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[ilovedisneymm]

Hello all.

We’ve spent a great deal of time visiting The Fort in past Januarys, and created an enormous amount of childhood memories for our children. We have not been back in almost three years now and I do miss the fort. My two big kids learned to swim at the fort and my youngest is now asking when we are going to teach her. There is only one place I know that is perfect for teaching swimming! I know a place…. I’m considering a last minute trip toward the later half of January and curious about the updates and construction. I see there is a good bit of construction around the meadows & down at the settlement. If you’re currently there now, I’d love to see how things are coming along around the pool & dock. Also, does the construction work distract from the holiday mindset while at the meadows? Another thread shows long yellow construction materials around the canal. Is that still there? Are you able to canoe around the canal?

Any updated details, photos, and changes I need to be made aware of are much appreciated. The daddy daughter dumbo photos are long overdue.

 

[bjschil]

Hello all.

We’ve spent a great deal of time visiting The Fort in past Januarys, and created an enormous amount of childhood memories for our children. We have not been back in almost three years now and I do miss the fort. My two big kids learned to swim at the fort and my youngest is now asking when we are going to teach her. There is only one place I know that is perfect for teaching swimming! I know a place…. I’m considering a last minute trip toward the later half of January and curious about the updates and construction. I see there is a good bit of construction around the meadows & down at the settlement. If you’re currently there now, I’d love to see how things are coming along around the pool & dock. Also, does the construction work distract from the holiday mindset while at the meadows? Another thread shows long yellow construction materials around the canal. Is that still there? Are you able to canoe around the canal?

Any updated details, photos, and changes I need to be made aware of are much appreciated. The daddy daughter dumbo photos are long overdue.

 

[bjschil]

We are also making a last minute trip to Disney, Fort Wilderness on Feb 1.we will only be there for four nights, and doing one park. Then up to Fort Laudrdalemfor a two week cruise. Thought it would be good to leave the cold weather behind for February!!

 

[ilovedisneymm]

@bjschil it just seems wrong to tolerate a full Midwest winter doesn’t it? A cruise sounds lovely. We spent last February in Maui. That is wonderful to hear you and Bill will be there around the same time. I need to gather more info, see what window reservations we can get, and go from there.

 

[bama_ed]

These threads are helpful. Check the last 2-3 pages or so of each for recent stuff. First one is on the Zero Entry Pool being built in the Meadow field behind the Meadow Pool. Second one is the bland-but-offensive-eyesore behind Pioneer Hall.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/current-work-at-the-fort.3962118/page-18

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...rmer-reflections-site-in-2027.3957946/page-20

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Thanks Ed. I’ll review those threads. Is something going on in the 1800 loop by chance? I can’t seem to get anything to come up available for the later half of January for full hook up sites. Nothing available for full even when selecting just a few days thru the week. Odd. Is 1800 loop still classified as full hook up?

 

[bama_ed]

Not aware of anything particular to 1800 or the Full loops in general. Haven't read about anything like that.

But I am not surprised that Full sites aren't available in late January. After you get past the New Years rates, the Marathon Weekend rates, and the 3-day weekend folks for MLK Day, that's when the generally low (Value) rates kick in until about Valentines Day.

I do get some availability from Sunday Feb 8 to Thurs Feb 12 in Full:



Also just before late Jan as many Marathon folks leave I see Sun Jan 11 to Jan 16 available:



Even with MLK weekend, though, the lower rates settle in and folks book up the most affordable rv/travel trailer sites (Full) well in advance. Once you get to Valentines, you bump into the Princess Half Marathon weekend and then the spring break crowd in various places end of Feb to week after Easter.

IIRC, that's the time of year your family can get away from home for a couple days but it's a popular time at WDW too for its weather and lower crowds (outside the special events or holidays). Booking on short notice can be difficult during that time. Plenty of availability in hot, sweaty August though! <jk>

If you do find something, there is a 15% room-only discount available for some sites/nights until April 30. Good luck. Keep trying is all I can say.

ED

 

[ilovedisneymm]

@bama_ed thank you. I am a big fan of the clover loops, particularly 1800, because of the size of the sites, the shade of the mature trees, and the canal behind several sites. If I can’t stay in 1800, I’d be next happiest kicking it in the old 1500 loop. I recall the early sounds of the kickoff marathon and smile. It’s the kitchen party tent pack-everyone-in over MLK that I’m not fond of…1500 has sweet memories with exception to MLK weekend. Doubt they’ll let me park our camper there now. Do you think?

Thanks for checking the reservations. Perhaps I’ll start expanding the search into February.

August is out! We’ve started making room to our vacation schedule a few years back. We’ve been touring the National Parks during that month. Last year we did Badlands & Glacier extended. The year before that we did Badlands - Tetons - Yellowstone - Bear Tooth Highway to Glacier - Seattle - all of Olympic - down the coast of Oregon - Redwoods - Yosemite - Grand Canyon. 7,000 miles once it was all said and done. This August we plan to do another big National Park tour and add the Canada side to Glacier. Now the kids are bigger, our travel has expanded. We have developed a deep love for the parks and adventure that it brings.

Thanks for letting me know about the coupon code. I’ll look at the map and see if there are any loops comparable to the space, shade, and canal access like that of the 1800 loop.

Thanks, again!

 

[garneska]

Hi Melissa. Hope you are doing well. Highjacking your thread. We are going to be at Glacier National Park August 15 to 21. What’s your must do hike or place to see? We are staying at Many Glacier Hotel and then moving to Lake McDonald. We have some things in mind. After the half marathon at Disney we will be switching our training from running on roads to hiking.

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Hello, Kris.

Glacier is my favorite NP of all! Next August will mark our third trip and still have only seen a fraction of this most well deserved, Crown Jewel of all the national parks. There is something like 9 million acres to explore. You can see grizzlies on one side of the park (east) and black bears on the other side (west) in the same day if taking Going to the Sun Road (crossing the continental divide) with moose almost guaranteed to see if timed correctly. Each time we ventured out, we encountered bears or moose or mountain goats. My friend says Yellowstone is comparable to real life Jurassic Park. I say it is Glacier! She is an adventurous, breathtaking beauty!

If staying in the east side, up the road from Many Glacier hotel is Swiftcurrent Lake. If you’re there around sunset, moose will come
down through the forest to feast on plant-life around the lake. A grizzly had just passed up the trail about 1/4 mile ahead of us. Glad we missed him. Also, Two Medicine area, South Shore Trail (I believe) has a suspension bridge, that was new to this years trip, and runs along side a lovely lake and then taking a boat back across the lake back to parking lot or extending the trail around or beyond, depending on adventure. We purchased boats tickets a day ahead. We also saw moose, but that was because we were there very early in the morning when they move. We stayed on west side but made the trip around in an hour, I think. You’ll enjoy the Many Glacier hotel very much. It is an old world charm and feel. We visited but did not stay in hotel. A must is Going to the Sun Road. It’s the most scenic drive in this country, hands down. Beyond the Pacific Coast Highway, Bear Tooth Highway, coastlines in all directions cannot compete with the Magnificence around every corner of GTSR. Make that a day. We must do that drive a few times over. Even the Road to Hana takes a backseat. I get giddy when I think or talk Glacier. Lake McDonald was a little hazy the day we were there. Easy parking and quick walk down to the lake. We rented kayaks one day, small motor boats another. Daniel and I enjoyed a salmon dinner at the lodge one evening after a GTSR date. Hidden Lake Trail at Logan’s Pass is a must! Make that park of your Going to the Sun Road Day, easily. You’ll encounter little Picas (my girls fav on that trail) and mountain goats come down, too. Beautiful views from the top.

We will be there around that same time frame. What a small world. In past we have stayed at West Glacier RV, twice. It’s the cleanest RV park we have ever stayed besides FW (it’s been a few years since we’ve been to the fort though). Next time we plan to stay on the east side and then on to Canada.
South shore trail
Moose at Swift current lake
Hidden Lake
Goat!
Lake McDonald Lake & Lodge

 

[garneska]

That looks fantastic. Can’t wait for our trip. Last year we took Bert’s dad to Yellowstone and Tetons. We did Bear Tooth Highway. Looking forward to GTTSR.