A couple old pics from the Fort

[djsamuel 322]

 

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.

 

 

 

TCD

 

I never knew there used to be so many preferred sites.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I never knew there used to be so many preferred sites.

 

Before the big conversion to the premium sites, 100-800 and 1400 were preferred; 900-1300 and 1600-1900 were full, and 1500 and 2000 were partial.

 

The only distinction then between preferred and premium sites is that the preferred sites had a cable TV hook-up and the full and partial sites didn't.

 

When I first started camping at the Fort, 600, 700 and 800 were not preferred. But, they ran cable to them and made them preferred.

 

Back in the good old days, a site on the 900 loop cost the same as a site on the 1600-1900 loops.

 

In my opinion, pure greed led them to make way too many premium sites.

 

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

I don't think this was on the list.

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/another-disneys-fort-wilderness-resort-campground-memory/

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I don't think this was on the list.

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/07/another-disneys-fort-wilderness-resort-campground-memory/

 

You are right!

 

I never got to see that old truck myself, but that was a nice touch.

 

Which reminds me- there used to be a horse-drawn ice cream wagon which would come around the loops. That, I did see.

 

And I thought of a couple more things-

 

The Lawnmower Tree.

 

And the double feature movies they used to play (there used to be a double feature every night during non-daylight savings time), which was then cut to just on Friday and Saturday nights, and then was eliminated altogether.

 

So, adding what WBI mentioned, the list continues:

 

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.

 

TCD

[Grumpy and Grandma 739]

In my opinion, pure greed led them to make way too many premium sites.

 

TCD

I think customer demand also played a part due to the larger and larger RV's being built and more importantly bought.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I think customer demand also played a part due to the larger and larger RV's being built and more importantly bought.

 

The fact that the premium sites are the most likely to be vacant during the slow times of the year belies this point.

 

They made too many premium sites.  These are the ones most often discounted as well.

 

TCD

[Starbuc71 162]

I can't understand why they don't rent the surfy bikes at the fort. Of all places on Disney property that you would get a bang for your buck with them would be the fort. It would be a great alternative to a golf cart and I would think hopefully cheaper. Would it be the cost to purchase so many, the upkeep? I have never rode one and I hear they are a little tough, but I think the fort would benefit from them

[Lou... 3,118]

I can't understand why they don't rent the surfy bikes at the fort.

 

Would you really want to deal with those on Fort roads?

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

 

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.

 

I can only cite from when I started going to the Fort, and there was NO carry out from Trail's End, except for fruit and some baked items. That's what led me to starting most of my mornings at the Food & Fun Center, and that 6:45 am boat to the Contemporary.

[Starbuc71 162]

Would you really want to deal with those on Fort roads?

Not really, but it would be a good alternative to golf carts. In the big picture I guess it would never work because they would not allow you to keep it over night and there would be no room for surry bike parking nowhere at the fort

[5kidsmommy 18]

These photos are so awesome. I wasn't able to go to Disneyworld as a kid as I grew up in California so seeing what it used to look like is pretty awesome. 

[CampMImi 22]

My very first 2-wheel bike had a banana seat with bright flowers on it.  Come to think of it, the bike was purple!  :)

 

I remember that also!  I had an orange and yellow bike with the banana seat.  I loved the 80's.

[CampMImi 22]

This was 1998.  

 

 

I don't recall seeing the petting zoo when we went in 2012.  I am still very green to all the Fort has to offer.  

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

This was 1998.  

 

 

I don't recall seeing the petting zoo when we went in 2012.  I am still very green to all the Fort has to offer.  

 

Cute photo.

 

The petting zoo area is still there, including the fences you see in your photo.  But, there are no longer any animals there to pet.

 

The area is still used for pony rides, but the animals were mostly all relocated to the petting zoo at Rafiki's Planet Watch in the Animal Kingdom park when it opened, which would not have been long after 1998.

 

For a few years, a pot bellied pig remained on the premises, but you couldn't pet him.  He has since gone to that big sty in the sky.  Now, those pens occasionally house ponies, but they mostly just sit empty.

 

TCD

[CampMImi 22]

I think they were still doing construction on AK when we went, not sure but it was not one of the parks that we visited.  I think the girls loved the petting zoo more than anything else.  

 

I had major damage to our trip photos.  Only the ones from Disney so I am not sure what happened, but here is another of my oldest daughter checking out Chip and Dale waiting to be recognized for her November birthday. (She remembers that part the most because she felt like she was lying since it was December)

 

 

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.

 

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

very nice.....

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I think they were still doing construction on AK when we went, not sure but it was not one of the parks that we visited.  I think the girls loved the petting zoo more than anything else.  

 

I had major damage to our trip photos.  Only the ones from Disney so I am not sure what happened, but here is another of my oldest daughter checking out Chip and Dale waiting to be recognized for her November birthday. (She remembers that part the most because she felt like she was lying since it was December)

 

 

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.

 

 

Very interesting photos.

 

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.

 

As for the second photo, I don't remember any props like this ever being set up at the Fort for photo taking.  I do remember there being a "ChristmasTree Farm" owned by Donald Duck being set up at the Magic Kingdom, but not anything like this ever being at the Fort.

 

TCD

[CampMImi 22]

Very interesting photos.

 

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.

 

As for the second photo, I don't remember any props like this ever being set up at the Fort for photo taking.  I do remember there being a "ChristmasTree Farm" owned by Donald Duck being set up at the Magic Kingdom, but not anything like this ever being at the Fort.

 

TCD

I am not sure that sleigh was even at the Fort.  My memory is terrible but I do remember that guy was there every night.  He played before the movie started.  I think the stage was similar to a stage coach kind of thing.  I will see if I can find more photos.  I saw at least one other one where she was on stage with him. Here is another one that had uploaded to photobucket but didn't post.  You can see the transposing of the digital numbers that are printed on the back of paper photos.  When I pulled all of the photos apart, the numbers transposed  

[stryke-force 51]

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

[stryke-force 51]

here's a very interesting photo from 1987,  it was taken because of the peacock but if you look closely you'll see that it is what I believe to be the VIP cabins, only somethings a miss.  I think it's site 118 to the right and site 120 to the left but it looks like there is a trailer there.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I am not sure that sleigh was even at the Fort.  My memory is terrible but I do remember that guy was there every night.  He played before the movie started.  I think the stage was similar to a stage coach kind of thing.  I will see if I can find more photos.  I saw at least one other one where she was on stage with him. Here is another one that had uploaded to photobucket but didn't post.  You can see the transposing of the digital numbers that are printed on the back of paper photos.  When I pulled all of the photos apart, the numbers transposed

 

 

The stage is still there, and still looks like a wagon, but it's a bit different- the photos Stryke-Force posted show how there used to be wooden doors on the stage that would swing open. Now, it's a roll up door, and a roll-up screen in front of that.

 

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

 

 

Great photos-  the last one shows how the side doors would open, and I can see the Dr. Terminus screen is rolled up in front of the stage.  They still do this now, so things have not changed that much.  Just the signs.

 

here's a very interesting photo from 1987,  it was taken because of the peacock but if you look closely you'll see that it is what I believe to be the VIP cabins, only somethings a miss.  I think it's site 118 to the right and site 120 to the left but it looks like there is a trailer there.

 

That is very interesting.  That picnic table with umbrella is weird too.  I think I see the rock BBQ that is there now beyond the picnic table.  The trailer to the left may be what they used as a VIP trailer in place of what is there now. Remember, the current cabins are relatively new. Before that, they had what they called Wilderness Homes for rent. Those looked like a park-model mobile home.  Before those, they rented out actual trailers.  What we see in this photo may be one of the rental trailers on site 120.

 

TCD

[stryke-force 51]

I found the back side of the sing along from 1985

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Going back to the question about the trailer in site 120, I found this post in another thread where we looked at a rental trailer that was set up in the 2100 loop:

 

 

Very cool photo, Todd.  And, I believe this that is the same yellow Volvo wagon we see in this photo:

 

 

 

 

Note how narrow the loop road is.  And, again, how thick the Wilderness is.

 

TCD

It doesn't look like the trailer on site 120 and the one in the photo with the yellow Volvo have the same paint job.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I found the back side of the sing along from 1985

Here's a photo of the back of the campfire stage from 2012- it doesn't look like much has changed:

 

 

Now, the front, that was a different matter back in 2012, it was looking very sad:

 

 

But, they finally spiffed it up in 2013:

 

 

TCD

 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

More great photos, folks.  Keep 'em coming!

 

 

 

Oh and I miss the peacocks.

:peacock: