Jump to content

A couple old pics from the Fort


Recommended Posts

More great photos, folks.  Keep 'em coming!

 

 

 

Oh and I miss the peacocks.

:peacock:

 

I miss the peacocks, too.

 

Time to revise the Official Fort Wilderness List of Missing Magic:

 

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

21.  Real log benches.

22. The old fashioned food delivery truck.

23.  The Ice Cream Wagon

24. The Lawnmower Tree

25. The Double Feature movies at the campfire.

26. The peacocks

 

TCD

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 207
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

I remember on New Years Eve at the Fort two years ago.....after the fireworks on the beach, there were hundreds (it seems) of carts leaving the Settlement area honking their stupid horns.  It went on

I'm thinking this is the construction of the Meadow swimming pool.  It looks like the 1500 loop bus stop way off in the distance.

been gone a week or so, I'll try to start it up again, Wilderness Trail from spring of 1978.

The first time we stayed in 300 back in 2004, we didn't have a cart and usually walked the trail back near the lake to get to the Settlement.

 

We had many a peacock "escort" along the trail.

 

The only downside was at night they'd perch where you couldn't really see them and then scream and scare the beejezus out of you.

Link to post
Share on other sites

TCD, you commented on how the sing along stage looks different now from this photo below....

 

 

 

20141013_214428_zpsnx3ntpny.jpg

 

And not sure where this was at in the Fort but it was a sleigh.  We just wanted all the kids together for a photo.  It was like writing Congress.

 

 

 

 

 

I assume the first one is from the Campfire sing-a-long.  Those signs behind the singer aren't there anymore.  The whole stage looks different.  I know that it has changed somewhat, because I remember there being more barrels and props around it- but I don't remember it looking like this.  And that singer looks weird- he doesn't even have a costume on.

 

TCD

 

 

And then stryke-force posts proof positive that the above photo was indeed taken of the sing along.....take a look at the "Wonder Heart" sign between the singer and Dale in the photo below.  It's the same as in the picture above!

 

Here are a few of my campfire sing-alongs in 1987

img583_zps48e9f91f.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Here is a full picture.  This is the last one that I was able to salvage out of the sticky pile of photos.  The first photo was just a partial.  I did not want to get my ex-SIL for...well for obvious reasons but somehow the care went right out of me and here is a full photo:

 

20141014_180751_zpsaqzul2jr.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

I'm joining this party very late, but better late than never.

 

Some more things to add to the "Missing Fort Magic" list:

 

- Rocking chairs at the Trail's End

- Moose topiary

- Late night DIY pizza buffet at the Trail's End

- Full featured arcade at Trail's End

- Campground "feel" rather than trailer park "feel"

 

Seriously, that last one. Just got home from our most recent trip two weeks ago. While looping with Mrs. Troll, I got thinking, "I might as well just loop the overflow parking lot."

 

Two, three, and sometimes four vehicles parked at each site; Aerosmith-caliber touring busses; work trailers; diesel powered golf cart with monster truck tires; semi trucks to pull mondo fifth wheel trailers; covered work trailers advertising roofing, pressure washing, and landscaping businesses; rumbling Ford F350 pickup trucks; semi truck trailers converted into fifth wheels; golf carts with "La Cucaracha" horns; plastic fences to fence in 10 dogs; and tacky blowups depicting Santa Claus taking a dump.

 

Sucks.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I just came across this thread and it brings back a lot of memories.

Another thing that's gone from the Fort are the slides made from the rollers (does anyone know what I'm talking about?). I always felt like it was an invitation to get little fingers pinched but my kids always liked playing on them.

I have video from our trip in the late eighties and there are roosters or chickens at the side of the road. So whatever they were, they're gone too.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm joining this party very late, but better late than never.

 

Some more things to add to the "Missing Fort Magic" list:

 

- Rocking chairs at the Trail's End

 

There are still a few, but nowhere near as many as before. 

 

I don't like it.

 

 

 

As for horns...

 

I don't know if it's all of them, but at least some Disney carts have horns on them. 

 

Loud horns. 

 

They don't play catchy tunes, they're just loud and obnoxious. 

 

Especially when people drive down the road "talking" to each other because they think it's funny.

 

It's not.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

They don't play catchy tunes, they're just loud and obnoxious. 

 

Especially when people drive down the road "talking" to each other because they think it's funny.

 

 

Amen.

 

Preach on.

 

What is wrong with people?

 

The bizarre flurry of horn blowing as you loop the park...? Bomp...ba...ba...ba...bomp...ba...ba...ba..ba...ba...

 

WTF?

 

They need to disconnect the horns on those things.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I remember on New Years Eve at the Fort two years ago.....after the fireworks on the beach, there were hundreds (it seems) of carts leaving the Settlement area honking their stupid horns.  It went on for 20 minutes or so.  Who cares that parents of little ones are trying to get some sleep and aren't drunk and finding this all funny? 

 

I think this year, I'm teaming up with all the parents and initiating a new Fort Wilderness tradition.....the New Year's Day Looping Horn Armada.  It begins at 6am. 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

 

 

 

As for horns...

 

I don't know if it's all of them, but at least some Disney carts have horns on them. 

 

Loud horns. 

 

They don't play catchy tunes, they're just loud and obnoxious. 

 

Especially when people drive down the road "talking" to each other because they think it's funny.

 

It's not.

Why is it people turn stupid when they get in a golf cart.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...

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

 

TCD,

I feel the exact same way that you do, try to stay "glass is half full" but at the same time, lamenting what once was. haha

​Those old guys from the 60s really had some vision to put all this greatness into reality, while here in the 21st century, we struggle to even maintain what they built.

 

A buddy of mine is a FWRR historian, and he put it in some very "Disney" terms.

To quote Capt Jack Sparrow;

"Take whatcha can, give nothin back!"

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 months later...

I'm joining this party very late, but better late than never.

Some more things to add to the "Missing Fort Magic" list:

- Rocking chairs at the Trail's End

- Moose topiary

- Late night DIY pizza buffet at the Trail's End

- Full featured arcade at Trail's End

- Campground "feel" rather than trailer park "feel"

Seriously, that last one. Just got home from our most recent trip two weeks ago. While looping with Mrs. Troll, I got thinking, "I might as well just loop the overflow parking lot."

Two, three, and sometimes four vehicles parked at each site; Aerosmith-caliber touring busses; work trailers; diesel powered golf cart with monster truck tires; semi trucks to pull mondo fifth wheel trailers; covered work trailers advertising roofing, pressure washing, and landscaping businesses; rumbling Ford F350 pickup trucks; semi truck trailers converted into fifth wheels; golf carts with "La Cucaracha" horns; plastic fences to fence in 10 dogs; and tacky blowups depicting Santa Claus taking a dump.

Sucks.

I hear ya. We have been camping strictly at the fort for the past two years mostly because we are only an hour and a half away. We just got back from camping in the smoky mountains and now I really don't have a desire like before to camp at the fort. It was so nice to actually be in "real" woods and enjoy watching the kids do what kids should be doing like climbing rocks, playing in the river and hiking in the woods vs. dealing with crowds, mobs of people, sweat, filth, over priced dinners and chaos.

Sorry for piggybacking on a year old post

Link to post
Share on other sites

I hear ya. We have been camping strictly at the fort for the past two years mostly because we are only an hour and a half away. We just got back from camping in the smoky mountains and now I really don't have a desire like before to camp at the fort. It was so nice to actually be in "real" woods and enjoy watching the kids do what kids should be doing like climbing rocks, playing in the river and hiking in the woods vs. dealing with crowds, mobs of people, sweat, filth, over priced dinners and chaos.

Sorry for piggybacking on a year old post

I hope you do a report on it because I am thinking about going up there next summer.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...



×
×
  • Create New...