Finally Home from the Fort: Trip Report to Follow

[Bdawgsc]

I say "finally" because it was a long trip. After 7 nights/8 days, I'm pretty exhausted.... but in a good way.

I plan on finishing this trip report with my conclusions. I wrote it (mostly) as the trip progressed, so I hope you'll see how my opinions and experiences changed slightly.

So now a little about me.

I live in Charleston, SC and it's about 400 miles to the Fort. If you stop for more than gas, it's easy to figure it would take about 7 hours. I don't speed, so I suppose if you have a heavy foot, you can make it in less time.

The plan was to depart Sunday, November 14 and return to Charleston on Saturday, November 20. Since I also have this upcoming week off, I knew I could change plans if need be. More on that later.

Day 1
Sunday, November 14

The plan was to be awake around 6am, out the door at 7.

I loaded the car the night before. I was a little wary about traveling alone, but I was pretty glad I was once the car was loaded. There wasn't even room for someone else's shower shoes - much less the person themselves!

What really happened. Woke up around 7 and was out the door about 8:30. I knew I had to stop by the office and fill the cooler before I left town. I was a little nervous about timing since I feared setting up camp in the dark.

This is my favorite part of the drive - right south of Charleston on US Hwy 17.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlefatty/5196586669/ by littlefatty, on Flickr

I didn't take a WDW Gate sign, but I did snap this when I was bouncing around in anticipation.


World Drive by littlefatty, on Flickr


I made excellent time and pulled into the Fort around 3:30 pm - sorry, no sign photo - where I got to meet Phil, the security guard, for the first time. He was a little over-zealous in his duties and insisted I needed to go inside to check in and that I couldn't just drive through. I wasn't in the mood to argue or take chances, so I pulled in, parked and went inside. There wasn't a line and check-in went smoothly. The CP tried to check me into a cabin. I joked that if it was the same price, I'd take it. Needless to say, I was assigned site 2064.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlefatty/5197220100/ by littlefatty, on Flickr

I'd hoped for the 1500 loop, but I made a decision before I left to take what I got. You have to start somewhere and I didn't want to be spoiled for future trips.

Well…

Site 2064 was PERFECT. It's literally directly across from a comfort station AND the bus stop. I'm not a big driver on-property, so being close to a bus was great. That and setting up so late, I knew I wouldn't have time to explore and figure things out before dark. Oh, and the first thing I heard was boat whistles/horns. Wow. Talk about nice. The a/c from the comfort station was a little nuisance, but I quickly discovered it would drown out about any noise - OTHER THAN SLAMMING COMFORT STATION DOORS at 3am (much MUCH more on that as the week progresses).


From Front of Site by littlefatty, on Flickr

Setting up went smoothly. There weren't many people around and it was warm, but easy and quick over all. The Easy Up was a little bit of a challenge alone, but I got it. Eventually. Not sure I'll attempt it again if I'm alone. The tent is easy. I got the painters cloth and carpet down, and unloaded the car. Then I finished by setting up the kitchen area. Nothing fancy, but certainly did the job.


Setting Up by littlefatty, on Flickr


Untitled by littlefatty, on Flickr

I stopped and had a drink. It's vacation, so why not?

Then I hopped on a bus and headed over to Epcot. I didn't have to wait more than a few minutes, but the bus to Epcot took… forever. And it wasn't the bus driver's fault. No shock that people weren't paying attention and doing crazy things. Oh well!

Epcot was great. Ate a lot. Drank a lot. Illuminations didn't have the inferno barge. Then hopped the bus and headed back. I probably should have taken the monorail, but the bus wasn't bad. Stopping at the Lodge adds quite a bit of time. On the way back to the 2000 loop, we had a great bus driver who had the bus "announce" things for people on board. I've never heard that before, but it really was a magical moment for those involved.

Got back, crashed, and that was that… except it was about 10pm. So needless to say, I was up about 5:30. At least there wasn't a line in the comfort station! It was in the low 50's overnight and I discovered my tent gets a bit drafty… even with the heater. I readjusted the air mattress and heater for the next night. Hopefully that would help.

More to come soon!

 

[Lil' Lisa]

Glad that you made it home safely. I'm really enjoying your report so far. I agree with your choice of not making a site request. Fly by the seat of your pants and live life to the fullest!

 

[lklasing]

I'm in! Looking forward to more!

 

[stacktester]

I stayed in site 2062 last weekend. I went to the front desk 3 mornings in a row complaining about that door. The keeper is stuck and when it closes it hits the keeper bounces once and hits again.

 

[nelle]

Great so far!

 

[Bdawgsc]

Glad that you made it home safely. I'm really enjoying your report so far. I agree with your choice of not making a site request. Fly by the seat of your pants and live life to the fullest!

Yeah, not requesting a loop is about as "by the seat of your pants" as I can handle. I can get a little OCD about details sometimes. It really worked out well, though, but if I sneak back for a long weekend next month, I'll probably request the 1500 loop.

I stayed in site 2062 last weekend. I went to the front desk 3 mornings in a row complaining about that door. The keeper is stuck and when it closes it hits the keeper bounces once and hits again.

I complained about it twice and the fact that two of the soap dispensers didn't work the whole week I was there. I get why the loop attendants didn't notice - they just check to see if the soap needs to be filled, but soap is pretty important if that's the only place you can wash your hands. Especially with all the kids around.

So one day during the week, it's all a blur, no less than FIVE maintenance guys come by with every tool you could ever buy. They all took turns looking at and "adjusting" the locking mechanism. Honestly, a little WD40 may have been where I started, but I guess that was too low tech for these guys. So what was billed as at least 10 hours accomplished nothing. As of this morning, the door STILL slammed and didn't catch. Except when someone closed it at midnight.

 

[stacktester]

The 1st night it happened I thought somebody was joking around and hitting my camper with something. 2062 is about 30 feet from the said door. By Sunday I was wore out because I couldn't sleep. Usually we have the a/c on and don't hear much but with it being cold at night I couldn't even put the fan on to drown it out. Like you, I thought about taking the cover off and wd-40 the thing but didn't have any tools there. I'm glad I'm not the only one who complained.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

This TR's off to a good start! Looking forward to the rest!

 

[Bdawgsc]

Day 2
Monday, November 15

Since I was up early, I wanted to get in the comfort station before it got busy to get the "lay of the land". It was just as you guys explained. The one thing that struck me right off was how clean it was. I worked in housing for a college for a while, lived in dorms, and even shared a bathroom with a roommate. Not even my own bathroom is as clean as the comfort station. Turns out this was due to crowds, but I'll get to that later, It is a little tight in the "changing" area - I'm not the smallest guy, after all. The shaving thing took some getting used to, though. No hot water to shave by? Yeah… that's not so good, but I figured I'd either suffer through it or become chewbacca by the end of the week.

I had a few cups of coffee at my site and realized it wasn't super hot because, well, it was 50 degrees out and the pot couldn't keep it steaming. I somehow survived. Lesson learned. I tried bussing to get coffee later in the week. I much preferred making it at my site.

I was on the bus around 8:10 and headed to MK. I got to the dock and must have caught the first boat about 8:25. Busses and boats were running very frequently. I got there in plenty of time to sit back and relax before the rope drop show began.


Untitled by littlefatty, on Flickr

I'll admit right here, I've never been up early enough to see this show. It was entertaining and I was in MK a few minutes before 9. In the first hour, I did Space Mtn, Splash, Big Thunder, Buzz and Haunted Mansion.

Here's a view of Frontierland!


Untitled by littlefatty, on Flickr

I'd had enough, so I headed back to the Fort and had a little lunch and hit the Meadows to see the $7 can of "cheese". Guess what. It's now $7.95!

After lunch, I fiddled with my setup a little and added a tarp to prepare for the rain expected later in the week. I also discovered I get full afternoon sun, but there's not much I can do about that.


Untitled by littlefatty, on Flickr

I got my mug and headed to TE to get some sort of soda.

While I was there I walked down to the beach, sat down and… well… fell right asleep. Ha. This was my view.


Untitled by littlefatty, on Flickr


Untitled by littlefatty, on Flickr

I woke up around 4 and contemplated going to get an early bird dinner and decaf coffee, but decided to just go grill some steaks instead. Tough life.

It was EMH at DHS Monday night, so I decided I'd head over there to see the Osborne Lights, have something sweet and meet up with some friends.

I took the bus and got to DHS about 7pm. It was pretty crowded. I figured most people would leave about 8, so I rode RNRC in the single rider line. That took about 45 minutes. So far, not so good. Then I walked over to try the infamous Carrot Cake Cookie and grab a coffee. The line should have warned me, but I waited and tried it anyway. It took about 20 minutes.

The espresso was just ok and the cookie was good. I have to say I prefer their white chocolate macadamia nut, but I definitely enjoyed it. It was more of a cake than a cookie to me, but I showed it no mercy.

Then we walked down to see the Osborne Lights. I haven't seen these in a few years, but I love them. As I recall, though, there was more to it at one point. A separate area with a lot of the light sculptures. I know I'm not making that up, but I don't remember how long ago that was. It may have even been before LMA opened. The lights were insanely crowded, so I didn't stay long. I walked back over to check on waits for ToT and RNRC again. Still way too long, so I called it a night and headed back to the Fort, on a bus, that took FOREVER. That's when I learned my bus lesson, or so I thought.

Sorry, no photos from DHS.

Cocktail and then bed.

 

[Lil' Lisa]

I think that a nap on the beach would be a great way to spend some time relaxing at the Fort!

OK... I have to ask. Your Flickr account name is "littlefatty". Unless you have recently lost a ton of weight, I wouldn't say that it is a description of you. What does it mean?

 

[clkelley]

Cool so far!!

 

[storyteller]

More Please..

 

[fort4evr]

More PLEASE

 

[jonimce]

Yes, more. I am really enjoying this.

 

[SCtigercock]

Enjoying the TR.

Are you sure you didn't have any room in the vehicle? I was hoping to be a hitch hiking soul on your next trip out of Chucktown.

 

[anolefan]

Awesome so far!

Keep it coming.

Good to be by the comfort station since you were there for a week.

 

[SC DAD of 2]

Brent, much enjoyed the TR. Great pics "South Cackalacky."

Glad you had a good time. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

Good - good !!
And then ---

 

[Bdawgsc]

Enjoying the TR.

Are you sure you didn't have any room in the vehicle? I was hoping to be a hitch hiking soul on your next trip out of Chucktown.

Haha, literally, there was something pressing into my elbow it was that full. I learned my lesson, though, so maybe I can squeeze you in next time!

Good to be by the comfort station since you were there for a week.

It was during the week for sure when it was empty. Not so much when it got busy. More on that to come!

Brent, much enjoyed the TR. Great pics "South Cackalacky."

Glad you had a good time. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thanks. The pics were all snapped with my iPhone. I only pulled out a real camera once. I just wasn't into the "Document Everything" sort of trip this time. OK, well I was more so when it started, but not once I relaxed.

Good - good !!
And then ---

More is on its way!

 

[Bdawgsc]

OK, SORRY! I got distracted by that pesky holiday and then decided to visit some friends in Myrtle Beach. After being at the Fort for a week, oceanfront was nice, but it just wasn't the same.

Day 3
Tuesday, November 16

I actually slept well the night before, so I was up and ready to go around 8. I had some breakfast - pop tarts and granola bars and some coffee. I decided that I should check out DHS again to see if my predictions were correct.

Did I learn my bus lesson the night before? I thought so, but I guess not. I hopped the purple for the outpost. Got there and waited. And waited. AND WAITED. 30 min later, no bus. So I jumped back on the purple and went back to my site, got the car and drove. When I passed the bus stop I noticed the same people as before were still waiting on the DHS bus.

Is it just me or is exiting the Fort kind of a production. There are a lot of stop signs and turns. Did I miss an easier way out?

When I pulled into DHS I was glad to see I was correct. The parking lot was empty. I jumped on the tram - after discovering that it now has doors. When did that happen?


Untitled

(Yes, I know that's not DHS, but I didn't think to snap a photo until later in the week)

When I got into the park it was mostly empty. Everything except TSM was walk-on. I rode RNRC, ToT and did Back Lot. I grabbed lunch at the Commissary - which wasn't anywhere near as good as in October when I ate there (but was still just as SLOW) and then went to see the new Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. I'm glad I did.

I'd had enough, so I headed back to the Fort. Now, see, at check-in there was the debacle. I guess in getting that straightened out I forgot to ask for a parking pass. I think I was given one with the wrong name at one point. I didn't think anything about it. Plus, I had my KTTW card, so no big, right? WRONG. Phil, my good security buddy, was back at his post and making sure the riff raff weren't getting in. I suppose singles in Hondas count because he was determined I was going to show him 25 forms of ID and whatever else before I was allowed entry. I was almost ready to blow the breathalyzer and walk the line, but I passed his tests and was allowed re-entry. Of course, my KTTW card had opened the gate when I pulled up.

I hit the meadows to replenish the ice. SERIOUSLY, thank each and every one of you who told me about the ice here. So much better than the machine (which was broken until Wednesday) at the comfort station.

I got back to my site and relaxed for a while then decided to head to the Settlement to check out the TCD Ranch. I hadn't seen it in years.


Untitled


And the blacksmith shop


Untitled

And some more random photos.

Untitled


Untitled

I was the only one around and it was so quiet. Loved it.

Then I headed over to TE to refill the mug and sit in a rocking chair.

Woah. Have those tables always been there? I thought I remembered there being rocking chairs all down the side of the porch.


Untitled

Well, I plopped right down and promptly fell asleep. But before I did, this was my view.


Untitled


Untitled

I love how quiet it is here during the day.

Once I was awake, I was kinda hungry. I re-refilled the mug and made my way back to the 2000 loop.

It was quiet, but my neighbors were still around. I'm pretty sure they got a kick out of my cooking skillz (note the "z") while they were there. I'm also pretty sure they're on the Dis, but I didn't see green ears, so I don't know who they are. I couldn't have asked for better folks around me. They were so friendly and always trying to give me drinks.

I grilled up some hot dogs and whatnot and then was off to meet some Dis folks at the Poly for a Dole Whip meet. I was definitely ready to impress some of you with my mad Dole Whipping skills. So… bus to boat to monorail. Easy as pie, but I was somehow STILL late.

On the way I got to see the sunset at the Marina.


Untitled

and the Grand all lit


Untitled

And then it happened. I marched right into Captain Cooks and cue the poopy music. The Dole Whip machine had exploded all over the floor and was out of service. I call that RUINED in my book. So we had drinks instead. A good time was had by all and around 6:30 I was going to head back to the Fort. Needless to say, I'll spare you the details, but when you think "I can do this faster than I got here", DON'T DO IT. I got back around 8.

I'd had enough so I grabbed a beverage and headed down to the beach to watch the Fireworks and the Water Pageant. I was early so I walked around the loops a little. It was still really quiet and no one was out. I was mostly alone looking at the folks who were already decked out. Do they have black out drapes in their RV's? I wouldn't be able to sleep with all of those lights outside my window. Wow. They really do a great job.


Untitled


Untitled


Untitled


Untitled


It was getting close to MVMCP Fireworks time, so I headed to the beach to watch Holiday Wishes and the Water Pageant. It was great.


Untitled


Untitled


I headed to the bus and BAM. The rain started. I was also stuck with some of the 7:30 HDDR crowd. They were drunk and tired - something I easily identify with - and weren't too thrilled to have a lowly camper holding them up by making the bus stop. I hope they survived. At least they were so confused I was able to out maneuver them.

I got back and made sure everything was dry and decided to lounge in the tent and watch tv for a while. Needless to say I woke up Wednesday morning - still in my clothes, but dry.