March 2016 Pre Trip and Trip reports

[lokin4deer]

Well, I'll share a little outline about my upcoming March trip too. I'm looking forward to hearing who else can be there in late March. I recall our posters lokin4deer and Boomer1 chimed in my thread back in August when I had made a March reservation that they would be coming in March too.


Bama Ed

Ed, Unfortunately we had to cancel our March trip. The DW decided that she didn't want to pay all that money and then deal with all the crowds. So now she has charged me with getting us in at Halloween. I told her it has been booked up for months! She just looks at me and says you can do it I know it!! The fort at Halloween looks really cool and Nov 1st is my 50th bday. She seems to think I will enjoy the fort on my 50th bday. I was really looking forward to meeting you and any other DISers that may be there but for now I am on the search for a Halloween cancellation!!

 

[CruisingCamper]

We will be the March 29-April 6th. The last trip was July 2015 for a couple of weeks. We are so excited and look forward to every trip that we take to the fort.

 

[bama_ed]

Ed, Unfortunately we had to cancel our March trip. The DW decided that she didn't want to pay all that money and then deal with all the crowds. So now she has charged me with getting us in at Halloween. I told her it has been booked up for months! She just looks at me and says you can do it I know it!! The fort at Halloween looks really cool and Nov 1st is my 50th bday. She seems to think I will enjoy the fort on my 50th bday. I was really looking forward to meeting you and any other DISers that may be there but for now I am on the search for a Halloween cancellation!!

<double post>

 

[bama_ed]

Ed, Unfortunately we had to cancel our March trip. The DW decided that she didn't want to pay all that money and then deal with all the crowds. So now she has charged me with getting us in at Halloween. I told her it has been booked up for months! She just looks at me and says you can do it I know it!! The fort at Halloween looks really cool and Nov 1st is my 50th bday. She seems to think I will enjoy the fort on my 50th bday. I was really looking forward to meeting you and any other DISers that may be there but for now I am on the search for a Halloween cancellation!!

lokin4deer, sorry I will miss you this time around.

Boy, your DW doesn't ask for much, does she? Halloween? Whoa.

Good luck with that. Just keep trying.

Bama Ed

 

[peg110]

lokin4deer, sorry I will miss you this time around.

Boy, your DW doesn't ask for much, does she? Halloween? Whoa.

Good luck with that. Just keep trying.

Bama Ed

I can't help to think about the thread a few months ago where the discussion to book for 2017 Halloween had better be done at the 499 day mark.

I think it either needs to be booked at 499 days (or so) or within the 60 day window (as people actually start to cancel.

 

[snowmedic]

Like we have been saying, persistance pays off. I was able to get the extra day I have been looking for. After 2 weeks and 2 calls per day, my check out day is now March 20.

 

[tltay2005]

Well looks like our four legged family member will be joining us this trip. We usually don't bring the dogs with us, but since we lost our oldest and the younger one has never been without him, DH wants to bring him along. We do take them to the state parks, but not to the Fort since we usually are doing a lot of running around. Since we are not visiting any parks, we decided to give it a try. Going to work on getting him to ride in the golf cart, that should be fun. Booked a full hook up site (which unless things have changed, are all pet loops) and we have a small TT, so we shouldn't have any issues. 23 days and counting!

 

[bama_ed]

Like we have been saying, persistance pays off. I was able to get the extra day I have been looking for. After 2 weeks and 2 calls per day, my check out day is now March 20.

Glad you got the extra day, snowmedic. Bama Ed

 

[amcc]

We just had our great weekend visiting the parks after a two year break. The trip was for the little one who LOVED every ride and character. It was like visiting the park anew all over again. However, it was so crowded with lines for food, lines for fast pass, lines for transportation, lines for rides that at around 3 (we got there at 8am) we decided we needed a break and headed over to the Fort for some quality time at Crockett's. The Fort was wonderful as always and we looked wistfully at the people who were having impromptu happy hour with their own wine, glasses, and snacks. It was a perfect break. Unfortunately, it took over an hour for a boat to arrive to get back to MK - a gentleman waiting with us said that only one of the MK boats was running and I think they were waiting a while at the park to fill it, but there was no alternative transportation offered and no sign at the front that things were taking a bit longer. We missed a fast pass due to this. We did manage to stay till midnight and the bigger boys rode the Mine Train with minimal wait at 11:20 and I watched the Electrical Parade in Liberty Square area all by myself at the rope as if it was just for me. This is my favorite, most nostalgic thing at Disney as I remember it as a child watching from my dad's shoulders.

Now, I've got my brother's wedding to get through with all the surrounding hoopla, out of town guests, and prep. By the time we get to the Fort, I'm not even going to be able to move - please, just food and drink and relaxation

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

 

[bama_ed]

amcc,

Taking the next child to WDW is a time of awakening, to be sure. Glad you had a good trip with child.

Our baseball tickets are all purchased and printed/in hand. I am going to 3 games in 3 straight days which may sound like much but it's sort of an end of an era. The Houston Astros (over in Kissimmee for spring training) are in their last year in Central Florida; the Atlanta Braves right on WDW property will leave after next spring 2017; that will leave only the Detroit Tigers down in Lakeland as the remaining Central Florida MLB spring training team (and they're, what, 45 minutes from Disney?). Most other teams are or will be on either coast which aren't convenient to a WDW trip.

Listened to my Cleveland Indians today in the first game of the Cactus League in Arizona lose to the Reds 6-5. But hope still springs eternal - everyone is still officially undefeated at this point.

Mattress toppers are ordered and on the way (one for the camper, one for home).

Bama Ed

PS - only 17 days till departure. Stuff is about to get real.

 

[snowmedic]

Travel plans are in full force. DW and DD 9 went to NH all last week. I picked them up Sunday morning. Bags went from being packed for NH to unpacked and now repacked to go to Florida. Campsite is all paid, including the extra day, and reservations informed me that they see my request for 1500.

Weather tonight is cold with 2 - 4 inches of snow then freezing rain by morning, with 2 -4 more inches tomorrow. We had planned our trip down (1st one this year) for March, because of a big project coming up at work that was suppose to start at the end of March. Well, schedules change and things move faster than planned, even when your up north in the cold and pouring concrete in winter. Had a job meeting Monday morning to find out that the job is actually 4 weeks ahead of schedule, and that the first concrete pour is happening Monday. I told everyone good luck and I would see them in two weeks. I mean really, what could could wrong on a seven story building with no supervisor?

Any way, yes, we are still heading to Florida this Friday after work. They will be in good hands while I am enjoying myself in the warmth of central FL.

Will post more in the coming days.

P.S. Ed, what kind of brew do you drink? I plan on bringing some Canadian beer with me since I could not find it in the stores down there.
And also, I hope you like pancakes, I have a gift for you.

 

[bama_ed]

P.S. Ed, what kind of brew do you drink? I plan on bringing some Canadian beer with me since I could not find it in the stores down there. And also, I hope you like pancakes, I have a gift for you.

DW has questions about beer used in the pancake mix???

My primary brew is Bud Light Lime but after going over to London and Paris and Monaco this past summer, I developed a taste for the Strongbow Cider. I am a Johnny Appleseed kinda guy.

At worst you can have a Diet Coke or Coke Zero (as it was referred to in Europe this summer) chilled. But my beer tastes are very simple.









Pictures from Monte Carlo this summer. Please indulge me because Scupper probably has pictures with the Prince and Princess.

As for pancakes, my kids grew up on pancakes with the little miniature chocolate chips topped with either strawberry or blueberry syrup. I like regular syrup. DW always insisted on a fried egg. (lots of diversity in my house). Any pancake is a good pancake IMO.

You don't have to do anything. When we get there we will look you up (since you will have been there for several days by the time we get there, maybe you will have said what loop you actually are in).

Bama Ed

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

PS - Plus if you have time I might have something to show

I bet I know where and what that would be!

 

[Teamubr]

you can have a Diet Coke or Coke Zero (as it was referred to in Europe this summer) chilled.

That's funny. I wonder if Coke Zero is a newer name since there is Coke Zero in the states now. 16 years ago, when we were in Ukraine adopting my DS, Diet Coke was "Coke Lite". Even on the Lufthansa flights the cans said Coke Lite.

Pictures from Monte Carlo this summer. Please indulge me because Scupper probably has pictures with the Prince and Princess.

Very nice! And TRS has nothing on the world traveler, Mr Ed.

j

 

[peg110]

Remember when Pepsi had Pepsi Light and it had lemon in it? I loved that. Didn't last too long though.

Funny thing is, is that when I was in Germany in the Military (1988 - 1992) it was very common to add a slice of lemon in your "Cola" drink (diet or not)

 

[bama_ed]

Checking the weather forecasts here locally since I only have two weekends left before we leave for the Fort.

This coming weekend looks nice and next weekend looks potentially wet at this point. I want to roll the camper out of the garage and set it up in the driveway and take out things that I haven't used in the last two years since I got it. Storage space is limited both inside and outside an Aliner so I need to utilize what I've got to the max. Problem is I am signed up for my last half marathon of the season for this Saturday morning which will take up half the day. But I guess I will have to do it this weekend (maybe on Sunday).

Hopefully my mattress topper for the Aliner will have arrived by then (they recommend opening it, letting it expand, and get the initial odor out of it). I can find a way to stash it as well (maybe behind the sofa cushions).

I was hoping the WIFI would be up at the Fort by now but sounds like it won't be so I'll load up my travel router. It's pretty small. Ya know, I looked up last night via Google and FREE WIFI at the Disney resorts began with the Contemporary in May 2011. It's only taken them five years to finish the job (the Fort is always last it seems). Well, shouldn't count my chickens JUST yet.

Bama Ed

 

[peg110]

I think it's probably much harder at the fort to do the Free WiFi. First it's a bigger area to cover, plus, ideally they want it to blend in, unlike an actual brick and mortar building, they can hide the Access Points under a ceiling tile as well as hide the wires in the plenum space. All part of that Disney perception.

Personally, I am okay with getting the cable modem (from a security stand point) as I believe it's much safer then open WiFi. (Can't help it I work in IT as an Information System Security Officer)

 

[lokin4deer]

lokin4deer, sorry I will miss you this time around.

Boy, your DW doesn't ask for much, does she? Halloween? Whoa.

Good luck with that. Just keep trying.

Bama Ed

Thanks Ed! Actually I have pretty good luck so far. Although I haven't booked anything yet. I Am holding out for the preferred loop, I know I am making it even harder. So far I could have booked Oct 27th thru Nov 5th just would have to move between premium and full hook up 2 times. But I do check 3 maybe 4 times a day. We might even jump over to a hotel if free dining comes available for our dates. Enjoy your trip and take some crowd pics so I can show my DW.

 

[snowmedic]

beer used in the pancake mix

I think I will try that. I have had beer in my pizza crust before and it was delicious.
DW drinks diet coke so there will be plenty of that on hand.

48 hrs. till we hit the road and head to Titusville for 4 days. Packing is proceeding as planned. House work is getting down so our oldest will only have her mess to contend with. She is a little upset since she will not be joining us on this trip, work and drivers ed wont allow it. Her and her BF will fly down in Oct. to spend a week with us then.

 

[Boomer1]

Starting to get excited, one week from today we should be at FW. Checking in on March 9th and leaving on March 21st. Fast passes are made, two dining reservations: one for Diamond Horseshoe on the16th and a big get together with family and friends at Raglan Road on the 13th.
As usual we have a premium site booked and will request the 400 loop. We look forward to meeting other Disers, just look for the Durango 2500 ( aka Tiny ), with the FW sign pictured in our avatar and 2 friendly Canadians. Sadly, as we are flying in we can't promise any Canadian beer, however, we will stock Coke Zero at affordable prices.