Proof The Rumors Are True!!! TCD Relocation Plans!

[TJM1976]

Question... I know the BWV, BWI, and the Boardwalk area where ESPN is, etc. But was that "wooden walkway" out into Bay Lake with the gazebo beside RC also called a boardwalk?

 

[ynottony99]

Fair enough.

Here you go:
http://my.sfwmd.gov/cmsdk/content/i...echnical/101021-29c4_epdpstables_pgd79948.pdf

Better take a look quick.

I'll bet it gets taken down soon.

TCD

Maybe I'm behind a little, and someone else has noted this, but the link is dead. Even if you go directly to Swiftmud's site, the link appears in a search, but the page itself is gone.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

None of these ideas leave any room for DVC cabins.

DVC cabins would be our dream come true! Please!

Have faith! Remember, we are only seeing what appears to be less than half of the plans- and these may not even be the real plans anyway.

There was a pretty detailed rumor reported by Des1954 which included super-premium campsites right on Bay Lake.

IMHO, Disney would be missing a huge money maker if they failed to include premium cabins as part of this project. They could be scattered around to the west of the area that we are looking at.

The current cabins at FW can only accommodate a maximum of 6 guests. If they built cabins that could accommodate larger parties, these would be very popular.

Here is a whack at the TCD vision:

Just an interesting note: the lodge (as we've been calling it) is larger than Pioneer Hall even without the porches. The porches make it much larger. I still don't quite buy that the parking will be where the stables are now... who wants the suites that look out onto a parking lot? I think the main parking may still be across the road, with a lot of emphasis on cart-based bell-service.

I bow at the feet of the wizard!

Seriously, Shan-man, you rock!

That is almost exactly what I am talking about.

Look how this design could leave both the pavilion and the barn standing.

Why tear them down?

Use them for a recreation amenity, or a restaurant, or something.

That would be cool!

And, thanks for pointing out the relative size of the main lodge building. It is very big. I would think that it would be multi-story, with public space on the lower floor, e.g. lobby, restaurants, bar, community room, and rooms on the upper floors. Like at AKL. A lot could fit in that footprint.

A lot.

Interesting. If they took the angle a little sharper to the south, it appears the old pool could be used as well.

They may do under-unit parking like Kidani Village?

I really hope they don't go toward the bell-services/valet approach. That is one of my biggest complaints with the current Boardwalk setup, and Grand Floridian is even worse (not that I have stayed there, but have driven over for dinner and had to park and walk).

I hate being forced into "add-on" services like that.

This is exactly what I've been thinking as I've read through all of the pages watching this wonderful iterations unfold! Great job with the drawing overlays on the Google images! I loved seeing the older ones from the '90s in B&W to the current ones. I've been lurking and following these rumors for a while now as they've come up, but this thread has been amazingly neat to watch and read it all unfold. Kudos to all you inquisitive minds.

My two cents, like HockeyKat, is that if they repeat the style of building that they did at AKV - both at Jambo House and Kidani, then they would probably repeat the parking situation that went in at Kidani. Given the renderings, it sure does appear that they would follow that design choice all the way through with the parking situation as well. Ground level parking that is "underground" since the lobby entry area and "first floor" are actually on level two. Multiple elevators and stairwells throughout to accomodate guests getting to and from their vehicles easily wherever they are located, and avoids that unsightly view of the parking lot. It depends on how much would actually get built, of course. It could be a mix of both, underunit on one side, and traditional lot for the other side? Just guessing myself right along with you all.

I appreciate getting the DVC perspective on this.

I don't know about the under-building parking so close to the lake.

But, you are both right- that's how it was done at AKL.

And, the DVC over in Vero Beach is like that too.

Question... I know the BWV, BWI, and the Boardwalk area where ESPN is, etc. But was that "wooden walkway" out into Bay Lake with the gazebo beside RC also called a boardwalk?

I don't ever recall it being called a boardwalk, just a nature walk.

I'm not sure if you are aware, but all of that, including the gazebo, was removed earlier this year.

Maybe I'm behind a little, and someone else has noted this, but the link is dead. Even if you go directly to Swiftmud's site, the link appears in a search, but the page itself is gone.

Ah ha!

Good thing LL captured it and posted it on her site!

Because I am not done studying it.

Does the removal of the document mean that it was, in fact, and accidental leak?

Or is this all part of Disney's evil plan to get free feedback from Disney fans?

Anyway, since we still have the document, we can keep on discussing it . . .

This area has been bothering me, because I can't read it.

Can anyone tell me what it says inside of the square just west of the playground?:

I think the last word is area. I am thinking that this will be a fenced off area used for construction staging. But, I don't know why it would be on this side of the project as opposed to west of where the buildings are supposedly going.

TCD

 

[UConnJack]

I'm not sure they would do underbuilding parking here, as they would essentially lose one floor of units to sell. With Kidani, building the unts higher to make up for the lost units was fine since it was all about the views of the savana. Kidani is also so large and long, that an outdoor parking area would have been massive with 1/2 of the whole resort having parking lot views. I don't think below building parking would accomplish the same things here.

 

[dizfan]

I don't know about the under-building parking so close to the lake.

But, you are both right- that's how it was done at AKL.

And, the DVC over in Vero Beach is like that too.

One thing to keep in mind. It's not under ground parking. They simply put the parking on the ground, then build on top of that. Using landscaping they make it appear to be under ground. A few CMs told me this is what they did at Kidani.

For example, Magic Kingdom has an entire set of tunnels underneath it. The park, is really the second floor.

 

[Shan-man]

Can anyone tell me what it says inside of the square just west of the playground?:

I think the last word is area. I am thinking that this will be a fenced off area used for construction staging. But, I don't know why it would be on this side of the project as opposed to west of where the buildings are supposedly going.
TCD

It says "Mulched Swing Area"... and it is! LOL I e-mailed you a more readable PDF, BTW.

 

[DenLo]

The cannon must be new and to keep us fort rif raf out of the new dvc lol

I don't think anyone thinks fort guests are riff raff. It's just that to use the DVC facilities you gotta spend thousands of bucks for the privilege. I think the Fort guests already have it figured out that they have a good deal by staying at the fort.

. . . . .

So, does anyone remember there ever being a canon pointing toward the marina?. . . . . But, I sure don't remember any canon at the Fort.

I second tcd sentiments !!!
I have been staying at the Fort all my life and I can safely say there has not been a cannon since 1970's

I've been thinking since I heard about this project that the DVC hasn't done a POTC themed resort. And since POTC4 is coming out and it's about pirates and conquistadors in . . . . . Florida, maybe that will be the theme for this new resort. And now several posts have mentioned that the plans show a cannon!

I'm not sure how a POTC theme would fit in with Ft. Wilderness though. Hmmm.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

It says "Mulched Swing Area"... and it is! LOL I e-mailed you a more readable PDF, BTW.

Oh . . .

duh!

That is where the swings are.

That is not as exciting as I had imagined.

Thanks for the more readable PDF.

It's like Christmas came early.

BTW- I just noticed that the playground equipment shown on the drawing is several years out of date. The equipment shown on the drawing was replaced about four or five years ago.

TCD

 

[nytimez]

One thing to keep in mind. It's not under ground parking. They simply put the parking on the ground, then build on top of that. Using landscaping they make it appear to be under ground.

It doesn't even appear underground in most cases. You can see the parking from the road, at road level.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

I've been thinking since I heard about this project that the DVC hasn't done a POTC themed resort. And since POTC4 is coming out and it's about pirates and conquistadors in . . . . . Florida, maybe that will be the theme for this new resort. And now several posts have mentioned that the plans show a cannon!

I'm not sure how a POTC theme would fit in with Ft. Wilderness though. Hmmm.

The first thing I though of when I saw the cannon was Pirates.

But, the theme of Fort Wilderness is a Davy Crockett/Daniel Boone kind of wilderness fort. To keep out Native Americans, not pirates.

However, that cannon is significant.

Why a cannon?

It really surprises me.

Especially since they have gone out of their way to erase every possible image of Mickey holding a musket.

And, now that I have Shan-man's enhanced, PDF, I see something else here near the cannon:

See that little box below the cannon?

It says Ammo Carrier!

Ammo Carrier?

Are you kidding me?

OK- about the pirates . . .

Even though Fort Wilderness was themed as an inland frontier type pioneer area, Discovery Island, just off the banks of the Settlement, was originally themed as Treasure Island. With pirates, and buried treasure, and such. The shipwreck on the island, which, BTW, the main building is pointing directly at, is supposed to be the wreck of a pirate ship.

So, why couldn't this new resort have a pirate theme?

They didn't have big old cannons and ammo carriers out in the wilderness, to shoot at the Native Americans, did they?

TCD

 

[Shan-man]

BTW- I just noticed that the playground equipment shown on the drawing is several years out of date. The equipment shown on the drawing was replaced about four or five years ago.

Yeah, I think between the dock, the old high water mark data ('79 and '81), and now the playground equipment, that we can safely say that they are drawing over old documents. Probably from the same time frame as Disney was considering Buffalo Junction and Cypress Point. I think the cannon was an idea from back then, too, and isn't likely to materialize in any future development. It's the same PC problem as the musket, who do you think it was aimed at? The Injuns and French... not that anybody would be too concerned about offending the French, but I digress. Anyway, the topo lines are probably all from this old plan, and the scattered thousands of loose elevations are new (it is much easier to gather that much data these days with GPS and lasers).

Also, I wanted to agree with a point made earlier, that the only thing from this sheet that I think is a "sure thing" is the alterations to the utilities, shown in color. That seems to be what the plan was submitted for, to my eye anyhow. The rest could very easily be just for massing, to see what fits. Also, it is obvious that some layers are turned off, as you can see elevations marking the perimeter of structures and paths that are not shown... like the RC ticket booth. Others, that are also obviously going to be demolished are shown, like the juice bar. Overall, after spending way too many hours sorting through this drawing, I can say that the CAD operator is doing a messy job of maintaing his drawing! But hey, can't look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

[RocklandRVers]

I know I have steam trains on the brain, but look at the design of the buildings. To me, they look like huge rail cars connected together. Maybe the larger blue arc is the roundhouse? Again using this area as a historical timeline: You go up the Mississippi on your steam boat at Port Orleans resort, then you come to the Fort in your covered wagon and wind your way up to the Settlement where you go the rest of the way either by a boat from the dock or on up the road to a big train. From there you go to the Wilderness Lodge in the earliest 20th Century and then onto the Contemporary where you enter a futuristic world.

 

[skelooch]

Here is a whack at the TCD vision:

Just an interesting note: the lodge (as we've been calling it) is larger than Pioneer Hall even without the porches. The porches make it much larger. I still don't quite buy that the parking will be where the stables are now... who wants the suites that look out onto a parking lot? I think the main parking may still be across the road, with a lot of emphasis on cart-based bell-service.

I think you are right on, a mirror image of the northern section. That was my first thought when you pointed out existing dock southwest of the concrete wall. Great job of superimposing it onto Google Maps.

 

[Shan-man]

Maybe the larger blue arc is the roundhouse?

I just wanted to make sure no one is confused: the red buildings indicate what is shown on the leaked drawing, the blue is all hypothetical. The blue is just me trying to make sense of the clues given by the partial buildings shown in red.

Resume speculations, that is all,

 

[liz2206]

I would love it if they built a DVC resort on the old RC site as we love Fort but the cabins are not big enough anymore.

If they are going to do the resort when do you think we will hear if it is going ahead?

 

[ynottony99]

I was just browsing through my photos from the 1st of Oct. at FW. Lots of stakes and markers around the Settlement area and even West down past the barn. But no stakes or markers anywhere around the Outpost Depot, or the old Kennel, where the new barn is to be built.

 

[NLPRacing]

I would love it if they built a DVC resort on the old RC site as we love Fort but the cabins are not big enough anymore.

If they are going to do the resort when do you think we will hear if it is going ahead?

They are just now getting permits to move the barn. I would guess an announcement is still a year or more away.

 

[Thumper_ehhhhh]

I don't think anyone thinks fort guests are riff raff. It's just that to use the DVC facilities you gotta spend thousands of bucks for the privilege. I think the Fort guests already have it figured out that they have a good deal by staying at the fort.

No it's just a ongoing joke we have on the camping boards here. Trust me I know us Fort folks arent riff raff.

 

[WannaBeImagineer]

Maybe I'm behind a little, and someone else has noted this, but the link is dead. Even if you go directly to Swiftmud's site, the link appears in a search, but the page itself is gone.

I think you're the first one to point it out, but you are right. I just checked the website and the application and all supporting information is still there, but the pdf that shows the area everyone is interested in is no longer up. Honestly I still think it should have never been posted in the first place, they posted signed and sealed plans of the TCD stables why did they need those pdfs too?

Oh well, lucky us I guess! I wonder if someone at PBS&J got in trouble?

 

[ftwildernessrick]

I am going to need a lot more popcorn for this post before it is over.