lightbikes

Of course because why would they ever bother compensating people for the work they do.- unless you're an executive !!!
 
 

This has been building for a long time.  It started in subtle, quiet ways, just a little less service here or there at the Fort, not being able to resolve an issue/25 people on a site on weekends; fewer people behind the counter at the restaurants or clearing tables; a couple of staff less in the Emporium or World of Disney when you were shopping; more people getting fast passes than the system could handle; less gardening here or there; and higher prices for everything. As TCD notes; cut the parades, cut the fireworks, cut away anything they can.    All small things by themselves  but they have added up.  Now, with COVID 19 it is the perfect opportunity/excuse to really cut deeply across the board, to get rid of staff and entertainment, the student program, the foreign staff at Epcot,  DVC staff, DCL staff; all with the justification it is necessary now.
In a couple of years they will hire some folks for minimum wage who have no idea what being a Disney cast member should mean and there will be nobody left to teach them.  All the "old timers" will be gone and their collective memories vanished.  No-one will even know what "Kungaloosh" means never mind be able to mix a batch!  
The shareholder price will increase, the executives will continue to get their exorbitant pay cheques and bonuses.  
People like us will be sad, weep a little, and say "remember when" whenever we do visit but we are a dying group and frankly I don't think Disney gives a hot damn about any of us.   
Walt is  spinning in his grave. 

I will go and find it - thank you

I was close to 90 minutes on hold yesterday - killed the battery in two of the handsfree phones before I finally got through.  I cancelled our APs but they were not able to tell me how much the refund would be, or how they would be calculated, or even when we would receive them.
We really debated what to do about this because our passes would have been good until May 2, 2021.  However we live in Canada and a trip down is not cheap, even though we haven't stayed on property for 5 years because of how much the Fort costs now.  That didn't mean we didn't spend a bundle, between meals, snacks, souvenirs, drinks at the various bars when we resort hopped and everything else.  Our trips down are usually for at least two months, sometime from the middle to end of December to mid-March give or take.
However our rationale for finally cancelling was essential focused on COVID.  The border between Canada and the US is currently closed and expected to remain closed to non-commercial traffic until at least the end of December if not longer.  Travel is not recommended to many countries, including the US, and that doesn't look likely to change; and while we would try and create a "safe bubble" in the Orlando area we have to travel through a lot of states to get there.   All travel agents are also making recommendations with a pointed reminder to bump up on an extra health care premium to ensure we are adequately covered for COVID emergencies.   
So that was the final call, to cancel and just "let it go" for this year.  
I will post as soon as I know how much we get back. 
 
By the way - the music was ok for the first five or six replays, but boy after I counted it for the 23rd time I was seriously weary of it. 

We are renting a 7 bedroom, 3 bathroom house for $535 for 2 nights for NYE in Ocean City, NJ. For $15 each we are getting their “first night buttons” which gives us entry to a ton of things (string bands, Harlem wizards, dueling pianos, imagination movers, inflatables, ice skating, Fireworks etc etc). The house is being split between a bunch of us. I’ll take my cheap NYE over their $350 per person events any day. 

New this year "Haunted Easy up Dessert Party"  $99 per person.  All the cupcakes you can eat. Space is limited . Hurry and schedule your 15-minute time slot!  Camping chairs available for an additional $69 charge.  For only $99 more you can keep the special commemorative chair.

We loved that excursion when we did it a couple of years ago - absolutely wonderful..  So glad you enjoyed it.
 

They probably hire WPG when BPG is on vacation. It's what happens when you hire specialists.

My sources tell me they are replacing all of the existing fencing with chain link, as a means of testing the waters and conditioning Fort guests to accept this type of fencing.  Eventually, they will circle the Fort with chain link fencing, with barbed wire on top, as a deterrent to keep campers from entering the grounds of Reflections as well as the Four Seasons.  Although a memo to be delivered to Guests upon checkin will note that the fencing is designed to keep gators out of the camping loops.  

We don't have a golf cart but we can ride our bikes and hold a lance !!!!!

If you build it, they will buy merchandise....
 

You would think so,  but most of these are unpainted. I say it's to make way for freestyle cart parking 😂

Follow the money.

When avatar first opened there were wait times way inexcess of 4 hours.  Are the storm troopers going to pull people out of line after 4 hours?  
Its going to be a cluster (insert   expletive here). 
I get the idea behind a 4 hour limit. 
Good idea but it’s jist not going to work.
I can see it now...yes sir. I understand you waited in line for over 4 hours but we have a 4 hour time limit so we can let other people wait in line for 4 hours and then tell them to leave also. 
The road to hell is paved with good intentions!

Are you suggesting that the Fiends should rise up, mount their golf carts and go to war?
 

No worries regarding transportation.  The 3000 loop will offer courtesy rickshaw service pulled by such celebrities as Chewbacca, Goofy and Dave to name a few.  Be sure to reserve your site by sending me one of those green pictures of George Washington the government prints up.

That, and the other thing making me sad is the loss of isolation.  At it's outset, the Fort was planned to isolate guests in a wilderness environment, free from the hectic nature of life including motor vehicles (other than those checking in and checking out).  Remember, back in the day most folks didn't even drive their vehicles every day during their stay...they used Disney trams, boats and  buses.  There wasn't as much golf cart traffic either.  It was a peaceful oasis.  And even now, although there's more vehicle traffic in the resort than there used to be, for the most part when you are at the Settlement there are no vehicles other than golf carts.  Non-guests visiting the resort still need to park out at the overflow lot.  There remains a sense that you are removed from the larger world.  But once this place opens, there will be a constant flow of cars in and out of those parking lots.  Just going to the horse barn, which has always been one of my favorite early morning things, you'll be crossing the main roadway into the resort used by cars and Disney buses.  Imagine a horse barn next to the parking lot at any of the existing Disney resorts.  Not very peaceful.  That's what we will be left with.  The sounds and smells of vehicular traffic in what has been to this point an isolated refuge.  That makes me sad.  

Should we take bets on whether the shoe tree survives or if it goes to join the lawnmower tree in the big forest in the sky?

Rent a bungalow for $3000 a night!

Buy tickets to a dessert party. 
TCD

Coincidentally, beginning this fall Mickey's Backyard Massage Parlor and Casino will begin offering the Naughtily Ever After Fireworks Dessert Party.  Enjoy a buffet dinner at Minnie's Ho Down Smorgasbord, a private rooftop VIP viewing area for the nightly show, plus the fireworks, followed by a whipped cream dessert extravaganza.  Only $249pp.
Guests of Loop 3000 will also have access to the FWG lounge including their famous bottomless kungaloosh mugs.  

I'm sure Disney could pave over the entire campground and open a KOA style campground in another location on property and there would be a lot of folks perfectly fine with that. 
I feel sorry for those who missed the Fort in its glory days and think what they're doing is fine. 
It's not  
TCD

If you think the campground has been treated like the red headed stepchild of Disney World before you ain’t seen nothin yet.

Why give something away that you can charge for?