TCD's Flippin' Awesome July 4 2011 Fort Trip Report!

[TnBob 311]

It's the night of July 4th.

So, we waited until midnight-ish, and then headed down to the campfire area.

We put the Flippin' Awesome in the center of the open area.

And I lit the fuse and stepped back.

I was able to take this one photo:

You can see the movie screen there in the background.

This was just a few seconds after ignition.

From here, the flames and sparks got bigger and bigger.

And we kept on backing up.

I swear, the sparks got as high as the top of the movie screen, and just as wide.

We got the heck out of there.

For all I know, that thing did shoot out flaming dolphins.

For a while, it was like daylight there at the campfire.

TCD

Well, Well, Well, so you are the ONE!

A bunch of fiends enjoyed your show, you know where my TT was parked and there were a few fiends at my site that night. We could have taken the same picture from there.

[Fortmommy 1]

Exit Hess onto Car Care Drive (I call it the back exit), turn right onto Bear Island Road, which puts you immeadiately at an intersection. Turn left onto Floridian Way, Turn right onto Seven Sea Drive (the poly will now be on your left, TTC on the left and MK parking lot on your right). At stop light, Right onto World Drive, then left onto Vista Blvd.

All that to circle the exterior MK parking lot clockwise.

IMHO, The only problem is no light when making left onto Vista Blvd.

Can't you come in through Wilderness Lodge where the bus goes? There is a place where you can swipe your KTTWC. I noticed that coming back from Downtown Disney. We just missed our bus, so we got on the Lodge bus instead of waiting. It was really hot out! When we went through the gate I saw where you could use your card to get in there.

[Fortmommy 1]

That was wicked awesome! (that's my New England side coming out)

[BouncingTiggers 98]

That was wicked awesome! (that's my New England side coming out)

Wicked awesome is the best way to put it. Up here in MA we are not allowed to play with fireworks. :popo:

[Just Whipperwhirl 24]

I love that picture of your daughter making the star with the sprkler - How did you do that?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Flippin' Awesome, Andrew. I'm glad you didn't chicken out:banana: And wasn't it fortuitous that the teen boys were there to draw suspicion away from you :rofl2:

Fireworks are illegal in Michigan also. That being said we have more impromptu illegal fireworks shows than community sponsored ones. I am not talking sparklers either. Think Roman Candles and the like.

Please make be sure you introduce me to your dd that stayed with you, I think I like this kid. I see a button pusher of epic proportions and I'd like to give her some pointers :rofl2: J/K

Yes, it was great that those teenagers were standing there just as the lifeguard pulled in to the loop. We all thought it was funny that they ran away when they hadn't even done anything. They must have had guilty consciences- they got out of there quick. It was funny.

And you got a deal. I will most definitely introduce you to my DD. She is already a button pusher of epic proportions. But those are my buttons that she pushes at the moment.

A+++++ on that installment! I laughed out loud, it was TOTALLY flippin' awesome!!

Love the pics of your DD in the middle of the road, better keep your eye on her. Not only was she breaking the law, she was having a good time doing it! ;D

Thanks, S70.

But, to be clear, no laws were broken. At least I hope not. Those fireworks sparklers were purchased from a licensed retailer.

flippin genius! :parrot:

Thank you for your support.

I loved this last installment!

Thanks. We had fun.

Darn! We went mini golfing 4th of July night and then went to bed. Had I stayed up I might have been out and about when you were setting off Flippin Awesome. Too bad.

Man, y'all were on the go! I'll tell you what, let me know the next time you're going to be at the Fort, and I'll bring another Flippin' Awesome. If you would like, you can jump over it after I light it.

Love the update! The star sparkler picture is great!

Thanks.

Agree with all these quotes.

Well Flippin Done!

Thank you too, sir.

Fiendishly Flippin' Awesome!

Love it.

Most definitely Flippin Awesome!!!! :banana:

Thank you too, ma'am

Awwww! Rocky is so cute! Boxers are high strung, I'm with you. When DH is out of town working, our boxer is on high-alert. He does not sleep well until DH comes home. That's a good thing though. He would protect me with his life.

Lovin' the Flippin Awesome firew... ummm... sparklers!

Your boxer sounds great. They are very perceptive. Rocky is a very sweet dog, but if he ever thinks someone is messing with one of the girls, he is ready to rumble.

You got it right, they were all just sparklers.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well, Well, Well, so you are the ONE!

A bunch of fiends enjoyed your show, you know where my TT was parked and there were a few fiends at my site that night. We could have taken the same picture from there.

Yep. It was me. Don't tell anyone. You were all the way across the lake and by the Meadow Trading Post. You enjoyed the show from all the way over there? Did you see any flaming dolphins?

Can't you come in through Wilderness Lodge where the bus goes? There is a place where you can swipe your KTTWC. I noticed that coming back from Downtown Disney. We just missed our bus, so we got on the Lodge bus instead of waiting. It was really hot out! When we went through the gate I saw where you could use your card to get in there.

I can't tell you how I know, but those card readers are not for FW guests. Your KTTW card will not open those gates. They are there for castmembers. And, don't think about tailing a bus through one of those gates. It won't turn out well for you. You will have to trust me on that.

That was wicked awesome! (that's my New England side coming out)

Thanks!

Wicked awesome is the best way to put it. Up here in MA we are not allowed to play with fireworks. :popo:

No fireworks? Boo!

How about sparklers?

I love that picture of your daughter making the star with the sprkler - How did you do that?

I should have credited my DD for taking that photo. She took it with her DSLR camera (did I say that right, anolefan?)

This is something that the girls do a lot of.

They call it light writing.

I think there are probably a couple of hundred light writing photos on her memory card.

I'm sorry that I can't tell you exactly how they do it- it's just a setting that they use on the camera.

TCD

[blm2003 2]

I love that picture of your daughter making the star with the sprkler - How did you do that?

Light Writing is all about shutter speed, this article does a really good job of explaining it. Light Writing How To

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We have reached July 5.

Which is the day we left.

So you may be thinking that this trip report must be nearing its end.

And, I'm sorry to tell you that if you're thinking that, you're right.

But, it's not over yet.

I still have a few more photos.

And topics to discuss.

We'll jump ahead slightly out of order to deal with what I consider to be a very negative topic, and then we will try to end this on a happy note.

I went out on patrol early Tuesday morning.

I went to the usual places you might expect.

And, I'll have some photos coming up from that.

I managed to see a few interesting things.

And I have some photos of those things for you to look at.

But, here's something that I ran across that I absolutely do not like.

It started here:

We are at the Wilderness Swimmin' Pool. AKA the Cabin Pool. It's one of the two pools at the Fort. They just got done "improving" it by filling in the deep end.

So where's the beef?

Take a look here:

There's a castmember cleaning up.

That's not bad.

Read the sign.

That's the first sign.

There's another one over here:

And there's another sign over here (also note the magnificent tile work that was included as part of the recent "improvements") :

And, in case you didn't see the first three signs, there's yet another one over here:

In case you are having math trouble today, that makes four signs posted around this dinky pool telling us dumb guests that this pool closes at dusk.

At dusk!

You may not realize it, but this is a big deal.

One of the great things about the Fort is that its pools used to be open 24/7. For the entire time that I have visited the Fort, that has been the case. It used to proudly say so in the Fort Wilderness Gazette:

Hint- if you can't find what I'm talking about, please look for the heading titled "Cool Off At

The Meadow & Wilderness Pools."

The Gazette was replaced by a folded up piece of paper called the Directory of Services in 2009.

The language about the pool hours was quietly changed to read as follows:

Hint- Look under the heading "Cool Off At the Meadow & Wilderness Pools."

Even though the pool hours purportedly changed in 2009, this was not enforced, and folks could swim at the pools whenever they liked.

Interestingly, after I saw these four signs at the cabin pool, I checked my Directory of Service which I received when I checked in for this visit. The Directory of Service still says that the pools are open from 7 am to 12 am.

So what's the deal with all the signs?

I don't know.

But, I assume that since there are four of them that they are now closing the cabin pool at dusk.

Before I became a real camper, I was a cabin person. Some of my fondest memories are going swimming with the kids at the cabin pool after a long day at the parks. And, it was definitely after dusk when we visited the pool.

This stinks.

But this is a perfect example of how things work around the Fort.

Some genius manager gets an idea on how to save a buck. And, before you know it another amenity is cut back or eliminated.

Like the second movie that they used to play on Friday and Saturday nights at the campfire.

Poof!

It just disappears.

I wouldn't put it past them to try this at the Meadow Pool next.

Boo!

TCD

[stefa70 205]

Just one more inconsistency with Fort rules! I would be willing to bet that there will be people swimming after dusk and no one will say a word. (After all, they would need someone there to patrol it all night, and we know that's not gonna happen)

We had a discussion like this about biking. I am a lethal weapon on a bicycle (you've all been warned) so I have always stayed off the sidewalks for fear of taking out a small child or Grandparent. ONCE, I was stopped by the "security" and told I needed to be on the sidewalk. I pedaled my ass back to the rv, got the rule paper (which clearly states you can ride on the roads)stuck it in my pocket and rode all over every street in Fort Wilderness, just hoping to be stopped again. Wouldn't you know it, I was never stopped again on that trip or any trip since then!

I don't mind following rules if they enforce them, but they can't even enforce the important ones!

Next trip, I'm not only swimming after dusk, I'm doing it in my B-day suit!!! >:D

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

posting photos and edit are screwing up ... again

Edited July 22, 2011 by Runner ... aka Ed

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Next trip, I'm not only swimming after dusk, I'm doing it in my B-day suit!!! >:D

I'd believe that if I didn't already know your dislike of public pools :rofl2:

Disney popo is a lot like the TSA. They only stop people who aren't breaking the rules :rofl2:

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

[stefa70 205]

I'd believe that if I didn't already know your dislike of public pools :rofl2:

That's why I'll go in my B-day suit! It will scare all of the pee-ers off! :hah:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Just one more inconsistency with Fort rules! I would be willing to bet that there will be people swimming after dusk and no one will say a word. (After all, they would need someone there to patrol it all night, and we know that's not gonna happen)

We had a discussion like this about biking. I am a lethal weapon on a bicycle (you've all been warned) so I have always stayed off the sidewalks for fear of taking out a small child or Grandparent. ONCE, I was stopped by the "security" and told I needed to be on the sidewalk. I pedaled my ass back to the rv, got the rule paper (which clearly states you can ride on the roads)stuck it in my pocket and rode all over every street in Fort Wilderness, just hoping to be stopped again. Wouldn't you know it, I was never stopped again on that trip or any trip since then!

I don't mind following rules if they enforce them, but they can't even enforce the important ones!

Next trip, I'm not only swimming after dusk, I'm doing it in my B-day suit!!! :D

Interesting story about the bikes. If they were really interested in safety, they would put bike lanes along the main roads, and they would do something to fix the dangerous mess at the three way stop. Instead we just get the bumbling rangers who inconsistently make up things that they want guests to do and not do.

I know when your next trip is.

I'm going to head over to AKL and borrow some of their night vision goggles.

Disney popo is a lot like the TSA. They only stop people who aren't breaking the rules :rofl2:

You hit the nail right on the head there, Doodle!

That's why I'll go in my B-day suit! It will scare all of the pee-ers off! :hah:

LOL!

TCD

[TnBob 311]

Yep. It was me. Don't tell anyone. You were all the way across the lake and by the Meadow Trading Post. You enjoyed the show from all the way over there? Did you see any flaming dolphins?

TCD

I don't remember seeing dolphins flying out but we were waiting for the whole campfire area to light on fire, that thing was big, loud and bright!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Well boys and girls, we have reached that point.

This is it.

The last of the photos.

We all knew that we would get here eventually.

But it seems just as we were starting to have fun, the party is over.

Don't worry.

There will be other trip reports.

And there are some good ones still cranking right now.

Read them.

And before you know it, there will be another TCD report.

So, let's wrap this one up.

The morning of the 5th began as usual.

Up before the sun.

Heading down to the Settlement.

Yada. Yada.

The weather was spectacular again in the morning.

S70's non-rain dance had worked perfectly for the days we visited the Fort.

I am still surprised that we had not a single drop of rain during the time we visited.

Not a single drop.

It rained like heck the day before we arrived.

Right Devores?

And after too.

But not a drop during our visit.

I appreciated that.

Anyway, you could probably write this part of the report yourself.

Down to the Settlement via the 300 loop.

But first, there were a few photos I needed to take.

Of this site:

I had noticed something at this site the night before.

I first noticed these folks because they had an Inferno.

We looked at one of those at an RV show a couple of years ago.

That is a really sweet 5th wheel!

It is a toy hauler, and it also has a loft. It would be fun to camp in one of those.

But, what also caught my eye at this site was the thing hanging there from the awning that looks like an octopus.

This thing:

That's a Bong-zilla.

You know, a beer bong?

You pour beer in that funnel and then everybody takes a drink.

I never have seen one of these in actual use.

I wish I had been camping next to these folks.

The 300 loop exit was coned and taped off. I didn't feel like being the one to throw the cone in the canal today, so I parked my cart, and walked back to my favorite spot on foot.

Here we are:

I don't know what I find so fascinating about watching an empty resort boat approach the Fort dock early in the morning, but it's something that I never tire of watching.

I also like it when I see the big MK ferry boat heading out in the morning:

That anamatronic heron that has been here on my last few visits must have been in the shop:

Here's a last look at Space Mountain and the castle until our next visit:

As I headed back to the 300 loop, I saw two deer grazing all the way down at the far end of the canal. You can see them off to the right of the canal toward the far back of this photo:

In case you think I was joshing about obeying the rules this morning, here's my cart, just where I left it:

I'm sure someone came along shortly after that and re-opened the access.

I headed down to Trail's End for some coffee.

I snapped this photo of a tree that took a good whack in the golf cart parking area:

I guess someone hit it with a golf cart. The missing bark was right there on the ground. I wish I could have seen the cart.

Right after taking that shot, I took this one:

Do you see that coned shape green thing there in the middle of the photo? That's the old windmill down by Tri-Circle-D farm. I never noticed that you could see it from the golf cart parking area before. Here's another shot of it for good measure:

I already posted the photos from the cabin pool, but that's where I visited next.

I didn't post this photo, which is a close up of one of the signs there at the pool:

There's that Hidden Mickey which I had never noticed before. Now that I finally spotted it, it jumps out at me every time.

Weird.

After checking out the cabin loops, it was time for one more cup of coffee before heading back to get packed up.

Here we are at another of my favorite places- behind the Meadow Trading Post:

Somebody had carried a rocking chair down to the dock:

That's using the old noodle.

It looks like TnBob slept in again this morning- the dock is empty:

Here's the sun shining through a sycamore tree:

Here's a couple of shots from up on the porch, looking out across the lake:

I am not a big fan of the new sites on the 600 loop, but I do think it would be cool to have one of the lake front sites, or one of these sites that back up to the Trading Post:

That's TnBob's site, by the way.

I took this shot from the front corner of the Trading Post's porch:

I like how nice and green everything looks on this bright and sunny Summer morning. I'm going to remember to take that same shot during Winter, and then compare the two photos. That will be an interesting contrast.

After this, it was back to the site to get packing.

That's the last photo I took.

The party is over.

It was a great trip.

And, I am finally caught up with my trip reports.

I have been an official member here since May 5, 2011. That's 78 days. And seven trip reports.

I am not sure when my next visit to the Fort will be.

I am hoping to get a trip in before the girls go back to school.

But, it's not looking good at the moment.

If we miss that, then football season starts.

And that will make a Fort visit hard.

Don't worry, though, I'll be back.

Until then . . .

TCD is out.

[ajcjmom 8]

Great report! I always enjoy reading along, hijacks and all!

[BouncingTiggers 98]

No fireworks? Boo!

How about sparklers?

Nope no sparklers either. I'm surprised they still allow lighters.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

I really enjoyed this trip report. I hope that you are planning a visit for Halloween :banana: I want you to notice that I kept my word and didn't hijack the rest of you TR. Till next time

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

Well, I've been out a bit and finally got back to a realy computer and real internet. Great report!!! Can't WAIT till Halloween when we get to stay at the Fort!!

[thecplusplusguy 7]

Wicked awesome is the best way to put it. Up here in MA we are not allowed to play with fireworks. :popo:

Sure you can just go to a local police officer's BBQ on the 4th. They have all the fireworks that were confiscated. :siren: You don't think all the police guys through that stuff out do you?

Dan

[stefa70 205]

Sorry, but I can't help but be a little upset that it's over. It's been a great ride....all 7 of them!

[Lil Lisa 53]

The party is over.

It was a great trip.

And, I am finally caught up with my trip reports.

I have been an official member here since May 5, 2011. That's 78 days. And seven trip reports.

I am not sure when my next visit to the Fort will be.

I am hoping to get a trip in before the girls go back to school.

But, it's not looking good at the moment.

If we miss that, then football season starts.

And that will make a Fort visit hard.

Don't worry, though, I'll be back.

Until then . . .

TCD is out.

Awwww!! I hate it when your trip reports come to an end. We had become quite spoiled too since you did so many in a row. I'll be waiting patiently for the next one. If you are there around labor day, be sure to look me up! I'd love to meet the legendary TCD.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great report! I always enjoy reading along, hijacks and all!

Thanks. I am glad that you enjoyed it. I enjoy the hijacks, too. But sometimes I get a little worried that they will never end.

Nope no sparklers either. I'm surprised they still allow lighters.

Wow. You would be in a real culture shock around the 4th of July in Florida.

I really enjoyed this trip report. I hope that you are planning a visit for Halloween :banana: I want you to notice that I kept my word and didn't hijack the rest of you TR. Till next time

I don't care about what others say, you are a Doodle of your word.

I hope that I can be at the Fort this year for Halloween, too.

I've been there for the last three.

It all depends on how the DD's are doing in school.

Well, I've been out a bit and finally got back to a realy computer and real internet. Great report!!! Can't WAIT till Halloween when we get to stay at the Fort!!

Thanks, Carol.

I'm glad you liked it.

I hope you don't miss another 4th.

Sure you can just go to a local police officer's BBQ on the 4th. They have all the fireworks that were confiscated. :siren: You don't think all the police guys through that stuff out do you?

Dan

That's something I would like to see!

Sorry, but I can't help but be a little upset that it's over. It's been a great ride....all 7 of them!

Thanks, S70.

I'm sad this one is over too.

But there will be more!

Awwww!! I hate it when your trip reports come to an end. We had become quite spoiled too since you did so many in a row. I'll be waiting patiently for the next one. If you are there around labor day, be sure to look me up! I'd love to meet the legendary TCD.

Thanks, LL.

If you will PM me your exact dates, I will see what I can do.

I'd love to meet you too. And, I especially would love to meet Bruce!

TCD