Renovations Coming to Fort Wilderness - 2100 Loop

[parrothead7368 aka Norm 101]

57 minutes ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

Which is less expensive/less labor.... just pouring concrete to make them premium size, or pouring concrete to full hookup size, and setting border beams and filling a coquina pad.

 

Labor would probably be about the same, but materials would be more if they were Premiums I would think. Also they would have to take some trees down I would think to make the widths work for that tier site.

Best Regard,

Norm

 

[articfox676 11]

Just read on All Ears 2100 loop closed through July 2016.  SHould we assume it will reopen in August?

 

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

Just read on All Ears 2100 loop closed through July 2016.  SHould we assume it will reopen in August?

 

With Disney you never know. I would assume it will be open by Halloween weekend when they are normally full and definitely for thanksgiving and Christmas.

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[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

12 hours ago, articfox676 said:

Just read on All Ears 2100 loop closed through July 2016.  SHould we assume it will reopen in August?

 

5 minutes ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

With Disney you never know. I would assume it will be open by Halloween weekend when they are normally full and definitely for thanksgiving and Christmas.

I agree- there's no way to be sure.

Having paid close attention back in the time that they created all the premium loops, they certainly could get all of the work done much sooner than the end of July, but they may choose to delay the completion of the work or the opening of the loop to a later date for other reasons.

Personally, I would expect it to be open before August.  But, there's no way to know for sure.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'm just back from a long weekend at the Fort, and couldn't help but notice that the constructions workers on the 2100 loop enjoyed a nice weekend off.

My trip report will provide the details of how I ended up taking a stroll around the 2100 loop one morning.

It's interesting to see what is going on there, so I thought I'd share.

Here's a look at one of the sites from the back- we can see the concrete forms and rebar in place ready for the cement mixer.  Also note that there are a bunch of 6x6x12 landscape timbers stacked on the site, and an abandoned post hole digger and shovel.  It looks like the workers skedaddled at 5 pm on Friday, and just left everything where it was:

Here we can see what they were doing with that post hole digger, but I wasn't sure why all the holes were dug.  Also, note that the forms and rebar are laid out to just slightly expand the slab:

Here we are at an adjacent site and you can see how this slab has just been slightly widened.  Also note that there is a new, metal, electric box installed at this site (and there was one at the other site we just looked at). Also note that there is conduit coming out of the ground by the box.  And look at how this site has the layout of a bump-out for what I presume will be the picnic table and grill:

Here, we can see the new electric box plus conduit coming out of the ground, and the old fake tree stump where the electric used to be located:

Here, we can see that there is a copper pipe coming out of the ground- which suggests that the water connections will be moved from the concrete stump to back here by the new electric boxes:

This is an old sewer connection and note that there has been a lot of digging by the old fake stump:

With the installation of the new electric boxes and the other conduit that has been installed, it seems pretty obvious that the old concrete stumps are going to get yanked, but they haven't been yet.

Here's another site-this one also has new landscape timbers installed with a bump out on the side:

Here's another stack of the timbers ready to go:

In case you're wondering what they're using:

Note that the uncut timbers are 12' long.  As we look at these photos, you can see that the slabs for these sites are only being made about 12' wide.

There's no question that these new sites are going to be laid out differently from the current Premium, Preferred and Full sites.  None of those have the bump-out for the picnic table and grill. This design is used in the 2000 loop, but the slabs on those sites are much smaller than these, and these new sites look like they will not have a tent pad on the back.  Are we possibly seeing what will be a fifth level of campsite?  These are all being laid out the same way:

Here's another 12' wide site with a bump-out, and no tent pad in back.  That's the 1100 loop on the other side of the fence:

Hey-now we know what that post hole digger was for!:

Another site- same new layout:

The landscape timbers are adding some space to the back of the sites- but not much:

They are adding some small additional pavement at the beginning of the sites to help with RV backing:

Here's another site where you can see that they are just slightly expanding on either side of the existing slab:

Here at this site, we can see stakes and strings forming the outline of where new landscape timbers will be installed:

Another site with the now familiar layout and new electric box in back:

In case I haven't made my point- these new sites are all being laid out the same way:

This looks like a new sewer connection, but it could be the old one:

More new timbers-note how these are doubled up.  I am thinking that they will be leveling this with coquina:

Another copper pipe sticking up out of the ground- all of the sites had these near the electric boxes at the back of the site:

I am not sure what's going on here, and all of the sites had something similar going on- we can see the new electric box, but there's conduit coming out of the ground there to the side. Why?:

These posts are waiting for that dude with the post hole digger:

Here's another site where we can see that not much length is being added, and the timbers are not being placed very far off the back of the slabs:

I think all the digging around the old fake stumps was to get to the old electric connections below, and that they are connecting to these and running new lines out to the back of the sites:

I opened up one of the new electric boxes to see what was going on there- I can confirm that they are brand new.  Regrettably, this blurry photo is the only one I have of the connections in the box.  Sorry:

Here's a shot of the general scene around the loop- there's still a lot of work to be done:

I thought that this was a new water valve on this stump, but looking at the photo, it clearly isn't new.  It doesn't look like there has been any work done on the stumps, and with the new electric boxes and copper water line stubs at the back of each site, it seems pretty clear that these stumps aren't going to be used for anything anymore:

One last shot showing a new electric box and a copper pipe stubbed out at the base:

I left the Fort yesterday morning, and saw a big semi trailer full of landscape timbers making a delivery to the 2100 loop.

So now you now where things stand at present.

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Great reporting as usual, TCD.  Thanks for the updates!!

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

Thanks for the updated pics.
I'm curious to see how these sites look when completed, especially with the addition of the "bump out" for the picnic table.

[DaddysCoolTV 4]

I'm thinking about the copper pipe... Being that close to the electrical box and being that small of a diameter I don't think it's a water line.  I'm thinking it's either a ground for the entire electrical box or maybe conduit for cable tv line..  

[keith_h 420]

Nice set of photos. I guess they are intending for these to be primarily used by RV's since I see no coquina tent pad. While there isn't much foliage between sites from the pictures they appear to have decent space between them. It will be interesting to see what level site these end up being.

[parrothead7368 aka Norm 101]

I'm still thinking they will be considered a Full site, just a different looking full site. How many tents are on the fulls compared to RV's? They may just be taking the pad away, and using the bump out so you can still stake down an easy up or screen tent.

Best Regards,

Norm

[DaveInTN 3,247]

2 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

 

 

How would you like to be the poor SOB whose awning and EZ up are just beyond that green fence?  That's fantastic.  

[BayLake Campers 83]

The copper pipe at the electrical box is a ground rod. All breaker boxes have one next to them by code.

Kinda looks like they are going to leave the concrete stumps for the water connection and just disconnect the power in them like they did in the other loops

because the amount of damage that will be caused when the remove them would have (should have) been done before the electrical connections were made.

[BayLake Campers 83]

Here is a kinda comparison between the 500 loop and the new 2100 loop pads.

Both are 12' wide, but unless they add some length to the pads in the 2100 loop the sites will be on the shorter side.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

3 hours ago, DaddysCoolTV said:

I'm thinking about the copper pipe... Being that close to the electrical box and being that small of a diameter I don't think it's a water line.  I'm thinking it's either a ground for the entire electrical box or maybe conduit for cable tv line..  

Good points.  I really didn't think it made sense for a water pipe to be that close to the electric box, but they did have it all combined on the fake stumps.  I think that Bay Lake Campers/Warren figured it out though.

3 hours ago, parrothead7368 aka Norm said:

I'm still thinking they will be considered a Full site, just a different looking full site. How many tents are on the fulls compared to RV's? They may just be taking the pad away, and using the bump out so you can still stake down an easy up or screen tent.

Best Regards,

Norm

Good points.  The only reason I question them designating this as a full hook-up loop is that they could get away with charging a bit more here because or the location and layout of the loop.

2 hours ago, DaveInTN said:

How would you like to be the poor SOB whose awning and EZ up are just beyond that green fence?  That's fantastic.  

True.

Since this was Memorial Day weekend, the workers knocked off on Friday afternoon and weren't back until Tuesday morning.  By the time Tuesday rolled around, most of those sites on 1100 were empty.  I have to believe that the few campers that were left with the sites backing up to the construction chose to be there, since there were plenty of open sites elsewhere in the Fort.

2 hours ago, BayLake Campers said:

The copper pipe at the electrical box is a ground rod. All breaker boxes have one next to them by code.

Kinda looks like they are going to leave the concrete stumps for the water connection and just disconnect the power in them like they did in the other loops

because the amount of damage that will be caused when the remove them would have (should have) been done before the electrical connections were made.

Thanks, Warren.  That makes a lot more sense than the new copper pipes being water lines.  And, you're right about the water being left on the stumps- that is what they did on some of the other loops.  But there are loops where the stumps did get yanked- like 1400.

I tend to agree with you that if the stumps were going to be yanked here, they would have done that already.  But, there really isn't a good reason to leave them in place.

53 minutes ago, BayLake Campers said:

Here is a kinda comparison between the 500 loop and the new 2100 loop pads.

Both are 12' wide, but unless they add some length to the pads in the 2100 loop the sites will be on the shorter side.

I think all of the sites on 500 were considerably widened when they converted them to premium.

The super-secret notebook they keep at the front desk shows every site on 500 as 18' wide.

TCD

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

Thanks to TCD for the tour and everyone else for their knowledge also.  Going to be interesting to see what level of pricing the 2100 lope turns out to be.

[articfox676 11]

Maybe there is a chance of a new price loop?  What are the chances it would be higher???

[parrothead7368 aka Norm 101]

TCD,

I think you need to start putting watermarks on your pics. I think someone copied yours and zoomed in on one of your pics and claimed it as their own on another site. It's possible its not yours, but the odds.....

Best Regards,

Norm

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

51 minutes ago, parrothead7368 aka Norm said:

TCD,

I think you need to start putting watermarks on your pics. I think someone copied yours and zoomed in on one of your pics and claimed it as their own on another site. It's possible its not yours, but the odds.....

Best Regards,

Norm

LOL.  That won't be the first time.

Or the last.

If you're talking about the site that I think you are, it wouldn't surprise me in the least.

What a bunch of losers.  They have to swipe stuff from here, or else they wouldn't have anything to talk about.

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

2 hours ago, parrothead7368 aka Norm said:

TCD,

I think you need to start putting watermarks on your pics. I think someone copied yours and zoomed in on one of your pics and claimed it as their own on another site. It's possible its not yours, but the odds.....

Best Regards,

Norm

There's a shocker (not).  As TCD said, it wouldn't be the first time.

Since the perpetrators are probably reading along...

Hi there!!  We're so glad you find this site such a great source of information. We certainly appreciate TCD and all the terrific Fiends that take their time and energy to track down and share all this awesome stuff with us.

And while we absolutely encourage you to share it with the great wide world, it's pretty shady and lame not to credit the source.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

6 hours ago, parrothead7368 aka Norm said:

TCD,

I think you need to start putting watermarks on your pics. I think someone copied yours and zoomed in on one of your pics and claimed it as their own on another site. It's possible its not yours, but the odds.....

My curiosity got the best of me, so I tracked down the post you're referring to, Norm.

There is no doubt in my mind that is my photo.  I was there early in the morning and the lighting and shadows are identical in both photos, and out of all the sites in that loop, what are the odds that this lady's "sister" took the exact same photo from the exact same angle of the exact same campsite? Plus all of the narrative that poster provided is a summary of my thoughts and observations.  Total thievery I tell you.  For shame!

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

2 minutes ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

... the lighting and shadows are identical in both photos, and out of all the sites in that loop, what are the odds that this lady's "sister" took the exact same photo from the exact same angle of the exact same campsite.  Plus all of the narrative that poster provided is a summary of my thoughts and observations.  Total thievery I tell you.  For shame!

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

29 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

  I really miss the great selection of emoties (or whatever they are called) we had before the up grade.

[Travisma 1,317]

That's just sad.

 

At least if I pass on info I saw on another site, I say where it came from or let everyone know I wasn't the author.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Perhaps they got confused and thought Delsa took the picture.

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[DinDavie 37]

My DW was on the phone with Disney today asking about making a reservation in the new loop for October of 2017.  She was advised that they are taking reservations and there will be two new loops but the reservations desk had not been advised yet about the type of site and the facilities or equipment provided at this time.  Although these new loops may add to the available inventory of available sites, I'm not sure how they will be an improvement over my favorites sites closer to the outposts and pool.