Tri-Circle-D

Nothing to understand. Just another disgusting money grab. 
TCD

Good point. I would add, however, that hedge fund managers and insiders are also raking it in, while Joe Sixpack shareholders twist in the wind. 
TCD

The claims they are making about how this app will help guests are ridiculous. It’s bad enough that they are price gouging again, but what makes it worse is that the damn app will be just as glitchy as all of their other app iterations. The DCL app is a piece of crap. The MDE app crashed at the MK for most of the day on the big 50th anniversary day on October 1.  And they expect us to believe that this new app will somehow plan a perfect day for guests? No way. 
TCD
 

What would be super funny is if they have all of those old beds in storage and used them in the DVC rooms. 
TCD

Go Gata and Go Knights. 
TCD

I randomly popped on to FF and this was the first thread I noticed.  I have a lot of catching up to do around here but am delighted to see so many familiar names contributing!  When I was a "regular" here, I lived outside of Jacksonville, FL and my kids were in elementary school.  We started camping at the Fort in a tent when they were 3 and 6, then a pop up, then a TT.  In 2013, we relocated to a suburb of Philadelphia.  Sold our TT to another family on this board right before we moved.  We did get a new one, though we do not tow it down there.  Now when we visit WDW we stay in a cabin.  Expensive, for sure but worth it to us to be able to visit our happy place.  We go about once a year, in large part because my sons both go to college in FL.  Yes - for those that may remember me - my 2 boys are now 19 and 21!  One is a senior at UF, the other a sophomore at UCF.  
We got priced out of parks many years ago, but would still go very rarely, especially to see my boys march down Main St. USA for their HS band trips.  We did visit one park during the pandemic, it was just ok, but disappointing for reasons everyone has mentioned plus we didn't get on Rise as hoped.  However, we have thoroughly enjoyed every stay at the Fort, despite not having our own camper and all of the restrictions.  The only thing that has been a downside is the construction and how much it has changed down by the marina.  Losing that beach and the ugly weird fake greenery "fence" just makes me sad.  I was just there with my youngest in late August right before we moved him back for school.  Lots of loops closed for paving, etc. but again, we made the best of it and it was a nice relaxing few days.  If I had traveled that far with an RV though - I'd have been pretty mad to have not enjoyed the things one should while staying there.
As for what others have mentioned, yes I do think social media contributed to the decline in activity here.  But, the FB Fort groups are mostly useless.  Some are borderline militant with the rules and seem to be slanted toward one TA or another.  Meh.  One page in particular is so full of drama and BS, but the gal is so silly with the "breaking news", etc. it's almost entertaining.  I've always said this is the best resource, and if the Fort ever returns to it's former glory, it will reemerge as such.

Good point. I would add, however, that hedge fund managers and insiders are also raking it in, while Joe Sixpack shareholders twist in the wind. 
TCD

Hey all, I usually do not post here anymore for a few reasons. Mostly because we are not campers any longer and as I am not anti Disney, we have been saddened by the changes (even pre Covid) the mouse has made.  Our daughter is now 15. We started camping at the fort when she was 2. Unfortunately, Disney priced us out of the fort around 2016/2017.  Our daughter is still a huge Disney fan and will stay up to date with all things Disney at the parks. She wants to go back so bad, and honestly, the wife and I wouldn’t mind a little bit of happy place after this past 15 months working in the medical field. Now here is where I get frustrated.  I know everyone has suffered somehow through this pandemic and every business that survived is trying to figure out how to recoup their losses.  My plan was to possibly purchase Epcot after 4 passes for Christmas. With the latest announcement of AP last week, I don’t see the after 4 pass. This irritated me but didn’t get me mad yet. As I looked at the new passes, it started to get me more mad. To get a decent pass that allows you access on weekends or when school is out will run you close to $1000 each and for the poor out of state people, your looking over $1200.  This is just plain crazy.  Don’t make me quote the famous Walt speech about creating a place EVERYONE can enjoy. So, this got me mad, but this last one got me pissed. So now I figure I would get tickets for this new Christmas party special event ticket. Mind you, it’s 9pm to 1am with letting you in at 7, not 4 like previous hours. To my holy surprise, a November ticket was $189 and a December ticket was close to $230 each…. Sorry but WTF.  THIS IS TOTALLY INSANE.  I’m not buying these. If it were not for the love of Disney from our kids, I would ban these morons for life.  They might as well do a credit check at security and only let certain income people in.  They are doing this hypothetically by charging what they do.  And don’t get me started on Disney cruise line prices. It’s something WE WILL NEVER AFFORD. Thanks Disney for absolutely nothing

Thanks. We will hope for the best. Both of the girls were treated poorly by Disney during the pandemic, and both had previous offers to return to lesser roles that they rejected. Working for DCL, though, comes with some next-level perks and opportunities, so this will hopefully go well for her. 
TCD

Right back at you friend. This place (and the Fort) really were a lot of fun back in the day. My Disney days would also be behind me but for the fact that the TCD twins still live right outside WDW and one of them just landed her dream job in DCL HR. We all just arrived back yesterday from the first Fantasy test cruise with guests (albeit all DCL CMs and their friends and family) and the twins are heading back out on Saturday for another test cruise. So our Disney journey will continue. 
TCD

Thanks. We will hope for the best. Both of the girls were treated poorly by Disney during the pandemic, and both had previous offers to return to lesser roles that they rejected. Working for DCL, though, comes with some next-level perks and opportunities, so this will hopefully go well for her. 
TCD

Right back at you friend. This place (and the Fort) really were a lot of fun back in the day. My Disney days would also be behind me but for the fact that the TCD twins still live right outside WDW and one of them just landed her dream job in DCL HR. We all just arrived back yesterday from the first Fantasy test cruise with guests (albeit all DCL CMs and their friends and family) and the twins are heading back out on Saturday for another test cruise. So our Disney journey will continue. 
TCD

Thanks. We will hope for the best. Both of the girls were treated poorly by Disney during the pandemic, and both had previous offers to return to lesser roles that they rejected. Working for DCL, though, comes with some next-level perks and opportunities, so this will hopefully go well for her. 
TCD

That's great to hear - congrats!!

Right back at you friend. This place (and the Fort) really were a lot of fun back in the day. My Disney days would also be behind me but for the fact that the TCD twins still live right outside WDW and one of them just landed her dream job in DCL HR. We all just arrived back yesterday from the first Fantasy test cruise with guests (albeit all DCL CMs and their friends and family) and the twins are heading back out on Saturday for another test cruise. So our Disney journey will continue. 
TCD

Right back at you friend. This place (and the Fort) really were a lot of fun back in the day. My Disney days would also be behind me but for the fact that the TCD twins still live right outside WDW and one of them just landed her dream job in DCL HR. We all just arrived back yesterday from the first Fantasy test cruise with guests (albeit all DCL CMs and their friends and family) and the twins are heading back out on Saturday for another test cruise. So our Disney journey will continue. 
TCD

That's the important point, right there.  I love when pictures from our many trips to the Fort pop up, with all of my family together.  Sometimes I like to go back and read my old trip reports and relive those moments.  As much as I enjoyed writing those reports for all of you to read, and bantering back and forth about things on here (and the DIS before)...and I very much DID enjoy that!....I also wrote the reports in part to memorialize the trips for my own enjoyment in the future.  I'm sure others who have written reports have also enjoyed re-reading their own reports from time to time, and most everyone at least has photos of their trips to go back and look at.  The point is, while our Disney days are behind us, I'll cherish those memories for a lifetime, both for the memories of fun times with my family as well as the valued friendships I shared with all of you knuckleheads. 

The fact that it sounds even remotely reasonable for the price to have doubled in 6 years is proof that we’ve lost our collective minds.  Housing prices have doubled.  The price of a steak has doubled. The price of a Disney vacation has doubled.  Has your income doubled?  If it has, good for you.  But I bet most people would answer no.  I know we all make decisions and prioritize spending based on what’s important to us, and I am not criticizing anyone for choosing to spend their money at WDW.  I just don’t see how this is sustainable in the big picture.  

I feel the same way, but the days of enjoying Disney without a smart phone are gone. The TCD gang is about to sail again on DCL very soon. Currently on the ships, everything is on the app. No paper Navigators, no paper menus, and you have to join a virtual queue to get a time to disembark on Castaway Cay.  And did they upgrade the ship wifi?  Of course not. Unfortunately, no amount of complaining to guest services is going to change any of this. The elimination of all the printed materials is a huge money saver.  And those savings are not passed on to the consumer- the executive bonuses will be obscene again this year. 
TCD

I feel the same way, but the days of enjoying Disney without a smart phone are gone. The TCD gang is about to sail again on DCL very soon. Currently on the ships, everything is on the app. No paper Navigators, no paper menus, and you have to join a virtual queue to get a time to disembark on Castaway Cay.  And did they upgrade the ship wifi?  Of course not. Unfortunately, no amount of complaining to guest services is going to change any of this. The elimination of all the printed materials is a huge money saver.  And those savings are not passed on to the consumer- the executive bonuses will be obscene again this year. 
TCD

I bet when you return to the cabin in the evening, there will be a QR code on your bed to scan and see pictures of towel animals. 

I can't get any answer anywhere, but my biggest concern is that it seems to be based on having to use a guest-provided smartphone to use the system. I REALLY hope that they revamp the FP kiosks to use the system with a card or Magic Band. I HATE using my phone in the parks, and have gone so far as to telling Guest Services and CMs that I don't have one. In the three or four times I've tried, I have NEVER even been able to get my phone to recognize the RoR queue. I've tried all the tricks. It merely goes from not time, not time, not time, not time..... full.
It really started rubbing me the wrong way, when we started dining out again and restaurants wanted us to use our phones to see the menu, and when we went to Disney, them trying to say we had to use mobile order, or using our phone to get a text for seating. I want a menu, I want a beeper to be called to my table, and I want to order in person.

Lol. I love how they’re afraid to say what a Fastpass for a good ride will cost. Greedy b*stards. 
TCD