Brent... Just Brent

Great report, WBI. The waffle sandwiches are really good, but I agree that the "spicy" needs more spice and less sweet. The did have hot sauce at the counter that helped, though.

I saw Jen's site tonight when we were looping. Unfortunately not at the Fort this trip, though.

Great trip report! Sorry it's over, though.

Great update! That walk is a killer. I walked from DHS to Epcot the other week. And walked. And walked. As soon as I got to Epcot work called and I had to go back to my car. At DHS. I must have taken the same "short cut" around the ponds. Over grass. Through fields. So I feel your pain! I did discover there's a direct route, but it's not marked. At all.

Great update! I've heard of Judy before, but I never had a face to put with the name. Needless to say, I'm very much looking forward to meeting her now.

It sounds like you had a fantastic day... after worshipping the porcelain god. Which is a sign that the night before was a lot of fun. Ok, maybe too much fun, but you enjoyed it and that's all that counts!

Great update! Looks like you had a long, but great day. Nights filled with pixie dust are the reason I keep going back. Looking forward to hearing more!

Thanks, Cherie! I'll be sure to throw some red solo cups in the back of the truck so I can christen it up right!

Sorry! I take one day off of FF.net and it all blows up! I hate to disappoint.

Well, I did a lot of thinking. And more thinking. And some more. I decided that buying new wasn't really a smart idea for a few reasons, so I walked away from the new-used Jayco. Financially, I wasn't looking forward to a monthly payment. Plus, I haven't towed a trailer in 10 years, at least. I figured something I could pay cash for and maybe bang up a little might be a better starter.

After a LOT of research and looking around, pestering friends, going cross-eyed looking at CraigsList, I stumbled onto 2 popups in the Jacksonville, FL area that were "quick cash" sales. I felt a little bad since I knew these families were selling because they had no other choice, but.... I mean, if I didn't buy it, someone else was going to. I drove down and checked both out, crawled under them, checked everything imaginable, lowered and raised them, etc. I finally decided on the one that I thought was in the best shape, was the best value and would fit my needs the best... and... I'm going to pick it up tomorrow (Friday) if I can get away from work in time.

Am I excited? You betcha! I'm staying overnight in a campground somewhere along the way back since it's about a 4 hour drive and I don't feel comfortable driving at night yet since I'm not familiar with the trailer. I'll take plenty of photos and post them when I stop or when I get home.

This TR is awesome! I can't wait to hear about that evening...

Great start! I'm a firm believer that leaving late is a sign of good luck... or at least that's the way it always seems to work for me.

Thanks for the updates! The Move It Shake it blah blah blah parade is known as the "Shake and Bake" parade to me. It's easier to remember. I also think it's better than the 3:00 parade, but that's just my opinion. Great updates.

Welcome! I've been in that area of the 2000 loop a few times before and liked it. The sites are definitely bigger and there's more privacy than 1500 - especially the outside sites. Glad you had a good first day.

Jen - Thanks for posting the pic!

Wow. Finally. Not in love with the "happy camper" slogan, but I do like both of those. And I was just thinking I needed some sort of Fort something for the new(to me) camper. Guess I know where my first stop will be on the New Years trip.

Great report so far! A couple of comments....

1) As someone who enjoys the punch, I sympathize with Nate (My mom made punch growing up. It even had its own refrigerator in the garage and she took donations from friends and made it by the barrel full. Then gave them a gallon or two as "thanks" ). I made a similar mistake when I was his age. It's honestly a good problem to have, though.

2) Celebration is a really nice change. Hard to believe it's just a few minutes from the not-so-nice area there on 192. If you're into architecture, be sure to checkout the post office next time you're there.

3) I too have mixed feelings about the way the check-in folks handled you and Trevor. (Mind out of the gutter. You know what I mean) I mean, if there was even a large family group or T@B group or whatever in the loop, I'd appreciate them asking if I wanted to be elsewhere so I guess it was the right thing to do. I think it's just a hot-button issue that a lot of us are super sensitive to right now - assuming you assumed correctly. Maybe it could have been handled better by your check-in cast member.

Looking forward to reading more!

I've been to this a few times in the past. It was nice. Rita, I'm sure your mama would enjoy it more than you and Ed, but it's really not bad. Definitely pricey even back then. I think it was something like $15. There are frequently coupons on other websites or if you sign up for the Gaylord's newsletter.

Every summer, a very large group of us meet at WDW. On the first Friday night we always meet at the Gaylord and have dinner at the Italian restaurant there. It's a buffet and actually very good (for a buffet). Prices are about the same as a WDW buffet as I recall. If you eat there, the waiter will also validate your parking. The last two years, though, there was no convention happening that week and we parked in the convention lot. There was no ticket-taker when we left, so it would have been free anyway.

Woohoo! Great start!

Fourth in PF?! Sign me up! Figures I'd have to drive all the way there to meet fiends... haha. My parents (I know, what am I wishing on myself?) love PF and would probably be interested in this GG now that they're retired.

Just an FYI. This is bold on the Creekside homepage - • Do not tie anything to trees. No clotheslines allowed.

Really enjoying following along. I was hoping to run into you guys this year since I couldn't catch up with you last year, but looks like I missed you by a couple of days. And I'm jealous of the dole whips and eats!

Great update Dave! Eating and lounging days are my favorite vacation days.

Great updates! I've always seen that path, but figured I'd have to take a trail ride to actually see it. The totems are really cool, but sad to see them back there.

These are the things I dream about...

I'm very "customer service" oriented due to the nature of my position, but that works both ways. Your child/grandchild/nephew/8th cousin twice removed/etc may be important to you, but everyone else feels that way too. This is a huge milestone in the lives of these students and you should respect it as such. There are rules, especially in a military college. If you don't have the sense to respect them, then you're going to be embarrassed.

I was honestly afraid of blowback from the big cheese afterwards, but it was just the opposite. Complete praise. I doubt you could get away with it, but the line has to be drawn somewhere anymore or these parents just do what they want.

Carol - Great TR so far. Talking about RADP and especially MouseFest brought back some great memories. A pile of us used to do our best to make it to MF every year. We always had such a great time. Crazy to think that our paths may have crossed back then and we didn't even realize it!

I had to chime in about the parents. Working with college kids I see it everyday, but I always think "I'm sure I just hear from the 2%, not the majority." Over the last few years it's become clear that I was wrong. They really are the majority. They don't hold their kids accountable. It's always someone else's fault.

We host a giant ceremony for the senior class in the fall. It's very "military" and pomp and circumstance. The parents are asked REPEATEDLY not to stand, move into the aisles or walk onto the floor. They ignored it the first year. So bad we had spouses of staff and staff running back and forth trying to keep people in their seats. They were talking back like they were in high school. No regard for the fact that they were blocking the view of the 50 people behind them or blocking a procession of senior military officials. The solution: we hired a dozen or so active duty Marines in uniform and they were told, be "politely forceful." Only one parent got out of hand. She was escorted out in a near head lock. After that we had zero problems this year. They sat quietly and were so in shock they didn't even clap until the end. So tell Mrs. TCD that there's a solution to the parents problem.

Try this site...

http://www.findanyrv.com/

Thanks, TJ. I've been all but pacing the house trying to decide if this is the right decision. I think I've decided to move towards the used popups that I can pay cash for and walk away knowing that, if I mess it up, hit a curb, etc then so be it.