Your "We're Really Here!" FW Moment

[SouthAlabama5er]

Your pics crack me up. I get yelled at when I tell people I tow at 75.

j

Haha! I do too, but I'll run with traffic and on I75 80-85 is what most people drive. My wife just goes to sleep.

 

[5stljayhawks]

After driving some 900 miles or so I know life it going good when i am coming down 75 and hit that first rest stop. One that we have stopped numerous times. It's just a few hours aways... Then jumping down the turnpike ... Other times we go through orlando..

But ultimately its the gates on property, then the left turn into FW. In an odd way its like going into yellowstone. historic, iconically american, family trip. I sigh, as we have made 1100 miles now have a 10-14 days of hanging out.

Each experience at FW changes, this time we had our dog with us and the morning and late evening walks were pretty cool.

Then there is the boat ride, the first time when my oldest looked past the comptempary and squealed- there's the castle. Then the walk through the gates and then getting to main street. each experience makes me feel I have made it.

 

[jbrostek]

I tow between 65 and 70, my old bus used to feel on the edge of unstable above 70 (2001 Monaco) and the new rig feels pretty good actually in the same 65-70 range. I have done 75 but it just burns more fuel. I see it this way, while my time is limited for vacation going that extra 5-10mph is not going to make a difference, I am still going to stop overnight the first day and finish the second day.

 

[mightyexplorers]

For me the feeling of being there starts as soon as our trip starts and builds the whole way down. Here are my top 10 moments.


10. Leaving the Driveway

9. The southern border of MN


8. The Florida Border


7. The first exit to Disney World sign, and every one after that.

6. THE WESTERN WAY WELCOME SIGN!!!

5. The Magic Kingdom parking gate.

4. THE FORT WILDERNESS SIGN

3. The check-in post

2. Backing into our site being slightly disappointed with it, sure I could have done better if I had been a bit more specific with my request.


1. The ah moment. Sitting with my wife under our Mickey lamp, enjoying a beer in our fully setup site, watching the kids leave on their bikes for the sign along, being ABSOLUTELY SURE we have the BEST site in Fort Wilderness. We are home at Disney. We have arrived!

 

[dsdeleon]

Picking up that huge black bag Internet Kit. I don't know exactly what it is but getting a treat and signing out that internet kit, and driving the cart back to my site knowing I have a week or two at the Fort is by far my favorite "we are really here" moment.

 

[sapdaddy2]

As much as I like the Fort sign, riverbend, I'm still a little wound up until I get down to my assigned site. I always request a specific loop depending on the site type I've reserved so I am anxious to see if I got it or not.

Sometimes if my request is not available, the Fort CM checking me in will offer to bump me up to a higher site type (which is cool and I can negotiate location). But I take a huge sigh of relief when the car stops moving and I get out of it.

THAT'S when I feel relief. It means I am home.

I feel the same way I am not "home" until I have parked on my site. We usually arrive between 4-6pm and do a quick set up (water, sewer, electric, and stabilizers). After we go to trails end for supper buffet. Then we swim then go and watch the fireworks from the beach. The next day is a full set up and believe it or not no parks. We are all just happy to relax for a day after traveling for 2-1/2 days.

 

[Maligator]

My first visit to the Fort was this past August. For us, the WOW we are here moment was pretty special. As we came into view of the FW sign, we saw a pair of deer grazing about ten feet from it. At first I thought it was a prop but then it got spooked and ran away. I don't think I'll ever forget that deer and wish we had our camera ready for it at the time.

 

[MadBeach]

For our family it is when we get ready to exit from 4 East and my Granddaughter sees the mickey ear shaped electrical lines. It was always that way with my children and now my Granddaughter. It is heart warming to see my Granddaughter get as excited as my daughter did years ago. Just a personal favorite. I love the way the people at check in say hi to my Dogs and granddaughter. She feels so special and the dogs just want the cookie of course.

 

[Flametamr]

We do the same thing, just with a 43' ft fifthwheel in tow!

Randy, What are you towing with ? I wish I could get 11 mpg towing.

 

[Flametamr]

For our family it is when we get ready to exit from 4 East and my Granddaughter sees the mickey ear shaped electrical lines. It was always that way with my children and now my Granddaughter. It is heart warming to see my Granddaughter get as excited as my daughter did years ago. Just a personal favorite. I love the way the people at check in say hi to my Dogs and granddaughter. She feels so special and the dogs just want the cookie of course.

Funny that in all my years going to Disney I have never seen those power lines. I was probably concentrating too hard on driving. I didn't know they existed until someone recently posted a picture.

 

[jbrostek]

Randy, What are you towing with ? I wish I could get 11 mpg towing.

The ford Lie-o-meter. It takes an average over all the miles since the last time you reset the average. I suspect thats the overall avaerage since the last reset of battery disconnect.

But my 2006 averages 11.5 with a 40' Sanibel 3600 tipping around 14,500.

 

[Flametamr]

Agree on the meter. Unfortunately mine is fairly accurate. I have a 2004 F150 5.4 Ltr V-8 towing a 29 Keystone Bullet and I'm lucky to get 8 mpg. Wish I had a diesel just to tow with. But really considering next year upgrading to the new Ford with the smaller Ecoboost V-6.

 

[jbrostek]

I chose the diesel before I had the 5th wheel. I had a gasser for years, V8 and averaged 16mpg mixed driving. The F350 diesel gives me a 14mpg average, and can tow the 5er and still get good milage. My old Monaco got 9mpg, did not matter if I had something dragging behind it or not.

I think the ecoboost would improve your around town milage, but not your towing milage.

There is also a difference between the gas motor milage calc and the diesel ones. It gas one can do nearly instant average, and even now on the 6.7 diesel you can get that on a meter (just not instant MPG.) The MPG calc is based on average since the last reset, which I usually hit the reset button as I head off to FL anyway. But its highly inaccurate anyway for me since I have a 45 gallon tank gravity feeding the main one. The nice part about that is I can skip over states with more expensive diesel prices.

 

[Napria]

I have a couple.

This is the first one.

The entrance off Western Way.

Rounding the corner and seeing the Fort sign on Vista and finally pulling up to check in and hearing "Welcome Home".

j

My family teases me as we get closer to this sign: "Get ready, mom's gonna cry." I love seeing this sign. I know I'm home.