Roberta

Exactly right.
It's more evidence that the idiots who currently hold management positions at the Fort don't have the first clue about operating a campground.
In my early days visiting the Fort, they had CM's who would patrol the loops and confront guests who were being disruptive or not following the rules.
The last guy they had doing this was Brian.  May he rest in peace.  Back in the day, the Fort had a written rule that said you could only have one car parked at your site.  If you violated the rule, Brian would stop at your site and ask you to move the extra vehicle to overflow.  If you didn't, he'd stop by and ask again. Firmer this time.  If he saw an illegal fire pit, or some numbskull using Tiki Torches, he would do the same.  Sure, some guests probably complained about it, but the rules were followed, and the Fort didn't look like a trailer park.
Now there are no rules, and anything goes.  They have untrained idiots riding around on golf carts they call Fort Rangers. Those guys are worse than useless, because they pick on campers for minor violations, and let other worse stuff go.
All of this would be simple to fix.  Write some clear rules, and then enforce them.  The biggest problem is that there aren't any rules to begin with.  Obviously, the idiots in charge are happy to take the money from huge and unruly groups, and they look the other way from all of the offensive behavior that comes with the group.
TCD

Outrageous! 

The reason this group uses the Fort for these shenanigans is because they CAN. No state park would put up with this kind of crap. They would have to find a private park willing to, which probably wouldn't be easy either. 

Everything about these sets ups reflect a serious lack of camping etiquette. Blocking the dog walk takes it to a new level of just downright obnoxious, self centered behavior. If the Fort management won't do anything about it, it will just continue to get worse. 
Yeah, we have a little wheel on the front, but we live on an all sand property, with no pavement at all. The Fort is the first place we've ever camped with actual pavement. Trying to move the camper on sand is all but impossible because the wheels sink in. You can bet we will be moving our camper around next time we are there. This conversation makes me want to tow it to a parking lot to try it.  
?????? One one site??????  Clearly they had to be off their site. 

In all my years of camping (since birth,) and all the states I've lived in, I have never ... not once ... seen a campground that let people set up things outside the boundaries of their site. I've never even seen anyone try to. This, and not cutting through the sites of others, are like the top rules of camping. It makes me wonder if these people have ever camped anywhere else. 

I've been taking notes on this forum and know what times to avoid. So far, Thanksgiving and President's Day weekend. Any other known "group camping" annual events? 

Well just give your group some snazzy sounding name and thefort will look the other way and might even give you a break while allowing 6 tents and 20 people on 1 site.

So my daughters and granddaughter arrived, and of course she was starving...

Went to the pool, and won Name That Tune

Afterwards there was teepee building in the area behind the site

Luau Time! We met up with Tampa, NY, and NC relatives.
So right off the bat we hit a snag.  I checked in and asked that our reservation all be seated near each other.  When I made our reservations I asked about that, and was told that we should arrive early and that is when they assign tables. 
FAIL.  CM at the counter said everything was already assigned, and the phone person gave us the wrong info. We went back and forth and they said there were no vacant tables to move us around.  Not a lot of Pixie Dust there.
So off we went on the long sad march to the cove.
Group pictures with itchy leis.

 


It's hard to see, but on the grey shirts is a yellow pineapple the says I (heart) Dole Whip. My oldest daughter made them for us

View from the path
When we arrived at the cove we were taken to our seats.  Somehow even though our table numbers weren't even close, the two biggest of our groups were seated at the same table.  The Tampa relatives were seated 1 table apart right near the front.
 

Food

 
Nephews daughter on the left, my granddaughter on the right.

Far left is my nephews other daughter (11), big guy (12) in the middle is my other nephews son, and my granddaughter (11) is on the right.

My oldest daughter and my nephews daughter

Ribs

Kids dance

 

Fire Guy

After the show we met up with some of the relatives over at Saratoga Springs so the kids could swim.  They were staying at a Tree House so they got to utilize Saratoga's amenities.
Next day after hanging around the Fort pool trying to stay cool, we headed to our Beaches and Cream reservation.

More shirts Aunt Tanya made for the big trip.

Mickey Sink for the kids.

The adults got a chocolate kitchen sink and a picture taken by the waitress

Storm coming. Last time we were at the Beach Club we got stuck in a storm, and this time was no different.


Right after we got to shore the rain started gently, but by the time we made it to the Beach Club the skies opened up.  We wandered around inside and found a place to sit until the rain let up enough for Grandpa to bring the truck around to the overhang outside of the main doors.
When we got back to the Fort most of the rain had stopped, but our site was flooded, and it was starting to get into the tent.  This time I had a shovel but the pad where the water was deepest had timbers around it.  I ended up digging a hole on the inside of the pad next to the timbers, then dug underneath one on the outside and made a tunnel. The water came gushing out.  I dug a second one to drain another low spot.
Friday night was grilled burgers with mac and cheese and fries grilled in foil pouches then topped with cheese.
Afterwards was more pool time.
Later we decided to do some exploring so off we went via yellow bus to Wilderness Lodge.  The kids did the hidden Mickey hunt and we just wandered.  Time to go, we headed to the boat dock.  A boat arrived and we hopped on and headed to the Contemporary.  A little snooping around, then we went out to the balcony to see wishes.  We had a good view, but the music was barely playing at the end just under he monorail track.
As we were leaving, we saw the end of EWP thru the windows overlooking the lake.
When we got to the boat dock, two odd looking boats were unloading.  It was the pirates fireworks cruises. A pirate getting off one of the boats gave 1 granddaughter a folding Frisbee, and went back and got a loot bag for the other granddaughter to share.  Next thing you know , they loaded us up on the one boat and off we went back to the Fort.  We got entertained by corny pirate jokes all the way back.
Saturday my youngest daughter and son were coming over from Tampa. 
More about that later
 
 

So time to get this report moving.  After getting loaded up Tuesday morning, I added these to the PUP before heading out.

As you can see this went on the rear.
 

Drivers side.
So off we went.  I don't want to demean professional truckers, but I don't think there are any on I-4. 
I take my time towing, keep it abound 58, makes me comfortable, gives me more stopping time, and keeps my mileage up around 21-22mpg.  I also try to stay in the far right lane, but just about every on ramp had trucks entering the roadway, and they did not attempt to merge properly.  They just came down the ramps full speed and if I didn't merge into the middle lane they would've hit us.  I thought entering traffic is supposed to adjust their speed to merge safely, not force the other driver to veer over.
We finally arrived at the Fort around 10:45.  What, no one at the checkins, all lanes wide open, and no CM with the big Mickey glove showing us where to go. We pull up give the CM our info, and she says, we will be in 1500 (good news), but our site isn't ready and she cant tell us what site we were assigned.  Huh? We finished registering, handed in some gift cards and linked my new credit card to my band. I had just received a new card on Saturday because my account had been compromised again.  Again we asked what site we were getting and again she said she "didn't" know.  She did tell us that the 3 sites we requested were occupied. She said we could park and they would text us when the site was ready.  We decided to take a drive to 1500 to see what sites were open.  We saw a couple we weren't thrilled with, then saw 1518.  Not what we requested but it would do.  So off to the registration building.  My wife went in to tell them we wanted 1518 and they said it was taken by someone that had already checked in.  Further discussion, it turns out it was us.
So back to 1518 we went. Hard site to get in especially with two cars and a golf cart in the driveway across from us.  No biggie, PUP only weighs about 900 pounds so I dropped it on the road and rolled it in by hand.
My wife and granddaughter started setting up the tent while I got the PUP positioned and opened up.
Here's the finished results





That was the kids craft/play tent, but my 11 year old granddaughter slept in there by herself Tuesday night.  We were amazed since she still doesn't like the dark all that much, but she toughed it out.  And that was my pride and joy hammock that tried to kill me the next to the last day!  First time I had a chance to lay down in it, two of the plastic retainers shattered dumping me onto the ground and sending plastic shards clear across the site. I kept it, I saw how I can mod it with some metal parts instead of the plastic pieces.


Someone stopped by to supervise our progress.
 

A nice surprise, the old barrel trash cans instead of the bear proof/kid proof ones that are in other loops.  When we were in 2000 last Halloween, they had the newer style and my granddaughters couldn't open it, plus they get real hot to the touch.

We had a PUP, a tent like yours, a screen room, and a little dome tent on our site and didn't get any grief about it.
But we did have the PUP turned sideways on the concrete pad which blocked anyone from seeing the sand pad looking straight back.
Just print off a couple of the pictures TCD posted and if they give you any crap show them to them!  
 
 

You can see our layout in this TR
 
Hot, Hot, Hot, a sweltering visit 6/28 thru 7/6

Looking forward to it! If it wasn't for you, I would only have two nights. So glad I contacted you. And I think you will get us our last night (or first) as well! Thank you and looking forward to meeting! 

And yeay! For getting in at the Fort for Halloween. Cant wait to meet in person and say hello. 

You sure can dress up. There is a cute video on what you can and cant wear. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJDVFaQfKv8

Check in is still 1pm, or whenever the site is ready. The IT department messed up the website.

I am a BLT hater too. It completely ruined everything about the Contemporary. 

We had taken our last trip as northerners in 2002. After moving to FL, we starting getting annual passes somewhere around 2010. I had no kept up with Disney online and had no clue it was going to be there. Because we stayed at the Contemporary most years of my childhood, it holds special memories for me, and I always get some photos of it on every trip. 

Imagine my shock when, on our first trip as Floridians, there was BLT! My first thought was WTH is THAT?!?!  It was disappointing as I felt like it took away from the look of the entire area. I give it the stink eye every time I see it. 
 
Oh, the irony! 

I'm not a fan of tearing up the shoreline either. I videotaped the whole atrocity, from the boat, a couple weeks ago. It's a shocking sight. I hope it looks better when they're done, but IMO, nothing will look better than the trees that were there.

I'm honestly not much on change, in general, especially when it involves development.

Disney has enough resorts. I really wish they would quit. It makes me wonder where they will stop. When EMH are completely useless? When every single day of the year has level 10 crowds and sees closings at all the parks?

 

WDW Disney Recycle, Reuse and Regift on FB

Fair enough. 
For the record, I'm not outraged. I would say I'm just really disappointed.  And sad that the current regime has so little respect for what was done in the past.
It's interesting to look at how the original DVC Villas at Wilderness Lodge building was designed and built.  It was the first DVC to be appended to a Deluxe Resort, and they built it in a way that it would fit in and be unobtrusive.  Guests at the Lodge really can't even see it, and I'll bet most don't even know it's there. Only parts of it were visible from Bay Lake- and you'd really have to look hard to even see those parts.  The building itself is beautiful, and the way it sat surrounded by unspoiled wilderness was really nice.
Fast forward to Bay Lake Tower.  They certainly didn't try to hide that monstrosity.  But, it was built in the footprint of land that was already cleared and developed, and it doesn't really impact the view of any guest at the Contemporary Resort. 
Same deal at the Grand Floridian- the DVC building there is a separate building that completely blends in with the existing resort.  They did a good job making that complement what was already there.
Then came the Polynesian bungalows.  They stick out like a sore thumb.  They are the polar opposite of unobtrusive. Everyone sees them, and they have ruined the beach that used to be a great amenity for all Polynesian guests.
Which brings us to the DVC expansion at Wilderness Lodge.  Instead of a secluded wooded environment, everyone will now be treated to a view of these 26 cabanas lining the shoreline on both sides of the resort.  Those are as "in your face" as anything can be.
It's a shame.
As I already said, I know my opinion is in the minority.  A heck of a lot of people at Disney had to agree that this is a great idea, or else it wouldn't be happening. You're lucky that it doesn't bother you.
TCD

Not so fast.
All of Disney World is not man-made.
Bay Lake existed before Disney came along.
In fact, it was the beauty of Bay Lake and the surrounding wilderness that drew Walt to the area when he surveyed it from his private airplane.
And, the men who made the initial plans to build Fort Wilderness endeavored to preserve that wilderness.
That was a point of pride in the early days, as can be seen from this old Fort Wilderness check-in packet:


 
Please read what is written there.
Do you see that part in the second paragraph where it says "that development would be undertaken only if the area's natural beauty cold be effectively preserved."
Read the third paragraph.  Even today, you can see evidence of the care taken to not destroy the wilderness at the Fort- there are cabin decks that were built around trees.  There are roads that were designed and paved to allow trees that were there first to stay.
Now, take a look at this old Fort Wilderness brochure:

Look at the third paragraph, where they boast how "centuries-old cypress trees stand beside tall pines and flowering bay trees."  That is not just fluff- it's true, and most of those old cypress trees were along the banks of Bay Lake.  A lot of them are still there.  But the ones that were preserved when they built the Villas at Wilderness Lodge are now gone.  Those centuries-old cypress trees and tall pines are what they just clear cut.
In case you are still laboring under the misconception that "all of Disney is man made," please take a look at these old photos, which come from the State of Florida archives, showing a group which included Roy Disney inspecting the property that the Disney Corporate entities had purchased.  These show how the property looked before any development, back in 1967:

You see that guy with the glasses and dark sweater standing in the boat?  That's Roy Disney.  You see that big old lake in the background?  That's Bay Lake.  You see all those trees?   Those are the centuries-old cypress trees and tall pines. Those were all left alone when Walt Disney World was developed, and the entire shoreline was left natural.  Up until a few weeks ago.
Here's another photo taken at the same time- if you are at all familiar with Bay Lake, you will recognize the lone cypress tree that we all know as the "Shoe Tree" standing there in the lake:

Everything you see in that photo was left alone when they built Disney World.
But now, a pretty big stretch of the natural shoreline right behind that lone cypress tree has been clear cut so they can build 26 bungalows that only very rich people can afford.
If you don't think that's a big deal and a complete departure from the philosophy the company has followed for the past 50 years, then I don't know what to say other than you're wrong.  But,  the sad thing is that your opinion will probably sit well with the majority of people these days-seriously- who cares about trees and nature and stuff?  They can just bring some new trees in there from the tree farm.  I'll race you to the bungalow!
TCD

I HATE the BLT. Prime example of all that is wrong with the current version of Disney.  IMHO it looks like someone tacked an old Holiday Inn onto the side of the Contemporary.....
It has nothing in common with the architecture of the Contemporary, it has no unique appeal, styling, or attributes.
It reflects laziness, greed and a lack of imagination of the people in charge.
 

None of that crazy talk around. 

Glad you had such a good time!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just to clarify, you wouldn't need to sneak on the internal buses.  And Disney guest is welcome to tour any other resort, 
Also, you could take the boat from MK to FW, and then leave your son and husband on Crockett's Porch enjoying some lemonade or other beverage, and then just you go look at a few sites on the buses.  Just a thought.
Praying you have a wonderful trip!

Rode along side this guy today on I-75 South. I just knew he was going to the Fort with that golf cart in tow. We finally got next to his drivers window and DH held up our passholder magnet, that had been in the glove box. He nodded his head "yes" and gave us a thumbs up. 

Whoever he is, he drives that thing like a pro. We encounter lots and lots of campers and motorhomes on the highway here and many of them are fairly timid drivers. This guy was doing 80-85 mph all the way and easily passing and changing lanes. He's got to have a LOT of experience driving that thing or he's a truck driver. He never cut anyone off or anything, he judged his size perfectly every time, and there was quite a bit of traffic. I need those skills. 

I just want to thank everyone that helped me out on this, with a special shout out to Tri-Circle-D for specific site suggestions. I had no clue what I was doing and could not have managed such a perfect trip without the help. 

I sent a fax specifically requesting one of these three sites, as a first option, and the ones suggested in 2000 as a secondary option. We were given site (censored.) It was a perfect site for us. 

Our son was able to navigate the bus and boat system to get himself to Magic Kingdom. This is a HUGE step in the process of regaining some of his independence. He has not mastered getting back yet, but hopefully by next trip. For this past week, we would just go meet him and go to other parks together. 

We all just loved the Fort. It was so intimidating, having been so many years since we've been there, our life is very different now. Even so, seeing it in the perspective of our current family dynamics it worked perfectly. We loved having our own camper with us, being able to have our own food with our own kitchen, and sleeping in our beds. It also totally rocked not having to drag all of our stuff a half mile in and out of our resort room! Just perfect! Thanks again. 

Another good place is Walgreens after Christmas and Halloween.  They mark down their decorations and if you are lucky they will still have light up trinkets when they hit the 75-90% off prices.  Got Mickey, Minnie and Jack Skellington items at Halloween.  Some of the light ups like the foam rods with flashing LEDs inside just have a plastic slip on sleeve that comes right off and now you have a plain white flashing rod.  I used about 15 of these to outline my kayak during the yearly lighted boat parade.
We got 3 sets of the battery operated mini Solo Red Cups strings of lights from Dollar tree.  They are good for small spaces and night lights.

Oh, I have an awesome story to tell from dinner. We were talking to the lady at the bar next to us. We were talking about the Fort and our campers. I mentioned I had a T@B teardrop. She said "I love those campers! Earlier this year I stalked one on the road near my house to get a picture. It was white with blue trim and had Mickey's down the side".
NO WAY!!! She showed a picture from her phone and it was MY CAMPER!! This, as it turned out was in Destin in January. Rick and myself were on a quick weekend trip to Topsail Hill State Park.

I think this is pretty spot on. I think you are going to get folks at the Fort that use if for convenience that have no idea of what the camping mentality is. I have to remind myself of that from time to time when we are there so I can relax a little.

I was laughing out loud about the Dishwasher Gang. I mean, it's not funny; it's disrespectful and rude, but your commentary was spot on. I think I also spied an unapproved fire pit. Why don't we have intel on these people? I want to know who they are.