Breezy2

5 hours ago, djsamuel said:

That's odd.  We were at the Fort the week before Labor Day as well.  It was our 40th stay there over the last 7 years (I was curious and had to count).  We've requested a site for all but our first stay.  In those 39 times when we requested a site, we only received a text message once.  I wish we would get it more often.  This trip we did not get a text as usual and went up to the registration lane.  When we got there the cast member told us that we got one of our requested sites.  Sometimes we get it and sometimes we don't but it has always been noted. 

It was odd indeed. But all worked out in the end. We arrive early and have always received a text while still on I-4 just before the DW exit. So there is definitely some inconsistency between your reservations and ours concerning text messaging. I truly do feel sorry for the Cast Members during these unusual times. Change is the new norm and adaptability is a virtue. Fortunately I feel we’ve both enjoyed DW and The Fort in its glory days and can only imagine what the new norm is going to be. Would like to see them go to site selection upon reservation but I’m sure they have their reasons for not doing that. Interesting times. Enjoy camping during the upcoming holiday season! Any day at The Fort is a good day 😄

On 9/28/2020 at 4:21 PM, Grumpy and Grandma said:

From what I understand the "FAX REQUEST" still works.   407-824-3508 

Correct-the "number" is still attached to a fax machine but the "assigning procedure" has changed. Our experience the week before Labor Day, when the campground was deserted, was totally different than in the past. "For the first time in forever" our request, sent 10 days in advance, was ONLY attached to our reservation and our preferred site NOT pre-assigned as done previously. We were texted a site that was NOT on our list. We drove up to registration, they had our list on our reservation, and REASSIGNED us to our preferred site. Obviously they got our fax, and maybe it was a matter of timing. But unfortunately our experience was a waste of the registration Cast Members time to reassign us to our AVAILABLE preferred site when we could have just driven directly to the site. The fax machine still works but for us it appears the assigning procedure has changed. Still happy campers, and it all worked out just fine, but felt bad for the Cast Member having to do extra work for something that worked so seamlessly in the past. 

+1 no boats. This place is a ghost town. Has that creepy feeling you get when you go somewhere that is going out of business. Everything you know and enjoyed about transportation, snacking, restaurants, rides, shows, entertainment, playgrounds, ambiance in general is about a 1/4 of what it was. Right down to the "furloughed" shaggy landscaping. Hopefully an influx of Halloween ghouls will give Disney the bump it needs to liven things up. 

4 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Definitely not a magical time to be a Disney CM anywhere.

Agreed, and, definitely not a good time to be a AP holder. It’s like buying a shiny new car, you drive it off the lot and the wheels fall off.

Special passholder sneak peak preview for 7/9,10 popped up on my Android Tablet just now at 4:00 a.m. and never showed up on IPhone or laptop. Totally weird notification. Never got any sort of Disney notification on my tablet before only my phone. Of course it was full-LOL! I mean, what the heck, Corona numbers are skyrocketing in Florida, bars are closed again (including Disney Springs), masks are now mandatory AGAIN in some counties, beaches are closed this weekend in South Florida (more to follow) but hey, let's throw a private Corona Party Celebration at DW - whoo hoo! Maybe, just maybe, Disneyland's got it right this time.

So happy to hear good news! Welcome Violet! 

3 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

I believe the Fort is still open.

Experiment: The Fort may be open BUT there is not a single day thru the end of March that will accept a reservation. As soon as you request April 1 sites are available. So it appears no new reservations until April but hoping that those already there get to stay and enjoy The Fort. 

We've done the border crossing dance numerous times over the past three years and you never know what the "rule of the day is"-LOL! The written rules are just a guideline that includes the word, "may". All depends upon the mood, friendliness, and political persuasion of the border agent on both sides of the border. As a general guideline, and it doesn't matter if it's a US or Canada crossing, we avoid having any fresh produce, meats or dairy in the refrigerator. Also, they don't always ask the " produce, meat, dairy" question but if they do answer honestly and be prepared to drive to their dumpster and throw away any "fresh" items. Or, in some instances they will ask to "take a look around" and do exactly that. Crossing is easy just as long as you don't try to second guess the food issue or go crazy trying to interpret the guideline in your favor. Have a "border crossing party" the night before you cross, eat what you can (save some for breakfast), and share what's left with your camping neighbors. Better to share than to throw it in the dumpster. Bon Appetit!  

Just keeping up with the current trend and creating an additional revenue stream. On a ski trip to Utah this year, “Artesian Bread Baskets” started at $5.00 and went up from there. They were not worth the price-especially when it included crackers!  “No bread for you”-LOL! 

During the Holiday Seasons we've always had the best and most enjoyable times taking advantage of the activities at The Fort and visiting the other resorts. Recently the MK special events have turned into the crown jewels of the greed machine and not what they used to be. For us, family and friends, the magic and the best times ever are always at The Fort. 

Interesting question and probably only Disney can answer if an rv can be parked at the cabins. Probably not so much an issue of adequate space as perception of it being used as a camper. I've never seen one parked in a cabin loop but there's a first time for everything. If you've rented 2 cabins for 11 people and there are sleeping accommodations for everyone on the reservation I think it would be a tough call on their part. We've rented a cabin for family, rv camped in a nearby loop, and rented a golf cart but never attempted to park the rv at the cabin. I would talk to them before making the trip and get their opinion. Please let us know how it works out. Sounds like a fun trip-enjoy!

13 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

We have a spot inside the park at St. Mary's campground, which is at the entrance to the drive, but  I'm not expecting the Going To The Sun road to be open.  Initial plan it to arrive early and snag an easy hike (I'm the hiker and my oldest will keep up with me as long as the hike doesn't put you on a cliff, but my youngest will poop out much quicker and daddy doesn't join us until later in the trip so easy hikes is all we'll do).  The next day I think we'll take Hwy 2 (I believe it is) over to W. Glacier for the day.

At TRNP, we're inside the park at Cottonwood.  Prairie dogs ARE hilarious.  I remember when I moved to CO in 1995, I was moving from WA state and had never seen a prairie dog... they line the road on the drive into Denver.  I pulled over and watched them for a good 30 minutes.  They are funny little creatures. 

Lucky you staying at St. Mary's campground. It's a really nice location right inside the entrance to the park.  We visited there every evening for the campfire talks which were excellent. Also bears were seen quite frequently at the entrance to the campground. 

Lucky you again staying at Cottonwood in TRNP. We stayed at the Medora Campground and drove thru Cottonwood to check it out. Next time it would definitely be our preference over the Medora Campground. It would just take a bit more planning as it's a boondocking experience-potable water is available but no dump station. 

You've done some great research and planning. May your journey be blessed, joyous and full of wonder.

13 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

  I just secured Glacier and Banff however, and those are early/mid June so I know weather may goof things up. 

The big attraction of Glacier is driving Going to The Sun highway. Access is restricted to vehicles no longer than 21 feet and no trailers. Strictly enforced with good reason as its a spectacular drive. Historically it opens the end of June. But, if you are lucky and it's open, and I hope you are, be sure to drive to Logan's Pass and do the hike that starts at the Visitors Center. This is an early morning hike as the parking lot gets full very quickly. What campground have you booked? I've heard good things about West Glacier KOA. We stayed at the new West Glacier RV Park last summer which was nice for retired adults. If staying in East Glacier/Saint Mary the East Glacier KOA has easy access to the park and the rangers evening campfire talks.

13 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

On Bison... we have a couple of nights at Theodore Roosevelt NP in ND... apparently known for the bison so, fingers crossed!

Loved Theodore Roosevelt NP last summer. Are you staying in Medora or the campground in the park? Yes, there are bison to see. Just ask any ranger and they can tell you where the herd is. We also thoroughly enjoyed observing the Prairie Dog towns almost more than the Bison. They are quite amusing and vocal. Enjoy your summer trip. Sounds like great fun!

Checked in on Monday, 12/09/19, and they had received my faxed list of preferred sites. They assigned us to number two on the list as number one was occupied. Nothing in the procedure has changed for us for our weekday visits. Faxes still work. Did notice and talked to the CM about their transition to IPads at checkin. Checkin procedure is changing for them and they are currently bouncing between the old and new systems. 

Rode RotR on Tuesday and to date IMHO it is the best ride I have ever been on hands down.  No spoiler alerts here but I will say if you get sick on simulators or are plan tired of boring overused simulator rides this ride is the answer you’ve been looking for. Disney has set the bar high for future rides. Congrats to Disney for giving us a REAL ride!

The bus service has been getting extremely unreliable. Sad, as it used to be our transportation of choice. Not anymore. I've actually called Guest Services and complained when we are waiting beyond the magical "20 minute"wait times, or times are not listed on the board, and a bus somehow magically appears. When you board be sure to let the bus driver know how long you waited and sometimes they will call in the complaint. Also, if you are heading to a park and are delayed by slow bus service go straight to Guest Services and they will give you time back in the form of Fast Passes for any ride. Don't let these inconveniences slide. Disney management needs to know about these epic bus failures so they can correct the situation. 

Must be very recent change. During the second week of October, on a whim, we had a quick one night stay at the Fort.  We just pulled up to registration, asked for a specific site, the CM checked his computer screen, our requested site was available, assigned to us and off we went. Guess we were lucky or prior to changes. Having to check and verify thru another layer just for site assignment would sure slow things down at registration. The CM's that have a "visual" on the camper size, and who are familiar with the loops and campsites, are much more capable of making those decisions. Going back in a couple weeks-will see what happens then. Thanks for the update. 

IMHO my visit to Star Wars:Galaxy's Edge felt like buying a cheap knockoff Star Cluster:Spiral Universe toy at a local Flea Market. You know what it's supposed to be but somethings missing. The whole place felt like a total outlet mall experience of the real thing. Like PGHFiend I'm in no hurry to go back. I don't think the new ride is going to salvage the overall "meh" overpriced land perception. Disney just learned just because you build it doesn't necessarily mean they will come. There's more to it than that. They misguidingly gave us the fake when we wanted the real thing.

Thanks for posting the Vlog - it was so much fun to watch.  No question this is what Disney is all about!  Times to cherish and remember. 

AWESOME!  When I was there recently it was like stabbing us in the heart watching them put up that chain link fence and close down the playground. Perhaps things will turn out not so bad after all.  Let's hope for the best.  Enjoy your visit!

My apologies if I offended anyone but this is very scary for this little girl. Hopefully the only people that respond are “Fiends” and not the questionable lurkers on the net of which her parents have no control.  I have a young niece that started getting very questionable “friends” because of exactly this type of innocence and fun and it got very scary for her family. They had to shut everything down. I wish you all the best, enjoy yourselves, but please be cautious. Data security is critical and ever so crucial especially where children are concerned.

No thank you. This has scam written all over it.  Posted on a "kids" account, grammatical errors such as "We've", short turn around to build urgency, minimal " likes", "not associated with Instagram" but you "agree to Instagram terms". Plus why would an adult "18 years of age" contest be posted on a kid's Instagram account?  If I was this childs parent I would be shutting her Instagram account down ASAP! As we all tell our kids, "Stranger Danger" more than ever applies to the Internet. Stay safe.

Appears to be a sign of things to come. Wouldn't be surprised to see all outside vendor camper rentals doing setups on Disney property go away. They need to fill all those new rooms they are building. Or, maybe THEY will start renting official "Fort Wilderness" campers...hmmmm ? 

Perhaps it will become a "seasonal" mode of transportation and only be used in the fall and winter. Mother Nature will make that decision for them-LOL. Thanks for the great review, TCD!  There must not have been anyone on the design team that drove around Orlando in August with their car windows down and air conditioner turned off to enjoy the real experience of heat, humidity, wind and rain blowing thru their hair. Another missed opportunity to excel at something that had the potential to WOW guests rather than having them wipe sweat off their brows and be miserable. Just another perfect example of Disney's total disregard of the fact that Orlando is NOT California and not thinking it through. A reality check is going to happen real fast on this one.

As soon as the news broke about Reflections we were told by numerous cast members/bar tenders that Crockett's Tavern was going to be renovated. Not sure what that impact will be but I don't think there's any doubt changes are coming to Pioneer Hall we just haven't seen the plans yet. Wouldn't mind seeing it increase in size as they have a hard time accommodating the ever increasing Fort crowds and Reflections guests will certainly want to enjoy it also. Especially if they are staying in the cabins on Clementine's Beach.