Procrastination pays off right now!

[fortpartyof4 108]

On to Thursday - our 6th day already!

Today would be our Caddyshack day.

I stuffed some towels, snacks and drinks into a beach bag, went down to the marina and waited for the next resort boat.

We were on our way in no time!

The obligatory, sad RC shot:

That's right, we were headed for the WL to crash their pool, caddy-style.

Yes, I have been very vocal about how the freeloaders and overcrowding at the Meadow pool upsets me. And I realize that I am no better by going to another resort's pool and doing the same thing. However, I reasoned it this way: 1. It was spring break, and the fort pool was beyond crowded - it was elbow to elbow, and we barely fit! 2. my KTTW did have the word "Wilderness" on it, so maybe they wouldn't notice?, and 3. I was on day 6 of a 10 day stay during a peak-rate week. That is a heck of a lot of money, and I wasn't getting what I paid for at the fort.

And in all seriousness, if it didn't look like the best idea once we got there, or there were blaring signs or CM's guarding the entry, or if their pool was just as crowded, I would honestly have turned around and come back. Because I don't want to do that to the guests at WL who are paying WAY more than I am.

Fortunately, none of these were the case, and we enjoyed our afternoon there.

I made a contribution via this $10 beverage:

That I purchased from this bar:

It was quite delightful on that hot afternoon!

We walked around a bit:

Enjoyed the lobby:

Then we split. Didn't want to overstay our welcome.

Hopped back on the boat. Passing the Contemporary and BLT:

Almost to photo limit, so will have to continue later….when we try our first ever GAG!

FP4

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Gasp!

You pool hopped!

I don't want to hear about that.

I want to hear about the GAG!

TCD

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

I say if the locals can invade the Fort and cause hardship to the paying campers we should be able to hop the WL pool.

Great updates too!

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

VERY Nice Update!!!!

[fortpartyof4 108]

Gasp!

You pool hopped!

I don't want to hear about that.

I want to hear about the GAG!

TCD

Sorry. Couldn't take it any more! Only one time in 10 days, not too bad. The rest of the time we did the cabin pool or hit the Meadow late-night.

Don't get too excited, there are no photos of the GAG. Still getting my TR feet wet.

I say if the locals can invade the Fort and cause hardship to the paying campers we should be able to hop the WL pool.

Great updates too!

Darn right!

Kind of. In my most humble opinion, the Fort pool simply isn't big enough for the paying guests, let alone the FL's.

But I do agree that the locals shouldn't have such easy access.

I did feel a little odd doing it. And like I said, if their pool was packed, we wouldn't have stayed.

Thanks for the compliment! I am learning!

[fortpartyof4 108]

We got back from our illegal swim and stopped at TE for a GAG. Sorry, no pics. Ate it outside on the picnic tables next to the cart parking area.

The boys played with the hula hoops and horseshoes while we waited. Even though we never eat there, they still love to run around over there and just be there in general. I believe they also hit the arcade during our time over there.

Sorry, no pics of our food. But it was goooood! Love the cornbread. And, I can say that left-over GAG chicken pulled from the bone, cut up and tossed on a salad is yummy too!

The rest of the night was probably spent at the camper, or the movie, looping, or a combination of the 3.

The next morning, we went for a long bike ride. The boys like to go over to the group camping area and ride the "hills" there. I use quotes because they're more like mounds, but to kids who have always lived in Northeast FL where it is completely flat, they're hills.

We rode out of 1200/1300, down the old RR track path for a bit, then crossed over to 900 to cut through to the group area. There had been tons of people there earlier in the week, but only one quadrant was taken now.

Finally caught up to them to get a front-side shot!

You have to admit, despite the fact that it does seem like the Fort is last on the list of priorities for the Disney suits, in what other resort will you regularly see these beautiful animals just riding by at random times? I love it. It's kind of a special little perk that only us lowly camp folks get to enjoy. Well that and sleeping on your own sheets .

This one is because SML is a very sentimental place for us. We spent a LOT of time there, and it still seems strange to not be over there when we camp at the Fort now.

On our way back to our loop we went through 600, over the bridge and visited the recreation area:

Who can guess where this is?:

Cooling off in front of the fan after our ride:

We had some lunch, relaxed, then drove over to DTD. I had promised them a trip to the LEGO store and had put it off as long as I could. Do you know why they call them Legos? Because parents have to "Lego" a lot of their money in that place!!!!!

We got our free Ghirardelli samples and got the fort out of there before the cc blew up!

Next, Dad is back to finish up the week with us, and our first time fishing at the fort!

FP4

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

Looks like good fun for ya'll!!!

[fortpartyof4 108]

Looks like good fun for ya'll!!!

It always is! Even the Lego store wasn't so bad. (shh…don't tell them I said that!)

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I think I am instituting a new policy. Dad goes to Lego store while I do anything else.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Who can guess where this is?:

Good job noticing some of the little details that make the Fort so special.

That decal is on the bulletin board on the front porch of the Meadow Trading Post.

TCD

[Memphis 105]

Great Pictures

You know you can't really call it a "Caddyshack Day" unless you left a Baby Ruth in the pool. Just saying

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Good job noticing some of the little details that make the Fort so special.

That decal is on the bulletin board on the front porch of the Meadow Trading Post.

TCD

I agree. Andrew beat me to a reply.

[fortpartyof4 108]

Good job noticing some of the little details that make the Fort so special.

That decal is on the bulletin board on the front porch of the Meadow Trading Post.

TCD

Thanks.

And, yes! Of course you'd know that one.

I want to say they have one on the bike barn, too?

Wish they sold those decals inside!

[fortpartyof4 108]

Great Pictures

You know you can't really call it a "Caddyshack Day" unless you left a Baby Ruth in the pool. Just saying

Thank you!

That's a good point. I'm quite sure we didn't do that, so I will stick to "pool hopping", which I have since learned is the proper FF terminology. Though I am not fond of that, it has a certain negative tone.

The Caddyshack reference was mostly in the sense that we were sort of the riffraff infringing on the elite's space.

Doody!!!!!

I agree. Andrew beat me to a reply.

Amazing all the little things we notice. Bring back the musket already!

[fortpartyof4 108]

After we got back from DTD, we had dinner at our site and waited for Dad to come back and join us for the weekend. He arrived just in time to go over to the beach and watch the fireworks.

The next morning, we went down to the Bike Barn to do something the boys have been asking to do every time we come to the Fort - rent a canoe. The time is finally here! Previously, we either didn't have time, or it was too hot, rainy, etc. This morning worked out to be ideal. A storm did start to roll in toward the end of their time, but they still got a good paddle in and had a great time. And no tipping, which is always good!

I followed around the cart path and got some shots from the bridge:

Then drove over to the back of 300 to try and catch them over there:

I waited and waited. But, my coffee had caught up with me and I had to pee. Bad. Of course they paddled through while I was in the CS. They ducked under a bridge for a little bit when it began to thunder. The boys told me about some cool bugs they saw under there. They didn't have a camera with them though.

After that, we went back to the camper and had lunch. Then it was back to the Meadow to grab some bait and sit on the edge of the pond getting eaten alive by bugs go fishing.

Notice we stayed on the other side of the pond and didn't trespass on the dock:

They had fun, but only caught a couple dinky fish.

For some reason, I don't have pictures of the rest of the day. I'm not sure what we did, although I know we didn't do any parks this trip. My best guess would be looping/pool/campfire/movie, or games at the camper, or it may have rained? It was our last night, we might have started to break down camp and get ready to leave.

Next, I take an early morning ride on the GC and enjoy the beauty of the Fort on our last morning there.

[fortpartyof4 108]

I am going to interrupt this TR (hijack, sidetrack..whatever you want to call it). I was organizing the next set of photos to do an update. On one of our looping outings, I had taken a bunch of shots of a site in the 1500 loop that I thought was the first site we ever stayed in back in 2006. I dug those prints out (didn't have a digital camera then) to compare. I was off by a site or 2.

However, in the process, I found some very cute prints of some of the very same things we took pictures of on this trip, and thought it would be fun to compare. Some are similar, some are just extra fun stuff from our 12/06 first-ever Fort stay.

They are not the best quality, as I had to photograph the prints. For some reason, my scanner is saying it's "offline". My husband installed a new device on our mac a few weeks ago and the printer now runs through it. The printer still prints, but it won't scan and I spent more time than I care to admit trying to figure it out. I was beginning to get very frustrated (mostly at myself because I am too dense to know how to fix it), so before I threw it out the window in an angry fit, I gave up.

On with the distraction…...

Here are my wee boys back in December of 2006 in our trusty tent (that we still use occasionally!), and our site on the back side of 1500:

I know it was around the bend, past the sites that back up to the canal, but still several sites away from the end.

This one was taken on the playground at the Meadow recreation area.

Here is that GF old car shot:

Buzz at DTD:

LEGO store, DTD:

OK, sidetrack over. That was a fun little trip back in time.

Next time, I really will post about our last day of this trip.

FP4

[stefa70 205]

I LOL'ed at your Lego joke. Although it's been a LONG time since my son was into Legos, I do remember forking out a bunch of money on them (and stepping on them in the middle of the night or sucking up tons of them in the vacuum )

Love the comparison shots! Great sidetrack/hijack!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

A true Fiend, hijacking your own TR. Cool before and after pictures. Looking forward to more.

[Lou... 3,118]

This old man drove that old car.

Here is that GF old car shot:

[fortpartyof4 108]

I LOL'ed at your Lego joke. Although it's been a LONG time since my son was into Legos, I do remember forking out a bunch of money on them (and stepping on them in the middle of the night or sucking up tons of them in the vacuum )

Love the comparison shots! Great sidetrack/hijack!

I know - they hurt like hell when you step on them! My boys are lucky, I suck them up all the time too, but since I have a bagless, I just dump the canister out onto a piece of newspaper and we find them, then toss the dirt. I'm also hoping the diamond earring I lost will turn up one day. It's been over a year, I think maybe I should give up…..

I really got a kick out of those pictures when I found them! Wish I had taken more of the fort.

A true Fiend, hijacking your own TR. Cool before and after pictures. Looking forward to more.

Yeah! That's what we'll call it! (though I think it has a little more to do with my adult ADD)

This old man drove that old car.

No WAY!!! I honestly didn't think it moved any more - that it was just a prop sitting out there. That is way cool. I am a big car person and sooo envious of that!

I actually have a picture of them in front of that for many of the years between the ones I posted, but won't bore everyone with all that!

FP4

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

Love the flashback pictures!

[Lou... 3,118]

No WAY!!! I honestly didn't think it moved any more - that it was just a prop sitting out there. That is way cool. I am a big car person and sooo envious of that!

This was during my previous stint at WDW which was 7 or 8 years ago.

It was fully operational and was used to shuttle newlyweds that had the money to their reception if it was being held elsewhere at WDW.

It drove like a tank, pretty scary.

[Southern Blessings 4]

Love the pics of the kids from when they were little! Big difference!

[lklasing 16]

Just found your report, and I'm loving it! The before and after pics are great. And, I love a whole week worth of a FW trip without going to the parks - you get to experience so much!

Thanks for posting!

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

1. Caught up! Whew! Love that you pool hopped! I especially enjoyed the then and now pics of the boys. Sadly, it will fly by to the time that you are posting their grown men pics compared to these. Looking forward to more!