Down by the Riverside (and Fort): A TCD End of Summer Trip Report

[lklasing 16]

You don't show up until page 9?

Boy, you are slipping!

That's great news about your planned cruise!

I'm sure your gang will love it!

So what changed? I remember a comment from you a while back that your DH would never go for a cruise.

As for POR, read on. There's a lot more info to come.

Wow - You're even better than I thought you were. I can't believe you remember that. Yes, I finally sold him on a cruise, but that's a another story for another trip report. For now, I'm enjoying yours. :suspense: (Just forgive me for my sporadic attendance - this cruise thing takes a lot of planning time!)

[Sunset Lady 6]

TCD great pictures! All of my pictures from the Downtown Disney boat seem to have those dark clouds in them too. Just about everytime we rode the boat a storm came in. The boat ride is a nice plus to POR. We also rode it when it was dark and that was pretty cool as well.

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

Oy!

I don't understand the distinction between a DM and a HM.

Aren't all HM's DM's?

TCD

Most "Hidden Mickeys" are actually "Deliberate Mickeys", if you submit one, please specify which one you think they are.

Below is Disney's, not mine, description of both. Please do not research it on the web. I'd like it to be Mickeys that you've discovered or seen. If you can, include a little blurb.

Don't bother with the Deliberate Mickeys at the Fort, the Tri-Circle D Ranch signs and gates, the Hollywood Studios Mickey because it's really no longer recognizable due to the changes, or the largest Mickey, at the WDW Speedway.

I have the official WDW verified lists. The keyword is verified as Disney has not kept track of all of the Hidden Mickeys.

Keep in mind that they have to be designed by Disney and be on WDW property. The forest with the trees in the shape of Mickey would not qualify.

Hidden Mickey Description

A"Hidden Mickey" is an image of MICKEY MOUSE concealed in the design of a WALT DISNEY WORLD attraction or resort.

Deliberate Mickey Description

A Deliberate Mickey is where MICKEY MOUSE's image has been incorporated into a design as a decorative enhancement. They are"Deliberate Mickeys" because they are specifically intended to make MICKEY MOUSE a visual addition to the surrounding artwork or as an identifying logo.

Since there are multiple Mickeys incorporated into the railing and they aren't concealed in some fashion, they definitely fall into Disney's definition of Deliberate Mickey ...

[dblr....Rennie 224]

As always a wonderful trip report, now we have something new to see on a future visit. It seems to me that a trip to POR to spend a relaxed afternoon would be nice to do plus plan it to watch the singer with a snack or meal. The treehouses rent thru DVC as a 2 bedroom unit value but are really 3 bedrrom units, they are in high demand but they are far from the main activity area of hte Sarotga Springs resort. We are DVC members also and hope to try them sometime for a change from the normal units offered.

[Sunset Lady 6]

Most "Hidden Mickeys" are actually "Deliberate Mickeys", if you submit one, please specify which one you think they are.

Below is Disney's, not mine, description of both. Please do not research it on the web. I'd like it to be Mickeys that you've discovered or seen. If you can, include a little blurb.

Don't bother with the Deliberate Mickeys at the Fort, the Tri-Circle D Ranch signs and gates, the Hollywood Studios Mickey because it's really no longer recognizable due to the changes, or the largest Mickey, at the WDW Speedway.

I have the official WDW verified lists. The keyword is verified as Disney has not kept track of all of the Hidden Mickeys.

Keep in mind that they have to be designed by Disney and be on WDW property. The forest with the trees in the shape of Mickey would not qualify.

Hidden Mickey Description

A"Hidden Mickey" is an image of MICKEY MOUSE concealed in the design of a WALT DISNEY WORLD attraction or resort.

Deliberate Mickey Description

A Deliberate Mickey is where MICKEY MOUSE's image has been incorporated into a design as a decorative enhancement. They are"Deliberate Mickeys" because they are specifically intended to make MICKEY MOUSE a visual addition to the surrounding artwork or as an identifying logo.

]

Since there are multiple Mickeys incorporated into the railing and they aren't concealed in some fashion, they definitely fall into Disney's definition of Deliberate Mickey ...

Thanks for the information. I learn something new everyday!

[TheLug 10]

The geese will always prevail!!!

[LONE-STAR 370]

We always take our truck everywhere we go in Disney except MK we take the boat. I can't stand getting stuck on the bus. But the boat ride did look nice.

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

OK, the history of the treehouses. Originally they were part of the Villas at Lake Buena Vista, which then became the Villas of the Disney Institute, you know the ones they tore down to build Saratoga springs. They didn't tear down the original treehouses and they were empty for awhile, then they used them to house CMs from the International Exchange program.

The problem was, they were too dated for guest use and there was some exterior damage to them from the Hurricanes. There were also ADA issues. They didn't want to tear them down cause there was a wetland issue. They wouldn't be able to build in that area if they razed the area. They had to figure out a way to update them without changing the footprint and also to meet ADA regulations.

They finally figured out a way to solve all of those problems. The foundations are the same and the center support is the same (if not smaller). They pulled the tops of the previous treehouses down and placed these new treehouses there as modular units. No impact to the wetland with just the modular units brought in. The footprint is lessened and the new ones now meet ADA regulations. They are DVC units as part of Saratoga Springs and there is a pool back there.

You can walk to Saratoga Springs or Downtown Disney, or take the bus, or take the boat. I think you can also walk to Old Key West.

Great post Carol!

I was going to post that info but you got it exactly as I know it. I saw the old tree houses a long time ago when they still had international cast members in them and I did some research on them then. I also remember when they permitted and installed the new ones, I have to hand it to Disney, the way they handled it was pretty smart. Leaving the old ones to not lose their footprint then installing a slightly smaller one to get around environmental permitting, genius. If I remember right the pictures of them installing the new modular units was pretty cool too.

Great trip report TCD, I've stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter and I like them both!

I have to agree too, I always chose the value resorts before, but when you upgrade to a moderate and then a deluxe you can absolutely see the difference! I feel like there is a ton of little differences that make the moderate resorts so much better than a value (as long as they keep the price reasonable)!

We're staying at Riverside pretty soon for a couple nights. We're hoping for the Magnolia side since we've never stayed over there.

WBI

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Thank you for the pics of POR and especially Boatwright's. Our son was married 7 years ago yesterday at Sunset Pointe. We had the rehearsal dinner at Boatwright's. Your post brought back a lot of memories!

Well, tell your son Happy Anniversary! I didn't know that they used Boatwrights for special occasions like wedding receptions. Is there a special section or separate room that they use for this? Or, were you seated with the regular guests?

OK, the history of the treehouses. Originally they were part of the Villas at Lake Buena Vista, which then became the Villas of the Disney Institute, you know the ones they tore down to build Saratoga springs. They didn't tear down the original treehouses and they were empty for awhile, then they used them to house CMs from the International Exchange program.

The problem was, they were too dated for guest use and there was some exterior damage to them from the Hurricanes. There were also ADA issues. They didn't want to tear them down cause there was a wetland issue. They wouldn't be able to build in that area if they razed the area. They had to figure out a way to update them without changing the footprint and also to meet ADA regulations.

They finally figured out a way to solve all of those problems. The foundations are the same and the center support is the same (if not smaller). They pulled the tops of the previous treehouses down and placed these new treehouses there as modular units. No impact to the wetland with just the modular units brought in. The footprint is lessened and the new ones now meet ADA regulations. They are DVC units as part of Saratoga Springs and there is a pool back there.

You can walk to Saratoga Springs or Downtown Disney, or take the bus, or take the boat. I think you can also walk to Old Key West.

Carol-

Thanks for the information!

I have heard bits and pieces of this, but you did a great job summarizing it.

I wonder if you can walk to OKW from the Treehouses/Saratoga Springs? It seems like OKW is on the other side of the canal from the Treehouses. However, I know that there are bridges over the canal. I remember staying at Saratoga Springs and jogging through Downtown Disney before it opened one morning. I ran through the marketplace, then Pleasure Island, and then the West Side, and then back to Saratoga Springs in a big circle. I can't remember how I crossed the water, but I know I didn't swim, so that might be the way that you can walk to OKW. This is something I will have to check out on a future visit. I want to check out the treehouse area, and then I will see if I can get to OKW from there.

Great information! As Always! I'm really enjoying the TR.

Thanks TCD

Thank you for reading along and commenting.

I enjoy it when people let me know that they're reading along.

And who doesn't like a compliment?

As stated earlier, it's nice to see so many things to do at POR. I keep asking myself why the fort does not rent surrey bikes. Do they think it's going to infringe on their golf cart rentals. I don't know the price of a surrey rental, it may not be worth it compared to a golf cart, but I would think people would enjoy renting one at least to do some looping at the fort. I remeber looking at a Disney add for the tree houses way back in the day. I know my parents said back then that they were expensive. I agree I wish with money the mouse makes, they could keep things nicer at other places including the fort

The cost of the surrey rentals is on this sign:

So it's $20 for 30 minutes on a 2 seater, and $22 for 30 minutes on a 4 seater.

I think they could make money renting these at the Fort.

But, it seems like the place where they rent these (Boardwalk area, Wilderness Lodge, Port Orleans) the surreys are not going to encounter motor vehicle traffic. I don't think it would be a safe situation to have these cruising around the Fort.

I've been busy the past couple of weeks with school starting back up and getting the house organized. You'd think I'd have a lot of time to read the board since both kids are at school but I've spent my days cleaning out closets and rooms. I've missed out on so much around here. But I just spent the past hour catching up on this report. :) I'll have to catch up on the others later because my eyes are tired.

I've enjoyed this report. We didn't get a chance to visit the other resorts (besides the Contemporary when we got on the monorail) so it's nice to see at least one of the resorts in pictures. :)

Thanks for checking in!

I know how hectic it can be getting ready for back to school.

The next time you visit WDW, you should plan to visit a resort or two. We are big park hoppers, and we find that a fun thing to do when leaving one park is to go to a resort for a meal, and then use Disney transportation to hop to our next destination. The restaurants at the resorts are less crowded than those at the parks, and there are a lot more choices than you typically find at the quick serve places in the parks.

I didn't know there was a Deliberate Mickey Judge, but I will accept the ruling, and I will add another picture to the case file.

Would we call this an Undeliberate Hidden Mickey?::rofl2:

PS : I did not make this Mickey, just happened to see it when I sat down at the Dole Whip place.

I would say that's a pretty cool Hidden Mickey. But, I'm sure the HM judge would beg to differ.

Wow - You're even better than I thought you were. I can't believe you remember that. Yes, I finally sold him on a cruise, but that's a another story for another trip report. For now, I'm enjoying yours. :suspense: (Just forgive me for my sporadic attendance - this cruise thing takes a lot of planning time!)

Not a problem.

There are a lot of details to attend to when planning a cruise, so I'll forgive your sporadic attendance.

Your ticker says you have a Fort visit planned for the Spring. Is the cruise replacing that?

Since there are multiple Mickeys incorporated into the railing and they aren't concealed in some fashion, they definitely fall into Disney's definition of Deliberate Mickey ...

If there is really an official definition of a Deliberate Mickey, than I would agree. But, I have yet to see a photo of what would be classified as a Hidden Mickey using the definitions provided by Lou.

As always a wonderful trip report, now we have something new to see on a future visit. It seems to me that a trip to POR to spend a relaxed afternoon would be nice to do plus plan it to watch the singer with a snack or meal. The treehouses rent thru DVC as a 2 bedroom unit value but are really 3 bedrrom units, they are in high demand but they are far from the main activity area of hte Sarotga Springs resort. We are DVC members also and hope to try them sometime for a change from the normal units offered.

Well, if you ever do stay in one of the treehouses, you should have a cocktail party one afternoon and invite all of the Fiends.

The geese will always prevail!!!

OK Lug, I have spent more time than I care to admit trying to figure this out.

WTF?

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

We always take our truck everywhere we go in Disney except MK we take the boat. I can't stand getting stuck on the bus. But the boat ride did look nice.

If you ever stay at Port Orleans and want to visit Downtown Disney, then the boat is the way to go. It's nice not having to find a parking place, plus, you are dropped off right at the Marketplace area, which is sometimes hard to park near. The only problem I see is that the boats are suspended during storms, and that means that the boats probably are suspended often.

We're staying at Riverside pretty soon for a couple nights. We're hoping for the Magnolia side since we've never stayed over there.

WBI

Great!

Don't forget your trip report!

TCD

[Momof6....aka Marty 769]

I have the morning off from school (my dh took to the boys out to do yard work for a customer), so I am catching up on my TR reading.

Good job, as always, TCD!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I have the morning off from school (my dh took to the boys out to do yard work for a customer), so I am catching up on my TR reading.

Good job, as always, TCD!

Thanks-

And just for you, I have an extra-long installment coming right up!

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Our little boat ride to Downtown Disney had eaten up most of our Saturday afternoon.

The good news was that the storm had come and gone by the time we arrived back to POR. The sky was now clear, and it didn’t look like any more rain was on the way.

As already mentioned, we planned to eat dinner at the POR food court and then head over to the MK. So, we headed down to the food court. Much like at the value resorts, there are several stations from which you can choose entrees at the POR food court. One DD went to the make your own pasta station, the other DD and I had eyed a station that was only open in the evening. They advertised hand-carved roast beef or turkey. The make your own past station involved choosing a type of pasta, sauce, and ingredients. A chef then prepared the dish for you. My DD ordered penne pasta with an alfredo sauce along with shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and a few other ingredients. She loved it, and we all tasted it too. It was good. The other DD and I went for the turkey. It was hand-carved, as advertised, and came with two sides. We both got mashed potatoes and green beans. This was also good. These meals all tasted fresh, and nobody was eating French fries, so that counted as being healthy, too.

During our meal, we discussed the issue of how we would get to the MK that evening. We had already had a long bus ride today, and the bus ride back from the MK the previous evening was pretty crowded and unpleasant. But, the MK is not easy to drive to. One twin wanted us to drive and park at the Polynesian, and use the monorail from there. The other thought that was a bad idea, as the bus would be quicker than that, and the monorails can get crowded too. I sided with the second twin. She was the one who didn’t want to go to Downtown Disney, and I didn’t want to hear it if there was any problem with the Polynesian/monorail plan, so I went with the bus.

Just like on Friday evening, we arrived at the POR bus station just as the MK bus was pulling away. Dang it! But, something different happened this time. The bus driver saw us walking up, and he stopped and let us on the bus. Score! That was really nice of him. Particularly because the bus was already pretty full. He asked everybody to step back, and we were able to squeeze right in the front. That was good, because it meant that we would be the first off the bus when we got to the MK. And added bonus is that we got a great view of where we were going right through the windshield:

The new WDW kennel is right across from POR, and we drove right past it:

You see that little folded up piece of paper there in front of the driver? I zoomed in on it to see if I could read what it says, but I can’t make any of the text out. Lou, if you are reading along, what is that? It looks like a schedule to me, but I thought the bus drivers don’t have set routes any longer- they get assigned a route each time they arrive at a destination. What is this then?

Here’s our driver checking out the new kennel:

We stopped at the stop light in front of the Golden Oaks development:

And went right by Fort Wilderness:

When we started out on the bus, we were all behind the designated line. We had to be according to this sign:

As the bus traveled along, the guests behind us began pushing us all slightly forward, which led to us standing here:

So, we were federal law breakers on that bus ride.

And, my shoe was untied.

And, it looks like one of the twin’s shoes are too big for her.

Here we are approaching the Contemporary:

Which means that we are going to go under this bridge:

So what’s the big deal about that?

Remember the water bridge that we looked at on our way back from Hollywood Studios?

Well, this is another water bridge.

The boats from Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness drive over the road on this bridge. I think it’s pretty cool that they built this:

Since we caught the bus to the MK at the instant we walked up to the bus stop, we made it to the MK way faster that we possibly could have had we driven to the Polynesian and taken the monorail. Even the dissenting twin agreed with this. When we approached the MK turnstiles, we found out another reason why we had made the right choice. As we approached the bag check area, there was a huge mob of people. There were castmembers there telling the guests departing the MK that the monorails were inoperable, and that they would have to use the ferry or buses to get to their destinations. All of the monorails were down! Had we driven to the Polynesian, we would have had a long bus ride or long wait for the boat to the MK!

Main Street didn’t seem to busy when we arrived:

Our first destination was the Enchanted Tiki Room. It closes early, so we missed it yesterday. As you may know, it has been closed for a couple of months for refurbishment. The only version of it my DD’s have known is the “Under New Management” version where Zazu and Iago take over the show. During the refurbishment, Zazu and Iago were removed, and the supposition was that the show would go back to the original version. It had just reopened the week before our visit, and we wanted to be among the first visitors to see the new (old) show.

But first, we had to stop to look at this duck and bunnies:

If I was a duck or bunny, I would live in the MK too!

We made it to the Tiki Bird entrance with time to spare. As we arrived, the entrance was roped off. But, that was just to let the group in front of us watch the pre-show, and then we were let in as they entered the theater. Which meant that we had to wait a bit for the pre-show to begin. Which wasn’t a problem, as we got to look at the lush landscaping and this beautiful waterfall:

Before I share my views on the Enchanted Tiki Room, I should provide a little background about my opinion. I had just turned 10 years old when Walt Disney World opened for the first time in October, 1971. Like most children of my era, I had watched the Wonderful World of Disney on TV on Sunday nights for as long as I could remember. That show had been like an infomercial for the new WDW resort. Like a lot of kids my age, I had been brainwashed by Walt, and I can’t begin to describe how much I wanted to go to Disney World.

The problem was that I was living in New Jersey at the time. And, my family didn’t take extravagant vacations. I knew that I had as much chance of going to WDW as I did going to the moon.

As luck would have it, though, my grandparents had retired and moved to Florida in the early ‘70’s, and my mother and father decided during our 1973 Christmas break from school that we could swing a road trip to Florida and crash at my grandparent’s small Florida home. And, that is exactly what we did. I have a brother and four sisters, which made us a family of 8. All of us crammed in to our grandparent’s two bedroom home for that visit. My grandparent’ place was actually not far from where I live now. The highlight of our trip to Florida is that one day we loaded up the station wagon and headed over to Disney World.

As I mentioned, I had seen a lot of Disney World on TV and in magazines. But, I was absolutely blown away by seeing it in person. Disney World is 40 years old now, but when we visited, it was just a little over two years old. Everything was new, immaculate, and amazing. The technology in the park was beyond cutting edge. Remember, there was no cable TV in those days- we had maybe five or six channels to watch on our TV. If we wanted to listen to music, we had the radio or record players. There were no iPods, or even CD players then. Computers were still new, and they were huge and ridiculously expsensive. Nobody had a home computer, or even had a notion that there would be a reason to have one. We didn’t have cell phones. We didn’t even have microwave ovens. So, visiting this theme park where we arrived from the parking lot via monorail and there were life-like animatronics figures, and moving sidewalks, and a giant circular theater was just unbelievable to me.

Another thing that is important to remember is that you had to purchase a ticket for each WDW attraction you wanted to visit. I’m sure you have heard of or remember the A-E tickets. Each time you wanted to enjoy and attraction, you had to surrender a ticket. That meant that re-rides were unlikely. You had to plan carefully on how you would use your tickets.

So, this is the background that preceded my first visit to the Enchanted Tiki Room. I remember being constantly surprised by the birds and flowers and other elements in the room that came to life and sang in synch. My whole family loved it! It really was an amazing technological feat.

Now I was back after nearly forty years.

The pre-show began with the waterfall suddenly stopping, and to rock wall opening to reveal these two guys:

Truthfully, I can’t remember the original pre-show for the Enchanted Tiki Room. But, this was lame. If you have ever been to a Rainforest Café, the quality of the animatronics you see there surpasses the quality of these two birds. This was already a letdown. And, the other issue I had with this is that the castmember on duty has a microphone and engages in some brief conversation with these birds. The castmember we had that evening spoke in about the most bored monotone I have ever heard.

After this, we were ushered in to the theater. It looks the same as always to me. Nothing new.

The show is hosted by Jose, who speaks in an almost offensive Spanish accent:

During the show, Jose, interacts with four other parrots, who likewise speak in phony accents. This is Michael, who is British Parrot:

The audio in this attraction was terrible. Despite sitting in the front row, I had a hard time understanding the dialog.

The show was brief, but despite being so, I still found it to be boring.

I was not in the least bit amazed.

The bored castmember unenthusiastically had to ask all of the guests to stand up to give a standing ovation at the end. We had to be on our feet in order for the last gag of the show to work.

The bottom line is that the “new” Tiki birds show isn’t very good. I predict we will see its hours scaled back more and more in the future, as I can’t imagine this being a priority for anyone to visit.

I am not one who wants to see classic attractions go. But, if they are going to appeal to modern audiences, they have to be updated. What amazed a 12 year old boy in 1973 isn’t going to amaze a 12 year old today. To me, this is just more evidence that the Disney company has lost its way. Computers and technology in general have come a long, long, way since WDW first opened its gates in 1971. Why isn’t new technology used to update the classics?

So, Tiki birds are a fail. We won’t be going back there again anytime soon.

Next up, the rest of our evening in the MK.

TCD

[BouncingTiggers 98]

TCD I love the Tiki Room pics. You say the show is boring. But is better than the under new management show?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

TCD I love the Tiki Room pics. You say the show is boring. But is better than the under new management show?

Yes. It is better than the "new management" show, which I found to be verging on irritating.

This one isn't irritating. It's pleasant. But, it's also boring. There is no "wow" factor.

It is the type of thing that you will see once, and have no desire to ever return again.

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

my whole family (except me) is having a fit as they loved the tiki room "under new management" and are not happy that they removed the kids favorite birds. I am secretly happy as I will not have to go visit it... although it was cute just not my thing.

[stefa70 205]

First & foremost, welcome back. I miss the TCD updates when the weekends roll around.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the tiki birds, while in a selfish kind of way I'm glad you did. I had been feeling guilty having dissed the birds for the last 20 years and put it on my list of things to do. Well, if TCD didn't like it, then I'm not going!! It has officially been scratched off the list. So thanks! ;D

One more thing...we can't have TCD tripping and possibly hurting himself, keep your shoes tied!! :popo:

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

First & foremost, welcome back. I miss the TCD updates when the weekends roll around.

One more thing...we can't have TCD tripping and possibly hurting himself, keep your shoes tied!! :popo:

I miss them too but am kinda glad the updates are only on week days since we travel and do family time on the weekends. I'd come back to find 10 pages to get through... I prefer to read TR live. I need to read KFK's report but the size of it is scaring me!

[Roller ... aka Ed 351]

:popcorn:

[Lou... 3,118]

You see that little folded up piece of paper there in front of the driver? I zoomed in on it to see if I could read what it says, but I can’t make any of the text out. Lou, if you are reading along, what is that? It looks like a schedule to me, but I thought the bus drivers don’t have set routes any longer- they get assigned a route each time they arrive at a destination. What is this then?

That folded up paper is called the "count sheet". Don't ask me why. I think it's a carry over from the old days and was never changed.

It's a multi sheet packet that the first driver of every bus gets in the morning. It remains on the bus for the day.

It includes the daily bus operations "Tell-A-Cast", the bus stop numbers, the computer route numbers in case the automated dispatch system goes down, and any announcements that the drivers should be made aware of for that day.

A lot of drivers will fold it up to show only what you see in the photo. That part of it shows only the resorts bus stop number at all the attractions.

The type is too small for me to read without reading glasses, so I don't use it. I made up my own that I can see without switching glasses.

You are correct that we get a different route just about every time, but we only get the next route at the bus hub and not at the resorts. It's a round trip. The next route appears on the display about when we're five minutes away from the bus hub.

If everything is working right, that sheet is not needed, so it's just insurance.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

my whole family (except me) is having a fit as they loved the tiki room "under new management" and are not happy that they removed the kids favorite birds. I am secretly happy as I will not have to go visit it... although it was cute just not my thing.

I didn't think about the fact that some younger folks may have enjoyed seeing Iago and Zazu in that attraction. While they annoyed me, at least it was less boring with them in there.

But, I guess it's all good for you- you won't have to go in there any more.

First & foremost, welcome back. I miss the TCD updates when the weekends roll around.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the tiki birds, while in a selfish kind of way I'm glad you did. I had been feeling guilty having dissed the birds for the last 20 years and put it on my list of things to do. Well, if TCD didn't like it, then I'm not going!! It has officially been scratched off the list. So thanks! ;D

One more thing...we can't have TCD tripping and possibly hurting himself, keep your shoes tied!! :popo:

I think you should go in and see the Tiki birds. Then you will be good for the next 20 years.

I'll be sure to check my shoelaces.

I miss them too but am kinda glad the updates are only on week days since we travel and do family time on the weekends. I'd come back to find 10 pages to get through... I prefer to read TR live. I need to read KFK's report but the size of it is scaring me!

KFK's report is great. You should go ahead and get started on it.

That folded up paper is called the "count sheet". Don't ask me why. I think it's a carry over from the old days and was never changed.

It's a multi sheet packet that the first driver of every bus gets in the morning. It remains on the bus for the day.

It includes the daily bus operations "Tell-A-Cast", the bus stop numbers, the computer route numbers in case the automated dispatch system goes down, and any announcements that the drivers should be made aware of for that day.

A lot of drivers will fold it up to show only what you see in the photo. That part of it shows only the resorts bus stop number at all the attractions.

The type is too small for me to read without reading glasses, so I don't use it. I made up my own that I can see without switching glasses.

You are correct that we get a different route just about every time, but we only get the next route at the bus hub and not at the resorts. It's a round trip. The next route appears on the display about when we're five minutes away from the bus hub.

If everything is working right, that sheet is not needed, so it's just insurance.

Thanks, Lou.

I should have thought about that- there needs to be some kind of back-up plan in case communications go down.

I really appreciate that there is an actual insider here to answer questions when needed.

TCD

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Our Saturday evening at the Magic Kingdom began with the minor disappointment of the newly revised Enchanted Tiki Room attraction.

We next headed over to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Now, here's an attraction that has managed to stay interesting. They have added a few special effects and the new Jack Sparrow figures here and there to keep things interesting. The only problem we had was that it was closed when we arrived. I hate it when rides go down. The castmembers are always zero help in such situations. I know that they usually must have a good idea about what is wrong and when the attraction might be reopening, but they never say. I once waited for almost an hour to go on Test Track back when it was relatively new, and one of my daughters had brought along a friend who really wanted to ride. The castmembers on duty could have told us don't bother, but all they ever say is that the attraction is down and may reopen momentarily. That is what the castmembers outside of pirates said. That's what they always say. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. We didn't wait, we moved on.

The next item on our agenda was to head over to Fantasyland. We wanted to see what we could see over the fences where the new construction is going on. We also planned to visit Tomorrowland to see how bad the line was for Space Mountain. So off we went.

I'll bet you forgot that I still owed the other twin a T-shirt.

Didn't you?

Well, she didn't.

And, as soon as we walked in to Frontierland she saw it.

Her T-shirt.

It was, appropriately, right next to the turkey leg stand.

Here it is:

I have never seen that one before.

It has to be new.

She loved it.

I bought it.

Now I was all caught up with my T-shirt obligations.

We headed over to Fantasyland from here. The line for Haunted Mansion was short, so we visited it again for the second night in a row. There's another attraction that we can visit every time and still enjoy. They have also updated it a few times over the years.

We couldn't see much over the wall at Fantasyland. And we noticed a new construction wall had gone up right next to the Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant. So, we climbed the stairs up to the second floor outside seating area and tried to see what was going on. There didn't seem to be anything going on behind the new construction wall. My DD who is interested in photography took these two photos, which I think came out really well:

You can see the new construction wall there at the bottom of those two shots.

We always study the artwork for the Fantasyland expansion, which they have posted there on the walls that were put up a while back:

We are all interested in the new attraction which is called the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train:

This sign has a description of the ride:

You should be able to read what it says here:

Hmmm.

A "merry musical family adventure?"

I hope it's not lame.

We headed over to Tomorrowland from here.

We rode the People Mover so we could get a good look at how busy things were.

Space Mountain looked pretty bad.

So, we went to Laugh Floor.

You will never believe who was "That Guy."

I have to post a photo so you'll know that I'm not lying:

That's crazy.

Why do the monsters always pick on me?

I don't get it.

I thought they always pick a clueless old guy?

Or a lug?

Why me?

It's hard to top being That Guy.

The line for Space Mountain was worse when we left the Laugh Floor.

So we scratched that idea.

We were going to watch the Let The Memories Begin show on the castle, and then Wishes.

But when we got to Main Street we found quite a crowd.

And then we remembered that the monorails were down.

Can you imagine what it will be like trying to leave that night.

We could.

And we decided that we didn't want to be there to see the mayhem.

So we bailed.

The same lady was in charge of the buses tonight.

So same deal with the waiting.

And the cramming.

I swear the guy next to me on the bus was intentionally rubbing up against me.

Creep.

But we made it back.

It could have been worse.

I have heard since that it was.

We got back to the resort around 11:30.

Good old Yeehaw Bob was leading the crowd in a spirited version of Sweet Caroline when we arrived.

That guy is awesome!

We got some ice cream at the Food Court.

Boy it's nice to have food service available until midnight.

Boo Fort management.

And that was our night.

We are going home tomorrow.

But don't you worry- I was up early on Sunday morning for a little visit to the Fort, and there is still a lot more of this report to come- including some new things I saw at Fort Wilderness.

Some of you will be surprised, I'm sure.

Two of the things I saw sure surprised me.

TCD

[JARRSHEL 0]

TCD, We have not seen the new (old) tiki birds yet , but did enjoy the old (new) tiki bird show ,plus the a/c works good in show .

Earlier you mentioned finding a parking space at DD and I'll give out our "secret" not so secret parking spot. Park in lot 5 near the House of blues and take the boat to the other side . In all the times we have been I only had to walk once because the boats were down. Plus plenty of parking for MH, TT ETC.

Scott

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

OOOhhh! A cliffhanger! Can't wait to hear the rest!

[Lou... 3,118]

On a somewhat serious note.

Following along on your TRs for a couple of years now, you, Andrew, have to be a candidate for the best dad award. The girls always look like they're having such a good time when you take them places. I'm sure as they get older they'll realize that you're a special dad.