The Skeptical First-Timers made it back home, here's the TR! Completed!

[FosterA]

I LOVE THEM!!!!
hope you post more??? I scrap but i do the paper ones... I'm old fashioned!!!

Thanks! old-fashioned is good, I'm just too lazy and it takes me ages to do a page the paper way.

Love your pages! I used to be really into scrapbooking, but I just got tired of dragging 5 cases of instruments and embellishments and papers out everytime I wanted to work on them. If I had a room I could set up for just scrapping I would get back into it. Now I see a few of my friends suing these digital things and it looks awesome! You said you don't use a program? Thats even more impressive. I don't think I'm quite at that speed, but I would love to try out one of the digital programs.

Anyhoo....they look great!

Thanks. But Heavens NO!! I use a software program to do it, Polaroid My Memories. I design them from "scratch" using the software which means instead of just dropping photos into a "template" I'm still able to choose background papers and "embellishments" and all that and "design" it but I certainly use a program.

Love your scrapbook pages ! They came out great.

Thank ya!

I love your pages! I hope one day I have time to do my scrapbooks. I have almost 20 years of boxes of stuff to scrap for Katie.

Thanks!
You better get crackin' on your scrapbook before Katie has grandkids that you need to make scrapbooks for

 

[exwdwcm]

Just read your entire TR in a day! wooh! I am tired now.

Great report. Sounds like an amazing first stay for your family at the Poly!

As for a second trip, we've stayed at both POR and the cabins and liked both. POR Alligator Bayou is our fave mod. Love the theming there too- I think your hubby would enjoy it, very much like Ftw. I loved walking to the food court each morning- just a gorgeous walk. I did also enjoy the cabin at Ftw. We had plenty of room, our own kitchen, living room and loved the outdoor vibe too. We rented a car, so we didn't do the golf cart or use the buses really. But as a kid we camped there too and did use a golf cart and talk about FUN! as a kid, we got to drive them and loved it.

btw- thanks for all the notes on the crowds. We are booked for the week before Thanksgiving for 2012. We hope to arrive late Thursday night, November 8th, then stay until Saturday, November 17th. So hoping to beat all the Thanksgiving crowds. Love hearing how dead it was during the week.

Hope to see another TR from you in the future, it was a great ride!

 

[solana131]

Thanks. But Heavens NO!! I use a software program to do it, Polaroid My Memories. I design them from "scratch" using the software which means instead of just dropping photos into a "template" I'm still able to choose background papers and "embellishments" and all that and "design" it but I certainly use a program.

Ooooh that sounds great. I will have to check it out. I have seen alot with the templates like you said and where's the fun in that? Cool.

 

[lilpig]

I loved reading you TR, you should write! I am happy for you that your DH wants to go again. Your scrap pages are very nice, I see your son's flip flops are cropped out
I and my DH are taking are 3 kids really soon and your report is helpful.

 

[suzieQ36]

I love your scrapbook!!!

 

[CCIntrigue]

I just found your TR today and read it in its entirety. I love that your DH finally felt the magic while at Fort Wilderness!

We have been visiting WDW since 1975. For many trips we stayed in a suite in the Contemporary. Then suddenly, having never camped a day in my life, I got interested in RVs. Talked my DH into buying an Airstream trailer and off to the Fort we went. It was fabulous! Why did I ever think I was happy in a hotel room?!?!?

Fast forward to 2004 ... our son was getting married at Sunset Pointe behind the Polynesian. We were making a quick 4-5 day trip down for the wedding, and DH didn't want to pull the trailer down for such a short trip. So we got a room in the Alligator Bayou section of POR. We were miserable! Hated that place! Small rooms, outdoors not well lit at night, can't go anywhere without riding a bus or driving, I could go on and on but I won't because I know there are many POR fans here.

Staying at the Fort gives us an extirely different WDW experience. Much more relaxing. It's so nice sitting outdoors under our awning with a cup of coffee in the morning or late at night. We usually do a park in the morning, come back and rest/walk the dog, then at dinnertime go to another park. (We are huge MK fans and could visit it every day.) I cook our meals before we leave home and pop them in the freezer ... just thaw and microwave. Or I throw a few steaks on the grill and make a salad ... nothing fancy but a heck of a lot less expensive and also better than most counter service meals. And I don't like spending too much vacation time waiting in restaurants.

Yes, renting a golf cart from Disney is expensive ... but if you do your homework there are much more economical sources. Or PM me if you want some ideas. Or you can check out the Camping at Disney World board. One of the things we love to do in our down time is "loop" ... riding the golf cart around the campground and seeing everyone's decorations and rigs.

We have since "graduated" from our trailer to a Class A motorhome and hope to "camp" for many more years. Although I love having my luxuries (like my own washer/dryer, convection microwave, surround sound, etc.), I can honestly say that I would consider tent camping in WDW. That's the only place in the world I would do it.

And we don't consider having to take a bus to the outpost to catch a bus to our destination a problem. The internal buses come by every few minutes. We very rarely wait long. And if you have a golf cart, you can just zip up there in a couple of minutes (also to the marina area).

If you want to stay at Fort Wilderness but don't want a cabin, there are people who will rent you a spacious 5th wheel and golf cart. I have a friend who does this. He will pull in the RV and set it up for you. Then when you leave he will break it down and take it away. You pay his rental fee plus the campsite fee. I think he has rental info on the camping board. If not, I can put you in touch with him.

In short, Fort Wilderness is now the only resort in WDW that we'll stay at. We love it!

 

[FosterA]

Just read your entire TR in a day! wooh! I am tired now.

Great report. Sounds like an amazing first stay for your family at the Poly!

As for a second trip, we've stayed at both POR and the cabins and liked both. POR Alligator Bayou is our fave mod. Love the theming there too- I think your hubby would enjoy it, very much like Ftw. I loved walking to the food court each morning- just a gorgeous walk. I did also enjoy the cabin at Ftw. We had plenty of room, our own kitchen, living room and loved the outdoor vibe too. We rented a car, so we didn't do the golf cart or use the buses really. But as a kid we camped there too and did use a golf cart and talk about FUN! as a kid, we got to drive them and loved it.

btw- thanks for all the notes on the crowds. We are booked for the week before Thanksgiving for 2012. We hope to arrive late Thursday night, November 8th, then stay until Saturday, November 17th. So hoping to beat all the Thanksgiving crowds. Love hearing how dead it was during the week.

Hope to see another TR from you in the future, it was a great ride!

You will just love this time of year to go! The low crowds were great.
Thanks for reading my TR, all in one day too! wow. Glad it didn't put you to sleep

I loved reading you TR, you should write! I am happy for you that your DH wants to go again. Your scrap pages are very nice, I see your son's flip flops are cropped out
I and my DH are taking are 3 kids really soon and your report is helpful.

nice to have ya along! Yep...I did my best to crop out the flip flops since Allison was so horrified

I love your scrapbook!!!

Thanks!! I don't get very fancy with my pages at all like some people do. Just like to get the photos on there and sort of matted and grouped together and call it good

I just found your TR today and read it in its entirety. I love that your DH finally felt the magic while at Fort Wilderness!

We have been visiting WDW since 1975. For many trips we stayed in a suite in the Contemporary. Then suddenly, having never camped a day in my life, I got interested in RVs. Talked my DH into buying an Airstream trailer and off to the Fort we went. It was fabulous! Why did I ever think I was happy in a hotel room?!?!?

Fast forward to 2004 ... our son was getting married at Sunset Pointe behind the Polynesian. We were making a quick 4-5 day trip down for the wedding, and DH didn't want to pull the trailer down for such a short trip. So we got a room in the Alligator Bayou section of POR. We were miserable! Hated that place! Small rooms, outdoors not well lit at night, can't go anywhere without riding a bus or driving, I could go on and on but I won't because I know there are many POR fans here.

Staying at the Fort gives us an extirely different WDW experience. Much more relaxing. It's so nice sitting outdoors under our awning with a cup of coffee in the morning or late at night. We usually do a park in the morning, come back and rest/walk the dog, then at dinnertime go to another park. (We are huge MK fans and could visit it every day.) I cook our meals before we leave home and pop them in the freezer ... just thaw and microwave. Or I throw a few steaks on the grill and make a salad ... nothing fancy but a heck of a lot less expensive and also better than most counter service meals. And I don't like spending too much vacation time waiting in restaurants.

Yes, renting a golf cart from Disney is expensive ... but if you do your homework there are much more economical sources. Or PM me if you want some ideas. Or you can check out the Camping at Disney World board. One of the things we love to do in our down time is "loop" ... riding the golf cart around the campground and seeing everyone's decorations and rigs.

We have since "graduated" from our trailer to a Class A motorhome and hope to "camp" for many more years. Although I love having my luxuries (like my own washer/dryer, convection microwave, surround sound, etc.), I can honestly say that I would consider tent camping in WDW. That's the only place in the world I would do it.

And we don't consider having to take a bus to the outpost to catch a bus to our destination a problem. The internal buses come by every few minutes. We very rarely wait long. And if you have a golf cart, you can just zip up there in a couple of minutes (also to the marina area).

If you want to stay at Fort Wilderness but don't want a cabin, there are people who will rent you a spacious 5th wheel and golf cart. I have a friend who does this. He will pull in the RV and set it up for you. Then when you leave he will break it down and take it away. You pay his rental fee plus the campsite fee. I think he has rental info on the camping board. If not, I can put you in touch with him.

In short, Fort Wilderness is now the only resort in WDW that we'll stay at. We love it!

Wow! Thanks for all your spectacular info. I want to go to FW, like now! The part about coffee outside relaxing sort of catches my attention
very very interesting about renting a RV, never even heard of that before. Just may give it a thought. Thanks! and thanks for reading through my TR!

 

[JessiMommy]

Loved your report so much! You've reminded me how great the Disney Magic is whether it's your first trip or your fifty first. I missing Disney so much after reading your story! So excited to have my own big November trip to plan for this year! We love going during the week you were there. It is a fantastic time to go. We've stayed in the FW Cabins before and it is a lot of fun. The campground is very laid back and relaxing. I've even camped in a tent there twice. I was SO not a tent camper before that but the DH really wanted to camp so I compromised and said the only way I'd ever do that is Disney. I'll do anything to squeeze in a trip to Disney!

Thanks for the awesome trip report!!

 

[Leslieann1024]

You have a Furby ! ! ! !

My mom became addicted to them, and has 4 interactive ones and one of those "big guys" ! So cute !

 

[FosterA]

Loved your report so much! You've reminded me how great the Disney Magic is whether it's your first trip or your fifty first. I missing Disney so much after reading your story! So excited to have my own big November trip to plan for this year! We love going during the week you were there. It is a fantastic time to go. We've stayed in the FW Cabins before and it is a lot of fun. The campground is very laid back and relaxing. I've even camped in a tent there twice. I was SO not a tent camper before that but the DH really wanted to camp so I compromised and said the only way I'd ever do that is Disney. I'll do anything to squeeze in a trip to Disney!

Thanks for the awesome trip report!!

awwww, how sweet: Thanks for taking the time to read my report!
I hate tent camping but I'd even consider staying in one just to be at Disney too I hope you have a fantastic November trip. Such a great time to go

You have a Furby ! ! ! !

My mom became addicted to them, and has 4 interactive ones and one of those "big guys" ! So cute !

It was Allison's furby at one time and then we tried to yard-sale it and David dug it back out and insisted we keep it I guess he had a special bond with that thing that nobody knew about.
Thanks for reading my report