swimmarz

ill be there, as will many other fiends, we plan on ToT on the monday after we eat dinner, I am sure they left it off to confuse the non resort guests but they still may show up on monday, now they have a reason to not let those in costume in... there is no scheduled event

12 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

One thing it means is that there are no special activities on Halloween afternoon or night that would draw outsiders to the Fort.

TCD

you got that right, and because its not scheduled they can actually turn people away in costume... "so yea there's no schedled ToT for today, are you a resort guest?... let me scan that Magic band, oh it shows no reservations or dining, I am gonna have to have you turn around and have a magical day"

Thanks Carol!  
Ill see whats on the agenda, we may pop by to say hi to everyone if we have dinner plans

what night are we doing this?!?!?!  I might have reservations for dinner and want to discuss options

I wonder if they would consider re-purposing the area for use in the near future.
One idea i have is to make it a larger playground, you already have a few slides and the stairs built for them, maybe a lil revamp, 

themed river country play ground/ play area 

a boy can dream right?!

On 8/22/2016 at 3:51 AM, FunFinder265....Cody said:

So I guess I should take my pillow cases and Howdy Doody mask back to Walmart and find another plan for Halloween?

no I can put 4 more on my site before i hit the limit of 10... we just need to link up in MDE

2 hours ago, Travisma said:

I just saw a TV ad last night about GM trucks.  They dropped broken cement blocks from about 4 -5 feet above into the bed from a front end loader.  Did the same to a competitor (saw the Ford emblem).  The blocks punched holes thru the bottom of the Fords aluminum bed.  Not a good place to save weight.

here is the ad

The problem I have with that ad, is that GM will be aluminum in the bed as well in the next 1-2 years, they are investing heavily in aluminum production and have inked deals with Alcoa and invested $877+ million to re-tool the plant ( just like ford did a few years ago)
http://www.wsj.com/articles/gm-to-invest-877-million-to-upgrade-flint-mich-truck-factory-1438696800
The second issue i have with the ad is no one will load a truck they way they are doing it, #1 it would damage the material being loaded in this case its the brick pavers, #2 most people who use truck for hauling have a bed liner of some sort, be it line-x, a plastic liner, or in my case a thick rubber mat.
any of those in use, specifically the rubber mat or line-x would have prevented the aluminum bed from being punctured

its a great ad at the end of the day as it does show the competitive advantage they currently have, but in a year or so  this ad will bite back at them...
 

15 hours ago, bdm said:

 

As for Cummins Heavy truck motors having plastic oil pans.  I've been under several fire trucks with 2015, 2016, and 2017 8.xx liter Cummins motors and have never seen a plastic oil pan.  Every one is steel and painted red from the factory. 

 

My dad was a FAT ( fire apparatus technician) for 33 years, so i believe you, the article that i had read was more geared at OTR semi's 
Paccar is used in Kenworth and peterbuilt and they feature the use of the plastic oil pan for weight reduction, and noise reduction as it dampens the sounds of the engine
http://www.truckinginfo.com/article/story/2015/11/test-drive-paccar-mx-11-pulls-stronger-than-expected.aspx
" Sitting in an engine compartment, the MX-11 looks like almost any inline six-cylinder diesel. Like all Paccar engines, it’s painted a conservative dark gray. It might look like an MX-13, but few parts are interchangeable between the two engines. Compacted graphite iron forms the MX-11’s block, double overhead camshafts actuate the valves, a “lube module” consisting of two filters cleanse the motor oil, and a composite plastic material is used for the oil pan. "

At the end of the day the OP ask for an opion onthe ford Eco-boost I have one so i gave my opinion
we all do different things and use our vehicles differently, I work from home, behind a computer screen 8 hours a day, but when i am off work I like to play, and I am a home owner 
my Xterra wasnt cutting the mustard when i needed to bring home 20 bags of mulch, or new appliances, or taking the bikes and 4 people to the park, my truck does what i need it to do and thats what matters to me.  now I am not saying ill never upgrade to a diesel but for now, i dont need one
 

my 2.7L oil filter from Amazon is $7.66, the 5.0 L is $5.39

the 2.7L takes 6 quarts of oil vs the 5.0 taking 7.7 quarts

Personally i run Pennzoil platinum and that is  $7.87/ qt or the 5 qt jug for $22.50
so 2.7 is 1 5 qt and 1 single quart= $30.37
the 5.0 is 1 5 qt and 3 single or 2x 5 quart  $46.11 or $45

service interval is based on the computer and the oil life monitor and that is between 4000- 8000 miles depending on use

my 2.7 oil and filter is $38.03 per change

the 5.0 would be $50.39 per change

The dealer has "the works" for $39.99 and its not full synthetic, but i do get a tire rotation 

and DogDiver, keep your "real tuck" I camp 6 times a year and don't need the diesel maintenance costs or extra fuel costs, If i was a full timer/ retired it would be a different story

that's why they have variety in vehicles you can get them in any color now... not just black   



 

Has Ford F150 with Ecoboost.but the baby one 2.7 L twin turbo, 325 hp and 375 tq, 6 speed auto with 3.31 gears

yes the oil pan is plastic composite, it requires no tools to pull the drain plug, its the same drain plug used on the 6.7 L  Powestroke
The oil filter is a cartridge style, and sits on top of the motor, at least for the 2.7L it does, you unscrew it but don't remove it till after you have drained all the oil from the pan, slide the old filter out, put the new one in with its 3 new o-rings
Oil changes take 20 min, 15 of that is waiting for the truck to drain fully.( lots of tiny passages due to the auto start stop feature of the engine while driving)
oil change video if you want to see it

your trailer if i looked it up right is 12,500 lbs and that may be over the limit of the F150 with the ecoboost motors

that new motor comes with a new transmission, 10 speeds!

All-new, second-generation 3.5-liter EcoBoost® V6 engine in the 2017 Ford F-150 produces 375 horsepower and a segment-best 470 lb.-ft. of torque, a gain of 10 hp and 50 lb.-ft. from previous 3.5-liter EcoBoost

Class-leading torque of 3.5-liter EcoBoost  and new 10-speed automatic transmission will deliver improved acceleration and performance

I can tell you that the truck is very roomy, and they are using the cab from the F150 in the 250 and 350 in a few more months, so it will be the same cab/ interior across the line, the superduty getts differnt fenders/ grill/ tailgate but the rest of the body will be the same

Personally i have the 2.7, I have a pop up that weighs 3400 lbs,  I remember getting almost 20 mpg while towing it, but the engine was still breaking in

I say that because up until i got 1500 miles on the truck i never saw better than 22 mpg on the highway with no trailer and being empty

after 1500 miles its like a switch flipped and i get 26+ mpg if i stay out of the throttle and keep it near the speed limit (70)
I upgraded from a nissan xterra that would get 19 on the highway, 15 in the city and 12 mpg when towing the same pop up 

the other end of the spectrum is the aluminum f150 when unloaded is "on par with a mustang" in terms of acceleration, this came from my uncle who has a 2015 mustang and had a big grin when he got on the gas in my truck, he was surprised that it could pull that hard for such a small motor
for example a 2015 f150 with the 2.7 ecoboost 4x4 supercab was clocked at 6.1 second 0-60, an others claim they have gon 5.8 in the supercrew with the 3.5 L ecoboost

for comparison the mustang v8 is 4.5 seconds but the v6 and the ecoboost are both 6 second cars for 0-60

 

depending on your price point, I would look into the mail order mattress like Casper/ Ghost / Helix and the like
for install they are super simple as they suck all the air out and its vacuum packed, once you cut the bag they go back to normal size

its a foam type mattress so if they cant make a custom cut, you could if your handy as there are no springs to deal with

or you can use Denver mattress, as they are an RV supplier, they do sell direct and have shipping included

5+ years ago it wasnt a problem, so what changed?
people started blogging more, people started to share information

now I have never been there at Halloween, so I have no clue what to expect other than what i have read/ seen
so we will try it this year, see what happens, you may be right, i may avoid all holiday weekends at the fort after this trip

you cant fault me for trying to make things better, but i can "vote" with my wallet but id rather not

I had no clue.... then again I am 33....
wave's

I don't know if i speak for many people when i say these things, but security is a factor we as society need to deal with more so than we did in the past.
Just this week ( or last) a man tried to bring a gun into MK, Lene and I talked about that and how the park security has stepped up and the same needs to be done at the resorts.

think about most   some of our issues at Ft Wilderness, kids driving golf carts, non guest using pool, non guest showing up for events like ToT and campfire/movie... all of this can be fixed quickly and easily by making the place more secure.

you already have personnel on the boats, while waiting to board scan bands/ check for the resort wristband, question those that don't have one, actually verify they have a reservation( think separate lines 1 for resort guest, 1 for dining guest).... the technology does exist, they just need to use it/ implement it at the fort

you already have security guards at most resort entrances, again actually verifying what the person is doing would fix the issue, not just taking their word for it...( people Lie)

Bus drivers, look for the resort bands if you going to the resorts, stop and question those that don't have them re-direct to proper bus

Monorail personnel look for wrist bands at the hotel stops,  no wrist band means you get stopped and have dining reservations verified, otherwise you don't get off the platform and get on the next train back to TTC... its not hard to implement all the pieces are there... 

yes a few people could still get past, and that's going to happen no matter what, but if the show they are looking for proof you belong there, and you cant provide it, then you get escorted off the resort or denied entry to it

they need to run these like the all inclusive resorts i have been to

Its not a bad thing to deny someone who has no reservation be it food or hotel/ resort access

7 hours ago, Travisma said:

So two people from that other FB site posted that they got phone calls from a Lena or Lana from guest communications.  She told the people that they have been getting numerous emails, and that they were forwarding all to Fort management.  She told them there is a new fort manger that is taking these email seriously and guest services has asked him for solutions to these complaints.

 

So we shall see what happens, but like TCD said, they were doing something 5 years ago, and nothing happened.

it was me....
she wanted to know the site/ sites that things were posted on so i took numerous screen shots and sent them to her after our conversation, I also talked to her about the pool being used by non resort guests and how they really should put a MB scanner on it like the wilderness lodge now has and restrict it to resort guests.

to give more details, she said I was 1 of many many emails pertaining to this, and the new manager is being made aware of each one.
I don't know who the new guy is, but some of you posted here that he was good, we shall see...

during our conversation she did say to me that the events listed for  holiday weekend  in the activity schedule are for the"exclusively for  resort guest only"

She said that Disney does not publicly share the events schedule as to not draw attention to it but noted that various bloggers and websites do and that is what is creating the problem, I advised her that wasnt the issue, its resort security.... they could publish all they want, but if they are not providing a secure environment that's what causes the problem.  She saw my point when i mentioned the "gone mad" party at the GF, how they ran out of food/ drinks due to the amount of people that showed up for it this past Wednesday.  She was already aware of that(had a few complaints) and asked how i had known of it as i wasnt a resort guest, we got back to the blogs and such how people are essentially advertising come for the "free event"  here's how to "bypass security"  

she then asked how could Disney make it better, we talked about the NSSHP and VMCP how they use wristbands for the event and have staff ushering people out, they already have wristbands they use and just pick a different color for each holiday weekend, no band no access its that simple and it can be done at any point of entry just have to enforce it  each site can hold 10 people, so at check in you get 10 bands

Its really not right/ fair for non resort guest to show up for events/ facility use when we are paying to be there 
After 20 min or so we had exhausted all of my concerns and she sent me the email below

they have roughly 80 days to do something about it
 

 

Dear Rich,

Thank you for speaking with me yesterday and following up with this additional information.

We appreciate you taking the time to share this feedback. Please be assured that it has been forwarded to the appropriate leadership.If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

I hope your next visit will be filled with many memories and Magical moments.

Best Regards,

Lene Jakobsen

Guest Experience Services

Walt Disney World Resort

(407) 828-1220

1 hour ago, arthuruscg said:

hehehe, you could ask to see their magic band before you handed out candy.

I posted that i would be willing to buy those tyvec wristbands and hand them out 10 per site, no wrist band no candy... I may look like a scrooge, but after you go to 2 or 3 sites to get candy and get nothing you'll get the idea and leave as you don't belong there... and if you figure it out quick enough, you'll have time to head home and get your ToT on

sharp looking trailer!!!!!
glad to hear General RV got their act together, I tried to buy from them when they first opened, would not let me put a hold on a unit for 24 hours and sold it a few hours after i called about it... left a bad taste in my mouth, I had offered to put a deposit down sight unseen/ non refundable they had nothing to loose but alas they did loose me as a customer

it was a used pup, I got mine new down the road at lazydays- we have 5 trips in our trailer and love it, however I am looking at an A.C.E by thor, Ill reach out to my salesman at lazydays to get more info on them selling thor or not, they only have a few thor products in tampa via the website

56 minutes ago, CCIntrigue...aka Gwen said:

Wow.  That's a long trip in a short time.

you wont believe this... we left on Friday, the Wednesday prior we were dropping T(4) off at VBS and is lil bro S(2) said he wanted to go with his brother, VBS will not allow kids not potty trained, Thursday morning rolls around and S did't have an accident overnight, and use the potty on his own all day long, now were back to Friday, I wanted to put him in a Diaper for the ride, he refused, not 1 accident in the car both ways.... CRAZY! I tell you CRAZY!!

my Wife and kids don't care as long as we get potty breaks and food we drive till I cant do it anymore, then the wife takes over for 2-3 hours more

We did Cape coral to Nashua for 4th of July this year, Left after work on Friday at 3 pm made it to Florence SC at 12:30 am (630 miles)

Day 2 we were out the door at 8:30 and got to the house around 12:07 am (850 miles) - we sat in 3 hours of traffic this day so that was tons of fun!

I have a hard stop between midnight and 1 am, that way i can get 6 hours of sleep and be ready to go again

on the way home we left at 8 am, and made it to Roanoke Rapids NC (650 miles)  I was planning on bad traffic again as it was a Friday in NYC and DC but we were at the hotel at 9 pm 
Day 2 was all the way back home 8 am to 8 pm( 830 miles) no traffic at all 

would I do it again?  yes, just not on a summer holiday weekend and as long as there is significant savings vs flying
we took our Honda Odyssey and averaged 30 MPG R/T, spent just over $250 on gas, $230 on hotel rooms, and $90 on tolls/ express lanes, I don't count food as either way I would have ate food (flying vs driving) 
went up as 4, came back as 5( niece came to visit for 2 weeks) 
Flights at the same time would have been $2200 R/T and then I would need a rental for a week at $500 ( Boston is expensive)

$570 to drive vs $2700 + to fly( i didn't count bag fees that could add another $100+)

On 8/5/2016 at 4:12 PM, keith_h said:

I was kind of heading down that path too wondering if Dads being Moms could lead to gender dysphoria (I'll stop here before the thread ends up getting moved to the Debate forum).  

there's an answer and its correct, you use the one back at your camper

all this talk has me nervous for my first Halloween at the fort, and I may be an enabler....

I booked our trip long ago, and then my boss in Boston heard about it, her and her family camp but didn't have the time to drive down

they are staying at POR and they booked the NSSMHP for the night of the 31'st
they will be flying in at 10 am, checking in at 2 pm and then hanging at our campsite till its time to head to MK for the party

so there is a Disney moms panel, where is the Disney dad's panel... thats my next plan of attack should they respond to my first comment....I am an unofficial Disney DAD!  TCD you could be our moderator/ leader... lets get Disney to give us dads some free trips and a place to share our experiences  

Alligator lives matter....

oh I am gonna make a comment... 

I need my Disney fix, we have been blacked out since June 6th and I am going a bit nutty.....

our next trip is 3 weeks away when our passes re-open on 8/12, were not camping that time but staying at Buena Vista Palace as they have killer rates while they are under construction( new pool)

any Fiends on scene the weekend of 8/12-15?

Our next camping trip  is Halloween and we arrive on 10/27, I can not wait!  I need a break, and a dole whip... and a Gavin's fruit Salad .... 

16 hours ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

No, it's GLAMPING and that's what us "old farts" do.

young farts too!