Duane

Over the years traveling to the Fort, once I get parked, and usually before I put out all of the slides I have washed my entire rig right there at my site...  Bugs can be an issue, so I have always supplemented my truck brush with a hand full of dryer sheets... the bugs just melt right off... 

 

 

We could see the monorail cruising by, and I noticed something strange- you can open the windows on the Disneyland monorail:

 

 

 

Silly Andrew, those are not windows, those are anti-humidity devices... Clearly they don't need them in California like they do in Florida....

 

 

 

That's the California Screaming rollercoaster there on the left, and the Fun Wheel on the right.

 

Andrew, you referred to the ferris wheel as just the "Fun Wheel", is called just that now, or do they call it "Mickey's Fun Wheel?"  The reason I ask, was that when we were there, there was this annoying voice with somewhat of a crazy accent barking about riding Mickey's Fun Wheel.... I can still hear that voice in my head today....  But wait, I hear all kinds of voices in my head today... I think I even see dead people... Maybe its time for my medication....

Now California Screaming is another story... that was my favorite ride at DL.... I feel there are a lot of parallels between DW and DL and I always thought that California Screaming was the RnR for them...

Can you swing by NC and pick me up?  With that larger site, you should have more than enough room for one more....

Ok, I'm back... Glad you guys got to see and experience DL... We were out a few years ago when they were building the World of Color light/water show, so I'm anxious to hear/see what that's all about. Also interested in what you thought of the Grand Californian. We stayed there using our hoidy toidy DVC points... We liked staying there, especially when you walk out one door and you're standing the entrance to MK and walk out another and walk literally into California Adventure...

Carry on... Looking forward to reading more!

Dang! You snooze you lose.... I have been creeping in the TR section for days looking for this to begin, and the one day I don't log on BAM! I miss the train....

Guess I get page 5, 9:27 PM EST bragging rights.... Let me hit post so can seal the deal.... be back in a few

I use points from CC, hotel programs, or sometimes even airlines to "buy" gas cards. We scored almost 1800 worth of credits for our last trip from those programs. Of course that is because I spend half my life on travel for work.

What Carol said…. Managed to score $400 in BP cards from rewards from my corporate credit card I use to book travel….

Also, Christmas is coming… if folks ask you want you want this year, tell them gas gift cards….

 

then heading for dinner....

 

More wandering on our way to dinner...

 

It's Rick's favorite restaurant....

 

 

Rick is the MAN!  and has good taste in eating places…. This is my all time Disney favorite as well…  In fact a couple of years ago when we spent Thanksgiving at the World (sadly, not the Fort, but Saratoga Springs), this is where we ate Thanksgiving Dinner! 

Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like some crab legs and mussels in butter!

I have a minor, but valid, complaint.

 

It's 2014- hasn't technology advanced to the point that they can take a photo of guests on Spaceship Earth that doesn't look like a puzzle piece mixed with Swiss Cheese?:

 

 

 

Seriously, are we supposed to be impressed with that?

 

TCD

Now Andrew, you ought to know if they can't remove several specs of dust from a movie projected on a screen (Soarin'), how are they going to come up with a way to make make these pictures without holes....?

Oh, by the way Carol, I'm along for the ride!

I bet for the right price, Kelly would bring the Big Green Egg down and take care of the bird for you!

Who was that masked man?!

I'm with FWG... "no b@lls, no babies!"  Driving over that bridge is the highlight of my trip!  In fact they need to close down a couple of lanes and add a "jersey wall" or two....

It works pretty good... but like everything else its something that you have to get used to using. Its not very deep, so you have to make smaller pizzas. Just another cooking "gadget" that I had to have...

Another little handy tip... before you leave home, go to the bank and pick up a couple rolls of quarters...  That way for some reason if the change machines are not working, or if you are like me and never have any singles on me (now that I mention it, I usually don't have anything else on me either) to feed the machine, you will be all set...

I hate our oven because it's one of those combo microwave deals. It takes FOREVER to cook anything. Do you like the Campchef oven? 

 

We now travel with:

An electric skillet for cooking bacon, etc. outside

Our new BGE Mini Max

And our RV has the stove top and combo microwave/oven 

I do like the oven...  It does a pretty good job for what it is.  As you can imagine, you have to keep an eye on the temperature and make minor adjustments every now and then.  The interior size is good and the oven fits in one of the outside storage compartments.

We too have a micro/convection oven inside, but never have used the convection part.  We also have the gas oven, but its one of the smaller versions (meaning its not as tall as some of the others we had in other campers).

Gwen, you ARE an awesome photographer!  Your pics bring a neat perspective to the details at WDW... Can't wait to see more!

This pic is definitely a keeper!

Security was easy they sent me to the TSA pre check lane so I could keep my shoes, light jacket on. I have no idea why but the fact that they did made it so much easier for me. The lady behind me was huffy because I had a lot of stuff but ironically she's the one who set off the metal detector. I had a lot of stuff (stroller, 3 book bags and a bag of medical stuff) but I was prepared and not holding up the line. Because I was carrying more than the typical amount of liquids they swabbed my cooler, and book bag but not the kids stuff or my bag of meds, nebulizer etc.

As Ray said, TSA Pre-Check does indeed rock!  Before I sprung and paid the money to get it officially, I got sent down that aisle several times... It's funny how we get programmed for certain things, still today, I feel like I am doing something wrong or illegal when I don't take out my laptop or remove my shoes before going through the metal detector.

I was second in line and a lady kept trying to cut me and was giving me the stink eye and saying it wasn't family preboarding it was for medical only. I got tired of her huffing and puffing and finally asked if she'd like to see my paperwork, that finally shut her.

 

Don't you love how society has turned such that everyone is out for themselves and are afraid someone is trying to get over on them?  You should have told her that you were a rock star traveling with your entourage on your way to the G-Force Records Studios in Orlando and you would give her your autograph if she liked...

I had a similar thing happen to me a couple of years ago at LaGuardia... As you have probably have read, I travel a lot... so, when I can get away with it, I do Business Select on Southwest... This particular flight, I had A-01, so would be the first to board after the pre-boards...  

The gate agent comes on the mic and does his spiel about SW boarding procedures and asks everyone to begin to line up.  As all of us "cattle" begin to get in line, you know the drill, where everyone is figuring out where they have to stand,  I move to the beginning of the line and politely step in front of this guy.  He proceeds to ask me who do I think I am jumping in front of him, and what gave me the right to do so. I calmly answered him back that the guy in the SW uniform and my boarding pass gave me that right...

After he saw that he was in the wrong and not even in the A boarding group, he went and sat back down...  After I got seated on the plane, I saw him board as one of the last folks on the plane...

What you have (i.e. Class A, TT, 5th wheel): Winnebago 37L Motorhome on a Ford chassis with the V-10 gas engine

If you're towing (so TT or 5th wheel) how heavy is it:

If you tow, what is your tow vehicle: We do tow, but it is a car behind the motorhome.  2012 Honda CRV

Gas mileage: Haven't hand calculated it, but based on the MPG computer on the motorhome, somewhere around 7 to 8 MPG

Do you like it, love it or hate it (this applies to both the tow vehicle and what you're towing (or driving if Class A or C): Love it... We have had everything except for a Class C, diesel pusher, or Prevost/Newell class RV (and unless I win Powerball or MegaMillions, won't ever have one either).  To me this has been the best camping experience "vehicle" so far... Traveling is easy, set up and take down are also easier in my mind.  Even though the girls don't routinely get up and move around while underway, each person doesn't feel couped up in a truck cab. Food and drinks are readily accessible, and the TV can be used.

If you'd like to make a change, change to what and why: There is nothing really I can do about it, but there are 2 smaller slide outs directly behind the driver and passenger seats.  It's not so much a problem for me, but when the slides are closed for travel the passenger seat can't recline all the way... I'm sure my passenger's would be happy if I didn't recline my seat at all while driving down the road...

We keep a 22.5" Weber kettle, smoker, and a full assortment of cast iron in ours along with charcoal and wood chunks. The Ol' Mickey RV is basically a 32' kitchen.................

TIm, your camper sounds like ours... a rolling kitchen.  Among my collection of cooking items, we haul, in no particular order:

- a 2 burner Camp Chef Explorer high output stove

- a single burner butane stove (the kind caterer's use)

- a Camp Chef Artisan Pizza Oven used on the Explorer stove

- a Camp Chef propane oven

- a 12" cast iron dutch oven

- an assortment of cast iron pie irons

- a WeberQ 210 gas grill

Hopefully someday I will learn how to use all of this stuff....

Amazon gift card

 

you can get anything from amazon for the TT

trust me he will use it

I agree with Jeff on this one as well.... Men are simple creatures, most of us would welcome a gift card or money of any kind to go out and choose what we want.

Speaking for me personally, I don't worry about the "thought" that did or did not go into any gift card or currency that I received.

A good surge protector would be a great gift for a relatively new RV'r. They are a little pricey but a good safety feature to protect not only the rig but your family as well.

Am I lucky enough for page 2 or have page 3 bragging rights?

Thursday, October 16 -- The Day I Got Lost

 

Okay, I have a confession to make here.  I have a terrible sense of direction.  Despite thinking I understood TCD's and Carol's directions, I got lost.  I took a wrong turn at the four-way stop and ended up going the long way around.  So long that David was calling me wondering where in the world I was. 

 

So several days later after I had successfully made it to the 700 loop and really understood how to go, I took pictures of all the turns.  Will post them later in case anyone is interested.

I now understand why we never got to see you guys after that first day.... you were lost for several days somewhere between the Outpost and the 700 loop. It must have been really lonely out there on the ECV all alone with no food or drink.... I guess it really is a wilderness out there!

Couldn't wash the dishes huh?  Sounds like an excuse to get out of doing them....