8/21 Parking Lot & Kennel Update

[des1954]

I drove over to the Fort this morning to see what was going on. I went on a whim after running other errands & did not have my camera - so I'll be as descriptive as possible.

Parking Lot Reconfiguration:

The day lot/overflow lot is officially closed to outside traffic and does not appear that it will ever be available to "outsider" parking, again. When you go down the entrance road the CM's use, where you would turn left to go to the Ft.W kennel, and about 30 feet after turning left, a new gate has been installed. Prior to the gate are card readers mounted to a stainless steel post. One reader is at normal automobile level and the other is high enough for a Class A RV. This is obviously going to be used for returning guests. I did not see a transponder for the WDW buses, but, they are still working on the area. Magicbus can probably give us the best information regarding that entrance also being used by the buses.

So, it appears that security has been tightened up at FtW. Anyone coming to the Fort who does not have a valid KTTW card has to go through the guard from now on.

Best Friends Kennel:

The parking lot was FULL of workers and a lot of activity was going on. As Magicbus told us last week, it looks like it will be up and running by September 1. The sign is up and below the name it states "Boarding, Grooming, Day Camp". Doggie day-camp! How cute!! I haven't seen anything stating when the other kennels will be closing. Maybe someone else has?

Golden Oaks:

The entrance is complete and it looks like a preview center is open. Auto traffic is allowed into the complex, so if you want to go drool and dream, you are now able to do so. I did not drive into the complex, so I don't know how far in you are able to go. The entrance is spectacular!!

That's all folks!

 

[rapriebe]

Thanks Deb for the update. Glad to hear that they did put a key card access reader at that entrance and didn't just close it off completely to campers. Sure will be alot easier to return that way instead of going through the one by the guard shack.

 

[Magicbus]

Magicbus can probably give us the best information regarding that entrance also being used by the buses.

We haven't been told anything yet, but I think it's safe to say that the buses will be entering and exiting thru the new gate.

The parking lot was FULL of workers and a lot of activity was going on

I could hardly see the building because of all the cars and trucks parked in front. The push is on. I wonder if they'll have an opening ceremony or open house? If they do, I'm going.

Golden Oaks:The entrance is complete and it looks like a preview center is open. Auto traffic is allowed into the complex.

Deb, did you drop off your 25K deposit check? Did you get a chance to go over to the Hess station to see the Otters?

 

[des1954]

Deb, did you drop off your 25K deposit check?
Did you?
Did you get a chance to go over to the Hess station to see the Otters?

It was starting to rain pretty hard, so I didn't head over that way - but I did think about it.

I need to just carry my camera with me all the time. I don't know why I never think about that. It's about the same size as my cell phone.

 

[Magicbus]

Of course I dropped off my deposit. TCD & I are going to build a duplex and are going to rent out the garages to Fiends.

 

[Elliott]

Are these changes going to prevent Kenny from delivering golf carts?

 

[Donna]

I asked kenny that question when he called to arrange our drop off. I said well you either need a key to the world card or go thru the guard and he said don't worry, they know me at the guard shack and there is no problem getting in. sure enough, he got in both for drop off and pick up with no problem at all.

 

[Elliott]

Sweet. Thanks.

 

[AuburnJen92]

That is because Kenny is a wonderful guy and everyone loves him so!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

At the very least, this will eliminate the boondockers who enjoy spending their vacation in the overflow lot for free.

 

[Fort Fanatics]

Do you think that they will let people in, who may be staying at another resort, who are going to the Hoop-Dee-Do review? There have been several times that we have driven up that way, and made a "pit stop" at the Fort to have dinner at TE. Guess that may have to stop now!

 

[BradyBz12]

Do you think that they will let people in, who may be staying at another resort, who are going to the Hoop-Dee-Do review?

I'm sure they will - they allow guests to go to other resorts for dinner, shows, etc. Difference now is that you'll have to come through the guard shack like the other resorts too.

Time will tell if they actually check to see if you have an ADR or give you a timed parking pass. Usually when we're visiting other resorts for dinner we just need to show ID - of course we always have our Fort pass with us.

Only at the Contemporary did they check our ADRs and give us a 3 hour parking pass.

 

[des1954]

Only at the Contemporary did they check our ADRs and give us a 3 hour parking pass.

I've been given a 3 hour pass at the Poly, also. I think back in the days before 9/11, people were parking at the PR, CR, and GF to avoid paying the parking rate and taking the resort monorail into the MK. I'm sure some folks were doing that at FtW - but IMHO - that's just a little too much work to get to the MK from the Outpost. But like I said - that's just MHO.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

This thread needs photos!

So, what do you think, Deb?

Is the new kennel going to open on 9/1?

Do you want to make a friendly wager?

TCD

 

[clkelley]

I really don't like this......

While the overflow lot DID allow anyone to park back in overflow without being questioned, it DID for the most part limit those allowed in the loops to Fort guests and foot/bus traffic. The guards at the guard shack were a lot stricter about allowing non Fort guests into the area with vehicles to access the loops.

Now it appears that the Fort parking lot will be like any other resort parking lot, that the guards will allow just about anyone in to the lot that has a "need" to be at the Fort. (That need could be the restaurant, the Hoop De Doo, the movie, the recreation, just about anything.

What this also does is allow anyone to DRIVE THROUGH the loops.

The parking lot USED to be like this, BUT they also had a second gate closer to the entrance of the loops that only Fort guests and the buses could get through. So are they going to install a second gate??

Unless they install that second gate, it's going to be a dangerous combination of folks that have no clue about the Fort trying to DRIVE to Hoop De Doo or Trails End or drive to the marina and then folks on golf carts and kids on bikes.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I really don't like this......

While the overflow lot DID allow anyone to park back in overflow without being questioned, it DID for the most part limit those allowed in the loops to Fort guests and foot/bus traffic. The guards at the guard shack were a lot stricter about allowing non Fort guests into the area with vehicles to access the loops.

Now it appears that the Fort parking lot will be like any other resort parking lot, that the guards will allow just about anyone in to the lot that has a "need" to be at the Fort. (That need could be the restaurant, the Hoop De Doo, the movie, the recreation, just about anything.

What this also does is allow anyone to DRIVE THROUGH the loops.

The parking lot USED to be like this, BUT they also had a second gate closer to the entrance of the loops that only Fort guests and the buses could get through. So are they going to install a second gate??

Unless they install that second gate, it's going to be a dangerous combination of folks that have no clue about the Fort trying to DRIVE to Hoop De Doo or Trails End or drive to the marina and then folks on golf carts and kids on bikes.

Carol-

I agree with you 100%.

A lot of "outsiders" visit the Fort for the HDDR and the Backyard BBQ. Once they get past the guard shack, there is nothing to stop them from driving into the Fort. I don't see any signs of a second gate, like there used to be.

This is a situation where the "cure" is possibly going to make the problem worse.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I wasn't kidding when I said this thread would be better with pictures.

Since Deb forgot her camera, I will need to add some.

Coincidentally, TCD also visited the Fort on 8/21/10.

The TCD gang normally camps this weekend- the last weekend before school starts.

But, because of my DDs' social calendar, we couldn't camp this year.

But, we did make a day trip to visit Typhone Lagone.

And, then we went to the Fort for a Giddyap and Go.

And, in the great minds think alike department, I had the foresight to snap some photos of the parking lot "improvements." I did not get these until it was almost dark, as it was raining pretty hard when we stopped by the Fort, but the rain let up right at sunset. So these photos were taken with very little light, and I apologize for their quality. But at least I took some.


Here they are:

This is the new gate of which Des1954 speaks. You can also see that there are some pretty heavy duty new barrier poles installed:

The word over-engineered comes to mind here:

Deb didn't see a bus transponder, do you?:

(Hint- Look at the far right of the photo. Maybe they installed it after Deb was there?)

Can you see the bus transponder now?

How about now?:

(Hint for Deb- it's the big white square thing)

There is a new camera installed here to keep an eye on things:

Deb mentioned the card readers.

I think there are card readers similar to this on the road between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness.

I don't think these are set up to be used by guests:

I am guessing that this new gate will be for castmembers only, and returning guests will still be directed to the guard shack. This whole thing is set up to operate without a guard being present. I think there would be too many problems allowing dumb guests to enter here.

If you look at the pavement here, you can see that some detector wires have been installed:

The poles that were previously installed up by the main road appear to have not been replaced:

I think these are set-up so that they can be removed as necessary. The new heavy duty ones do not appear to be removable.

This sign remains in place:

All of the interior barrier poles in the parking lot have been removed. There are no more dividers- the Fort parking lot is just one big parking lot now, not separated into the regular lot and overflow lot.

Now, if someone would post some photos of the kennel . . .

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Even though it was basically dark when I visited the new kennel, I did get some photos.

These were all taken Saturday night, August 21, 2010:

The lights were on inside, and there were people working in there:

These are the outside runs- they don't look done either:

So, back at the end of June, when this project clearly was a long way from completion, they announced an opening date of August 27. Then, last week, they pushed the opening date back to September 1, as in 10 days after these photos were taken. I can't see how they could possibly be ready for customers on September 1.

But we shall see.

TCD

 

[des1954]

Earlier in the day that you shot the kennel pictures, the parking lot was so full of work vehicles that you could hardly see the front of the building. I'm thinking that the kennel will be open on 9/1, but not to it's full potential.

We went back over that evening too, TCD. I drove up to the guard and told him we were coming in to eat at Trail's End (I lied), and he just told us to park in the lot and go to the Outpost to pick up a bus to Settlement. Nothing was mentioned about not driving through FtW, no parking by the restaurant, nothing! That makes me think Carol is spot on. Now that being said, the guard may have recognized us. It was Rodger, and we see him a lot.

We also drove back to the new gate & Rick pointed out the transponder to me. When I first viewed it earlier that day, I turned around a little further down the CM's road and was pointed towards the exit when I stopped to look. If you look closely, there is a speaker system by the card readers. They had this same set up on the original gate years ago. It was used by guests to speak to the guard if they had trouble with the card reader. I think this is going to be an alternate entrance for returning guests. Time will tell.

My camera now has a permanent place in my purse!

 

[I'mDownWithDisney]

Methinks these poles may be able to raise and lower on command. Maybe I am giving Disney too much credit, but I like to think that even Disney's barricades are somewhat special. LOL