Then and Now Post your photos and memories from the Fort

[stacktester]

Could this be up at check in around the outpost area? I'll have to print this pic and show it to Josephine at Trails End. She may know.

 

[ORLCampers]

Could those have been at the "Indian Settlement" along the WDW Railroad track around the MK? That would help explain the RR crossing arm as there are a number of cast access roads back there. That hill in the back does look rather large though.

 

[Shan-man]

A crossing buck is just two boards that cross and usually say "railroad crossing" in an 'X'. It is rather confounding that this pic occurs in the middle of Disney pics. Is it possible yall left for the afternoon and caught some other 'tourista' attractions? I find it hard to believe these could even be in the MK RR loop.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

A crossing buck is just two boards that cross and usually say "railroad crossing" in an 'X'. It is rather confounding that this pic occurs in the middle of Disney pics. Is it possible yall left for the afternoon and caught some other 'tourista' attractions? I find it hard to believe these could even be in the MK RR loop.

Shannon- I agree with you. This is confusing. There is no reason to assume, based on the photos that surround the one in question, that the photographer left the Magic Kingdom and travelled to Fort Wilderness, but I still think there is a possibility that this photo was taken some place at WDW.

Enough on that photo, I have another "then" photo (but not a "now" one to correspond with it).

I found this photo on-line.

From what I have heard, there used to be a truck that went around the camping loops at Fort Wilderness selling fresh produce. I think this is it:

(note that the man in the cowboy hat definitely seems to be wearing a castmember costume and name tag)

I think this service stopped before I made my first visit to the Fort.

But, I do remember the ice cream wagon. This was a small wagon, pulled by one horse, that would travel the camping loops on occasion. The driver of this wagon sold ice cream bars. I have a clear recollection of buying Mickey Mouse premium bars for the whole family on one trip when we were camping in the 1400 loop. The horse had the same name as Mrs. TCD, so we all had a good chuckle over that. I would say this was at least 10 years ago, and it probably has been that long since I last saw the ice cream wagon.

TCD

 

[2goofycampers]

Loving all the pix, keep them coming.


I'm thinking I remember the totem poles on the train ride at the MK first visit my family ever made. Frank went opening year I'll ask him if he remembers it.

 

[SunshineCamper]

Could the totem poles be at MK -Frontierland between the McDonald's fries cart and Splash Mt. or in Splash Mts. area? It's just been covered (by the years growing trees) and remodeling due to Splash Mt. and Big Thunder Mt. (which weren't there July 1972).
I took at shot at it...

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Agreed with SunshineCamper, I think that shot is where Big Thunder Mt. ended up going. Some of the Indian theme still remains.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Could the totem poles be at MK -Frontierland between the McDonald's fries cart and Splash Mt. or in Splash Mts. area? It's just been covered (by the years growing trees) and remodeling due to Splash Mt. and Big Thunder Mt. (which weren't there July 1972).
I took at shot at it...

Agreed with SunshineCamper, I think that shot is where Big Thunder Mt. ended up going. Some of the Indian theme still remains.

You both might be right about this. The rock border in the lower corner of the photo seems familiar. Aren't there still rocks like this around there? Same with the rail fence. And, that would be consistent with the location of the rest of the photos in this group.

Possibly the crossing arm relates to the MK train, which loops behind this area?

TCD

 

[FlaFortCampster]

Recently went thru my picture albums and here are the only photos from the early 70's I could find. The first trip was in 1973. We were in I believe Jack Rabbit Run, loop 800.
I know we went on a shoe string budget, not even a stove, just pup tents and a flashlight. How things have changed!

Just 2 pup tents. Note the thick vegetation.

Friends on the old Wilderness Swamp Trail. How the landscape has changed in this area. Check out those clothes! Hey, it use to be cool.

Shot from the Skyway, a ride long gone, 20,000 Leagues which is also gone. Note the monorail track in the back. Switching station is back there.

Its seems as though there haven't been at lot of changes, but I guess there has been quite a few.
The Marshmellow Marsh is gone, no more trams in the campgrounds and the biggest heartbreak, no more Fort Wilderness Railroad.

 

[BradyBz12]

Great photos! 20,000 Leagues... now that brings back memories (although mostly of standing in line for hours!)

DH remembers the ice cream wagon fondly.

 

[ynottony99]

Over on the Disney Railroad Board, someone shared this link. These folks have shared some really great photos of Fort Wilderness and WDW.

http://members.shaw.ca/jackie_frampton/Disneyscrapbook/fortwildtrain.htm

 

[LONE-STAR]

Over on the Disney Railroad Board, someone shared this link. These folks have shared some really great photos of Fort Wilderness and WDW.

http://members.shaw.ca/jackie_frampton/Disneyscrapbook/fortwildtrain.htm

Very cool thanks for the link.

 

[lisa8200]

Over on the Disney Railroad Board, someone shared this link. These folks have shared some really great photos of Fort Wilderness and WDW.

http://members.shaw.ca/jackie_frampton/Disneyscrapbook/fortwildtrain.htm

That was awesome, Thanks for sharing the link

 

[cyberdeb]

Shannon- I agree with you. This is confusing. There is no reason to assume, based on the photos that surround the one in question, that the photographer left the Magic Kingdom and travelled to Fort Wilderness, but I still think there is a possibility that this photo was taken some place at WDW.

Enough on that photo, I have another "then" photo (but not a "now" one to correspond with it).

I found this photo on-line.

From what I have heard, there used to be a truck that went around the camping loops at Fort Wilderness selling fresh produce. I think this is it:

(note that the man in the cowboy hat definitely seems to be wearing a castmember costume and name tag)

I think this service stopped before I made my first visit to the Fort.

But, I do remember the ice cream wagon. This was a small wagon, pulled by one horse, that would travel the camping loops on occasion. The driver of this wagon sold ice cream bars. I have a clear recollection of buying Mickey Mouse premium bars for the whole family on one trip when we were camping in the 1400 loop. The horse had the same name as Mrs. TCD, so we all had a good chuckle over that. I would say this was at least 10 years ago, and it probably has been that long since I last saw the ice cream wagon.

TCD

I remember that cart. It was in the 70's at some point. Well I was there in the early 70's and i think 76. My dad was a photographer and has some slides that have my brother and sister buying something from that cart.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Tony-

Thanks for posting the link to the photos of the FW Railroad.

For those interested, here is a link to a Youtube video that shows a trip on the railroad. The video begins at what was the Settlement Depot. This is the area near the Settlement bus stop that is currently a golf cart parking lot. The Depot building stood there until just a couple of years ago. You can still see the old railroad ties adjacent to this area.

Fort Wilderness Railroad Video

If you watch this video, you will see that from the Settlement Depot, the train headed into the campground, and crossed the entrances to both the 400 and 500 loops. There are railroad bucks (thanks Shan-man for teaching me the name of these signs) that you can see as the train crosses these loops. I believe that there may have also been crossing arms at these loops too, but I do not see them in the video.

I tried a couple of screen shots from the video.

This is the train crossing in front of the 400 loop. You can see the railroad buck in the screen shot. Also, in the video, you can also clearly read the sign in front of the loop, which identifies it as Whispering Pine Way- the same name it has today:

As the train travels along, you can also get a good look at the playground next to the 300 loop. There are totem poles and teepees here:

I swiped these photos from the site at the link provided by Tony. They also show the train crossing what appears to be a loop entrance:

So, is there any evidence of the train crossings at the 400 and 500 loop entrances?

Check out my "now" photos:

I think these concrete remnants might be related to the railroad.

And, one more photo from the link Tony provided. Here is a photo of what appears to me to be the Meadow Trading Post. I think the train used to stop there:

If you ever notice, there is a side walk that travels from the Meadow Trading Post out to the 600 loop entrance. I think this is poured on the old rail-bed. This same sidewalk continues in the other direction, out to the area of the 1200/1300 loop entrance, and crosses the road over by the 1100 loop. I think this sidewalk is also poured over the old rail-bed. In fact, over near the 1200/1300 loop, you can still see the gravel that the ties were set upon.

TCD

 

[DaveInTN]

I've had some fun looking for remnants of the train on our last 2 trips. If I'm not mistaken, you will notice in the dog park near the 300 loop playground that there is a "ridge" running from the road toward the canal, right through the middle of the dog park. I think that was the old train bed. On our last trip we rented canoes and did the canal loop, and noticed the concrete supports of an old railroad bridge on each side of the canal in back of the dogpark. Pretty cool.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I've had some fun looking for remnants of the train on our last 2 trips. If I'm not mistaken, you will notice in the dog park near the 300 loop playground that there is a "ridge" running from the road toward the canal, right through the middle of the dog park. I think that was the old train bed. On our last trip we rented canoes and did the canal loop, and noticed the concrete supports of an old railroad bridge on each side of the canal in back of the dogpark. Pretty cool.

Dave- Here is a photo of the ridge that you mentioned:

If you walk toward the fence in the background of this photo, you will be able to see the concrete supports that held the train trestle that has since been removed.

I think this is a photo of the bridge, when it existed:

TCD

 

[DaveInTN]

Yes! I should have known you'd have a picture of the ridge. That's awesome. You should have seen me on that canoe trip excitedly pointing out the bridge supports to my family. I think I was the only one that found them cool, as my daughters were like "yeah, neat Daddy...whatever".

 

[BradyBz12]

Our dog Bz loved that ridge in the dog park. She generally likes to perch herself on the highest spot she can find. She kept retrieving her Jolly Ball and bringing it back up there to drop it for DH (regardless of where he was).

 

[Tri-circle-D]

This is an old rate sheet that has been previously published at other places on this Board:

This is supposedly from 1972. It appears that all campsites were priced at the same $11.00 per night rate. No premium, preferred, full or partial distinction. Back at that time, there was no cable TV or swimming pool, and there was only one park to transport the campers to.

This is a rate sheet that I picked up on my last visit (it shows 2008 rates):

So, are these prices outrageous?

According to this inflation calculator (this is a screen capture from www.usinflationcalculator.com), the prices for the partial hook up sites appear to be comparable, after adjusting for inflation, with what was charged for a basic site in 1972:

TCD