ependydad...Doug

Please pass the brain bleach!!!!!!!!!

Exactly. You need to be an Imagineer.
 
Milk and Cheerios meet Mr. Computer Screen.....
 
Agreed!  
 
And BTW, whose great idea was it to have the only two rides in an entire new "Land" be in the same building?? Are they running out of space to put rides? Are they keeping other space open for future rides in Avatarland? Or is it just more cost-cutting?

Wow, it's like you have a view into my bedroom...

Wow, it's like you have a view into my bedroom...

Wow, it's like you have a view into my bedroom...

Wow, it's like you have a view into my bedroom...

If you are still enjoying your trips, and making good memories with your kids, by all means take those trips.  Keep in mind that everyone on here is in different stages of their Disney relationship.  Some have been going for many years and are jaded.  Others have been going a long time and will continue, as they simply love Disney.  Many more are in the early stages of their Disney crush and the magic is still being made.  If your only doubts about continuing on your journey are due to the opinions of others, please pay them no attention.  You may come upon Disney burn out on your own, in your own time.  But if you're not there yet, go and enjoy yourself.  Even I, a recovering Disney addict and sometime hater, still find many things at WDW that I enjoy, despite my complaining.  Don't let me or anyone else get you down.    

That's some serious Disney magic... they let her drive the bus?!

That's some serious Disney magic... they let her drive the bus?!

Good description, but they are pretty cute, though..

 

Possibly us. Friends of ours are thinking a Christmas Disney trip and my wife will likely make us be nearby. Not sure if we're doing the Fort or what.

Can I suggest maybe headed to Aquatica (Sea World's water park)? My family all liked it infinitely more than either TL or BB.

The melamine microwave plates are no joke. I tried nuking food one day on our old set- got to the point where the plate was literally hot to the touch, food charred, and the rest of the food was still cold. In other news, I can tell you the exact day that I learned our plates were NOT microwave safe....

The melamine microwave plates are no joke. I tried nuking food one day on our old set- got to the point where the plate was literally hot to the touch, food charred, and the rest of the food was still cold. In other news, I can tell you the exact day that I learned our plates were NOT microwave safe....

Sounds awesome!
For pulling and turning, I was told that you watch the trailer wheels on the inside. Once they pass whatever obstruction there is- you can then safely turn as sharp as you need to. It was really helpful for me to learn when I could turn. It becomes natural after a while.
Otherwise, for practice in a parking lot, I never wanted to spend the money on a 100 traffic cones or even soccer field markers. Someone said to take a few gallons of water and red solo cups. Fill them a little to give them ballast and they won't blow over/away. If you run over a few, no harm, no foul.
Just know that backing in- the pivot point is in the middle of your truck bed. That point has to move side to side before the camper's rear will move side to side. Give yourself a couple of extra feet that you'll have to back up before the camper responds. I tend to pull up to where I think I need to be, and then another 6' or so.
Small corrections are your friend. My big mistake for a LONG time (and I'm still guilty) is that I'll way turn the wheel in either direction. I laughed one day thinking that my truck looked like windshield wipers in front of the camper - back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Small corrections win.
Glad things seem to be going well with the new camper! Congrats!

As promised, here are some pics.
First, we have the golf cart on its trailer to bring it down. This is a 4 x 8 trailer I purchased used, but is available (unassembled) from Harbor Freight for around $400. Since the cart sticks off the back a little, I chose not to use a traditional hinged gate ramp. Instead, the sides come off and are the loading ramps (I used clevis pins with cotter pins to lock them in place so they are easily removable). Additionally, the height of the legs is intentional. When the ramps are in place, I use the clevis pins with a steel plate to keep the ramps from moving (apart or together). That red box on the seat is the collapsible wagon (we had to pack everywhere since the first part of our journey was in a minivan).

Here we are unloading the golf cart at the Fort! The chain was to keep the cart from being stolen since we had a long trip with an overnight stop in a rest area. The straps are what held everything in place.

Here we are with the wagon attached. I just lowered the handle of the wagon over the grab bar of the cart. If you notice in the first picture, there is actually a handle attached. Funny story. You'll have to read the trip report when I get it up... You can see the mobility cart and wheelchair under the canopy in the background.
I love the instant canopies! They serve as a garage and are great if there is any rain. Chargers store under cover, as does the cart at night.

Here we are loaded up and ready to go!


It was a little crowded, but hey, we got 6 people plus all needed accessories. By later in the week, we also started putting the backpack in the wagon. Tried the wheelchair, but just couldn't get it to stay.
As I stated before, I like this type of wagon because when we got to the parking, it folded up and stored in the front of the cart with no issues. Hope this helps!

We have a 42' fifth wheel and have been in Premium sites 3x now. Hasn't been terrible and, in fact, this trip was downright the easiest parking job I've ever had.

This site is hugely long. I can park my truck inline with the camper, unhitched, still have room to open the tailgate, and I'm still out of the road. Site #1326.

Hey, I loved my AP seating for Festival of the Arts, and I'm enjoying the increased discounts with my AP. I think this has been the best year to be an AP holder in a long time. 

If I was staying less than a week and got a cart, it would be a Disney cart. No hassle of pickup. And, if there's an issue - it's a lot easier to just swap one out.

We're hoping to make the Feb 24th one. We'll see how it works out. We're in AL at that point, but need to come back in for a doctor appointment for my wife. Planning on making a weekend out of it.

Have you seen a snappily-dressed white one with a pocket watch?

The new trashcans showed up in the fall of 2015:
The alligator attack was summer 2016.
and you're right about the trash piled up outside of the cans.  There are also poorly hidden trash enclosures around the Fort where trash bags are stashed until the big truck comes and picks them up.  Those aren't cleared out on a daily basis.
TCD

Just goes to show ya.....you Dim Sum, you lose sum.  

Good stuff all around. TCD, you always amaze me with having so many pictures handy!

We will decide when we have about 1 hour more of driving and my wife will look around 60 miles from where we are.
My preference is to use Walmarts for overnights. My wife will call ahead and ask if overnight parking is allowed. The answer is either a clear cut "yes" or "no" or a more vague, "we don't allow it but no one hassles you" or "well no, but if you have to stop, then you have to stop". If it's no or vague, we keep looking. If it's a yes, we'll ask if there is a part of the parking lot that they prefer us to be in. Don't feel weird about the questions- you're not the first to ask; they're used to it.
As for slides and generators- it comes down to a situation by situation basis. Don't ever block a parking lot "road". Some Walmarts have nothing around and the sound of the generator won't be an issue; other Walmarts have houses nearby and a generator may be a nuisance. As for slides, I'm in the "use them" camp- I "need" to open 2-3 slides for my camper to be livable (I could do it with none and with kids on the dinette/couch and me climbing over the bed, but I greatly prefer having slides out).
Other do/do not- stabilizers and landing gear are up to you. I personally don't put them down. I don't want the extra work in the morning or in the rare/unexpected event that I get chased out overnight. I want to get in the truck and roll. For folks with heavy rigs and in the hot summer- know that the small footprint of the jacks can poke through hot asphalt.
Do not bust out the grill, chairs, awning. You're parking, not camping. :)
As I said, I prefer Walmart over others- with my want for slides, I'm very restricted in where in a truck stop I can park. I'd keep driving and get a hotel before taking up 2 truck spots. I also would have a hard time personally taking a truck spot in a very full truck stop- opting instead to leave it for a trucker who is mandated to be off the road. (Though, some Flying J/Pilot have whole separate areas for RV parking.) I find the RV spots at Cracker Barrel are to short for my 60' bumper to bumper length.