Starbuc71

As our daughter is still all about Disney even though we don’t go anymore, we surprised her with a lunch reservation for the new steakhouse 71 restaurant at the old wave at the contemporary resort yesterday. They revamped the interior to look more upscale and modern but nothing that knocked our socks off. Being a new place, they had their issues. We waited over an hour for our food but our waiter was great. We basically ordered the burger, the prime rib sandwich and the steak frites which were all good. The prices for lunch were not bad for eating at Disney. All entrees were around $18-$22.  Would we go back again?  Probably not but it at least got us to try something new. 
After lunch, we were dying to check out the Fort. It’s been 4 years since we have been there. We’re we disappointed.  First off, I guess the boats that go between the campgrounds, the lodge and contemporary have not been running since the start of the pandemic. This meant we need to walk to the MK to catch the big boat to the campground. When pulling up to the docks at the fort we were astonished to see how the beach and river country area were just left to deteriorate. We all know reflections were scrapped but talk about Disney basically abandoning the area. It was so sad to see the beach over grown and actually see a makeshift employee parking area in a dusty area where the river country ticket booth once stood. Also the mountains of dirt and concrete sewer pipes that are now overgrown with brush is just so not Disney. The whole area of the settlement is just ruined and there looks to be no fix in site. Once again, the fort takes back seat to any progress.  Again, happy for our memories years ago

6 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Dave-  I can’t believe your daughter is 15! Wow!  If it’s any consolation, you are making a good choice to not give your money to Disney.  Even without the price increases, the current parks experience is awful.  Hardly and shows, no parking lot trams, poor crowd control, long lines, price gouging on food, no Fastpass.  It’s just not nearly as fun as it used to be. It’s very sad- especially for anyone who remembers how things used to be. If you need a fix, wait for one of those Florida Resident three day pass deals. They always pump those out and probably still will when attendance lags. 

TCD

Yeah, time flies. I remember when your girls were little tikes at the fort also. It’s sad because our daughter reminds us of yours, she still loves Disney as a young adult and was hoping to do the college program there. I told her to slow down because of so many changes. I hope they reconsider the Epcot after 4, but if they do, I’m sure the price will skyrocket with restrictions.  Your right about food prices as well.  Even though the last time we were at chef Mickey probably 3 years ago, the four of us walked out spending about $275. I’m sure it’s higher now. We still stick with Dollywood up in Tennessee. Their prices have gone up, but not out of control. Hope your all doing well

2 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

The price has gotten high. How about now you have to pay for a fast pass, which now it has a new name. If it wasn't for my kid I could be done  based on price. But she loves Disney and we like it to, so for now I guess we keep paying. Everything has gotten so expensive now we went to a camp ground last weekend that we have been going to for 20 years and it's now $80.00 per night and there are zero amenities other then river access. 

I hear ya. They priced us out years ago, but what they are doing now is BS. $230 each for 4 hours of a Christmas party?  Come on. People need to boycott the parks but it will never happen

Hey all, I usually do not post here anymore for a few reasons. Mostly because we are not campers any longer and as I am not anti Disney, we have been saddened by the changes (even pre Covid) the mouse has made.  Our daughter is now 15. We started camping at the fort when she was 2. Unfortunately, Disney priced us out of the fort around 2016/2017.  Our daughter is still a huge Disney fan and will stay up to date with all things Disney at the parks. She wants to go back so bad, and honestly, the wife and I wouldn’t mind a little bit of happy place after this past 15 months working in the medical field. Now here is where I get frustrated.  I know everyone has suffered somehow through this pandemic and every business that survived is trying to figure out how to recoup their losses.  My plan was to possibly purchase Epcot after 4 passes for Christmas. With the latest announcement of AP last week, I don’t see the after 4 pass. This irritated me but didn’t get me mad yet. As I looked at the new passes, it started to get me more mad. To get a decent pass that allows you access on weekends or when school is out will run you close to $1000 each and for the poor out of state people, your looking over $1200.  This is just plain crazy.  Don’t make me quote the famous Walt speech about creating a place EVERYONE can enjoy. So, this got me mad, but this last one got me pissed. So now I figure I would get tickets for this new Christmas party special event ticket. Mind you, it’s 9pm to 1am with letting you in at 7, not 4 like previous hours. To my holy surprise, a November ticket was $189 and a December ticket was close to $230 each…. Sorry but WTF.  THIS IS TOTALLY INSANE.  I’m not buying these. If it were not for the love of Disney from our kids, I would ban these morons for life.  They might as well do a credit check at security and only let certain income people in.  They are doing this hypothetically by charging what they do.  And don’t get me started on Disney cruise line prices. It’s something WE WILL NEVER AFFORD. Thanks Disney for absolutely nothing

12 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Mark- thanks for starting this thread. You asked a good question, and this thread gives me a good place to share some thoughts. 

Yes, this message board is in decline. It has been for a long time. Message Boards are not popular any more. They’re all fading away. 

As for this one, I agree with the others about how Disney and the Fort have lost a lot of magic lately.  The dealbreaker for me personally has been how poorly they have treated passholders and castmembers as a result of COVID-19.  I understand that they are a business, but Disney has relentlessly focused on making huge profits at the expense of loyal passholders and castmembers.  They’re also treating DVC members badly.

As most everyone here knows, before the pandemic the TCD twins had been castmembers for 5+ years and both worked very hard and put up with a lot to get on career paths that were very promising.  When COVID hit, that changed. One never got called back and the other took a temporary assignment with Disney doing some very important and sensitive HR work and was treated very badly.

They are 25 years old with college degrees, and could not sit around hoping that Disney would offer them some crappy positions when they finally decide to loosen the purse strings. So, they have both moved on. They both have new jobs with new companies where they are making more money and have brighter futures.

But, it’s heartbreaking for them to have been treated so poorly despite their hard work and loyalty.  

So, it’s break time for the TCD gang and Disney.  Such a shame.  

TCD

Andrew,

great to hear from you. When you of all people are parting ways with Disney, everyone needs to realize there is a problem..lol. Like we spoke years ago, Disney has changed so much. For years it was just an attraction that a family could vacation at. Disney was not battling for world domination back then like they are now. It seems the majority changed when they bought MARVEL. Everything was looked at to make more money. They didn’t just want to make more money, they wanted to become a powerhouse and make a HUGE amount of money. With acquisitions like ABC,ESPN and eventually Lucasfilms, the attraction disappeared and the big business began.  An average family, with an average income slowly could not afford that magical trip. The Disney experience that cast members believed in began to diminish and the hidden gem of fort wilderness where you could stay for under $100 a night and get all the perks of staying on Disney property was soon realized and corrupted. Then Covid hit which disrupted their entire business model and changed the way they treat their guest.  Such a shame. But as I posted, we had 10 good years of awesome memories at the fort. As for this site, there has been many memorable post and especially trip reports from you, the master. Hard to believe the twins are 25. Time flies. Everything moves on and moves twice as fast. I’ll never regret having our kids enjoy the 10 years of Fort camping. 

So, I have not posted here in a long time and actually have no been on the site for a long time as well. We started camping at the fort back in 2008 when our daughter was 2 and our son was a new born. We camped for 10 years there up until 2018 and Disney prices and booking a year out to get a site forced us out. We were just talking the other night about the great memories we had during those 10 years with our children growing up camping at the fort.  Since we are locals, there was a time you could grab a reservation on a Wednesday for the upcoming weekend. We must have camped at least 50 times at the fort during those years. As others have said, life moves on and things change. Our daughter is 15 now. She loves Disney, but Disney Springs will have to do once in a great while. Our neighbor camped there a few weeks back and paid $266 a night for a premium site. That’s crazy.  The next generation of families with small children will not be able to afford the experience at the fort like we did. With Covid and the money they lost with the parks closed and Disneyland still closed, I don’t foresee anything getting cheaper or easier. Good luck campers, have fun

On 11/2/2020 at 3:23 PM, Tri-Circle-D said:

Yes, you can still fax site requests. 

No, they have not let up on the mask rules. In fact, they are using new signage identical to the signs they are using in the parks that say you will be asked to leave if you are not wearing your mask properly. That said, we were there for a two night stay last weekend, and compliance and enforcement were practically nonexistent.  Guests were blatantly ignoring the mask rule. On a previous trip over Labor Day weekend, there were castmembers stationed at the four way stops of the major roads monitoring mask compliance. Last weekend, there were no castmembers stationed anywhere. So, it’s likely no one will say anything about a four year old not wearing a mask. 

TCD

Hey Andrew. Nice to see you’re still enjoying the fort.  This is the first time on this site for me in well over a year.  We miss camping at the fort, owning the TT and the memories we made there. But, with this crazy year, the TT would have been in storage for over a year without use.  Disney will never be like it was even without the pandemic.  We enjoy remembering how it was instead of what it has become. Have fun in your future visits. 

3 hours ago, tim5055 said:

My first trip to the Fort was in 1974.  I've seen a lot of changes. 

 

Campsites taken over by rental trailers.

Fort Wilderness train gone

Building of the cabin loops

Slow erosion of theming and holiday decorations.

Ever increasing Prices

 

I could keep going, but every time there is a change folks accept it.  Newer legions of RV enthusiasts find the Fort and declare it the nicest campground of all.   They accept the way things are because then never knew the beginning.

 

The construction site looks horrible.  The previews of the new resort are not my taste.  But, somehow I think Disney will make it work together.  They always have.

I agree. If I don’t pay or visit, someone else will.  That’s what justifies a new DVC resort.  Just like this site. 10 years ago was a whole different group of campers here. I think many gave up camping at the fort, some still troll here and others like myself gave it up all together.  This will probably be my last post here for a long time.  Good luck all

My family and I decided to visit the fort and have dinner at trails end this past Sunday. We have not visited since we camped there in May of 2018.  I don’t post much here anymore since I’m not a camper anymore and I will rarely post but will from time to time. We knew there were changes happening at the fort due to the new abomination that’s not being built next door, but being built right on top of the fort.  We were disgusted on what they are doing at the settlement area. With all that’s being taken away, we were surprised they didn’t tear down pioneer hall. They are basically building right around it on three sides. We also loved the sign that stated “enjoy our new beach”. They basically  took the lounge chairs and put them right of the docks on a piece of sand not even the fraction of the size of the old beach.  Moving the playground to the middle of the golf cart path is an accident waiting to happen.  Once again, we were so blessed to spend time at the fort when Disney cared about the campers. IMHO i don’t think taking some trees down and throwing rock down to make a meadows parking lot is a huge improvement. Just so sad. 😥😥😥😥

You’re absolutely right about a Star Wars fan expecting more.  As I stated, they should have used the un-used spaces to make the shops and “bars” larger and feel like the park was full of things to do. They will never add to it for a long time. Maybe a new ice cream cart here or there.  I still enjoyed it , but as a die hard Star Wars fan I thought it could be better 

58 minutes ago, h2odivers...Ray said:

Why do you suppose the lines are shorter than the rest of the popular rides?

 

could it be that there is no FPs available for SR?

 

ive always thought that FPs make for much longer wait times in the stand by lines. 

No fast pass que at SR.  It should have one by now since we never saw the wait time more than 65 minutes all weekend. I think the land and SR were so over hyped and unless you were a total Star Wars nerd, it was a bit of a let down. 

9 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

I haven't been to GE yet but I think you hit the nail on the head on all points of it. From every video I have seen it just looks like a dirty desert town. Not exciting, Star Wars was cool because of outer space and tech. We will go check it out but I also am not expecting much. We were looking forward to riding the skyliner  but you couldn't pay my kid to get on it now since it got stuck. 

It actually does not look like a dirty town but more like maybe Asia at animal kingdom. I agree on this skyliner.  I would have been the guy waving taking a wiz out the window if I was stuck that long on it. 

As I stated in another topic, this weekend was our swan song for our annual passes. Being a huge Star Wars fan, I had to check out Galaxy’s Edge before our passes expired.  I did not get my hopes to high from what everybody said about the land itself and smugglers run not being the best thing since sliced bread.  I’ll have to say, a lot of time and imagination went into the area, but I did not feel like I was immersed in a Star Wars world. It felt more like walking through a wider animal kingdom then stumbling upon  some Star Wars stuff all shoved together in the back corner.  The shopping area is way to small with a lot of dead space in the land where it all should have been built.   The food choices are horrible and the $8.00 for a tiny glass of frozen blue (or green) milk is a great way to throw your money away. The “to scale” ships and speeders are awesome, especially to a person like myself that waited my whole life to see the falcon in person, but you can’t touch them. It was also said there would be a ton of characters walking around to bring you into the Star Wars world and interact with you   Wrong.. only saw 2 storm troopers  who were talking to each other.  Must be a union thing.

Smugglers run is cool, except the story for me.  Unless you watched Rebels, you would have no clue who Hondo is and there is so much going on in the movie on the cockpit screen, you end up just pushing buttons with no clue on what your doing or what the heck is going on. Forget about taking in the sights of the cockpit because the Next thing you know, the cast member is yelling to move and get out in some kind of friendly way. 

I guess I’ll say, I was not disappointed, but I can say you can tell Disney built it and not George Lucas.  It could have been so much more.  I would have at least expected more to the entrance to the land at both entrances. Again it feels like 50% Animal Kingdom and 50% Something kind of out of Star Wars. Rise of the resistance is supposed to be ground breaking, but I’m not disappointed we won’t be going.  I do have to say, we rode slinky dog for the first time, and that was the highlight of the day. Never thought I’d say that. 

21 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

All of the construction walls have created giant pinch points in Epcot for crowds trying to exit after Illuminations. They should have thought about that when scheduling the debut of the new fireworks show.

TCD

I like the progress but your right. On busy days now it’s impossible to move or leave the parks because of construction.  I guess it’s funny how I complain about construction now when a few years back we all complained that there was never any progress.  I just hate with progress prices go up and price out us normal people

We took a day trip to Epcot and MK this past weekend.  It’s all great that they are putting money into the parks and roadways, but slow down a bit.  Every way you turn your being directed to a detour weather in the parks, waiting for a bus or trying to drive there. I would hate to plan a magical trip thousands of miles away to see all this construction and areas closed. I’m all for progress but this also increases ticket and food prices.   The food is also off the chart these days. We went to Biergarten in Germany and dropped over $280 for the 4 of us. Gotta love that my 10 year old is considered an adult. None of the food is worth the prices they are charging.  Things are getting out of control.  Our AP expire in 30 days then I’m throwing all our Magic bands in the trash. First they out priced us from the campground now it’s everything else. We are going there for a long weekend in a few weeks for our swan song to at least see Galaxy edge which I hear is Wayyyyy over hyped.  Nice that they couldn’t even finish the back sides of the rock spires so it looks like crap from the road. Bob Iger can’t leave quick enough. Hope he takes Kathleen Kennedy with him and replace them with someone who really knew what Walt’s dream was, a place where “EVERYONE “ can enjoy. (Not just the rich and famous)

As much as we complain about changes, it’s amazing how some of those pics and areas look like they were filmed yesterday. The castaway MK boat and the smaller ones have not changed along with pioneer hall and the trading post. Great video. Especially the long missed railroad

2 hours ago, DaveInTN said:

I tweaked your post in an effort to be completely factual.  

Good catch

They are probably fake splinters like the memory bricks at MK they are giving to people who had them. Political red tape..lol

I know I can be a complainer and even a Debby downer a lot of the time, but this is just BS. What the hell are they doing?  They own so much land and they are purposely building this right on top of the fort. Iger ruined Disney.  He has no love for the fort, just money. I’m sure we can debate DVC all day here, but in my opinion it’s just another cash cow scam. This gets me so upset that the most peaceful and beautiful place in all of Disney is slowly going to the wayside.  I’m sure it’s just a matter of time until something drastic happens at the campgrounds. Can you imagine the people that will be going to the campfire and the meadows pool once this is built?  I’m sure there will be a card reader to get into the resort but nothing to get into the fort. So so sad. I’m glad we had the memories we did. Good luck faithful Disney campers. You’re going to need it

3 hours ago, djsamuel said:

Actually, as a local, there is no difference between a Floridian and a local by any definition.  I live 30 minutes away, my wife worked years for Disney and retired and now we enjoy the benefits she earned when we can fit it in around my work schedule.  We use the amenities at the Fort when we are PAYING to stay there. What the Fort needs to control are rude self centered people, be they from 5 miles away or 1,000 miles, paying or freeloading (which by definition is rude and self centered).  Unfortunately that is the problem and is a reflection of society not Disney.  Knowing some people who work at Disney and the Fort as well, they are trying VERY hard to improve things and still maintain an enjoyable atmosphere that allows people to enjoy themselves.  We've witnessed freeloaders at the Fort from many states away who aren't staying on Disney property at all.  The guards have to put up with people flashing their annual pass and demanding access to everything at Fort Wilderness.  It is a very tough job.

I agree with you, but In past references on this site, locals were tagged as freeloaders who used amenities without being a paying fort visitor.  Not saying per say that people who live in Florida are all freeloaders.  You get the point

16 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

You are looking at a glass half empty instead of half full.  You are complaining about people and not the Fort.  You also looked at the Fort as a weekend getaway cheap campground, which it's not and was never ment to be. Walt made it as a economical place to stay at Walt Disney world on a family vacation.  Not to go every weekend.

Anyway don't be upset about change, life is all about change and if you look at it the right way, life may be a little more fun.

Wow, didn’t expect that kind of response from you. I’m not looking at the glass half empty. I have been very Cordele about what and how I said things on here and most are true even if they are my opinion. You sound more jealous that you can’t be a fort weekend warrior like we used to be.  I hate the negativity about Florida people on here.  There is a difference in definition between Floridian and locals when dealing with the fort.  All the more reason why I’m happy not to be a camper anymore.  Probably my last post now 😡

Wow. This is the most response I ever got on a topic I started. I’m proud of myself.  LOL. I have to say, besides the fort prices, the price of park tickets etc., we still think camping at the fort is not like it used to be.  As more and more people have found the hidden treasure at the fort, it’s become more crowed and not as relaxing. Large groups or groups of friends come together more often and like most of  the people nowadays, they have no respect for other campers and only care about themselves.   Many times last year on our trips, small children were not being watched while the parents sit and consume beverages, golf carts are being driven recklessly by both adults and underage drivers, people are constantly cutting through your site knocking things over, more and more non resort guest are taking over the amenities and the pool you could cross walking from head to head.  I guess because we used to go so frequently we notice these things vs people who visit once a year or so.  How about the campers that pile non garbage things like patio blocks, broken camper parts and chairs etc. near the trash cans.  one time we saw a recliner next to the trash can.  It’s a shame it’s not like it was. Wait till the abomination II gets built next door. You will have all those guest looping on rented golf carts, surey bikes and whatever else they can rent to look at all the camping folks. I’m sure this thread will have more comments and agreement when that happens. Security is a joke. Every time they get a good head of security that enforces the rules but is not a jerk, they get promoted or quit.  

.....hence another reason the fort is just crazy now and not like it used to be.  I guess my kids will be adults when we can finally get a fast pass for anything Star Wars

Unfortunately, I work 60 hours a week and don’t make enough money to enjoy the fort like we used to.  I know times have changed but it seems to me the prices with everything always increased but not as fast as they do now. You never heard of people complaint about fort prices until about 5 years ago.  I also understand that you need to spend money to make money and in order to have the money to spend to increase your business, it comes from the consumer/ customer. Like I said when I started this thread, I’m not here to bash Disney and their prices.  Their financial model just does not fit my wallet anymore. And for those of you with disposable incomes, well to do retirees, and people who have mega time off,  God bless you and yes, I’m jealous.  I will die before retirement.  

When we had our 40’ toyhauler ww camped in both June and July and would never do it again. We live in FL so are aware of the heat. Both months it was so hot the ac would never stop running until around 10pm. It would actually freeze up and blow ice chips from time to time. We ended up spending 85% of our time watching TV inside the RV. I finally told the wife we could do this at home more comfortably