Trip Report | All work and no play…

ilovedisneymm

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 6, 2014
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1,112
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

If a midwestern winter was measured in movie minutes, we’d be at the typewriter scene. I’m kidding. A little.

Hello. We are a generational farm family in the Midwest growing traditional row crops, wheat, oats, and alfalfa. Our livestock includes Angus cattle, sheep, chickens for meat and eggs, honey bees, and too many furry little critters to count. We grow all our meat and increase our garden size a little more each year. I grow everything from seed that grows in our gardens, and I make most meals from scratch. We also home school.

I could list my hobbies, but my hobbies are the work above, so I will list my toxic traits. My toxic traits include going down way too many rabbit holes and labeling everything we wear and eat as toxic. Cause it is. Lol. That’s why we have to grow our own…everything.

We’ve done ten trips to Disney in ten years. I experienced Fort Wilderness for the first time when I was a young teen. My mom brought me to Disney and we stayed at the Swan. One afternoon she brought me over to the Fort to the waterpark area. I remember the rickety wooden structures you’d have to climb up and then zip line down. I remember the half slides that would just stop in thin air and you’d free fall for ten-twelve feet until you smacked the water. At the time it wasn’t much other than an afternoon at a water park. It wasn’t until decades later, when I returned with my own children, would I fully appreciate that dilapidated waterpark experience my mom gifted me. I should call my mom and tell her.

So about fourteen years ago we took our very young kids to Disney as a one and done. We stayed in the cabins for the extra room and kitchen. Well, like most here, we fell in love with Fort Wilderness. I had no idea about the camping side. I really had no idea about what the Fort offered until half way through the first trip. We ended up renting a golf cart and exploring the Fort in its entirety. I could not believe people and their huge rigs that stayed for weeks and months at a time. It was like a light bulb that went off. We returned nine more times over the next nine years. I’m glad we did Disney so much while the kids were little. Their memory banks are full of magical moments, ours, too!

The world got a little crazy in 2020 and the years to follow. It changed our travel direction from east to west. We’ve experienced numerous national parks the last few years and have been at a cross roads the last few weeks. Where to go. What to do.

We are also bringing our diesel mechanic. He’s never been to Disney!

Pictures include…

Hubby & I on a whale watching tour last February in Maui.

Grace is taking Agriculture classes at our local community college. She will graduate high school next spring & with an associates in Agriculture, too. Her plans are to farm & become a livestock vet. She has sat in the side combine seat in a baby carrier, played on the floor of the combine while her grandpa made the rounds, listened to her grandpa tell her what each and every button does over the years, and has graduated to full time combine #2 operator.

Little Daniel is little no more. His daddy is 6’3” and the boy is almost there. He can build anything with wood & weld anything. He’s putting in new front bearings on the golf cart today. They are the future of Ag. Little Daniel plays two seasons of baseball and we will return just at the start of the spring season. He is our main grain cart guy in the fall. They fight like siblings fight, but to watch them as a team in the field, makes it a harmony. Grown adults have difficulties dumping grain from the combine to the grain cart while in motion, these two do it with style. They are heavy machine operators. They are rockstars to me!

Both Grace and Daniel volunteer a great deal within their community. Their work ethic, loyalty to the farm, growing level of skill sets and independence, makes this momma boast more than she should. Their compassion to helping others and their community makes my heart full. ♥️

Charlotte is my little helper. She loves her cats. She inspires to be a cat lady and live next door. She has a huge passion for art.

Well that’s our introductions. I’ll talk more about camping at Fort Wilderness in the next post.

Don’t ask our dates. When we arrive, there will be a domino like wave of cell phone dings followed by a couple phone calls. When we arrive, everyone will know it. Hahahaha. I’m just kidding.

I’m bringing my tin foiled hat, brightly polished, with a pocket full of conspiracy theories proven true and a premenopausal attitude larger than life. Ha! Kidding.

We’re coming. It’s going to be great! I’m so excited!

It was like magic. Once I clicked booked, my winter frown immediately turned upside down! 😊

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Charlotte is my little helper. She loves her cats. She inspires to be a cat lady and live next door. She has a huge passion for art.

Gee wiz I'm getting old. I remember when Charlotte was BORN. 🐣

Don’t ask our dates. When we arrive, there will be a domino like wave of cell phone dings followed by a couple phone calls. When we arrive, everyone will know it. Hahahaha. I’m just kidding.

You Promise GIF by NETFLIX


Bama Ed

PS - nice collection of pics

PPS - if this make ME old, you KNOW what it does to my old(er) friend @Teamubr 👴
 
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I’m glad to have a couple readers. Thanks for following along.

Ed - When I say “when we arrive, everyone will know it.” I mean like an alert. Like a warning alarm similar to those tornado warning pings. Haha.

This trip is going to be interesting. We’ve been traveling in the mountains, living like nomads, touching borders of Canada (x2) and highest NorthWestern points of the country. We roam. We are free. That has been our life since 2020.

But now we are returning to the highest regulated vacation spot known to man. If I want a fire, I’m going to need an approved fire pit. A covered one. Probably even need a permit of some kind, too. We are going from don’t move there is a moose behind you to get in line it’s going to be 100 minutes…

If our wheels are off the pavement six inches, I’m going to hear about it.

lol.

And I signed all of us up for this trip, too. That’s what wild about it.

Oh, Disney.
It’s fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine.
It’s going to be great.

Please know I’m full of a satire and inappropriate humor.

Let’s move on to camping at Disney…

I realized something last night. My mom never took me camping as a child. Daniel spent his summers showing cattle at the fairs. We never camped before Fort Wilderness. If it wasn’t for the Fort, falling in love with it and knowing I must return many many times, the whole camping thing might never have evolved. The roaming around the country with our tiny house on wheels likely would never have come to fruition. So I have Disney & the Fort to credit for all that.

Like I mentioned above, we stayed at the cabins our first trip. We came back a year later with a crummy old motor home. The theme song from Sanford and Sons just radiated from that crusty thing. Gas was $4 something a gallon and the thing got 4 miles to the gallon. It’s a 2200 mile round trip. Do the math. We would have been better off just doing the cabins again. But that’s in the past. We retuned in tents a few more times before upgrading to a bumper hitch. More to come on our camper.

For these reading and considering tents for your stay. Do it! Do it while you’re young. While your babies are still young. It’s the best kind of vacation money can buy. It’s the safest place for young kids. It packs the most entertainment for all. It’s the only vacation, besides national parks, that won’t nickel and dime ya to death. More to come on this, too.

Here are some pictures of how we tent camped back in the day.

We stacked and packed back then. We pulled my mini van with our small trailer that pulled our golf cart. We brought everything but the kitchen sink. When properly organized, it’s possible. We opted for tents because it was affordable. It allowed us to stay for weeks. A tent site ran $48 back then. Our shortest stay was two weeks and our longest tent stay was a wee bit over three. When you’re 23 days in, your children will begin to tell people you live down at #1529. And it wouldn’t be a lie. One would be our sleeping tent. One would be our kitchen tent. I wouldn’t trade those trips for anything in the whole world. They were magical. They bring joy to my heart each and every time I think about those tent days.

Please tell me the barrel slide is still there. Charlotte has never experienced that slide and my big kids just adored that.

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I remember those tents and Grace and Daniel at that young age. I agree with @bama_ed i remember when Charlotte was born. Getting old is better than the alternative but dang I am old.
 
Oh, Disney.
It’s fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine.
It’s going to be great.

Please know I’m full of a satire and inappropriate humor.

Let’s move on to camping at Disney…
As for satirical humor, you fit right in with many of us. :)

Great pics, Melissa. All the people heading to the Fort is making me a bit homesick. We are doing DLP this year, but not sure what we are doing in 2027. Have a great time and I'll read along on your adventures.

j
 
I’m done here.
Me to hubby the other day.

Daniel has been taking us on some kind of winter vacation (mostly Disney) for a good long run. This year, however, we planned to stay home. To get things done around the house and farm. To prepare. Clean up.

Well we’ve had snow since early December. The sun has not shone in weeks. It’s been negative degree for an unspeakable amount of days, folks.

He’s treated me to holiday in the cold times for which I’ve gained accustom to.

Last year I was in Maui on this day.
This is certainly not fair.
It’s his fault I’m like this. 😂

“Stay home and get things done.”
Me | Nov 2025

“I know I said that, but I don’t mean it anymore.”
Me | right now

Hubby is too kind.

I’m so exited. We’re going to Disney! ♥️

We are going to each and every park.

This new fast pass/lighting lane/whatever…I don’t know. I’ve been watching the line wait times, I’m not sure 7am on your phone to start your holiday is necessary. If I purchase premium for all, I’d be at the same cost as my 4 day park hopper tickets. Thats crazy. Perhaps just individual one time pass on extended time attractions.

I’ll take any recommendations for a family that hasn’t been in a few years, thanks.

Photo | The sheep and I discussing the start of the day and justifying a last minute trip to Disney.

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I’m so glad you are here and following along, Jim.

This is for you, friend.
Surely, you can relate.

This, but with snow and freezing temps.

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I'll offer one little piece of advice, Melissa.

This: I don't know how extensively you are considering LL. But wait times for rides, particularly in the evenings, are inflated to deter folks from getting line that would extend the ride past closing and require extra pay for the Cast Members. As a rule, our family doesn't do LL.

Example: we got on TRON in MK while the late fireworks were just ending with no waiting - the LL entry and our Walk-Up entry both had about 6 people in line at the CM turnstile. The posted wait time was overstated (I'd have to look back to see how much). But my point is in each park you are in each day, don't believe the wait times (overstated) and be in line BEFORE the posted park closing time and get an opportunity on the big thrill ride that you don't have to pay for. This is IF you plan to be in the parks still at closing time.

There's a little bit of the "bad boy" approach to say we're in line at 859pm (example) for a official closing time of 9pm. And then we stroll/strut out of Tomorrowland thru the hub and VERY slowly down a nearly empty Main Street. As long as guests are still in the parks, they will run boats/buses to get you back to Fort Wilderness.

So pick a desired ride in each park to get in line for one minute before official closing time and save yourselves 4 LL's for each person (if you choose to use those).

Bama Ed

PS - I've left the MK late going through the turnstiles toward the boat dock (and monorail station) and a CM with a clipboard, earpiece, and walkie talkie asked me where we were going (they were going to whistle up transportation to our home resort). Back in the good ol' days before Disney charged extra for late hour access, I stayed till 2am. :earseek:Official close was midnight - DW and DD had to drag me to the boat ..... They were READY to go to sleep.
 
Thanks for the tips, Ed. Is it a bad boy approach or is it a master plan? Guess it depends on which side of the coin we’re looking at. That sounds like a prefect plan for those high wait time attractions. We’ve never experienced Tron, Rise of the Resistance, or anything new over in Toy Story Land. I believe there is a new attraction occupying Splash Mountain. Oh and this villain land. I just caught a glimpse of that last night when hubby was watching you tube updates on the parks. All that will be new to us. Your plan should work well.

I just read RR will be shutting down at the end of February and redone with a muppets theme? Who is responsible for that? Should be a crime if you ask me.

I’ve read the description and details and cost on LL and premium LL. That’s about all. I think with the time of year we are attending, our ticket days, having park hopper, and slightly inflated “I know how to get around the park” attitude, I feel like we can manage without them. I don’t know if I can decide last minute or not on those LLs. Have to follow up there on that. I also feel like if I did plan ahead and purchase them, it would be my shear luck that there would be no or minimal wait time in the adjacent lane. I’d explode. Lol.

I downloaded an ap that shows wait times and I’ve been checking them in the am and pm. I think we can formulate a plan that will help us navigate.

No more magical hours? No more after hours? What is this? Deluxe only? Did I read that right? What is this? Park opens at 9 (8:30 with early entry) and then closing between 8-10. Pay extra for extended hours now? I’ll look into that, too, I guess.

I feel like we’re going to have a great time no matter what. It’s been years since we have been in the parks and we are overdue.

We are driving down, but I am flying down our diesel mechanic. He’s never been to Disney. Never. Can you believe it? Never. While my rose colored glasses are tainted, his pair will be fresh & new & shine so bright! I can’t wait to be near that new joy. And Charlotte! She doesn’t remember the parks, how could she. She was just a baby! Everything will be rose colored to her. She’s going to really enjoy AK. I’m just going to catch that radiating joy off them and my Disney heart will be over flowing!

I read to bring your own golf cart you have to now show insurance, so we added insurance to that yesterday, all good there.
 
Oh, one more thing, Melissa.

Note on the sticky thread at the top of the Camping Board, the Recreation Calendar (movie/activity handout sheet) has gone to a 2-month schedule now. For you, though, look on the 2nd (back) page that Chip & Dale will do a meet-and-greet at the campfire ring area at 4pm and 5pm (20 minutes each opportunity). Might be a nice, relaxed time to bring the younger kids in for a photo with our Fort Wilderness heroes.

Prior to this/covid, C&D would only make an appearance at the campfire/singalong before the nightly movie, goof with the performing CM for a few minutes, then work the crowd circulating for photos and such. Now, however, for the campfire/singalong C&D come out and goof with the host, wave, then disappear out the back and hide till the final number when they come out for the hokey pokey song and M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E song, and then hightail it out (no posing or handshakes).

So best to go late afternoon for pics. The reports I've read here is that those opportunities are not very crowded thus very relaxed meaning a quality encounter with our costumed friends. And as far as I know, that opportunity is daily unless weather acts up (or some unforeseen conflict for the CMs).

Bama Ed
 
It’s fine. Everything is fine.

It’s going to be ok. Yesterday one of my kids got sick. Puke bowl sick. The horror factor in this household just got REAL. Cause this one, this one has only been sick once in her lifetime. For that one to be sick is a new level of terror. Is it the flu? Oh My Goodness.
Noooooooooooooooooooo

We all know what’s about the happen. Like dominoes, we are about to go down. Please please please let it just be confinded to that one. I ain’t got time for us all to be sick.

I’ve got a clipboard, a list of to-dos, a whistle. We have work to do and a plan of action to leave this state…and soon, too. No, no I don’t have a whistle. I don’t even have a clipboard. I’m just making that up.

After tending to the sickly all day yesterday, hubby and I made a quick trip to the gates of h*ll. Aka Walmart. We stocked up on Gatorade, cherry 7-up, noodles, so I can make soup today, and all things prepared for sickness. Eeeeee.

I got my fermented garlic and honey I made up last fall. Line up. Everyone gets some. Organically home grown garlic & and non-chemically treated raw honey helps the body fight illness and the immune system to regulate and function properly.

Ok, we are going to pretend like everything is fine and keep moving along…

The camper.

Our camper is a constant battle in my life. And if this is one of my biggest battles I deal with, then I’ve got it pretty good.

It’s old. Like twenty years old. We bought it second hand six or seven years ago. 6.7. When we got it, it looked like it had been used maybe twice. Cash in hand. Done.

I could talk a lot about how we’ve looked for a new camper more times than I want to admit and how they are made so cheaply I can’t even believe it. We’ve been actively looking for a new camper since 2014 that meets our standards.

Well made. Non toxic.

Is that too much to ask for? Apparently so.

I’m glad we didn’t buy new or bigger though. Our national parks traveling have taught us it’s better to be smaller than bigger. If you’re small enough, you can fit into np campgrounds. If you’re small enough, you can stop at lookout sites. I feel like this camper is the GoldiLocks of campers. She’s big enough to house us. Has a nice bunk layout for the kids. Everyone has a bed. Everything is clean. Everything works. When it doesn’t, hubby fixes it. It has a ceiling to floor panty, that if the shelves were removed, hubby could fit in.

Honestly, it meets our needs.

I’d love a new camper, but what would I gain? An extra few feet of space in our bedroom? But I’d loose my ability to stay “almost” anywhere. Would a new camper make the kids bunk area better? Maybe with slides, but like I said the layout is nice and we don’t party in the bunkhouse. It’s for holding clothes & sleeping. Would I gain more space in my kitchen? No. Nobody makes decent sized pantries. We bring a lot of food and cook a lot of food, I need a space for it. I’ve mentioned the pantry twice. Obviously it’s a big deal. Goldilocks has that. Also, before this post, it didn’t have a name for our camper. I just thought of that. Clever.

Not many things have went wrong with it. The ac unit. The water pump. The hot water heater. Little things that when they go wrong, hubby fixes.

Then this happened yesterday…

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It’s fine. Everything is fine.

First the jack thingy broke, and hubby has been using a manual jack to hold it up in place for the past few weeks. Usually it stays in the shed, protected by the elements, but we just added concrete and a pit to the shed, so everything is outside. I went in the camper yesterday to pull the bedding and get it washed…then I felt like I was falling right off a mountain. It was like two feet, but whatever. My life flashed in front of my eyes! And so I go outside the camper to figure out what the heck is going on and see this. Guess hubby needed the jack and neglected to tell me to not go in the camper. It’s fixed now.

He fixed it this morning. All is good.

If we went bigger like a fifth wheel, it would be more challenging to pull across the country. We did 7,000 miles two summers ago and plan to do it again this summer. An easy pull behind camper makes the trip…easier. It makes tight campgrounds easier. It makes stopping in tight spots easier. So what ia best for our family and current needs is a pull behind medium sized camper. I could replace it with a new one, but all I would gain is new. And a $50,000 price tag. Putting money where money doesn’t make sense is a good way to end a generational farm.

I’ll keep my money & this memory maker on wheels. We did the math…a few trips to FL, a trip to the north, two trips so far west, a few trips south. We’ve put 22,000 miles on it in six-seven years. A few more miles sounds good to me!

Excuse me, please, I’ve got to go purify the air with my essential oils. I believe in them like a five year old believes in Santa Clause. Lol.

I’m just going to keep moving forward and hope for the best here. Time will tell.
 
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And thank you, Ed, for the update on the sing along. Can’t miss that.

I really enjoy check-in. I know they like us to stay in our camper and just move along, but I like to go inside. Smell everything. Touch everything. And then get new schedules, updated park maps, and stickers!

I’m a wee bit worried. I hear they remodeled the check-in area. I hope it still has that nostalgic old-school feel to it.
 
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Sorry to hear the "ick" may have started. Stay healthy!

As for the 20 year old camper. Yours is in great shape. If it is still mechanically sound (no leaks, most things work) and is a good place to cook and sleep, I'd keep it>specially since it is paid for. There are some newer rigs that are well built, but it is always a gamble what new problems you are inheriting.

DH is great at fixing things (that's half the battle owning an RV) and you know what you've got.

I had to laugh about the pantry. Since we traded our old leaky 5th wheel for a used motorhome, the only thing DW complains about is no pantry. The 5er had a decent size pantry. Despite being 42 ft long, the MH doesn't have a pantry and only overhead storage.

j
 


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