CKCK 45 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Since this was our 4th trip to FW, I am an expert camper and an expert on The Fort and no longer have any lessons to learn......Riiiiight...Actually, I am lazy and don't feel like putting that much thought into being witty this time.So, you get pictures.And thoughts.Sometimes the thoughts will accompany the pictures.Other times, not so much.Here we go.We arrived on Saturday at 1:00 and planned to stay until Thursday. We had friends coming to stay with us with their almost 5 year old daughter on Monday for their first WDW trip ever, so that gave us two nights to ourselves before all the chaos ensued.This is what we look like going down the road. We're pretty heavy. Not that we're fat, but now that I just replaced the 6 batteries in that golf cart, I have a better understanding for how heavy it is. Luckily I have air bags on the truck to help out the load. Otherwise we probably wouldn't make it. We're well under all of the truck's limits. Larry probably still wouldn't approve, but I don't care.Here are the girls. Sitting in the truck.Next picture...We didn't send in a site request. Mostly because I'm lazy and never got around to it. This was our first premium site and we were hoping for the 1200 or 1300 loops because we wanted to be a little further away from things, because that's how we roll.As you might have figured out we weren't so lucky. In fact, we were in 731. For those of you who know your site numbers you know that site 733 is right next to 731. We never got the chance to meet Hilda other than waving at her once or twice in passing, but the girls loved looking at her V-day decorations and castle. I can also tell you that she gets A LOT of visitors and A LOT of traffic coming by to check out her digs.It wasn't bad after all, and we enjoyed our site.Except that the 700 doesn't have a comfort station. Boo. It didn't really bother me, but my wife likes the big showers, so she was bummed that she had a trek to the nearest one.Lesson Learned: if you like comfort stations don't stay in the 700 loop.Crap. See what I did there? I put forth effort and put in a lesson learned. I guess I just can't help myself.This is the only pic I got of Hilda's site. I know, I suck.The girls were thrilled to be there. This is getting ready to go on our first looping adventure and then head to Epcot for dinner.We didn't find anything exciting looping, other than seeing Total Joker's site in the 1600's. He wasn't there, and was gone the next time we made it over there.We had planned on snacking around World Showcase for dinner. After riding Maelstrom (for the first time ever, I might add) we were starving and getting cold. Here was our first mistake of the trip. In our haste to get food and warmth, we ended up at the Japan counter service and got 4 meals. There are 4 of us. Makes sense to some. However, long ago we vowed to never buy that much food in the parks and to always share to save money.Fail.Over $40 later, my wife said it was the worst meal she has ever had in the parks. I didn't think it was that bad, but it wasn't worth all the money we spent on it. We should have stuck to our plan and just snacked around. The cold had other ideas and played Jedi mind tricks on us. I think it was orchestrated by Disney to get more money out of us.By this point the cold weather was definitely coming in. It was windy, cold, and I had lost my chapstick so I was getting a little pissy. We decided to head back to The Fort and put the girls to bed.My wife and I had this great idea to sit outside and drink wine. We froze. And drank wine. And had salt and vinegar chips. With wine.Whatever works.Finally we gave in and went to bed.Tomorrow: freaking freezing, freaking freezing sunrise pictures, MK, and freaking freezing again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doodlebug....Cherie 461 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Great start!! I'm lazy today so that's all I have to say for now. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bord1niowa......Curt 79 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Hopping aboard! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stefa70 205 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Great start!! I love your little "gingers" :) Too cute!I too am a chapstick/lip gloss addict!! I usually always keep one in my pocket, but lost one of my favorites at Epcot. Yes, there was alcohol involved, and a lot of potty breaks which is probably where it fell out of my pocket.Soft lips are important!Looking forward to more. Pictures with thoughts, pictures without thoughts, or thoughts without pictures..it's all good! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4Brians.....Todd 103 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 ISoft lips are important!No Comment...... :hugsmiley: CK...the back seat of my truck looked just like that a couple of years ago. We're just out of "seats" now. Sometimes I wish they were still in them. It just makes me feel they are safer.The guys still laugh when they get in with me for work. Quick inventory...tiedowns...checktowstrap...checkhydraulic jack...checktoolbox...checkbabydolls...checkHannah Montana hairbrush...check2 little girls can make a big truck very interesting, but I wouldn't give'em up for the world.Carry on with your TR. You're off to a good start... :popcorn: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MLM5.. aka Judy 97 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 those might be the cutest little red heads evah!! :heart: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CKCK 45 Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Ok, we're going to keep this TR moving right along. I have time to kill today, so we'll see how much we can get accomplished.Lots of pictures for this installment.Lots of pics from the MK.Hope you're not bored.If you are, stop reading. Then read something that interests you.Then you won't be bored.I'm a problem solver.We woke up waaaay early Sunday morning because DD2 (she'll actually turn 2 in 2 weeks) and DD3.5 don't sleep in. Probably because we have conditioned them to getting up super early because we leave the house by 6:15 every morning to drop them at the sitter's and get to work.Doh.Anyway, it was cold. Freaking freezing to be exact. Not literarly, but this is Florida. Disney World. Come on. Who ordered the 34 degrees?Because it was so cold we just hunkered down in the TT for most of the morning with the ceramic space heater running.When we bought our TT, my uncle gave me one suggestion: get a small heater and heat the camper with that instead of our own LP. Why use our LP that we pay for when we could use the electricity that comes with the site? Genius.Except for one thing.We also had the furnace running since I was afraid the little heater wouldn't get the job done. I realized that the heater wasn't running as much as the furnace. Because I'm a genius, I figured it out. The furnace ducts are beneath the floor. I had the heater sitting on the floor right over where the ducts went.I'll give you a minute....Thus, the floor was warm and in turn the heater wasn't turning on as much.So I moved the heater to next to the door.Problem solved!After awhile it wasn't fun anymore. I had to get out. So after a few hours it was finally sunrise time. My plan was to loop around, get some pics, and see how cold it really was.It was really cold.In my homage to TCD, I will call the following photos "Sunrise over various things at the Settlement."Sunrise over fence and trees.Sunrise over lake, marina, and cold people huddled trying to avoid the wind while waiting on the boat.Sunrise over empty golf cart parking.Sunrise over (and on) some trees.Sunrise over the 100 loop (sans Fiesty) and cold guy riding a bike with one hand while holding his crappy Trails End coffee. Sorry, I was too slow with the camera to get the coffee in hand pic.Sunrise over Pioneer Hall.Sunrise over Trails End and a horshoe on the roof (what the Fort?)Sunrise over the vertical shot of Pioneer Hall.Sunrise over another shot of Pioneer Hall with CM's walking by.And thus ends my homage to TCD's sunrise photos.I braved cold and wind to get those photos, so I hope you enjoyed them. It was not fun. I made it back to the TT as quickly as I could and hunkered down some more.Let me add some thoughts with no pictures if I may. One of our favorite things to do at The Fort is to loop. That's why we purchased a GC of our own. However, when it's 34 degrees outside, there is no looping. There is only sitting in the TT. That is not fun. I could do that at home in my back yard.Luckily it warmed up to a whopping 50 something in the afternoon. So after lunch and naps we headed to the MK.On the way to the marina we saw this:How cool is that? It was pedal powered, but even had a small battery to run the lights, radio, and horn. And a kid seat up front.If I wasn't so lazy I would think that was super cool.We got on the boat and headed to the MK. I didn't take any shoe tree, RC, or Discovery Island pics on this trip because I already have a ton of those and you've all see a thousand of them anyway. Nothing new. Nothing changed. Tetherball still on the shoe tree. Looked like a few more shoes added. Discovery Island still there. Hasn't sunk. RC still there, still falling apart. yada yada yada.We are used to hitting the MK early, when the crowds are light. We are not afternoon park people. Too crowded. I don't like people, so I run into some issues when we're there in the afternoons.I didn't take any pics of the crowds, but they were heavier than we expected.We dealt.I took this pic in the train station:I have no thoughts on that pic, other than I like it.I understand the need for refurbishment and contruction, and appreciate that Disney puts up the big building "wraps" to at least try to keep as much magic as possible. HOWEVER, this one sucked. I felt bad for the people who don't go to the MK very often, because their view was pretty much ruined.Roy's bench.On a side note, where is the freaking Goofy bench? My wife has been hunting for this for awhile. Apparently it talks to you when you sit down. We can't find it. She read about it somewhere. Does it exist?New Dumbo. You can see the new ride to the right (left of the tent), and you can see where they are reconstructing old dumbo to the left of it.More.I appreciate that even though this is a temporary wall, Disney still puts lamps on it. Nice touch.This is standing near Winnie the Pooh/Snow White. Notice the wires coming off the roof. They extend all the way over to the other roof. Anyone know what they are?I need to end this post now to go eat lunch.So I will.I will return with more MK pics. No teaser. No mystery. No cliff hanger. Just more pics.If you like MK pics then come back and check them out.If you don't, then don't. You won't hurt my feelings.If you want, you can skip the next post and come back when I'm on to something you are interested in. Like the People Mover, Buzz, DHS, more Fort pics, food and drink pics, or pictures of people you don't know. Whatever floats your boat.Have I mentioned yet that I took over 300 pics while I was there this time? There has to be something in there that interests everyone here. I am an equal opportunity picture taker.For a little more fun, you could come up with your own thoughts for my pics. Maybe your thoughts will be more entertaining than my own.Problem solver... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CKCK 45 Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Great start!! I'm lazy today so that's all I have to say for now. Thanks. Glad to have someone else on the lazy train today.Hopping aboard!Permission to board granted.That was dumb. I shouldn't have said that.The sad thing is that I could easily go back and delete that sentence and write something else.But I'm lazy.Great start!! I love your little "gingers" :) Too cute!Soft lips are important!Thanks!Comment: Please explain for what exactly...No Comment...... :hugsmiley: CK...the back seat of my truck looked just like that a couple of years ago. We're just out of "seats" now. Sometimes I wish they were still in them. It just makes me feel they are safer.The guys still laugh when they get in with me for work.Quick inventory...tiedowns...checktowstrap...checkhydraulic jack...checktoolbox...checkbabydolls...checkHannah Montana hairbrush...check2 little girls can make a big truck very interesting, but I wouldn't give'em up for the world.Carry on with your TR. You're off to a good start... :popcorn:Yeah, my truck isn't as manly as it could be when you look at all the pink in the back seat. But like you, I wouldn't change a thing!those might be the cutest little red heads evah!! :heart:Thanks! I like to think so too! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
doodlebug....Cherie 461 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Love this! I'm not bored yet so you must be doing a good job. I also must have gotten over my lazies cause I actually came up with a comment.Sorry it was so cold, was it cold the whole time you were there? If so I'm sorry. We were there the week before and it was beautiful!! I'm also sorry for rubbing that in. Okay maybe I'm not! :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stefa70 205 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Nope, far from bored!! I love pictures of all kind.I have never heard of the goofy bench?! Anyone...anyone...Bueller? There are many reasons for having soft lips, but this is a family board so I will let you use your imagination....unless you're too lazy. :rofl2: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PureTcrazy...rita 380 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 First let me chime in with everyone else to say your little daughters are just adorable, I love the red hair! I think they need to have a "Chapstick Anonymous," I have to friends that are addicted to chapstick. One of them told me her lips feel like they throb if she doesn't have it. She keeps extra ones everywhere she might be.The weather in Florida is so unpredictable from October - March. I hate that y'all were freezing, but I bet it warmed up again before you left! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HappyCamper...Deb 61 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Grabbed a blankie for the chilly-weather TR and settled in for more photos, problem-solving, and cutie-pie-red-head fun. :heart:...and, yes, waiting for the location of the Goofy bench as well... :waiting2-smiley: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CKCK 45 Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Goofy bench update:My wife read some more and found out that apparently it used to live in front of Tony's, but has been moved. Not sure when or why, so if anyone knows something, speak up! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo..Karla 77 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Sorry to have missed you.We were only a few sites down in the 700 loopEvery time we went by you were either gone or in the middle of lunch/dinner and we didn't want to bother you.Hope to meet you another time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CKCK 45 Posted February 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Bummer! We saw your site and hoped to catch you as well, but never saw you outside. I liked your sign lined with the lights, and noticed that people seemd to be taking your FF.net cards! Either that or the racoons got them. We had a racoon visit one night, but it just tried to steal my GC and made a mess of things.You should have stopped by if you saw us! I may not like people, but Fiends are great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547 Posted February 19, 2012 Report Share Posted February 19, 2012 Loving the photos! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DaveInTN 3,247 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 :suspense: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rdancemom... Pam 113 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Loving the TR and those adorable redheads! I'm not fond of looping while shivering either. Never thought we needed a windsheild in the GC before feeling the cold wind blow thru over Thanksgiving. Windsheilds... they're not just for wipers after all. :rofl2:I have pics of Starla on the goofy bench a few yrs back. I would have sworn it was in front of the building to the right of the train station - the one that used to be the kodak spot & walt's story - when we were there for Halloween. Will pull out the albums tomorrow to see if I can find the pics of a younger Starla & my DS33 sitting with Goofy on the bench... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 You are off to a great start, CKCK.I love all of the photos.And the thoughts.Of course, I loved all of the sunrise photos- great job!Good job on noticing and getting a photo of those wires. I have no idea what those are, but I plan on taking a look the next time I'm at the MK.Too bad you didn't get to meet HIlda.I hear you on the lack of a comfort station, but the 100 loop comfort station actually isn't too bad of a walk from that part of the 700 loop.Goofy bench update:My wife read some more and found out that apparently it used to live in front of Tony's, but has been moved. Not sure when or why, so if anyone knows something, speak up!The Goofy Bench is right in front of Tony's. It is/was? a regular looking bench with a big gold Goofy figure sitting on it. I don't recall that it talked, but maybe it did. That's Tony's in the background of this photo of yours. If a bit more of the building was included, you could probably see it. I have not heard that the bench was removed:TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caveat lector 181 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 ....arrived on Saturday at 1:00 and planned to stay until Thursday. We had friends coming to stay with us with their almost 5 year old daughter on Monday for their first WDW trip ever, so that gave us two nights to ourselves before all the chaos ensued.This is what we look like going down the road. We're pretty heavy. Not that we're fat, but now that I just replaced the 6 batteries in that golf cart, I have a better understanding for how heavy it is. Luckily I have air bags on the truck to help out the load. Otherwise we probably wouldn't make it. We're well under all of the truck's limits.CKCK....Outstanding TR so far. Just the right combinations on all fronts.Couple of things:1) The space heater vs the furnace. I too stuggled with finding the perfect mix to keep all happy. The furnance did a great job of wrapping the whole 30 feet of TT in warmness, but he space heater ran on electric that I had already paid for. Quite a conundrum I agree.2) I dig your pic above. In particular, the way you have your GC in the bed. I've been noodling on the possibility for quite some time. Did you have to buy a special GC (shortened wheelbase)? Is that a Long bed truck? Did you have to remove the tailgate to travel? Sorry about all the questions, but I just couldn't quite be sure from the pic. I have a SB Ford250 and I think the bed is 6.5'.3) The whole COLD thing. It's kind of a bummer, but it also allows you to see the FORT in a different fashion. It was so cold when we were there, that maint came around and put the water hoses at each site on slow drip.Great work! Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Ok a little late to the party but caught up now. Cute red headed daughters (both my kids are red heads too). Never realized how many red heads were out there until I had my own. Following along. Great report so far. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stefa70 205 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Ok, I know you're lazy, and probably have a job, but..... :10220:More please. ^-^ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Well, the TCD research department has come through with some information on the Goofy bench.First of all, this is it:I can't believe some people say they never saw it.This thing sat in front of Tony's restaurant for years.In fact, as far as I knew, it was still there.Well, I have now heard from an anony-"mouse" MK CM and I have the scoop.First, the Goofy statue on the bench did talk. But it malfunctioned often, and they finally gave up on fixing it a few years ago. That is why I never heard it talk.And, then a year or so ago, while they were doing some renovations in the area, the bench and Goofy was removed and taken away to be fixed. Word is that the Goofy has been fixed and that he will be coming back. He is even going to talk. The only problem currently is that they forgot to put an electric source out there when the renovations were done.This is WDW we are talking about, after all.So, CKCK, you did not miss the Goofy bench.Well, actually you did, but you missed it because it isn't there at the moment.So there you go.You asked.And you received.Is this a great message board, or what?TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stefa70 205 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Wow, call me "some people" then as I don't recall ever noticing Goofy, let alone know that he talked at one time. Happy to hear Goofy is getting his voice back, and I will look for him in the future. Bravo to the TCD research dept! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HappyCamper...Deb 61 Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Yeah, I guess I'm a "some people" too...Geez!Goofy and I are going to have to have a talk when I get there in December... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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