Tri-Circle-D

You think the Flying Nun thing is bad, have you seen the concept art for the proposed facade improvement project on Pioneer Hall?

Here you go:

 
TCD

Here you go:

 
TCD

I think it he was just filling in for one of the current Six Bits for just the one night.
But, Ben might be the hardest working man in Disney show business.  If you don't already follow him on Instagram, you might not know that he has a regular gig at the Edison restaurant in Disney Springs:
And he is still very popular at the Frozen sing-a-long in DHS:
 
TCD

The current rules prohibit dogs in tents of pop-up campers, whether attended or unattended.  If a Ranger was checking on a dog tethered outside a tent, he wasn't helping someone comply with the rules, he was assisting them with breaking the rules.  Which wouldn't surprise me.
For what it's worth, these are the current rules, quoted directly from the Disney website as of today 9/20/18.  They've read like this for at least the last year:
Furry friends are welcome to join your family’s camping adventure as long as the following conditions are met.
All pets must be kept on a handheld leash that is 8 feet or shorter or confined in the interior of the owner’s climate-controlled personal recreational vehicle. Pets are not permitted in tents and pop-up campers. Guests with pet privileges may take their dogs to play in the off-leash Waggin' Trails Dog Park or walk the many on-leash trails. So that our Guests with pets can enjoy ample time at the Walt Disney World theme parks and destinations, day and overnight kennel care is available at Best Friends Pet Care. Pet owners are required to pick up after and properly dispose of their pet's droppings. Pets that interfere with the quality of the Guest experience at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in any away (such as aggression, noise, etc.) or generate a legitimate complaint to management will result in the pet owner being required to discontinue the pet's inappropriate behavior, remove the pet to an off-site kennel, or leave the Resort. Please note that Guests who wish to stay with their pets at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort will be charged a $5 per-night pet fee. Link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/campsites-at-fort-wilderness-resort/
Those rules do not allow dogs to be on tethers, or in the hobo camp fences that some people put up around their campsites.  They have to be on a handheld leash, or inside the camper.  Period.
The no pop-up thing has really affected me, since I had to turn over a new leaf and become a strict rule follower after the TCD twins embarked on their careers in Disney management positions.  It's not all bad, though, the cabins are pretty sweet.
TCD

Guests without bags do not have to go through bag check, but they will likely have to empty their pockets to go through a metal detector. There are times and places where every guest has to go through a metal detector, and other times where they only make random selections go through the detector. Going bagless is not that much of a time saver. 
Yes, the Food and Wine booths accept Disney gift cards. They even sell special small gift cards that are attached to wristbands at the booths. 
The Nutella and fruit waffle is still available and is sold at Sleepy Hollow refreshments, which is on your right as you enter Liberty Square from the hub. They are currently $8 and change. Here's a link to the menu for exact pricing: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/sleepy-hollow/menus/
TCD

Guests without bags do not have to go through bag check, but they will likely have to empty their pockets to go through a metal detector. There are times and places where every guest has to go through a metal detector, and other times where they only make random selections go through the detector. Going bagless is not that much of a time saver. 
Yes, the Food and Wine booths accept Disney gift cards. They even sell special small gift cards that are attached to wristbands at the booths. 
The Nutella and fruit waffle is still available and is sold at Sleepy Hollow refreshments, which is on your right as you enter Liberty Square from the hub. They are currently $8 and change. Here's a link to the menu for exact pricing: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/sleepy-hollow/menus/
TCD

Hey everyone!
I was just looking at some of my ongoing projects and realized I never posted our video from our Fredericksburg trip we took way back in February.
Since there was some previous interest in Fredericksburg, I thought I'd go ahead and post it.  Feel free to ask me any questions.  
 
We camped at Oakwood RV park, it was pretty good, nothing fancy, our spot was basically a parking lot type area on gravel with a concrete pad for the picnic table.
We at some good German food.
Ate great BBQ
Hiked at Enchanted Rock
Went to the National Museum of the Pacific War
Went to a couple vineyards and wineries
at Mexican food
and all kinds of other things (mostly eating)
WBI
 

Ok one more video in case anyone is interested.  I just finished this one up today and sorry its a little long.
We once again camped over spring break at Grayton Beach State Park on 30A in the Florida panhandle.  They have a limited amount of campsites and they book up a year in advance but we love this place, mostly for the beach and proximity to the 30A things we like to do, aka Seaside.
Thanks for watching!
WBI
 
 

I took off work early yesterday to beat the traffic heading towards WDW on the dreaded I-4.
Things went pretty smoothly. There was a slight slowdown as soon as we got onto I-4 from I-75.  Once that cleared up, it was smooth sailing all the way to WDW.  Not even a slowdown at 27.
My wife and I wanted to enjoy our extended Silver Pass time bonus time before it expired on the 29th (yeah, we cut it close) and go see the Guardians show and try to score some Donald passholder magnets.
We got to the American stage a few minutes after 5:30 and it was empty.  The CM said there was lightning within 5? miles so the show had been cancelled and to come back at 6:45.  
So we went over to Morocco and ate at the Tangerine Cafe.  We had the pita slider plate that we split.  It was really good and filling enough for the two of us.
We were able to catch the boat from the World Showcase over to FutureWorld.  It's been years since we rode on one of those.
We got to Mouse Gear, went to the register where they had sold passholder items in the past and asked for the magnets.  The CM said we needed to head over to the fitting rooms.  We figured there was a register there, but when we walked up there was a CM with a tablet and a carpenters type apron around her waist.  We asked about the magnets, she scanned our bands and pulled the magnets out of her apron pocket.
It was time to head back to see the Guardians show.  We got up to the bridge between China and the outpost and they were starting to shut the gate because the firework barges were coming out.  We scooted around the one barrier and got thru before it was totally blocked off.  They bring those barges out early, it was only 6:30.
We made it to the show a couple minutes after it started.
Overall it was a good show.  The music and special effects were great.  The banter/acting was a little hokey, but overall it was a show you should definitely see.
Afterwards it was a trip to France to get ice cream, then a walk over to Canada to see their newest musical show.
It was the Blueberry Grass Band.  They covered a lot of rock songs bluegrass style.  Again it was a great show and worth taking the time to see.
This was the second or third time we've done a late afternoon trip to WDW and it's definitely a nicer experience.  It's not as crowded and the temps did drop a little.
If I get a chance I'll try to upload some pictures of the Guardian show.
 
 

You mean like this one?

I bet the bride's maiden name was Holmes.  

This is similar to the letter now posted at the Fort Comfort Station bulletin boards:
 

Love the Keys!  We stayed a week once about 20 mins north of Key West and it was such a fun trip.  We'd go out exploring every day - beach, Key West, all kinds of fun stuff -  and every night on the way back to our room we'd stop at the fish market around the corner and pick up a big bag of delicious fresh shrimp and stone crab - for a boatload less than any restaurant or super market around here would charge for it.
This was before dogs so our next trip that way will probably be with the camper, but there are some great campgrounds in the Keys as well.  As you said, it's like being on a tropical island ... that you can drive to.  :)

I know this board is mainly about Fort camping, but there is a lot of other things to do in Florida besides the Mouse, Harry Potter, Legoland and the beach. We have a lot of history in this state that is sometimes overlooked by theme parks. When visiting our state, check around and there may be something interesting close by. Check out Lighthouses, if you have never been in one, there are several that have been restored and made in museums you can go in and see how they were built and maned. How about a deep sea fishing trip, a tour on a glass bottom boat, or an air boat in the everglades. May a resort dive, (a short class and a shallow dive with scuba tanks). A lot of history, Oldest town, Saint Augustine, is very interesting and you will learn a lot of history on a tour.
    Maybe a week in the Keys, you can rent a house for about the same as a week at Fort Wilderness and stay on a tropical island and still be in the USA. Take a charter boat if you enjoy fishing and enjoy fresh seafood, it tastes different from what you get from the stores. A visit to Fort Jefferson on Dry Tortugas is unforgettable and worth the trip. Pigeon Key give a look into how the oversea highway was built.
    There is a lot to do and see, we have had Indian battles and civil war battles, dinasour bone museums, rail road and ship yards. You can find shark teeth and on beaches and Manatees in the wild, natural springs with glass bottom boats, and many other things that are interesting besides theme parks. Plus most of the people are friendly and are willing to share their knowledge about where they live if you just ask where there is something interesting to see or do.

We left off with us about to set sail from Castaway Cay. All aboard time was 4:45, and they were already casting off the lines at 4:55. One of the twins took this photo from our cabin at 4:55:

Here's an artistic shot taken a few minutes later as the ship pulled away from the island:

At the same time, I was up top watching us pull away:

It's pretty amazing how fast the ship moves away from the island when it's time to go. Docking is a slow process that seems to take forever, but when it's time to go, they go. These next three photos were taken one minute apart, beginning at 5:01 pm:



I watched for a little while, then visited the adult pool for a bit.  I like the layout of the adult pool area much more on the Wonder than the layout on the Dream-class ships.  The hot tubs were empty, so I even enjoyed some hot tub time.
While I was doing that, the girls put the dresses they had worn when we boarded back on and hunted down our favorite chipmunks for this photo:

They had hoped to get that photo on day one, but the chipmunks weren't in the right outfits until night three.  But, mission accomplished.
Tonight was the new Frozen show, so we had to go to that.  Unfortunately, that show started 15 minutes earlier than the shows started on the other nights of our cruise, which eliminated our chance to pregame in the Crown and Fin.  Boo!
Before the show, our cruise director welcomed us and made some announcements.  She congratulated us for having enjoyed the nicest weather on Castaway Cay so far this year.  That was an interesting comment, and we all agreed that the weather had been close to perfect for us.
On most cruises, I skip at least one of the shows, but we ended up seeing all three on this cruise.  I've been sick of all things Frozen for a long time, but I enjoyed the show.  I think it was because it was a live performance with very talented actors.
Our final dinner was in Animators Palate, which meant I had to wear my John Lassiter Hawaiian shirt, which has not been worn since our last cruise:

Twin #1 took the requisite selfie with our server:

Normally, after our last dinner we would have to rush back to the cabin to pack our suitcases and put them out in the hallway to be collected. But, for this cruise we decided to try something new and keep all of our luggage to carry off on the last morning.  That ended up being a big hit- no rushing around and trying to figure out what to pack and what to keep.  The key to this was that we committed to pack much lighter than normal for this cruise- just one carry on sized suitcase each.  
Since we didn't have to rush back to the cabin, we got a good spot for the 'Till We Meet Again show, and the girls took advantage of all the meet and greet opportunities. Twin #1 won the award for most obscure meet and greet with this selfie with Ensign Benson:
 
This farewell show is nicer than how the do it on the Dream:

After the show, we did some final exploring around the ship: 

We hunted down the entrance to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, which is in a very remote part of the ship:

We wandered around some more, and then headed back to the cabin for our last room service order. 
The next morning, we were woken by the engine noises of us docking at Port Canaveral. We enjoyed a quick final breakfast at Cabanas, and then headed off the ship.  Not having to hunt down our bags in that big luggage room was a plus.  The customs lines moved kind of slow, and for the first time ever, we got pulled from the line to have our bags searched by a customs officer. Luckily, we had nothing to worry about, as we hadn't purchased anything of significance, and didn't have any prohibited items with us. Maybe the Customs Officer read our body language, as she ended up just peeking in our backpacks, and never opened our suitcases.  I was glad that we didn't have to sit there while she searched through all of our bags. 
From there, we headed to the car, loaded up, and next stop was home in time for Easter brunch. 
And that's it. 
Thanks for following along. 
TCD 

Sorry.
i just got back from Disneyland yesterday. As per usual the last day was a marathon day in the parks followed by a red eye flight home. I don't bounce back from those kinds of trips as well as I used to. 
The good news is another trip report is on the way. 
TCD 

There used to be 17 cabanas on the family beach, and 4 at Serenity Bay, as noted on this map.

But at some point, they built 4 more cabanas at the Family beach, and re-numbered the Serenity Bay cabanas from 18-21 to 22-25, as per the current map below.  So, current cabana 22 used to be cabana 18, and they figured that nobody would ever notice that the nautical flags no longer match up with the cabana number.  

It is true. And backs up what I reported previously. 

I think the twins and I would get along pretty well [emoji23]


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I have never been on a DIS CRUISE that didn't have a CM hovering around the ice cream machines keeping them full and the area clean.

The TCD gang sailed again!  Well, most of us did. 
We last sailed on the Disney Cruise Line in 2016. Since then, we have talked of going again, but with work and school schedules, it never worked out. 
Earlier this year, the TCD twins asked if anyone would object if they saw a castmember rate on a cruise and jumped on it. They currently have the most flexibility with their schedules, so we all agreed that if a good deal popped up, they should grab it, and whoever could go would go. 
Just about a month ago, I got an urgent call from Twin #2- a CM rate got posted for a 3 night Disney Wonder cruise that would sail on the Thursday of Holy Week, and return on Easter Sunday. It was short notice during a busy time of year. Mrs. TCD and I had work conflicts, as did our oldest daughter. So the twins were going to go on their own. 
But, my conflict resolved, and I was available. Mrs. TCD assured me that it was OK with her for me to go without her. I felt guilty about leaving her and my oldest daughter behind, but not guilty enough not to go. So, it was me and the twins. 
I still have some photo issues to resolve before getting this report fully cranked up, so I just have this one photo to share for now. If you've been to Castaway Cay before, you'll recognize the post office building there on the left, with the pump house building to the right of that. In the bottom right corner, you can see the showers and ropes and posts to be used by guests returning to the ship. If you look closely on the walkway between the post office and pump house, you'll see one man walking along carrying his beach bag and empty beer cooler. That's me- the last guest on the island at 4:38 pm on Saturday, March 31, 2018:
 
That photo was taken by one of the twins from our Deck 5 verandah. 
It was the ending of a perfect day on the island on a perfect day of the cruise. 
In the next post, we will start at the beginning, and I'll tell you all about it. 
TCD 

Before I go forward, I want to thank DIT and WBI for their TR's earlier this year from their Wonder cruises. I got some great tips from you both- especially the chicken wings in the Crown and Fin tip. Those were great!
 TCD 

The TCD gang sailed again!  Well, most of us did. 
We last sailed on the Disney Cruise Line in 2016. Since then, we have talked of going again, but with work and school schedules, it never worked out. 
Earlier this year, the TCD twins asked if anyone would object if they saw a castmember rate on a cruise and jumped on it. They currently have the most flexibility with their schedules, so we all agreed that if a good deal popped up, they should grab it, and whoever could go would go. 
Just about a month ago, I got an urgent call from Twin #2- a CM rate got posted for a 3 night Disney Wonder cruise that would sail on the Thursday of Holy Week, and return on Easter Sunday. It was short notice during a busy time of year. Mrs. TCD and I had work conflicts, as did our oldest daughter. So the twins were going to go on their own. 
But, my conflict resolved, and I was available. Mrs. TCD assured me that it was OK with her for me to go without her. I felt guilty about leaving her and my oldest daughter behind, but not guilty enough not to go. So, it was me and the twins. 
I still have some photo issues to resolve before getting this report fully cranked up, so I just have this one photo to share for now. If you've been to Castaway Cay before, you'll recognize the post office building there on the left, with the pump house building to the right of that. In the bottom right corner, you can see the showers and ropes and posts to be used by guests returning to the ship. If you look closely on the walkway between the post office and pump house, you'll see one man walking along carrying his beach bag and empty beer cooler. That's me- the last guest on the island at 4:38 pm on Saturday, March 31, 2018:
 
That photo was taken by one of the twins from our Deck 5 verandah. 
It was the ending of a perfect day on the island on a perfect day of the cruise. 
In the next post, we will start at the beginning, and I'll tell you all about it. 
TCD 

Not a Fort report. I've been there frequently for a meal, but not to camp. 
Maybe there will be a DCL report, but we'll see how that trip goes.
It's soon BTW. 
TCD