Santa ... Shannon

Gift shop in AK? Near old camp Minnie Mickey?

If you think about it, assigning sites is like a huge game of Tetris, with the goal to fill the whole board with no spaces (unassigned site-days). I was never a great programmer, but putting on my best coding-hat I think the first reservations I'd block out linked reservations with a request. Next, I'd plug in the longest reservations with requests and work my way to the shortest with requests. Then filter in the longest request-free reservations and working toward the shortest. So yeah, in my economy, folks who book long stays and request a certain site would stand a pretty good chance of getting what they want. Also, when someone doesn't like their assigned site and says, "but this really cool site over here is available" the only way they would be given it only displaces assignments without requests. But no one asked me!

Who else is watching "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" tomorrow? More traditional than turkey in my house!

Why not build a giant wall around WDW and search people only one time, when they enter the property? I mean, it can't be that difficult to build a wall, right?

But, how do we convince the Mexicans to pay for it? LOL

But how do you keep ferry people isolated from launch people and monorail people? You can't pre-screen at every dock and mono station. And you don't just need to keep the people in different lines, you need to isolate them so unscreened people can't hand contraband to pre-screened people. No, controlling at a single-point of entry is the only good solution.

We STILL have a TT! I need to do some repairs and sell it ASAP, or we'll never afford that cruise.

Disney has a whole department called Holiday Services that are responsible for dressing the parks and resorts, with a year-round staff. I think they are responsible for the lights. And I KNOW that they are supposed to thoroughly test and refurbish each decoration at the end of season before mothballing them for the next year, so the fact that this outage made it into a second year is pretty stupefying! 

Thanks guys, I feel a lot better pursuing this knowing it's possible.

errr! DP

Hmm, had an interesting thought. Maybe we could find a fiend who'd like to use our motorhome and babysit our pups while we cruise. By time we pay for parking and boarding we'd be close to the price of a site...

Hadn't really considered a before and after stay, but hey, more Fort makes me happy!

I know this has been asked before (I read all prior posts on the subject), but never read any kind of sure answer. We are at the very early stages of considering a combo vacation of camping at Fort Wilderness in our motorhome and then doing a Disney Cruise. I have read scattered rumors that you can, perhaps, leave your RV at the Fort in the overflow parking lot and take the DCL shuttle. Has anyone here been granted permission to do that, and if so, who did you have to talk to. We have a 40'DP and a dinghy on a dolly, so we aren't exactly the easiest to accommodate. TIA for any help.

If I were to venture a guess, I'd expect the cable modems to go away. I hope not, I know a few people really need the wired connection.

If you cannot take the launches (wheelchair or scooter in your party) you'll have to use buses. Take the internal bus to the settlement, transfer to the Wilderness Lodge bus, transfer to the Magic Kingdom bus. If you tell your internal bus driver your plans, it is entirely possible he will divert and take you straight to WL without the extra transfer.

The plot thickens, does it not, TCD?

I have a theory: this is the last year for "Osborne" lights so that they can rebrand the experience since they have to move it anyhow. And when rebranding they can change elements that people associate with the Osborne display, things they'd just as soon not have to explain or justify, like the host of angels, and the Nativity, for example. I'm betting in the next year or two there will be a new dancing light show, probably on Sunset Blvd, with no religious symbolism whatsoever.

Ah, I didn't realize that was the way Boardwalk worked, so I missed your point. Thanks for talking me through it!

I fully bought into the idea that this resort was going to happen. I perused the hundred plus pages of plans and thought, "who goes through this much work without real intent"? But, I am leaning away from that conviction. The main reason being, Disney doesn't attach DVCs to anything but Deluxe resorts. If they were to start doing "moderate" DVCs, would they really start at Fort Wilderness? They don't know what to do with the Fort as it is, much less how to "plus it" to sell DVC memberships. And what would the point buy-in be? I just don't think this would be a big enough money maker for it to really be at the forefront of their minds. 

Yeah, I'm thinking there is a statue of Poseidon nearby.

Wow....that's what I call fast service. Thank You Jason...have a wonderful time at your Party!!! 

Just to underline this...

Jason was probably riding the WEDway People Mover at the Magic Kingdom's Halloween party, munching on a Mickey Premium Bar when he got and responded to this e-mail from a new client (i.e. someone he wasn't already working for) and he jumped on it. You don't find dedication like that just anywhere. I duck client calls when I have a half-way decent TV show on! 

Hmm, 500 is my favorite. It's a big loop, and definitely part of the action, but feels private as well. Could it be Sulley from Monsters inc?! If so, I'd say 400 is Mike Wozawski!

Hmm, I love 300 which is a little bit old school, a little bit rustic and a tiny bit showy so I'm gonna say it's Belle.

October is already booking up, and Halloween is booked solid. So I'd firm up plans ASAP so that you can spring on anything that comes available.

Santa,  Do you bring the sleigh to the Fort or do you have to go all the way back to the Pole before your main trip?

I bring the RV, I have to be back by the 3rd week of November which gives me a solid month to do all the final list checking, build a few special toy projects of my own, and oversee the wrapping and tagging. Used to be I was intensely involved in toy-building from September on, but the advent of electronic toys has left me a bit cold so I leave most of that up to the elves. I focus on a half-dozen or so special doll-houses a year. If a child wants a house that looks like their house, or their grandma's house, I take those on myself, because, after all, I've been there and the elves haven't so I can make it just right. I manage to stay busy and happy... may you be so blessed!

We've gone the first couple of weeks of Nov for years and the crowds are generally not bad. Last year I rode Everest 3 times as a walk-on in the single rider line. RnRC was maybe 10 minutes. Mine train was about 25 minutes during MVMCP. Weather is usually warm enough to still be able to do Splash and Kali (without shivering too much!). The heated pool is NICE. The only thing I did't get to do that I really wanted was BOG. Lines at F&W were not bad at all, with the longest line being at Mexico and it was maybe 10-15 minutes. Great time to go, IMO. We have 10/28-11/18 reserved for next year.