CCIntrigue...aka Gwen

20 hours ago, caveat lector said:

Dude!!!! Those pics of the lion and gorilla are outstanding.  The amount of resting / peaceful POWER into those two pics is insane.

Sidenote: the pic of the worker putting up Christmas lights makes me smile.

10 hours ago, ftwildernessguy said:

Remember the days when Disney used to,do,maintenance at night when the park was closed to prevent guests from experiencing anything that would take away the magic?  I do.  Barely.  I don't think I've had a picture of the castle without that ugly crane in it for over 20 years.

10 hours ago, fladogfan aka Gretchen said:

Yesterday was weird, don't know if the sun shone at all, I was indoors mostly.  And coming home  from the   Longwood area ran into heavy rain on I-4.  Certainly not fun to drive in either.  Thought about you and all the other campers, especially the ones in tents, pop-ups or hybrids.  Some lightning but mostly down pour of rain. And now today is beautiful, hope you are out and about enjoying it.

10 hours ago, jmaul said:

Great Shot. Laid Back n Peaceful.

Thanks!

9 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

I certainly hope it was better than it looks.

What the Fort is on top of the salad?

In Tarpon Springs, which is just a few miles north of me, they know how to make a Greek salad.  Disney ought to check with them.

TCD

It was the "grilled chicken."  Could have used more grilling.  We have a large Greek community in our hometown too and are accustomed to good salads.  This one wasn't bad. It beat a CS burger.

9 hours ago, Travisma said:

Looks like a chunk of pressed (depressed?) chicken?

Where's the scoop of potato salad?

Who puts potato salad on a Greek salad?  Never heard of it.

9 hours ago, FunFinder265....Cody said:

Same here, considering a Tropical Storm was formed out of that mess. We had tornados touch down just south of us on the East Coast. 

 

Cody

Glad you're okay!

I've used Touringplans.com for years and been relatively happy with their accuracy.  But this trip I don't feel they have done as well.  Even looking back on their "what we saw" results, I don't agree with some of their assessments.

I am really wishing this thunderstorm would be over.  It's been raining for hours.

I also back up my pictures to an external hard drive.  But I also back everything up online to Carbonite.  It's only around $59 a year and is great insurance.  I've had to retrieve all my files from them once when I had a hard drive failure.

Saturday, 9/10:

After a light breakfast in Dolly, we went to MK.  Buzz, PeopleMover, Pooh.  Then we went to Cosmic Ray's and split a Greek salad:

It was better than it looks.

After lunch we rode 7DMT.  I tried to get a picture of the witch, but all I got was her basket:

The castle was looking good (except for the crane):

The crane was holding up a bucket with workers who were painting the roof and installing the Christmas lights:

I tried to get artsy with this next shot, but I finally realized I would have to lay on the ground to get it ilke I wanted it.  So I gave up.

What a small world!  We met a couple who live about two miles from us and are good friends with our ex next-door neighbors of 30 years.

Finally we headed back to the Fort.

It was so hot that day!  The heat bothered me more than usual.  My ankles and feet were really swollen.  But it was still a great day.

19 hours ago, Littleolwoman.aka.Kristie said:

Awesome pictures Gwen!

Thank you!

12 hours ago, fladogfan aka Gretchen said:

I agree!  Love the sleeping lion and the gorilla looks so close!  Glad the pain was down that day, hoping for many more like that.

Thanks, Gretchen.  I'm hoping for more low pain days too, but the storm we're having right now sure isn't helping!

10 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Glad to hear that your pain was better.   Love the lion picture...here kitty-kitty-kitty 

He looks so peaceful, doesn't he?

7 hours ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

Are you not using an ECV this trip?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Yes, I am using my ECV.   I couldn't do the parks without it.

7 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

LOL.  I think I had a similar conversation with him 5 years ago.  I'll bet he'll be around for most of your trip.  He's a character.

I think I did have your cell # at one point, but please PM it to me.  I don't have any definite plans to be back at WDW in the next few weeks, but day trips pop up quickly for me lately.

TCD

He and his wife are spending their days here babysitting their grandchild.  They walk the dogs a couple of times a day, but that's the only time we see them out.  He says they are leaving 9/15.  We'll see.

I messaged you with my phone number.

I'm in!  Looking forward to your TR!

Friday, 9/9:

After breakfast at TE, we went to Animal Kingdom.  Our first encounter was with DeVine.

Next up was the Safari.  I think we saw the most animals we've ever seen.  And a first, I actually saw the lion's face.

Then we walked the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

Last was a visit to Finding Nemo.

After AK we made a WalMart run, back to Dolly for dinner, and then off to MK for ice cream.  

On our way out of the MK I spent too much money at the Pandora store.  

Pain-wise this was a good day.  The weather was great -- only a few sprinkles.

Thursday, 9/8:

After I cooked breakfast, we headed to DHS.  TSMM, One Man's Dream, and then another first for us ... the Frozen Sing-Along.  Whoever here told me (maybe Kelly) that I'd enjoy the sing-along even though I'm not a Frozen fan, was right!  It was so much fun!  The actors were great!  

After the sing-along we visited Star Tours.  Then we went to Bill 'n Min's to split a hot dog.  Wow.  One hot dog and two drinks was nearly $20.

We came back to the Fort, went looping awhile, and I cooked dinner.  I collapsed shortly after because I was hurting really bad.

The 200 loop has been emptied out.  We heard chain saws running there this morning.  Lots of shrubs have been cut back, and a few trees have been removed.

6 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

Thanks for doing a live trip report!  Like everyone else, I always enjoy your photos, and it's nice to not have to wait until you get back to see them.

That's funny that you have one of the same neighbors this year.  That guy is becoming a regular.

I was actually at the Fort on Saturday of this past weekend.  Just a quick visit, around noon.  It was too hot for me to spend much time looking around.  Hopefully, I can get by there again before y'all leave.

We spent some time in Epcot on Saturday afternoon, and I was pleasantly surprised by the low wait times.  I imagine that the crowds at the parks are much lower than they have been for your recent previous visits.

TCD

My problem is that it takes hours and hours to edit my photos, and I can't get through all of them while at the Fort.  So I will post the highlights and probably add more once we get home.

Re the neighbors.  That guy told us he comes to the Fort for a couple of weeks several times every year.  But once he's here a few days, he wants to go home.  He's thinking about quitting camping.

Crowds in the parks are much more than we anticipated.  World Showcase was pretty empty yesterday afternoon, but the rest of the parks have been busy.

Hope we get to see you before we leave!  Do you have my cell phone number?  If not, I'll message you with it.

6 hours ago, Helmsey......Todd said:

Please post lots of pics :)

Question - after doing the drive down in 2 nights this time, what are your thoughts on that vs 1 night?

My opinion on that is different from David's!  I was very happy with two nights.  I am not a good rider.  Can't stand sitting still for that long.  We used to drive 500+ miles the first day.  It was awful.  

But David wants to get to the Fort as soon as possible and would happily drive 500 miles.  The only reason he agreed to two nights on the road this time was that my doctor gave him ultimatums.

On the way home we will only spend one night on the road.  But we will travel only a little over 300 miles each day.  My 500 mile days are over.

Either way we do the trip, we always overnight in St. Augustine and arrive at the Fort around 7am.  I think that gives us a leg up on getting the site we want.  

Kristi, we won't be getting another puppy,  David still works part-time, and my arthritis is so bad that I can't take a puppy out.

No, we didn't have any trouble getting into the Plaza.  We had an ADR.  That shake is delicious!

My thorn called once during the first few days of our trip.   I didn't answer the phone, and she didn't leave a message, so I didn't call back.  David called her the next day.  We haven't heard from her since.

A side note here.  We are driving to all parks except MK.  This is a first for us.  If I didn't have to use an ECV, I wouldn't do it.  Parking and walking to the tram stop and having to ride it in isn't fun.

But last year we had a hard time finding space on the buses for me.  One day we waited 1.5 hours for an EPCOT bus.

I got a disability tag from my doctor for this trip.  We are able to park in the disability lot which is just a few rows from the entrance.  

Every morning I take a pain pill and apply a lidocaine patch to my lower back.  I'm able to make it through the day, but by dinnertime I'm in a lot of pain and can barely walk.  And I crash shortly after because I'm just not up to evening activities.

2 minutes ago, caveat lector said:

Whoa, the rare Sunday evening Update! The perfect distraction from the impending doom of the upcoming work week.  Thanks for the pics!

Thanks.  I'll try to include more pictures in future updates.

Wednesday, 9/7, wa an EPCOT day.  After riding Test Track, we went to a new-to-us attraction.  Didn't expect to enjoy it, but it ended up being fun!  Turtle Talk with Crush!

We stopped at the CS in Mexico for nachos and then went back to the Fort.  Our cable TV hadn't worked since we arrived, and we had an appointment with a repairman to try and get it going.  David was having withdrawal pains from no Fox News and no Golf Channel, so I was really hoping it would be repaired.

Rick, an Engineering Department supervisor, arrived right on time.  The signal at our pole was fine.  Obviously something was wrong inside Dolly.  I expected him to leave since it wasn't the Fort's problem, but no!  He came in, checked out our setup, and discovered that the person who installed our new mount and TV had attached a cable booster to the TV.  This booster was blocking our digital signal.  So he took it off and we were fixed! Kudos to Rick!  We later turned in a Four Keys Guest Fanatic card for him.

So anyway, we arrived at the Fort on Monday morning.  When we checked in, we were given a choice of sites -- that's a first!

Went to the overflow lot and unloaded the golf cart (DeeDee).  Then we went to Trail's End.  Finally got on our site about 11:30 after the massive holiday exit.

We had planned to go to the Magic Kingdom that afternoon, but it kept raining off and on.  Went looping for awhile, bought our handleless refillable mugs, had an early dinner, and crashed early.

On Tuesday morning we picked up our rental car, went out to breakfast, made a quick stop at Publix, and finally made it to MK in time to use our first FP+ -- Peter Pan's Flight.  Then we had lunch at the Plaza Restaurant.  I love to eat there each trip because I get my yearly no sugar added milkshake:

I was in heaven.

After a few more attractions, we stopped to enjoy the piano player for awhile.

Went back to the Fort and of course looped for awhile.  Lots and lots of empty sites!  And we talked for the umpteenth time about how this trip just doesn't feel right without Kassie.

6 minutes ago, fladogfan aka Gretchen said:

Been trying to get to the fort and life keeps getting in the way. But I will see you this year.

I hope so!

2 minutes ago, fladogfan aka Gretchen said:

Yay A Gwen TR.

Do you still wake early and sit outside with your coffee?

I still wake early, but I can't see the sun rise on our current site.  So I usually stay indoors.  I miss seeing the sun come up.

Quote

1 hour ago, PureTcrazy...rita said:

I want to see you. We are testing the next 2 weeks so I'm glad you're here for a while!

 

 

Rita, I'd like to see you too.  Text me when you want to come over.  Do you have my number?  If not, I'll message you with it.

7 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

Happy to read along...especially since we plan on being part of your report?  Can't wait to see you!

I know your hearts are healing and I pray this trip will help that.  Glad you stopped the two nights on the way down.  Please don't overdo.

For the record, I LOVE your photos and am actually hoping you'll take a few family shots of us at The Fort ❤️

NaCole, I'll be very happy to take family shots for you!  All you want!

6 hours ago, caveat lector said:

Looks like an awesome start to a beautiful trip

Thank you.

5 hours ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

I'm in.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Great!

4 hours ago, momof3kids-Yvonne said:

I'm in.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Thanks for being here.

Hopefully tonight I'll be able to catch up a little on reporting the last week.

I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't d a formal trip report for this visit.  Our trip would be too long, and you all have seen hundreds (if not thousands) of my photos.

But I'll catch us up now and hopefully will be able to keep up as our trip progresses.

Many of you know that our dear Mini Schnauzer, Kassie, passed away on Father's Day.  We knew this trip would be difficult without her.  She loved camping, looping, etc.

We spent a few days packing the moho and kept feeling her absence.  She wasn't there running up and down the hall in excitement.  We fired up the moho and she wasn't there jumping up and down saying "take me, take me!"  Life was different.

We left home on Saturday, September 3, as soon as we were sure Hurricane Hermine had passed through our travel area   Due to the DVTs I developed on our last trip we decided to spend two nights on the road.  My doctor put me back on Xarelto and gave me strict orders to stop every hour or two to walk around.

So we drove 260 miles the first day and stopped at Cracker Barrel in Walterboro, SC, for the night.  The next day we drove about 250 miles and overnighted at Flying J in St. Augustine.  

We arrived at the Fort on Monday morning (Labor Day) and were assigned to site 703.

TCD, guess who was parked right across the street from us.  We've avoided long conversations with him.

8 hours ago, twiceblessed....nacole said:

We enjoy CB as we like eating breakfast there...but we've learned that not all allow overnight parking.  Dothan, AL for example does not, but I believe the reason is because they had some theft/vandalism issues so they thought it best to stop it.  I've called several others in different states as those ones have said yes, so I do think that most allow it...for now.

It could also be due to local ordinances.  I know Myrtle Beach has an ordinance that prohibits overnight parking anywhere.

We will continue overnighting at Flying Js and Cracker Barrels.  We fuel up and eat there.

8 hours ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

It's very pretty, always love seeing your pictures Gwen. They are gallery worth

Thank you, Derek!  Here's another one from the same area that I hope you enjoy:

5 hours ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

I just guessed, but I did read on another thread that you visited Turtle Talk for the first time :)

Guesses are allowed!

1 hour ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

The ceiling at Turtle Talk with Crush?

I took this one yesterday in a new-to-us attraction:

We have a winner!  It's actually a light fixture in the hallway