FortNick03

12 hours ago, ImDownWithDisney said:

They are shutting down the old parking lot at 4PM each day and running the carriage rides out of this area. 

Yes, meaning during that time you use the new entrance to access the gravel lot.

On 11/26/2019 at 9:23 PM, ImDownWithDisney said:

They installed a new entrance for the expanded cart parking by the Meadow store. Carts will no longer have to enter the old parking lot to access the new parking. 

This is for the Christmas Carriage rides that will be leaving out of Meadow in December. Notics it's mulch rather than gravel. The rides begin in late december and will be leaving out of there.

9 hours ago, Travisma said:

I remember when the gate to the campground was right at the intersection of the overflow lot and Fort Wilderness Trail in front of the bus depot.

There was a camera in a globe and you showed your paper pass and they opened the  gate for you.

I remember this! What a throwback. The magic bands are problematic and a waste of an investment Disney isn't seeing a return on. Such a shame. And besides all of the issues, they're creepy and collect way to much of our data for my liking. 

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

On a different note...the 500 loop this year had a Coco theme with a live Mariachi band.  It was fantastic!!

The mariachi band was thanks to our friend Mike and his wife! They're planning on having it return next year!

1 hour ago, ncitro said:

We’ve been here at the Fort for a week and I’ve noticed that my band would not open the back gate(the one that is hefty to the one you exit through) I haven’t really had a chance to ask anyone until today and sure enough the security guard at the front said they made the back gate buses only recently. It’s a shame, I always found it much easier than trying to fit around all the people waiting to check in or arriving for Hoop. Anyone hear anything about this?

Yeah they stopped letting everyone in there around May. It was was easier to pull the coach through there, such a shame.

At least Collene and Aimy have a senss of humor about it.

On 10/31/2019 at 8:06 AM, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Pro Tip - if you have one nearby, try Trader Joe's tater tots. 

So good! Literally sent by God himself.

6 minutes ago, Grumpy and Grandma said:

What gripes me is the kid or kids getting on and off the cart between every site that is ridiculous....if they are that lazy they should just stay at home...

Exactly. Follow your kids in your cart and keep an eye on them but don't have them hop on just to move 2 sites. You know what to expect when you go trick or treating.

1 hour ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Makes sense but still a major bummer.  It was an awesome display.

Not sure what specifically the issue was - the display was well on the actual sites, not in the road at all - but I can tell you that trying to get around that loop just with a golf cart was next to impossible.  There were carts parked all over the road on both sides and people just everywhere.

Management saw it as a fire hazard. All those lights and decor plugged in to the same small electrical pole. If a fire starts at the Fort, it's deadly. Also, guests walking through a guest built amusement is a lawsuit waiting to happen if they were to be hurt or if it were to collapse. Collene and Amy (couple who run the haunted house) were called 6 weeks in advance and were warned. Disney isnt playing with this.

58 minutes ago, Travisma said:

Personally I don't thinks carts should be allowed in the loops during the trick or treat hours.

Last time we took our grandkids (and they were old enough to watch out for carts) we were nervous wrecks with the carts driving their kids from site to site so they didn't have to walk.

It was wall to wall people in some of the loops.

We saw lots of near misses between carts and the littler kids that would just dart out when something caught their eye.

If I remember correctly, I think there was an incident with a cart hitting a kid last year that led to a brawl.

That brawl was what i was referring to that the first responders couldn't get in. It was the might before halloween, though. People like my dad need the golf cart, though. He has a bad back and knee and can't walk my brother through the loops, and an ECV wont go fast enough to get from loop to loop. Maybe new rules, but not a total ban. 

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

We haven't been to the Fort on Halloween in a few years (being rectified in 2020), but was it that the display was in the road (seems odd anyone would do that) or the crowds of trick or treaters and golf carts that made it hard for first responders to get to the problem?

No the decor wasn't in the road. It was the day before Halloween so no Trick or Treaters around thank God. The decor was too close to the street for the wide fire trucks and ambulances to safely pass.

The main reason these structures aren't allowed this year is due to an incident last year involving a fight in Cinnamon Fern Way resulting in a serious issue. Due to an elaborate display, first responders couldn't arrive to the scene in a timely manner. Also avoiding a lawsuit in case a structure falls on someone. We had to cut our display back. New rules state no standing structures, and that decor can't be closer than 3 feet to the road. Unfortunately that means the death of my friends' haunted house. They put so much into that to give guests a good experience. Unfortunately they got called by the GM of Fort and they couldn't set it up. The same for the folks that set up the campfire sing along. It's unfortunately the new rules we have to live with for the time being.