March 2016 Pre Trip and Trip reports

[tiggerdad]

Oh yeah, I'll bet Tiggerdad's bag of peanuts that fellow DIS'ers will be driving by his site on their carts snapping pictures of the world famous Bama_Ed and his Aliner!

 

[bama_ed]

Oh yeah, I'll bet Tiggerdad's bag of peanuts that fellow DIS'ers will be driving by his site on their carts snapping pictures of the world famous Bama_Ed and his Aliner!

Okay Randy, I'm sorry (again) but I think you are getting the hang of it.

Oh the interwebz buzz when I am at the Fort. I have seen pictures of my popup (with my wooden Musket Mickey and my green DIS sign with my name) posted on other fan websites (IIRC it was March 2012). Nothing but friendly comments with the picture, of course, as one would expect. But I quit logging into those other websites a long time ago so I bet it's not a big deal any more.

I am always up for meeting folks and putting faces with names. When I worked in Sales and went out to meet my customers I enjoyed that aspect of it.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

Ed,

If you want to see some 'real' baseball, the Cardinals are over in Jupiter all week.

Sounds like a great trip plan so far. We don't go often enough to be satisfied only doing one park, even with all the closings, but it would be nice to get outside the World and see some of the other things in the area.

j

Jim, actually, I would love to see the Cards in Jupiter. When DW and I got married, our matrimonial home was a condo off the Indiantown Road exit of the Florida Turnpike and I95 in Jupiter. That was decades ago but from there we made three or four trips to the Fort (those late 80s dates in my signature) which were her first visits to WDW and first camping experiences. Each one holds memories. My old condo is now 4 miles from the Cardinal's spring training location but Jupiter is almost 2.5 hours each way from the Fort so that's a little further than I want to go. The Tigers are in Lakeland and that about 45 minutes which is the furthest. I'd go an hour each way but that's about it.

Back then when I lived in Jupiter, the Braves trained over near West Palm Beach and the Dodgers were still in Vero. While I love college football, I like MLB and my Indians because in a 162-game season, even the best teams barely win 60% of their games. So I enjoy the game and sounds more and don't worry as much as I do about college football whether the Indians win or lose that particular game.

I particularly love listening to the Indians spring training games from Arizona on MLB.tv because the announcers start telling stories about the old days and the old stars that I grew up listening to and hearing about.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

Jim, actually, I would love to see the Cards in Jupiter... My old condo is now 4 miles from the Cardinal's spring training location.

Jupiter is a drive from the Fort. Baseball is the only stick/ball sport I enjoy and living in STL you have to be a Cardinals fan. I know they, along with the Yankees, are the team everyone loves to hate, but they play consistently good ball.

I've never been to Spring training. I think we may have to do that in 2018, after DS is out of school. We are planning the Fort in the fall of 17. We will probably bring my 4 year old niece and I suppose her mother, my sister. My sister has never seen the ocean and is already begging to spend a day at the beach "since there isn't very much to see at WDW if you're an adult." I told her she will have so much fun in 10 days at the Fort and the parks that she'll forget about the ocean. And any more talk like that and I'm taking my niece without her mom.

j

 

[tltay2005]

Just ordered a new mattress for the TT, maybe now I won't have to take a Benedryl to sleep through the night.

DH wants to put an Ohio State sticker on my cart.....my OCD is saying no, it just won't match, lol. Our cart is blue, so maybe a TB Rays sticker would be ok.

 

[amcc]

We will be there March 23-28 in a tent/popup site and we will overlap with a lot of others! We can't wait! It will be one of our usual trips with no visits to the parks and lots of hanging out by the pool (hopefully!), bikes, and food and drink. One of the kids wants to do the horseback riding so maybe some of them will do that, I'd like a drink on the Poly beach, and multiple viewings of the fireworks from the Fort. We were there last spring break and it was the most crowded I've ever seen it - much more than the summer and this past New Year's. You could barely see the pool for the people!

Our site will be the one with the rugs and the fans. My husband hates the sand and, as true Floridians, we need fans and A/C all the time!

If anyone ends up going to Lakeland, take a spin to Florida Southern College - the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the U.S. Very cool if that's your thing.

 

[Boopuff]

I'm braving the Spring Break crowd as well. Heading in on March 19 for a reunion with my Disney daughter. With crowd levels at 10 I'm thinking time at Mickeys Retreat might just be the answer. And just hanging out at our RV.

 

[peg110]

Okay Randy, I'm sorry (again) but I think you are getting the hang of it.

I have a strange feeling, that in a month or so, this will require another explanation. I'd be willing to bet Tiggerdad's Squirrels (if they'd go)

 

[SouthAlabama5er]

I believe that Bama_Ed has started something....

 

[bama_ed]

We will be there March 23-28 in a tent/popup site and we will overlap with a lot of others! We can't wait! It will be one of our usual trips with no visits to the parks and lots of hanging out by the pool (hopefully!), bikes, and food and drink. One of the kids wants to do the horseback riding so maybe some of them will do that, I'd like a drink on the Poly beach, and multiple viewings of the fireworks from the Fort. We were there last spring break and it was the most crowded I've ever seen it - much more than the summer and this past New Year's. You could barely see the pool for the people!

Our site will be the one with the rugs and the fans. My husband hates the sand and, as true Floridians, we need fans and A/C all the time!

If anyone ends up going to Lakeland, take a spin to Florida Southern College - the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the U.S. Very cool if that's your thing.

Great! I want to hear in person about your latest mods on the popup. Bama Ed

PS - Oh and tltay2005, I know what you mean about the mattress. We got 2 inch memory foam toppers from Overstock.com years ago for our old popup which helped our sleep experience immensely!

 

[Boomer1]

Good news today. I was called to work some overtime and was able to leverage an extra day off for the end of my vacation. We will be able to stay until March 21st.
With this new development it appears that I may get to experience the coveted experience of meeting Bama Ed. Now I must prepare myself. Tigger dad, should I fast, meditate or just wear a high SPF sunscreen?

 

[tiggerdad]

I believe that Bama_Ed has started something....

Dude, Bama_Ed started it all.

Good news today. I was called to work some overtime and was able to leverage an extra day off for the end of my vacation. We will be able to stay until March 21st.
With this new development it appears that I may get to experience the coveted experience of meeting Bama Ed. Now I must prepare myself. Tigger dad, should I fast, meditate or just wear a high SPF sunscreen?

No, none of it will help. The shear magnitude of the accomplishment of meeting Ed is something you will tell your grandchildren about. I'm telling you, when he arrives you will know it. There will be a solar eclipse, possibly even 3 of them. The outdoor movie that night will be video of Ed's arrival and backing into his campsite.

 

[bama_ed]

The outdoor movie that night will be video of Ed's arrival and backing into his campsite.

At least that way I'll be ready for my arrival at Gulf Shores.

Bama Ed

 

[tltay2005]

We will be there March 23-28 in a tent/popup site and we will overlap with a lot of others! We can't wait! It will be one of our usual trips with no visits to the parks and lots of hanging out by the pool (hopefully!), bikes, and food and drink. One of the kids wants to do the horseback riding so maybe some of them will do that, I'd like a drink on the Poly beach, and multiple viewings of the fireworks from the Fort. We were there last spring break and it was the most crowded I've ever seen it - much more than the summer and this past New Year's. You could barely see the pool for the people!

Our site will be the one with the rugs and the fans. My husband hates the sand and, as true Floridians, we need fans and A/C all the time!

If anyone ends up going to Lakeland, take a spin to Florida Southern College - the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the U.S. Very cool if that's your thing.

You mention Lakeland, do you live there or somewhere in Polk County? We live in Winter Haven.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

We will be there from March 24th - March 27th.

1) Darn.
2) Will just miss you.
3) We plan upon being at The Fort 3/30-4/6, when the two daughters come down from Ohio.
4) This year it is just the daughters. Next year, they will include our Granddaughters and two Great-Granddaughters.
5) Am looking forward to next year, AND how to avoid the American Express Hitmen looking for their payment.

 

[tltay2005]

1) Darn.
2) Will just miss you.
3) We plan upon being at The Fort 3/30-4/6, when the two daughters come down from Ohio.
4) This year it is just the daughters. Next year, they will include our Granddaughters and two Great-Granddaughters.
5) Am looking forward to next year, AND how to avoid the American Express Hitmen looking for their payment.

My Disney Visa feels the pain, but at least I get Disney reward points that I can use towards my next camping trip or cruise!

 

[tiggerdad]

My Disney Visa feels the pain, but at least I get Disney reward points that I can use towards my next camping trip or cruise!

Amen!

 

[bama_ed]

<sigh> The Accuweather forecast for Orlando shows daily temps out to March 24 as of this morning. I don't know why they bother that far out but at least it's something to look at and anticipate.

(highs mid-70's with lows mid-50's is what it's showing - right at about the seasonal norms).

Counting down the days....

Bama Ed

 

[tltay2005]

<sigh> The Accuweather forecast for Orlando shows daily temps out to March 24 as of this morning. I don't know why they bother that far out but at least it's something to look at and anticipate.

(highs mid-70's with lows mid-50's is what it's showing - right at about the seasonal norms).

Counting down the days....

Bama Ed

Our weather here in Central Fl ( I live about 35 minutes SW of WDW) can be all over the place, I don't rely on any forecast until about 5 days out. I will try to post updates as we get closer to our travel dates.

 

[peg110]

I don't know why they bother that far out

They have a hard enough time predicting it 2 days out. I laugh when I look at things like a "10 Day" forecast. The only thing funnier than a 10 day forecast is the "50 percent chance of....." REALLY?!?!? I can do that as well and have a 100% success rate.