daddyphat808 - Eric

I cannot believe that they’re going to serve rotisserie chicken and not fried chicken. And ribs and shrimp are add ons?  Sad. 
TCD

It looks like my bonus content will be exhausted with this post.
It was fun while it lasted, right?
After our lunch at D-Luxe Burger, we headed out to take a look at the new World of Coke store.
Here's a view across the spring at Morimoto Asia- I still haven't been in there yet, but it's on my short list:

That's the new Homecoming restaurant there, which had not opened at the time, but is open now.  I am not sure what that big brick building is that you see behind Homecoming.  As mentioned above, the layout of Disney Springs and what is where is still confusing to me:

Here's something nice- check out all of the rocking chairs they have on the wrap-around porch of the Guest Services building:



I wouldn't mind waiting for the girls to shop there!
Here's a look back to the D-Luxe Burger building from where I was standing at the Guest Services building.  I thought that big oak tree looked nice, and noticed the lanterns hanging from it.  I figure that tree must have been in place, and they designed and placed the building to compliment it. I know that Disney has moved big trees around its property in the past, but I doubt they would still do something like that.  Little did I know that tree is the Glowing Oak from which the fictitious ranch that started this whole development takes its name:

To get to the World of Coke, we passed through the area where there are a bunch of shops in a large brick structure.  This is where Lilly Pulitzer is, and that's where Twin #2 works.  I imagine this structure has a name, but I don't know what it is:

A radio station was doing a remote broadcast from in here today:

The new Columbia sportswear store located in this unnamed building had just opened in the past week.  For a limited time, CM's were being offered a 40% discount.  What a deal.  I own some Columbia products, and I like them.  They are overpriced, though.  Here's an attractive shirt:

Go Gata.
It was good to see that not all alligator references had been removed during the big Alligator purge that had taken place after that unfortunate incident at the Grand Floridian.
I noticed that the stockpeople at Columbia have a good sense of humor.  They displayed the shirts of rival schools next to each other:


In the end, I didn't buy anything at the Columbia store.  Even with 40% off, it was expensive, and truthfully, I don't really need another Gator shirt.
This was the first time I saw this store open.  I don't know what a Sugarboo is, or what, exactly, they sell in there.  I can't imagine that the rent is cheap here, and I really wonder how many of the new places that have opened here will still be around in a year:

I enjoyed sitting on a bench here and waiting for the girls to shop.  Although this big unnamed building is open on each end, it's air conditioned.  I hate to think about that power bill.  Here's a look at the Columbia store from the outside:

In the short time I sat there, two groups of young people came by with a guide and listening devices.  I've seen this in the MK before- those are probably new castmembers being trained.  I've never heard of this being done at Downtown Disney before:

This is one end of the big unnamed building- you can see Planet Hollywood out there on the right- the World of Coke is on the left:

We headed on out there back into the sun and heat, and on into the World of Coke store.  The first floor is all Coca Cola merchandise as far as the eye can see.  It also seemed to be a gathering place for young folks not from this land.  Over here, a group was completing a very loud chant, which echoed nicely off of the big open spaces provided in this store:

We knew that there was an open deck on the third floor of the building, and we looked around for the stairs.  We didn't see any, but we found the elevator, and took that up.  The top floor provided a nice view of the Planet Hollywood construction:

Here's the view looking out toward Saratoga Springs:

Twin #2 told me that she had read on a blog that they had some type of innovative cooling system up here on the top deck and that it would never be above 74 degrees up here even on the hottest days.  If that was true, that innovative cooling system was definitely not working, because it was hot as Hades up here.
I wasn't real impressed with what I saw.  Look Coke Freestyle machines!  Just like they have at WaWa and Moe's:

There's a bar here that serves Coke drinks, including a sampler of Coca Cola products from around the world.  Like you can get for free in Epcot, but you have to pay here:

Check out how many of the customers in this photo actually have drinks:

These glass walls at the deck edges freak me out a bit.  At night, they serve expensive cocktails up here:

Here's another look at the ripped-up Planet Hollywood, with the Edison Restaurant rising behind it:

There's that big unnamed brick building:

And here's one last look at Planet Hollywood and the other ongoing construction, just because it will soon and forever more look very different:

And here's my last photo- looking down at a big new fountain outside the AMC theater- again that theater building was already there, but this new space is unfamiliar to me:

After this, we headed back to POFQ, and headed home.
That's all I have for you.
As always, thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next TR.
I am not sure when the next trip will happen- but I'm sure it isn't too far off.
TCD
 

You want the Nassau experience without actually spending the time to leave the ship?  The day before you board your cruise, go the local Cocoa Beach Walmart.  Find an aisle full of crappy Chinese made trinkets.  Ask a few Walmart employees to badger you into buying these trinkets, then close your eyes and pretend that the Walmart doesn't have any walls.  Bam!  You are in the Straw Market.  
Then, after you leave the Walmart, head to one of the crappy beachside bars near Ron Jon and ask the bartender to make you a tropical drink with the cheapest vodka he has, only he needs to replace half the vodka with water.  Bam!  You are at Senor Frogs.  
Do this and there's no need to get off the ship at Nassau.  

It doesn't appear to. Also, no bananas.  This is the ingredients list from the Dole website:
PINEAPPLE
Sugar, Dextrose, Stabilizers (Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Karaya Gum, Pectin), Coconut Oil, Contains 2% Or Less Of Each Of The Following: Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Natural & Artificial Flavor (contains Pineapple Juice Powder), Modified Food Starch, Malic Acid, Beta Carotene (Color), Mono & Diglycerides, Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking).
http://dolesoftserve.com/prod-info.cfm#ingredients
TCD

Which reinforces my theory that it's not actually food but a delicious space-age polymer.  

Saw this and thought of you!  One of the Floating Fairies broke down.  Check out the link for photos of what is underneath!
 
https://twitter.com/WDWNT/status/617775527949139969/photo/1
 
Enjoy.

Hello all!
 
So I am slow at things and let's see if I can keep this repair/report up.
 
Here is the story.  We have a 2004 Jayco 23b.  Love this thing.  Bought it because of staying in the cabins at FW a long time ago.  But as much as it hurts to say this we have not used it as much as I want to.  So she sits outside.  I check her once and a while.  Found leaks here and there and fixed them.  But overall she is in great shape.  Well fast forward to about two weeks ago.  Noticed a leak in the bathtub from the ceiling.  No big deal I though.  Yeah I should remember that statement.  
 
Got up and checked the roof and it is soft in spots.  And I know they build these things really cheap and I was not covering her up.  Started digging around and yep roof leak and I bet has been going for years.  There is a seam from the rubber roof material to a rounded fiberglass edge at the rear.  Right over the bathroom.  
 
Well after looking and poking around.  There was a leak around the AC from clogged drain lines a few years back.  I should check that while I am at it  (insert adventure montage music here).  Welp the Jayco folks used a rubber roof material that has a felt backing.  Smart right?  Well that stuff wicks water all over the place and now Eric has to repair a few BIG chunks of the roof inside and out.  
 
Here is the best part.  Hybrid TT is built with a laminate construction with aluminum support/studs.  What that is kids is a big chunk of Styrofoam say 1.5" thick sandwiched with glue to 1/16" thick wood on the top and bottom.  Very strong as a complete unit.  spreading weight and what not.  Well the extremely wet micro thickness wood now has 0 strength.  
 
So follow along my journey and I hope learn from my mistakes.  I am not going to take it to the dealer and I am definitely not spending $5,000 plus to fix it like the dealer would charge and put the same thing back on.  
 
I will add pics as I go and wish me luck,  As I will be camping at FW this summer in this thing!

Just saw this in my Facebook feed. 
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-FORT-WILDERNESS-Melvin-Moose-COUNTRY-BEAR-JAMBOREE-Puppet-Prop-/390944999106?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5b062346c2

Ours is easy.  We have the tv DVD in the camper but outside we have the awning and an ez up.  Small radio and no other electronics outside.  I try and force the family to disconnect from the tech stuff and enjoy the outdoors.

Sad. Very sad.
And now we cede the final frontier to China and Russia.
The program has lacked any clear vision for several presidencies now; so this result is not surprising.
If somebody would have told me (when I was a kid) that our space program would be in shambles in 2012, I would have wondered what type of glue they were sniffing.

The next chapter begins.
I finally caught the two kittens mom and here she is very comfortably in our shower. It makes a great holding pen.
She has every thing she needs.
She is going to be spayed tomorrow morning so that she doesn't have anymore litters, three that we know of, is enough. I can't rescue any more kittens. It's tough to give them up.

Here he is. How could anyone not rescue this little guy?
His eyes are not oozing or puffy and are clear. Still a little redness around them and he's sneezing from time to time.
He's eating very well, very playful, tries and succeeded getting out of the bathtub that was his home. Now he has the entire bathroom with a short gate to keep in there when he's not out with us.
The only issue now is that what's going in is not coming out.

Tiny miracles. What a difference a day makes and some medication.
He's a completely different kitty this morning. He ate for the first time on his own, alert and playing a little, and not just sleeping.
Not out of the woods yet, but things are looking up.

I wanted to chime in here with some pictures I took of Edward and Give Kids the World. I'd also like to join Edward in thaning the Fiends that donated to GKTW through his run!


I didn't realize the families stayed in houses. I would think that makes it very nice for them to have the comfort and room of a home. It must be so difficult to see your child's name on one of these signs







I just want to take a minute to say how proud I am of Edward for doing this 5k! This was him 1 1/2 ago, walking at Relay for Life just 3 weeks after he got out of the hospital!

He's come a long way! I am proud of his insanity determination to do the 1/2 marathon in January!

It has been a couple of years since we have been to the Fort and I want to say thanks to everybody that has posted a trip report. Being able to see the pictures and read about the trips makes us feel like we are there! This year we are going to start making our way back to the Fort but like I said. Thanks!!!
Eric

It has been a couple of years since we have been to the Fort and I want to say thanks to everybody that has posted a trip report. Being able to see the pictures and read about the trips makes us feel like we are there! This year we are going to start making our way back to the Fort but like I said. Thanks!!!
Eric