ICYMI: A New TCD Trip Report April 2016 at the Fort

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

I have to clarify that my getting healthy involves no running. My exercising is going to the gym.

I only run if someone is chasing me.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[bhall 115]

When you got to the part about not knowing what Furries are, I said to myself, I hope he doesn't google it.  Sorry that you did.  lol

[fortpartyof4 108]

7 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

 

 

Thanks, Cyndee.

I hope that all is well in Pennsylvania.  When I last heard from you, you were going to do something crazy and visit WDW over Easter.  Did that happen?  If so, was it as bad as you thought it would be?

______________________

Yes, we went, and no, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!  We also stayed in one of the "new" cabins - actually our first time in a cabin, ever!  It was a great trip, aside from a little more rain than we would have liked.

We were only able to do one park this time, and let our oldest decide, since we were celebrating his birthday.  He wanted the MK, but the only day we could do it was Good Friday.  I was very worried about that, but did a good bit of planning and asking around here, too.  When we lived in FL, I never went to the parks Easter week.  Now that the one of the only times we can go is over holiday breaks, I don't have a choice!  So, I do what I gots to do.  There were AM EMH that day which we took advantage of and we made out just fine.  I even stood in the crazy Starbucks line after we got all the rides in by 9, and the boys got their hair cut at the barber shop - all with minimum waits, considering the day and crowd level.  The rain helped keep that down, I think.

Here is a snap from that day.  I was hoping to run into you this trip, look how big these guys are now - I am officially the shortest person in our family!  Note the lack of people, this was around 8:30 - 9 am.

For perspective, here is another from "a few" years back.....

Sorry for the mini-jack - carry on!

 

 

[Beckers 1,136]

Good dinosaur is horribly depressing, we didn't bother buying it. Thank goodness for Redbox.

when I was looking for reviews for Zooptopia I came across a mom blogger who had older kids so they went to like a 9pm movie and she said there were about 5 furries and they all had on some strange combination of animal costumes. 

[Mrs.TN22 12]

Glad to see you back!  Enjoying the TR

[sherryberry 35]

That's the first time I've heard of furries. That article was funny - their numbers are growing because they're getting married and having families!

I wish I had a trip planned to the fort. We're taking time off from Disney this year, but I'm hoping to go back to the fort in February. We're trying to talk some friends into going with us. They think it's crazy how expensive the fort is. We tried a campground up this way and I'm definitely willing to pay more to stay at the fort now.

[ftwildernessguy 778]

I am starting a new movement.  We are calling ourselves "baldies".  I'm sure you can imagine what the criterion is for joining.

[Memphis 105]

Furries ?   People seriously have too much time on their hands in this country.

[Travisma 1,317]

I saw that Jeep or a similar set up in the 1500 loop on one of our visits.

[lightbikes 73]

Great pictures of the changes at the Lodge and along the shore  TCD -

so glad you're getting older with such weak eyes and just can't read that signage anymore what with all the small print and everything!!!

 

[LONE-STAR 370]

Wow 21 time flys. Well my little girl will be 7 in August. As for all those toilets, I think they were stored in there from the cabins. They all have tanks on them and if I remember right the toilets in the comfort station use Sloan valves. Of course  my memory could be wrong because I haven't  looked at a toilet in the comfort station in several years.

[swimmarz 72]

That contraption you mentioned it looks very similar to the mosquito traps that the CDC developed and is using all over Florida to track "zika"
It uses Co2 as part of the attractant, and when the mosquito get close enough a down draft fan sucks the bugs into a collection cup, because the fan is always running they cant fly out..

here is what a commercially available one looks like,
http://johnwhock.com/products/mosquito-sandfly-traps/new-standard-miniature-light-trap-with-co2/
I have experience with the mosquito magnet and it really did do a good job when it was working, the problem is it  used a tank of propane every 3.5 weeks and the bait packages were getting pricey and hard to find locally, combine that with have to always clean the unit out and then having issues refiring the unit made it not worth the hassle ( think about how hard it was to fire a water heater/ furnace after the camper was put away for 10 years but stored outside, constantly cleaning the jet ports, and electronic ignition clicked but rarely sparked due to the bug guts on it)

[BigTom 76]

There is anything wrong with your eyes, the ink and paint they use to write is just cheap and gets fuzzy. 20 years ago it was very clear and now I need cheaters to read almost any thing.

[GradyBunch 11]

21 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Thanks.  I'm glad that you're in.  I think I owe you a spike, don't I?

TCD

Impressive memory on the spike convo....that was a while back.

Running does the mind and body good, huh.   We will be at the fort the first week of October and over Christmas break.

Let me know if you will be there around that time...since you are only a hop, skip, and jump away.  

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Wow, what great comments are coming in on this TR!

That's what makes this place great.  Thanks to all of you chiming in.  It makes this TR so much better!

18 hours ago, DaveInTN said:

There is enough change in the world these days.  Once in a while it's nice to know you can count on something.  

Amen, brother.

Long live Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Rolls!

Stay strong with the boycott!

18 hours ago, GaDawgFan.....Kelly said:

That's a pretty morning at the Fort! I don't think I'll be there until December. That makes me pretty sad.

December?

Wow.

That is a long time.

I'll bet you're going to figure out a way to get back sooner than that.

18 hours ago, TN22.....Brady said:

Glad to see you are back, along with DIT. 

Thanks.  And, there are quite a few posts from folks who haven't posted in a while.

It's great!

15 hours ago, momof3kids-Yvonne said:

I have to clarify that my getting healthy involves no running. My exercising is going to the gym.

I only run if someone is chasing me.

LOL.

Well, whatever you're doing- good for you!

14 hours ago, bhall said:

When you got to the part about not knowing what Furries are, I said to myself, I hope he doesn't google it.  Sorry that you did.  lol

You know it's too hard not to.  After reading a couple of articles I did stop, though.  I try not to judge others, and it's best that I not know any more about this group.

13 hours ago, fortpartyof4 said:

Yes, we went, and no, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!  We also stayed in one of the "new" cabins - actually our first time in a cabin, ever!  It was a great trip, aside from a little more rain than we would have liked.

We were only able to do one park this time, and let our oldest decide, since we were celebrating his birthday.  He wanted the MK, but the only day we could do it was Good Friday.  I was very worried about that, but did a good bit of planning and asking around here, too.  When we lived in FL, I never went to the parks Easter week.  Now that the one of the only times we can go is over holiday breaks, I don't have a choice!  So, I do what I gots to do.  There were AM EMH that day which we took advantage of and we made out just fine.  I even stood in the crazy Starbucks line after we got all the rides in by 9, and the boys got their hair cut at the barber shop - all with minimum waits, considering the day and crowd level.  The rain helped keep that down, I think.

Here is a snap from that day.  I was hoping to run into you this trip, look how big these guys are now - I am officially the shortest person in our family!  Note the lack of people, this was around 8:30 - 9 am.

For perspective, here is another from "a few" years back.....

Sorry for the mini-jack - carry on!

That was a great mini-jack!  Thanks for sharing.

It's awesome that you stayed in a cabin, and got to the MK.  While I understand that people want to avoid the crazy-busy times, it is possible to have fun and have a great time with a good plan.

Your young men sure are growing up fast.  Like I've said many times before, enjoy these times.  Time really speeds up when they're in High School.  Blink, and they're heading out the door!

12 hours ago, Beckers said:

Good dinosaur is horribly depressing, we didn't bother buying it. Thank goodness for Redbox.

when I was looking for reviews for Zooptopia I came across a mom blogger who had older kids so they went to like a 9pm movie and she said there were about 5 furries and they all had on some strange combination of animal costumes. 

We don't own Good Dinosaur either.  I offered to buy a copy for the girls, but none of them wanted it.  That's a first for a Pixar movie in the TCD home.

We were lucky to get to see Zootopia at the Disney Parks Blog preview, so there were no furries in the theater.  However, we did run into these two after the movie:

 

12 hours ago, Mrs.TN22 said:

Glad to see you back!  Enjoying the TR

It's good to be back, thanks.

12 hours ago, sherryberry said:

 

That's the first time I've heard of furries. That article was funny - their numbers are growing because they're getting married and having families!

 

I wish I had a trip planned to the fort. We're taking time off from Disney this year, but I'm hoping to go back to the fort in February. We're trying to talk some friends into going with us. They think it's crazy how expensive the fort is. We tried a campground up this way and I'm definitely willing to pay more to stay at the fort now.

I've seen kids with fox tails and such around my girls' college campuses before.  But, I thought it was just harmless fun.  Little did I know.

I hear you about the expense.  It seems like that's what is keeping a lot of Fiends away from the Fort.  The funny thing is that the Fort still stays pretty full.

11 hours ago, ftwildernessguy said:

I am starting a new movement.  We are calling ourselves "baldies".  I'm sure you can imagine what the criterion is for joining.

You are always on the cutting edge, aren't you?

When I was at the D23 convention last summer, I overheard some Disney executives talking about a new movie called Baldtopia.  I thought it was just shop talk.  But now, I wonder?

11 hours ago, Memphis said:

Furries ?   People seriously have too much time on their hands in this country.

Ain't that the truth.

Sometimes, I feel like we are living in strange times.

10 hours ago, Travisma said:

I saw that Jeep or a similar set up in the 1500 loop on one of our visits.

I've seen a few set-ups like that one before, too.  They seem cool, but also a lot of work- and you have to climb a ladder to get in and out of the tent.  It's nice that you're not on the ground, but I'm not sure all the effort is worth it.

9 hours ago, lightbikes said:

Great pictures of the changes at the Lodge and along the shore  TCD -

so glad you're getting older with such weak eyes and just can't read that signage anymore what with all the small print and everything!!!

 

Right.  You understand my struggle.  I'm like Mr. Magoo lately.  It's not my fault if I end up someplace I'm not supposed to be.

8 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

Wow 21 time flys. Well my little girl will be 7 in August. As for all those toilets, I think they were stored in there from the cabins. They all have tanks on them and if I remember right the toilets in the comfort station use Sloan valves. Of course  my memory could be wrong because I haven't  looked at a toilet in the comfort station in several years.

7?

Seriously, I can't believe that.  Enjoy these times.  Life gets more complicated as they get older.

You made a great observation about the toilets (which I would expect since you're a professional).  I didn't even think about the tanks, but you're right, these are not the kind of toilets they have in the Comfort Stations:

2 hours ago, swimmarz said:

That contraption you mentioned it looks very similar to the mosquito traps that the CDC developed and is using all over Florida to track "zika"
It uses Co2 as part of the attractant, and when the mosquito get close enough a down draft fan sucks the bugs into a collection cup, because the fan is always running they cant fly out..

here is what a commercially available one looks like,
http://johnwhock.com/products/mosquito-sandfly-traps/new-standard-miniature-light-trap-with-co2/
I have experience with the mosquito magnet and it really did do a good job when it was working, the problem is it  used a tank of propane every 3.5 weeks and the bait packages were getting pricey and hard to find locally, combine that with have to always clean the unit out and then having issues refiring the unit made it not worth the hassle ( think about how hard it was to fire a water heater/ furnace after the camper was put away for 10 years but stored outside, constantly cleaning the jet ports, and electronic ignition clicked but rarely sparked due to the bug guts on it)

I remember when those mosquito traps first came out, and the big claims they made about them.  I didn't know how much propane they burned or what a pain they are to keep operational.  I never was interested in one because of the expense.  Plus, I figured it would be fighting a losing battle in some places.

In addition to those bug traps, Disney also has a chicken coop backstage with sentinel chickens. I ran right by it that morning, but didn't snap any photos.  That coop has been there for years- and is there to check for West Nile Virus.  You can read about the theory behind this practice here: http://fmel.ifas.ufl.edu/buzz/wtsmartchicks.shtml

1 hour ago, BigTom said:

There is anything wrong with your eyes, the ink and paint they use to write is just cheap and gets fuzzy. 20 years ago it was very clear and now I need cheaters to read almost any thing.

Thanks, Tom.  I wondered what was going on with my eyes.  It's good to know it's not me.

TCD

[keith_h 420]

15 hours ago, bhall said:

When you got to the part about not knowing what Furries are, I said to myself, I hope he doesn't google it.  Sorry that you did.  lol

It will help TCD to learn to listen to his daughters. The next time they say, "You don't want to know" he won't be so quick to go to Google.     By the way DD2 said the same thing when I broached the subject to her and Rene asked "What are Furries?". You don't want to know.

I don't know how long the CS has been out of service but could those be the original toilets on their way out?
 

[DaveInTN 3,247]

10 hours ago, LONE-STAR said:

Wow 21 time flys. Well my little girl will be 7 in August. 

No way.  She can't possibly be going on 7.  

[fortpartyof4 108]

OK I just read that link you posted re:  furries.  I too have never heard of this.  First, I am surprised to read the author is from here in Philly, and reports having seen furries out and about around here.  I have yet to, but maybe I am also suffering from "old eyes", like you are.

The other thing I noted as I read it was that it uses this new language we see so often lately "identifies as".  So, if one declares they identify as say, a fox....which bathroom do they use?  Or do they go outside like all of the other foxes?  LOL sorry I couldn't resist!

I know what you mean about the kids growing so fast.  And, I am holding on to every moment I can, as I see my friends sending theirs off to college and everything.  I make time to just hang out with them, doing nothing, or talking.  And every time I catch myself bemoaning another taxi assignment, I check myself and remember that soon I won't have anyone needing rides from me.......

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

1 hour ago, keith_h said:

It will help TCD to learn to listen to his daughters. The next time they say, "You don't want to know" he won't be so quick to go to Google.     By the way DD2 said the same thing when I broached the subject to her and Rene asked "What are Furries?". You don't want to know.

I don't know how long the CS has been out of service but could those be the original toilets on their way out?
 

You're right, I should have listened to my kids.

That Comfort Station has been out of commission for at least 20 years, so it's possible those are old toilets being removed, but I think Lonestar is right- I'll bet they were extra cabin toilets being stored in that building for the maintenance guys to use.

58 minutes ago, DaveInTN said:

No way.  She can't possibly be going on 7.  

You of all people should understand how fast time flies when it comes to our children.

18 minutes ago, fortpartyof4 said:

OK I just read that link you posted re:  furries.  I too have never heard of this.  First, I am surprised to read the author is from here in Philly, and reports having seen furries out and about around here.  I have yet to, but maybe I am also suffering from "old eyes", like you are.

The other thing I noted as I read it was that it uses this new language we see so often lately "identifies as".  So, if one declares they identify as say, a fox....which bathroom do they use?  Or do they go outside like all of the other foxes?  LOL sorry I couldn't resist!

I know what you mean about the kids growing so fast.  And, I am holding on to every moment I can, as I see my friends sending theirs off to college and everything.  I make time to just hang out with them, doing nothing, or talking.  And every time I catch myself bemoaning another taxi assignment, I check myself and remember that soon I won't have anyone needing rides from me.......

I have had that "identifies as" thing explained to me by my daughters, and I reaffirmed their belief that I am a cave man by not understanding.

I'm glad to hear that you're savoring the time with your boys.  You're right, the time is not far off where you won't be needed.  Except for money, that is.  That doesn't seem to end.

TCD

[fortpartyof4 108]

5 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

 

I have had that "identifies as" thing explained to me by my daughters, and I reaffirmed their belief that I am a cave man by not understanding.

I'm glad to hear that you're savoring the time with your boys.  You're right, the time is not far off where you won't be needed.  Except for money, that is.  That doesn't seem to end.

TCD

Oh yes, I am very familiar with the "you just don't get it" eye rolling.

Some things, I don't think I really want to understand, anyway :) Ignorance is bliss, sometimes!

And, I meant no disrespect with my previous comment.  I just got a chuckle out of someone "identifying" as an animal.  That is all!  Back to my cave.

My philosophy is just to be kind and respectful to all, man, woman or beast!  Unless you mess with my kids.

[djsamuel 322]

Saw you over at property control with your daughters during your trip.  I was going to walk over and say hello, but you were enjoying your "browsing time" time with your daughters (over near the Star Wars and Disneyland 60th stuff) and my wife was finishing up and we had to get going.  Maybe next time!

 

 

[Travisma 1,317]

3 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

That contraption you mentioned it looks very similar to the mosquito traps that the CDC developed and is using all over Florida to track "zika"
It uses Co2 as part of the attractant, and when the mosquito get close enough a down draft fan sucks the bugs into a collection cup, because the fan is always running they cant fly out..

We recently took my granddaughter to a book signing/Q&A by Ridley Pearson who writes the Kingdom Keeper series books.  He mentioned that on a backstage tour of the Disney Cruise Line Island, he asked about mosquito control.  The employees showed him their system. They have black piping/tubes with pinholes in them all around the outskirts of the visitor areas.  The tubes emit carbon dioxide which the buggers think is human breath, and the tubes are coated with a sticky substance that they get stuck in when they investigate.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

OK, let's get an update squeezed in here with the comments.

We are now already at our second morning- Sunday, April 24, 2016.  No running today.  I need to let my body rest in between runs.  I never used to, but I do now.

So, this morning was more of a traditional TCD at the Fort morning.

Starting with a visit to the BABH:

I saw something new back here the night before, when Twin #1 and I tried to sneak back here to watch the fireworks.  As we approached the bridge, we got hit by some high beam lights.  I am not sure if it was a CM parked down by the water, or another guest, but I backed up and got out of there.  I am not allowed to get in trouble at the Fort.

When I was back there, though, I noticed that there was now a light on the BABH.  I had never seen it lit up before.  The light may not be very new, but it was new to me, so I'm counting it as the seventh new thing I saw on this trip.  The BABH light apparently is powered by a solar panel:

The old cabin is still there across the canal.  Guests can't get over there anymore, and it's getting harder and harder to see:

My favorite view was marred this morning by fog.  That was because it was very cool this morning, and that lake water is already warmed up from the previous warm days.  I'll take the cool weather even if it brings some morning fog:

There is nothing new going on at the site where the new dining pavilion was one going to be built:

If there is anyone reading along who still cares about the covered wagon that used to be on display in front of the Settlement Trading Post, it is still shoved back here in the back, rotting away:

So, really, there wasn't anything new to see along the pedestrian trail behind the 100-300 loops.

When I looked at the 2100 loop on Saturday, there were still workers and their vehicles in the loop.  This being a Sunday morning, I thought maybe that there wouldn't be any workers around.  The 1100 loop was open and had campers in it, so I parked my cart next to the comfort station and headed in to the 2100 loop via the sidewalk.  There was a plastic fence set up across the sidewalk, but no signs saying to keep out or anything.  It was kind of obvious that guests should keep out, though.

Here's a look into the loop from the Comfort Station sidewalk,  You can see the plastic fence in this shot.  That empty space in the center of the photo is where a cabin used to be:

Now we are looking to the left from that same spot- the loop entrance is off in the distance there, toward the center of this shot.  You can see that there is all kinds of debris lying around, like ducts, and pipes, and lumber that was used to skirt around the cabins:

I'm sure this was all going to be cleaned up soon- and you can see a big dumpster in the background on the left in this shot- but it was sure a mess on this morning:

You can see that there are concrete pads in place, and they left the new bear-proof trash cans, electric, and other utility supplies in place:

Looking around the loop, you can see piles of PVC pipe and concrete blocks waiting to be removed:

You can see another of those bear-proof cans on the right in this shot. The loop looks big with the cabins removed:

Now we are looking toward the Comfort Station.  When I came here this morning, I was thinking about heading over to the old Comfort Station for a closer look at stuff, but after seeing all the stuff strewn over the ground, I decided I didn't really want to have to get a tetanus shot today.  So, I stayed on the sidewalk:

I wonder if these site posts will be reused, or if they're going to squeeze in some more sites and renumber the sites? :

In this shot, you can see the tie downs they used to keep the cabins in place.  You can also see a large sheet of plastic.  It looked like all of the cabins had that under them:

That's all I have from the 2100 loop for now.  I paid another visit the next morning, though.

From here, I headed back to the site, and got the girls going.  We had reservations at Trail's End this morning.  CM's and their guests get 40% off there.  It comes out to about $14 a person, including tip, to eat there with the discount.  And that counts as two meals for us.  So, needless to say, we have been to breakfast at Trail's End a lot since the twins have returned from California.

I was surprised by how busy it was today.  Lucky for us, we made an ADR the night before.  Because the place was more packed than I have ever seen it.  They were using all of the inside seating, including all of the tables on the lower level around the Crockett's Tavern bar.  The girls saw some friends there- it has become quite the hang-out for CM's.  If you ever see a group of young people eating breakfast at Trail's End, I'll bet you they're CM's chowing down at a fraction of the price you're paying.

After breakfast, we were stuffed, and had to chill around the campsite for a while.  The plan for today was to stop by the CM store to see what bargains there were to be had, and then head over to AK.  We were going to eat back at the camper again tonight, and it was warming up, so it would be a good day for us to ride Kali River Rapids.

While at the campsite, I snapped this photo from our site, looking out past the basketball goal and toward the last site in the 1400 loop:

I'll bet you're wondering why I took that shot.

Bear with me.

Here's another shot from the same spot, but zoomed in:

I'll bet you still don't know why I took that photo.

Well, if you had been with me here at our campsite the night before, you would know.

From right here on site 1448, I could plainly see the glowing towers of the Four Seasons Resort.

And, I could see them in the daylight too.

Take another look at that last photo with this purple crayon enhancement:

I don't like that.

From the day the Fort was designed and built, the idea was to create a resort that let guests fell that they were in a wooded oasis, far away from the outside world.  But money talks, and the current regime doesn't care about silly things like atmosphere and theming.  So, now you can see the glowing towers of a hotel from your campsite.  Deal with it.

I am going to count that as the 7th new thing I saw at the Fort- the Abomination from a camping loop.  I didn't know it could be seen from the loops, but it can.

And right on the heels of number 7 comes number 8- there were two of these wooden posts in the 1400 loop (next to that nice motorhome you see) :

Take a closer look at what's on the pole:

And here's the second pole I saw in the 1400 loop:

There have already been photos of poles like this posted here on FF.net, but this was my first time seeing them in person.

They're for the WIFI that is now available in the loops.

As far as I could see, two posts took care of the 1400 loop.

So what took them so long?

The TCD twins told me the WIFI was good.

So that's #8, we have WIFI in the loops.

But, I'll bet you already knew that.

I didn't.

It happened in the couple of months I was on my FF.net break.

I really never thought I'd see the day.

But I did.

After a bit, we did head to the CM store.

They built a completely new one and changed the location in the last year- it's now out toward the Coronado Springs Resort.  The store is bigger, and a bit nicer.  I love to go there. On this day, they were clearing out a bunch of the Disney Marathon stuff, and they were selling the t-shirts that run participants paid $30 for at a big discount.  And when I say big, I mean big.  Everything was $1.  One dollar!  I didn't want a t-shirt that said "I Did It," when I didn't, but those were nice t-shirts for $1.  Crazy stuff.

We then headed to AK. It was hot there.  Like always. We got a good look at the Rivers of Light seating area, and the girls chatted with some CM's there about what's going on.  Basically, someone goofed big time, and no one knows when (or if) we will get to see that show.

After AK, it was back to base camp, where we had another low key night, before heading off to the MK once again to shut it down.

And, just like that, we will be starting up with our last morning at the Fort in the next update.

TCD

 

 

 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

1 hour ago, fortpartyof4 said:

Oh yes, I am very familiar with the "you just don't get it" eye rolling.

Some things, I don't think I really want to understand, anyway :) Ignorance is bliss, sometimes!

And, I meant no disrespect with my previous comment.  I just got a chuckle out of someone "identifying" as an animal.  That is all!  Back to my cave.

My philosophy is just to be kind and respectful to all, man, woman or beast!  Unless you mess with my kids.

I know exactly what you're talking about, and agree.

I think my girls sometimes tell me things just to get a rise out of me.  I try hard to disappoint them.

They think I'm narrow minded, and they're not totally wrong.  but I really don't want to judge what other people do.  It's none of my business, and I really don't even need to know about it.

50 minutes ago, djsamuel said:

Saw you over at property control with your daughters during your trip.  I was going to walk over and say hello, but you were enjoying your "browsing time" time with your daughters (over near the Star Wars and Disneyland 60th stuff) and my wife was finishing up and we had to get going.  Maybe next time!

 

 

Yup.  I was typing the update immediately above when you posted this.  We were at property control on Sunday, April 24.  I forgot to mention the Star Wars and Disneyland 60th stuff. They had some nice stuff.  My daughter bought me an "I'm the Rebel Spy" t-shirt from Star Tours.  They must have gotten rid of them.  They used to cost $30 in DHS, but they were $9 at the CM store.

29 minutes ago, Travisma said:

We recently took my granddaughter to a book signing/Q&A by Ridley Pearson who writes the Kingdom Keeper series books.  He mentioned that on a backstage tour of the Disney Cruise Line Island, he asked about mosquito control.  The employees showed him their system. They have black piping/tubes with pinholes in them all around the outskirts of the visitor areas.  The tubes emit carbon dioxide which the buggers think is human breath, and the tubes are coated with a sticky substance that they get stuck in when they investigate.

I've heard that the bugs are awful at night on Castaway Cay and that the CM's who stay there overnight have to stay indoors as a result.  I didn't know about this mosquito control system, or that they gave backstage tours.  I will have to take a look the next time I'm there.

TCD

[Travisma 1,317]

36 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I know exactly what you're talking about, and agree.

I think my girls sometimes tell me things just to get a rise out of me.  I try hard to disappoint them.

They think I'm narrow minded, and they're not totally wrong.  but I really don't want to judge what other people do.  It's none of my business, and I really don't even need to know about it.

Yup.  I was typing the update immediately above when you posted this.  We were at property control on Sunday, April 24.  I forgot to mention the Star Wars and Disneyland 60th stuff. They had some nice stuff.  My daughter bought me an "I'm the Rebel Spy" t-shirt from Star Tours.  They must have gotten rid of them.  They used to cost $30 in DHS, but they were $9 at the CM store.

I've heard that the bugs are awful at night on Castaway Cay and that the CM's who stay there overnight have to stay indoors as a result.  I didn't know about this mosquito control system, or that they gave backstage tours.  I will have to take a look the next time I'm there.

TCD

Disney whole heartedly backed him on this book series.  They gave him full reign of the parks and the backstage operations.  He told us about being in Small World when it was shut down for nightly maintenance, and seeing one of the "dolls" move even though the section was powered off. He said other CMs told him that they had seen them move also at other times.  They even gave him a free cruise because he was shifting the Keepers from FL to Disneyland. They went on a Disney Cruise from the east coast to the west. He was quite entertaining.