Santa ... Shannon

Site 114 in early September, 2018. Mom's walking our fur baby!

I will be there. 

Nope, can't get it. Tapatalk wins on iPad!

Instead of downloading individual images from PB, go to all of your trip reports (and other image-heavy threads) and save a web archive. That will allow you to always see the page as it exists now even after PB goes down. It will store full-rez versions of every image from the page in your local archive. This can serve as a guide as you go through to reconstruct your posts with links to Imagr. I did this "over there" before I nuked all my threads!

The short version is, rates went up an average of 8.3% across all site types. I have updated my Fort Rate Calc spreadsheet to include 2018 pricing. It is available here (click me).

Obviously, the 2018 rates are included in the spreadsheet, so if you just want to see those they are in the Rate Lookup tab. Rates include 12.5% tax. This was the easiest way I could think to share the data, but if you'd like it in some other form, just let me know.

On the gondolas at Six Flags we could divert cars onto a secondary track in the wheelhouse to load wheelchairs or if there was a protein spill... so, slow loads don't necessarily bring the whole line to a standstill.

Ding, ding, ding!!! That's it. Yeah, I don't think you can see it in person, only through the window, so probably very few folks have seen it.

There are two new solar installations, the one nearest the monorail is the less-interesting.

I just had thought, and it's either devious or wonderful... I'm not sure which. I was thinking that, since finding real FWRR spikes is next to impossible these days, it might be fun to "seed" the old roadbed with standard spikes, you know, so the kids can have some fun. Does it really matter that the spikes are from the BNSF? Does it matter that Mickey's head comes off and there's a petite woman inside? WDW is the place of make-believe, so why not help make some magic?

There have been multiple threads on Voldemort (in the non-camping sections) about the strategy, so yeah, at least at one point there was a lot of interest. As for the economics, suppose you have 8 people staying off-site. Say they have two cars, that's $40 worth of parking each day. Now, do you think EMHs and 60 day FPs are worth $5 a head? If so, you just paid for a Partial. I'd say they're worth more than that, and apparently others do too.

Phantom campers are not a win for Disney. They are far more likely to dine and shop off-property.
They aren't a win for the Fort either. Sure they don't use water or electricity, and they don't leave messes at the site. But they also don't buy snacks at the pool, or trinkets in the post. They don't rent golf carts or go on hayrides, either.

Should be a lot of fun. I'm up for it. 

Oh, they could take care of phantom campers. Just make a simple rule that the site must be "occupied" every night of your reservations. Unused sites will be forfeited (and rented to last-minute guests), MagicBands will be revoked, and FastPass+ selection on those bands would be lost. Security drives around at midnight and notes empty sites, bang-zoom, Disney gets to double-sell the site and word spreads REAL QUICK that the backdoor is closed! At the very least the phantoms would have to check-in and go set up a tent to appear to be occupied. And if they did then other campers who wanted those sites will at least see that they were actually booked to someone, not just sitting empty. It could even make for a fun game for fiends: taking note of which sites are phantoms and maybe moving the tents from one site to another, perhaps with a heart-felt message inside expressing how much we appreciate them booking the Fort. LOL

Oh, they could take care of phantom campers. Just make a simple rule that the site must be "occupied" every night of your reservations. Unused sites will be forfeited (and rented to last-minute guests), MagicBands will be revoked, and FastPass+ selection on those bands would be lost. Security drives around at midnight and notes empty sites, bang-zoom, Disney gets to double-sell the site and word spreads REAL QUICK that the backdoor is closed! At the very least the phantoms would have to check-in and go set up a tent to appear to be occupied. And if they did then other campers who wanted those sites will at least see that they were actually booked to someone, not just sitting empty. It could even make for a fun game for fiends: taking note of which sites are phantoms and maybe moving the tents from one site to another, perhaps with a heart-felt message inside expressing how much we appreciate them booking the Fort. LOL

Oh, they could take care of phantom campers. Just make a simple rule that the site must be "occupied" every night of your reservations. Unused sites will be forfeited (and rented to last-minute guests), MagicBands will be revoked, and FastPass+ selection on those bands would be lost. Security drives around at midnight and notes empty sites, bang-zoom, Disney gets to double-sell the site and word spreads REAL QUICK that the backdoor is closed! At the very least the phantoms would have to check-in and go set up a tent to appear to be occupied. And if they did then other campers who wanted those sites will at least see that they were actually booked to someone, not just sitting empty. It could even make for a fun game for fiends: taking note of which sites are phantoms and maybe moving the tents from one site to another, perhaps with a heart-felt message inside expressing how much we appreciate them booking the Fort. LOL

So now that Jose is gone I was thinking it might be a good time for us, as the largest group of Fort Wilderness guests, to write a letter to the new management suggesting some areas that need attention. What do you think? Should FF.net get involved in advocacy? I think such a letter would carry a lot more weight coming from us versus coming from me. As a group we represent what, maybe 2000 booking nights a year, and I alone am maybe 12 nights. Anyway, I think we need to really draw attention to the misuse by phantom campers, underage cart drivers, lack of clarity on pet policy, and many others. What say you?

I sure hope they make these Full and not Premium. Look forward to more sleuthing!

Middle-GA raised, and long-time Atlantan here. IMO, 441 is a nightmare when you are anxious to get to your destination: 1000 little towns where the speed drops to 30mph. Unless the zombie apocalypse hits, driving through downtown would be faster. I avoid taking the Perimeter, too (285). All through-trucks are required to take 285 so not only does it add many miles, it is a gladiatorial battle with truckers and pocket-rockets that like weaving through. Get in the third-lane from the left on 75 and stay there, watch several cars ahead, and just knuckle through downtown... that's my advice.

I'm late to the party, but just wanted to interject a couple of thoughts. I just did a price comparison between The Fort and Sherwood Forest for 9 days in August (picked at random). SF is $650 out the door, and the Fort was $850. That's a $22 per day difference. IMO, SF's nicest sites are far inferior to any site at the Fort, to say nothing of the facilities. Figure in the cost of parking for non-resort guests, the value of EMH access, the convenience of being on-site and being able to use Disney transport, early FP+ selections, and just the ability to remain in the Disney-bubble and not having to deal with Orlando traffic... Easily worth the $22 if you ask me.
A much earlier post questioned why Disney makes it so hard, placing and removing blocks, making it hard to get the dates you want. Well, I can think of two ways Disney can moderate demand: raise prices until demand drops, or, keep the prices relatively low and put in place a kind of lottery. With the latter, you have far more guests who want to stay than you can accommodate, but you also don't want to cater to just the insiders who know to book at 499 days. The inscrutable placement and removal of blocks essentially creates a lottery system. In addition to fairness, the "lottery" also helps Disney to book longer stays and book more fully. I would be a lot more upset if their prices were double, reservations were plentiful 2 months out, and then they clearance priced unreserved sites a week out for locals.

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!

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!

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.

I feel I need to confess. Our last couple of trips we have been in the last couple of sites in the loop and I would spy out if there was any traffic coming out of the loop and, if not, I would dash in the exit and into my parking spot before anyone came around the right way. I know, lawless visigoth! I feel better having got that off my chest, though. But yes, none of y'all should do that!

Maybe she's ticked about her Castle's takeover last Christmas.