No FW this year.

[ChiefM]

Last year was a crazy one for sure. I loss my mother, ran for our lives from a hurricane just to name a few things.

Friday was my last day at my old job and I am restarting my career in a path I started almost 35 years ago as a GM technician. I figured if I was going to work it should be something I enjoy. Being a service manager at a John Deere dealership was not it. I loved the place, the people and the job, it was the company that was really bad. So I start again today at my new job and they have no vacation days the first year. Puts a cramp into any kind of Fort Wilderness vacation this year. We get 5 days after my 1 year anniversary and 10 days after 2 years.

Gives me some time to do some upgrades on the coach that I have been wanting to do. Anyway I love hearing about everyone else's vacations to the Fort and it bring back great memories of our trip.

 

[piccolopat]

I'm glad you think this is your dream job and I hope it works out for you. I'm just appalled that they don't allow any vacation time during your first year there. Good luck and I hope you can enjoy a visit to FW next year!

 

[Stork]

Last year was a crazy one for sure. I loss my mother, ran for our lives from a hurricane just to name a few things.

Friday was my last day at my old job and I am restarting my career in a path I started almost 35 years ago as a GM technician. I figured if I was going to work it should be something I enjoy. Being a service manager at a John Deere dealership was not it. I loved the place, the people and the job, it was the company that was really bad. So I start again today at my new job and they have no vacation days the first year. Puts a cramp into any kind of Fort Wilderness vacation this year. We get 5 days after my 1 year anniversary and 10 days after 2 years.

Gives me some time to do some upgrades on the coach that I have been wanting to do. Anyway I love hearing about everyone else's vacations to the Fort and it bring back great memories of our trip.

Sorry about your Mother, and sad you're having to suspend any long camping trips but congrats on the new employment opportunity. A change of scenery every so often can be an uplifting thing...

 

[bama_ed]

ChiefM, I hope your new career starts out well.

I see you are in Georgia - maybe you can take a some weekend trips close by to still scratch that camping itch.

The Fort will still be there.

Bama Ed

PS - I'm giving WDW/FW a pass in 2021 also.

 

[Sjm9911]

Better luck with the new year and job. Things are rough for many right now. Hang in there.

 

[himandher818]

While I am happy for you and your new career path, sad to hear to you wont be able to visit the Fort, and about your mother.
Being in GA you might be able swing a quick trip during a long holiday. I'm NW of Atlanta and have done it a few times, but not with the camper.

I'm not sure what our WDW trips are going to be like this year. I would like to go one more time before our APs run out, but don't know if it's possible.

 

[tiggerdad]

Good luck on the new path.

We are skipping FW for 2021 as well.

 

[ChiefM]

Thanks everyone!
It's going to be totally different than what I was doing. Little did I know but the dealership is in a rebuilding phase. They have work but not a ton, good thing I have some retirement pay to fall back on till it picks up. My son starts school this fall and with COVID going nuts right now we might just wait till sometime late this year or next year to visit the parks. It seems they are pretty easy on taking no pay days off as long as it's not crazy busy.

I did a surprise family trip on New years weekend to Universal because I didn't know when we would be able to take another vacation. It was a quick trip without the motorhome and it was fun.

 

[friendofeeyore]

ChiefM, My husband's company was bought out by John Deere. He was manager, salesman for a family owned business irrigation business 40+ years. They sold irrigation equipment for your lawns etc. He was not thrilled working under John Deere management. So he retired Dec. 2017. Good luck with your new job. My last trip to the Fort was Nov. 2019. Our Grandkids are their now. Took the boat over from MK to The Fort & was face timing me while walking around. Made me cry, but enjoyed seeing it again. Very quiet around the Settlement.

 

[ChiefM]

Our last trip to the Fort was In October of 2019. We did Mickeys no so Scary and went to Hollywood studios. I even got my wife who is afraid of heights to ride the skyliner! We stopped at Beverly Beach for 2 days on the way home, awesome place I highly recommend. The fort is the best of 2 worlds, I get some park time and my wife gets relax time.

 

[friendofeeyore]

We actually arrived @ The Fort Oct 23rd thru Nov 11th 2019. We did Golf Cart Parade, gave out over 1000 pieces of TOT candy, Mickey Scary & Mickey Christmas parades. Had a blast. The weather was cold & raining on both parades.

 

[Sjm9911]

We actually arrived @ The Fort Oct 23rd thru Nov 11th 2019. We did Golf Cart Parade, gave out over 1000 pieces of TOT candy, Mickey Scary & Mickey Christmas parades. Had a blast. The weather was cold & raining on both parades.

Cold and raining? Lol. I guess that is perspective at work, i thought the whole time was hot! There was some rain. It was fun.

 

[ChiefM]

We have been lucky so far and no rain the 3 times we have been to Disney. There was a brief shower while we were inside waiting to see Jack Skellington during MNSSHP but we missed it waiting in line. The rest of the night was great.

It was a little overcast on January 2nd at Universal but the wife loved it. She gets hot quick and generally doesn't have a good time after that.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

ChiefM, where are you in GA? We are 25 miles West of Atlanta in Douglasville. I have only 1 in college right now and this covid is making it not even worth paying for and going!

I am so sorry about you momma!

We sold our RV this last December and now we are on the hunt for a "new to us" one. I get the itch so bad to go to the Fort. We do have December 2021 booked but I just don't know if it will happen. It is so expensive at that time and I am not that confident that things will be close to normal by then.

 

[ChiefM]

We live in Cave Spring, About 20 miles outside of Rome.
Thanks about Mama, miss her terribly.
I reapplied to work at the CAT dealership I use to work at in Austell. I have an interview tomorrow!! I have worked on maybe 6 cars the past 2 weeks at the dealership. AKA not making any money.

Hoping I can get back in at the CAT dealership and talk them into giving me back my seniority level and 2 weeks vacation. A FW trip may be back in play if I get the 2 weeks vacation time. We are also waiting to see how the COVID plays out.

 

[ChiefM]

The maintenance supervisor at the CAT dealership finally decided to give me a phone interview, the next day they called it off and wanted me to just come in and do an in person interview. Come to find out the guys I use to work with heard I was trying to come back and the supervisor was dragging his feet. All 10 of the guys I worked with found out and went into the supervisors office and demanded he hire me back.

Did the in person interview yesterday and it looks like I am back in!! Still needs to be approved by the VP but not too worried about it. Will find out for sure on Monday. Can't get my seniority back or 2 the weeks vacation, bummer but I did manage to score a little bit more in pay. So probibly no FW this year but next year is now wide open!!

 

[ChiefM]

Took a leap of faith and quit my job at the Chevy place on Saturday.
I got the call yesterday morning and I got my old job back!! Rushing my stuff thru HR so I can start on Monday. Not exactly what I wanted to do but I am good at it and the pay is really good.

 

[Sjm9911]

I dont think anyone loves there job all the time, thats why its called going to work and not going to have fun. Lol. Hope all works out for you!

 

[tigger92662]

I got the call yesterday morning and I got my old job back!!

Glad to hear. Nowadays work is not that easy to come by, and going back to a familiar place (albeit without vacation time) is a plus.

 

[John VN]

distant past = :,o(

Took a leap of faith and quit my job at the Chevy place on Saturday.
I got the call yesterday morning and I got my old job back!! Rushing my stuff thru HR so I can start on Monday. Not exactly what I wanted to do but I am good at it and the pay is really good.

post ^^^ = + good luck

p.s. - my first place of employment after moving to FL in 1986 had NO vacation time provided meaning "if I wanted off, it had to be approved AND NO PAY."