Update on Fort Improvements- with photos!

[des1954]

When I was at FtW over Labor Day the girl who ran the Archery Lessons (and also works the Bike Barn) said she had not heard of any plans to relocate the Golf Cart rentals to the front. But...that and $1.00 will get you a cuppa joe....as they say.

The only thing I see remiss in putting the GC rental in the area we are all speculating on is... with as busy as the front can be during heavy check-in periods, and the bus traffic, and returning guest traffic...it could get a little dicey at times with GC's. On the other hand...if they re-vamp the entire entrance and check-in facilities, you could check in and get a cart all in one stop. I'm thinking this would really benefit the cabin people & the people coming in on the DME. I wonder if anyone has thought of that???

Also, there is a lot of work being done at the front of the overflow parking lot. TCD...have you found out what that's all about yet?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Also, there is a lot of work being done at the front of the overflow parking lot. TCD...have you found out what that's all about yet?

Patience, Deb, Patience.

There is a lot of work being done around the overflow lot. I will be including that in my report.

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

So, moving on, I head on out of the Fort, past the kennel.

The kennel area looks good.

I notice ponies in the horse pasture. I don't recall seeing ponies here before:

As Deb mentioned, there is a lot of work going on the overflow lot:

Here we have some obvious professionals on the job. One gentleman seated to supervise, two gentlemen leaning on their shovels, and one gentleman driving the tractor. Way to go guys!:

This work all seems to be related to an expansion of maybe 10 feet of the parking lot? I think there is more to it than that, as I see a large drainage grate waiting to be installed, and there is substantial work going on out by the road.

This is out toward the far corner of the parking lot. It looks like a big retention pond is being dug:

Sorry, but I could not get a good shot over the fence. They are digging pretty deep here, and a large area of trees has been cleared. It looks like just a drainage project. I am not sure why a project of this magnitude is being done here. The parking lot and adjacent roads have all been in place a long time. I don't know of any flooding problems that they have had in this area. I'm not sure why they need to do this work now. Strange.

And with that, I am done.

No more photos from this quick trip.

But, I am going back to actually camp in October.

By then, some of this work will be done, and more will be underway (maybe?). Either way, I'll be back with an update.

TCD

 

[Gatordad]

always look forward to your reports. Keep up the good work. I was there for 4 days, and didn't pay attention to as much as you did.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

always look forward to your reports. Keep up the good work. I was there for 4 days, and didn't pay attention to as much as you did.

Well, I know you were busy drinking beer and socializing. I was there on a mission. Next time at the fort, I'll be doing the beer drinking and socializing, too.

TCD

 

[big kahuna1]

When we were there during the LDGG they were actually filling in the front area.

 

[Us3]

Well, I know you were busy drinking beer and socializing. I was there on a mission. Next time at the fort, I'll be doing the beer drinking and socializing, too.

TCD

Stop by and have a beer...we'll be there at the end of October. I'm sure you can find us!

Enjoyed your report as always!

 

[Gatordad]

Well, I know you were busy drinking beer and socializing. I was there on a mission. Next time at the fort, I'll be doing the beer drinking and socializing, too.

TCD

That was my mission. I was undercover protecting the beer supply.

 

[des1954]

That was my mission. I was undercover protecting the beer supply.

You should have been guarding the blender....the beer was my territory!

TCD...if you're at FtW over Halloween Weekend...look for all of us & stop by for a brewski or blender brew! I'd enjoy meeting the master of sleuth, the man behind the camera, the man on the scene, story-meister extraordinaire, the one, the ONLY.....TTTTTTTTTT.....CCCCCCCCCC.....DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!

(Thunderous Applause and Cheers from the Masses!)

 

[LarryJ]

Are you seeing what I am seeing?

I am sure the all the fruit fishers out there already know about this spot. But, let's keep this our little Dis secret, so that there will be enough fruit for everyone.

TCD

I'm all over that like the proverbial fly , but I like the grapefruits better, but those have the most seeds I have ever seen, but the price is right and for me height is not an obstacle. Now catching the fruit before it hits the ground so it doesn't bruise, that's the challenge. I may have to bring my juicer with me this next trip for some fresh squeezed OJ.

Larry

Larry

 

[MadFF]

Cool thread!

About a month and a half and we will be there!

 

[Gatordad]

You should have been guarding the blender....the beer was my territory!

TCD...if you're at FtW over Halloween Weekend...look for all of us & stop by for a brewski or blender brew! I'd enjoy meeting the master of sleuth, the man behind the camera, the man on the scene, story-meister extraordinaire, the one, the ONLY.....TTTTTTTTTT.....CCCCCCCCCC.....DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!

(Thunderous Applause and Cheers from the Masses!)

We brought like 7 of those mixers, and I had only like 2 glasses, I'm the beer security guy.

 

[RvUsa]

TCD you are my hero!! Love it as always.

As far as the big excavation project by the parking lot, I would have to say that it MIGHT be where they are getting the fill to fill in between the sites. And there may be some regulations, if you remove wet areas, you need to replace it elsewhere.

This is just my humble opinion, I am in no way a pro like you......

 

[des1954]

We brought like 7 of those mixers, and I had only like 2 glasses, I'm the beer security guy.

I bought 2 bottles of rum and had ZERO blender brews (of course - I don't know HOW many Renee kept pouring into DH's 16oz tumbler ). You must have allowed me the secret, unlimited beer priviledges, Pete. I am honored!

 

[DznyRulz]

If you are familiar with the 1900 loop, this next photo will really show the amount of filling that has been done. There is one site right in the back of the loop, on the interior, where the loop curves around, that basically became an island when it rained. In this photo, you can see that all of the low areas have been filled in:

We are talking about three or four feet of fill here.

Wow, that is a real big change since August.

 

[christinou]

Thanks for the updates this is great, I want to make reservations for next summer, but I still am not sure as what site I want preferred or premium. I really like the 800 loop and we always stay there, so I want to maximize my chance of getting that loop, I understand it will have premium sites, I just am not sure if it is the entire loop or some sites, as I was told by a cast member this past August.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

You should have been guarding the blender....the beer was my territory!

TCD...if you're at FtW over Halloween Weekend...look for all of us & stop by for a brewski or blender brew! I'd enjoy meeting the master of sleuth, the man behind the camera, the man on the scene, story-meister extraordinaire, the one, the ONLY.....TTTTTTTTTT.....CCCCCCCCCC.....DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!

(Thunderous Applause and Cheers from the Masses!)

Deb- I will be there! When the date gets closer, I will jump in the Grand Gathering thread to find out the details. Are you all trying to get in a particular loop?

I'm all over that like the proverbial fly , but I like the grapefruits better, but those have the most seeds I have ever seen, but the price is right and for me height is not an obstacle. Now catching the fruit before it hits the ground so it doesn't bruise, that's the challenge. I may have to bring my juicer with me this next trip for some fresh squeezed OJ.

Larry

Larry

Larry- I am pretty sure that this is a grapefruit tree, not an orange tree. The fruit are the size of small grapefruit now, and I expect that they will grow some more as they ripen.

TCD you are my hero!! Love it as always
As far as the big excavation project by the parking lot, I would have to say that it MIGHT be where they are getting the fill to fill in between the sites. And there may be some regulations, if you remove wet areas, you need to replace it elsewhere.

This is just my humble opinion, I am in no way a pro like you......

John- You might be right. Fill dirt is expensive, so it could be that this is where the fill is coming from. On the other hand, the Four Seasons project is going on right next door, so they wouldn't need to dig a pit in the parking lot just for the fill. Who knows?

Wow, that is a real big change since August.

Chris- Thanks for the before photos! The difference is remarkable. I don't think that either of your photos are of this particular site, but your photos depict what the 1900 loop used to look like. On the day of my visit, it had almost no standing water- which made it one of the driest loops that I visited. I still am not sure that all the trees aren't going to struggle, though. They filled in all around the trees-over the roots-and right up to the trunks. I am sure that is not the way it is supposed to be done.

Thanks for the updates this is great, I want to make reservations for next summer, but I still am not sure as what site I want preferred or premium. I really like the 800 loop and we always stay there, so I want to maximize my chance of getting that loop, I understand it will have premium sites, I just am not sure if it is the entire loop or some sites, as I was told by a cast member this past August.

I hope that they don't make all of the sites on the 800 loop premium sites. Not everyone needs all that concrete! Like I already said, I didn't think that every site on the 500 loop was going to become a premium site, but it looks like that is what they did. We will have to wait and see on the other loops.

TCD

 

[Shan-man]

On the day of my visit, it had almost no standing water- which made it one of the driest loops that I visited. I still am not sure that all the trees aren't going to struggle, though. They filled in all around the trees-over the roots-and right up to the trunks. I am sure that is not the way it is supposed to be done.

I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but I sure hope that this is not some intentional move to kill the trees. If Disney wanted to completely redesign the loops they would catch h*ll for clear-cutting native trees in a wildlife preserve (which I understand FW to be). But, if the trees died due to accident (blame bad horticultural advice) then they could start with a blank slate. I know, I sound like an extremist, but is it really any more lame-brained than replacing 20,000 Leagues with a Pooh Playground?!

 

[DznyRulz]

I hope that they don't make all of the sites on the 800 loop premium sites. Not everyone needs all that concrete! Like I already said, I didn't think that every site on the 500 loop was going to become a premium site, but it looks like that is what they did. We will have to wait and see on the other loops.

It would behoove Disney to leave at least half of the sites full hook up. The new rate for the premium sites is going to drive away business.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Now that I think of it, it's a shame the 1900 loop is going to lose that island feel. Oh well. The tree situation may be a real concern - these cypress trees are meant to be in water, with the roots exposed like in Chris' photos.