An Open Live Trip Report the Last Week of March 2014

[Rland8228]

Bama Ed, glad you made it home safe.Thank you so much for posting a live trip report. I will try when we get there to do a live report as well. Not sure how good it will be but i will try. I can honestly say that if it was not for the fact of you and a couple of the other regular posters on here i would have never picked the fort and honestly would have never bought our pop up. So really i guess I owe it all to you for getting me hooked on camping lol. Although hubby and I have been discussing possibly taking a tent down. To make a long story short, (I know you had posted back when we had purchased our aero lite and we had the weight issues and then purchased the pop up)the tow vehicle that we bought to use at the beginning of the year from a reputable used dealership, has turned into a nightmare. It needed 2900 worth of work and still needs a few things . Although the Dodge caravan can tow the pop up with no problem, I am a little hesitant to drive it all the way from PA to FL. Driving around here locally is one thing. So we will be making our final decision today.

 

[bama_ed]

Bama Ed, glad you made it home safe.Thank you so much for posting a live trip report. I will try when we get there to do a live report as well. Not sure how good it will be but i will try. I can honestly say that if it was not for the fact of you and a couple of the other regular posters on here i would have never picked the fort and honestly would have never bought our pop up. So really i guess I owe it all to you for getting me hooked on camping lol. Although hubby and I have been discussing possibly taking a tent down. To make a long story short, (I know you had posted back when we had purchased our aero lite and we had the weight issues and then purchased the pop up)the tow vehicle that we bought to use at the beginning of the year from a reputable used dealership, has turned into a nightmare. It needed 2900 worth of work and still needs a few things . Although the Dodge caravan can tow the pop up with no problem, I am a little hesitant to drive it all the way from PA to FL. Driving around here locally is one thing. So we will be making our final decision today.

Rland,

If you can do a live TR, great, but don't let it interfere with having a good time with your family. My kids are older and require less supervision. Plus our touring style is "one day in parks, one day not" which gives me time to post and catch up. So do what you can but don't feel forced to do one.

Also on the question of Mickey's Backyard BBQ or Hoop Dee Doo Review, they are different experiences. While we never did the BBQ, I've seen it in action plenty of times. It is a character interaction meal. If that's what you want that's what you'll get. The kids get up and dance with the characters while the band plays and take breaks to eat. HDDR is a show where you sit and watch performers on stage (although they do visit the floor frequently).

For everyone, I also ran a WIFI speed test on the Trails End porch the second time I went over there to pick up sides for supper. Lots of folks outside for the 615pm HDDR and it was synchronous - 2.3Mb/s both up and down. I've had slower free WIFI in campgrounds. I sent the kids over there when they wanted to stream YouTube videos because my cellular carrier was sending me warnings ("you are at 65% of your monthly data allowance").

Bama Ed

 

[cousineddie]

We'll, the camper is in the overflow lot and we're hitting the last few things before we head out. We were invited by Disney on check-in day to preorder and set up at time for Be Our Guest lunch and it did not disappoint. We also finally met our neighbor (FSU Ed?) I know it's Ed but not Bama Ed who we've been parked next to all week but never talked until this morning. Got a few rides in this morning, a little shopping done, the Festival of Fantasy parade, and now we've got one more set of Quick Services to burn so it's off to Japan (and maybe a pint in UK) before we head off northwesterly.

 

[JETS70]

1st stop to get on 75 South. Waiting on the kids to meet us from Lexington. It's DS' s birthday. We have a UK cake for him.

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[bama_ed]

We'll, the camper is in the overflow lot and we're hitting the last few things before we head out. We were invited by Disney on check-in day to preorder and set up at time for Be Our Guest lunch and it did not disappoint. We also finally met our neighbor (FSU Ed?) I know it's Ed but not Bama Ed who we've been parked next to all week but never talked until this morning. Got a few rides in this morning, a little shopping done, the Festival of Fantasy parade, and now we've got one more set of Quick Services to burn so it's off to Japan (and maybe a pint in UK) before we head off northwesterly.

Cousineddie, it was wonderful to have met you and take care of the family going home.

It's bizarre how they put the three of you DISsers (Jeepin' Dad, you, and FSU Ed) in the same loop within about 7 spaces of each other.

We got a BoG invitation while at the Fort too but when I clicked the link they had zero availability so I'm glad you got in. Maybe they only have so many and I was late to the dance (again). But when we were in MK, they had the dining room open before 10am (rope drop was a few minutes early at about 850am) and people were allowed to walk in and go to the edge of the room to look at it. It really is something. I figure they have to close it at 10am to set it up for lunch service which started at 1030. At 950am when we were looking at it a queue had already started for lunchtime (people trying to get walkups or no-show spots?)

Keep us updated please on the restoration efforts on the Airstream.

Bama ED

PS - FSU Ed, you better get that password workin' and post in here, brother, or else we're going to start talkin' bad about you.

 

[JETS70]

Sorry double posted. Rookie with the mobile photo bucket. Still learning Bama Ed !

 

[bama_ed]

Sorry double posted. Rookie with the mobile photo bucket. Still learning Bama Ed !

Too much power in the palm of your hand.

Bama Ed

 

[Disbug]

JETS70... I love the look of your camper! Like a new version of the old-fashioned wood panel trucks from the 60/70's! Do you have any photos of the inside you can share? I am a tent camper and have done pop-ups, but teardrops are catching my eye everywhere I see them! Also, did you make it yourself?

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . I'm going to step back a little now that my excitement and trip have peaked and are over . . .

1) Say it ain't so, Mr Ed.
2) It is fun to pick at each other
. . . you to me
. . . me to you
3) Now, the only picking options I have left are
. . . my garden crop
. . . my nose

 

[bama_ed]

1) Say it ain't so, Mr Ed.
2) It is fun to pick at each other
. . . you to me
. . . me to you
3) Now, the only picking options I have left are
. . . my garden crop
. . . my nose

Scupper, if you lob one like that out over the plate, you know I'm gonna take a swing at it.

Your little "script alabama" crack was misplaced. This from a state whose name only contains 4 letters? Where dotting the "i" is the the peak of a band member's career? Where cursive is an accomplishment? Do they give out trophies for seventh place too?

But you probably remember when you learned how to spell that state's name. 4 whole letters. Wow. I bet you were the pride of Sister Loretta's 12th grade class.





There. Was that okay?

Bama Ed

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . But you probably remember when you learned how to spell that state's name. 4 whole letters. Wow. I bet you were the pride of Sister Loretta's 12th grade class

1) It was Sister Mary Lillian.
2) And, it ONLY took me until the 10th grade.
3) By the way: Isn't Bama an extension campus of Auburn?

 

[tiggerdad]

1) It was Sister Mary Lillian.
2) And, it ONLY took me until the 10th grade.
3) By the way: Isn't Bama an extension campus of Auburn?

Ed...

I'm gonna have to cut him...

 

[JETS70]

JETS70... I love the look of your camper! Like a new version of the old-fashioned wood panel trucks from the 60/70's! Do you have any photos of the inside you can share? I am a tent camper and have done pop-ups, but teardrops are catching my eye everywhere I see them! Also, did you make it yourself?

Thanks for the compliment Disbug. I'm pretty proud of it. My Dad and I built it last winter. My Mom made the Mickey curtains and my wife did most of the supervisory work.
This is s link to my build journal on the teardrop trailer site. There are some amazing homebuilt campers on that site.

http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/album.php?album_id=2771

 

[Jeepin Dad]

We did about 12 hours of the trip home yesterday, spent the night at a Petersburg VA Wal-Mart, and got home about noon today. We had a wonderful week.

 

[cousineddie]

Just parked in the driveway. We had a blast! Glad to meet some of you in person and hope to catch up next time! Btw, our neighbors beat us home and were trying to talk us into coming back around Christmas, wanted to plan the next trip and we were still two and a half hours from home.

 

[Ham2000]

JETS70...

I love the base of your mickey lamp. I have an old milk jug like yours, but what did you put in the top to hold the lamp post? Did you do the writing for the letters or are they stickers or a stencil?

 

[JETS70]

JETS70...

I love the base of your mickey lamp. I have an old milk jug like yours, but what did you put in the top to hold the lamp post? Did you do the writing for the letters or are they stickers or a stencil?

Thanks Ham2000
I used a hole saw to cut a 2 inch thick piece of wood that fits into the post. I put screws threw the post into the wood. The wood disk is bolted to the lid and the cord has a plug that can be unplugged to separate the top from the base for transport. We had a friend paint the letters on the can. I printed out the names using waltograph font and she used that as a guide.

 

[JETS70]

Bama Ed
We are in site 122 next to the VIP cabins and the decorated sites you mentioned in an earlier post. You are right, the 100 loop is nice. Love the proximity to most everything.

 

[bama_ed]

Bama Ed
We are in site 122 next to the VIP cabins and the decorated sites you mentioned in an earlier post. You are right, the 100 loop is nice. Love the proximity to most everything.

It's a nice loop for those of use with smaller rigs. Some of the interior sites are a little tight though. I was in 127 at the corner of the loop near the entrance road last year.

The thing I like about the sites down near Bay Lake is not what you can see but what you can hear. In the early morning (7-730am) you can start hearing the steam whistle from the MK train and the bell from the boats.

In the evenings you can hear the EWP for the WL faintly about 930pm; Of course the EWP is at the Fort at 945, the MK fireworks occur at 10pm and you can hear the EWP faintly one last time at the CR starting at 1020. Boat whistles, train whistles, the clip clop of the wagon and carriage rides, the hoot owls in the morning going to the CS, the 100 loop is a symphony of sound. Birds sing all the time.

It's a cacophony of sound.

A picture of your site would be nice. Enjoy your stay, Jets!

Bama Ed

 

[JETS70]

I couldn't have described it better myself. Sorry about the lack of trip updates. Still a little unsure of the mobile PB. To much power in my hands.
I will try and post a couple of pics in the morning.