The TCD Gang Jump Starts Christmas: An Early November Fort Trip Report

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Illuminations and Wishes on the same night?  Wow!

 

I'm glad I skipped the Poland booth.

 

Did Twin #1 have to stand out in all that rain to work the Magic Carpets?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Illuminations and Wishes on the same night?  Wow!

That's right! We have talked about trying it. We thought the best strategy would be to watch Illuminations near France, then head out the International Gateway and catch a bus from the Beach Club to the MK. Turns out, we had plenty of time to just take the two monorails there.

 

I'm glad I skipped the Poland booth.

That booth was never busy. I wish I had skipped it too.

 

Did Twin #1 have to stand out in all that rain to work the Magic Carpets?

I never noticed it before, but there's a covered area at the start of the queue, where the FP+ scanner is. The CM's stand under that covered area. So, she wasn't in the rain. If guests had shown up, one of the CM's would have to leave the covered area to get the guests loaded and make sure they have their seatbelts on. But almost no guests showed up.

TCD

[Beckers 1,136]

Rain is an understatement for Saturday night. I'm pretty sure Jason would agree

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Twin #2 should be glad she decided to skip working the Half Marathon. 13.1 miles in that cold rain was NOT fun - especially in a racing chair. The volunteers were troopers handing out hydration fluid with no protection themselves. I changed the name from Wine and Dine Half to Whine and Drown Half.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Rain is an understatement for Saturday night. I'm pretty sure Jason would agree

 

Yes, there was a lot of rain.  Poor Jason in that leaky tent.

 

Twin #2 should be glad she decided to skip working the Half Marathon. 13.1 miles in that cold rain was NOT fun - especially in a racing chair. The volunteers were troopers handing out hydration fluid with no protection themselves. I changed the name from Wine and Dine Half to Whine and Drown Half.

 

That's a real shame. The weather had been so nice for weeks before that, and was nice after as well. 

 

Oh well, you got a new name out of it.

 

TCD

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Wait.  I've seen that video before.

 

You're probably the one who posted it.

 

I must have blocked it out. 

 

Awful stuff.

 

TCD

Cretan.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Cretan.

 

Hey.  I know what I like.

 

And I don't like Christmas songs about Italian Donkeys.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

First of all, it was trout in Canada. Second, it's good when it's warm. It has a butter sauce and bacon on it. What's not to like. It seriosuly SMB that they serve cold food. That happened to us at Patagonia our second time, and it wasn't nearly as good as the first time we went there. And they served our food cold when it was busy. How does that happen?

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

Hey.  I know what I like.

 

And I don't like Christmas songs about Italian Donkeys.

 

TCD

I guess since you didn't say it SMB, I will have to allow you your opinion, however misguided.  That's one of the things that i love about the Fiends - even though there are those here who don't like the EWP or the Mermaid Ride, we can still all get along.  

 

Mostly.

[The Troll 67]

A note about the stupid bat house.

 

Mrs. Troll and I got to talking with a family that had just taken the stupid Segway tour. $120 per person. Did you know that the bat house is now an "attraction" on the Segway tour? Yep. And River Country.

 

Yes, River Country. For the low, low price of $120 you, too, can ride a Segway and see a green construction fence concealing a mosquito infested, rotting water park. And they still brag about it being the "first" water park. Some bragging rights, huh?

 

And to solve the mosquito problem caused by the rotting water park, they built a bat house.

 

Has the government taken over Disney management?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

First of all, it was trout in Canada. Second, it's good when it's warm. It has a butter sauce and bacon on it. What's not to like. It seriosuly SMB that they serve cold food. That happened to us at Patagonia our second time, and it wasn't nearly as good as the first time we went there. And they served our food cold when it was busy. How does that happen?

 

Yes. Trout.  My mistake.

 

The explanation for how the food quality goes down when it's busy is that in a lot of those booths, they are just reheating stuff that was prepped elsewhere.  When they're busy, they rush the process, and the quality goes down.  They really need to watch that, because that's how food poisoning happens.

 

I guess since you didn't say it SMB, I will have to allow you your opinion, however misguided. That's one of the things that i love about the Fiends - even though there are those here who don't like the EWP or the Mermaid Ride, we can still all get along.

Mostly.

Very true.

Every one has an opinion.

And you know what they say about opinions.

 

A note about the stupid bat house.

Mrs. Troll and I got to talking with a family that had just taken the stupid Segway tour. $120 per person. Did you know that the bat house is now an "attraction" on the Segway tour? Yep. And River Country.

Yes, River Country. For the low, low price of $120 you, too, can ride a Segway and see a green construction fence concealing a mosquito infested, rotting water park. And they still brag about it being the "first" water park. Some bragging rights, huh?

And to solve the mosquito problem caused by the rotting water park, they built a bat house.

Has the government taken over Disney management?

LOL.

And the icing on the cake is that I don't think there are any bats in the bat house.

The twins are entitled to a big discount on the Segway tour. But even with the discount, it's too overpriced for me. I would love to hear what the tour guides say about the bat house, though.

 

TCD

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

 

I never noticed it before, but there's a covered area at the start of the queue, where the FP+ scanner is. The CM's stand under that covered area. So, she wasn't in the rain. If guests had shown up, one of the CM's would have to leave the covered area to get the guests loaded and make sure they have their seatbelts on. But almost no guests showed up.

TCD

 

A couple of years ago, we were at Disney one evening and it started to rain...we were trying to stick it out because we had paid extra (Halloween party); they closed the outside rides due to the rain (it stopped and they opened them back up).  Guess they don't always do that? 

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Yes. Trout.  My mistake.

 

The explanation for how the food quality goes down when it's busy is that in a lot of those booths, they are just reheating stuff that was prepped elsewhere.  When they're busy, they rush the process, and the quality goes down.  They really need to watch that, because that's how food poisoning happens.

 

TCD

They will also warm and plate a large batch before serving any. If you get one of the first plated servings, it's cold.

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Ghost of KFK Past.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

A couple of years ago, we were at Disney one evening and it started to rain...we were trying to stick it out because we had paid extra (Halloween party); they closed the outside rides due to the rain (it stopped and they opened them back up).  Guess they don't always do that? 

 

No- they don't close the outside rides just because of rain.  It it's just rain, they stay open.  They will close them if there's lightning.

 

 

They will also warm and plate a large batch before serving any. If you get one of the first plated servings, it's cold.

 

Yes, that's true.  When I've hit the Food and Wine booths when the World Showcase opens, they often will have a bunch of the dishes already plated and ready to go. Those probably sit until they're gone.

 

TCD

[twiceblessed....nacole 433]

No- they don't close the outside rides just because of rain.  It it's just rain, they stay open.  They will close them if there's lightning.

 

 

I thought about that after I had typed my post... there was lightening the night we were there.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I thought about that after I had typed my post... there was lightening the night we were there.

 

That makes a big difference.

 

I have seen them close the Mine Train when it rained, and there was no lightning, but I'm not sure if that is normal operating procedure, or if something else was going on at that time.

 

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well, we've arrived at the last morning of this trip.

 

It's Sunday morning, November 9.  It had rained all night, and was still raining when I woke up. Which stunk, because this was the day I had to go on my special mission.  Plus, it also meant I had to pack up my camper when it was wet.  I hate that.  Still, it was better that it rained Saturday night than on the night we went to the Christmas party.

 

This trip to the Fort was my first since the new Four Seasons Orlando resort next to the Fort opened.

 

And I needed to go and check on it.

 

I haven't seen this reported yet, but you can see the darned thing at night through the trees if you're driving south on Big Pine Drive near the 300/500 loop entrances, and past there too.  Which is awful.  Idiots.

 

Anyway, the last time we stayed at the Fort was in July, and the construction walls were still up and the resort was not yet open.  It has since opened to the public, and I wanted to go and check it out.  In particular, I wanted to see if it can be accessed from the Fort.

 

So, I put on my poncho, hopped on my cart, and headed to the 1800 loop. I needed to go early and beat the golfers and other folks who might be out to see me walking in from the Fort.

 

Here we are at 7:06 am, that's the last site on 1800.  A week after Halloween, the Thanksgiving/Christmas decorations have begun:

 

 

This is the first site on 1800:

 

 

I parked my cart at the gate next to the pet walk, and headed out by the canal.  This tent is actually set up on the pad for this site on 1800, but there in the distance, you can see a tent set up off the pad behind a site on the 1600 loop.  We will go and look at that site later:

 

 

We are heading the other way now.  The rain was letting up now, which was a good thing:

 

 

Just a few steps along the canal, and there it is:

 

 

It seems like there are new trees planted along the canal bank:

 

 

And here we are at the gate leaving the Fort.  I was kind of expecting some changes here.  Or maybe a Do Not Enter sign, but it's the same as it has always been:

 

 

The Four Seasons Orlando resort was under construction for three years, and cost countless millions of dollars.  Part of the project included taking over the former Osprey Ridge golf course. The course closed down several months ago, and was supposed to reopen at the beginning of October under a new name and Four Seasons management.  I think it opened late, but it is apparently open now, even though the new signs are on back order:

 

 

Seriously, they are using paper signs on wooden posts to direct golfers where to go. Someone goofed:

 

 

In the background of that last photo, you can see one of the groundskeepers is already at work.  It was 7:15 am.  They start early at the Four Seasons. The Disney folks were never out that early.

 

Here we are looking back toward the Fort before crossing the bridge.  You can see those tents near the canal back toward the center of the photo:

 

 

This is my first time seeing the Four Seasons with the construction walls down:

 

 

I have to admit it's a nice looking resort.

 

But kind of generic.

 

From the bridge, looking back toward the Fort:

 

 

The new golfers who will be enjoying the Four Seasons Tranquillo golf course will never know that this used to be the tee box for the 17th hole at Osprey Ridge. The new resort took over the fairway, and they had to build a new hole:

 

 

Another temporary sign:

 

 

The old cart path is now a sidewalk that leads right to the new resort:

 

 

I don't know what this building is, but this area that we're in is the backstage area for it:

 

 

This sidewalk is new-as is that security camera there on the pole:

 

 

Dang.

 

They have security cameras.

 

I don't want a video of me trying to hop a fence showing up on You Tube, so that means I had to behave myself.

 

The sidewalk curved around the back of the building.  That's all new landscaping there on the right, and then a fence, and the pool area:

 

 

I found the beach volleyball court:

 

 

Here are their two big pool slides:

 

 

Here's a nice sports court:

 

 

Guests must be able to come and go from this area.  I looked around for a gate, and found one.  But it was locked:

 

 

I could hear guests already swimming in the pool and using the slides.  And, I wasn't sure if anyone was monitoring the camera I had passed by on the way back here, so I figured it was time for me to go before someone showed up and asked what I was doing. 

 

This ended up being a short visit.  Here we are on the way out:

 

 

A final look:

 

 

I walked quickly back to the Fort.  I could hear someone on a utility vehicle approaching from my back.  When he caught up with me, I expected him to stop and ask me what I was doing, but he kept right on going, taking a left up ahead and heading to the maintenance area:

 

 

That mission was a fail. Except for anyone who wants a place to play beach volleyball.

 

For now, I haven't found a way to access the hotel from the Fort.

 

But, I have another idea for a different approach next time.

 

TCD

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

 

This is the first site on 1800:

 

 

When I was at the Fort in early October, I think that was Bibbdi-Bobbidi-Boo...Karla's site.  I didn't take a good look around, as it was night time when I visited them, but I think those are the same decorations.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

TCD, that mission was NOT a fail!  That was a half win!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Is that a Disney tent off the pad in the 1600 loop? It looks like it is from a distance. 

 

You know the thing about sand volleyball courts... do you ever see people playing on them? 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

When I was at the Fort in early October, I think that was Bibbdi-Bobbidi-Boo...Karla's site.  I didn't take a good look around, as it was night time when I visited them, but I think those are the same decorations.

 

She may have been near that site, but that was not her site.  The first site on 1800 was occupied by the guy who shows up every year with the little "Doom Buggy" car. That photo was from his site.

 

TCD, that mission was NOT a fail!  That was a half win!

 

To me it was a fail.  I wanted to get in to the hotel, or at least stick my dirty feet in their lazy river.  All I got to see was the backstage area and the sports area.  But, I'll be back.

 

Is that a Disney tent off the pad in the 1600 loop? It looks like it is from a distance. 

 

You know the thing about sand volleyball courts... do you ever see people playing on them? 

 

Good catch.  As I mentioned, we will be taking a closer look at that site.  And we will be doing that in the next update.

 

That's true about sand volleyball courts.  We used to visit the Fort with a group who would get a game going on the one by the Meadow pool, and sometimes at the one by the dog park.  But other than that, I can't say I've ever seen anyone using the ones at the Fort.  They're one of those amenities that are cheap to install and look good, so a lot of places have them, whether anyone wants them there or not.

 

TCD

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

She may have been near that site, but that was not her site.  The first site on 1800 was occupied by the guy who shows up every year with the little "Doom Buggy" car. That photo was from his site.

 

I thinks her's was the first on the left when you are facing the opening to the loop.  I had a note with her site number on it.  I am still glad there are any pictures of me bending down trying to read the site numbers using only the light from my flip phone!  

[dvccamper 32]

So you never caught a glimpse of the lazy river?

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Love all the family pix.

I also wouldn't call the four seasons expedition a fail.

You got some great pix.