A Fiend Looks at Fifty-A TCD Birthday Trip Report

[SCTigerCock 171]

Great Report! Now get planning! :jumpforjoy

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

I'm ALL over the pic of herd of kids on the stick ponies!! :rofl2: Marty, Loretta, gonna need to borrow your kids for a few.. we will do this shot up right!! Hope there is enough ponies! :partyline: :partyline: :partyline:

No sense in telling you how awesome your report is, I suspect you already know, hoping you can work Halloween out, I'd really like to get my hands on one of those spikes, I'll happily fetch one from the weeds if you can point me in the right direction. My DH father, whom I'll be meeting for the first time in 7 years at Christmas (that's a whole other story) is a huge train buff, I plan on making it into something that we can talk about, a little ice breaker per say :) Til next time!

[thecplusplusguy 7]

As Friday evening approached, it was time for Rocky to go to the babysitter.

The Best Friends kennel opened at WDW last year at about this time.

We have not yet visited.

But, we have driven past it many times.

When we were there in August, Disney (the pom in my avatar) stayed there for a day. We got a VIP suit, 4 hrs of play time, and an ice cream treat. It cost like 60 or 70 bucks. He was there about 8 hrs. He seemed to like it. I didn't think the price was unreasonable for what you get. It is his vacation too. I would definitely do it again.

Dan

[stefa70 205]

Another informative report! I figure all the new signs are a good thing. It will definitely help the hoards of trick or treaters that will obviously be invading the fort in a couple weeks.

A Monsters Inc. penny machine? Monsters Inc. came out in 2001. Kind of late for that I think.

But...I do have my eyes on those stick ponies! Judy's kids will just have to share. :clint:

Thanks for another great report!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Bummer!

I hope you're still working on the Halloween weekend, even if it's just Sat. & Sun.

I am working on it.

It looks pretty good that I will be able to be there for the weekend at least. I'm still working on the 31st, though.

We had a motorcoolers looping with us 4th July 2009 he was right up front and ran with us thought all the loops and most of the night

This guy

Cool.

Do you know what the story is with the Carnival Cruise Line logos?

Another great report, Andrew :banana:

Thanks, Doodle.

But, I don't think you hijacked this thread even once!

You are slipping!

Thank You again Now I can't wait to get back to the Fort

Well, what's keeping you?

Super job, as usual.

By your next trip there may be a skinny legged guy riding a motor-cooler sign!

LOL!

I think you're right.

They seem to have a sign for everything else.

Great Report! Now get planning! :jumpforjoy

Thanks.

And, the planning is underway!

I'm ALL over the pic of herd of kids on the stick ponies!! :rofl2: Marty, Loretta, gonna need to borrow your kids for a few.. we will do this shot up right!! Hope there is enough ponies! :partyline: :partyline: :partyline:

No sense in telling you how awesome your report is, I suspect you already know, hoping you can work Halloween out, I'd really like to get my hands on one of those spikes, I'll happily fetch one from the weeds if you can point me in the right direction. My DH father, whom I'll be meeting for the first time in 7 years at Christmas (that's a whole other story) is a huge train buff, I plan on making it into something that we can talk about, a little ice breaker per say :) Til next time!

Oh boy!

I can't wait to see photos of the pony herd riding around the lobby!

I have a few spikes to distribute to Fiends. If for some reason I can't make it, I will make arrangements for a trusted associate to assist with the distribution.

When we were there in August, Disney (the pom in my avatar) stayed there for a day. We got a VIP suit, 4 hrs of play time, and an ice cream treat. It cost like 60 or 70 bucks. He was there about 8 hrs. He seemed to like it. I didn't think the price was unreasonable for what you get. It is his vacation too. I would definitely do it again.

Dan

I didn't know the VIP suites were available for non-overnight visits. That is a lot of money, but it was $20 for us to keep Rocky there for a few hours. I can't believe that I'm saying this, but $60 for the VIP treatment for 8 hours doesn't sound so outrageous.

Another informative report! I figure all the new signs are a good thing. It will definitely help the hoards of trick or treaters that will obviously be invading the fort in a couple weeks.

A Monsters Inc. penny machine? Monsters Inc. came out in 2001. Kind of late for that I think.

But...I do have my eyes on those stick ponies! Judy's kids will just have to share. :clint:

Thanks for another great report!

Wow, what an ingrate!

Monsters, Inc. is definitely a major upgrade from Bear in the Big Blue House.

If you do go for the pony ride, please be sure to take photos! I can already picture you blending in with the kids, like you did on the Tom Sawyer's Island playground.

TCD

[TheLug 10]

I have a few spikes to distribute to Fiends. If for some reason I can't make it, I will make arrangements for a trusted associate to assist with the distribution.

TCD

One of them still got my name on it? I know it was a long time ago and all and you do have a great memory! Just checking.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

One of them still got my name on it? I know it was a long time ago and all and you do have a great memory! Just checking.

Absolutely.

The Lug will get spiked!

TCD

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

Great report Andrew!!! Thanks for sharin!!

[momof3kids-Yvonne 594]

I'm ALL over the pic of herd of kids on the stick ponies!! :rofl2: Marty, Loretta, gonna need to borrow your kids for a few.. we will do this shot up right!! Hope there is enough ponies! :partyline: :partyline: :partyline:

Right Judy you're getting the kids together for the picture.

Somehow I can just imagine it going something like this... Mommy can you let me have a turn on the pony now? Wait a minute Miss Loretta and Miss Marty and I aren't done with our race yet.

[momof3kids-Yvonne 594]

TCD, Once again you made me feel like I was there with you. Thank You!

[Heidi-meetsTCD@TSM 5]

TCD,

As always a wonderful report!! Between your writing and all the pictures, I almost feel like I am right there with you and your family!!!

It was fun to get a peek inside of the cabin. The last year that the cabin was in the campground, we held a reservation to stay in it during our April vacation. We were so excited...........then I got a letter in the mail letting me know that the cabin was unavailable and I needed to make alternate plans. It was a bummer..........

I so hope you get to go back to the fort soon, so I can read another trip report!

Heidi

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

Shhhh Yvonne.. that's my little secret, the kids are to distract the other people so we can take the ponies for a spin.. no witnesses of course :rofl2:

[Lou... 3,118]

Absolutely.

The Lug will get spiked!

Santa has Santa's Helpers and TCD has TCD's Helpers.

[LONE-STAR 370]

Great job

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

TCD, Once again you made me feel like I was there with you. Thank You!

You are welcome!

And thanks to you for reading and posting.

I always appreciate the feedback.

TCD,

As always a wonderful report!! Between your writing and all the pictures, I almost feel like I am right there with you and your family!!!

It was fun to get a peek inside of the cabin. The last year that the cabin was in the campground, we held a reservation to stay in it during our April vacation. We were so excited...........then I got a letter in the mail letting me know that the cabin was unavailable and I needed to make alternate plans. It was a bummer..........

I so hope you get to go back to the fort soon, so I can read another trip report!

Heidi

Too bad you didn't get to stay in the cabin.

The cabin was there on the 1200 loop when I first began to visit the Fort. I never looked in to how much it cost, or what it was all about. And, as far as I know, I don't have a photo of it. I never imagined back then that there would be a place like ff.net to share photos and stories about the Fort.

I am also still not 100% convinced that this cabin is the same cabin as that cabin. In my memory, there was always a cabin there by the Wilderness Swamp Trail. One of these days, I intend to look in to that issue further.

I hope that all is well with your health, and that you will be back at the Fort soon!

Santa has Santa's Helpers and TCD has TCD's Helpers.

True!

And I appreciate them!

Great job

Thanks, Michael.

TCD

[Momoffive aka Loretta 34]

Wonderful!!! Looking forward to the next trip and hopfully meeting you at Halloween!!! We can get the twins to babysit the quads LOL!

[Discamper 394]

TCD here is a pic of the first Disney cabin it's like the one's KOA rents today

[okgirlie...Brandy 6]

Hello!

It's been a month since I've been here. I've been busy with volunteering for the cub scouts and PTA and substitute teaching at my kids' school. Darn all of that stuff getting in the way of reading this board. I miss this place. The good news for me is I came back to a trip report from TCD.

Happy belated Birthday. :)

I enjoyed your report as usual. :)

Loved the Rocky pics. He's so handsome.

I must figure out a way to get back there sooner rather than later. Although, I think sooner will still be at least 2013.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

TCD here is a pic of the first Disney cabin it's like the one's KOA rents today

Thanks, Todd-

For ease of comparison, here's the photo I took of the cabin on this trip:

It's clear that they are the same design and construction.

But, I remember that there was always a cabin out by the Wilderness Swamp Trail. This one may or may not have been moved there. I don't know for sure.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Hello!

It's been a month since I've been here. I've been busy with volunteering for the cub scouts and PTA and substitute teaching at my kids' school. Darn all of that stuff getting in the way of reading this board. I miss this place. The good news for me is I came back to a trip report from TCD.

Happy belated Birthday. :)

I enjoyed your report as usual. :)

Loved the Rocky pics. He's so handsome.

I must figure out a way to get back there sooner rather than later. Although, I think sooner will still be at least 2013.

Thanks, Brandy.

I'm sorry that you can't get back to the Fort sooner. But, I know it's a long way for you.

Have fun wherever y'all decide to camp!

TCD

[okgirlie...Brandy 6]

We are headed to Branson, Mo in a few weeks. We are going to stay at Silver Dollar City's Wilderness campground. It's not Fort Wilderness but at least it's something. :)

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We are headed to Branson, Mo in a few weeks. We are going to stay at Silver Dollar City's Wilderness campground. It's not Fort Wilderness but at least it's something. :)

Well, at least it has "wilderness" in the name.

Have fun!

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

OK- I just realized that I left out the seventh new thing I saw at the Fort.

I didn't get a photo of it, so I forgot to mention it.

It's a new stop sign.

For years, I have referred to the intersection of Fort Wilderness Trail and Big Pine Drive as the four way stop. I think a lot of folks do. It was the only four way stop at the Fort, so if you said the four way stop, people knew what you were talking about. Lots of folks just called it the four-way.

Well, down by the Settlement, Fort Wilderness Trail dead-ends in to Big Pine Drive. From there, if you continue to head North, there is a paved path that golf carts, bikes and pedestrians use for access to the Settlement. Guests cannot drive cars any further than this west on Big Pine Drive, but buses can and do continue on Big Pine to the Settlement bus stop. For years, there has been just three stop signs here: there was no stop sign for the bus traffic heading east on Big Pine or turning south on to FW Trail out from the bus stop area. Now there is a stop sign there. So this is now another four way stop. I guess this is good, but I sure feel sorry for the bus drivers.

Now when you refer to the four-way, you'll have to say which one.

TCD

[Heidi-meetsTCD@TSM 5]

TCD,

My memory must be slipping as I don't ever remember a cabin by the swamp trail until the cabin was removed from the campsite!! I think the year that we were going to stay in it was 1999. We still did go during that April even though we couldnt stay in the cabin. That trip was the first that we noticed the cabin by the swamp trail. I always assumed that it was the same one. I can't remember for sure what it cost a night when we had that reservation, but I "think" it was around $40.00, maybe $50.00 per night.

Thanks for asking about my health. I will be starting chemo soon, which I am absolutely dreading. Hopefully, you will have many more trips to the fort in the next four months, so I will have some good reading material, while I go through the chemo!!!

Thanks again, for a great report!

Heidi

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

TCD,

My memory must be slipping as I don't ever remember a cabin by the swamp trail until the cabin was removed from the campsite!! I think the year that we were going to stay in it was 1999. We still did go during that April even though we couldnt stay in the cabin. That trip was the first that we noticed the cabin by the swamp trail. I always assumed that it was the same one. I can't remember for sure what it cost a night when we had that reservation, but I "think" it was around $40.00, maybe $50.00 per night.

Thanks for asking about my health. I will be starting chemo soon, which I am absolutely dreading. Hopefully, you will have many more trips to the fort in the next four months, so I will have some good reading material, while I go through the chemo!!!

Thanks again, for a great report!

Heidi

OK- you have given me a good reason to get back to the Fort so I can write a new report.

About the cabin- this is a small part of an old Fort Wilderness map from 1978. It shows the area where the cabin is now, and refers to this area as Marshmallow Marsh. The map shows what looks like a cabin to me, as well as the old boardwalk:

It bought my camper in 1999, and we started to visit the Fort several times a year then.

Before that we were pretty much cabin people, but I do recall that there was a cabin out where the current cabin is in all of my visits, including when the rental cabin was on the 1200 loop.

I have to admit that the cabin that is there now looks exactly like the one in Discamper's photo, so it probably is that cabin. Others have reported that to be the case, but this old map, and my memory say that there was a cabin out there before the rental cabin came along.

TCD