Tri-Circle-D

Me:  If everyone follows the rules, everyone can enjoy the Fort more. 

Fort management: We need a new sign:

Me: Sigh

TCD

22 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

We did the D+ Hulu bundle, so for us it's worth it.

But I'd pay a monthly fee just to be able to watch the Princess Bride any time of the day or night.  🙂

Thanks for mentioning The Princess Bride. I knew it was on Disney+, but I had never seen it. After you jogged my memory, I watched it for the first time ever (inconceivable) last night.  What a gem!

This is a perfect example of the value of Disney+ for me. The Princess Bride is a movie that was recommended to me by lots of people, but I never felt like making the effort to track down a copy.  Disney+ made it easy. After I watched it, they recommended the movie Willow- another movie I’ve never seen, but will now watch. This is great for someone like me who wouldn’t dream of seeing a princess or fantasy movie in the 80s or 90s, but now I can watch and appreciate them. 

TCD

Here’s a link where you can see the official Meadow Trading Post hours of operation: 

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/shops/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/meadow-trading-post/

Be forewarned that you may be turned away from visiting to shop depending on who is working the guard shack. They have been very restrictive in allowing visitors due to the pandemic. 

TCD

I disagree with those who think Disney+ isn’t worth it. The series on the guy who collects Disney memorabilia and the series documenting the making of Frozen 2 are excellent. I’ve enjoyed watching movies that I never saw in theaters, and had no interest in purchasing, like Tron and Tron Legacy (now I’m ready for the new attraction).  I’ve watched quite a few of the non-MCU Marvel movies like both Fantastic 4 movies and the X-men movies.  I think it’s great and a bargain. 

TCD

54 minutes ago, rjpete said:

There is no solid declaration on masks or no masks. Now every day it is up for grabs it seems.

53 minutes ago, rjpete said:

I always carry around a mask in my pocket, just in case.

I’m not sure what you’re referring to, but the mask rules at Disney are clear with regard to eating, drinking, and walking around. 

TCD

14 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

So how was that eating inside? My wife isn't really wanting to eat inside yet we have figured out the whole trip where we won't eat inside. (Although with my job I am sure I have been in worse situations) Was there a lot of people eating inside?

This photo shows the inside line to order from P&J’s.  This was from an earlier trip, as they have since added mobile ordering:

Here’s a look at the seating area- they’ve removed more than half the tables- we sat downstairs by the buffalo head and were the only guests seated down there:

Note the guest walking around with no mask. That’s a no-no, but there’s no staff around to tell guests what to do. Generally, it seemed like a pretty safe setup, but that could change as it gets more crowded and more people ignore the rules. 

TCD

32 minutes ago, Live4FW said:

Good to hear from you Andrew.  We are going for a quick weekend first weekend in October.  Matt lives in Orlando and has annual passes and we are taking advantage of his cabin discount.

Awesome. We’ve had a couple of cabin visits this year. Even with a discount, they’re expensive. But they are very nice, and a great way to visit and still be able to avoid crowds. 

You definitely should make the effort to get to Geyser Point, but don’t miss Trails End for takeout- they let you eat your meal inside the restaurant, which makes for a very nice atmosphere.

TCD

7 minutes ago, Live4FW said:

Thanks for quick reply.  Is the yellow bus the one that services the cabin loops?

Scot!

Welcome back!

@djsamuel answered your questions correctly. Since you have the golf cart, just go park at the Settlement and catch the bus from there. 

TCD

On 9/10/2020 at 5:16 PM, Travisma said:

Agree.  How are your girls doing?

OK. One was lucky enough to work in a department where remote work is possible. Disney sent her a laptop, docking station and two monitors, and she has been working full time for about a month. The other just attained status at City Hall prior to the shutdown. They have called those castmembers back by seniority, and she’s near the end of that list unfortunately.  They share an apartment and have been good with their money, so they will be okay for a while. It’s very hard and stressful on the one still furloughed.

TCD

We stay in the cabins a few times a year. They’re great.  

As far as tips go, they provide just about all you need. If you’re driving- some things you might want to add to your supply list are two bottles of pump hand soap for the bathroom and kitchen sinks, some kind of cleaning wipes, and a whisk broom and dustpan (no broom is provided). 

In case you don’t know, the only oven is a microwave/convection combo, so plan any meals accordingly. 

The wifi is fine. If you have an Apple TV or fire stick, you can stream.

If you don’t have a golf cart arranged, you should look into renting one- then you can get around and look at all the decorations.

Have fun!

TCD
 

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

it’s the pass holders that will keep the lights on.

I agree. 

And Disney has chosen to squeeze the passholders by charging them the same price despite reduced hours, no entertainment, no parades, no park hopping, and limited access to the parks. 

I don’t see them backing off on any of that. Instead I think we will see them double down with more schemes to try to lure in new money. 

They are not thinking about the future. They’re thinking about this one quarter at a time. Those in charge are all still getting paid their bloated compensation while hanging castmembers and passholders out to dry.  The shareholders are happy for now, but this plan isn’t sustainable.

TCD

12 hours ago, Travisma said:

Since it seems like they aren’t getting the “big spenders” Chapek was kissing up to, maybe he should make nice to the scummy Passholders and open up more reservations and start cranking out the discounts and giveaways for us.  Passholders may be disappointed with the missing shows etc, but at least we’ve paid for our passes and are more apt to keep coming back and spending some $.

That makes sense. 

But you aren’t thinking like a cutthroat CEO running a billion dollar company solely focused on the bottom line. They don’t give a hoot about passholders-they have our money. They want new money, and will continue to do all they can to make room for those potential new customers by creating barriers to keep passholders from taking up space in the parks. 

That’s the path they have chosen, and they aren’t going to veer from it. 

TCD

11 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

Really looking forward to our upcoming stay. Even a limited Disney is better then the real world right now. 

Absolutely true. It almost feels normal at the Fort. It’s great to have a little escape. Have fun!

TCD

Excellent job!  I hope it isn’t long before things get close to being normal, and you can look back at what a unique trip you had. 

TCD

1 hour ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

My guess is that if crowd levels stay below expectations (as reportedly they have been) they probably will.  

As they announce what will be available and not at WDW for the balance of this year, I am convinced that there will be no extension of park hours. The plan clearly is to limp along with the current reduced workforce avoiding all overtime and bringing back any more castmembers while charging full price for park admission and jacking up prices on food and merchandise. If they can finagle it where the guest revenue is 50% or more above normal while labor costs are about 30% of normal, the balance sheet won’t look so bad. It’s all a numbers game.

TCD

Add the castle dream lights to the list of cancellations. These are all cost saving measures to maximize profits. There are still more than 10,000 castmembers out of work, and Disney has clearly chosen a path of squeezing their castmembers and guests to increase the bottom line. Smart business, but brutal. 

TCD

3 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Thanks for the updates! Almost sounds like "normal" has returned to the Fort - or at least more normal than it's been in a long time.

I just got back from a 3 night stay at the Fort over Labor Day weekend. There is still so much that is far from normal- no campfire singalong, no food truck, Trails End is takeout only, no fireworks, no EWP, no resort boat, shortened trading post hours, no trail to the Lodge, and there are rangers everywhere yelling about masks.

But the Fort is still the Fort. It was great to be there. Because park hours and availability are so limited, folks hung around their campsites more. On a Friday night loop, we noticed many campsites with projectors and screens showing the new Mulan movie, and lots of campfires, many in illegal fire pits.  Like always, the Fort is a magical place where the outside world and its problems seem far away. 

If anyone is staying away because of all the limitations and changes, don’t. Do yourself a favor and get to the Fort. It’s still a great place to be. 

TCD

On 8/30/2020 at 2:27 PM, kadancer said:

According to my DS and DH, the misspelled sign has been removed....

I don’t how they missed the new sign, but it has not been removed. I just took this photo earlier this morning, September 5, 2020:

TCD

On 7/12/2020 at 11:20 PM, Katman1356...Jason said:

The only places you do not need a mask currently are the pool deck and at your site. If you are on a golf cart, bike, or walking anywhere else you need a mask. 

There are no specific written rules for the Fort. I don’t know if this is necessary or not:

TCD

On 9/1/2020 at 5:58 PM, Katman1356...Jason said:

To add to this if you are looking at the booking sites it no longer says Partial. It say Tent or Pop-Up Campsite as the category name now. 

Got it. 

So, are these tents or pop-ups that I saw set up in the 2000 loop today?:

TCD

. . . and as predicted, there are campers currently setting up in 1500, 1700, and 1900. 

For the first time since the closure, all Fort loops are open as of September 4, 2020. 

TCD

It’s ain’t pretty, but it’s better than nothing:

TCD

15 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Looks like he's gained a couple hundred followers since the weekend.

I’m not going to follow him, but I did look at a couple of his videos. This guy is not all there. Dude dragged his little row boat for a mile through the woods to get to Bay Lake. And then the sheriff’s office confiscated it and he swam back in the dark the next night. Not a great plan bro. 

TCD

1 hour ago, Travisma said:

TCD had speculated that some additional loops may open for this holiday weekend.

I’m not speculating any more. 

I just did some looping and there are campers on the 1600 loop and 1800 loop. As of this morning, 1500, 1700, and 1900 were still empty, but the sites are clean, and the signs that had been posted stating that the loops were closed are down. It sure looks like there will be campers on those loops later today. 

Also, they are running a bus from the Settlement to the MK, because the boats can’t handle the demand:

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TCD

Up to now, no resort boats. And I don’t think that will change for Labor Day. There’s a bus to Wilderness Lodge. That’s it. 

No campfire, but they are playing movies three nights a week. The Food Truck isn’t even there. 

TCD