Update on Fort Improvements- with photos!

[JanetR]

Thanks for the wonderful pics. Will you get pics from the 700 loop? I heard that it will be a preminum pet loop. Is that so? Thanks again...Janet

 

[dizneydiva2005]

If the golf cart number was 411- that was ours! We parked it by ourselves!! The place was empty!! We were told it was about 30% full for the week. I loved it!!!!!!

We did the hoop on Wednesday and the place wasn't even full. As we were being seated near the front, the CM said, you got a Magical moment- you were moved from the very back to the 2nd table.

I even had a magical moment again at the bike barn- I went to return the golf cart and was handed the key back and said, enjoy it for free with a good old fashion wink!
I was so thrilled!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Approximate area?! Where's your pride, man! (just joking TCD!) Here is an overlay of the RCID Wetlands map on a Google Earth composite.

Note: the dark green areas are a higher-level on conservancy than the bright green. Also, the wetlands PDF this map comes from does talk about mitigation should alterations to the bright green wetlands be "unavoidable". I think that adding super-premium waterfront sites between RC and WL is unavoidable, don't you?

Very nice work!

TCD

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Excellent Pictures! Thank you for sharing!

But I'm confused ... how exactly are these 'improvements' ? No room for tents, screened areas, or BBQ's ... more concrete, less 'outdoorsy', and less privacy.

You are right about questioning whether or not these are really "improvements!" But, there will still be sites with room for tents and screen rooms, and these new premium sites are supposed to have upgraded grills. There is also supposed to be new landscaping. When this is all said and done, I think it really will be an improvement. The Disney folks aren't dropping the $$$$ to do this work to end up with an inferior product.

Fantastic job getting all this great insider info and photos! We're heading back to FW in Dec. and I've been trying to find as much info as I can on all the planned renovations. This has been the most informative by far!!

Looking forward to the new dog park (traveling with our 2 border collies as always). Anyone got any news to share there? I've seen pics but not many reports of anyone that's actually used it.

Now if only they'd start work on the pool..... <sigh>

The TCD dog has visited the dog park, and gave it two paws up! There is a little report on it along with some photos in this trip report (post 89): TCD's Spring Break 2008 Trip Report

Where is the dog park located?

In the area south of the 300 loop, adjacent to Big Pine Drive. There is a playground here.

btw, does anyone know if the 1800 loop has since re-opened? Did it get the same 'extended slab' treatment of the other loops?

None of the sites in the 1800 loop are getting the "extended slab" treatment. I can't tell you whether or not it has re-opened. My best guess would be that if it has not already reopened, it will soon.

Thanks for the wonderful pics. Will you get pics from the 700 loop? I heard that it will be a preminum pet loop. Is that so? Thanks again...Janet

No work was going on in the 700 loop on the day of my visit. I believe that it is going to get the same treatment as the 500 loop- so I can see it becoming a premium pet loop, but I don't know for sure. I am not sure that anyone does!

If the golf cart number was 411- that was ours! We parked it by ourselves!! The place was empty!! We were told it was about 30% full for the week. I loved it!!!!!!

We did the hoop on Wednesday and the place wasn't even full. As we were being seated near the front, the CM said, you got a Magical moment- you were moved from the very back to the 2nd table.

I even had a magical moment again at the bike barn- I went to return the golf cart and was handed the key back and said, enjoy it for free with a good old fashion wink!
I was so thrilled!

Sorry, didn't get the golf cart number -d'oh-I just never pay attention to details - free use of a golf cart? That is a magical moment!!!!

TCD

 

[BradyBz12]

..The TCD dog has visited the dog park, and gave it two paws up!...[/URL]...
TCD

Thanks for the report and DK9 has a winning smile to be sure!

Glad to see a happy pack of big and small dogs getting along so well. Now THAT is what a dog park is supposed to be all about.

Do you happen to remember if there were particular times of day the part was more/less busy?

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Do you happen to remember if there were particular times of day the part was more/less busy?

The dog park is busiest early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Folks take the dogs there for a little exercise before and after hitting the parks. During the day, say between 10 and 4, it is not very busy at all. There is not much shade there, so most of it is in direct sunlight, and it can be hot! There is a small area with some trees and a few picnic tables, but the signs say not to bring food in.

TCD

 

[BradyBz12]

The dog park is busiest early in the morning and late in the afternoon... between 10 and 4, it is not very busy at all...
TCD

Great to know - thanks a bunch! That will probably work really well for us, as we usually hang out in the a.m. and don't head to the parks until around noon-ish.

...it can be hot! There is a small area with some trees and a few picnic tables
TCD

Hopefully the heat won't be too big an issue in Dec., but it has been from time to time. We definitely have "snow dogs" and we do have to watch them closely in the heat. Being border collies, they would literally run until they drop!

...the signs say not to bring food in.
TCD

Ah right, saw that somewhere. Understandable since the odds of a scuffle definitely go up if there's food around.

Thanks again for the info!

 

[jdg345]

You are right about questioning whether or not these are really "improvements!" But, there will still be sites with room for tents and screen rooms, and these new premium sites are supposed to have upgraded grills. There is also supposed to be new landscaping. When this is all said and done, I think it really will be an improvement. The Disney folks aren't dropping the $$$$ to do this work to end up with an inferior product.



The TCD dog has visited the dog park, and gave it two paws up! There is a little report on it along with some photos in this trip report (post 89): TCD's Spring Break 2008 Trip Report



In the area south of the 300 loop, adjacent to Big Pine Drive. There is a playground here.



None of the sites in the 1800 loop are getting the "extended slab" treatment. I can't tell you whether or not it has re-opened. My best guess would be that if it has not already reopened, it will soon.



No work was going on in the 700 loop on the day of my visit. I believe that it is going to get the same treatment as the 500 loop- so I can see it becoming a premium pet loop, but I don't know for sure. I am not sure that anyone does!



Sorry, didn't get the golf cart number -d'oh-I just never pay attention to details - free use of a golf cart? That is a magical moment!!!!

TCD

Excellent! Thank you so much!!

 

[tim5055]

OK, work took me to Orlando today and I was able to steal away for about an hour to "tour" FW.

As others have said, the 500 loop is now complete. Sites are wider and longer and in some areas at the bends in the loop they have widened the loop road.

The area from the utilities on each site is being left as they always were with the shell base, so on one side of the rear area you could hang a tent off the side and at least get two tent pegs in the ground. I did see one site that the folks had set up a tent off the rear of the concrete under the trees.

The new grills are in and they look nice. They have rotating covers over the top.

While I was walking around, a CM from engeneering came around and asked what I was doing (while I was taking photos of the new cable connection on a utility post). When I explained my web page he became talkative and the following is what he related (OK, I know the otters are a better source, but .....)

• All sites on a convereted loop will be premium
• The 800 loop is currently being converted
• The 600 loop will be next after 800
• The pool remodel starts in January, hopefully done in February.
• The pool will be 4' deep from end to end
• There will be a slide wraping around a water tower for the pool
• They are trying to find room to add another loop, but are finding it difficult to "fit" it in

Now, after he left me to taking my photos I wandered over to the pet run. Disney did a beautiful job putting this together. It looks like about an acre in size with benches, a couple of pic-nic tables and a watering station.

Next I wandered over to the kennel to check out rumors. When I walked in and rang the buzzer the person who came to the counter was friendlyu and helpful. My exact quest to her was; "I hear rumors that when the new kennel is built over by Port Orleans that the FW kennel will be closed. Any truth to that?" Her response was that yes, the contract between Disney and Best Friends calls for the new kennel to be built and the old one to be closed.

I did take a lot of photos, but I will be on the road until October 8 so I won't be able to post them until then.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Thanks Tim, thats exciting news about the new loop.

 

[clkelley]

Thanks for the info!! Did you get a chance to ask him how the progress on adding cable to 1600 - 1900 and 1500, 2000 was going??

 

[Us3]

500 has re-opened and is pretty much full right now.

100 and 200 were closed when we arrived on Thursday, but they have now re-opened. They re-paved the roads.

a triathlon is going on right now, so on Sunday the boats will not be running at the marina because of swimmers (what about the brain eating amoeba?? ha ha) from 9:30-4pm.

Any of you that are here...I left my cell phone at home (used it as my alarm clock to get up at 4am...and its still on the bed at home, ha)...so pm us if you want to get together! We'll be here until Monday.

 

[Millermouseketeers]

Does anyone know when 1400 will be renovated? I am hoping after our December trip as I really do not need nor want to pay for a premium site. We like to be close to Meadows so we do not have to worry about the kids going to far on their own.

 

[lucy_love]

What about the new picnic tables? Are they nicer or just normal tables? I thought they were going to add more landscaping to the premium sites for "privacy" any signs of this?

What about a hot tub, just a pool or a hot tub too?

If they plan on renovating the pool in only a month I can't imagine that it will be a huge difference, that's not a lot of time to re-do a pool

I can't wait to go and see all the newness, but because of the economy, I don't know when our next trip will be

 

[stacktester]

What about the new picnic tables? Are they nicer or just normal tables? I thought they were going to add more landscaping to the premium sites for "privacy" any signs of this?

What about a hot tub, just a pool or a hot tub too?

If they plan on renovating the pool in only a month I can't imagine that it will be a huge difference, that's not a lot of time to re-do a pool

I can't wait to go and see all the newness, but because of the economy, I don't know when our next trip will be

I think you'd be surprised at how fast Disney can do something. They have unlimited resources via contractors and their own people. I figure a couple days to tear the old pool out and the rest will be spent building the new one.

 

[loveDmouse]

While I was walking around, a CM from engeneering came around and asked what I was doing (while I was taking photos of the new cable connection on a utility post). When I explained my web page he became talkative and the following is what he related (OK, I know the otters are a better source, but .....)

• All sites on a convereted loop will be premium
• The 800 loop is currently being converted
• The 600 loop will be next after 800
• The pool remodel starts in January, hopefully done in February.
• The pool will be 4' deep from end to end
• There will be a slide wraping around a water tower for the pool
• They are trying to find room to add another loop, but are finding it difficult to "fit" it in

Great. I am glad they have started 800. That is where we are suppose to be in December! Looking forward to trying out one of the new premium sites.

Thanks for the update.

 

[tim5055]

Thanks for the info!! Did you get a chance to ask him how the progress on adding cable to 1600 - 1900 and 1500, 2000 was going??

I went back by this morning...

1500 & 2000 loop show no signs of having cable added
1600 no signs of having cable added
1700 pipe in the ground and coax in the pipe
1800 pipe in the ground, no coax visable
1900 no signs of having cable added

At the entrance to the 1700 loop there is a CATV junction box with multiple large coax cables (described in previous posts) sticking out of the ground. On them were tags stating "out to 1600 loop, out to 1700 loop" etc...

Now, I wandered by the bike barn and asked if the rumor was true that the golf carts are bieng moved up front. All three working just grinned and did not answer. I said I was trying to plan my trip early next year and at that point they asked when I was visiting. I replied Jan or Feb to which they replied, yes - the cart rental would be up front by then.

 

[rapriebe]

I went back by this morning...

1500 & 2000 loop show no signs of having cable added
1600 no signs of having cable added
1700 pipe in the ground and coax in the pipe
1800 pipe in the ground, no coax visable
1900 no signs of having cable added

At the entrance to the 1700 loop there is a CATV junction box with multiple large coax cables (described in previous posts) sticking out of the ground. On them were tags stating "out to 1600 loop, out to 1700 loop" etc...

Thanks for the update Tim. We will be having an extended stay this winter in the 1700 loop and I was hoping everything would be complete when we get there on October 20. Didn't want to have to change sites because of work being done on the loop.

 

[tim5055]

Thanks for the update Tim. We will be having an extended stay this winter in the 1700 loop and I was hoping everything would be complete when we get there on October 20. Didn't want to have to change sites because of work being done on the loop.

While I won't guarantee you will have cable, I can't see any reason why they would need to move you. All of the underground work is done (cable pipes and sprinkler drip irrigation).