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TavnAsh · 11-10-2012, 08:25 PM

Looks like we missed everybody!!! We are in Ft. Wilderness now (site 501) but did not arrive until last night late (Friday 9th). We were planning on being here earlier but we gave birth to our first child, Aiden Carrick, a few days ago. He is here with us on his first Ft. Wilderness trip now, but if ya'all do this again next year we would love to be here. Hope everybody had fun, if anybody is still around come on by and say hi!

WineStream · 11-10-2012, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TavnAsh

Looks like we missed everybody!!! We are in Ft. Wilderness now (site 501) but did not arrive until last night late (Friday 9th). We were planning on being here earlier but we gave birth to our first child, Aiden Carrick, a few days ago. He is here with us on his first Ft. Wilderness trip now, but if ya'all do this again next year we would love to be here. Hope everybody had fun, if anybody is still around come on by and say hi!

I remember you pulling in last night. I was going to come over and say hello, but I know how that can be a pain when you're setting up and someone stops to say hello, especially in the dark.

Congrats on the new baby. I find it amazing that you still decided to come to Disney and camp so soon after a birth.

WineStream · 11-10-2012, 08:53 PM

We're overnighting in WV. I just couldn't drive anymore. We should be home tomorrow after lunch.

TavnAsh · 11-11-2012, 05:33 AM

We are living full time in our AS right now for my job, so we are camping wherever we are right now, might as well be Fort Wilderness. Safe travels.

sinjin · 11-11-2012, 09:25 AM

Thanks for hosting this Nikki, sorry we never got to meet up with you. Good luck on finding a new home. Very exciting times!

TavnAsh: we are still here til Tuesday, we'll try to ride by on our bikes today.

PatnPete

WineStream · 11-11-2012, 03:14 PM

As of 1:30 EST we were home. This was great. Despite there still being patches of snow at the higher altitudes through WV, we were greeted at home with 70 degree and sunny weather. The truck is cleaned out, the camper mostly the same, and it's winterized. Final end-of-season clean-out is tomorrow night, then it gets nestled into it's winter home in the barn.

I must say, the magic that occurs for so many others at Disney seems to have been lost on our family. As much as we had a good time, we won't be putting it in our annual calendar. The TAC rally part was, however, a highlight. Despite it being an unconventional rally due to the venue, many of the usual things that I love about a TAC rally were present. Happy hours and lots of casual socializing. I'm happy to come away from this one having seen and met more new people at the rally than seeing firends I've met before. Without the rally going on, our trip to Disney would not have been what it was. Thanks to all the veteran Disney-goers that guided the newbies. I don't know if I would have ever found out what the calypso music was every night if it weren't for the veterans clarifying for me. Fort Wilderness, great place to stay. I can see why people go just to hang out there. In retrospect, I would have liked an additional "Fort day" or two.

I can't commit to saying that we'd come down to FL again next year. Ann, Andrea and I would love to come and visit St Augustine and your area in FL, but I would say it's unlikely for us in the next camping season. But, we never know how vacation days and work-travel days are going to go. Don't let that discourage anyone from having the Disney rally or a rally elsewhere in FL next year. Heck, with the weather there who needs to wait for next year?!?

I leave my post with a few pictures from the surprise highlight of the rally for me...

Someday'59 · 11-11-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinjin

Thanks for hosting this Nikki, sorry we never got to meet up with you. Good luck on finding a new home. Very exciting times!

TavnAsh: we are still here til Tuesday, we'll try to ride by on our bikes today.

PatnPete

We're still here, at site 316.
We've still been hitting the parks pretty hard though.
Com'mon over and sit a spell if you see us here!

sinjin · 11-11-2012, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Someday'59

We're still here, at site 316.
We've still been hitting the parks pretty hard though.
Com'mon over and sit a spell if you see us here!

We've been hitting the parks pretty hard too. We'll probably be riding around on our bikes again tomorrow and will ride by your site. Hope to see you!

PatnPete

Someday'59 · 11-12-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinjin

We've been hitting the parks pretty hard too. We'll probably be riding around on our bikes again tomorrow and will ride by your site. Hope to see you!

PatnPete

For anybody still at the campground/greater Disney area:

We plan to be back here at the campground to watch the Very Mery Christmas Party fireworks over the lake tonight.

If you want to join us then meet at site 316 at 9:00pm to ride bikes to the marina for viewing. Or, you can meet us near the marina on the Trading Post porch at 9:15. (To find us, look for silver Mickey ears.)

rebelstand · 11-12-2012, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TavnAsh

Looks like we missed everybody!!! We are in Ft. Wilderness now (site 501) but did not arrive until last night late (Friday 9th). We were planning on being here earlier but we gave birth to our first child, Aiden Carrick, a few days ago. He is here with us on his first Ft. Wilderness trip now, but if ya'all do this again next year we would love to be here. Hope everybody had fun, if anybody is still around come on by and say hi!

Congrats and I am just surprised you made it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinjin

Thanks for hosting this Nikki, sorry we never got to meet up with you. Good luck on finding a new home. Very exciting times!
PatnPete

No problem

Quote:

Originally Posted by WineStream

I must say, the magic that occurs for so many others at Disney seems to have been lost on our family. As much as we had a good time, we won't be putting it in our annual calendar. The TAC rally part was, however, a highlight. Despite it being an unconventional rally due to the venue, many of the usual things that I love about a TAC rally were present. Happy hours and lots of casual socializing. I'm happy to come away from this one having seen and met more new people at the rally than seeing firends I've met before. Without the rally going on, our trip to Disney would not have been what it was. Thanks to all the veteran Disney-goers that guided the newbies. I don't know if I would have ever found out what the calypso music was every night if it weren't for the veterans clarifying for me. Fort Wilderness, great place to stay. I can see why people go just to hang out there. In retrospect, I would have liked an additional "Fort day" or two.

I leave my post with a few pictures from the surprise highlight of the rally for me...

Jason it wasn't until my second trip to WDW that I caught the Magic so I understand it's not for everyone. I just hope you enjoyed it enough. I could have used a few more Fort Days too...

Taylormade · 11-12-2012, 06:39 PM

Man, I drove home from SW Virginia on 77/95 on Saturday and came across I4 Sunday expecting see at least ONE Airstream. Couldn't believe I drove 800 miles without seeing a single one.

Next year I'm there.

Pillow · 11-13-2012, 10:00 AM

Whew! Made it home last night around 11PM. The alternator went out on the Suburban Sunday evening and had to make a pitstop at Autozone, which led to taking out the jack on some rough railroad tracks. Horrible. But the next morning I replaced the alternator and had a local shop replace the hitch, jack, and tow hooks.

We had a great time!

I agree next time a few more Fort days... There is just soooo much to do! The Fort is probably the best campground $/value I have ever been to. We enjoyed it immensely.

It was great to meet new friends and put some faces to names here on the AFs

I am sure we will meet up along the trail at additional events. Sadly, I wish we had more downtime to chat and converse by the campfire. Again with so many activities it was hard to find people relaxing at their campsites! lol I agree with Jason (WineStream) that the biggest group of folks was the impromptu happy hour

Thanks Nikki and friends for putting this all together!!!

Things I would do differently, me not the rally:
1. Take more time at the Fort
2. Schedule / host more G2Gs, IMO the best part of camping.
3. Remember that Epcot is for the older crowd.
4. Skip the afternoons at the parks, go early and late.

Biggest surprise was how awesome the Magic Kingdom is at midnight! No lines

Overall I just enjoy FL, so I would be up for anything next year.

H2K · 11-13-2012, 11:58 AM

We arrived home on Sunday afternoon. Had planned to spend a few days at Henderson Beach St. Park but the flu changed our minds.

This was our fifth time at WDW and I was surprised at the changes Disney has made to rides we have been on in previous visits. We had a 7 day pass and felt that we needed to be out an about to get our monies worth. Next time I would spend about 5 days in the parks and 5 days at the Fort. The campground was better than I remembered it from having camped there before. No roosters waking us up at all hours.

Pillow-glad you made it home. Sorry to hear of the difficulties with your suburban.

I enjoyed meeting all the campers that attended this rally. There were some AS folks that were camping, didn't know about the rally, but joined us for the Meet and Greets. That is the way camping should be.

All in all, a great rally experience. A big "Thank you" to Nicki for the organizing that went into this.

Kathy

constructor · 11-13-2012, 07:50 PM

Glad to hear those traveling are safe. We will go again with more Fort days! But would also live to see a Florida casual rally too. I just don't have enough time off work to schedule it. Maybe 2014 I can be the promoter.