mouseketab.....Carol

Most of the stuff you have listed above stays in the camper in our case, so really all we bring is clothes and liquor and MONEY!!!

We LOVE Halloween at the Fort!!!

The campfire and Chip & Dale's Sing A Long!!!

I have flown and tent-camped before at Ft. Wilderness and it is most definitely possible, especially if Southwest serves your area.

Southwest allows 2 50lb checked bags (check for maximum height/width/depth), then 1 carry-on bag (such as a rollerbag), and one personal item (such as a bookbag/computer bag).

As a solo person I bring the following:

10x10 tent

10x13 shelter

folding arm chair

air mattress

sheets/blanket/pillow (Electric Blanket in the winter)

Small Fan

Battery operated hanging lantern

Electric air mattress pump

ground cloth

disposable painters plastic to put under ground cloth (throw away at end of trip)

Laptop

Digital Camera/Docking Station

Alarm Clock

Cell Phone/Charger

Power Strip

40 ft Outdoor extension cord

3 days of clothing

Laundry Detergent

Dryer Sheets

Toiletries

Towel

Washcloth

RainGear

Shower Shoes

I pack it in a plastic locking footlocker and an extra large duffle bag (need the length for the chair) The lock is to lockup the laptop at the campsite, don't lock it for the flight. I also have the roller bag as a carryon and a bookbag to carry toiletries to the comfort station.

I don't cook at Ft. Wilderness, there are too many good restaurants at WDW.

If you use Magical Express, try to fly with a "participating airline" and fly at a time when you can use "Resort Airline Checkin".

Have fun!!!!

Our favorite place used to be located right behind the store that sells the Christmas stuff at Liberty Square; but, they turned it into a smoking area. Up until then, it was secluded, shaded, with benches and a really good - ice cold water fountain. Now we will grab a Coke at Cosmic Rays & sit in the outside dining area, that faces the castle. As long as it is not lunch or dinner time, it is usually quite vacant.

Actually, it's no longer a smoking area, they have turned it into a character greeting area for Princess Tianna

WELCOME!!!!!!!

We try to figure out how to get everywhere using a boat along the way! My Mama thinks that's the best way to get anywhere!.

Yep, for example you can get from the campground to the Studios without getting on a bus  :popcorn:

Thanks!

Carol, I owe much of my enjoyment to all of your tips. Thanks for sharing over on the other place. If I ever happen to be here when you are, I owe you many many kungaloosh.

warning....she gets parents who are trick or treating with their children drunk... :popcorn:

she passed out free kungaloosh...parent kept going back...we wondered why the kids were being DRUG back through the loop :bravo:

Hey why shouldn't the parents have fun too!!!!!

Enjoy!!!  But make sure to have a Purple Feindmingo next time!!!!!

Yep, as far as I'm concerned awnings and screen rooms are meant to be up, I mean what good is weather protection when you can't put it up.

There was the strangest thread on our T@B forum that was asking about the awnings and screen rooms that can be purchased for the T@B.  A lot of folks said they only put theirs up if it wasn't going to rain?:highfive:?  I mean that's what they are for aren't they?  So you can sit outside while it's raining??

Are we there yet?

Deleted also

Many folks have been using the one with the mesh domed top, but apparently they are recently handing out new notices that state you have to use the kind like the picture posted above with the solid top and the mesh sides.

Use the opportunity to go to some Signature Restaurants.....

We love Narcoosee's, Artist Point, Yachtsman Steakhouse.

For regular restaurants we like 50's Prime Time, Cape May Cafe and Coral Reef.

I use Good Sam Club.  When I first bought the T@B I did some research, I was going to upgrade AAA to AAA RV Plus, but they wouldn't let me do that till my renewal (the following April and I was looking in July, so almost a year) and the annual fee was going to be about $185 a year for four cars and the camper.

I also found out that in some states there is no AAA RV services period even if you bought it in a state that does have it.

Good Sam charges me $109 per year for all cars and the camper. I still kept the single membership with AAA for the Disney discounts.  It is still less than AAA RV and I have nationwide coverage.

It has come in handy.  I blew a radiator hose on my previous truck while towing on a Sunday afternoon.  Good Sam came and towed the truck to a repair shop and brought me and my camper to a campground on a flatbed tow truck.  They gave me a great rate on the campsite and the next morning the repair place fixed my hose, flushed and filled the radiator, and came and picked me up at the campground and I paid for the repairs, went back to the campground and hitched up and continued home.

Bus Routes Inside Fort Wilderness

There are three internal bus routes inside Fort Wilderness:

YELLOW - This bus starts at the Outpost with the Marquis reading Settlement Yellow and then goes down the main road, turns right at the 4-way stop, then makes stops at 1600-1900, 1500, 1400, 400/500, 300, then Settlement.  When it arrives at Settlement, the marquis will read Wildnerness Lodge.  The bus then goes to Wilderness Lodge and returns. When it arrives back at Settlement, the Marquis will read Outpost Yellow, then it stops at 300/400/500, 1400, 1500, 1600-1900 then returns to Outpost

ORANGE - This bus starts at the Outpost with the Marquis reading Settlement Orange/Meadows Trading Post and then goes down the main road, turns left at Peacock Pass, then runs past the cabins, then returns to the main road and stops at 1300, 1200, 1100, 1000, 900, 800, 700, 600, then continues to the Settlement. When it arrives at Settlement, the marquis will read Outpost Orange/Meadows Trading Post and then stops at 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300 and then turns right at the 4-way stop and runs pas the cabins and returns to Outpost.

PURPLE - This bus starts at the Outpost with the Marquis reading Settlement Purple and then goes down the main road, turns left at Peacock Pass, then runs past the cabins, then stops at 2000 and the Group Camping Area then goes down a back road to Settlement. When it arrives at Settlement the Marquis reads Outpost Purple.  It then returns to Outpost in the opposite direction going down the back road, stopping at the Group Camping Area, then stops at 2000, and then runs past the cabins and back to Outpost.

I didn't catch the air time, but there will be a show on Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival on HGTV coming soon.

Well, believe it or not I got to visit with Fiends again on Thursday night!!

I had to go to a "meeting" for work on Thursday in Orlando!!!! We won a large contract that I was a big part of the proposal team, so they sent me back to Orlando for the closeout and lessons learned meeting (and the Win Party!!)

So, I was on a plane back to Orlando at 5:30 am Thursday morning, went to my meeting and party, then drove over to the Fort. Which by the way is 40 miles and $5.50 in tolls away from my work location. I would LOVE to stay at the Fort when I'm working down there, but not with that daily drive.

Spent the evening visiting with Jenn, Chris, Lorna, Kelly, Kelly's mom, Rich, Donnie, Angie and some good friends of Jenns.

Then made the long drive back to the hotel.

Then Friday morning back to the airport and home again.

I did get to fly first class from Atlanta to Orlando cause my flight in Huntsville was delayed due to mechanical and the next available flight only first class was available :-)

Well thanks for reading!!!

See everyone in October if not sooner!!

Final Installment - Or Is it???

After packing up, we hitched up and drove through the loop and said our goodbyes.

This was about 12:30 and we have a 12 - 13 hour drive ahead of us.

Both Kevin and myself had to be at work on Tuesday, so you'd think we would head on.

However, Rick wanted food, specifically Earl of Sandwhich.

Well, with trailer in tow, we had to park in the South 40 at Downtown Disney so it was a good hike to the Earl, then wait in line, then eat, then the walk back to the truck.

It was 2:30 before we pulled out!!!!!

However, we did make good time, and except for coming close to hitting a small concrete mixer trailer that somebody lost in the center lane of I-75 in Georgia, the drive was uneventful and we got home about 12:30 am Central time.

(I snoozed most of the way and I DID NOT look at the speedometer).

Once again, I LOVE my T@B garage. Pull in the back, disconnect, push the T@B in there and plug her up. Can worry about unloading the truck until later.

I had a GREAT time. Visiting with Fiends is always fun, and I saw FOUR, count em FOUR fireworks displays that I had never seen before. Kevin loves hangin and chillin at the campground as much as I do. (Rick wanted to spend more time at the parks, OR wanted to be the party host.) He is a great host, but a terrible guest.

Believe it our not, there is another installment!!

July 5th!!

As usual, I was up way before my family, so I started pulling things down. Got all the decorations down and stripped all the decorations off the golf cart, then told Rick and Kevin they had to get up. While they were off at the shower, I got the awning down and got everything inside the camper buttoned down.

After they got back from showers, they went and got the truck and we started loading.

We dropped Kevin's tent and shelter, and loaded the truck full.

Good thing we were traveling "light". Between Rick's scooter, Kevin's tent, and the two big coolers, the truck was "stuffed".

My friend headed for the bus stop and about that time Rick woke up from his nap. He wanted to go out to dinner, so called reservations and got us a seating at 50's Prime Time at 8:30. I was SHOCKED!!

Kevin got back from golf about then and said he had a great time!!

So we all hopped on the cart and headed for the Outpost bus stop.

Remember my friend who left the campsite about an hour ago, he was STILL sitting at the Outpost bus stop waiting on a Studios bus. We gave it about 5 more minutes and all four of us hopped in the truck for the Studios.

Dinner at Prime Time was yummy!!

As we were leaving the restaurant, the Studios Celebrate American fireworks were starting so we stayed and watched that from across Echo Lake. Awesome!!! I have NEVER seen any fireworks in front of Graumann's. Fantasmic! opened about the time we started visiting WDW, so they had cut Sorcery way back.

We then wandered through the shops some, then headed out. As we were heading for the parking lot, Epcot's 4th of July tag was starting. That was cool also!!!

We finally get out to the truck and inched our way out of the parking lot and back to the campground. We then went back to Jen and Lorna's site and visited some more with Fiends and sampled a few more beverages.

Off to bed late for the last night.

Finishing up the 3rd. After dinner, several of us rode the golf carts up to the beach to watch the American Celebration fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. Great fireworks, but no music. Then we went back to Jen's site and sat in her screen room and enjoyed each other's company and beverages.

July 4th

A lazy day.

We got up late that morning and headed over to Boma for breakfast. Love their Frunch Juice!!!

Then Rick dropped Kevin and myself over at Studios and went back to the camper for a nap.

Kevin and myself went on Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror (Love the new special effects.)

Then went back to the campground.

Kevin left for golf (Osprey Ridge) and I tooled around on the golf cart, visiting with Fiends. Rick was still napping.

Later that afternoon another Disney friend of mine, (not a camper) wanted to come by the campground and visit, but wasn't able to park in overflow. They had it blocked!! Only Fort Wilderness guests and those with meal reservations!! The yellow poles in overflow allowed them to stop folks in the parking lot and turn them around without blocking Vista. I hope they do this on Halloween!!

My friend was able to park over at Wilderness Lodge and took a boat over, so I picked him up at the marina and we visited for a couple of hours.

(I'm gonna post this now and continue cause this is the 2nd time I've typed this!!!)

More pictures at Epcot

Well folks, as I said, we were REALLY skimpy on the pictures this time, cause that's IT.

After we got back from Epcot, we had dinner with Lorna, Rich, Jen, and Chris.

Kevin and Matt got rained out on the golf course, but got a rain check for the following day.

I'll add a few details for the 4th and the drive home in the next post.

Saturday, July 3rd.

Well, after the late night at MK, my family was not in the gettin up mode, so I went solo out to the golf cart parade.

Lorna and Rich behind me:

Jen in front of me:

A couple of other carts in the parade:

After the parade went back to the campsite to stir my family. Of course, breakfast is first on the list. We weren't going to make our reservation at 1900 Park Faire, but we did make it to Trails End. We LOVE that they serve breakfast till 11:30

Hangin out in front of Trails End

MMMMMM Mickey Waffles

After breakfast, Kevin headed for the golf course (Magnolia) and Rick and myself went to Epcot.