TCD's Pre-Halloween 2010 Weekend Warrior Trip Report

[Tri-circle-D]

The TCD gang has not camped at FW since July 4th weekend, 2010.

The weather in Florida is showing hints of cool.

The calendar was about to turn to October.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party was starting up at the Magic Kingdom.

And, the 2010 edition of the Haunted Carriage Rides were set to begin on October 1.

We had to get to the Fort.

But when?

There have been FSU and UF home games every weekend since Labor Day.

And, the younger TCD DD's are now high school sophomores.

And, the local school system has just adopted a pretty onerous attendance policy.

The TCD rule of thumb for trips to the Fort has been that we need to stay at least three nights for the trip to be properly enjoyed.

Parent's weekend for the oldest TCD DD in college falls on the only three day weekend the TCD younger daughters will have until Thanksgiving break.

We were low on options.

So, it had to be a two night trip or nothing.

We took the two night trip.

Since it was only a two night trip, we sprung for a premium site.

For which we got a Florida residents' discount.

We made our plans.

And we were off.

Right after school got out on Friday, October 1st.

We made it to the MK gates at about 4:30.

They already had the pumpkins inflated for the MNSSHP that night:

I don't know if this is a common practice now that the parking lot has been re-designed, but the returning guests lane at the guard shack was closed off:

We were not the only folks trying to check in on this sunny Friday afternoon:

Something was going on here, but I needed to get to our site so we could get set up and head over to the MNSSHP:

We did a quick set-up of the camper, and then headed on over to the MK.

The boats are back to normal. I don't know what all the switching around was about this summer:

It might be me, but it seems like there are more loungers on the beach than there used to be. Good place to watch the fireworks:

The oldest TCD DD drove down from Tallahassee to join the festivities. She was a bit late arriving, so I got to wait for her up by the train station, which had cool lighting:

DD arrived, and we headed down Main Street as the first parade was heading down. We planned to find a good place for the second parade so we could see the Headless Horseman:

We found a good spot next to this statue to watch the Hallowishes fireworks:

Here are the required fireworks shots (we will finish this post with these, and then pick up on the festivities in the next):

Next up . . .

More MNSSHP fun!

TCD

 

[Lil' Lisa]

Yay! Another TCD trip report!

I don't know if this is a common practice now that the parking lot has been re-designed, but the returning guests lane at the guard shack was closed off:

TCD

The returning guests lane was not closed off when we were there. Perhaps something else was going on?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

The returning guests lane was not closed off when we were there. Perhaps something else was going on?

OK, so this must have been a temporary situation. I didn't look, but maybe the arm was broken or something. We did not leave the Fort via our own vehicle in the short time we were there, so I don't know if it was blocked off other than at the time we arrived.

TCD

 

[devores]

I think I saw you on Friday. We were at MNSSHP that night as well. I saw you by where they hold the wishes desert party. I was going to stop and say hi, but you were on the phone, so I didnt want to disturb ya. I wanted to snap a quick pic but my DW said it was a little creepy. I told her it was the famous TCD, then thought better of taking the pic. I kow how you must keep your aunominity in order to deliver your great TRs. You might have saw me,

I wasnt hard to miss.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Buckle up.

We are going to get this report moving.

So we can get back to the Fort.

One of the TCD DD's traditions at MNSSHP is to stalk Tarzan.

We used to know where he hid.

In a small, off the beaten path room, just over the Adventureland bridge.

We found him by accident one year.

And, the girls have sought him out ever since.

This year, he was hiding right out in the open, just over the Adventureland bridge.

But, Jane and Terk were with him.

And Jane was protective of her ape-man.

Two of the DD's decided to pass.

But one still wanted to say hello.

Here she is:

Tarzan doesn't wear much clothing does he?

And be sure to check out the vacant look on his face in the second photo above.

The elevator doesn't go all the way to the top.

I guess it's because he was raised by apes.

DD took away Jane's umbrella and asked her if she wouldn't mind waiting off to the side for the photo. Jane said DD could hold the umbrella, but she wasn't going anywhere. Look at Jane's fake smile. She was nervous that DD was going to steal her ape-man. I got DD out of there quick, because Jane was getting ready to blow.

After the Tarzan shenanigans, we took a ride on Pirates, and then we had to rush over to Frontierland to find our place for the parade. We didn't want to miss H.H.

It was a good thing we hurried, too. Because as soon as we found our place he came:

and went . . .

If you go to MNSSHP make sure to get to your parade spot 5-10 minutes early. Or, you will miss him.

The parade then began . . .

It turns out that we were right next to a castmember in disguise. A lot of the performers came over to say hello to him:

We all love the Halloween parade:

Having this CM near us was good because it brought a lot of the performers over so we could get good photos, but it was also bad, because sometimes they were too close.

Like, here is the guy with the bloodhound from the Haunted Mansion. I always think this is cool. But, look how close the guy was:

I really wanted a photo of the dog. It was really dark out, and I just pointed my camera in the dog's direction and took my shot. Little did I know that there was a little Asian castmember crouching just off to the side of us:

So, I didn't get a shot of the dog. But, that's a good shot of the CM, no?

The dancers from the Haunted Mansion were impressive:

I think this is Clarabelle Cow, and that she is rarely seen, except at the MNSSHP parade:

Since this is the camping boards, I have to share some photos of my main 'munks, C and D:

Could these ladies' skirts be any shorter?

What is up with that?

This is the bad guys' float:

And here's one of the baddest bad guys:

And, here comes the end of the parade:

After the parade, we rode BTMRR, and then headed over to Tomorrowland, where we intended to finish our evening.

Along the way, we loaded up with candy.

And, I was offered a very special treat . . .

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I think I saw you on Friday. We were at MNSSHP that night as well. I saw you by where they hold the wishes desert party. I was going to stop and say hi, but you were on the phone, so I didnt want to disturb ya. I wanted to snap a quick pic but my DW said it was a little creepy. I told her it was the famous TCD, then thought better of taking the pic. I kow how you must keep your aunominity in order to deliver your great TRs. You might have saw me,

I wasnt hard to miss.

Yes, it sounds like you had a TCD sighting.

I'll bet I was on the phone with my oldest DD, who was running late.

I like your costumes.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Just a few more MNSSHP photos, and then we will be back at the Fort for the rest of this report.

Here is oldest DD after I locked her in the stockade to teach her a lesson for being late:

While we were walking into the area of the Peter Pan ride, all seven dwarfs came marching by. They were going fast. By the time I got my camera out, we were only able to catch the last guy, who bears a striking resemblance to TCD:

As many of you know, Mrs. TCD and I have been happily married for 23 years.

But, I am still a man.

And, I admit that I have a wandering eye.

Especially when it comes to cougars.

As we headed through Fantasyland, I ran smack into a cougar.

Here she is . . .

Can I get a meow from the congregation?

Meow!

And, she was not just good looking.

She also had a delicious treat that she was offering.

She invited me to try that delicious apple she was holding.

I couldn't believe my good luck.

Without even thinking about it, I bit right in . . .

For some reason, after this, I really was feeling tired.

So, to keep awake, we kept on moving.

In the last hour of the party, we rode Space Mountain twice, and trick or treated until our bags were full.

Fun times.

As we headed out, we found this water painting on the sidewalk:

I don't remember these topiaries having been here before:

Here we are on the way out:

As you can see, it was about 12:30 as we headed out of the Magic Kingdom.

Out front, we posed in front of this big pumpkin:

We were the only ones at the FW dock.

People sure cleared out of the party quickly.

It took a bit for a boat to arrive.

When it did, the only other folks waiting at our dock were on the other side, and they were heading to Wilderness Lodge. They asked the CM if the boat could drop them off on the way. The CM said sure. So we had a stop at WL before we made it back to the Fort.

Our cart was the only one parked at the marina.

On our way back to our site, we did a little looping.

And, I got some night shots of the old FWRR car on the 1000 loop:

Here are a few night decoration shots:

For some reason, by about 2 am, it was getting really hard for me to keep my eyes open (this all started when I ate that danged apple), so I had to make it an early night.

But, it didn't look like I missed anything.

It was pretty quiet around the Fort late Friday evening.

Next up . . .

Up an at 'em on Saturday morning.

And a photo of something brand new at the Fort!

TCD

 

[Elliott]

Could these ladies' skirts be any shorter?

TCD

Yes, I beleive they could!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Yes, I beleive they could!

Hey, put that banana away, this is a family friendly site.

BTW- I didn't want to say anything, but Dale did a little better in the dancing lady department than Chip, wouldn't you say?

TCD

 

[anolefan]

You weren't kidding, this report is blazin along.

I really want to go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this year, it looks like a great time.

BTW how did you like your site? We were assigned that one visit but asked for another loop at arrival because we weren't familiar with it.

 

[devores]

Yes, it sounds like you had a TCD sighting.

I'll bet I was on the phone with my oldest DD, who was running late.

I like your costumes.

TCD

Thanks. I was approached before even entering the park by a CM. I was sternly told not to pose for pictures or sign any autographs. I thought it was an odd request, until I made it halfway down Main Street. I was stopped by 20 people within the first 15 mins of entering. I did pose for one pic with a little girl who thought I was the real mad hatter. I could not break her little heart so I posed for a few pics with her. She walked away with the biggest smile on her face and said "Thank you Hatter."

 

[Tri-circle-D]

We kind of rushed through the first part of this report.

But, that is how it was on this trip.

Go. Go. Go.

We were weekend warriors.

So, TCD was up with the sun on Saturday morning.

And, down at the Settlement before Trail's End opened for business.

Here is something brand spanking new.

I haven't even heard about this.

And I'll bet most of you haven't either.

The Settlement Trading Post has a new sign.

And, here it is:

I really hate to complain.

But, I liked the old sign better.

This one looks too modern.

But, nobody asked me.

Since there are strong rumors that there will be big changes coming up in the area of River Country and the Fort Wilderness Pavilion, I made sure to take a good look around, and snap some photos.

Here is Clementine's Beach:

And here are some shots of the pavilion:

Here's something classic.

There is a strong rumor going around that all of the stuff back here is about to be leveled.

But, they installed this new sign since the last time I have been back this way:

I for one will be very sad to see all of the horse operations moved out of this area. I almost always visit the horse barn early on a morning of every trip to the Fort. There is something magical about seeing the CM's go through their daily routines with the horses.

Here we have Sue (the CM) and Fritz:

Sue and Fritz are a team. They drive the carriages on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. In addition to driving, Sue is responsible for bathing Fritz and getting him ready before each shift. Fritz does not have horseshoes. This is something new that they have been experimenting with at WDW. Some horses still have shoes, but many of them do not. Sue says it's safer and better for the horses.

While I am in the area, I notice that there are carriages parked in the blacksmith shop. I decide to head over there for a look:

This blacksmith shop has been here for a long, long time.

But, it apparently will not be here for very much longer.

So, I make sure to take a good look at everything.

Having never been a blacksmith, I don't know what most of this stuff is.

I do know what this thing is, though:

I know this is one of those things that Wiley Coyote used to order from the Acme company to try to drop on the Roadrunner's head. That's right, isn't it?

Some more photos from around the blacksmith shop:

So, all of this history is about the be obliterated.

You know what I think about that.

I think it's a load of . . .

Yes, that is a wheelbarrow full of what you think it is.

Hmmm.

I'll have to remember where they keep this.

Instead of just lighting a bad of dog poop outside Discamper's door at Golden Oaks, maybe I could wheel this over.

Next up.

All Fort.

All day.

And another exclusive photo of something new.

Brand new.

And not reported anywhere yet!

It's another TCD exclusive!

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You weren't kidding, this report is blazin along.

I really want to go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this year, it looks like a great time.

BTW how did you like your site? We were assigned that one visit but asked for another loop at arrival because we weren't familiar with it.

I love the 800 loop.

But, I don't love paying $30 more per night over the price of a partial site.

So, I am usually in the partial loops.

But, this was only a two night trip, so we went premium.

I like not being in the dirt.

I did not like 801 so much.

It had direct sunlight almost all day long. Shade only early and late in the day.

And, since it is the very first site, and directly in line with the entrance, you get headlights shining on you every time someone drives into the loop at night.

But, we still had a great time.

TCD

Thanks. I was approached before even entering the park by a CM. I was sternly told not to pose for pictures or sign any autographs. I thought it was an odd request, until I made it halfway down Main Street. I was stopped by 20 people within the first 15 mins of entering. I did pose for one pic with a little girl who thought I was the real mad hatter. I could not break her little heart so I posed for a few pics with her. She walked away with the biggest smile on her face and said "Thank you Hatter."

Wait.

You were the Mad Hatter?

I thought you were Alice.

J/K



That really is a good costume.

In fact, we saw a lot of good costumes.

It seemed like even more than in past years.

Maybe the great weather had something to do with it.

TCD

 

[Lil' Lisa]

Here is something brand spanking new.

I haven't even heard about this.

And I'll bet most of you haven't either.

The Settlement Trading Post has a new sign.

And, here it is:

Here's something classic.

There is a strong rumor going around that all of the stuff back here is about to be leveled.

But, they installed this new sign since the last time I have been back this way:

Those are so new that the paint must not even be dry yet. They weren't even there when we left on Thursday!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You gotta love a TCD trip report.

Here we are still on the first page, and when I get done with this post, we will have 117 photos already.

Quantity not Quality!

That's the TCD way.

So, continuing on with our travels around the Fort on Saturday morning, we leave the blacksmith shop, and give a final wave to Sue and Fritz:

The sun is finally starting to rise, so here's another shot of the pavilion:

And, here's a pretty nice photo of the pavilion sign, over by the old River Country entrance:

And that brings us up to a photo of something new.

It was 7:30.

That means time for coffee.

One of the DD's already reported that there was a new drink machine in Trail's End.

And, here it is:

Um,

What?

Doesn't really fit with the decor, does it?

In case you are worried, the drink selection is exactly the same.

And, it's an odd selection.

For example, you have Mr. Pibb Extra and Cherry Coke.

And two regular Cokes.

But no root beer.

Or orange.

Suits me fine.

We mix the Mr. Pibb and Cherry Coke together.

We call it "brew."

Try it sometime.

The Trail's End take out menu is posted.

They are an odd bunch here.

All of the prices are the same since our last visit.

But, they raised the price of the pulled pork flatbread sandwich by a dollar, and the prices of the Lone Rider and Giddyap and Go by a few cents.

Have you ever grabbed a rocking chair on the porch of Trail's End early in the morning?

If you did, this is what you would see:

Do you see any people in these photos?

Me neither.

And, look, there are three prime seats available on this beautiful Saturday morning:

After enjoying the tranquility for just a bit, it was time to go on patrol.

But wait.

Something is missing from this report.

Can anyone tell me what it is?

Who said photos of TCD's favorite site?

617?

If it was you, then you are right!

Let's fix that right now, shall we?

Here we are at the entrance to the 800 loop.

Site 801 is straight ahead.

That's TCD's site for this weekend.

Guess who's right across the street?

617!

See?:

Turning from the exact spot I took this photo, this is what I see:

So, I can see 617 from my site!

Perfect!

Let's take a closer look:

Notice how this camper's awning almost reaches to the sidewalk:

Also notice that they don't have a premium picnic table. They probably don't have room for one.

Here we are walking up to the foot bridge:

And, here's a quick look to the left, toward the 1400 loop:

And now a quick look to the right, toward the Bike Barn:

And, now we are walking back:

Here's something interesting.

From the base of the bridge, you can see clear into the 800 loop. There's the TCD campsite in the background of this photo:

Here we go back across the 600 loop to the sidewalk:

Two last shots:

Here's the bus stop:

And, a look at 801 from the back of 617:

Next up,

We take a look at the railroad car in the daylight.

And, we get some decorations up on our site.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Those are so new that the paint must not even be dry yet. They weren't even there when we left on Thursday!

Wow! So these new signs must have gone up on Thursday or early Friday. The new Settlement Trading Post sign was up when we went by on Friday evening, and the new Pavilion sign was there when I took the photo early Saturday morning.

I knew that these were new.

But I didn't know that they were that new.


TCD

 

[campingdawgs]

Awesome reporting! So, if the horses don't wear shoes anymore, will they even rebuild the blacksmith shop? Will the blacksmith be needed at all?

What about the ponies? Will there still be pony rides after the move?
DD7 needs to know . Visiting the blacksmith and having a pony ride are some of her favorite activities at FW.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

If you read the Disboards regularly, you would know that a camper who owns one of the old Fort Wilderness Railroad cars is currently visiting the Fort.

He arrived last week, and I believe he checked out today.

He had the car set up in site 1101, which is right across from the Meadow Trading Post.

Here are some shots of his set-up:

The whole thing was very cool to see.

And, there were folks admiring it all weekend.

I saw lots of folks out looking for the old tracks.

I even did a good deed and helped some guys find the old tracks across from the canal by the 1500 loop.

All in a day's work.

So, keeping things in order, it is still early Saturday morning.

We tried to travel light.

But Fall is a fun time to decorate.

And, there was a big football game between Florida and Alabama set for 8 pm.

So, we had to do some decorating.

First, the golf cart.

This is not TCD's golf cart.

A friend let us borrow the cart for the weekend.

But, that is our Gator Nation flag on there:

We started with a ghost:

And, then added a few inflatables:

Then we finished it off with a green spider web:

Not bad.

If I do say so myself.

Except our vampire Mickey has developed a bad case of scoliosis since last year. We will need to look into that.

Lots of folks have already decorated.

Like these campers on the 900 loop:

(Be sure to notice how all the tombstones have mouse ears)

Also on 900:

This site was on 1500:

As we looped around that morning, we found ourselves behind this truck with a custom tag.

I have a special knack of being able to figure these out.

Sometimes, it's hard to figure out what the owners of these vehicles are trying to say.

But, this one was easy:

That tag says Cat Liver 5.

Yep.

Cat

Liver

5

I wonder what that is all about?

Sounds a bit odd to me.

But, I try not to judge.

If they like Cat Liver, then God Bless them.

This is America, after all.

The land of the free.

Oh, and look at all the people heading to the pool:

You know what they should do?

Build another resort right up against the Fort.

Then everyone who stays there can come over and use the Fort's pool.

That sounds like a good idea.

Next up . . .

More Fort stuff.

All day long.

And, even into the night.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Awesome reporting! So, if the horses don't wear shoes anymore, will they even rebuild the blacksmith shop? Will the blacksmith be needed at all?

What about the ponies? Will there still be pony rides after the move?
DD7 needs to know . Visiting the blacksmith and having a pony ride are some of her favorite activities at FW.

The shoeless thing is experimental. There are still horses with shoes. I don't know about the blacksmith shop- they may not build a new one. I did ask if the new barn would be accessible by the public, and the castmember said yes, that there would be some "show stalls" where folks could come in and look at the horses.

This same castmember said that they were keeping the ponies, and, therefore, there would still be pony rides. Hopefully, for your DD's sake, that is true.

TCD

 

[campingdawgs]

Oops! Just realized I posted this question on the wrong thread! Thanks for answering anyway! DD7 will be happy.