GradyBunch

I'm in, Looks like you guys enjoyed your first evening despite the rocky start. Looking forward to more!

Rocky Start from Rocky Top....that should be the title!

You had me at "losing consciousness". IN!

The nice green grass at the meadow on the way to the CS was calling my name.  I don't do blood well

I am a first time trip reporter but long time lurker on this thread. I have really enjoyed reading about everyone's experiences on here, especially since I live 650 miles away from the Fort and only get to go down once a year.  We normally go down in October for fall break but switched to the spring this year to take advantage of DD9 who turned 10 in April.  Plus it's supposed to be cooler in March, right? 

Ok, so here we go.  In true Breaking Bad / Terantino style remember this photo...it will come into play later under the "bad luck" category

(Roll opening credits)

The father in law helped with cleaning the the day before we left, he gets huge kuddos for #1 helping and #2 it was low 40's and dreary.  Look close and you will notice all the mud on the driveway due to the fact that my yard was soaking wet and I apparently forgot how to avoid my lawn when backing the TT. 

Reese and Minnie were happy to get moving

Fast forward to Saturday 10:30am.  We normally go the back way in and avoid toll roads..this time we paid the tolls and went through the main entrance

Notice how sunny and beautiful it is compared to the dreary Tennessee weather...good luck already!

unloaded the golf cart

and drove around the fort for a little bit before getting everything unpacked.  those of you who have seen this pic before know it's my complete fav.  

Ok let's rewind again real quick.  I booked a preferred site in the fall for this trip and we really wanted to upgrade to a premium loop...I called once a week every week but was unable to get upgraded (another good luck alert)

The guy at the gate had me at hello...I asked if there were any premium sites available and after looking he asked "Which loop do you prefer?"   :banana:

And thanks to one of the threads on here, I immediately blurted out 600!  

Site 619 was really nice.  We loved the shade and how close it is to the meadows.

Reese is also thrilled, mostly with the fact that she buddied up with neighbors really quick.  Not unusual for her as we are normally introduced as "Rylee and Reese's parents"

You ever had a bad feeling when you are getting the campsite set up?  Yea, well I got that feeling when I turned the water on from outside and walked around to the door and heard a sprinkler type sound from inside under the sink.  

*runs to turn off the water*

Pause...the week before the trip I dropped the camper off at our local dealer to get it serviced and specifically asked them to check the sink because it had a slow drip in it last season.  Sometimes proper planning does not produce results...

Anyway, the next few hours are kind of a blur and include the following:

- Trying to fix a water leak but just causing more water damage

- Teaching Rylee and Reese the "f" bomb (parenting fail)

- A nice, but severe, finger gash from the cabinet.

- Almost losing consciousness on the way to the comfort station 

- My wife coming into the men's room to clean my wound and douse me with cold water

But no time for any of this pain crap, we are at the happiest place on earth and have ressies for Ragland Road at 4:45...took some ibuprofen and put on some fairy band aids and we were off to DTD.

We got there a few minutes early and requested a table near the stage. As good luck would have it, we got on the first row.

Facepaint and "I danced at Ragland" sticker

Time to head over MK to take advantage of a few fastpasses and this thing they call memory maker.

You ever do a MM Share?  

It's pretty cool and saves some serious $$$$

Anyway, look at this cool fairy stuff

And 7DMT...Rylee's face is the same in every coaster...Reese, not so much.  Keep this in mind

The band was really really good...and too bad I didn't have my selfie stick.

She was already dolled up, that's her dress and hair from her competition (feis) that day. The dancers will always let the kids dance, dressed up or not. In fact, that's how we started. Dancing in the aisles when she was 3. One of the dancers said, "You should take lessons!". DD said "Okay, sure!". And here we are. We owe it all to Raglan :). Take your daughter and introduce her to the girls. They will be sweet to her. And come back and let us know how it goes. Sounds like a dream come true for your dd.

ahhhhh...you lucky folks that live just down the road from Disney.  DD7 takes lessons too and was asked to be in "mini company" this year, which is really great for her and really expensive for us.  If she ever dances an Irish number we will definitely save the costume so she can wear it there one year.  She danced on stage with them this year and it's all she talks about.

I mentioned that 219 was my first choice based on recommendations from here and from checking out the google earth links, and I was happy to find out that they gave us 219. 

That is the site we had in 2012.  Absolutely loved watching the deer every night across the channel.  So glad you all had a good trip!

DD last visit after she danced at Raglan pictured with the dancers.

Awesome...how did you pull that off?  My youngest runs around the house singing Wild Rover and would die if she could get all dolled up with the dancers and get on stage.

Start with the bread pudding. You won't need the steak. 

Start with the beer flight and you may not need either

And if you order more than $75 use the code "shipmagic" for free shipping

We went to HDDR in Oct 2012 and saw this guy as six bits.. he cracked us up and I have been wondering where he is now?  anyone know?

Ordered ours yesterday...guess it's official now that I am addicted to all things Fort

We had some loud neighbors move in about 6-7 sites away on one trip.  They really set their site up as if they were tailgating at a Saints game.  They were very loud and drunk disturbing most of the neighbors on the 100 loop.  However, it was amusing to note there were several young children that got up early the next day from surrounding sites and they proceeded to enjoying themselves rather loudly.  Later at the MK I saw one of our tailgating neighbors looking green around the gills and sweating her rump off in her black nylon NFL jersey!  Yes, I did snicker to myself   Sometimes it is amusing to see others "hoisted on their own petard" if you will. 

Had they continued the behavior for several nights I probably would have contacted the front desk. 

Glad I'm not the only one who sits back and enjoys "poetic justice"...my DD 6 is an early riser and I sometimes send her out to do my bidding.

We wandered around the trading post several times, hoping something would magically pop up that we liked...never happened.  These shirts would've been purchased by the GB for sure.

Thanks to all again. I sent in the fax and asked for something on the outside of 200, and mentioned 219 as my first choice. I actually got 219 and it was a great site. It was awesome having nobody behind us and the kids loved it.  Again, I wanted to thank everybody for their input,we had an awesome first trip (the kids were actually crying when we had to leave so you know we did something right) and I appreciate all the wisdom that you all put out on this forum. 

Wow...that's great.  Glad you and your family had a great time.  Time to plan trip #2?

Very very jealous right now...we love Ragland.  It is the dining staple of our trip every year, so much that we always have dinner there on arrival day.

Uh-oh.  I'll bet this means that the MB scanner on the door failed, and everyone is outside the laundry room trying to get in.

 

TCD

No way, the resort manager assured me that all MB scanners are in place and working - per AC

I am so disappointed in my self that i knew NOTHING about the piggy bank game.  Ultimate parenting fail

Dinner Take Out

 

The GAG...

 

 

Can you get this for lunch or is it dinner only?

Love it, just one to add

Tonga Toast

At the Poly - Kona

It's huge and has some sort of strawberry concoction with it

River Country really doesn't get enough pub...what an awesome place that must have been.  Those pics are great!

The slides, swimming in the lake, hanging with the 70's bald dude with a nice chest hair patch....good times

Whoa, Discovery Island.

 

But, I need to back up to the post before the DI pics, and ask What The Fort is going on here:

 

 

Is that a portable stage they put up in front of the Chinese Theater just for this show?

 

And are those dancing Cave Women?

 

I never heard about any of this.  I wouldn't mind grabbing a beer at DHS and watching some cave women dance.

 

I also didn't know about that Miss Piggy character and her band.

 

These slides are a real treasure!

 

TCD

Can I nominate this as POY? Pic/Post of the Year

first off, "What the Fort"   :clint:

secondly, Chinese theater + cave women + creepy baby dino top left 

and what did one have to do to become the "surprise family for the day"?  

If i could hang with this crew i think i'd be worth it.

I'll arrange for some corn in a jar or three to gently caress the losing side..

Wonderful...already a win - win

Agree with TCD.  We have stayed in both 100 and 200 loops.  We really liked 219 since it was pretty close to the walking path down to the marina.  It wasn't as loud as the 100 loop either.  You can almost hear "All to shore that's going ashore" from the 100's...

I think Defeated Creek may get a bit "unruly" when we win this year...

Edit...If we win, been a while

My thought is this...either leave before 11am and drive all the way to the Fort or leave around 3:30, avoid Atlanta traffic, and stop before midnight.  

This normally puts us at Valdosta around 10 ish.

However, this year was odd...heavy traffic about an hour south of Atlanta held us up for over an hour.