A couple old pics from the Fort

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I thought this was pretty neat...it's from spring of 1987.  This is the turn around by the settlement depot.  Look at that in the background...is that the train depot?  and of course the cannons are nice too.

 

 

That.  Is.   AWESOME!!!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Great pictures!

[disney4dan 68]

Incredible thread.  When was it that they stopped allowing swimming in the lakes?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

these aren't from the fort but I'm keeping with the same year, 1978

 

 

Is that your mom sitting right underneath the sign that says "Keep Off the Wreck?"   She is a true Fiend.

 

 

I thought this was pretty neat...it's from spring of 1987.  This is the turn around by the settlement depot.  Look at that in the background...is that the train depot?  and of course the cannons are nice too.

 

Wow!

 

Awesome.

 

I never knew there was a cannon or artillery carrier out by the Settlement bus stop.

 

And yes, that is the old train depot.  It was still there into the '90's.  I used to park my golf cart beneath it, never realizing what it was.

 

Incredible thread.  When was it that they stopped allowing swimming in the lakes?

 

It was sometime in the late '90's, or perhaps the early 2000's.  The beach on Bay Lake was definitely still open for swimming in the early time of the TCD gang's visits to the Fort.

 

here's 2 from the spring of 1980

Wow. An American flag flying from the top of Pioneer Hall! That's not something I've ever personally seen.

Also, there are no yellow poles blocking golf carts from driving right past there.

 

Cool. You could take a boat to the Polynesian Village Resort.

That was back in the days before the Fort had a pool, and Fort guests were allowed to pool hop.

TCD

[jruddell 7]

Anyone remember when you could buy cap guns at the Pirates ride? They shot little cork balls. And they sold little cannon replicas.

 

I have a pair of flintlock pistols from the 1700's but I'd really like my old Pirate cap guns back!

 

you also saw that small little cannon in that playground.  Here is a little bit bigger one in 1989.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I'd love to know what they did with those cannons.  

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'd love to know what they did with those cannons.  

 

Lou's got them tucked out behind his pool enclosure.  He's saving them to sink the EWP.

 

Now if he could just find some cannon balls on eBay...

[djsamuel 322]

Lou's got them tucked out behind his pool enclosure.  He's saving them to sink the EWP.

 

Now if he could just find some cannon balls on eBay...

I thought he used them to chase the kids off of his lawn?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I thought he used them to chase the kids off of his lawn?

 

The kids are just target practice.

 

The big prize is ...

 

[alexwyattmommy 181]

Is he going to melt his ping pong balls into larger cannon balls?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Is he going to melt his ping pong balls into larger cannon balls?

 

Ooh... now there's an idea...

[stryke-force 51]

here is some good stuff from spring of 1987

[CitaPita...Carmen 59]

 

What, no cornbread?

 

I really like the look of those prices!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

here is some good stuff from spring of 1987

 

 

Awesome!!  I've never seen a pic of that placard....just the brochures that are online for the breakfast show.  

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Awesome!!  I've never seen a pic of that placard....just the brochures that are online for the breakfast show.  

 

Agreed Dave - that's terrific!!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Agreed Dave - that's terrific!!

 

That just may be the only picture in existence of something like that.  When you think about it, it's remarkable that stryke-force has these pictures at all, considering that in those days you had just 24 or 36 exposures on a roll of film, and most people wouldn't use one to take a pic of the menu board for a breakfast show.  Awesome!  

[LONE-STAR 370]

That just may be the only picture in existence of something like that.  When you think about it, it's remarkable that stryke-force has these pictures at all, considering that in those days you had just 24 or 36 exposures on a roll of film, and most people wouldn't use one to take a pic of the menu board for a breakfast show.  Awesome!

I was thinking the same thing. His dad must have really enjoyed taking pictures and loved the Fort. He was the 35mm version of our digital TCD.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

here is some good stuff from spring of 1987

 

 

Wow- look at all the canoes!  And they have surreys parked there too.

 

I am also amazed at the size of the trees there along the bank of the Fishin' Hole.

 

Look at them now:

 

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I try to be a "the glass is half full" kind of person, but seeing all of these photos got me to thinking of how much has disappeared from Fort Wilderness in the past 15 years or so.

 

It's a lot:

 

1.  Wilderness (meaning the trees and brush that provided privacy in the camping loops)

2. Swimming beach at Bay Lake

3. Musket Mickey

4. Fort Wilderness Railroad

5. The giant log slice at the entrance

6. Discovery Island

7. Wilderness Swamp Trail

8. Marshmallow Marsh.

9. Trams

10. River Country Wagon

11. Cannons

12. Covered wagons and other unique theming at the playgrounds (e.g. the tee-pees at the 300 loop playground).

13. River Country

14. American Flags

15. Totem Poles

16. Hammocks on the Beach

17. The tower on top of Pioneer Hall and the American flag on top of it.

18. Surrey rentals at the Bike Barn.

19. A reasonably priced family breakfast show

20. The petting zoo

 

And I'm sure there's more.

 

I know that times change, but look at all that has disappeared. A lot of it from neglect and mismanagement.  And the thing is that these things haven't been replaced.  They're just gone and replaced with nothing.  There used to be a lot more magic at the Fort.

 

Sad.

 

TCD
 

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

I agree, very sad.

 

I wish I could remember my trip from 1983

 

Here's one more:

 

21. Log Benches everywhere

 

WBI

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

here is some good stuff from spring of 1987

 

Look at the paddle boats and that dock, that's something else that's no longer there.

 

He there isn't any bark on the poles at Pioneer Hall here. I wonder how often they changed them out?

For comparison

 

another spring of 1978

WBI

[LONE-STAR 370]

I try to be a "the glass is half full" kind of person, but seeing all of these photos got me to thinking of how much has disappeared from Fort Wilderness in the past 15 years or so.

 

It's a lot:

 

1.  Wilderness (meaning the trees and brush that provided privacy in the camping loops)

2. Swimming beach at Bay Lake

3. Musket Mickey

4. Fort Wilderness Railroad

5. The giant log slice at the entrance

6. Discovery Island

7. Wilderness Swamp Trail

8. Marshmallow Marsh.

9. Trams

10. River Country Wagon

11. Cannons

12. Covered wagons and other unique theming at the playgrounds (e.g. the tee-pees at the 300 loop playground).

13. River Country

14. American Flags

15. Totem Poles

16. Hammocks on the Beach

17. The tower on top of Pioneer Hall and the American flag on top of it.

18. Surrey rentals at the Bike Barn.

19. A reasonably priced family breakfast show

20. The petting zoo

 

And I'm sure there's more.

 

I know that times change, but look at all that has disappeared. A lot of it from neglect and mismanagement.  And the thing is that these things haven't been replaced.  They're just gone and replaced with nothing.  There used to be a lot more magic at the Fort.

 

Sad.

 

TCD

You can also add sailboats to this list. And live entertainment inside trailsend. Plus the paths they no longer let us drive our carts on. Ther is more I am just to tired to think of it.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

I'll do the positive side.....

 

I like the Purple, Orange, and Yellow bus routes better than the old Chip & Dale

I like that every bus now goes directly to the parks vs. the TTC

I like the all concrete premium sites

I like that (for the most part) we no longer share a boat with WL to the Magic Kingdom

I like that there is least a small amount of carryout for breakfast at Trails End

I like the pool slide and the hot tub

I like the kids swim area

[LONE-STAR 370]

I'll do the positive side.....

 

I like the Purple, Orange, and Yellow bus routes better than the old Chip & Dale

I like that every bus now goes directly to the parks vs. the TTC

I like the all concrete premium sites

I like that (for the most part) we no longer share a boat with WL to the Magic Kingdom

I like that there is least a small amount of carryout for breakfast at Trails End

I like the pool slide and the hot tub

I like the kids swim area

Good points but we don't use the bus and I miss the deeper pool.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'll do the positive side.....

 

I like the Purple, Orange, and Yellow bus routes better than the old Chip & Dale

I like that every bus now goes directly to the parks vs. the TTC

I like the all concrete premium sites

I like that (for the most part) we no longer share a boat with WL to the Magic Kingdom

I like that there is least a small amount of carryout for breakfast at Trails End

I like the pool slide and the hot tub

I like the kids swim area

 

I like all of those things too.

 

But, as Lonestar said, some of them came at a price.  Like the pool renovation- we lost the deep end.  That is a trend throughout the resorts, though, not unique to the Fort.  I do appreciate that the Fort has a hot tub, which only moderate resorts and above have.

 

As for the premium sites- I like them, but not the price.  And let's not forget that they took away a whole bunch of lesser priced preferred (400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 1400) and  full hook-up loops (900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300) and made them into premium sites.

 

The small amount of carry-out at Trail's End is not an improvement.  There used to be a lot more. Plus, there was a reasonably priced al la carte breakfast menu.  You could also get a "to go" container for the buffet, but that had to be shut down because of abuse.

 

And, all of those good things do not come close to making up for the long list of things that have been lost.

 

TCD