Then and Now Post your photos and memories from the Fort

[clkelley]

As of December 8th, the tower was still there:

 

[clkelley]

Here is a Then and Now - Site 1205 - the Cabin - (Borrowed Picture from Jeff Spencers Website)

Now - The Cabin

 

[Shan-man]

I've never seen this before. What is a cabin doing on 1200? I knew about the orphaned twins on 100, but never knew about this loner. What is it used for now?

 

[clkelley]

This is basically a KOA Kamping Kabin. It had two sets of bunk beds inside (twin over twin, and twin over double), a fan, and electric lights. No heat, no air, had to use the comfort station facilities. They placed it on 1205 as an experiment. You could rent it for $15 over the cost of a partial hookup site. This was probably about 10 years ago. Apparently the experiment failed and they moved it out to an area near the old swamp trail to use as an "interpretive cabin" for the YES series of youth education programs. Now it is just for storage and reportedly has speakers that can be fired up to hear wishes from for the buggy rides.

From Jeff Spencer's site:

What is this I hear about a real cabin at Fort Wilderness?
There was a single real cabin on site 1205 that was available for guest booking. Unfortunately, it has been dismantled and moved to another location within the campground where it serves as an interpretive center and is no longer available for guest reservation. It was a small cabin, I estimate maybe 12 by 15 feet, which contained two sets of bunk beds. One set was a twin over a full size bed, the second was a twin over twin; therefore, the cabin slept 5. There was electricity and a fan but no heat or air-conditioning. There was no sink or toilet in the cabin. Guests had to use the comfort station. There was no maid service and guests had to bring their own linens. The rate for the cabin was $15 over the going rate for a partial hookup site. Guests that stayed there all seemed to like it but I guess Disney didn't consider the test a success.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Good post, Carol.

I actually remember when the cabin was in the 1200 loop. It was definitely within the past ten years, but I don't think that it was there for very long, and it has been moved for quite a while now.

Look at how wooded the site looks in the "then" photo. If my memory is correct, that site backed up to the main road. If it wasn't one of the former pull through sites, it was right near those. In this photo, you can't even tell that the site backs up to the road. Now, you can not only see the road, but clear into the 1100 loop!

TCD

 

[2goofycampers]

 

[stacktester]

I thought you were supposed to get better looking with age. What happened Frank?

 

[ynottony99]

I am a relative newcomer to Fort Wilderness. Some of you remember the early days when the train provided transportation from the Outpost Depot back to the Settlement Depot.

After the train was shut down in the early 80's, it seems that trams were used to provide transportation. I don't know if this was strictly between the Outpost and Settlement, or if other stops were made along the way.

I am not sure if the tram continued to run after the buses began to be used or not. My earliest FW trips were when the buses were in use. There were Chip, Dale, Boone, and Crockett. These were replaced in time, and today we have the Yellow, Orange and Purple (I am not sure where the Meadows fits into the Orange or Purple route at this point) , along with buses to Wilderness Lodge, Downtown Disney and the Theme parks.

Please feel free to add to or correct this brief history of Fort Wilderness Transportation.

 

[luckybug618]

Just wanted to add that the River Country ticket window is now used for the Segway tour. We went on Christmas Day this year and they opened the plywood to reveal a tv and dvd player for us to watch about safety. We also used the entrance area almost right up to the green gates to practice. We sneaked a peek and the pool is cleaned out except a lone plastic lawn chair and a little dirt rain water. The slides were still dirty and no apparent renovations yet.... Also we got to use the bathrooms. But I'm sure those are used for Mickey's BBQ. Supposedly the ticket center and some other areas are used for preparation of the BBQ.


Boy do I miss RC. I grew up going there and I thought it was the best waterpark ever, then we'd switch between TL and RC.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I remember the trams as a kid I liked them a lot better then the bus.

 

[lisa8200]

In the late 70's, Dad bought a VW Camper van. The first trip we took was to Fort Wilderness. My brother and I spent most of our time just riding the trams around. We rode the busses once and a while ( so they did have both ) but, the trams were our favorite. Funny that with all the things I can't remember, I do remember that we stayed on Spanish Moss Lane,,,Wish I could remember the site number .
I've been meaning to ask everyone, Unless my memory is wrong ( which I'm finding out I saw things different as a kid ). I thought I remembered that the trails end ( I think ) used to have more of a gameroom and a big screen that showed the words to disney songs as they played. Is this the way it used to be set up or, did the magic of Dsney make it seem bigger and different though my eyes.We only went once around that time and it was around 30 yrs ago so, my memory isn't quite clear.

 

[PPFDDisneyLover]

I remember as a kid, being able to hear the trams from a distance so we knew when we had to hustle out to the stop. There was always someone on the rear calling out the different loops w/ some colorful distinction. Also when we sat at our sites, we could hear the announcements, definately a memroy that is stuck in my head!

Lisa, I think your memory is right. I do remember the game room being much bigger. I also remember the bar area at Trails end being more of a bar and not an addition of the restaurant.

Earlier in the post somone mentioned that it wasn't paved near the Settlement Post, and that is right too. My brother thinkns he is still picking stones out from his knee 30 years later!

This memory posting i great. I'm gonna have to dig out my parents photos from our trips in the 70's and 80's. We just stayed there last month for the first time in 20 years and it really has changed. I miss the old feelings!

 

[Shan-man]

...There was always someone on the rear calling out the different loops w/ some colorful distinction. Also when we sat at our sites, we could hear the announcements, definately a memroy that is stuck in my head!

That 'sounds' like a great memory from the Fort. Though your 'then' sounds are a little more romantic, my 'now' auditory memories cause my heart to glow warm as well. The clop-clop of horse's hooves carting carriage-ride passengers around, the distant echo of the launch's horn, the tumult of Wishes, and the calliope-like strains of the water pageant. I was listening to the DIS live podcast from the Swan last week and in the background I heard the alarm you hear when the bus kneels... I got goosebumps! I think I have to record a "day at the Fort" next time we are there: everything from the first launch of the morning right up until the last echoing strains of the water pageant at night. Then I can play it all day, every day as the soundtrack of my life when away from my favorite place!

 

[lisa8200]

That would be awesome. I had never thought of it but, when you posted I thought abut my digital recorder and that I can record like 24 hrs with it. If for no other reason, it would be interesting to listen to a few years down the road.

 

[Shan-man]

Ok Mike, if you make it there before me, you do the deed, and burn me an MP3 cd. If I'm first, I'll do the same for you.

 

[lisa8200]

Sounds like a plan to me,,,,Then again, if the day I choose happens to coincide with the Oct. 09 GG, I might have to destroy the evidence

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Wow!! Let's see who can get the first photo of the area with no water tower and get it posted!!!!

I got you covered, Tony.

Here are my photos from October 2008:

And, here are photos of the same area, taken on January 2, 2009:

So, there you go. The tower is gone. And, the holes it left have been patched.

A castmember who claims to have worked at the Fort for 30 years was working on some of the landscaping in this area, and confirmed that the water tower has been removed for use in the pool renovation.

TCD

 

[RvUsa]

Mike and Shan, whoever makes it, let me know, I will give it it's own page on my site, and post the file so we can all sit and chat here and on my site and listen to the fort.... That would be awesome!


TCD as usual, you are the one and only source for the best, and most up to date info on the fort!!!

 

[ynottony99]

TCD, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing these. Now, did you by any chance do some snooping and find where this water tower is being kept?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

TCD, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing these. Now, did you by any chance do some snooping and find where this water tower is being kept?

But of course!

I used the TCD spy bike to head down the service road that you come to as you head from the Outpost area toward the campground. As I was pedaling nonchalantly into the work area, a Security truck pulled up next to me. The fellow in the truck rolled down his window, and said: "Excuse me, but are you a cast member?" I thought that was a pretty good line. I wanted to say, "Yes, but I am just riding this old bike around in my civilian clothes while I am on break. Now, give me your badge number so I can include it in my report!" But, I played it cool and just told the fellow that I must have made a wrong turn, sorry for the inconvenience, and then headed on out of there. For what it is worth, I got a good look around the area- just the same old dilapidated picnic tables, trash cans, etc.

I expect that the water tower is in some type of shop somewhere, and not out in the open.


I did do some other snooping, and have some new behind the scenes info- look for my new trip report on the main board.

TCD