WalkerFiend

Interesting  discussion  about full or not on weekdays...  We did some looping last night on our way to/from the marina.  Maybe it's because schools are getting out now: At least in the loops I've visited so far , there aren't a whole lot of empty sites (my perception.) 
I was just thinking back:  In both of my past trips to the Fort at basically this same time of year - there have been entire loops left empty/closed. I have not seen one closed down or empty this year (well, not so far).
Just observations here.  I'm only on my third trip, and they've all been at about this same time... It seems a bit more full this time around.  

Great idea Carol, just wanted to add one thing.
You'll need to have park hopper capabilities to be able to go through Epcot to get to Hollywood Studios.
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The Fort is a mile long from one end to the other. As Gwen indicated, the walk to the marina from your cabin could be a hike, but it is nice and shaded under beautiful trees and can be lots of fun. Also, you can get to three of the four parks without a bus, but it will take time. You can take the boat to Magic Kingdom. From Magic Kingdom, you can then take the monorail to TTC, then switch monorails and get to Epcot. You can get to Hollywood Studios by walking through Epcot, exit the International Gateway, then take a boat to the Studios.

Hi everyone. We are in 1900 this weekend and it is up and running. Comparable speeds to home wifi. We streamed Netflix last night with no issues thru a Visio smart tv as well as thru apple tv just for comparison. Both worked as expected with no issues. 

Yep live and fast. It was one of my clients who posted. No word on the modem issue yet. She said she will try and check but we know how answers from CMs are. Ask another and it could change. 

They've had Wi Fi in the cabins and at the Meadow for a long time! So yup, they have Wi Fi and met their Monday deadline!

I was told this morning by the CM when I returned the internet kit that Monday is the day.  She said that WIFI will be available at each site and they will no longer have to give out the kits.  

That's a good point. Over a VPN, remotely connect to a machine that is within the network that has the accesses required.

Ok - I just had to hijack my own thread for one second and post this here while I'm working on the next chapter - LOL.  This is a picture of my living room this evening.  The kids are off school tomorrow and so they wanted to sleep in the tent  This Camping thing just might have been a good idea.  I think they like it.  :)  Stay tuned - I'm working, just had to share.
 

Ok - I just had to hijack my own thread for one second and post this here while I'm working on the next chapter - LOL.  This is a picture of my living room this evening.  The kids are off school tomorrow and so they wanted to sleep in the tent  This Camping thing just might have been a good idea.  I think they like it.  :)  Stay tuned - I'm working, just had to share.
 

Well here we go. I just wanted to take a second and send thanks out to all the Fiends that helped make our trip a great one - even if you didn't know it!  
 
I will not even try to reach the EPIC levels of a TCD TR.  Your lowly reporter here is mostly wanting to in some small way repay the community for the wonderful content and fun threads.  I'm also trying to write down some memories for my Wife.  Since I mentioned doing a trip report here she's just decided to wait (and wait and wait on it) instead of trying to journal it all on her own.  She almost never comments on internet postings, but she'll be watching to keep me honest.  I'll share her correction/additions/comments as they happen!  
 
Some of the pics will be from last year's trip actually.
 
I've been writing this off and on starting from while we were still at the Fort.  Sorry it's taken so long but I wanted to get at least a start before I just randomly posting stuff.  The writing is still in progress, and hopefully making a start of it will inspire me to finish it up before New Years!  Forgive me in advance if work or life gets in the way.  I'll try to keep moving along.
 
So for this first installment - here we go in today's episode:
 
- About last year.
- Getting ready. - Mickey light. - Couch mod. - About the Pedometer. -The balloon landing   The trip down:  - Arts and craft center in Beckley, WV. - Fancy Gap KOA - Savannah South KOA   Arrival at he happiest place on earth: -The happiest campsite on earth: Site 1303 -Pixie dust works on Golf Carts... -More Pixie dust...  About those cable modems for the internet addicted...   About last year:   This is actually our second trip to Disney and the Fort.  Here we are last year:   https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/SdJ0n_OUSdGIJrfV7K152w.fuDWC-hig7B94YkHMczc77  
Last year we suffered from schedule overload and bad weather luck...  We scheduled visits to MK, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom.  Then, a day off for a side trip out to Kennedy Space Center to see the Shuttle, a brief (very brief) - like 60 second - visit to the beach (closed due to lightning) so the kids could see the Ocean for the first time. Then at the end of it all we finished with a afternoon at Downtown Disney, due to a ticketing mishap...     We cut the beach visit short due to the storm, returned to the MK to see the parade, which was canceled, because of storms, but forgot in the process that we'd used an "entrance" to a park that day that we had not planned for.     So, on our last day, oopsy!  We had no entrances left because we'd spent 60 minutes in MK to see a parade that never happened... So we had to improvise...  It all worked out... We're smarter this year... Despite what seemed like never ending rain, by day three of last years visit to the Fort and Disney Abby (DW) ask me: "So what can we cut out so we can afford to come back again next year?"  And so this trip report begins.   Getting ready:   We're in our third season of camping with our setup and we pretty much have the kinks worked out of our system for the most part.  This trip however was going to be the inaugural voyage of one very important new piece of camping equipment, our Mickey light!     http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/9872cb62134f654a0ec544923d633f06_zps55n4kklw.jpg   Last year we saw many of these while out looping and Maddie (DD) wanted one of our own.  Thanks to a quick search on FortFiends, I found the plans and with few modifications that's pretty much the light we built.  Ours has color changing LED strip lighting in the head and ears complete with a remote control.  Haha, gotta have a remote! 🙂  One part of my build I was unhappy with was the base, the fear that it would not stand up to even modest wind, end up falling over and getting busted.  I've been unable to find a milk jug as others had used, ended up rigging up a decent looking base from a planter base...  Still it was a bit flimsy and I worried about it.  As it turns out a solution for this "base" problem presented itself during this second trip to the Fort.     The couch mod: I said we had pretty much worked out the kinks in our "system". As always though things change and we make adjustments.  The Mickey light being one change, and actually where we could stow it while underway.  Our campers couch turned out to be a prefect place.  This is a pretty boring mod, but it made a lot of dead space much more usable, and provided for a really nice storage spot for the light.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Starcraft Couch Mod/6490919E-2E24-499A-8DDB-C4629004B591_zpsudrfihrn.jpg    Bascially I removed the front of the couch and modified it so that the entire thing lifts off of these pegs allowing easy access to the empty space beneath. Then I bent these brackets to fit over the pegs.  Gravity holds the whole thing in place - no problems so far - while under way.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Starcraft Couch Mod/F5CB013E-998F-4275-AFF3-82CBEA9A7112_zpsop3ckmos.jpg   And now it looks good as new...  Secret Micky hiding place is ready... 🙂   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Starcraft Couch Mod/34EF4B71-100D-4278-A744-9545D47BF4C2_zpsg2jie98e.jpg   So with that out of the way.  Let's get moving...  Er...  Wait one more thing, the Pedometer:   Here's the deal with the pedometer.  I'm no fitness crazed guy, but, my employer was sponsoring a charity event.  Their contribution was influenced by how many steps and other physical activities were recorded by the participants.  So, it was for a good cause, and it's really kinda interesting to see the steps recorded on travel days vs the Epcot days for me personally.  I'm sharing just for the shared experience of foot pain.  Haha...   So now, finally, let's go…   Wait one second.  Before we even get out of the driveway this event set the bar for the entire vacation:  A local company flies hot air balloon excursions near our home and seeing a balloon in the air is not uncommon.  In the spring we look forward to these balloons as a sure sign that winter is finally over.  On this evening we had a close encounter when the balloon landed right on our street just a couple of doors down from our house.     http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/528d8c84c8479efad2d65530ee29d8c5_zpsvpwunzuq.jpg   The kids loved seeing it and the crew even had the kids help put it away.  They are rolling the last of the air out of it here.  The street was completely covered with kids "helping"!  Very fun to watch.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/c49a6baf9aa1e720bdc57b9781b18d52_zps7u8lglng.jpg   Abby’s comment was something to the effect of: "Well, we’re done - that makes the whole summer before we even get started.”   Ok!  Now, really - I promise!  We’re off...   6/6 The trip down:   This first day was fairly uneventful as travel days are mostly.  We were all packed up and I just needed to fill the Blue Monster's gas tank, hitch up, and we were off!  At the crack of 9:30am (LOL)! The kids kept themselves pretty busy on the iPads, and we make fairly frequent stops.  This in my humble opinion is the great advantage of making this drive (990 +- miles) over three days.  You can easily avoid rush hours, and just plain don't have to hurry.  Our trip today is leaving the Columbus, OH area on RT 33E - Bypassing Lancaster, through Athens, and on to I77S after crossing the Ohio River and into WV near Ravenswood.     Our lunch and first fuel stop are at Loves near Fairplain (exit 132).   I'm not sure that I'd stop here if I knew a had the fuel range to go on.  The gas islands can be a little tricky to navigate with nearly 60 total feet of rig, but we managed.  After fueling up, if you want to eat here and have a large rig, parking seems to be pretty much limited to around the corner in the Truckers parking and fueling area.  This necessitated an exit from the lot, down the street, and reentering the center at the truckers entrance.  Ehh...  Oh well, at least there were plenty of spaces when we were there and we had a simple (and a bit of a noisy) lunch in the camper.  Again, I think if I had it to do over again, I’d get back on the freeway and stop for lunch at the next rest area, or just eat inside as we’d done last year.   Next stop: Beckley, WV Artisan center: http://www.tamarackwv.com If you are in need of fuel, a bite to eat, just a rest stop in Southern WV on the Turnpike this is the place.  Easy fueling at the travel plaza, and ample RV parking at the Artisan center.     http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/IMG_3795_1024_zpsgyxfdzid.jpg     Relax for awhile and eat in your RV, or visit the food court.  Take in some WV history, crafts, food...     http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/IMG_3789_1024_zps2h7npsrw.jpg   It's a great place, I'm sure I'm not doing it justice.   And finally our day one destination and overnight stay:   Fancy Gap KOA (VA): - To me this is a very Non-KOAish, KOA.  Even though there are sites located close together, the elevation changes make it feel much less like a parking lot and much more like a state park or similar setting, very friendly, family owned and operated, great base for exploring the Blue Ridge.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/563e9e500563e08f17d6b36c4107c7cc_zpsjkaws6rx.jpg   It's odd because you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, but you can still hear some occasional road noise.  Now, this is not noise like sitting next to an interstate, not sure where it came from.  Also, it was no kind of issue for my ears anyway, it was just unexpected.     The owners host a Saturday evening Ice Cream Social.  For the cost of a donation, you can sit on their new patio, and have a nice visit with some fellow campers and enjoy some pretty good ice cream.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/a28b47a36f926f5533f2789e29be493e_zpsvo3q9mbk.jpg   I normally shy away from commercial campgrounds, but, I really enjoyed our stays here.  It's not posh, but it is obvious the owners have pride in their business, are very nice, personable people.  The kids enjoyed the pool for awhile, but it was bit too chilly for me air temperature wise.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/f2c31b3a489fe275513f98a04ed5d4f5_zpsgbdxhbma.jpg   And day one was done!  We had a very nice pull through site, so we didn't even unhitch.  Put down the tounge jack enough to take some load off of the truck, put down the stab jacks all around, relaxed, and off to bed...  Pedometer: 9079   6/7: Today we continue (starting again after 9!!!) south on I77 dropping down out of the mountains (what an awesome view on a clear morning as you enter NC!)     We continued through Charlotte, and onward to Columbia SC where we picked up I26 and crossed over to I95.  Then on south into GA (skirting thunderstorms the whole afternoon it seems) for our second overnight stop at the Savannah South KOA (GA):   - It's not as nice as Fancy Gap IMHO, the sites are downright cramped, but we have no complaints either when you consider that we are stopping overnight. Again, we didn't unhitch.  We've arrived in the South and it's HOT!  So,  the pool alone (which was spotless and just generally nice) is worth it.  It's location next to a pond is nice.  I think this might also work out well as a base for exploring downtown Savannah as our camping neighbors were planning to do. You do hear some road noise, but unless you are sleeping in a tent or pop up this shouldn't be a real issue.  We turned in early after a few hours in the pool to relax.   Pedometer: 6905   Monday. 6/8 Today it's I-95, to I-4, to Disney and the Fort! 🙂  Except for food and gas we tried to stay  moving as much as possible.  This year we did take the time to stop in at the FL welcome center for a cup of OJ and our lunch in the Camper.  The kids are wearing their cool Monorail t-shirts.   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/thumb_IMG_5141_1024_zpsp6ud10yw.jpg   We ran into some rain on I-4 but we moved along and by 3:30 or so had the Fort in our sights!     We'd put in a fairly open ended site request via online checkin and basically just ask for something in either the 1300 or 1400 loops.  We'd stayed in 1408 last year, knew we'd love it there, liked the looks of 1300, kinda hoped we'd get back into the 1400 anyway. As it turned out we were assigned 1303.  Man, what a score!  Although I wasn't so sure at the time.  We ventured back, found it, nice easy drivers side back-in right across from the comfort station, nice, awesome, loved that spot.     http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/thumb_IMG_5147_1024_zpsk1x02hug.jpg   We spent just a little while unpacking the truck and getting the camper set and then it's off to the bus stop to get our Golf Cart.   -Pixie dust works on Golf Carts...   We rode the bus (Ben loves riding on pretty much any form of Disney Transportation, so this was an event...  Got to the Cart stand and let the attendant know we were ready to pick up our cart. Now, this may sound strange, but the guy says, well, we're going to give you a little extra magic today and upgrade your cart to one of the brand new ones!  He was pretty excited to tell us this.  He was so friendly and honest about it I couldn't help feeling a little extra loved and cared for, thanked him extra nice for the "upgrade", and in fairly short order we were riding one of the kids favorite rides in the whole place! 🙂  Gotta admit, I'm right there with them.  Folks, say whatever you want about bikes, or walking, but with two little pairs of legs, two ummm more mature pair of legs, long days in the park, sometimes rain, sometimes just for the sheer joy of looping...  You just can't beat a cart.  I know, I know, they are not strictly needed...  But dang it!  It's vacation and we love them!  LOL!   Next we take our new found little plastic and lead acid battery filled hunk of joy back to the meadows to look for some fresh bananas for Ben, and a cable modem for me!   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/thumb_IMG_5143_1024_zpse6gyblia.jpg    -Pixie dust works for Internet modems.   Well, this probably stretches the Pixie dust thing some (if the cart hasn't already) but as it so happens I get to the counter at the trading post with exactly one gentleman ahead of me and he's doing guess what?  Yep, returning a modem.  I walk up and say "I'd like on of those please." and about 90 seconds later I've got it.  Just mentioning this because I've seem many stories of long waits to get these, I'm not here at a really busy time of the year, and it's Monday, so perhaps that why I've had no issues needing to wait on one either trip.  Back to the camper for some more rest.   Back at the camper we spent some more time unloading and unpacking stuff like the chairs and  the kids bikes and all of a sudden it's time for dinner.  I think we're just happy to be in a place for awhile after three longish days on the road and just decided to hang loose at the Fort for the evening and grab some take out from Trails End.   After some food the kids decided that this would be a perfect time to try out the pool, and since it wasn't raining like it seems to have done every day last year, I decided that we'd better get them in there!  Enjoyed the pool which was busy, not crowded, and just relaxed.   Later, it's back into the cart and off to the beach for the EWP and Fireworks.  Perfect ending to a long day.  I made myself a little extra special drink to relax, the kids were out like a light in thirty seconds.     http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/thumb_IMG_5148_1024_zpsemk5el6t.jpg   Perfect.  We've had a good day.   Pedometer 7210   Wel - there it is - the first thrilling chapter...  Here's peek at tomorrow - I's seen something on our first day and did't realize I'd have breaking news for the Construction board....   http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Fort Wilderness 2015/thumb_IMG_5145_1024_zpsehs1h6lb.jpg  
 

As we were leaving this morning 900 is still closed, and there is at least one additional trench being dug between the Comfort Station and the road. Maybe some other work being done further back in, but I was in a hurry and couldn't stop to snoop anymore.

You find yourself wondering how many Geckos you may have hiding in the camper, and then wondering what the average towing capacity of a Gecko may be...

Getting ready to leave... It's sad, but, just for fun...
You might have had a good time at the fort if...
You decide poop in the pool is just part of the experience...
You can't remember what day it is, you just know it's going to fast...
Kids go to bed of their own free will, sometimes without even telling you..
Your little Girl sobs when she learns we have to leave and go home...
Your kids ask why we can't have a Golf Cart at home...
You try to use your Magic Band PIN to unlock your truck...
I'll remember more, or feel free to join in and add your own. Keep us in your thoughts as we travel home!

I think it was Hoop De Doo. When we went back for the Parade and Fireworks it seemed pretty much back to what I was used to seeing. Tomorrow is "Fort Day" for us. Nothing planned at all after breakfast. I'm ready to just be lazy for a day. :)
So, hijacking my own thread - haha. Anything we shouldn't miss doing at the Fort on our "day about nothin"? Lots of pool time I think for sure if they can keep the poop out of the pool that is. Hah!

Here is a slightly better non trespassing pic. Taken from the comfort station looking in. You can see a trailer with the old pipes, where they trenched across the road, and some kind of machine I can't identify.

I've been needing a good sounding excuse to buy a drone. I'll talk it over with DW. If you never hear from me again... I've finally pushed her over the edge with my toy requests!

Just passed this on the way to the Marina:

Umm. We might or might not have looped through a dark empty loop. The keep out signs are hard to read here at the fort after dark... It's strange and kinda cool to see all those empty spaces.

Went looping last night and noticed that the 900 Loop was empty and blocked. (The kids love looking for other Mickey lamps since we made one of our own last fall.) They had a trench dug and appeared to be replacing some kind of drainage culvert/pipe. Pic later on if I can get one.

They have all the crushed shell/sand down and now they are back with treated 4X4s:

Good job reporting this and posting your photo:
 

 
It's not as bad as I imagined, but I still don't like the fact that they're messing with one of the last bits of wilderness at the Fort.
 
Is this really necessary?
 
TCD

Today they are dumping in lots of sand and packtng it down. The kids loved watching the big machines working. Looks like that entire space that separated The Pioneer Hall cart parking area from the Carrige ride (?) will be Cart parking when they are done. No Starbucks - yet.

Here is a photo if it works. A drive through would be awesome!
http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/Farm_Camp/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsyqwu5rzv.jpg

Offically new here but have been lurking for years.  Thanks for all the info and help everyone continues to provide.
 
Yellow Fly Alert:
My family just returned from the Fort and thought I would give eveyone a heads-up that the yellow flies or deer flies were more abundant than I remember from years past. If you're not familier with these pests, they are a type of horse fly and more persistent and more painful than mosquitoes. The good news, the peak yellow fly season in FL last only from about May to June.
 
Black Bears:
FWIW, late last week two FL black bears were spotted near the Meadow Swimmin' Pool. Notifications were posted on the doors at each Comfort Station.  According to one Cast Member they were caught on several cameras and she also mentioned that these were likely the offspring of two that were spotted in 2012.