Then and Now Post your photos and memories from the Fort

[BradyBz12]

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.

So great! This is the first time we've stayed so long at one time (almost 3 weeks). We were in the 300 loop and these things practically became embedded in my brain... in a GOOD way.

Gotta say it would be far more pleasant if when my alarm went off in the morning, it sounded like the launch to MK!

 

[BradyBz12]

So, there you go. The tower is gone.

TCD wins - no suprise there!

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.

Very cool indeed! Can't wait to see...

 

[Shan-man]

Gotta say it would be far more pleasant if when my alarm went off in the morning, it sounded like the launch to MK!

That is EXACTLY what I had in mind!

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

Enjoying all the photos.

 

[BradyBz12]

LOVE the old sign - I never saw it in person.

I wonder what lucky soul got their hands on that when it was taken down...

I just managed to snap up a tire cover with "Musket Mickey" on it on eBay. I don't think the person selling it realized it might actually be worth something - I paid less than what the new ones cost now, and it had never been used...

Still waiting for the days when the few remaining trash cans with the old logo on it show up on eBay. I found a few on our recent trip...

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

I miss it too. Our first trip was in 2000 but I can't remember which year it came down. Memory is too much like Dory's.

Great find on the tire cover.

I miss this sign and the totems too. Miss my cute little boys--they are all big guys now!

 

[BradyBz12]

Aw... that's such a great shot!

 

[ynottony99]

I miss it too. Our first trip was in 2000 but I can't remember which year it came down. Memory is too much like Dory's.

Great find on the tire cover.

I miss this sign and the totems too. Miss my cute little boys--they are all big guys now!

Great photo! I am still trying to figure out just where this sign and the totem poles were, in relation to the present sign.

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

Thanks

To the best of my memory and ability to give directions

this sign and totem poles were in an area that is now just open grass that would be to the right of where you drive to check in an RV or to the left of where you drive to go past the little security building.

Does that make any sense? Maybe someone else with better direction giving ability can chime in? I am directionally-challenged to say the least.

 

[ynottony99]

I found these 'then' photos on line, so I don't have any info. about them. But I am betting some of you all do!


Then

Now

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

I love those pictures from Settlement Trading Post. I honestly don't remember for sure, but I think the bear and totems might have been there on our first few trips. Don't think I have any pictures from that area back then.

Here's one of our first Ft. Wilderness cabin which I think is referred to as a Wilderness Home.

Then a photo from allears.net of a current cabin.

 

[ynottony99]

The 'Retired' Musket Mickey sign was sold on Ebay, I believe Mousesurplus sold it. I snagged these photos from the auction description. I don't recall for sure, but I think it fetched around $1300.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I miss it too. Our first trip was in 2000 but I can't remember which year it came down. Memory is too much like Dory's.

Great find on the tire cover.

I miss this sign and the totems too. Miss my cute little boys--they are all big guys now!

Great photo!

Thanks for sharing.

I do not recall this sign being there during my earliest visits to the Fort, in the mid 90's, but I guess I just must not have been paying attention!

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I found these 'then' photos on line, so I don't have any info. about them. But I am betting some of you all do!

Tony- Nice job on the totem pictures. I don't remember the bear totem at all!

TCD

 

[BradyBz12]

Should have known Mouse Surplus snagged that sign. We actually went there for the first time last month - cool place! I was tempted to re-furnish my entire house - and could have done so VERY reasonably.

They currently have a plane from Killimanjaro Safari. Would have looked very cool on my front lawn, but we couldn't figure out how to get it home...

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Since we are talking about the totem poles that used to be in front of the Settlement Trading Post, here is my then photo:

That is my oldest DD in the photo, she is now 17. I think she was four when this photo was taken- so let's say it was 13 or so years ago- 1996?

Here is my now photo- same place- from the Settlement Trading Post porch, looking toward Trails End:

The totem poles are long gone, now we have a covered wagon.

And here is a shot I took right after:

I see from Tony's photos above that these wheels have hung here for quite a while. Now that I think about it, I don't think that there are any of these wheels hanging on the Meadow Trading Post. Are there?

And, while we are talking totem- take a look at this photo. It was posted a while back on another thread here on the Disboards:

Is this someplace in Fort Wilderness?

I recall talk some time back from folks who remember back to the times before the Wilderness Lodge was built, and possibly a path that went all the way to over by the Contemporary Resort. Is this display something that was out that way? Anybody have a clue?

TCD

 

[KeepSwimmingDory]

Great photo! I love that she is holding her Pluto too. Great thread.

 

[Shan-man]

I don't have any certainty on this, but I would suspect that this is not Fort Wilderness. The hills are too large for central Florida, especially the rocky one on the right... these would require a lot of earthmoving. And, there is a railroad crossing arm in the background, vertical on the far right, and a railroad buck, between the "v" shaped totem pieces... neither of which I suspect were on FW property.

Hope you don't mind, I did a little restoration work:

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I don't have any certainty on this, but I would suspect that this is not Fort Wilderness. The hills are too large for central Florida, especially the rocky one on the right... these would require a lot of earthmoving. And, there is a railroad crossing arm in the background, vertical on the far right, and a railroad buck, between the "v" shaped totem pieces... neither of which I suspect were on FW property.

Hope you don't mind, I did a little restoration work:

Shannon- Thanks for the restoration work. I didn't notice that railroad crossing arm, but I see it now.

So, what is a railroad buck? It looks like a piece of concrete with three poles sticking out of it. This seems vaguely familiar, but heck if I know what one of these might be. There also appears to be something horizontal here, but I can't figure out what that is.

This photo was originally posted on a thread in the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies board. I will need to go back and look for the original post, as the other photos taken on that same roll of film were definitely taken at Disney World. There are some small hills in the Fort. There is one right near the entrance to the maintenance building that you can see off to the right as you drive toward the camping loops at the Fort. So, I am not ruling out that this photo is of someplace on WDW property. It looks like Florida to me.

Could this possibly be somewhere around the Magic Kingdom's railroad? There are fake Indian props along the track there. Could these be an earlier version?

I do admit that this does not look like a typical WDW area, especially one from the early 70's. The landscaping looks kind of unkempt, so you could be right that this isn't even anywhere on WDW property.

Maybe someone will see this photo, and it will jog a memory.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

OK, Shannon-

Here is the original post that had the mysterious totem poles photo in it:

OK Here we go (finally!)

My Favorite Shot

I'm in mom's arms (too scared of Pluto!)

The Castle Across the Water (not sure what water this is?)

Front Entry to the MK

Ahh - Main Street USA

The Skyway in Fantasyland

Steamship

Another Steamship

Where were these at???

In the tiki tiki tiki tiki tikiroom!

Fourth of July Parade (I think)

Photo shop

Ahh the topiaries

Coming up to the happiest place on earth!

So- I it seems like there is a good chance that these were somewhere on WDW property.

TCD