“I can’t see through the windshield.” The GaDawgFans battle Mother Nature for a long weekend at the Fort

[lklasing 16]

Oh wow - someone else with an interesting Disney/snow/travel story!  I'm looking forward to hearing all about it!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Hey. I have reports people can read. They are conveniently located in my signature.

Oh you have already read those? The cool thing is you can read them again.

They are just as not good the second time around.

Love the Z snow pics!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I am glad we did not get that snow here.  I had to travel for work last week and I had no issues thankfully.  I'm also glad you made it to the Fort. 

 

So you didn't get snow? Jason and I were looking at a blog showing all the SEC stadiums that were covered in snow at once, and we were surprised not to see TN or Vandy. I guess that explains it. 

 

We were soooooooooooo glad to get to the Fort.

 

I was worried for you when I read about the traffic issues due to the snow.

I am glad you made it.

 

I was worried we were going to have to delay the trip. That would have meant cutting off the front with no extension. 

 

I love the snow photos!

 

That looks like so much fun.

 

Meanwhile, all around you it was wreaking havoc!

 

So, how did Sanford (I think that's your dog's name) like the snow?  That was his first time seeing it, right?

 

TCD

 

We did have fun! And yes, this was Sanford's first snow. Well, he probably saw snow before we adopted him because we got some the winter he was a puppy, but we didn't have him until he was 7 months old. Sanford kind of thinks he's a person. He loved running around crazy and playing in it at first, but then he started looking at us like we were nuts when we expected him to go outside to potty. He'd rather chill on the couch or his bed. 

 

Oh wow - someone else with an interesting Disney/snow/travel story!  I'm looking forward to hearing all about it!

 

The ride down was nerve wracking. Thanks for joining in! 

 

Hey. I have reports people can read. They are conveniently located in my signature.

Oh you have already read those? The cool thing is you can read them again.

They are just as not good the second time around.

Love the Z snow pics!

 

Excuses..... excuses.... more excuses....

 

Glad you like the pics! It's hard to believe we were sledding in the morning and at the Fort that night!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

So you didn't get snow? Jason and I were looking at a blog showing all the SEC stadiums that were covered in snow at once, and we were surprised not to see TN or Vandy. I guess that explains it. 

 

 

I can't speak for Knoxville, but I know they didn't get snow on the Vandy campus. 

[DramaMama .......... Janet 75]

Glad to hear the trip went well after all the madness.  I was worried about you guys because I had read you were headed down that day and we know what a nightmare 75 is from Atlanta to down past Cordelle on a regular basis.  We were hearing reports of sections being closed north and south of us - we live just off 475.

 

Oh yeah,

and thanks, Dave, I could have made page one.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I can't speak for Knoxville, but I know they didn't get snow on the Vandy campus. 

 

It's weird after seeing all the places around you guys that got it, but you were spared! 

 

Glad to hear the trip went well after all the madness.  I was worried about you guys because I had read you were headed down that day and we know what a nightmare 75 is from Atlanta to down past Cordelle on a regular basis.  We were hearing reports of sections being closed north and south of us - we live just off 475.

 

Oh yeah,

and thanks, Dave, I could have made page one.

 

Luckily, we were one of few driving on 75 south, and the snow stopped around 100 miles from the border (I think I remember that right!). 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Alright, when we left off, it was about 2:00 PM, and we were ready to head to the Fort. First, I have to give my husband a HUGE thank you here (and not just because I think he’s lurking along). He knew I was devastated about the possibility that we would have to cancel the trip. He really stepped up and made it happen.

 

So the southbound roads are open, and we’ve got a good bit of daylight. The plan: make it far south before the sun sets and this junk refreezes.

 

Our town didn’t look so bad.

 

 

And hey look, some of the highway is already dry!

 

 

Some cars that were abandoned in the traffic the night before. Did you hear it took some people 14+ hours to get home?!?!

 

 

More abandoned cars. I think this is Alpharetta, GA.

 

 

At some point, we had to pull over and clean the windshield because all the salt and sand build up was making it so Jason couldn’t see (not good when you’re avoiding ice patches). So that’s where the TR title started, but we had windshield problems the whole trip!

 

This next picture is Roswell, GA (Holcomb Bridge exit, I think). See that line of cars on the other side of the wall? That isn’t traffic…. It’s abandoned cars!

 

 

We made it into Atlanta! You can the windshield build up is starting again.

 

 

Atlanta was pretty scary. There was ice between lanes and under bridges. It wouldn’t have been bad if it had just been us, but stupid drivers kept slamming on their breaks going into the ice! Ack!

 

South of Atlanta we encountered a tractor trailer parade that just kept going…. For MILES! We’re guessing that these trucks had pulled over sometimes during the night and were trying to head North now.

 

 

 

The pictures can’t really show how crazy that part was.

 

At some point well before the Florida state line, the snow and ice disappeared. YAY!!! We were home free!

 

We stopped at some point for dinner, and kept on driving. A little after 10PM, we saw the sign I’d been waiting on….

 

 

Whoooooo Hoooooo!

We made it in about 8 hours. That’s not too bad considering the conditions!

 

We checked in and made our way to site 2020. Like I mentioned before, we had rented a PUP from Curt at Fort Camper Rentals, and we were surprising Z with the Star Wars theme. It was great to be able to just pull in at this late hour and not worry about setting anything up. You’ll get to see the PUP and Z’s reaction in the next update!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

What a trip down!  Glad you made it safely.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

It's so strange to see all of those abandoned cars along the interstate.  What a mess.  Glad y'all weren't on the road the night before!

 

I'll bet it was great seeing that Fort Wilderness sign!

 

TCD

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Salt on the windshield is one of the most annoying things in the world.

Sort of like people who wont start there TRs.

Or people who pretend they finished their September TR and then add their new trip to the "end" of it.

[Ok Grumpy AKA Cindy~~ 9]

Glad you made it safely! Can't wait to read more!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Did you not have windshield washer fluid to clean the windshield?  I ask not to be snotty, but because I have found out this winter that a majority of cars in the south have some crappy mixture of fluid or water that freezes when it gets really cold.  It was never a concern up north...you always kept the good stuff in your car and the reservior filled.  But I've had to drain out and replace some of our cars this winter because whatever junk was in there had frozen. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

What a trip down!  Glad you made it safely.

 

The first couple of hours were STRESSFUL! Good thing we have a strong marriage! Ha ha 

 

It's so strange to see all of those abandoned cars along the interstate.  What a mess.  Glad y'all weren't on the road the night before!

 

I'll bet it was great seeing that Fort Wilderness sign!

 

TCD

 

Seeing all the cars was surreal.

 

Best sign EVAH! 

 

Salt on the windshield is one of the most annoying things in the world.

Sort of like people who wont start there TRs.

Or people who pretend they finished their September TR and then add their new trip to the "end" of it.

 

Hmmm.... people who don't start TRs are probably the worst. Don't you think?

 

Glad you made it safely! Can't wait to read more!

 

We were glad too!!!!! Thanks for reading along. 

 

Did you not have windshield washer fluid to clean the windshield?  I ask not to be snotty, but because I have found out this winter that a majority of cars in the south have some crappy mixture of fluid or water that freezes when it gets really cold.  It was never a concern up north...you always kept the good stuff in your car and the reservior filled.  But I've had to drain out and replace some of our cars this winter because whatever junk was in there had frozen. 

 

We did have washer fluid, but for some reason, it would only come out on my side. I'm not sure if the driver's side was gunked up or what. We just couldn't get it working. It could be a mixture. It would make sense since it's not usually this cold during our winters. I never fill it. The oil change people do.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I’m not going to lie. One of the first things we did once we arrived was crack open a couple of beers and say cheers! It had been quite a day. Z saw our C3PO and R2D2 cutout and was excited to check out our “little motorhome.” We told him there were more surprises inside!

 

We went inside to check it out. Curt really does an awesome job with the theming!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let the memories begin!

 

 

Z loved his magical surprise!

 

 

A light outside

 

 

Here’s what was outside (taken the next morning)

 

 

One of the first things we did was put out our sign (also taken the next morning)

 

 

After checking things out we brought in our clothes and food, and Jason and I had a pow wow. It was raining and looked like it would be raining most of the day. We could get up and do rope drop at Epcot as planned, or we could blow off our idea to hit Test Track first thing (and it could be closed due to weather anyway) and get some extra sleep. We knew we had FP+ for Soarin and Nemo. So, we decided to sleep a bit late. Gasp. GaDawgFan, a super planner, was going to miss RD! A first for sure. I will say that this is one thing I do like about FP+.

 

We’ll head to a semi-soggy Epcot day in the next update. We hit Via Napoli for lunch and Biergarten (a place I wasn't really looking forward to) for dinner. Would the Fiend men (led by DIT) be right? Would I enjoy Biergarten more than I thought? We’ll see! 

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

Do you mind if I share your pictures of the Star Wars surprises with my cousin and friends who are huge Star Wars fans?

The look of joy on Zachary's face makes me so glad that you didn't have to cancel any part of this trip. And we haven't even gotten to his princesses yet!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Love Z's Jedi face!

[Beckers 1,136]

Awesome!!! Good Job Curt! And good job Kelly on the pics!!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

TCD's had some good cliffhangers over the years, but this one has me on edge.  Maybe because I've been called out by name!

[bord1niowa......Curt 79]

That my Fiends is why we do what we do.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Do you mind if I share your pictures of the Star Wars surprises with my cousin and friends who are huge Star Wars fans?

The look of joy on Zachary's face makes me so glad that you didn't have to cancel any part of this trip. And we haven't even gotten to his princesses yet!

 

I don't mind at all! He was so excited! And yes, princesses coming! (And Flynn Rider is coming too.)

 

By the way, something weird is happening with the multi-quote feature, but it's probably this computer, so I'm going to respond to the rest in a bit.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Love Z's Jedi face!

 

He's a ham, even late at night.

 

Awesome!!! Good Job Curt! And good job Kelly on the pics!!

 

You are right! Curt does an awesome job. Z thought it was all super cool.

 

TCD's had some good cliffhangers over the years, but this one has me on edge.  Maybe because I've been called out by name!

 

You have been called out by name. And Ray said I'd love it too. Where is he anyway? Guess we'll see! My update might be slightly delayed because I have more Epcot pictures than I thought. There will definitly be VIa Napoli pood forn in the next update though.

 

That my Fiends is why we do what we do.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

After checking things out we brought in our clothes and food, and Jason and I had a pow wow. It was raining and looked like it would be raining most of the day. We could get up and do rope drop at Epcot as planned, or we could blow off our idea to hit Test Track first thing (and it could be closed due to weather anyway) and get some extra sleep. We knew we had FP+ for Soarin and Nemo. So, we decided to sleep a bit late. Gasp. GaDawgFan, a super planner, was going to miss RD! A first for sure. I will say that this is one thing I do like about FP+.

 

 

I agree with you about this being a good feature of FP+.  It's nice to be able to get a FP without having to get to the park, walk all the way to the attraction, and then back out (especially at Soarin').   Knowing that you can just show up and ride at least three rides even on a busy day, is nice.  But that's probably the only good thing about it.

 

TCD

[BuckeyeFortMama 43]

So we decided to sleep a bit late. Gasp. GaDawgFan, a super planner, was going to miss RD! A first for sure. I will say that this is one thing I do like about FP+.

 

 

 

Ok, I took the time to officially sign in just so I could say....

 

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Back up the truck lady!

 

Miss a RD and it's a good thing??

 

What is this world coming to?

 

Is the FP+ the beginning of the end of the world as we know it?

 

BuckeyeFortFan and are bummed out over it and thinking that it might just limit the time we come because it is so darn restrictive. 

 

I have wondered your thoughts on it the whole time you were there.  I should point out here that I did a good job not nagging you while you were on vacation but you are home now, and I am desperately looking forward to hearing more of the pros and cons of the new way of vacation life. 

 

So please keep this avid reader of your trip reports in mind as you pen the next posts.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I agree with you about this being a good feature of FP+.  It's nice to be able to get a FP without having to get to the park, walk all the way to the attraction, and then back out (especially at Soarin').   Knowing that you can just show up and ride at least three rides even on a busy day, is nice.  But that's probably the only good thing about it.

 

TCD

 

I agree. Although I hate it most at the MK, and you hate it most at Epcot. They at least need to move the Norway ride to Tier 2 right? Does ANYONE pick that?

 

Ok, I took the time to officially sign in just so I could say....

 

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Back up the truck lady!

 

Miss a RD and it's a good thing? ?

 

What is this world coming to?

 

Is the FP+ the beginning of the end of the world as we know it?

 

BuckeyeFortFan and are bummed out over it and thinking that it might just limit the time we come because it is so darn restrictive. 

 

I have wondered your thoughts on it the whole time you were there.  I should point out here that I did a good job not nagging you while you were on vacation but you are home now, and I am desperately looking forward to hearing more of the pros and cons of the new way of vacation life. 

 

So please keep this avid reader of your trip reports in mind as you pen the next posts.

 

BFM!!!!! Oh how I've missed you!!! (OK missed you here; I know we touch base on FB.)

 

Here's why it was a good thing this morning.... it was pouring. Pouring. And the day before was stressful. If we had gone to RD, Jason would have been cranky all day. Instead, we could just skip TT and know that we'd be pretty much OK for the rest of the day. It took the stress off having to pull the Soarin FP at a certain time or face backtracking from the World Showcase. Honestly, if they'd give more FP+ for the MK, I'd pretty much be OK with the system. I think it's easy to make it work in the other parks. MK during peak season would be tough. It has changed the way we tour. I don't like all of it, but some of it is nice. 

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Now that I’ve shown you pictures of the pop-up we rented, it’s probably a good time to talk about our experience renting from Fort Camper Rental. We knew this experience would be more like camping than when we are in our Class C, and we actually welcomed that.

 

As a semi-OCD RV owner, my husband was a little hesitant about us having everything we would need. Let me tell you, Curt thinks of everything! We were very impressed with how everything was set up, even beyond the theming. He provided towels, extra blankets, DVDs, etc. It was perfect.

 

OK, so back to Thursday morning. We’re heading to Epcot, but not for rope drop. This was a big change since we always rope drop.

 

We decided not to follow Lou’s advice to stay off the buses since we knew we’d be having some drinks at Epcot. We drove our golf cart to the bus stop and got front row parking at the bus stop. Wow, what a change from spring break!

 

It was wet waiting for the bus. Speaking of wet, all this pictures are with my phone or waterproof Canon because Jason didn’t want to risk his new camera getting ruined. (Sorry)

 

 

After a quick bus ride, we were there!

 

I can already tell it’s not crowded.

 

 

Oh! And I have news that will be MOST exciting to the Troll and also exciting to TCD and some others. We decided to go stroller-free this day and see how it went. Stroller free and camera free meant no bag! So we breezed through that area.

 

Uh oh!

 

 

 

Those lines are not magical. What the Fort? It’s after RD. It’s a level 2-3 crowd day. We’ve barely seen any other people until now. You know what’s going on…. People can’t figure out how to get their magic bands and fingers to work. And there are problems. And the cast member puts their hand up, and the whole line waits. So the line was backed up. Magical.

 

But we finally got through.

 

And we had time to hit Sum of All Thrills before our Soarin FP+.

 

 

It’s one of my favorite things at Epcot, but Jason had never done it. He ended up loving it as well. Poor Z, my mini thrill seeker is not tall enough to ride. So we played around while we parent swapped.

 

 

 

Afterwards, we headed to Soarin. I don’t have any pictures of that, but it happened. Z LOVES Soarin. He always wants to ride again when we’re finished.

 

We had a FP+ good for Nemo in about 15 minutes, but it was a walk on, so we just went ahead and did it. Let’s face it, besides TT and Soarin, most of the FP+ are a waste. I tried to change Nemo to Turtle Talk, but that wasn’t available, only the Michael Jackson thing. No thanks. It was cool when I was a kid but not anymore.

 

Here we are at Nemo.

 

 

Here are some bad pictures of us in the aquarium.

 

 

Z was exited that the dolphin kept swimming right by him.

 

 

 

We had a lunch ADR in Italy, and the World Showcase was open, so we decided to head that way. We passed by the Character Spot and noticed that it only had a 5 minute wait, so we went in.

I didn’t have my camera out for Mickey because we were using Photopass, but I got it out after. Sorry, no Mickey photo!

 

 

I told Jason the toboggan would look weird in pictures, but he didn’t care.  

 

 

 

Chip n Dale were hanging out inside near the exit because it was raining.

 

 

After pictures, Jason and I had a mission! And it involved an adult beverage.

 

We headed towards Mexico.

 

Feels crowded.

 

 

Did you catch my Josh reference?

 

Apparently 11:45 is too early to order a margarita, so we rode the Donald boat ride. I’m not sure what the name of it is. On the way, there was a cool mariachi band, but I can’t find my picture! I’m going to add it if I can find it later.

 

Finally, it was noon. Time for….

 

 

I love this place.

 

Usually it’s hard to get a table, but not today!

 

 

Yum!

 

 

But we had to get our drinks to go because we needed to head to lunch. How is this for service, the bartender put mine in a double glass with napkin between because he knew it was cold outside.

 

 

My boys J

 

 

China!

 

 

Spontaneous drum time! I love these Disney moments.

 

 

 

I don’t think this is allowed. It’s Jason’s fault. He said there was no sign forbidding it, so it was OK.

 

 

Aren’t they cute?

 

 

 

Uh oh! I’m in trouble. It’s time to walk into lunch, but I’m about at the photo limit! (Sorry Dave!) I promise, promise, promise that the next update will have pood forn. And there’s a good chance I’ll be able to fit Via Napoli and Biergarten in one post.