Tri-Circle-D

I am glad CCI bumped this trip report.

I think it got lost in the shuffle.

But, I have to say, it's very good.

I love this photo-it is a classic!:

Taking a break, and introducing our newbie family to the "Beverly",....lol, Oh come on! You know that almost everyone of you have done it to someone at least once!

Au contraire mon frere, your request was very subtle. So subtle in fact that even now that you have told me where to look I still don't see it! But of course I'd be happy to see if I can clear things up. Just shoot it to me in an email. I wouldn't hold my breath based on the screen shots, though, it looks like it may be a scan rather than vector art.

Thanks, I sent it to you.

Another thing that would be useful would be if someone could do one of those photo overlays with the drawing and an aerial photo. I know that you, VCL and Bay Lake Campers have done such magic in the past. Anyone want to take a whack at that?

TCD

OK- I found my other photo of the painter.

This one was taken early in the morning on New Year's Day, 2011.

That's right -New Year's Day- January 1st.

This trash can needed to be painted, and by golly, the painter got up bright and early on New Year's Day to get the job done!:

You may not be able to tell that it is the same guy.

But it is.

I also saw him once delivering rocking chairs to the Trail's End porch. I guess he had taken them somewhere to be painted.

This guy is always dressed in all white, and he never has as much as a drop of paint on him.

So, based on Yodagirl's nomination, I hereby award the painter a Real Man of Genius Award!

Mr. slow painter man we salute you!

Congratulations!

TCD

YOYOYOYO Good to see your back in the groove of things.

I need more details of this "path" i have never heard of such of a thing! Who? What? Where? When? Why?

Hey Lug!

It has been a while.

Thanks for stopping by.

I won't razz you like some of the others have- the point is that you made it here and you checked in.

So, good job!

The path is just a path that you can find to your left as soon as you have crossed the footbridge from the 900 loop leading toward Creekside Meadow (the group camping area). It is a convenient short cut for 2000 loop campers. But, you wouldn't ever be camping in the 2000 loop, would you?

I hope to see you around the Fort sometime.

Thank you TCD for setting the bar - you haven't lost your touch.

Aw, Thanks.

Great report Andrew thanks for posting

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

Another great TCD trip report! Thanks for sharing with us!!!

The pleasure was all mine, VCL.

Wow! I disappear for awhile, and what do I come back to? A TCD Trip Report! And two days before my birthday. Pretty thoughtful, if I do say so, myself.

Did I really just read all 22 pages? Yes, yes I did. I should've taken notes. There are things that I was going to comment on. I will forget things. I know it. But, let's see...

The 2000 Loop. We stayed there back in November, if you recall from my TR. What? You don't remember my TR? All 6 pages of it? That's okay. I barely remember it. Anywho, we stayed in 2007. It was nice except for the kids playing flashlight tag on my site in the middle of the night. I had to bust out my teacher voice. No kid wants to hear a teacher voice on vacation.

Horseshoe Bend. We have a Horseshoe Bend behind my house. Nothing really interesting happened back there. Unless you count the Native American burial grounds, or the big barn where cults were rumored to do animal sacrifice. On second thought, maybe I should define "interesting"...

Awesome about those rusty ol' nails! My dad is retiring from the railroad in a few years. Two of his favorite things are the Fort and the railroad. It'd have been pretty cool to put my sign out and hope for a visit from the Spike Fairy. Alas, our Fort trip for the year has been postponed. Guess he'll have to settle for a new (and only) grandson. I guess it's a fair trade off.

Pinocchio's Village Haus. I'm still mad because they didn't want to put lettuce and tomatoes on my fries. Plus, it was crowded. Maybe I'll be back later. Maybe.

Hmm...what am I forgetting?

Oh, yeah. How could I forget? Steel balls. Yeah, I don't get it, either. My ob/gyn posted a picture of a pink pair on FB. I mean, a pink pair hanging from a truck. What did you think that I meant?

I am the great cornholio. I need T.P. T.P. for my...oh wait. No, I'm not. And no, I don't. We just bought some. Never mind. Carrying on...

Three hours to paint two barrels? Sounds like City workers around here. I guess there's something to be said for job security.

Ah, and a TCDRMOG award. Yeah, I'd say he's a real genius.

Maybe there was more that I was gonna say. Maybe not.

At any rate, welcome to Fort Fiends, TCD!

Wow!

You really did read it all.

Good job on those comments!

And, Happy Birthday.

I will save a spike for your dad. Please be sure to let me know when you will be back at the Fort.

Why did you want lettuce and tomatoes on your fries? I don't remember that story at all.

Your comment about the painter reminded me of something. I have another photo of him from a previous trip. I think you are right about him deserving a TCDRMOG award. I'll see if I can dig up that photo.

Oh, and congratulations on the upcoming arrival. I remember when he was just a raisin (or was he a grape?) in your countdown. Looks like it won't be too much longer now!

TCD

Counter Service, Once

Norm-

I meant to ask you about this one.

This is a detail that I never noticed.

Counter service at the Meadow(s) Trading Post was long gone before my first visit to the Fort.

So, this is on the side facing the 600 loop- I think that is the 900 loop bus stop in the distance. Am I right?

What was served from this window?

And, what did this corner of the Trading Post, which now displays miscellaneous crap for sale, look like on the inside? Was there a counter in there too?

If there are any Old Forts reading along, you can take a shot at providing this information too.

Thanks.

TCD

Just found this one, but another great albeit short report! Stuffed animal, triathlon, fried chicken - it's got everything! Thanks for a fun quick read!

What about the pregnant man?

You forgot the pregnant man.

TCD

And 2 tassles! :smug:

Can anyone hook me up with a fainting smiley?

I need to insert it right here.

And that is enough of that.

TCD

Tsk, tsk... all this time together and you still don't know how to read my sarcasm? Oh well, at least I amuse myself.

Sorry, Bro.

I guess it has been a while, and I forgot all about your level of sophisticated humor.

I guess I'm a bit rusty from my hiatus.

But, I think I'm getting up to speed here.

So don't turn it down.

I hope you saw my not-so-subtle request for assistance with the blurry PDF at the end of post #407 above.

TCD

:bravo:

Gotta say TCD, your first official FortFiends.net was a winner - and well worth the wait!!

Thanks, Monique.

I appreciate that coming from you.

There is plenty more where this came from.

I am looking forward to getting caught up.

TCD

Great job as usual!! Looking forward to the rest of your reports, and hope to see you again soon! :doublebeer:

Gee thanks.

And, same here.

Be sure to read my soon to be released Spring Break trip report- you will get a shout-out in there!

Great Report! I'm so glad you decided to join us here! I'm also glad your daughter is at FSU! I am an FSU alumnus also! Go Noles!

No. No. No.

I am a Gator.

My life is complicated by the fact that Mrs. TCD is a Nole, and now by oldest DD is a Nole.

But that said, please keep all Go Noles to a minimum.

Thank you for your cooperation.

TCD

OMG...I don't know why, but this struck me as so funny!! Very Seinfeld-esque.."who are these National Guard people and why do they need a golf cart!?) :rofl2:

Good observation. I have always found Seinfeld to be kind of TCD-esque.

holy smokes! BEST. DAY. EVER. (OK, maybe not EVER, but this is a great day!)

i log on after a few days of being a way and TCD is back....AND

he posted not one but two TR (yes, one was small but still awesome).....AND

i was slow enough at work to blow off about 3 hours reading the entire way thru them....AND

i met a Troll, who also rocks at the trip report thing. (great eye man, great eye!)

Geeze, if i go home and my husband has brought home take out and offers me a foot rub it would realy be the BEST. DAY. EVER. ( but that ain't gonna happen, so i am going to just ride the high of the awesome trip reports and TCD's return to the world of discussion forums.)

Wow.

All that excitement over a trip report!

Thanks!

What's your DH's phone number?

I'll call him and tell him to bring home take-out and give you that foot rub.

I don't think that's too much to ask.

Bravo!

Great report, and so glad you are back posting again.

I can't wait for your second report which will be up soon, right?

Oh yeah and I don't think I officially welcomed you aboard, so WELCOME!

Thanks, Tom.

It completely slipped my mind that you also deserve credit for nudging me in this direction.

Remember- you sent me a text?

I'm sure we will see each other a lot on here, and at the Fort.

BTW, I think you would appreciate that my oldest DD is working an internship in the PR department for FSU's athletic programs this summer. Her fellow intern is Dustin Hopkins (FSU's star kicker). She is thrilled. They are expecting a big year for FSU football this season.

TCD

$431.

eBay Poster

Thanks, Dave.

I have used eBay a couple of times, but I am not good at finding stuff on there.

How do you find information on closed auctions?

$431! Wow!

Anyway, there was something really interesting posted about this poster by the seller.

This poster was designed by Robert McDonnell sometime around 1974. I was

under the impression that less than 500 were made, but that was only a

guess. They are now considered collector items (worth $500).

Robert snuck his initials in shadows under the engine, which is a big no-no

at Disney (see attached). Disney focused on the train in most of its early

advertisements to show this was no ordinary campground.

The seller posted this photo of the poster showing the artist's initials under the engine:

This is a zoom from the photo I took of the poster in the Reception Outpost:

It looks like the initials might be there, but it is hard to tell. I will need to take a closer look next time. I think that I see the R and the M, but in black. Maybe the first photo has the intials highlighted so we could see them. I think that there is another of these posted in the horse barn.

TCD

Norm:

1. Your thread is now the fourth in the trip report section to have exceeded one thousand views. Congratulations.

2. I wonder how many people "get" your captions? The "make up your mind" one was very ingenious. Both the photo and the caption.

3. I hate to nit pick, but the knot in your photo captioned "bowline" is not a bowline at all. I think it's a granny knot. Just sayin'.

Keep up the good work!

TCD

No!!! It can't be over!!!

Awesome report Andrew...glad you shared with us and have found your new home. Looking forward to the continuation of your new weekend report.

Now, in the drawings you show above, what looks like train tracks is drawn approximately where the old FWRR tracks went behind the 700 loop, correct? Do you think they are putting in a sidewalk along the old RR right of way there?

Yes, those appear to be the old train tracks.

But they are not there now.

This drawing, like others we have looked at, is confusing.

This one shows the old dock configuration, but it does not show the cannon or the old River Country Wagon.

When the tracks were there, they did not end where the drawing show them ending, they, of course, continued on toward the 400 loop and beyond.

What looks like a paved area to me on the drawing is not there now. I don't think a sidewalk would have crossed the train tracks here back in the day, so I don't think this is a drawing of what used to be there. But, who knows.

There are some things written on the PDF, but when I enlarge it, I can't read them. I know someone with mad graphic design skills who can fix that (I'm talking to you Shanta), and it would help if we could read some of the things printed on this drawing.

If anyone would like to discuss these drawings, I would encourage you to post on this thread: Breaking News

There could be some big clues on this drawing that have not yet been identified.

TCD

Congratulations!

You made it!

Through 21 pages, and 400+ posts, you have reached the last installment.

Whew!

This trip report really turned into something, didn't it?

But, all good things must come to an end.

And, we have reached that point here.

As always, if you want to comment or ask questions, feel free to do so.

I plan on making some final comments myself.

But, first, let's get this thing finished.

It is still Monday morning, February 14.

The weather has been spectacular for us this weekend.

Did you notice how clear and blue the sky is in all of the photos from this trip?

We didn't have a drop of rain.

It was cool at night, for sure.

But, it warmed up nicely each day.

As I packed up the camper, I noticed that buzzards were circling overhead.

I don't know what they were looking for, but there sure were a lot of them (and look at that beautiful blue sky, too):

The birds circled the whole time I was packing up.

I got packed up and off the site by 11.

I left my cart at the site, and went up front to leave the park my rig.

Then I took a bus back to my site and hopped on the cart.

I headed over to the Meadow Snack Bar for a rootbeer.

That's a little tradition for me.

I snapped a photo of the menu so I could compare it to older ones for changes:

And, sure enough, there were changes.

Here's the menu from July, 2010:

And, here is what the mecu looked like back in April, 2009:

There is some weird stuff going on here.

Like the price of the Asian Chicken Salad has gone down. The price of the pizza has not changed. The other prices have gone up by very odd, and disproportional amounts. Who the heck decides this? And why?

Even though it was the middle of February, folks were enjoying the pool:

I will bet you this fellow is Canadian:

One more pool shot.

I didn't know it at the time, but this is the last time I would ever see this pool furniture. It was all replaced before the next time I visited the Fort. The funny thing is, I don't think it was that old, and it wasn't in bad shape.

Here is your photographic confirmation that the new mugs had not yet reached the Fort by February 14:

Here's a shot of the back of the Bike Barn:

And a look at the pool entrance area:

I stopped by the tennis courts to take this shot looking toward the 1500 loop. I don't know why, but this is one of my favorite views in the Fort. And this is a classic winter scene:

It was about here that the girls called and told me they were heading back to the Fort from AK. I drove up to the Outpost to fetch them.

From there, I headed down to the Settlement via the 100 loop. We were going to take one last look around before heading home.

There were several campers on the first few sites in the 100 loop who had matching signs. I think these folks were there when I had visited back in January, too. Here's one of the signs:

And another:

And yet another:

This is another custom sign, but it is different from the others. Note this guy has a Mickey light, too. Also note how he strapped it to his site marker. If you are planning to do this, make note that not all loops have electric connections on the site markers. In fact, most do not:

Do you remember that guy we saw early Monday morning painting the barrel outside of Pioneer Hall?

I saw him at a little before 9.

I returned to the Settlement at a little after noon.

And, the painter was still hard at work.

See?:

Admittedly, I was not there to watch exactly what this guy did, but as near as I could tell, it had taken him 3+ hours to paint those two barrels. He did a good job, but what the heck?

On the way back to our car, I noticed some new survey markers behind the 700 loop, just to the west of the intersection of Big Pine Drive and Fort Wilderness Trail. Here is a photo:

The markers went off into the woods behind the outside sites on the 700 loop:

This photo was taken in the area right behind the last outside site on the 700 loop (many of you will know this as Jeannie's site):

Can you read what is written on the stake? It says #103 back curb. I wonder what that means. This is behind the 700 loop, not the 100 loop.

Here are a couple of more shots of the area:

The stake in the photo above has "#105 back curb" written on it.

Again, this is no where near the 100 loop.

You can see flags in the woods here:

And there are flags behind these electric boxes:

In this last shot, we are looking toward the intersection. You can see the sign with all the directions there in the background:

So what is up with the new survey markers?

Most of you have heard that there are major changes coming to the Settlement area.

There is a thread in the Construction information area of this site which was started by member WannaBeImagineer that shows plans for a new pavilion to be built by the Settlement Trading Post. One of the drawings in the plans that WBI linked shows something possibly going on over here in the area depicted in the photos I posted above. Here's a screen cap of the drawing I am referring to:

To help you orient yourself, the intersection of Big Pine Drive and Fort Wilderness Trail is in the center of that drawing, and you can see the backs of the outside sites on the 700 loop toward the bottom. It looks like a new sidewalk or some other paved area is drawn in here. Here's a closer look:

I could be reading these plans wrong. It has happened before. But, I do know that there is nothing paved in this little corner right now, and it looks like a sidewalk might be going in there. Time will tell.

Before leaving the Settlement area, I took one last shot of Pioneer Hall. I have heard that the new construction may impact the nice field in the foreground on this photo. I hope that's not true, but in case it is, we now his this photo to remember how things used to be:

From here, we headed back to the Outpost, and headed home.

It was a great trip.

That is all I have to say about that.

Thank you for reading along.

Until next time.

TCD

Hmmm, this got me wondering. Chris, is there any (easy) way to pull a report of folks who are registered but have never posted? On the one hand I'm just curious as to what percentage that group might represent. But on the other hand it might be cool to have a "Kicked your butt out of the closet thread" where you out the lurkers for us to all pile on... errr, encourage, to join the conversation! Ok, maybe that's not a good idea, but it is a fun idea!

Anyone can look at the members list above, and sort by post count. But I don't feel warm and fuzzy about "calling out" specific people to post. I'd rather we make them feel welcome enough to post on their own, and I'm not sure that "HEY YOU! GET TO POSTIN'!" is the best way to achieve that goal.

Having said that, we do Love All, Serve All here- if you're a fan of the Fort, or of TCD's trip reports, or of Norm's photography, or of Stacktester's shenanigans- there's a place for you here! We'd love to get to know you better!

I will agree with AuburnChris on this. I think you have a great idea, there, Shanta, but I think a lot of newbies would be intimidated by the fear of being singled out, so it could have a chilling effect on getting more folks to join.

The point I was trying to make is that even those who feel they have nothing to contribute usually do have something beneficial to add to the mix on a discussion board such as this.. It is interesting to hear different perspectives. Also, a question that one person asks may be exactly what someone else was wondering too.

I really like it when lurkers finally feel that it is time to join. And, I really get a kick out of hearing from someone who has never posted. It always amazes me what a diverse bunch of folks read along here.

I have seen these carts on college campus and they are used by the ROTC groups recruiting new students. You can see the ROTC emblem under the back seat and right above that there are lines about scholarships.

I have to think this is a US GOVT vehicle.

That is my thought, as well.

There is nothing on that cart that makes any reference to NASCAR or Junior.

It is like a rolling ad for the National Guard.

But what was it doing at the Fort?

Also through MWR, the government rents out stuff to elibible members including camping stuff, so maybe it's a rental.

Could be.

With liability and all, I wouldn't think this is the type of thing that the government would rent out for private use.

But, I don't have a better explanation.

and you never know, a former lurker may just come out of their shell. :rofl2:

Yes. That is what I am talking about.

You can go from being a lurker to being one of the most popular kids in the group.

All you have to do is register and post.

TCD

So, during the midst of giving us a major trip report, you go sidebar on us with a weekend update trip report.

Wow! Man, this is more than just getting a “Disney Fix” this is “Total Disney Saturation!” And I like it. :banana:

To all doing TR’s right now, Thank Ya, Thank Ya very much. :popcorn:

Total Disney Saturation!

Yep.

I had to get these photos posted, because I have a bunch more to get to.

There is still plenty more to come!

Do you think you can take it?

I love the report with Jack! He is one lucky bear. I would like to find out more about the Gowalla app, it sounds interesting. The Pixar Celebration looked really cool and I would love to see some of those characters. Thanks for taking us along through your TR.

The Pixar celebration was a complete surprise to us, and it was fun.

Gowalla seems to be like an official version of Four Square, which my DD's used to do while at the Fort and WDW.

Is there anyone reading along who has used Four Square at the Fort?

I had hoped to have my DD complete all of the check ins to earn one of the pins promised by the Gowalla site. We still aren't sure if these pins are actual pins or virtual, but we will be finding that on our next visit, I'm sure.

What!!! A TCD trip report with only two installments?? Say it ain't so! Encore!! Encore!!

Yep.

That's all there is for this one.

This was just a free bonus.

Not to worry, there are three longer reports in my in box.

Great trip report!! I love how camera shy your girls are :rofl2: . What I love most is the memories you and your girls will have of all the great trips you take together :hug:

O and mad props to you for your ability to get pics inside star tours it looks great!

You are right about the memories.

And, it has been deliberate on my part this year.

My babies are turning 16 this month.

Which means that they will be getting their drivers' licenses.

And that means mom and dad will become slightly less relevant.

In a couple more years, Mrs. TCD and I will have an empty nest.

I'm not ready for that.

Great report!! I just love your pics too!! Wish I was there to have all the fun your having!!

Thanks for your kind words.

We are lucky to live close enough to WDW that a day trip is do-able.

Hopefully, there will be a lot more day trips this year.

TCD

I am a lurker who is very glad to have tracked down the new home of the TCD Trip Reports! Thanks for all of the great info, narrative, & pics you give us!!

WELCOME!!!!!! You need to run over to the introduce yourself thread so more folks can properly welcome you!!!

Agreed!

It makes my day when someone finally decides to leave the comfort of lurkdom and join in the fun!!!

Welcome, texdisneygal!

To you other lurkers- you really ought to register. I already mentioned this, but in case you missed that mention, this site has a huge members only section, with a very active and hilarious community board. You can only view it if you register. And, of course, you can only post comments and ask questions in a TCD trip report if you register. So, do what texdisneygal did. Register. Let us know that you are reading along. Make a comment, ask a question. All of us started as lurkers. Some for just a little while, some for a long time. Your experience on this website in particular will be much more fun if you register!

To everyone reading along. Please stand by for the final batch of photos from this trip.

To you lurkers who are still lurking- this would be a great time to register and say hello.

Plus, your first post could be on this historic first official TCD fortfiends.net trip report. This is your chance to get in on the ground floor. This trip report is coming to an end, so you had better act now!

To texdisneygal, please do what Mouseketab suggested- go to the community board and post a brief intro. I promise you that you will receive a warm Fort Fiend welcome!

TCD

TCD ~ If I had to guess about the National Guard golf cart, I would say the owner of the cart is a Dale Jr. fan. The only other thing I will say about that is to please be careful if you see it around the fort again! There is about a 99% chance that it will hit something before it reaches its destination. :rofl2:

Ah, NASCAR humor!

I don't get it.

or maybe it WAS Dale Jr. The 500 was the next week.

Best Regards,

Norm

That is a good point.

This photos is a few months old.

Man TCD, I have been checking back every few hours looking for my Trip Report fix.... I was beginning to think that you were holding out for a bigger royalty check....

Keep checking back.

I do need to get paid more. I am getting paid the same here as at the old place.

I wish I had thought to take that Musket Mickey garbage can. Wouldn't that be the coolest thing to have in the garage? :parrot:

If I had that can, it wouldn't be in my garage. It would be in a place of honor! :banana:

Hmmm.

You two are now on the list of official suspects.

TCD

See if I can describe this without too much info getting out.....

There are 2 different launch scenes. The spy is an actual rider and is randomly selected (but always seems to be from the second row).

The first planet you visit is then random, there are 3 different ones.But always rotates between the 3.

The message is different each time and is switched between 3 different people.

The final scene is also different each time. There are 3 different endings but always rotates between those 3.

So each time you ride, you have a different launch, first planet, message, final planet for 54 different possible scenarios. Of course, once you see all of the scenes no matter how, there isnt much to see after that.

I get it.

Maybe we should have ridden a couple of times.

But, when we visited, they had both sides of the line open. We chose the left side, which moved much slower than the right.

One ride was enough for us for now.

Thanks for the information though.

I think it is a great idea to have so many different possible sequences. It will make folks want to ride again and again.

Have a great time at the Fort this weekend!

TCD

Just a heads up to all. It was opened today, and as far as I know, is still opened. I had to work today, so couldnt go.

TCD (cant seem to figure out the multiqoute thingy)

The ride is kind of them same, but you would have rode more than once, it is a different ride each time. We just wanted to experience the different scenarios. I also agree about next weekend. We are going to SWW on Sunday (checking into the Fort Friday the 20th) and was trying to plan our day and the biggest snag was ST2.0. Expected lines of 2 to 3 hours just didnt fit our plan. So now that we have our rides out of the way, we can focus on the rest of SWW.

On our six rides, we only missed out on one scene, so we got a pretty good idea of what the ride has to offer.

I heard about the different scenes. I think it is a brilliant idea. In the Mickey Monitor I just received, it describes the ride as being like a slot machine- you never know what you are going to get.

So, that raises a question.

I would imagine that the beginning of each ride is the same -right? I will try to be vague so as to not spoil anyone's fun. But, the taking off with the guest pilot, the encounter which causes the ship to back out, the spy, that is all the same on each trip, right? Just your destinations change. Do I have that right?

We were going to visit for SWW on the first weekend. Now, I think we are waiting util the first weekend in June. I'm glad to not have to wait for 2-3 hours to ride the attraction.

TCD

Hey Devores-

Glad you got to try it out.

But old TCD beat you by a day.

We were at Epcot on Saturday, where we ran into a lady who told me that her son was a castmember, and she wasn't supposed to say anything, but there had been a castmember preview on Saturday morning. After she shared this "secret" with us, I heard her tell several other people.

I figured if the attraction was open to castmembers, then maybe they would be doing soft openings. We headed over to Hollywood Studios, and stopped by Star Tours around 3:15 pm

Sure enough, it was open.

We only rode it once.

It wasn't one of my favorites before. I like it much better now, but once a trip is probably enough for me. The 3D effects were very good.

I was kind-of thinking about trying it out next weekend, but now I won't have to.

I bet it will be a mob-scene for a while.

TCD

Well that makes it a big no no for me then. I love Mickey's Philharmagic but I have never seen the whole flying carpet scene. I have to close my eyes and wait for Mike to tell me it's over. Same thing on Soarin, I get to enjoy most of it but towards the end I have the same problemn. Needless to say I have never been on Mission Space :rofl2: I can do Rockin Roller Coaster but only once and usually make it the last ride of the day just in case.

Good thing there are so many other things for me to enjoy :banana:

That piece at the end of Soarin' where you are zooming up Disneyland Mainstreet? I know what you mean! I LOVE Soarin'... all but that one piece. :barf:

If y'all have issues with Philharmagic and Soarin', then you will want to steer clear of Star Tours.

On Star Tours, you are in a simulator, so the whole "theater" is moving.

In 3D.

TCD

Continuing with our story . . .

It is Monday morning, February 14th.

I get the girls up early so they can get their stuff packed and out of the camper.

And get ready for a rope drop.

They chose Animal Kingdom.

In the past, I have driven the girls to their park of choice on the morning of our departure. It works out great for me. I can then get packed up, and they are not sitting around being bored.

This morning they said they would take the bus.

So, I drove them to the Outpost.

An AK bus pulled right up.

And they were off.

On my way back to camp, I noticed that there was a big storage container parked off to the side near the golf cart drop off area:

I wonder what that is there for?

There were also a bunch of trucks lined up right behind the check-in lanes:

They were moving stuff into the storage container:

You can see a shelving unit in the the front of the photo, and a set of lockers there in the back of the storage container.

The stuff was being carried out of the upstairs part of the building situated in the middle of the check in lanes:

Let's try that one more time without the sun:

So what is going on here?

I accidentally wandered into that area once.

Honestly.

I was looking for the internet cafe.

This was a few years ago.

A castmember told me that it was in the building between the check-in lanes.

I didn't know that there was an entrance on the ground level in the front, and I had seen castmember walking up here. So, up I went.

It was just an office/breakroom area.

I think they were probably just replacing the carpet or something.

No big deal.

But, while I am here, here's another shot of the trucks parked there:

There's the storage container, way over there.

I would have parked it closer.

Here's some of the stuff that was moved out:

I stepped over to the Reception Outpost area.

They always have a great butterfly garden planted here:

The new banners for this year are up:

If you are ever looking for something to do at the Fort, there is some great people watching available from the rocking chairs you see on the porch up there:

You can see the work trucks from here:

Some more shots of the garden;

They use this big tank to water the flowers planted around the Fort:

Before getting going with the packing, I visited Trail's End for one more cup of coffee.

See that square slab next to the fence in these photos?:

There used to be a trash can there.

A trash can that still had Musket Mickey on it.

Did one of you take it?

I have seen this fellow around the Fort before:

I want his job.

Notice that he is getting ready to paint that barrel.

I don't think it was quite 9 am yet.

How long do you figure it will take him to paint a barrel?

I think you will be surprised.

We will check back on him later.

As I returned to my cart, I noticed this National Guard golf cart:

What is this about?

Who has a National Guard golf cart?

Are there National Guard recruiters on official business at the Fort?

If not, who is using this golf cart, and why?

Next up . . .

We will get packed up.

And that means it's time to go.

Just one more installment.

And this one is in the can.

TCD

Over 2000 views! :banana::banana:

Congratulations.

And, well deserved.

Y'all did a great job on this trip report.

TCD