BradyBzLyn...Mo

This was on the 300 loop in November.  These folks had at least 2 sites - one which had no TT on it, just a string of tables, coolers, chairs and popups.

The festivities overflowed out onto the 300 dog walk...

Check out the right edge of the pic - you can see some of the coolers/pots.  There had to have been at least 15 coolers stacked up - of varying sizes.

Amazingly, one morning it all just VANISHED!

Even more amazingly, aside from a few stray kids playing in the street, these folks were quiet and respectful of their neighbors.  They clearly had a heck of a gathering, but we never heard a sound. 

Boy that dog park works like a charm!

Paradiso 37 at Downtown Disney

Prove how good (or bad) you are at Toy Story Mania...

I'm on the left, DH on the right.

My arm is STILL tired! :D

Personally I'm a fan of the  pineapple floats at Aloha Isle in MK. 

We spent 3 weeks at WDW in November.

This is #6...

For your Dole Whip purists out there, this was my self serve at Capt. Cook's at the Poly.  I was pretty proud of this one, but it could have been a little higher...

Lots of people ask about whether they should get the Disney Dining Plan when camping at the Fort.  What do you think?

IMO, there are definitely pros and cons to DDP that are specific to every family. I'd encourage people to price out the plan and check the menus to see if it's worth it for you - in terms of food and $$.

Some questions to consider...

- What are you camping in? (do you have an easy-to-stock/use kitchen setup?)

- How much do you like to cook on vacation?

- How do you and your family eat? (quantity/type?)

- Budget

The last 2 are the big determining factors for us as to whether the dining plan is worth it or not.

We camp in a hybrid TT and I enjoy cooking - even on vacation. Although I do feel more like I'm ON vacation if I don't have to cook.

We did the DDP twice while camping ('06 & '07). We enjoyed it very much because it gave us the opportunity to try out a lot of TS restaurants we probably never would have otherwise. We kept track, and had many TS meals that would have cost us $100-$200 out of pocket, which made the DDP a major deal for us!

We dropped the DDP when they changed it to no longer include the appetizer or gratuity. No longer made sense for us budget-wise, and we actually enjoy appetizers more than desserts.

2 other factors that clinched the deal...

- Having to make so many ADRs in advance and needing to plan so much of our days around meals

- Too much food!

DH and I are very good eaters and enjoy dining, but we had a bunch of desserts stacked up in the camper fridge. Both years we used the DDP we also found that we had a bunch of QS meals left at the end of the trip. We still came out ahead of the game $$ wise, but the last time we did the DDP (2007) we almost felt like we were stuffing ourselves because we didn't want to waste anything.

For our Dec'08 trip we skipped the DDP. We really enjoyed the freedom to eat what we wanted when we wanted it. We made just a couple of ADRs early - to places we knew for sure we didn't want to miss - and winged it the rest of the time. We don't mind QS meals (especially the nicer places in WS) and cooked easy meals at the camper that I'd planned ahead for.

We were able to get TS meals with little to no wait during the week at DTD, and the find of the trip was the Kona Sushi Bar - which was a walk up every time, had great sushi and where you can order off the regular Kona Cafe menu too! We ate there at least 3 times.

We were able to eat well (including a few very nice dinners at our favorite places) and still average only about $30-40 total per day for food the entire 3 weeks we were there. Which is what we were shooting for, and which also allowed us to add another week to our trip.

We did this the weekend of Nov 14-15, 2009 - Festival of the Masters was going on so DTD was pretty busy. We walked up, bought our tix and got on the 2nd ride after that. Although the line behind us formed pretty quickly. Rides are only about 10 minutes long though, so even if the line looks long, it might not be a super long wait.

Also something to keep in mind, if it's a bit breezy, but not windy enough to actually stop flights, they will load fewer people on the balloon to compensate. Also depending on wind speed, they may not go up as high as the full 400'.

So timing is key to get the best possible right. Ideally you want to pick a clear day with little to now breeze at all.

Here are some pics from our flight...

Contemporary in the distance. You can't see the castle because it is behind it...

Epcot...

Saratoga Springs...

One last tidbit. If you save your receipt, you can come back at any time, and as long as the receipt is still readable, you'll get 20% off your next flight.

Christmas - New Years week is THE busiest time of the year at WDW.  This is generally followed by July 4th, Spring Break (especially if it falls near Easter) and Thanksgiving (Weds-Sun).

Capacity closures are common and this is good information to keep in mind...

There are 4 states to park capacity closures. 

1) Parking lot entrance is closed. You can only get to a park via Disney Transportation.

2) Ticket windows are all closed and automated ticket vending machines turned off. If you are not already holding a valid ticket, you cannot get in.

3) Only those with annual passes or current KTTW cards (resort IDs) are allowed in.

4) - Nobody is allowed in.

It's very important to note that even if you have a restaurant reservation in a park (even if you have a written confirmation and have pre-paid in advance) you will not be allowed in if you do not meet the phased closing criteria.

That said, the keys to crazybusy times at WDW...

4. Rope Drop

3. Fast Pass

2. Good Touring Plan

...and the #1 key to having a great time at WDW with thousands of your new best friends??

1. Good attitude and realistic expectations

Top 3 things to ruin a WDW vacation during crazybusy times...

3. Not making a plan and thinking you'll be able to just "wing it" and do everything you want without ADRs or a clue

2. Not being ok with standing in masses of people or waiting in lines for rides/shopping/food/bathrooms.

1. Expecting to "do it all"

Go expecting it to be crowded and having to wait in line and being prepared and ok with that.

Go with your short list of "must dos" and consider everything else a bonus.

Go with the attitude that you're just going to have a wonderful time just BEING AT WDW!

If your dog is not used to being in the TT when you're not there, I'd strongly recommend some practice runs before you get to FW so you can figure out the best setup. You can even do this at home in the yard.

We crate our dogs in the TT, but they're very happy and comfortable in their crates and often hang out in them with the door open at home. If your dogs are happy in their crates, I'd recommend bringing them. If they're not, you might want to work on crate training before your trip.

Big reason we crate our dogs is because if we didn't, they'd be in the windows all the time barking at everything that goes by. Instead they hang in their crates with the TV on, fan or A/C for white noise, shades down and a nice stuffed Kong to keep them occupied while we're out. For our dogs, if they can't see/hear anything outside, they aren't going to bark.

The kongs keep them occupied while we slip out the door, so they don't even notice we're gone. I will either stuff them with yogurt/kibble and freeze the night before, so they essentially get their meals that way (keeps them busy for a while) or just put a smear of peanut butter and a cookie inside. Almost every time we come back to the TT they are sound asleep and the kongs are licked clean.

Works like a charm and we've never had an issue or complaint.

We have very active dogs, so we also make sure to get them out in the a.m. before we leave for the parks so they can run and get good and tired. Waggin Tails dog park works great for that (IF your dogs are very social and have good experiences with dog parks). They get play time later in the day/evening too. Both ensure they don't mind chilling in the TT in between.

When we're hanging out with them at the site, we bring tie outs and their x-pens. Remember they have to be leashed at ALL times except at the dog park, and you cannot leave them outside the MH unattended at any time.

Our dogs thrive on routine. We establish a routine at FW and within a couple of days they've got it and it's like they've lived there forever. This year will be our 3rd 3-week trip to FW with the mutts, and they really seem to enjoy it. In fact our older dog - whose been to FW the most (4 times through this past year) seems to "remember" the routine about halfway through the first day! We usually do a few practice runs before we actually leave for the parks - take a quick loop out and about, sneak back and make sure they're quiet. We leave them for about 5-6 hours and then come back for potty breaks/meals/play time, then go back out for a few more hours.

Biggest thing is to know your dogs well and don't throw anything too new at them or suddenly expect things from them that you wouldn't normally at home. Keep it easy for them, even if it means a little extra work for you. Trust me, in the end you'll be glad you did and ALL will have a terrific time.    :D

Waggin Tails is the fully enclosed dog park located just outside the entrance to the 300 loop, across from 500. 

Most of the park is very grassy and there are poop bag dispensers and trash barrels conveniently located.

PLEASE PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG

The entrance is double gated/latched to make it easier to let dogs in/out without anyone escaping.

There are a couple of picnic tables and some benches for the humans (one that's generally in the shade).

There are auto-refill water bowls along the fence.  If the water is warm (stagnant) just splash them empty and they'll refill.

There's also a hose near the gate if you need to wash off your dogs.

There is no separate area for small dogs so you'll want to scope out who may already be in there before you go in and keep tabs on the other dogs there if you have a small dog.

If there are small dogs in the park when we bring our border collies in, we try and keep our gang away.

Of course nothing we can do about the small dogs that come chasing ours.  :D

We've had pretty good luck but not all owners are smart/attentive with their dogs and not all dogs love all other dogs.

Know your dog well and stay alert and you should be fine.

Posted Dog Park Rules:

No puppies under 4 mos or females in heat allowed

All dogs must be supervised at all times by someone over 12.

Anyone under 12 in the park must be accompanied by an adult.

No choke, chain, prong or training collars allowed inside the dog park.

Hopefully, then we can avoid the "zombie walk" from menu to menu looking for a place to eat this year.  :'(

We scour the menus before we go just to avoid this.  AllEars has a decent MENUS section - fairly accurate and up to date.  And super easy to read on your phone while waiting in line...

http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm

Last trip in November we tried out several new places, but the fave for meat & potatoes was the short rib DH got at Jiko's.  He's still talking about it.

10/22-11/11/11

11/11/11...  Gotta be good luck, right?

334 from November 2009

To give y'all a sense of space, the TT is almost 30' open and we had a 9x12 pen setup behind it for the dogs.  Still plenty of room for the picnic table and to park the Explorer and golf cart in front.

The site has large bushes behind (very private) and is about 3-4 sites from the entrance to the 300 canal dog walk.

Here's site 333 from November 2008

Ditto above.  Both of these sites are on the outside curve of the loop, so the space is kind of pie shape, allowing for a good chunk of space between you and your neighbors.

333 and 334 are separated by an enormous (and very impressive) Cypress tree.

What are your favorite out of the way places to sit, relax or explore in the parks? 

Post pics if you have them and tell us a little about what makes the spot so great.

Shhhh!!!  They're out little secret. 

I'll start...

Cinderella's wishing well

This is located on the pathway up to the castle on the right side.  There are a few benches here and it's a lovely out of the way place to site and enjoy the view.

You also get this view of the castle that not many people see

ETA: Found a photo of one of the benches... don't mind the Fiends perched on it... 

I already drank to that and I'm working on doing it again!  ;D

Love Purple!  To see cupcake's face when he walked up to the steps of his camper with a pile of lime green thongs.

Srsly... did you really??  ;D

... this place is going to be one great snarky world.

Where's the darned thumbs up smiley??  ;D

Mm... grilled cheese and tomato soup - a classic!

We had haddock & scallop chowder.  Perfect on a night when the temps are dropping steadily and MORE SNOW is on the way!

We now have an entire page dedicated to all things Golf Cart Rentals - on site and off - that is being maintained regularly with current info.

CHECK IT OUT HERE

We also have many more pages of information on all things Fort Wilderness and WDW. This includes loop information, current activities schedules at the Fort, weekly WDW times guides for all 4 parks, restaurant information and menus, and MUCH, MUCH MORE!

These are being updated and added to all the time.

Check out the site map of all pages currently available HERE.

Purple rocks!

I've gone there a few times - but - there really is nothing to see.

Now this place....THIS PLACE!!!  This is where all the really cool people hang out!!

2 THUMBS UP (we need more smilies LOL)

No intentions at all of going back... strongly resisting the urge to correct all the MISinformation already being posted. <sigh>

Which btw, I noted in my message to the admin addy.  Their response was ridiculous btw.

If anyone cares, I can post both, but otherwise I won't bore you with it.

I figured a rehash of this post would be helpful.  Of course I've also realized that it's sorely in need of updating, so I'll try and do that as soon as possible.  If anyone has any additional info to add, please chime in!  :o

=====

Since golf cart questions come up just about every day, I figured I'd consolidate some info. in one thread.  Feel free to add on or let me know if any info is incorrect and I'll update accordingly.

B]OFFICIAL FORT WILDERNESS CART [/b

NOTE: These rules were given out as of 12/16/09 and the handout is dated 5/29/09.

An excerpt from the same handout pertaining to the TYPES OF CARTS ALLOWED...

Private Cart Operation

Private carts approved for use in FW

- Must be golf style carts with maximum speed not to exceed 20 MPH

- Must have seating capacity for all passengers on board cart.

- Passengers are not permitted to stand while the cart is in motion

- Must be equipped with head and tail lights to operate after dusk

- Please obey all posted traffic signs, rules, regulations, safety precautions and operational usage grid printed on the back.

NOT PERMITTED - Off road, ATV, Utility or Construction-type carts.

Golf cart privileges at FW may be revoked from those not abiding by the above rules.

All drivers must follow the cart safety precautions.

Large, noisy, or utility type vehicles are not allowed. Must be a golf cart style cart only.

UPDATE: As of 1/08 leashed pets are now allowed on golf carts except in the following areas:

Marina

Settlement area

Pools

Comfort Stations

...and other areas posted "no pets"

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OFF-SITE RENTALS

10/07/09 UPDATE:

BAD NEWS folks.  Word has come today from Shawn at Golf Cart Enterprises that Disney will no longer be allowing them to deliver carts to the overflow lot.  They are trying to work something out with Disney but it isn't looking good.  GCE does have trailers available for rent to go pick up your cart yourself and I will post more info here on that once I have it.  As of December'09 Kenny/Tee Time IS still able to deliver carts.  I don't know if any other off-site rental companies have been effected.

UPDATE:

Because of the new construction to the overflow lot/entrance to the Fort, there have been concerns about renting from off-site companies and how this may effect their ability to deliver carts. I'll post any updates as they're received, but so far this is the first report we have 7/29/10...

we are here at Disney now, hope this reply works because I'm using my Kindle (too cheap to pay for internet)

Kenny met us by the overflow parking lot for our gate card. He used that to get through the gate and unloaded the cart in the overflow lot. HTH

UPDATE 08/23/10

The following information was reported by someone just back from the Fort...

Tee Time does not have an issue delivering to the fort as you know. However 10 day rental is $293.28 including delivery & pick-up. Just a slight difference in price but at least it's as of today.

Golf Cart Ent. no longer delivers to the fort. I was told today I would need to pick up the cart & rent their trailer to tow it back for $50 if I want one of their carts.

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These 3 companies have been used/recommended by people posting on this board:

- Tee Time Golf Cart Rental

- Golf Cart Enterprises

- Golf and Electric Vehicles

*****

Tee Time Golf Cart Rental (Kenny)

407.276.0809

(no website)

email:[email protected]

Costs for 4 person carts (as reported by DISers in early 2009, call for current pricing)

approx. $224-$240/7 days  (as reported here - call for current pricing)

$293.28/10 days (as reported by a DIS board member 8/23/10 - call for current pricing)

$470.80/month-31 days  (as reported here 6/19/09 - call for current pricing)

Prices include delivery (6am - 9pm), taxes, plastic rolldown rain shield, head & tail lights, and a windshield.

30% cancellation fee within 2 weeks of scheduled delivery.

4 person carts only.

CALL FOR CURRENT TERMS/PRICING

*****

Golf Cart Enterprises (Mike)

407.656.0995

www.golfcartenterprises.com

Costs - updated 5/13/09

Rates (incl. special 20% discount when you mention you found them on DISboards):

4 Person cart = $244.95/7 days

6 Person cart = $330.15/7 days

4 Person cart = $415.35/month-31 days  (as reported here 6/19/09 - call for current pricing)

Includes tax, delivery and pickup-up. No extra charge for weekend delivery.

Per post from Mike in May'09

Call us if you would like to reserve a cart. We don't charge your card until 48 hours before delivery and if you need to cancel we just ask that you give us at least 72 hours notice. Delivery and pick-up times are 9am to 4pm, 7-days a week. Most of our carts have long tops that cover the backseat passengers also. Thanks, Mike 407 656-0995.

CALL FOR CURRENT TERMS/PRICING

*****

Golf and Electric Vehicles (Steve)

18754 E. Colonial Dr.

Orlando, FL 32820

cell 407-947-2013

fax 407-568-8175

email: [email protected]

www.golfandelectricvehiclesblog.com

Costs for 4 person carts (as reported Sep. 2010, call for current pricing)

"Last winter we paid $480 for a 4 passenger cart from 15 Jan until 12 Feb.

We have used him several times. He gives great service and his rates are similar to the others. He does not deliver on Sat or Sun. Otherwise, he will bring the cart directly to your site."

According to a post from 9/13/10 they DO have 6 person carts.

CALL FOR CURRENT TERMS/PRICING

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OTHER GENERAL GOLF CART FAQs & NOTES:

? since the security changes to the overflow parking lot, you should contact the rental company to find out what they need to do in order to deliver your cart.

? off-site rental carts are considered "personal" carts and must have the same equipment as the rental carts, incl. windshield, front and rear lights

? you do not need to notify FW that you will be bringing your own golf cart or renting one off-site

? there is golf cart parking which can be used by any golf cart (personal, Disney and off-site rentals):

  -  trading posts

  -  Trails End/Hoop Dee Do

  -  near campfire/movie (closest area too Meadows pool)

  -  marina

  -  outpost bus stop

? there are a limited number of recharging stations (plugs) in the golf cart parking areas at the Outpost and Settlement/Marina

? all cabins/campsites have their own accessible plug to recharge your cart

? you cannot drive golf carts on any roads outside of FW or on the road/path to WL

? 4 seater carts are large enough to hold 4 adults comfortably, but it is possible to squeeze in extras - particularly smaller kids - depending on size. Capacity limits are not posted/enforced.  6 seater carts are available through Golf Cart Enterprises (see above)

Hang on... gotta de-DIS it...  ;D