Duane

I was looping around this morning and saw a new pole that went up in the 500 loop.

Hey Guys, remember me?  It's been a while... Anyway, we are on the way down to the Fort for check-in tomorrow around noon to 1-ish...  We have (gasp) rented a cart from Disney this trip and will be glad to report back the nitty gritty of this new cart situation...  Unless someone else beats me to it.
 
Stay tuned!

This is a very cool upgrade. Thank goodness Disney farmed it out to an outside vendor and didn't let the MDE and MB crew try to set it up. I would hate to have to schedule my laundry 180 days out only to find out when I arrived that the system had crashed and Disney put a bucket and a HDDR wash board in front of the door. 

Banjos at WDW - good. Banjos in my neck of the woods- BAD
(Cue dueling banjos)

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!

Nice save Ray!  Just don't look him directly in the eye!

Carol,
 
There is a Halloween section on the d-cot website that plays all of the background music from the parks..including the Boo to You parade for MNSSHP...
 
http://www.d-cot.com/jukebox#
 
Just scroll down on the left side to the "Holidays" section

I hope they don't hang it up underneath the water bridge like they did the Safari truck the other day....

This guy will do well as an architect or some sort of designer because "he gets it"...  He actually thinks about how something he designs will be used in practicality.  We all as campers see where some of the designers today have totally lost their minds somewhere along the way.  How many times have you sat in your camper, or tried to use a feature that looked good in a sales brochure, but had no useful or practical purpose once you bought it.  I have often said that the folks designing things, and I don't care what it is either, have never had to use or work on anything they have designed... 

Kelly, I have a handfull of that minty smelling H2O stuff that I swiped from Aulani here in the camper with me... If you tell me which resort you will be staying, I will put them in a ziploc bag and stash them by the light pole by the guard shack....

DaveInTN - Yes I did take advice from a fellow camper who is obsessed with a mouse.  The truth is I love the mouse as well, but just have not been a fiend.  I know I should be more careful in the future since talking to strangers can lead to bad things, but she seemed nice!  I am sure you will never steer me wrong correct?  I can already tell by your post that I need to trust no one.  Just kidding.
 
As for getting to the park before it opens I too plan our days so I do not have to fight the crowds and wait in line.  I can see this will be a fun group to be a part of.

Carmen, all of these pictures are awesome.  You guys deserve a big pat on the back for getting 'er done!  However, I do need to say that this is the best pictures so far... This would look good framed and hanging somewhere inside the old girl...

I hope you get there someday too Dave... Someone needs to resurrect the age old tradition of giving out starlight mints at Halloween!

I have been reading along from the beginning and wanted to tell you that you guys are doing an awesome job!  I'm not sure that I would have the appetite to tackle a job such as this, but am really enjoying seeing and experiencing it through your eyes and hands!
 
Now break time is over, GET BACK TO WORK!

When we left off, we’d just ridden Barnstormer twice without exiting the ride. The next moment made me a little upset… Dumbo was a walk on. I asked Z if he wanted to ride, and he said NO. My boy is too old for Dumbo? Say it isn’t so!
 
He wanted to ride the Haunted Mansion. We had FP+ for that later, but we were ahead of where I thought we’d be and HM had no wait, so I used my phone to turn that FP+ into a Jungle Cruise.
 
We passed the best themed restrooms in Disney.
 

 
We arrived. I’m pretty sure it’s weird that my 5 year old loves this ride.
 

 
After leaving with a ghost, I was hungry! I wanted some breakfast, and I knew where we could get some!
 
This is one of my favorite things to do at Disney!
 

 
Z and I split this. I had drinks in my backpack and just asked for cups of ice (that are free). So we ate once again for very little $.
 
After breakfast, it was time for our cruise.
 

 
I hate that fan.
 

 
She’s staring at us.
 

 
We arrived back safely, but we had some time to kill. We had FP+ at Splash that were good starting at 11:40. It was only about 10:30… what should we do between?
 
Z thought we should ride Pirates. So, we did.
 
Yo ho!
 

 

 
At this point, I decided we should watch the new parade around where it starts, specifically where TCD suggests around the Country Bears. Afterward, we could jump on Splash before our FP+ time ended at 12:40, especially considering the 15 minute grace period that extends your window.
 
But no one was sitting down for the parade yet, and I was hot, so guess what we did?
 

 
Feels crowded.
 

 

 
My plan was to bail if it got too late, but it was a quick show. I liked it as a kid, but thought it was lame as an adult. Z loved it though!
 
At this point, it was time to find a parade spot. I should mention that they were doing FoF at noon and 4 that day. And there was a bit of a problem. TCD’s 3:00 spot was in full sun at 11:15. So we went across the street. We were lucky enough to be in the shade for the wait, but we were in the sun for part of the parade. Better than being in the sun for over an hour though!
 
We got some popcorn. I’m pretty sure Disney sprinkles crack on it because no other popcorn tastes this good.
 

 
While we waited, I saw a PP photographer. She started chatting away with a guy… and chatting… and chatting… finally they stopped and I asked if we could get some magic shots. She seemed annoyed and said she had to go soon because of the parade, but she did some.
 
Wish I could get him to wear sunglasses!
 

 
I’d never done this one before.
 

 
Yeah, so she wasn’t so magical, but oh well. I’ve had a million GREAT PP photographers and only 2 not so nice ones.
 
Next up, we see the Festival of Fantasy Parade! 

In honor of Cody....
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olEVtMabfq0

I have never claimed to be an expert on anything.  I don't know much about beer, heck, I don't even drink... but someone explain to me why there are all of these empty bottles displayed at EPCOT?  
 
 
 
If you're gonna eat a bar-b-que sammich in the south, then you have to dump that cup of slaw onto the meat and let the juice dribble down the back of your hand!  :parrot:

Here is our little home away from home....
 

 

His studio is not far from where Gwen lives, maybe we all can chip in some gas money, a cooler of Cheerwine and a couple of Bar-B-Q sammiches and get her to stalk him until he gives up some of the goods....

Dang, it looks like the GaDawgFans should change their names to the MacGyver's... They have a gadget, item or utensil for just about anything or any purpose...  If they don't have it, then you don't need it....  I want to camp with you guys...
 
Let's recap just a few of the things that I have seen so far.... we have Egg's, and margarita machines, hammocks, jeeps, bikes, bike carts, swimmies, water guns, sand buckets, folding tables, all sorts of cooking utensils, chairs, e-z up's, box fans.... and there is no telling what else we may see before this trip report is done... 
 
I can't say anything though, because I carry a lot of things as well.  I am too afraid to weigh the camper because I just may find out that I have too much stuff....

i would like to think so, but in my mind, probably not....

What?! You mean I can get my teeth fixed? Oh never mind, if you cook that roadkill possum long enough and the correct way, it will just melt in your mouth....

I'd be happy if they would just clean the lens on the camera at Soarin'.  Disney spends all of that money for the smells, the breeze, the shaking of the ride when the fireworks go off, just to have a piece of dust the size of a watermelon float by or better yet, get hung right in the field of view on the screen... 
 
They might as well just turn the movie into a black and white Roy Rogers film....

No, no, no.... that little parcel of space is just enough land for the new Starbucks location.... complete with a "drive-by" window. Check in, place your order with the CM then just pull ahead and have your steaming hot or cold coffee beverage handed to you. You don't even need to get out of your vehicle. You can even charge your purchase on your Magic Band!

If you like popcorn, you have to try the caramel corn from there.... my daughter calls it nuggets of gold.