WooooHoooo, booked our next trip today!

[Bourquefam]

So, I booked our next trip today and I've been so happy since I got my reservation number. Can't wait to get back there and enjoy Fort Wilderness and all of the parks. My friends think we are crazy for camping---but they just don't have any idea what they're missing!!!!

Now I just need to figure out where to post the thingy I cut and pasted to make me a ticker. Hmmmm. Ok, here goes...if this doesn't work, please feel free to offer directions!

<a href="http://distickers.com/ticker/"><img src="http://distickers.com/ticker/tickers/9wvfcowt9oobc9m4.png" alt="DIStickers.com Ticker" border="0"/></a>

 

[KimIce]

I know what you mean about the Fort, it is amazing how you can miss that place that so much.
Our friends also think we are crazy about camping at FW so much. They just don't understand, and we try to tell them that they need to go to understand why we go so much. We just love it!!

 

[Bourquefam]

Aaaaaah, yes---I do miss it! I have to admit that when I first read the posts on here about the fort---I thought everyone was insane! How could it be so nice that you'd even consider for a moment staying there instead of being in the parks every possible second??? As it was, my husband had to convince me to even buy a camper (and that took 2 years of steady begging) and I do love it---for weekend trips and LSU tailgating. But for our Disney vacation???? We'd always rented big homes with swimming pools out back and saved a bundle. But finally I relented and I began reading everything I could about this "fort" that everyone seemed to love.

Our road trip was pretty smooth. We got super excited and ended up leaving out at 630pm Thursday night instead of waiting until Friday morning. THAT was soooo smart of us. Typically we're too excited to sleep the night before we leave and so we toss and turn and end up looking at each other at 2 or 3 and saying, "Want to scoop the kids up and leave now?" And we do and we're all happy----UNTIL----we get tired...exhausted, even! And we have to stop---and that puts us further behind----or we push through and whine and snap at each other. THAT is NOT how a trip to Disney is supposed to start, right???? Sooooooo, leaving Thursday night and driving about 5 hours or so---gave us time to burn some excitement, get a head start, and still get a good night's rest.

Hey------this is turning into my first trip report. I think I'm actually going to become one of these "Fort Fiends" who write trip reports. Admittedly, I love reading everyone's.

Ok, Kimice---you may be the only one to read it----but look for my trip report in the coming days. I will title it "When I fell in love with the Fort".

 

[We4mickey]

Looking forward to your report. The fort definately is addictive, but don't let it out. It's our little secret.

 

[clkelley]

Aaaaaah, yes---I do miss it! I have to admit that when I first read the posts on here about the fort---I thought everyone was insane! How could it be so nice that you'd even consider for a moment staying there instead of being in the parks every possible second??? As it was, my husband had to convince me to even buy a camper (and that took 2 years of steady begging) and I do love it---for weekend trips and LSU tailgating. But for our Disney vacation???? We'd always rented big homes with swimming pools out back and saved a bundle. But finally I relented and I began reading everything I could about this "fort" that everyone seemed to love.

Our road trip was pretty smooth. We got super excited and ended up leaving out at 630pm Thursday night instead of waiting until Friday morning. THAT was soooo smart of us. Typically we're too excited to sleep the night before we leave and so we toss and turn and end up looking at each other at 2 or 3 and saying, "Want to scoop the kids up and leave now?" And we do and we're all happy----UNTIL----we get tired...exhausted, even! And we have to stop---and that puts us further behind----or we push through and whine and snap at each other. THAT is NOT how a trip to Disney is supposed to start, right???? Sooooooo, leaving Thursday night and driving about 5 hours or so---gave us time to burn some excitement, get a head start, and still get a good night's rest.

Hey------this is turning into my first trip report. I think I'm actually going to become one of these "Fort Fiends" who write trip reports. Admittedly, I love reading everyone's.

Ok, Kimice---you may be the only one to read it----but look for my trip report in the coming days. I will title it "When I fell in love with the Fort".

I agree, leaving in the evening is wonderful!! The camper is packed and loaded and when 5pm rolls around I'm out the door and we're on the road!! For us it also puts us driving through Atlanta about 10pm, a lot better than any other time of day!!

 

[I'mDownWithDisney]

I agree, leaving in the evening is wonderful!! The camper is packed and loaded and when 5pm rolls around I'm out the door and we're on the road!! For us it also puts us driving through Atlanta about 10pm, a lot better than any other time of day!!

Yep, I agree also. We normally leave in the evening, overnight at the Perry GA welcome center, and roll into the Fort in early afternoon.

 

[KimIce]

Aaaaaah, yes---I do miss it! I have to admit that when I first read the posts on here about the fort---I thought everyone was insane! How could it be so nice that you'd even consider for a moment staying there instead of being in the parks every possible second??? As it was, my husband had to convince me to even buy a camper (and that took 2 years of steady begging) and I do love it---for weekend trips and LSU tailgating. But for our Disney vacation???? We'd always rented big homes with swimming pools out back and saved a bundle. But finally I relented and I began reading everything I could about this "fort" that everyone seemed to love.

Our road trip was pretty smooth. We got super excited and ended up leaving out at 630pm Thursday night instead of waiting until Friday morning. THAT was soooo smart of us. Typically we're too excited to sleep the night before we leave and so we toss and turn and end up looking at each other at 2 or 3 and saying, "Want to scoop the kids up and leave now?" And we do and we're all happy----UNTIL----we get tired...exhausted, even! And we have to stop---and that puts us further behind----or we push through and whine and snap at each other. THAT is NOT how a trip to Disney is supposed to start, right???? Sooooooo, leaving Thursday night and driving about 5 hours or so---gave us time to burn some excitement, get a head start, and still get a good night's rest.

Hey------this is turning into my first trip report. I think I'm actually going to become one of these "Fort Fiends" who write trip reports. Admittedly, I love reading everyone's.

Ok, Kimice---you may be the only one to read it----but look for my trip report in the coming days. I will title it "When I fell in love with the Fort".

I will definately look for your trip report and read it, I am looking forward to it!! I also love to read everyones trip reports.

 

[Bourquefam]

Okay, so where was I? We left out Thursday evening and drove to Pensacola, FL. Pulled in and didn't un-hitch---just plugged in and went inside and crashed. Had a full, amazing night's sleep (that never happens before leaving for Disney!!!) and woke up refreshed. Got on the road for 8am. The kids were great and my hubby and I laughed and talked a lot. That's another part of camping that people don't realize----you get to really visit with the people you're holed up with in the vehicle. Good stuff!

Now I had done my homework (via the Disboards site) and was an unofficial expert on all things Fort Wilderness. I had rented the golf cart from Kenny w/ Tee times and he actually called my cell on the last leg of our drive in to touch base. What a nice, genuine guy!!! My husband is a former cast member and very familiar with the area, so he was a little surprised when I suggested we take a route that I'd read about during my research. I was nervous that I'd get us lost and get a raised eyebrow look from him, but nope----we bypassed so much traffic that my hubby was very impressed! Before you knew it, we had Disney signs and MK gates popping up right in front of us. Once I figure out how to load pics, I'll do that and you'll get to see my sweet kids' happy faces. Next up, Fort Wilderness entrance. AAAAHHHHH----I think I heard angels singing! 5 minute stop to get our packet and away we went to loop 700, site 711. We LOVED it!

One of Kenny's guys brought our golf cart directly to our campsite and away we went to the front of the fort to catch a bus to Downtown Disney. Our older son (16) and a friend flew in and we had a car pick them up and deliver them to us there. We grabbed a bite to eat at Wolfgang Puck's, then went to Cirque de Soleil. What a fantastic first day! Back to the camper for Day 2...

Hmmm, this is where things get fuzzy. I have no idea which day we went where, but we stayed until the following Friday and visited multiple parks each day. The only negatives for this trip was that it was the week before Easter and the crowds were hellacious! There were literally seas of people. No matter, we've been enough that we took our time and only focused on our favorite attractions. We didn't stress, had adult beverages when we could, fed the kids ice cream almost every time they asked and life was GREAT!

We did the Hoop de Doo Revue (sp?). Gosh, I've got to upload the pics from there. Great sangria---and you know the funny things people can do with spoons, hanging them from their noses???? Yeah, we did a lot of that too.

There's just so many reasons that I fell in love with the fort. I didn't think I would, but once I got there---I was just entranced. The spell of Fort Wilderness was cast and I was forever mesmerized by: deer in our backyard (really!!!), the cleanest bathhouses I've ever come across, watching my kids play on the beach w/ MK fireworks in the background, Chip 'n Dale's campfire, the ease of riding the boats to MK and Contemporary to catch the Monorail, the sweet vibe of other campers who are always so gracious with their smiles/ conversation/ absolutely anything they can help with, being able to tuck my kids into the bunkhouse and then crack open a bottle of wine and sit outside with my hubby recounting the memories we'd just created w/ our sweet kids, the rustic look of the buildings and benches with all of the gorgeous greenery. I could go on and on. No matter what anyone says, I just don't believe I'll be convinced to stay anywhere else on Disney property. I am a proud new fort fiend!

 

[Bourquefam]

That's all I have time for tonight. I'll work on figuring out the picture thing and then use those as my timeline to help me day by day.

 

[KimIce]

Your report is very good. Looking forward to seeing your pictures.
I have to learn how to upload to this site also. I have not figured it out yet.
I agree with you, it is very hard to stay anywhere else on Disney property. We do occassionaly stay at WL, but it is not the same as FW.

 

[ILoveDisney&Cruising]

'ed your trip report!!!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

they just don't have any idea what they're missing!!!!

I know what you mean about the Fort, it is amazing how you can miss that place that so much.

I don't get it ??

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Ah, the Fort captured another heart!