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Well Gang we got back last Sunday night from our week at Fort Wilderness but I haven't a spare minute to jot down anything!
So here is my first attempt at a trip report
Days one and two (11/26 & 27)
Cast: Me (41)
Mom (she'd kill if I told)
DD (15)
DS (turned 15 while there)
DD (4)
Nephew (14)
Niece (9)
Best Friend (45)
We left on Saturday the 26th about 11:00 and drove to Jacksonville where my aunt runs a Holiday Inn and could get us a family rate of 25.00 a night
(very DL). We got two adjoining rooms and after eating turkey sandwiches and snacks we all went to bed. The next morning we got up early and my aunt
bought us all breakfast from the yummy buffet in the hotel. We got on the road and we were in WDW by 1:30. Only one brush with death on the road in
Orlando but then it was a Sunday! We got checked in with no problems as we had prepaid our campsite. I bought
UPH passes for everyone but my BF who has an annual pass. I asked the CM to take off the first and last nights which she did with a smile. We then set
off to check out our site. They had us on a partial hook-up site on the 2200 loop but the site was too small and I didn't much like the loop either.
There was a lot of standing water between the sites and my mom gets nervous about West Nile. I went back to the settlement post and asked to be
upgraded to a full hook-up in the 800 loop (recommended in Passporter) which they did for an additional $35.00. The 800 loop was much nicer and only
about half full. We hurriedly unpacked the truck and drove it back to the lot to be parked. Mom went to get the golf cart we had reserved and we
worked on getting set up. We pitched a two room tent on the site as a my BF snores quite loudly and we needed a place to keep everyone's bags and a
place for the boys to change. The tent proved harder than our pop-up to get set up! I started to get panicky because we had tickets for MNSSHP that
night and we still needed to eat, get our costumes on and get over there! Adding to all this it was HOT!
I had made stew at home and we put it in a crock pot as soon as the camper was set up so it was soon ready to eat. Next came the ordeal of getting
everyone into costume. Well we finally got ready (everyone but mom dressed up but she did wear a themed shirt and a witch hat). We decided to ride the
bus up to the ferry and got some grins as we boarded (three black cats, one little and very cute and two rather large, two hippie teenagers, one
gangster, and one scarecrow) When we got on the ferry and as I looked at my watch, I just had to reconcile myself to the fact that we were going to be
late as it was already 7:30. Imagine my surprise when we got there and they had just started letting people in! Yes, you guessed it WE FORGOT ABOUT THE
TIME CHANGE! Hooray we didn't miss a minute. We had never been before and we really enjoyed it. There were characters
everywhere and hardly any wait to do the rides. The parade was neat and the Headless Horseman so cool that it inspired us to go on the Haunted Hayride
later in the week (more on that later). My gang grew tired of getting candy although it was good candy they were more interested in the rides. After
the first parade and getting our family photo made (it came yesterday and is good of all of us wonder of wonders), the teens took off to explore on their
own. I had contacted Maggie about a MFL meet but hadn't made it because of trying to get set up. She had said that she would be dressed as Mulan and I knew
she had an ECV so I had everyone on the lookout for her but doubted we would see her in that sea of people. When we were getting our pictures made with
the characters stationed around the beautiful Cinderella's carriage (Cindy, Fairy godmother, Snow White, the two mice) my mom yells out "Maggie!" and
sure enough I actually got to meet a fellow list member in the flesh! It was great fun and we took some pictures although Maggie and her DH Clyde
were having camera difficulties or I should say Clyde was much to Maggie's chagrin. They were really too cute! I'd hate to see those photos though as
I probably looked more like something the cat dragged in rather than a cat at that point! Well we played til almost closing and we were so tired! We finished up in Adventureland dancing at on of the little party stations with Lion King and
Jungle Book characters and guys on stilts. We were dragging homeward when one of the street magicians set up his table in front of us and mesmerized
us with tricks. My nine year old DN was especially taken! It was a nice magical touch to end a fun evening.
High Points of the day: great Halloween decor in MK, the look on the kids faces when they saw the headless horseman, finding the hidden mickey in the
tablecloth at the photo booth, getting in bed after a looong day.
Monday 10/28
I let everyone "sleep-in" until 8:30 (mom and I had been up since 6:30). I fixed a light breakfast of toast/bagels and made breakfast sandwiches with
microwave sausage patties and cheese. We debated whether or not to bring the microwave and we were glad we had because we used it a lot. Everyone
got dressed and we went up to catch the bus. It was a short wait. I think I like the new bus system at FW as we never waited very long for any bus.
We rode up and had to wait in the transfer area near Pioneer Hall for about 10 minutes before an MGM bus came. We arrived at the park about 10:00 and
had to wait for about 5 minutes in the bag inspection line. I did notice that they tended to be more thorough in the mornings than in the afternoon
and evenings. I sent my DS ahead to rent a stroller. My 4 year old is capable of walking but we ended up with so many bags that it was easier to
have a stroller. Since the parks were not terribly crowded it wasn't a hassle. After some discussion we decided to do the movie ride first. There
was a 15 minute line but that wasn't bas as Mom and the kids enjoyed checking out the theater. The ride was fun. It's one of my 4 year old's
favorites as she loves the guy turning into a "skedodin" and the "baby in the nest". We had a PS at Prime Time at 11:00 and after we got out of the
ride and located our stroller (playing "where did the cm hide the stroller is always fun!) we went to check in. Mom really loved the decor of the
PTC. Jane (my best friend and holder of the annual pass) asked for a fun server and we got Mickey. We had eaten there last year and had Allison
(blah) but my niece knew about the no elbows on the table etc. and was loving it when Mickey fussed at our teen boys about having their hats on at
the table. My nephew really didn't like the whole routine but the rest of us loved it. Mickey gave Alexis the silverware and napkins and told her to
get busy as he "couldn't do everything himself". Then he came back and made Newt get up and say hello to his "cousins" at the next table. We ordered
our food and were sorry later that we didn't share as there was a lot to eat. Mom and Newt got the fried chicken which she proclaimed as delicious,
DS got the barbeque chicken sandwich, Lexi got a hot dog, DD got a chicken caeser salad, 4 yo DD got chicken fingers, Jane got the pot roast and I got
meatloaf and the big kids all got malts which the grown ups and littles had to help them finish. The food was excellent and for once my niece actually
ate everything as she was so worried what Mickey might do if she didn't! We impressed Mickey by being able to list the 11 animated Disney movies with a
one word title. After we were done and paid the bill I said let's go but mom had the idea to sit there and wait until we had been excused so we asked
another server to get Mickey for us. He came back and we took some pictures then he fussed at us some more and told us to "run along as he was busy"!
Mom, Jane, and Rayna went to see the Muppet 3-D show and we went to Star Tours. We met back up at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground which the
girls loved and mom hated because she had a hard time keeping tabs on the girls. The heat was really getting to Mom by then so we sat in the snack
area near there for awhile. The teens decided to go to TOT and R&RRC and we just chilled and let the girls play until they were red in the face. The
teens showed back up reporting that they loved both rides. We had planned to stay for Fantasmic that evening but Mom didn't want to. The teens wanted
to do the backlot tour so Mom went with them and Jane and I decided to go to the Little Mermaid show with the girls. We were all supposed to meet up at
the giant hat. The VOLM was a big hit with the little girls and after having been hot all day we loved the "ocean breezes".
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
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