ImDownWithDisney @ The Fort during Thanksgiving

[MLM5.. aka Judy 97]

wow, your pictures are awesome and your girls are just simply adorable! :heart:

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great updates!

Your photos are really, really good. You are a good photographer, and you must have a pretty nice camera. TCD twin #1 has a nice camera, but had a hard time getting really good shots of the Osborne lights. You did a great job with those!

If I have my dates right, we were also in HS on Monday night. I looked for us in your photos, but I didn't find any with us in them.

Keep up the good work!

TCD

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Thanks again for all of the compliments.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Great updates!

Your photos are really, really good. You are a good photographer, and you must have a pretty nice camera. TCD twin #1 has a nice camera, but had a hard time getting really good shots of the Osborne lights. You did a great job with those!

If I have my dates right, we were also in HS on Monday night. I looked for us in your photos, but I didn't find any with us in them.

Keep up the good work!

TCD

I have some semi pro Nikon gear. I started getting into it when we had kids. One cool thing about my camera body is that it is weather sealed. This allowed me to get some interesting shots on Splash Mtn....including one that is probably my favorite to date.

But those will have to wait for a later update ;-)

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

But those will have to wait for a later update ;-)

You really don't have to tease.. we love following trip reports. Keep up the good work.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

You really don't have to tease.. we love following trip reports. Keep up the good work.

Thanks...I will try.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Alright....I am finally home from work. FF.net being blocked at work sure does cut down on my fiend time. I feel like I need 4 hrs to catch up on all of the other great TR's and posts here.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty much copies of one another. Each day was started off with a trip to MK, we then returned to the Fort, and went back in the evening.

I was able to do a lot of looping on my mtn bike and Fort exploring during the afternoons.

These pics will be a mix of camera phone and Nikon...I apologize for the crappy phone pics.

I really like these palm trees at night. They made me want to set up a lounge chair and sip tonics.

Random Fort pics

There were tons of birds over the Fort and Disco Island one day

MK fun

Next up...MK at night with some different views

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

My wife's family was also having a reunion of sorts in Orlando this week too. So a few trips to the parks were with those guys.

With the wife and kids cruising around with them I could find some time to look for interesting shots of the MK.

I have to admit Tomorrowland has always been my favorite part of MK. Even when I was a kid I always wanted to go there first.

We stayed and watched Wishes with the relatives. A few had never been to Disney before and were blown away with the whole experience.

We also got to see the show projected on the castle just before Wishes. This was a first for us. I was very impressed with it.

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Love all the pictures, but this one is my favorite.

[stefa70 205]

That last picture of your girls is beautiful.

I've never heard Discovery Island shortened to Disco Island, but I like the sound of it! I can see the disco ball rotating to the soundtrack from Saturday Night Fever, while drunk, unruly fiends do the hustle!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

That last picture of your girls is beautiful.

I've never heard Discovery Island shortened to Disco Island, but I like the sound of it! I can see the disco ball rotating to the soundtrack from Saturday Night Fever, while drunk, unruly fiends do the hustle!

Really? When I read it, the first thought that came to my mind was Starbooty.

Love the updates Blake. Your park pics are great!

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

That last picture of your girls is beautiful.

I've never heard Discovery Island shortened to Disco Island, but I like the sound of it! I can see the disco ball rotating to the soundtrack from Saturday Night Fever, while drunk, unruly fiends do the hustle!

Really? When I read it, the first thought that came to my mind was Starbooty.

Love the updates Blake. Your park pics are great!

Funny, for me it was :I Love the Nightlife" :rofl2:

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

:popcorn:

[Lou... 3,118]

Enjoying your TR, but where the heck are the pictures of the whole family?

With those two beautiful little girls you can't be that bad looking.

And when you post that picture with every one in it, names would be good.

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

Alright...time for another update. This one will be a collection of random thoughts and observations with minimal pics.

Thanksgiving day was an off day for us. We hung out at the camper till about 10 and then headed over to Floridays Resort to meet up with my wife's family.

As I have said before I hate going off site. Although the resort is fairly nice I wouldn't stay there. In fact we could have stayed there for free the entire week, but I felt the savings wasn't worth it. It wouldn't be a Disney vacation if we were not at the Fort or on property.

IMO, the Fort looked good (better than our last trip) Thanksgiving week, especially given the amount of people there. The grass was mowed fairly well, Comfort Stations were clean, and trash was at a minimum.

The parks too were in good shape. It seemed to me that upkeep on them was better this year. In the MK I saw several manager type people walking around with those trash bins on a stick and long pinchers for picking up trash. These were not your ordinary white outfit trash dudes. They were dressed up and outfitted with Blackberry's. Maybe a renewed focus on appearance? Could Walt be partially rolling back over in his grave?

I did a lot of bike looping this trip. We don't have a golf cart (yet) so I hit the pedals. I really enjoy bike looping. I have a tradition where I loop every loop and area on my bike each trip. You can go a lot of places were carts can't go...like along side canals, horse trails, between sites, every sidewalk there, etc. My wife wasn't feeling the bike looping too much this year, since she is pregnant. So I would pull the kids around with her bike and trailer. I found out that this is a good way to get the kids to sleep. Several nights I looped until they were sound asleep. It doesn't get much better than that in my book.

These two are getting heavy, though. Old dad would be sweating pretty good at the end.

Also Thanksgiving morning I got the bright idea of eating breakfast at Trail's End. My dad and I used to go there a lot of the mornings when I was young. I have always liked eating breakfast there. So we got there just after they opened and were quickly seated. Ken was our server. I guess he's worked there forever? Anyway, the food was pretty good. I like eating a big breakfast, but I am only the one. The wife and 2 kids just pecked at theirs. Now the bad part. Our bill was $70 with tip. I about pooped a brick. I guess that taught me to look at the prices next time. It wasn't worth half of that based on food. Maybe the kids like it enough, though. It will be a long time before we do that again. Ripoff!

Of course, we watched Wishes a lot from the beach. Let's hope they see fit to keep piping the music in. It's a great way to end the day with the family, and it's free.

Let's talk about the rangers for a second. Secretly, I have thought that TCD has been a little too hard on these guys. That is until I watched night after night this one ranger pace the beach with a lit up traffic directing cone. He seemed to be just making up stuff to do. It brought my relaxation chi down a notch.

This tetherball got a workout each night by a bunch of heathen kids.

Here's a pic for Lou.

I am more comfortable behind the camera than in front....plus as you know a camera steals a little bit of your soul in each shot

L to R (your's truly, #1 kid Laurel, Tisha, #2 kid Lizzy)

I like this tree

For the record you can get a nice Absolut vodka and tonic (double) and view above tree from a nice rocker at Crockett's :)

[Lou... 3,118]

IMO, the Fort looked good (better than our last trip) Thanksgiving week, especially given the amount of people there. The grass was mowed fairly well, Comfort Stations were clean, and trash was at a minimum.

The parks too were in good shape. It seemed to me that upkeep on them was better this year.

It's nice to hear these compliments.

Being there all the time jades you because things always look the same day in, day out, and after a while you don't really notice much.

In the MK I saw several manager type people walking around with those trash bins on a stick and long pinchers for picking up trash. These were not your ordinary white outfit trash dudes.

I call the trash tongs, manager guilt sticks. The do nothing idiot managers don't dare walk around without them now because their idiot managers would get on their case. Nothing new though. They've been carry them around for years.

Here's a pic for Lou.

Thanks, get into the photos as much as you can. I was always the one taking the pictures when my kids were growing up and now my adult children don't have hardly any pictures with me in them while they were growing up. True story.

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Thanks, get into the photos as much as you can. I was always the one taking the pictures when my kids were growing up and now my adult children don't have hardly any pictures with me in them while they were growing up. True story.

That is so true, Lou! That is why when I see a couple or family, I try to ask if I can take a picture of them all together!

Yes, $70 is a rip-off for 2 adults and 2 children to have breakfast!

[stefa70 205]

Thanks, get into the photos as much as you can. I was always the one taking the pictures when my kids were growing up and now my adult children don't have hardly any pictures with me in them while they were growing up. True story.

I agree with Lou! The time flies by so fast with the kids, before you know it they will be adults and you'll wish you had more pictures with the whole family.

Great report! You had me at hello double vodka tonic on Crocketts porch!

[LONE-STAR 370]

I couldn't bring my self to pay that much forl breakfast there this year. We did the take out bagel sandwich several times and ate on the porch and the sandwich was good.

[Heidi-meetsTCD@TSM 5]

Wonderful trip report!!

All your pictures are super.......I especially LOVE the castle ones!

I too could spent hours at the Osborne lights........just love it!

We have a similiar plan as your family, do rope drop, head out around 12:00 or early afternoon and go back in at night.

We rarely have a golf cart, but use our bikes. We do tons of looping on our bikes as well as the path between the fort and the lodge. That path is one of my favorite places in Disney. On quiet days, we bike it at least twice.

My boys, ages 15 and 18 LOVE Toy Story Mania......they learned on-line about how to get your score high enough to get a new screen to pop up. They want to ride it as much as possible. I am glad they do, its how I got to meet the FAMOUS TCD!!!!!!!!

Can't wait for more!!!

Heidi

[ImDownWithDisney 342]

It's nice to hear these compliments.

Being there all the time jades you because things always look the same day in, day out, and after a while you don't really notice much.

I call the trash tongs, manager guilt sticks. The do nothing idiot managers don't dare walk around without them now because their idiot managers would get on their case. Nothing new though. They've been carry them around for years.

Thanks, get into the photos as much as you can. I was always the one taking the pictures when my kids were growing up and now my adult children don't have hardly any pictures with me in them while they were growing up. True story.

Well at least they are being somewhat productive...if they happen so see some trash.

Yep. I do try to get in them when I can.

That is so true, Lou! That is why when I see a couple or family, I try to ask if I can take a picture of them all together!

Yes, $70 is a rip-off for 2 adults and 2 children to have breakfast!

That's pretty cool of you.

Ripoff, fo sho!

Great report! You had me at hello double vodka tonic on Crocketts porch!

They are good!

I couldn't bring my self to pay that much forl breakfast there this year. We did the take out bagel sandwich several times and ate on the porch and the sandwich was good.

I wish that I had thought of that.

Wonderful trip report!!

All your pictures are super.......I especially LOVE the castle ones!

I too could spent hours at the Osborne lights........just love it!

We have a similiar plan as your family, do rope drop, head out around 12:00 or early afternoon and go back in at night.

We rarely have a golf cart, but use our bikes. We do tons of looping on our bikes as well as the path between the fort and the lodge. That path is one of my favorite places in Disney. On quiet days, we bike it at least twice.

My boys, ages 15 and 18 LOVE Toy Story Mania......they learned on-line about how to get your score high enough to get a new screen to pop up. They want to ride it as much as possible. I am glad they do, its how I got to meet the FAMOUS TCD!!!!!!!!

Can't wait for more!!!

Heidi

Thanks! Yeah, I like that path too. I liked it better before WL was built, though.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I am behind on my trip report reading, but I'm caught up now.

Your night photos from the MK are amazing!

Great job!

As for the Rangers, I probably have been too hard on them. To a man, each one that I have met is a great person. But, I don't think they have a real clear job description, and they don't have enough to do, so they end up bothering guests without a good reason. In the meantime, real issues (like freeloaders at the pool) do not get addressed. I have noticed that there is a large turnover with the rangers- I think the guys who work this position end up not liking it.

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

As for the Rangers, I probably have been too hard on them. To a man, each one that I have met is a great person. But, I don't think they have a real clear job description, and they don't have enough to do, so they end up bothering guests without a good reason. In the meantime, real issues (like freeloaders at the pool) do not get addressed. I have noticed that there is a large turnover with the rangers- I think the guys who work this position end up not liking it.

I'm confused. Who are you calling rangers?

As far as I know the rangers wear the nifty hats and anyone else is just a FW CM.

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

Finally caught up, great updates!!!!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I'm confused. Who are you calling rangers?

As far as I know the rangers wear the nifty hats and anyone else is just a FW CM.

During Halloween, there were guys without the nifty hats running around calling themselves Rangers.

So, the nifty hat isn't it.

There was a guy with an Australian accent all over the place during Halloween.

By Thanksgiving, he was long gone.

Ranger Sean was the top dog during the 4th of July.

He never had a nifty hat.

He's gone.

I'm seeing a pattern here.

TCD