I can’t figure out what this cut up piece of building material might be for. Any theories?:

As some of you may know, there are picnic tables here on the porch area of the Meadow swimming pool. Someone had pulled a table right up to the fence (Ynottony99?), which provided another vantage point for some photos. So, here we are on the porch, on the picnic table, looking into the pool construction project. First, we look to the right, where we can see the slide, and the new vertical support beams that are going up:

Now, we are looking straight ahead from this point. Here we can see that big portions of the deck have been poured. The deck has a brownish/yellowish color. I think the pool deck at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is similar in color. I like it:

Here, we see that there are still portions of the deck that have not been poured. Also, right in the middle of this photo, you can see some rectangular objects sticking up from the ground. I have not been able to figure out what these are, and why they are there. They look like control boxes that are sometimes installed in the ground for sprinkler systems and such. But they are bigger. And, I don’t know why they need to be here. I am still wondering whether this might be something to do with the splash zone that was announced as being part of this project:

We are still on the picnic table here, but looking all the way to the right. See all the stakes with the pink ribbons? We will take a closer look at those as we go around the perimeter of the project. Also, the pool rule sign, which had been carefully wrapped during the construction, is now unwrapped for some reason, even though the work in this area is clearly not done. It also looks like two metal shower towers, which were visible in previous photos, have been removed:

We have now left the porch area, and walked around behind the restroom building, and are now outside the fence by where the hot tub is installed. Looking at this photo, you can see that there are curved wood forms in place for concrete to be poured around the hot tub. Also, notice the tall PVC pipe. This probably is going to be for a shower. There always seem to be showers near hot tubs:

This is just another look at the hot tub. Using the wheelbarrow as a reference for size, you can see that this hot tub is not very big. Unfortunately, I think this will cause some problems in the future. Also, notice that there is a black plastic control box resting against the edge of the hot tub. I am not sure where that is going to go?:

This is a shot from the same spot, looking at the extension built on the side of the building. There is some equipment in here. I am wondering about why this extension is so big, as the only new features that appear to have been added are the hot tub and slide. Do they need this much room for the equipment for just those features? Or, perhaps, there will be a splash zone after all, and equipment is needed for that as well.

Here’s a look at the slide and water tower from this side of the construction project. The PVC pipe that you see is the pipe next to the hot tub. This angle makes it look really big:

Here are some close ups of the hot tub. You can see the previously mentioned control box, and also see that there is no final finish surface yet in the pool or hot tub:

Now, we are at the corner of the construction fence closest to the tennis courts. Here is a shot of the water tower from this angle:

And, this is an over-the-fence shot of the stairs in the shallow end. Looks like the tile work is done:

 

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Here is an overview shot, taken from over the fence at the deep end side of the project:

We are at the same spot here, but with the camera turned to the right. You can see the hot tub and the building extension in the background.

Here we are outside the fence still, but moved down just a bit. You can see here that the deck work on this edge of the project seems to be done:

Here we are peeking over the fence again, at the corner furthest from the tennis courts. Notice that there appear to be brick pavers stacked here. So far, there don’t appear to be any of these used anywhere on the project. Maybe these will edge the deck? Or maybe there will be some brick work somewhere?

Here are some shots from the same corner looking to the right toward the hot tub and new building extension. It looks like this will be the edge of the deck at the deep end area:

Now, we are still in the corner, but looking straight on to the main building. The porch area where the first photos on this thread were taken is right under the clock that you see in the center of the building. For those of you not familiar with the Fort Wilderness pool, the restrooms are on the right of this building, and the Meadow Snack Bar and Arcade are on the left:

Here, we have moved along the fence perimeter, almost right in back of the slide. Notice there is a lot of electric wiring coming out of the conduit in the foreground of these photos. I would guess this will be for lighting. For whatever reason, no deck has been poured right under the slide. Maybe this will be landscaped? Or rocks or something will be used here? Also, the square metal box on the ground is probably a frame for decking that will be used for the slide stairs. You will see a much larger metal frame like that in some photos that are coming up:

Here we are closer to the slide. The white PVC pipes appear to be for water supply to the slide. The 2 x 4’s that are in the shot are temporarily holding the slide up. Notice that the larger wood beams come right up to the slide entrance. No doubt, these will hold decking that will be used for those climbing up to the slide:

Here’s a shot of the beams bolted to the deck:

See the thing that looks like a mushroom there just outside the deck? That is a speaker. I don’t think these were here during the construction thus far, so looks like the pool is getting a new sound system:

Now, we have moved down the fence line, just past the slide. Here are some more supports that look like they will be bolted to the deck, and will hold vertical support beams:

Here is a shot from the same spot as the previous photo, but looking at the back of the slide and tower:

Here we see what looks like lumber for decking:

Just to the left of where we are standing, you can see a very large deck has been constructed. This probably will be part of the stair structure for the slide. It seems like it is larger than it needs to be. Maybe there will be a divider down the middle, and this will be a landing for the stairs?

Here, we have moved down just a bit more. You can see the stairs in the shallow end of the pool. Also, looking at the decking situation at the corner of the pool closest to us in the photo, it looks like more will have to be poured here, so folks will be able to walk around the pool:

Here we are looking back to the right. You can’t see the pool very well from here because someone left the tractor in our way:

 

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We are still outside the fence here, looking in toward the kiddie pool. You can see those stakes with the pink flags here, and notice that no deck has been poured on this side of the kiddie pool yet. Something else is going to be done here, but what?

Here we are just a bit further along, we see that there is a small backhoe here, so more work appears to be on the way here. Interestingly, the construction fence previously ran right up to the corner of the building that you see in the background. Now, it has been moved to the left in this photo. Has the scope of the project been expanded? Why was this not fenced off from the beginning of the project? Why was the site work here not done with the rest of the site work?

This shot is from the same spot, looking back toward the slide and tower:

Here, we see that the siding of the arcade side of the building has been removed. The stone work that you see to the right of the fireplace used to also be on the left. They would not have removed this unless this wall was going to be taken down. So, I am concluding that there is going to be an addition constructed here.

This photo is from the same place, now looking to the right:

Just as I was taking these photos, I heard a scream from across the canal. I turned to see this action:

Wow! Fun!
Sorry for the interruption, now back to the construction photos. Here is another shot of the stripped corner of the building. Notice that there is a serious trench dug alongside the building:

Here we are at the fence corner, looking right:

Here is a closer look at the work going on here in the corner. I don’t know if you can read the lettering on the stake with the pink flag, but it says “#151 edge conc (tie to walk).” So, something is going to connect to the sidewalk here. Is it going to be a wall, or just another sidewalk? Why the pink flags?

Here we are looking at the building again. By the way, there is no fireplace inside the arcade, but it sure looks like there used to be one in this building. I don’t remember anything but the arcade being in that space, but maybe someone can tell us if it had a prior use?

Here, we are looking at the little fenced in area adjacent to the building. This fence conceals the AC units. There does not appear to be any pool equipment in here:

Something must be going in here, though, because it is all dug up:

Here we are at the fence edge, where the sidewalk that led from the bridge goes toward the pool:

The sidewalk that you see here on the right in this photo was already there. The stake with the pink flag that we took a close look at is the one you see up at the edge of the sidewalk:

Here we are almost to the corner of the fence. If you look up on the roof of the building, you will see a triangular indentation under the plastic tarp. There was a dormer here, and it has been removed. This suggests to me even more that an addition is coming:

Here we are at the same place where the above photo was taken, looking just to the right:

This is the equipment that is behind the little wooden fence. Just AC equipment:

Here, we can see that the ground has been dug up pretty good. Looks to me like some pipes are getting moved, and that a slab is going in:

 

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Here is an overview of the pool project from the sidewalk that we saw in some of the earlier photos:

I believe that these lamps were previously up along the walk here. It looks like they are going to be reinstalled;

Here is a closer look at that deck that has been constructed. This obviously is going to be used somehow with the slide:

Another shot of the slide:

And of materials stacked by the slide:

A shot of the deck:

Here we see the vertical beams that have been installed, and the supports for those to be installed:

Here is a large stump that has not been removed (and a bag of chips):

Here’s an extreme close up of that deck:

And an extreme close up of a support bolted to the deck:

More supports:

Here is an opening in the deck with wires coming out of it. Are these speaker wires? Why?

For some reason, lumber is stacked in the pool:

See all the cardboard boxes in the pool? They say “pool and spa lights”

Here is the slide edge where it enters the pool. It looks like something is needed to finish the top of the pool edge, and also I would think that something is going to be added around the slide to conceal the bottom and sides:

A look up at the tower:

The metal supports have been painted very nicely to look like wood. The painter got a little paint on the slide. This makes me think that the outside of the slide is going to be concealed somehow:

Here we see a lot of stuff coming out of the ground directly beneath the tower. Notice that there are also little rectangular boxes near the supports for the tower with what looks like wiring coming from them. I think this means that there will be water squirting out of the tower the way that it used to when it was at the River Country entrance. Since I have yet to see any evidence of a splash zone in this project, I am wondering if the splash zone is just going to be a small area around the slide?

 

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Here is a close up of one of the speakers that we saw in an earlier photo:

Here is a close up of the smaller metal frame that we saw in an earlier photo. If you look at the large deck that is being constructed, it looks like it has a metal frame. This might be the frame for another landing on the stairs.

Here is a look at the deck on this side of the pool:

This is a look across the pool from the slide area. You can clearly see the addition that was added to the building here:

Here we see another speaker, and those pink flags. They look like they are all in a line, right? But, for what?

Here is a capped off piece of PVC pipe in the area, but I think this is just an old sprinkler line:

It looks like each of these stakes is numbered, and it looks like this one says “edge concrete fence.”

These look like pipes that have been exposed, not new pipes. This is along the side of the arcade building, which you can see in the background:

This stake looks like it says “edge conc (tie to wall)” I still can’t figure out what these pink flagged stakes are for:

Here are the mysterious pink flags again. I would guess that these are just signifying the deck edge, but it doesn’t seem like they went to this much trouble marking the other deck edges.

Here we are looking toward the restrooms again. Clearly, something is being done over there, but darned if I can figure out what it might be:

Hey look, a hard hat! That could come in useful:

Here is a look out toward the hot tub area. There are those big control boxes again. I still can’t figure out what they are for:

From this angle, it looks like there is still a lot of work to do:

Looking toward the pool. You can see new pool rails leaning up against the side of the pool:

The kiddie pool. Obviously, some type of finish remains to be done around the top and sides:

The old pool sign, now unwrapped, for some reason:

An overview of the pool. All one depth now:

 

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The kiddie pool, again:

Looking toward the hot tub. That is the edge of the kiddie pool at the bottom of the photo:

A close-up look at the tower and FWRR logo:

A closer look at the stake that says to tie the concrete to the walk. The thing is, if whatever these pink flags signify is tied to the building, it doesn’t seem like it can also connect to this walk. Maybe it is two different things?

A last look at the building:

And of this corner of the project:

That is all that I have of the pool.

Next up, the 600 and 1400 loops.

 

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Walking toward the 1400 loop in front of the Bike Barn, it is clear that the work is still underway across the pond on the 600 loop extension:

Here we are approaching the 1400 loop. Looks like the fences are down, and people are in there!

Here is site 1435, the site closest to the men’s side of the comfort station:

Here is the view of the campfire area from the back corner of site 1435:

This is site 1434, which has been discussed on these boards before. The bushes are new, but still not much privacy:

This is 1436:

Here is a new phenomenon that I have noticed a few times with the new premium spots. Some people are pulling in, instead of backing in. I guess this gives you the option of picking your view, but all of the utility connections are going to be on the wrong side of your rig:

A look around the loop:

Here is something new. Some of these sites have a wheel stop at the rear:

That is because there is a pretty good drop off and canal right at the back edge of some of these sites!
Looks like this loop was just opened on Friday, March 13, and some of the guys working on the cable forgot something!:

 

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Here we on our way back out to the campfire area from the 1400 loop. This is the view from site 1433:

Looking out toward the 600 loop:

As I headed toward the 600 loop, I crossed the back porch of the Meadow Trading Post. This sign hangs over the back door. I never noticed it before, but I think it has been here a long time. Notice that this says Meadows. With an “s.” There are numerous other instances like this around the Fort. I don’t know why:

Here we are taking a peak at the 600 loop. This photo was taken over the fence where the sidewalk that was built on the old rail bed would have entered this area. As you can see, there is still a lot of work to be done here:

Notice that there appear to be wood poles in place to secure the water lines, and it looks like they are installing the stainless steel basins that house the sewer connections:

These shots are looking down the loop. You can make out a lot of the wood poles, and see that the loop has a nice curve to it:

 

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Continuing along the 600 loop:

So far, this definitely looks like these sites will be for RV’s. But, look at this utility pole, what the heck is all this?:

There has been some heavy duty electric equipment added to this loop:

I previously noticed this blue pipe, and wondered what it was for. Here you can see that at the new loop entrance, they have cut it flush, and capped it with little metal covers:

I never noticed anything like this on other loops.
I still think these sites will be campsites, and not sites for the Wilderness (Trailer) Homes.

Whew! That’s all the photos that I have for now.

 

[RvUsa]

Awesome like always!!! TCD for fort president!

 

[clkelley]

Continuing along the 600 loop:

So far, this definitely looks like these sites will be for RV’s. But, look at this utility pole, what the heck is all this?:

That may be for irrigation so that the groundskeepers can turn on and off misters when they need it. In the 1500 Loop they actually used the site water for the irrigation. A landscape guy came by my site every couple of days and turned this knob on and off to run the misters.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

That may be for irrigation so that the groundskeepers can turn on and off misters when they need it. In the 1500 Loop they actually used the site water for the irrigation. A landscape guy came by my site every couple of days and turned this knob on and off to run the misters.

That is a good guess. They had the set-up that you described on the 800 loop when I was there in October. A "Y" hose bib divider on the hose bib, with one of the connectors hooked up to a soaker hose. But, the only thing is that there are a lot of connectors on the post in this photo. Maybe it is just this one site, and they will control a bunch of misters from there? Looks weird.

TCD

 

[rimmer]

Wow, thanks for sharing, my imagination is running wild with ideas on what the slide will look like upon completion, like maybe part of the slide will be incased in a mountain, or train tunnel, and what do those darn pink flags mean? although now I'm really sad I won't get to use the pool till next year I will deff try to take some pics on my non pool trip coming up

 

[ynottony99]

I see you are taking full advantage of your Pro account on Photobucket!! Great job as always. If whoever it was that wanted the photos stopped is viewing the Dis Boards, I imagine they are fuming now!!! Way to go!!!!!!!!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I see you are taking full advantage of your Pro account on Photobucket!! Great job as always. If whoever it was that wanted the photos stopped is viewing the Dis Boards, I imagine they are fuming now!!! Way to go!!!!!!!!

The guy with the hammer is going to have to pry my camera out of my dead, cold, fingers, before I stop posting construction photos on the Disboards!!

Plus, he is going to have to catch me, my cousin Yuri, and my trained armadillo first, and I just don't see that happening.

As you know, the construction workers on this project are not Disney employees. I think, perhaps, they may be embarrassed about the fact that they are not going to complete this job on time.

But, I think the publicity the Fort receives from these construction updates is positive publicity. I do not like everything that they are doing, but all of this work is making the Fort a better destination.

TCD

 

[Judy Judy Judy]

They say that they are going to be done by mid-April???? I don't see how this will happen.

 

[ynottony99]

The guy with the hammer is going to have to pry my camera out of my dead, cold, fingers, before I stop posting construction photos on the Disboards!!

Plus, he is going to have to catch me, my cousin Yuri, and my trained armadillo first, and I just don't see that happening.

As you know, the construction workers on this project are not Disney employees. I think, perhaps, they may be embarrassed about the fact that they are not going to complete this job on time.

But, I think the publicity the Fort receives from these construction updates is positive publicity. I do not like everything that they are doing, but all of this work is making the Fort a better destination.

TCD

On Thursday when we arrived I chatted with one of the workers as I snapped photos. I stepped into the open gate, near the hot tub and snapped away. He said don't go too far, since it is a hard hat area. I told him I wouldn't, since I didn't want to get him in trouble. He replied that he wasn't worried about that since he wasn't being paid to do guard duty. So I don't know if something changed by the next day, or if only some care enough to follow through on a request from Disney to try and stop the pictures.

 

[We4mickey]

Great job as usual TCD!

 

[des1954]

3/13/09 Construction Update w/ a few photos

If that's a FEW photos, what's your definition of LOTS of photos!?!

As usual....a very thorough and terrific job! I definitely see the water tower now.

 

[Shan-man]

I find it very curious that there is a curb around the pool. Do you think they might be putting flagstone over the concrete deck? It seems like a trip hazard as it is. Also, someone reported talking with a worker some time ago who said the splash zone would be built later in the area of the pink stakes (Tony?). Do you think the stakes will be the construction wall for the next phase as they build the splash zone after opening the pool? That would jibe with them marking the edge of the concrete and attaching to the building. Just a theory.