GOBA Mom Lynn

Do they still have refillable mugs?  If so, what do they look like now, and how much are they?  My 10 year old one is starting to look a little shabby. Not to mention the 2003 Pepper Market one we use when out camping.  🙂

26 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

For ADRs I'd suggest just adding your family as Friends in My Disney Experience and then when you make the ADRs you just select from that guest list.  You'll want them in MDE if you plan on sharing Photopass anyways, and making Fastpasses together. 

Thanks Dave. It makes sense that you can do that. The family we're going with has been there just a couple of years ago, so they understand all about these things, but me, not so much. LOL I used to be the planner for the family trips, but now I feel like there's been so many changes that I'll never figure it all out. But I know staying at the Fort will be the "calm" of the WDW vacation. (Not to mention the 5 days we have reserved at Anastasia SP for the 5 nights immediately after.)

7 hours ago, Katman1356...Jason said:

I can answer the different agents linking question. Unless both reservations are made by the same agent they can not be linked. This even includes if one books direct with Disney and the other uses an agent. If they are not both under the "control" of the same agent they can not be linked as traveling together.

What I have done in the past for clients booked like this, especially at the Fort, is send in a fax with both confirmation numbers on it about 5 days before arrival asking that they be near or next to each other.

Proximity to each other is the only thing linking the reservations helps with and so far faxing has worked for that most of the time. 

Thanks Jason, that's what I thought.  The family we're going with will be staying at a hotel and not the Fort, so maybe there's no real benefit in being linked?  Unless for ADRs if we all want to eat together, or can you reserve for more people than on your band? (If that's how it works...)

18 hours ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

Yes, if you purchase tickets through Undercover Tourist, you can link them to your My Disney Experience account, and then the tickets will automatically be on your Magic Bands.

Once your reservation is made, go to the My Disney Experience web page and if the reservation is not showing yet, then input the reservation number, then you will be able to choose the colors and names on your Magic Bands.

I really don't know if you can link reservations with two different agents.

One big difference is that if you have more than one vehicle at the Fort, you may be charged a daily fee to park the 2nd car.

Also, online checkin is a better advantage nowadays. They are getting pretty good at texting your site number to you before you arrive, so that you can just go in through the gate and go straight to your site.

Thanks Carol.  

Still love your T@b. 🙂  We opted for an A-frame though, to get out of the tent.

8 hours ago, Travisma said:

June will be HOT, humid, and possibly wet, not as hot as July and August but still pretty sticky for Northerners.

Fort is a lot more crowded than 10 years ago, golf carts zipping around everywhere.

A lot of the items that made the for unique are gone, Lawnmower Tree, tree trunk garbage cans, wagon in front of the Settlement Trading Post, petting zoo, wandering peacocks, etc.

Anything you plan on doing that requires a reservation do it now.  It might already be too late for some dining spots.

Once checked in, you can use your Magic Bands to get thru the entrance gates, and unlock the comfort stations after hours.

Thanks for your insight.  We went in August twice before & somehow managed to survive the heat, so I'm not too concerned, but would prefer spring. (That's what happens when you plan to go with other family members who have to be in school....)  

Yes, 10 years ago was the last time we were there.  Now we're planning on a trip with other family members, who will be staying at a different resort, in 2 rooms.  My SIL has an agent she's worked with in the past, & suggests we link ressies (we haven't made them yet), but I would rather use a Fort "specialist". Can the ressies still be linked, using different agents?

Then the whole Magic Band business.... We get the bands by making a site reservation, correct?  So, if we get our tickets through Undercover Tourist,  can they be added to the MB?

Right now they're still showing availability for mid June this year, which is our plan. (I know, sort of last minute) Is that a busier time?  Like I said, it's been 10 years and so many things have changed and I haven't kept up with it all! Any major differences, at the Fort or in the way things work in general that I need to learn about? (Not park attractions, I know there's tons of differences there!)

Thanks for any help or insights you all can give.

The last time we were at FW was 2009. In a tent. In 1500 loop.

We are now in the preliminary stages of planning a family trip for summer 2019. We now own an A-frame pop-up camper, and our single, adult son said he would stay in a tent on our site & do his on-line computer programming job during the day instead of going into the parks.  Other family members will probably be staying in various other Disney hotels. 

So, How's the wi-fi? Is it consistent enough for someone to do work there?  I'm thinking of either 1500 or 1600, still determining if we want sewer on site. (Our camper does not have a toilet or waste tanks).  

Thanks!

I'm looking forward to the rest of your report.

We were on the other end of a fog delay, way back in 1994.  We got to wait for about 4 hrs or so in a parking lot outside of Tampa while the ship we wanted to get on couldn't get in to port to disembark...with a 3 yr old.  We finally left port about 5 or 6 (if I can recall correctly).  Fortunately, nothing else exciting happened on that cruise.

And then the next cruise we went on, in 2002, was on the Triumph!  NY to Halifax, NS & back.  (Before it was in the news every-other year.)  Looking forward to seeing how it's changed.

Happy Birthday to our favorite purple flamingo!

The following list represents my personal top 10 & does not reflect the favorites of the rest of my family....

Mickey's Philharmagic

Splash Mountain

BTMRR

Space Mountain

Tom Sawyer Island

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse

Pirates

Peoplemover

Carousel of Progress

Buzz

Like others have said, we have not been there since the New Fantasyland has opened, so the list is subject to change..... 

Marrakesh in Morocco.  Especially for Z, being the ladies man that he is :)

We ate there when our son was about his age & the belly dancer noticed him while she was dancing.... so you know...

As long as you like shish kabob, etc. it's good.

Greetings from another Pittsburgher!

What part of town are you in?  We're in the south hills near Century 3.

We stayed at the Dolphin in 2004 and liked it.  My SIL was able to get us the teacher's discount, so the price was nice.  The best thing about the rooms were the "Heavenly Beds".  Super comfy.  I really liked the pool area, which is shared between the 2 hotels.  They call it the Grotto and it is a series of freeform pools, waterfalls and hot tubs.  

I like your kitchen, too.  Is your fridge the original, or a replacement?  They put a different kind in the clamshell models, as opposed to inside kitchens, right?  

Thanks for continuing the report! 

Wow, setting up your tent in a playground!

If I had kids & a basketball......I would send them there to play....at like 7AM.  :)

Otherwise, great tour of the Fort.   Looking forward to the resort decorations.

In, page 2 is just fine.

Even though there's tons of pre-Christmas stuff to get done, I'll be making time to read this report....which I have a feeling is going to be EPIC. :)

Well, I read all 15 pages in one shot!

LOVE your photos!  And the people-watching.....wow.  They don't have prizes for costumes or anything like that for guests during the party, right?  I couldn't image wearing some of those costumes--just for fun.  They do make for interesting photos, though!

Oh yeah, and about tall bridges.  Don't take I-77 then US 19 north up toward Morgantown WV or Pittsburgh.  You'd go over the New River Gorge Bridge.  They let people bungie jump off of it once a year...! (It's on our route down to WDW.)

Can't wait to see the rest of your trip.

Now I'm officially IN!  (I've been reading for a few days, but didn't check-in.....sorry.)

Love your photos!  I would love to be able to just wander around and take pictures.  The photopass picture is a nice photo of you 2, but didn't the photographer notice the ball you're balancing on your head?  I thought they were trained on stuff like that...?

Can't wait for more pood forn, too!

Thanks, for all of it!

Thanks Jason.

I'm hoping I'll be making concrete plans, soon!

There's a chance that we may get to go to the Fort in August 2015.  (I know, it's HOT!)

We've never been with the new tickets/ Magic Bands, etc. so I have a stupid question.....

If we buy our tickets through Undercover Tourist, can we get MagicBands?  or do you have to get them straight from Disney to get them? especially the colored ones?

We'd be going with other family members who most likely will buy a package thru Disney, staying in a cabin.  If we're in a campsite, can we link our tickets, etc. if we book separately?  

Somehow, this all seems so much more complicated than it used to be.....  

Thanks

Lynn   :camp1:

How great that your whole family got to do the party together!  I think I like the night shot family photo better than the daylight one.  That castle looks so great all lit up!

Now, about Swiss Family Robinson.  I've always loved the treehouse at WDW.  This summer, when looking for something different to read, I decided to try SFR.  Well, it was a chore and a half.  It's written in 1800's english... and 1800's puritanical ideals....  It didn't help that I had an old edition of the book at home, then decided to download a version onto my Nook, but turns out they were vastly different!  I did some research and found out that the original author (the father) never finished the book, and one of his sons did, but then various editors over the years put their fingers into the story themselves as well.  I never could finish the book, but decided to watch the movie, as I never remember seeing it as a child.  The movie improves upon the book tremendously!  And I'll still love the treehouse....

I'm in for this one!  Page 3!

A couple of things...

We've never been to WDW in the fall or winter, so have never seen the Osborne lights in person.  Are they all LED lights?  I would assume that a few years ago the were not.  If they are changed now, has it made a difference?  They seem really bright in your photos.

How great it was that you were able to get that primo spot in 100.   I think I would take 100 over 2000 any day, especially for the same price.

Hey, no problem with driving and videoing....he has a mass card on his dashboard, so he's covered....

OK a couple of questions & comments.

I think I remember a plan showing new paths and gc parking at the Settlement. Is that right?

Or was that all part of the DVC plans?  Or the new BBQ building, etc?

I can see putting an addition on to the end of the trading post, with a nice large porch/patio overlooking the marina area.  They could build it to more or less mirror the Trails End/Crocket's building across the way.  If they're still considering moving the BBQ, then putting a QS there might make sense.  It would be between the other food places, and convenient to the boats.

In any event, having a beverage station at the pool is a good start. 

(I just need to find some time & money to get there....probably won't be until after the QS is built, at the rate we're going......    )

Very nice!  The decals in your daughter's area reminds me of when I was growing up, in our camper I had "my drawer" & I put a mod flower decal on it.  It was the '70's, you know.

Is any of this needed if staying in a cabin?

I'll have family members heading down next summer, so thought I should ask...

Thanks