The Trolls Run from Isaac!

[cloudswinger 1]

This has been very entertaining, although the initial premise of going camping in the middle of the state of Florida to get away from a hurricane that's supposed to hit Florida is somewhat ... can't think of an appropriate word.

We have a fondness for AK, especially the safari, after the wild ride we got one year. It's so dependent on the time of day you go, and if you go on the last one of the day, with a CM who's ready to be done with work, it can be very, um, entertaining. Plus the animals are much more active near dusk, they aren't sleeping and they know it's almost feeding time or something. But I also have a 8yo, so we like different things.

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Troll, WTG, a first time poster on your TR.

Cloudswinger :insanity: Don't forget to stop by the Introduction thread to get a proper Fort Fiend welcome.

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

This has been very entertaining, although the initial premise of going camping in the middle of the state of Florida to get away from a hurricane that's supposed to hit Florida is somewhat ... can't think of an appropriate word.

We have a fondness for AK, especially the safari, after the wild ride we got one year. It's so dependent on the time of day you go, and if you go on the last one of the day, with a CM who's ready to be done with work, it can be very, um, entertaining. Plus the animals are much more active near dusk, they aren't sleeping and they know it's almost feeding time or something. But I also have a 8yo, so we like different things.

WELCOME CLOUDSWINGER!!!

[The Troll 67]

I'm glad so many Fiends like the promotional sign. I think I'll post it on Facebook to encourage more membership!

And welcome, Cloudswinger!

Let's get on with the next installment of the Trolls' Trip Report!

When we last left off, we had just paid a visit to our dear friend, B'rer Fox. Does anyone else agree that B'rer Fox sounds a heck of lot like Eddie Murphy? I believe that the same actor who played Uncle Remus did B'rer Fox's voice.

Anyway, so it was now pretty late. It had been a very busy day. Time to head back to camp and recharge.

On our way out, I decided to experiment with some more nighttime photos:

Look at all them lights!

If you look closely, you'll notice that the concrete walkway is painted red. Did you know Walt's original plan was to pave the walkways with red brick? But then the bean counters pointed out the price tag associated with said effort and Walt quickly changed his mind. So they poured concrete and painted it red. Next best thing!

In the shot above, notice I set the camera on a wall. I then set the shutter to open for about four seconds, set the timer, and then took my hands off it.

Same here, only this time I'm using the fence post as my tripod:

Notice how yellow incandescent light is. Had I more time to fiddle, I could have white balanced the camera and the colors would like more...um..."right."

And look! There are ghosts at MK:

If I become a ghost when I kick the bucket, this is certainly the place I will haunt. I bet if you're a ghost you don't have to stand in line or even get a Fast Pass. Heck, you don't have to buy an annual pass, either. I wonder if my pointing this out will trigger the bean counters to start cracking down on the free loaders.

This one is sort of interesting, I suppose, but the castle is overexposed:

I can do better than that.

This is marginally better:

But not much. You really need a tripod for stuff like this. The tiniest movement causes blur.

Here's a shot walking:

Crooked:

And here's my favorite shot of the set:

So this was a great day -- AK during the daytime, MK at night. I love park hopping. So does Mrs. Troll. Florida Resident Seasonal Pass, baby! We get our money's worth.

Ha ha...right. That's a DVC sucker thing to say, right?

Anyway, we retired for the evening, excited for another fun day tomorrow.

When we awoke, we decided it was a Fort day. Mrs. Troll wanted to go swimming. She loves swimming. Swimming and people watching. Fun stuff.

First, we took a quick ride about in the Kenny cart. Remember, folks -- never rent a cart from Disney. Always rent your cart from Kenny. Fort newbs rent Fort carts. Fort vets rent Kenny carts.

When we cruised over to the Settlement area, we decided to loop through the River Country area. That's when I noticed this:

That's just an open invitation to let your guests spy on your dirty laundry. So let's do that. You know that open gate is something I couldn't resist. You'd think they'd cut a couple links off that chain.

So I stuck my camera lens through that gaping gap in the fence:

Notice the weird, crude ramp thing against the edge of the pool. They must have been dumping wheelbarrows full of something into the pool? Why else would there be a ramp up to it?

Also look straight ahead at those faux rocks along the side of the pool. My brother and I used to cannonball off those rocks into the pool. That was back in the day when children were allowed to be children and if your children got hurt, it was your fault for not watching them or not telling them not to cannonball off rocks. I miss those days.

You know, those days when this thing called "Common Sense" ruled, everyone understood it, and no one argued against it.

I guess cannonballing off the rocks endangered the innocent people in the pool, but that's just a technicality.

Here's another shot, camera turned just slightly to the right:

It is just so weird how this water park was abandoned. It was just, literally, abandoned. It looks the way a water park would look if zombies overran the earth...or if that rapture thing happened...or the way water parks will look when the calendar switches over from 2012 to 2013...or the way it was supposed to look when the calendar switched over from 1999 to 2000 and all the power plants shut down and the nuclear missiles went off...or the way water parks will look when the polar caps melt and all the crops dry up.

It's like the River Country employees one day just ran for their lives and left things exactly as they were. Weird. So weird. I mean, look at that table. It's perfectly good. Tables like that cost, what, $200 apiece? Why just leave it out in the elements? Why not round stuff up and put it away? Why just leave your assets out in the elements to rot?

And get photographed?

By trolls?

And lawyers?

Here's another shot with the camera panned all the way to the right:

Notice the cinder blocks stacked up against the fence. I wonder if this is a crude attempt to keep the trolls and lawyers out?

My apologies to all the newcomers here who don't get the inside humor. Just stick around. You'll figure it out...

And now here I am looking over the cinder blocks:

I wonder if things like the outdoor showers still work here?

And here you can see one of those signs they put up by the landscaping to, you know, tell you what kind of tree you're looking at:

You know, I always wondered about this practice. I mean, who cares? Who in his right mind is going to take a break from all the fun of tubing and body sliding to read a sign about a tree? Just like who's going to stop on their way to ride a roller coaster to admire some bird or overgrown possum?

I read a very interesting story about this practice. Legend holds that when Walt was getting ready to open Disneyland, all the attractions were ready to go, but some of the details were still not finished. One of those details was the landscaping. His landscapers hadn't dug up all the areas covered with weeds and planted pretty things yet, so he just ordered them to put up some of these signs to trick guests into thinking the weeds were planted there on purpose and that they were looking at some exotic foliage!

I don't know if that story is true, but I like it.

So anyway, the sign above once called attention to shrubs called India Hawthorne that were planted here. Looks like they're all dead now. Here's what India Hawthorne looks like:

Clearly that's not here now.

I wonder if all the India Hawthorne was dug up or if it just died on its own? Either way, River Country was a very warm, colorful, charming place.

On our way back out of RC, we noticed these guys were re-mulching the walkway in between the pavilion and the back of Pioneer Hall:

Interesting that the workers must wear orange safety vests even when they're not doing road work. Maybe Disney is worried they'll get mowed down by the monster diesel golf carts.

And the Clementine Beach sign is still here:

Just think -- soon that sign will be at the bottom of a Florida landfill.

If the sinister DVC Master Planners have their way, that is.

Just a bit later I snapped this shot of this couple with matching His and Her scooters:

Although it appears she is riding the "His" and he is riding the "Hers."

Blue is for boys, right?

And here's a familiar site sight:

Pink flamingos are OK. Just as long as they're not inflatable.

Looking back to the left we saw some tetherballers:

Such an awesome sport. I think there should be full contact tetherball.

Now here's something I do not like:

Shouldn't there be, you know, like a bush or something between those two sites? They could have dug up the India Hawthorne bushes at RC and planted them right here. Instead you get to have a Grand Gathering...

...with strangers...

...who, with my luck, would be weird.

For some reason, I attract weird people. I don't know why.

What's that, you say?

That's because I'm weird?

Hmph. Well, I might be weird, but you're wasting your life, reading my trip report!

No, seriously -- for some reason I attract weird people. One time I was in Manhattan, riding the subway, when this very weird lady carrying a drum entered my car. She proceeded to sit indian-style on the nasty subway car floor and started beating the drum, singing an awful song: "I'm broke! I'm broke! Gimme some money, I'm broke!" Well, no one gave her any money, so she stood up and started looking for a seat. And I knew -- I KNEW -- she would come over and sit with me.

Sure enough, she sat herself right next to me, drum and all...and decided to strike up a conversation.

Awkward.

Speaking of awkward, I have a great story to tell of extreme awkwardness while waiting in line to go down the pool slide. Don't let me forget that story. Hint -- it involves an innocent Asian family and one of those mean, aggressive, destructive, annoying, improperly parented boys, like that kid "Spencer" from that awesome episode of "Everyone Loves Raymond." This kid:

Don't let me forget.

Back to looping, we noticed these tents:

Zoe was having a blast, riding in the cart:

Look at her teeth. For some reason, they look funny to me.

I then noticed this guy in the bushes:

OK, let me go ahead and post this installment.

The Great Moment of Awkwardness at the Fort Pool Slide is up next.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Love the night time photos I think the parks look best at night. Glad to hear you get your money out of your Florida pass, we just took advantage of a offer for those nasty DVC owners get to but a one year Premium AP pass good for the waterparks, DisneyQuest and one of the golf course for only $399, seemd to good to pass on so we bought 4 of them for our next trip and have until Dec. 31 2013 to activate them, we are planning on giving them to the kids for a Christmas present.

Always sorry to see the old River Country like that just glad we were able to get the kids there at least once even if they do not remember it we do have pictures of them there, anyway great trip report and love your photos!!!!!!

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

I think with River Country, they just closed for their annual refurb one year, the refurb was never started, so there it sat.

The operations crew was probably sent to Typhoon Lagoon and/or Blizzard Beach during the shut down, and eventually were permanently reassigned there.

It would have been the refurb crew that would have collected the tables, chairs and other usable items for cleaning, and for some odd reason this was never done.

[The Troll 67]

Love the night time photos I think the parks look best at night. Glad to hear you get your money out of your Florida pass, we just took advantage of a offer for those nasty DVC owners get to but a one year Premium AP pass good for the waterparks, DisneyQuest and one of the golf course for only $399, seemd to good to pass on so we bought 4 of them for our next trip and have until Dec. 31 2013 to activate them, we are planning on giving them to the kids for a Christmas present.

Always sorry to see the old River Country like that just glad we were able to get the kids there at least once even if they do not remember it we do have pictures of them there, anyway great trip report and love your photos!!!!!!

Wow, your pass does sound like an excellent deal if you use them! Golf alone can be very expensive.

So glad you're enjoying the TR!

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Another great installment! RC pictures always make me sad.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Wow, your pass does sound like an excellent deal if you use them! Golf alone can be very expensive.

So glad you're enjoying the TR!

We figured that even just tickets for a 1 week trip with the option would be a higher cost plus with a 1 year pass it makes it easier for me to convince the wife to take a long trip to the Fort!!!!!!

[The Troll 67]

Time for more Troll goodness, folks!

Two updates on one day!

I want to get caught up for the days I didn't post an update.

Sorry about that.

Anyway, as we learned in the last update, today Mrs. Troll and I decided to spend the day at the Fort. We started with a fun Kenny cart ride around the campground. Then we headed back to camp to change into our bathing suits.

We rode over to the Fort pool and set up at a table under an umbrella. Trolls don't like sun, if you remember. So we'll start this update out with a POV shot:

You're sitting by the pool, relaxing, and taking in the sights!

I probably should have tried harder to focus on the pool and not my leg. Sorry about that.

Here's what the pool looked like in focus:

It was a nice, warm day...great for getting hot and then cooling off by taking a dip.

Here's a very rare sight at the Fort pool:

Empty chairs!

And they're truly empty -- there's not even towels placed on them by hogs wanting to "reserve" them for later.

Mrs. Troll packed me some peanuts in the shell:

Notice that they'd still be good today!

Mmmm...salty peanuts...

Here's the fun slide:

Notice there's only one girl in line! It was calling my name.

Here I am, trying to be creative:

Sure is a good thing digital photos are free. Could you imagine if I had to buy film?

The peanuts were intended to stave off hunger, but all they really served to do was be an appetizer. I quickly became very hungry.

So I went and bought a delicious Fort BBQ sandwich:

First I made the Baptists and Mormons drink, now I'm making folks on diets hungry.

OK, so I alluded to it earlier -- now here it is. The story of Extreme Awkwardness at the Top of the Fort Slide.

In order to tell the story properly, I must fully set it up.

Let me first introduce the characters involved.

First, you have me, the Troll. You already know who I am. So no explanation needed.

Next, insert an Asian tourist family on vacation. The family consisted of the Asian dad, who looked just like this guy:

Got him? Burn him into your imagination.

He had three kids with him, all under the age of ten. There was a mom, too, but she seemed to be the very serious, business-like type who didn't go in the pool or slide down the slide.

I am confident these folks were either from mainland China or Taiwan, on vacation. The dad could speak English, but it was very, very rough.

So you're with me so far? Innocent, fun-loving Chinese family from a Communist country, on vacation. This may be an opportunity of a lifetime for them. The Chinese dad was having a ball with his kids, going down the slide over and over and over while his dour wife looked on in disapproval.

So let's sum up -- we have the Fort pool slide, a Chinese family enjoying the slide, and the Troll, also enjoying the slide and delighted to see folks from another land enjoying our country.

Enter our villain:

Yes, it's Damien, star of "The Omen" and son of the Prince of Darkness, Satan himself.

Now, you know this kid. Every sensible married adult somehow has a child like this in his or her life. Maybe he's the son of your best friend. Maybe he's the son of the neighbors down the street. Maybe he's the son of friends your wife insists on inviting to dinner.

He's the kid with an evil, bloody mean streak. He's the kid his parents think is so "gifted" or "cute" or "mischievous," when you know him for what he is -- possessed.

By a type 3 minor demon.

When this child comes to your house, he climbs up on your coffee table, grabs the decorative marbles out of your table centerpiece, and starts flinging them at the walls and windows. While this is happening, the parents of said demon-possessed child are obliviously quaffing down booze, telling some annoying story about how well this child is doing at "school" (aka, daycare). This leaves you in the terribly awkward, compromised position of having to discipline the demon yourself...otherwise your prized 60 inch flat screen LCD TV that you plan to watch the Miami Dolphins game on on Sunday will get one of those decorative marbles pitched into it.

And the Dolphins are playing the Jets, their arch rivals.

So you know the kid I'm talking about.

Don't pretend you don't.

Don't try that holier-than-thou, "Every child is a gift from God" crap with me.

Every child is, indeed, a gift. Demons are not.

So that's our villain in this story -- a mean-streaked, demon-possessed, hyperactive, destructive 9-year-old boy...whose parents are lounging by the pool, pouring booze down their throats and comparing ankle tattoos.

You know, I really need to invest in a tiny, waterproof digital camera so that I can properly document these experiences of mine. Words just don't do them justice.

OK, so here's the Troll, minding his own business, going up the steps to the slide. When I get to the top, I realize that a line of about 15 people has somehow developed. No problem -- the line goes fast, as the slide only lasts about 20 seconds. So there I am, waiting in line, when I notice the happy Chinese family. The Chinese children are excitedly saying happy things in Chinese to their father, who happily responds by laughing and pointing at various things from this awesome elevated vantage point. The Chinese family is in front of me in line.

So everything's OK, right? Nothing abnormal. Everything's fine. Just a happy, warm day at the Fort...the kind you daydream about while filing expense reports at work on your work computer that doesn't work properly.

Everything was fine, that is, until I heard it...

...coming from behind me...

...up the stairs...

...toward us...

It was some, bizarre, snarling, screeching, howl. I turned my head to see the demon coming up the steps at a full tilt run, arms dangling behind him, looking like a starving zombie wanting to eat me.

Something like this:

Only there was no blood.

And he was in a bathing suit.

And was 9-years-old.

One thought bubbled to my consciousness: "Uh oh."

I immediately sensed something bad was going to happen. I was tempted, even, to abandon my attempt to go down the slide just to avoid this demon child.

So are you still with me?

Innocent, happy Chinese family in line in front of me, about to go down the slide. Troll in line waiting to do the same thing. Evil child emerges up the steps. Troll senses impending doom.

OK, now, if you've never been down the Fort slide, mounted on the wooden rail right at the entrance to the slide is a red button. It looks sort of like this:

Only it doesn't say "Emergency stop" on it. There's also a red light/green light mounted at the top of the slide, which is designed to tell the slide rider when the previous rider is out of the way, so it's safe to jump onto the slide. You don't go down the slide until the light turns green.

Now, every once in a while, the traffic light gets stuck. When this happens, you just press the red button to reset it. Simple.

Well, to civilized human beings it is.

So there we were, awaiting our turn to slide. The Chinese dad's first son took his turn, laughing innocently all the way down. You know, behaving the way a properly adjusted child should.

But then the catalyst event occurred. The traffic light got stuck on red, even though the Chinese boy had cleared the slide and swum out of the way. So the Chinese dad, realizing the purpose of the reset button, did what you're supposed to -- he pressed it. And, sure enough, the traffic light was reset and it turned green.

Well, Damien, our villain, saw the Chinese dad do this and decided he should, too.

Only there was no need to, as the traffic light was now working properly.

Oh, and the fact that Damien decided not to press the button with his finger but with his fist.

I am not making this up.

This disturbed 9-year-old child bared his teeth and literally started PUNCHING the reset button. Repeatedly. Over and over and over.

You know that "hi-ya!" grunt that karate teachers tell their students to make when they throw a karate chop? Well the kid was sort of making that noise each time he punched the button, but it was more like a snarl, like this: "Grr! Grr! Grr! Grr! Grr!"

So here I am, in that terribly awkward moment of witnessing a child who is not yours behaving destructively, disturbingly, defiantly...and you don't know what to do. If you say something to the child, he may attack you...or his parents might sue you or something. So I was stuck...frozen...powerless...it was like an episode of that show "What Would You Do?" and I was failing.

Now you may not know this, but people in China still hold antiquated beliefs that we in America have long abandoned -- you know, like the ridiculous, outmoded notion that children are subordinate to adults. So because the Chinese dad was under the impression of these false, archaic values, he turned to this innocent darling child who was just trying to be himself and said something totally offensive and unacceptable:

"No."

Yes, that's right, folks -- how dare he?! He told a child who was not his own, "No."

Well, since Damien is so gifted and grown up for his age, he quickly realized that he had been slighted by this adult. He slowly looked up at him with blood in his eye, curled his lip, furrowed his brow, and yelled, "Shut up, stupid! You did it! How come you can do it and I can't?!"

Then he turned back to the button and continued smashing it.

Shocked and baffled, the Chinese dad turned to me, the only other adult up here in line with a puzzled, questioning look on his face. And I knew it was directed at me: "How can you Americans allow your children to behave like animals, destroying private property?"

Granted, he didn't say that literally in words, but the look on his face said it all.

I shrugged and threw my hands up.

Afterwards I decided that I should probably not go down the slide anymore that day.

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

I bet you wanted to give that demon child a good butt whooping! There's some solace for me to think that somewhere down the line he will get the whooping he deserves. Mommy and Daddy can't protect snowflake forever!

Love the nite shots!

[PrincessNana 15]

Love your trip report! I have been guilty of using my best teacher voice and "the look" a couple of times around the pool area, much to the embarassment of my grand kids. But sometimes, enough is enough. Can't wait to read the next installment.

[The Troll 67]

I bet you wanted to give that demon child a good butt whooping! There's some solace for me to think that somewhere down the line he will get the whooping he deserves. Mommy and Daddy can't protect snowflake forever!

Love the nite shots!

Actually, I wanted to get away. I was afraid of the child. Ever since watching that terror-inflicting horror known as "The Exorcist," I have a terrible phobia of demons...and attics.

Hoo boy, don't like going up in the attic!

Love your trip report! I have been guilty of using my best teacher voice and "the look" a couple of times around the pool area, much to the embarassment of my grand kids. But sometimes, enough is enough. Can't wait to read the next installment.

I'm glad you like the trip report! You have some guts. I admire people who are still willing to take some authority. I'm too chicken, admittedly.

[The Troll 67]

OK, let's journey on!

When we last left off, the Troll and an innocent Chinese family on the vacation of their lives were being haunted by a type 3 minor demon. I needed to get away, as I was afraid of this child. Maybe you're saying to yourself right now, "Oh, come on, Troll! Stop your silly exaggerating? Are you really suggesting that a 43-year-old man who served in the military is really afraid of a 9-year-old little boy?"

Yes.

So I had to escape. And this was the fastest way:

So the Chinese family in front of me decided to take the same route -- down the slide. Only problem was we couldn't trust the traffic light to tell us when it was safe to go, as the demon child was still smashing the reset button. So we just did it by eye. We watched for the previous slider to hit the pool before we slid down ourselves.

So here I am, making my big getaway:

Phew! That was close.

I swam immediately away from the slide, as I knew Damien would be sliding down next.

I hopped out of the pool and took my seat under the umbrella. A few minutes later, the pool party decided to start...although by our recollection it wasn't supposed to start for another hour. At first, that was OK by me, as I figured watching the pool party would be fun.

Famous last words.

The first game was Disney trivia, which I thought I'd do very well at. I mean, I didn't actually go over and play said trivia game with the elementary school children, but I played from afar, sort of the way you do when watching "Jeopardy" on TV.

Well, I did NOT do well.

I bombed.

The quiz master kept asking questions that NO one would know the answer to, like, "What is the alien spider/crab-like villain in 'Treasure Planet' who attempts to stage a mutiny on the ship?"

Um...what?

Is that even a Disney movie?

And then: "What is the evil queen from 'Snow White''s real name?"

You're kidding, right?

So let's see how well the Fiends do on these questions. Who can get them right? Anyone? NO GOOGLING! You're on your honor!

I only got one question right: What's the tallest ride at Walt Disney World?

Answer: Expedition Everest.

That one was easy.

After the trivia game, the kids were pretty much dejected, self-esteem smashed. So the party hosts decided it was time for a physical game instead of a game of wits...or, well, a game that judges a person's obsession with obscure details out of feature length cartoons. The next game was perhaps the most ill-conceived child's game in the history of child entertainment. It involved a bucket full of holes and a jug from a water cooler. You know, one of these things:

The game involved two teams. There were ten kids per team. The object was to form sort of a bucket brigade. The kid furthest from the cooler jug fills the bucket with pool water and then the bucket is passed from kid to kid until it arrives at the kid closest to the jug. That kid then uses what's left in the bucket to fill the cooler jug. The team that fills their cooler jug first wins! The catch, of course, is that the buckets used to carry the water are full of holes, which is designed to create a sense of urgency in the kids to move the bucket quickly along the bucket brigade so that the bucket is most filled by the time it arrives at the jug.

What's that, you say? A totally asinine game? Exactly.

Here's the problem -- the teams are comprised of 4-year-olds, who don't understand the concept of the buckets leaking water. These are children who haven't quite yet mastered the concept of, "None, some, most, all." So when the game host blew the whistle to start the game, the bucket got moved very slowly by both teams, meaning that by the time it arrived at the jug, there was only a thimble-full of water left in it.

So this game was agonizingly long.

So long, in fact, that the 19-year-old girl on loan from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology officiating the game -- who started out all peppy and animated, probably hoping to get discovered by a Hollywood producer -- got bored, disinterested, and started flashing glances at her watch and rolling her eyes. Soon she got very put out and angry, chiding the children: "You guys have to move the bucket faster! Come on! Can't you see? The water is leaking out! Oh, for heaven's sake! No...not like that, you nitwit! I mean, come on! This isn't very hard!"

This poor girl. When she caught wind of this "great" opportunity to "intern" for the great Walt Disney Company -- the company that owns ABC, ESPN, Pixar Studios, and Touchstone Pictures -- she surely had visions of doing exciting, challenging intern work as a TV/movie production assistant. She probably saw herself standing next to a big movie director, serving as his right-hand lady.

Instead she got here and was handed a whistle and a microphone and was told, "Here. You get to babysit!"

After 20 agonizing minutes, the bucket brigade game was clearly fail. So South Dakota girl finally put an end to it by just announcing, "OK, that's it. Game over. The blue team wins." She then signaled the girl working the stereo system to kick on the music so she could go take a smoke break...even though she didn't smoke.

So blaring, annoying tweener music sung by the "stars" of Disney Channel shows was kicked on, and Mrs. Troll and I realized it was time to get out of here. So we decided to head for the peace and quiet of the cabins pool. As we were walking back to the cart parking area, we noticed that archery lessons were being given:

We then hopped in the Kenny cart and quickly found our way to the "adult" pool:

Ahhhhhhhh...

So here's some shots of around the cabins pool:

It's, you know, a pool.

Not unlike the pools at the gazillion seedy condos along the hundreds of miles of beach in Florida.

Again, it's a good thing I'm not paying for film for all of this.

I dunno, maybe if you're a student at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and you're reading this in your dorm room in the dead of winter as snow is streaming down from the sky sideways, maybe these shots appeal to you. Otherwise they're pretty doggone dull.

I then noticed this letter posted:

Translation: Warning! You might get mauled by bears. Put your crap away, slob.

Notice anything odd about this door:

Yep, no doorknob. Odd.

OK, football is getting ready to start. Enough for now.

If you're beginning to think this trip report is never going to end, you're right!

[Southern Blessings 4]

Sorry about your experience with the demon child! I'll be the first to admit my boys are wild, but if they acted that way and talked to another adult like that, they would get their tails torn up!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Norm- I was out of town for the weekend, and off the grid so to speak, so I just got caught up.

I loved the night MK photos- it is always nice when you can visit and not be packed in a crowd.

When the new slide first at the Meadow pool first opened, they had a lifeguard on duty up top. They used to do this at the other resorts, too. I guess they got tired of paying someone to sit there, so that gives demon children free reign.

TCD

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

I have no problem talking to someone else's kid if I think they are doing something that puts someone else's safety at risk. I will do it nicely but the over arching theme will be "knock it off". I have never had a parent say anything to me. If they did, I would explain what there child was doing and why I said something. If they don't like that answer, they would probably like the follow up even less, aka, if you were doing your job (parenting) I wouldn't have to be talking to your child.

[Hotmamac aka Misty 11]

I also would have no problem telling another kid to knock it off and would welcome the chance to explain to his parents why I did so if they decided it was in their best interest to question me. But I'm still laughing at the Chinese children "saying happy things in Chinese". What a great update.

[SCTigerCock 171]

Demon Child is why i have a dog and am not asked to babysit.

Works for me.

Troll Family is up to two beers and doggie treats if we ever get to meet. You can decide the allocation for the family. Or the Mrs. can.

[The Troll 67]

Sorry about your experience with the demon child! I'll be the first to admit my boys are wild, but if they acted that way and talked to another adult like that, they would get their tails torn up!

I really wish more parents were like you!

Norm- I was out of town for the weekend, and off the grid so to speak, so I just got caught up.

I loved the night MK photos- it is always nice when you can visit and not be packed in a crowd.

When the new slide first at the Meadow pool first opened, they had a lifeguard on duty up top. They used to do this at the other resorts, too. I guess they got tired of paying someone to sit there, so that gives demon children free reign.

TCD

Welcome back! I remember the lifeguards being at the top of the slide. I'm surprised that there isn't one still.

I have no problem talking to someone else's kid if I think they are doing something that puts someone else's safety at risk. I will do it nicely but the over arching theme will be "knock it off". I have never had a parent say anything to me. If they did, I would explain what there child was doing and why I said something. If they don't like that answer, they would probably like the follow up even less, aka, if you were doing your job (parenting) I wouldn't have to be talking to your child.

Agree. But it just seems more and more people are taking the "hands off" approach to parenting.

I also would have no problem telling another kid to knock it off and would welcome the chance to explain to his parents why I did so if they decided it was in their best interest to question me. But I'm still laughing at the Chinese children "saying happy things in Chinese". What a great update.

Glad you liked it, Misty. I'm just happy I escaped the demon child alive!

Demon Child is why i have a dog and am not asked to babysit.

Works for me.

Troll Family is up to two beers and doggie treats if we ever get to meet. You can decide the allocation for the family. Or the Mrs. can.

Ha! You don't have to ask me twice. Free beer? I'm there.

[The Troll 67]

OK, picking up where we left off, the Trolls were at the "quiet" pool over by the cabins. It was, indeed, nice to get away from all the noise and lame pool games. Eventually, though, we got waterlogged, so we decided to head back to camp and take the dogs looping.

We headed over to the group camping area, which, at the moment was entirely empty.

Our dogs like the group camping area:

Notice again that we're using those newfangled fiber optic glass leashes that are almost invisible!

The pups got thirsty:

Elma was having a ball:

Those glass leashes are long!

I really like the group camping area. It's cool:

I'm not sure when this area was built. Anyone know?

That bridge connects to the dog walk that connects to the 700 loop:

I've done a shot like this in a previous trip report. Sorry to Troll Trip Report veterans for the rerun:

Ahhhhh...the Fort. If you haven't been in a long, long while, I hope this is giving you a bit of a fix.

The pups were running around so much, they got tired quickly:

Now time for some looping:

Notice the golf cart in the back of that truck.

And these folks were TECHNICALLY breaking the rules by feeding the wildlife:

And here's a POV shot for you:

You're looping! You're looping!

Looping!

Even if you're sitting at your kitchen table at home in Nebraska, you're looping!

OK, up next, we make a nighttime visit to Epcot!

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Ok Troll...I'm home from my long weekend of camping and have caught up.

I would have loved to have shoved that demon kid down the slide head first. Or tossed him off the platform to the concrete below. What? Too violent? Hey, I've seen the Omen. What he did to that priest was horrible. Throw him overboard, or he will throw you.

[PlaneCrazy 0]

Great trip report. I had to read all the way to this point so I could comment on your post about doing cannon balls off the rocks at the old River Country.

I also remember doing this as a kid. I also seem to remember that the was a zip line that was probably more dangerous than jumping off the rocks. I wondered if you remembered that too?

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Great photos of the group camping area, Norm.

Those leashes are really cool- I can't see them at all. Gotta love technology.

As far as when Creekside Meadow was built, I know it was not at the Fort when it opened.

I think it was added when they added the 2000 and 2100 loops, some time in the late '70's.

TCD

[Just Beachy 18]

I love your description of the scene at the slide! I caught myself laughing out loud at my desk. Thankfully no one noticed anything odd about that, though. I would like to think I would have said something to the kid, but I'm afraid, like you, I would have frozen up and gotten out of there also. However, the older I get, the less I care what other people think about what I say. I love people who have no problem speaking up.