trip report and how many cars can fit on one site?

[proudmomof4]

I have had a few trips to the fort over the years, but never did a trip report, I guess I never thought anyone would be interested in my family’s vacations but I have read others’ reports and found them to fun and interesting so, I thought I would give it a whirl.

First let me give a little history here. Although we live just over an hour away, we don’t get to go to the fort very often since DH works for St Pete police and his days off rotate every 4 weeks, so no weekend visits for us, we try to go for a week or more. Last year we took what we thought was going to be a grand 2 week adventure at the fort for the first 2 weeks of June. Well, things did not turn out to be grand at all, our very first night there I got a call just before midnight from ex-husband saying his mom (sweetest lady ever and grandmother to my kids) was in the hospital and was not expected the live through the night. We didn’t know what to do, stay or pack up and head back home, ex-husband said to stay where we were and wait to hear from him since there would be nothing we could do anyway. Well, she pulled through much to the doctors’ amazement, we found out later that she had gone into septic shock that night and that 85% of people her age don’t survive that. After that first night we just never could relax and enjoy the trip, we kept waiting for the phone to ring. It also ended up being like the hottest first 2 weeks of June ever, heat indexes were in the triple digits and we just never had energy to do anything.

Sorry to be so long winded with this intro, but wanted to give some background info. So the day before we left for this trip I called to check on Grandma Bunny (that’s what all the grandkids called her) and was told after being in and out of the hospital for the past 8 months that the doctors felt like she was getting stronger. So, on Sunday April 11th we left for the fort and arrived just before noon.

On this trip was me, DH, DS17 and DS13. DS24 works full time and does not do anything with us anymore and DS21 is out of state attending college. I usually stay at the fort with a discount thanks to DS24 who works for Disney and I never know whether that helps or hurt us with site assignment, well I think this time it helped. When we pulled into the check-in lanes there were 3 open, with 2 rigs in the first lane, 3 in the second and 1 in the third, so we picked the third and then low and behold a CM came out and and opened another lane and waved us over. I had asked for 1500 loop and got site 1511

 

[proudmomof4]

We really liked this site, it backed up to the canal and had lots of room on the awning side of our site with a big area between us and the next site.

See what I mean?

After we were all set up, we took a walk around the loop and were surprised at how many sites had multiple vehicles. There was even 1 site with no camping gear, just 5 cars and a lot of food, apparently these folks had booked the site for the day to have a birthday party by the pool, because shortly after sundown they were all gone. We saw another site with 2 tents and 4 cars and many other sites with 2 cars. Now I know Discamper had posted that he had information that the 1 car rule had been lifted for premium sites but these were partial sites and the check-in packet still said only 1 vehicle besides your camping unit.

We decided to grill out hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner:
DH at the grill

DS17

DS13

After dinner, we walked around the fort for a while and I took some random photos.

As TCD observed there is lots of algae in the water

from the Meadows TP

Single rider line?

last site in 700 loop

We went to the campfire that night, the movie was Monsters Inc, DH and the boys stayed for the whole movie but I was tired. Also, this was the 1st of 4 nights in a row that DS17 had chile cheese nachos from the chuckwagon.

 

[DaveInTN]

Awesome!!! Another TR! Keep it coming.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

 

[Dizney_Luver]

I'm in!!!

 

[proudmomof4]

Awesome!!! Another TR! Keep it coming.

I'm in!!!

Thanks everyone, I will try to post another installment tomorrow if possible.

 

[Disney Bunny]

Love your pictures. Looks like you had a great site.

 

[Lil' Lisa]

Me too!

 

[StPeteDisneyFan]

Talk about a small world. My brother works for the St Pete PD also. My DH, DD, DS and I are going to FW next weekend with my brother and his 2 boys. Can't wait.

Loving the tr. We have requested the 1500 loop. Hope we get it.

 

[lledman]

I love reading trip reports - can't wait for more of yours.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You are off to a great start!!

I didn't know your DH was the po-po.

Thanks for the head's-up.

You are right about the multiple cars on campsites observation. I think that one car per site has gone out the window for the whole Fort.

I noticed you had a large group of campers next to you from Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation.

How did that work out for you?

I am worried about Grandma Bunny. I am afraid that long introduction is there for a reason.

TCD

 

[figmentfan1]

I'm in...

 

[BradyBz12]

I think this pic says it all so far...

 

[MyHappiestPlace]

Great trip report! Love seeing the pics! We're heading there in a few weeks and I really really want loop 1500

Can't wait to hear more

 

[kazlac4]

Great pics and report!

 

[proudmomof4]

Love your pictures. Looks like you had a great site.

Thanks, we really did like that site and felt like we had lucked out this trip

Me too!

Come on in

Talk about a small world. My brother works for the St Pete PD also. My DH, DD, DS and I are going to FW next weekend with my brother and his 2 boys. Can't wait.

Loving the tr. We have requested the 1500 loop. Hope we get it.

DH works in comm center as a supervisor. I hope you get 1500 too, we really liked it since we did not have a GC.

I love reading trip reports - can't wait for more of yours.

More to some soon

You are off to a great start!!

I didn't know your DH was the po-po.

Thanks for the head's-up.

You are right about the multiple cars on campsites observation. I think that one car per site has gone out the window for the whole Fort.

I noticed you had a large group of campers next to you from Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation.

How did that work out for you?

I am worried about Grandma Bunny. I am afraid that long introduction is there for a reason.

TCD

Thanks for the encouragement, that means a lot to me coming from you, the king of trip reports.

Those girls from Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation.....WOW.....did you hear them at your site? because I wouldn't be surprised if you did. I'll have more on that later

I'm in...

Welcome

I think this pic says it all so far...

DS13 is quite a character and tries to make a goofy face in every picture

Great trip report! Love seeing the pics! We're heading there in a few weeks and I really really want loop 1500

Can't wait to hear more

Thanks. I really wish they had more partial sites located near the Meadows area. I really really hope you get 1500

Great pics and report!

Thanks

 

[proudmomof4]

Before I move on to Monday, I wanted to talk about the CS. I know a lot of people post that they never have to wait and everything is always clean, or maybe that is just the men? I have to tell you all that none of this was the case for me, but I was the only female in my group.

Sunday evening before the birthday party group left, they all hit the showers, at the same time. Unfortunately for me, I needed to shower too, I had to wait. There were multiple people in each shower stall, they would walk from one to the other and trade shampoo and conditioner, there must have been 3 people in each stall. I even got to hear while 1 mom taught each girl how to wash their hair, and she had to give the instructions to each one individually.

Even after that group left, it seemed like the moms were in the CS with 4 or 5 very small kids each.

Over all the CS was crowded and dirty most of the days we were there, I soon learned to sleep in and go around 9:30 am. There was even a door missing from a stall for a few days.

There was one day though that I saw a security vehicle parked across from TCD's site and I thought "oh no, what has TCD gotten into?" but the Disney po po was standing outside the ladies room side of the CS. As I walked up, a Disney suit came up to me and introduced himself as the fort manager on duty and would I please go into the ladies room and make sure it was empty so he could go in and check on some reported damage. It was empty but it was a disaster, no damage, but a real mess. Toilet paper was everywhere, even in the showers, toilets were not flushed and it was not pretty. He went in and cleaned things up a bit and then came back out and left.

 

[proudmomof4]

We had decided on this trip to let the boys sleep in each day and then when they woke decide what we would do.

On Monday April 12th we went to DTD.

We ate at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe, it was pretty good and they even gave a passholder discount.

We walked around the shops and went to see a movie. Clash of the Titans. We didn't like it very much, sorry to any fans out there, but it just didn't impress us much.

We then decided to go hit DHS but once we got there we were all suddenly tired and my feet were hurting. So we got some churros and sat down to watch this group.

The show was funny and we enjoyed it, but once it was over we headed back to the fort without riding a single ride, but we are passholders so it didn't feel like we wasted a day off of a ticket.

We went back to the fort early and DS17 went to the chuckwagon for his second of 4 nights of chile cheese nachos.

 

[taymacsmom]

I'm in! You are soooo lucky to live so close! Being up here in New England makes it harder for us to get there. Can't wait for more!

 

[StPeteDisneyFan]

The world is getting smaller. My brother also works in the comm center. How cool