Missing the Good Old Days

[Duzzygirl]

There are alot of things I miss,Sugar in my Pepsi,Made in America and especially common curtisy and good manners.

HA! Indeed!



The first and only time I stayed in Fort Wilderness was 1987? I loved it. I was in sixth grade. I hardly remember any golf carts. The only thing I actually remember about them was my brother was 16, had his license, and was completely jacked they wouldn't let him rent one.

I remember it being very slow, casual, quiet, and absolutely wonderful. It was my first Disney trip. Had it not been so fantastic, we may have never wanted to go back.

 

[Disneysince1982]

Ohhhhh....I love Fort Wilderness! I miss the entertainment in the Trails End! They use to have someone singing and playing the guitar while you dined. It was alot of fun. Now it just seems like they want to get you in and out as fast as they can.

 

[KristinU]

I miss many of the things mentioned, but find it odd that the OP mentioned all the outsiders when he or she said that they were not staying at the Fort, but visit each year. That is exactly how the outsider population grows. Not flaming by any means we've done it ourselves...just sayin

LOL, I was thinking the same thing! We were once outsiders too, bussed over and rented bikes to ride around, had some dinner, and went back to whatever resort we were staying at saying "yeah, let's go there sometime..." And for the record, we've never used a cart - we're bike folks...cheaper and they're always charged up

 

[ChrisinNJ]

I miss many of the things mentioned, but find it odd that the OP mentioned all the outsiders when he or she said that they were not staying at the Fort, but visit each year. That is exactly how the outsider population grows. Not flaming by any means we've done it ourselves...just sayin

LOL, I was thinking the same thing! We were once outsiders too, bussed over and rented bikes to ride around, had some dinner, and went back to whatever resort we were staying at saying "yeah, let's go there sometime..." And for the record, we've never used a cart - we're bike folks...cheaper and they're always charged up

We did this just 3 weeks ago. We have been wanting to buy a motor home for a while, and in fact, bought one on that trip

Our friends were supposed to be staying at the Fort, but had to cancel due to hurricane Sandy. We intended to visit them to check out the campground, but we visited even though they didn't make it. In fact we visited 3 times, once to check it out, once to rent a sea raycer, and on our last day to rent a pontoon boat. Can't wait to book my first Fort trip!!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) We missed the first two years, but started in the third year.
2) And, yep, there are things we also miss.
3) Many, already mentioned.

4) We miss
. . . riding real steam trains around FW
. . . tossing peanuts shells on the floor of a much larger Crockett's Tavern
. . . finding or empty rockers on Crockett's porch
. . . seeing bicycles, tricycles and quadcycles instead of golf carts
. . . viewing wide open areas instead of RV parking spaces
. . . hearing much more group singing from sites and cabins *
. . . admiring nice holiday decorations instead of overdone gaudy ones
. . . seeing the "hunting Mickey" park emblem/symbol
. . . buying Fort souvenirs that were made in America and lasted years
. . . walking up to a kiosk and getting eatery ressies for the same night

* We are there the third week of December. (If the world ends on 12/21,
we want to be sipping a brewski and picking a tune at The Fort). If you hear
3-5 guys playing bluegrass and folk tunes by picking banjos, basses, guitars,
y'all stop by an grab a sittin' place in the grass. We will be in a cabin jammin'
at least 2-4 nights that week. Several of us who jam together are camping
that week and bring our "devices".

 

[Tigger1966]

What happened to the peacocks? I used to love seeing them!

They were there in 02 when we first took our kids. I was told that they had a problem with them attacking their reflection on some of the mirror like finish on the high end rv's and doing damage.

As for the golf cart I also agree that it has gotten out of hand but I only wish they would get it back under control not get rid of them. As someone who works on my feet all day and then comes to Disney and walks the parks all day it's nice to sit and ride at the fort. I also agree that there are many things that need to step back first of whitch is getting controll of the front gate and over crowding of campsites. Come on people it's a campsite not a parking lot. I dont see how people can find it enjoyable with an RV, golf cart,trailler and a couple of cars all cramed on the site. It's like camping in a Walmart parking lot.

 

[KevinNYC]

Our first trip to the Fort was in May of 1975. I guess a lot has changed since then. That was before River Country and we were allowed to swim in the Lake. It was clean then and quite refreshing.
Back then, there was no Discovery Island - it was actually Treasure Island - wow, that was a fun place to walk around. It was set up as a pirate place.
I don't remember golf carts back then but we rode the steam train.
We also loved the Chip and Dale Breakfast Character Buffet at Trails End - that was the best and least expensive character buffet in WDW. I guess things do change in time - but I don't think the change is all from Disney - I am afraid that over time people lose their focus and also their civility. People often seems to forget who we are and have little time to be considerate of our neighbors ( whether at home or over in the next camp site ) Somehow, I do not think kids would have been driving golf carts recklessly in 1975 (if they had carts) - it was just a different time and people acted differently.
I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season and remember to pray for the families of those children and adults in that Connecticut school.

 

[North of Mouse]

Our first trip to the Fort was in May of 1975. I guess a lot has changed since then. That was before River Country and we were allowed to swim in the Lake. It was clean then and quite refreshing.
Back then, there was no Discovery Island - it was actually Treasure Island - wow, that was a fun place to walk around. It was set up as a pirate place.
I don't remember golf carts back then but we rode the steam train.
We also loved the Chip and Dale Breakfast Character Buffet at Trails End - that was the best and least expensive character buffet in WDW. I guess things do change in time - but I don't think the change is all from Disney - I am afraid that over time people lose their focus and also their civility. People often seems to forget who we are and have little time to be considerate of our neighbors ( whether at home or over in the next camp site ) Somehow, I do not think kids would have been driving golf carts recklessly in 1975 (if they had carts) - it was just a different time and people acted differently.
I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas and Holiday Season and remember to pray for the families of those children and adults in that Connecticut school.

Oh, sweet memories! Discovery Island was the *only* island there that was not man made! When Treasure Island just didn't *make* it, it closed, and DI was *born* in '76. We used to go there every trip - could get a *double* ticket for that and River Country which was opened about the same time.

We, too, remember being able to swim down on the beach there and our children loved it (could do it even after RC opened). FW has gotten a lot larger since the opening years.

 

[North of Mouse]

1) We missed the first two years, but started in the third year.
2) And, yep, there are things we also miss.
3) Many, already mentioned.

4) We miss

. . . admiring nice holiday decorations instead of overdone gaudy ones [/I]

Just there on the 100 loop - I, personally, think all the blown up decorations being *crammed* (as many as possible on one site, with extra spaces in some sites) are so tacky and gaudy. Guess we are in the minority though, as we had to pass through people standing in front of our MH just to get into our *space* . What we had to miss (and would have loved to see, after seeing it on youtube) was dave's castle display. Our time was up 1 day before he got his set up and running.

 

[WDW1979]

4) We miss
. . . riding real steam trains around FW

This may have been posted somewhere on Disboards before, but I found this video "A Trip Aboard the Fort Wilderness Railroad" on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3wshRnX0lY

Video quality is excellent for 1970's amateur film, plus it has sound!

 

[N365PA]

I do remember being able to swim in Bay Lake as well as hike the nature trail. The bass back there were so stupid it was almost sinful how many you could catch!

Clint

 

[lodge]

Remember the wave machine on the lake? They had to discontinue it due to erosion! No one swims in lakes like that anymore, though.

 

[musket mickey]

We also miss River Country as well as the breakfast that they used to have in the Hoop -Dee -Do hall. They used to show cartoons and Donald Duck would come around to the tables dressed up in his coon skin cap. My daughter used to love it; she is now thirty with two children of her own. I wish they would bring that back so that my grand children could enjoy it as my daughter once did.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

I miss river country and discovery island too! I have been for HDD and mickey's BYBBQ, but I haven't been in a cabin since 1986. Are they still the same? I bet my kids would enjoy a stay there at some point.

 

[Southern Bell]

I remember the train and river country. We really enjoyed river country. Its ashame it can no longer be used. If I understand the water is no longer safe? Someone got sick or something? Any way I really miss the use of the lake and the beach area. I for one don't have interest on sitting on a hot sandy beach without being able to get into the water. Everytime I pass those chairs at the beach area it just seems kind of silly to me! LOL!
I didn't really understand about the outsiders. Just haven't noticed that many stray people hanging around the fort who were not vacationers. LOL! I do know you are allowed to visit the other resorts and use the transportation if you are a Disney guest. We have taken time to do that ourselves for shopping, eating or just viewing what some of the resorts had to offer.
I haven't ever noticed golf carts being a problem either. Maybe we have just been lucky to avoid some of that. To me its nothing out of hand like they are at the beach. So maybe thats why they don't seem so bad to me! LOL! I have never taken or rented a golf cart at the fort but I am sure considering it!
What I don't miss is the old tickets to the theme parks. Choose ABCD. I mean really! That was terrible! LOL! Glad they changed that!
I'm so glad they still have the nice AC bathrooms and they have updated their pool! Now all they need to do is add another one! I mean for what Disney charges and for how many people are in that campground they need at least one more pool at the campground! It wouldn't hurt to have a food court! LOL!