Classact....Mike 17 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 OK, be gentle. This is a first try. This may be more like some "pics with comments" than a bona fide trip report, but you gotta start somewhere, right? First things first...set up camp. Get the Mickey Lamp up (oops forgot to make a base for it...bungee cords on the front of the motorhome will have to do. Pinecone Mickey magically appears at our campsite. It is....a magical place...after all! Oh, of course, the new blow-up Mickey and a homemade Mickey leftover from Halloween. Bikes out, ready for action. First night....have to run down the beach and watch fireworks and water pageant. Susan decided her EZip scooter needed some festive lights this year. She LOVES that scooter! Wed spend most of our time around the Fort while visiting. Sometimes don't even hit the parks. Opted for a little Canoe action one day. Saw these guys along the way. I don't think we've ever been canoeing and didn't see a lot of deer and other critters. I don't remember ever seeing more turkeys than we saw on this trip. One evening while sitting outside at our site, I looked along the channel to see a BUNCH of them running straight for us. As they got to our site, some ran on one side, some ran on the other. They must have been frightened or something was chasing them...It looked like a scene out of Jurassic Park or something. Add "gator" to our list of critters for the trip. He didn't seem any to frightened of our presence. Susan caught this trophy black crappie one day. I caught a couple monster catfish as well, but I'll spare you their ugliness. We did visit Magic Kingdom one day. Nice to see the Christmas decorations. We timed our visit just right as they were just starting a show in front of the castle featuring all the characters. Man...the pointsettias were beautiful. Why take a photo of the treats in the display case? Why not?! I wanted one of each. Or several. Of each. Little works of art for sure. Amazing. Just amazing. Hard to look away. A little lunch the next day. Amazing how all things become Disney-fied at this place. :laugh: They were just starting to put up the Christmas decorations at the Fort during our visit. I kinda like the contrast of a Christmas tree in the background with tropical flowers in the foreground. We love the decorations at Wilderness Lodge too. What a tree! More from Wilderness Lodge I took a long walk the day before we left. Found the meadow area so serene and quiet. Couldn't resist taking a few snapshots. I have a pic of myself in this exact position from 1974 I posted previously. I'll try to locate it again and post it with this one. Till next time, I have to sign off now. More later!!! -Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I'm in! And first! We need that 1974 pic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Judy in Texas 150 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 A gator in the canal? He might not have been scared but I would have been!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Helmsey......Todd 134 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I'm in! Looks like a great start to me :jumpforjoy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Classact....Mike 17 Posted December 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 OK, I found it! Then...and now. Note that the t-shirt still fits. :laugh:Lost my Dad in March, and my Mom 11 years ago. They first took us to the park in 1974, and several times after that. Great memories! I'm on a trek to find out where the huge log in the first picture came from, and where it ended up. FW staff took me back to a service area to show me what they thought was the original log, but as it turns out the they took me too is the one that replaced the one in the pic above. The one they still have is actually made out of concrete. The one I'm in front of in 1974 was real. But here's the mystery....where would have a log that big come from? Not Florida. My theory is that it came from California, perhaps sort of a monument to the first Disney park there. If anyone has any info, I'd love to hear! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
h2odivers...Ray 952 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I'm in. Great pix. Love the before and after pix. Keep it coming. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dblr....Rennie 224 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I"M in also great pictures Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AC in A2......Aaron 693 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I'm in!Awesome old pic! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I'm in. Great start! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 Love the report Mike! Soup Mickey is a classic! And the WL animation on the lights is cool. But nothing tops the before and after pics. Same shirt even. Your hypothesis on the log is interesting. I hope someone comes along who knows where the original went. My first thought was the one back in the service area, but you're right it is not the same. I wonder if the original rotted like the lawnmower tree eventually did and they chucked it back in a swamp somewhere. That thing is so big I can't imagine it went far. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Classact....Mike 17 Posted December 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I should thank Dave and Gwen for both helping me figure out how to (finally) post pics - so thanks to both of you! We are headed "over the (Red) River and through the (Piney) woods to Grandmas house we go" later today, so we'll check in with you all next week. Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I should thank Dave and Gwen for both helping me figure out how to (finally) post pics - so thanks to both of you! That's what fiends are for! Merry Christmas to you too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Judy in Texas 150 Posted December 22, 2013 Report Share Posted December 22, 2013 I should thank Dave and Gwen for both helping me figure out how to (finally) post pics - so thanks to both of you! We are headed "over the (Red) River and through the (Piney) woods to Grandmas house we go" later today, so we'll check in with you all next week. Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays to all.That sounds like east Texas. Be safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mommy rainbo.....Bo 41 Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 I do love the recreated picture. Awesome move with the matching shirt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 Excellent! Your photos are great! I love the then and now comparison in front of the Reception Outpost. That big log slice has always intrigued me too. I posted some photos a while back showing it in a previous location when the check-in area was located at a different location. From what I understand, the current check in lanes and the two story building in the middle were not completed and put in action until 1974, so that log slice had just been moved to that location some time before your 1974 photo. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
momof3kids-Yvonne 596 Posted December 23, 2013 Report Share Posted December 23, 2013 I'm in too! Love the then and now picture. Looking forward to more of your report. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
disney4dan 68 Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Live it, great start Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799 Posted December 26, 2013 Report Share Posted December 26, 2013 Love that you're wearing the same shirt!!!! Awesome old pic! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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