UPDATED 01/14/20 - The FW DISMeet 2020-See Post #283 For Latest News and Updates

You know....it is possible I will have that October trip there....

Not to brag but I've had the privilege of driving 4077 around the Fort before. Well, I guess he drove me.

He is very easy to get along with and low maintenance.

Back in October 2017 when my Dear Dad and I made our bucket list trip to the Fort, we had rented a golf cart and found 4077 slumming over by loop 1600. (dear guy had a flight into the area and made it to the Fort on his own wits that morning. I think he had slept up in a tree with the FW turkeys the night before).

Dad and I picked him up that morning and gave him the wheel of the golf cart. It was like meeting a REAL celebrity riding backseat for 4077 (Dad got shotgun as I recall). He flew us low to the ground. I felt very safe the whole time.

4077, come see us in our DISMeet loops if you get the chance.

Bama ED

PS - our golf cart adventures are documented on the DIS....
 
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4077, come see us in our DISMeet loops if you get the chance.

Bama ED

PS - our golf cart adventures are
documented on the DIS....

You are too kind, sir! (..and bama_ed truly is just that). Rest assured, if the airplane has me in the area, I will be there!

Oh, even though I have not had the opportunity to partake, I would also like to add in my “thank you!” for all you do to organize these meets! After all, those of us afar still enjoy the following along entertainment that results!!

Perhaps we can add a bit of realism this time....golf cart wise:scratchin
407303
 
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Just a reminder before we get the registration process going:

I will be communicating with people interested in registration via the DIS Private Message (PM) system (it's the little envelope symbol on the new blue DIS menu bar on the right side next to your user name when you are logged in). Some people for some reason do not allow others to create a PM to them. I have encountered this in the past - when I list the names of who will receive a PM that I start, when I type their name a dialog box pops up that says "so-and-so is not accepting PM's" or words to that effect.

Thus I am posting here, now for posterity, to check your settings if you want to receive a PM regarding the registration process before we kick it off. Here is how you do that:

  1. Click on your user name on the blue menu bar on the right side when you are logged into the DIS
  2. Under the "Your Account" menu bar choice, click "Privacy"
  3. On the section "Allow users to ... " are several choices
  4. On the choice "Start conversations with you:" make sure you have chosen the "Members Only" option.
  5. Save these changes.

@Boomer1 / Krista, I need YOU to do this (and others if you are in doubt as to your own status, check it). And I'm not going to start doing email - going to keep everything in one place here on the DIS (trying to keep things simple). Also, I don't know if the old rules carried over to the new DIS software, but you used to need 10 posts to be able to send a PM (10 posts anywhere on the DIS not just the camping forum). If you don't know your count, click on your user name on the blue menu bar while logged in and check the number of "Messages".

As a reminder early next week we will start the Early Interest Priority registration. I have a list of DIS users who will be in that first wave.

Have a great weekend!

Bama Ed
 
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Well everyone, we have a contract with DISNEY for our Fort Wilderness DISMeet in October 2020. Yea! It may sound far off, but it will be here before you know it.

Here are the details and how the process will play out:

1. The dates are "generally" arriving by Sunday night October 11, 2020 to Saturday night October 17, 2020. I say GENERALLY because that's how the meet schedule will be planned, but you're on vacation - you can come and go as you please or blow off the few activities we have planned (but we would like to see your smiling faces).

2. I expect most arrivals to occur Saturday/Sunday October 10/11, 2020 with our one planned event day being Monday October 12. Ideally, we will have a rough outline of Monday events before we hit the 180-day mark, but please leave Monday, October 12, open for now. Other activities will likely be happening throughout the week, but they might be ad hoc and optional.

3. We have a LIMITED number of sites in the contract for the week prior to October 10th, beginning on Sunday October 4, 2020. In our past surveys and threads, some of you expressed a desire to arrive early or stay later. Our contracted rates run from Sunday October 4, 2020 to Sunday October 18, 2020. If you want to arrive before Sunday October 4, 2020 or stay after Saturday night, October 17 (contract check-out is Sunday October 18, 2020), you must book your own individual reservation just for those periods outside October 4-17.

4. Beginning Saturday night October 10, 2020 our FULL allotment of sites becomes available, so the majority of arrivals can occur that weekend. And our full allotment runs through the last day of the contract, Sunday morning October 18, 2020.

5. Because we have a group contract, the process has a mix of room only reservation aspects AND package aspects. Initially you will pay only one night's rate as a deposit (similar to room only); however, the remaining balance of your full site cost must be paid approximately one month before the contract start date of October 4, 2020 (September 4, 2020 - similar to package). Cancellations can occur up to five days before arrival (similar to room only). Park tickets and meal plans are NOT part of this contract and must be purchased separately.

6. Our contract is predominantly for Premium sites with a few Full sites and even fewer cabins at contracted rates. Attendees booking a Premium site will be assigned together in a Premium loop TBD and attendees with a Full site reservation will be assigned together in a Full loop TBD at some point in summer 2020. Cabins should be similar.

7. Disney is prepared to begin accepting reservations on this group contract in the middle of next week (tentatively 06/12/19). One good aspect of a contract is that we are not rushed to book the reservations. Disney will hold our contracted capacity for the time specified in the contract. Once Disney is ready to begin accepting our group reservations, the booking process can begin.

8. An Early Interest Priority will be given to those that replied in the recent FEEDBACK REQUESTED thread and also those who have supported and attended past regional Camping DISMeets (I have a list). This Early Interest Priority window will begin when reservations begin being accepted (tentatively 06/12/19) and will extend for two weeks (tentatively until 06/26/19). At that time, reservations will be open to DIS Camping members and their invited guests. We wanted to recognize the early interest and prior DISMeet participation. I anticipate a number of sites will be available after the 2 weeks, but our contract is for a designated number of sites. When they are gone, they're gone, so book early.

Send me a PM if you are interested in booking a campsite on the contract and I will reply with more information (rates, process) once the Early Interest Priority period ends.

Bama Ed

PS - Lordy, I hope this works.

PPS - @Boomer1 I need you to enable your receiving a Private Message. Right now your Profile settings are such that I can not send anything to you (tested that).

PPPS - I will keep post #1 updated with any latest/greatest news and updates and copy/paste any contents of post #1 down to a current post.
Just a reminder before we get the registration process going:

I will be communicating with people interested in registration via the DIS Private Message (PM) system (it's the little envelope symbol on the new blue DIS menu bar on the right side next to your user name when you are logged in). Some people for some reason do not allow others to create a PM to them. I have encountered this in the past - when I list the names of who will receive a PM that I start, when I type their name a dialog box pops up that says "so-and-so is not accepting PM's" or words to that effect.

Thus I am posting here, now for posterity, to check your settings if you want to receive a PM regarding the registration process before we kick it off. Here is how you do that:

  1. Click on your user name on the blue menu bar on the right side when you are logged into the DIS
  2. Under the "Your Account" menu bar choice, click "Privacy"
  3. On the section "Allow users to ... " are several choices
  4. On the choice "Start conversations with you:" make sure you have chosen the "Members Only" option.
  5. Save these changes.

@Boomer1 / Krista, I need YOU to do this (and others if you are in doubt as to your own status, check it). And I'm not going to start doing email - going to keep everything in one place here on the DIS (trying to keep things simple). Also, I don't know if the old rules carried over to the new DIS software, but you used to need 10 posts to be able to send a PM (10 posts anywhere on the DIS not just the camping forum). If you don't know your count, click on your user name on the blue menu bar while logged in and check the number of "Messages".

As a reminder early next week we will start the Early Interest Priority registration. I have a list of DIS users who will be in that first wave.

Have a great weekend!

Bama Ed
thanks for posting these instructions. Being new to this I wasn’t sure I had it right Yahoo mine is ok but feel better knowing for sure. appreciate your attention to detail. I’d also be happy to help where needed. Thanks.
 


Folks, Disney is ready for us so I have PM'd those of you who have an Early Priority Interest to go ahead and book your campsite. Today is 06/11/19 so we will let that run for two weeks. Again, this is the window for DIS members to secure their sites in the contract group. In two weeks, you can open it up to your invited guests (friends, family, neighbors) and ask them to include YOUR host DIS user name (so we know how to place you together in the loop).

Please be patient and remember we have already secured our block so there is no rush. I will start a list of attendees once we get a little further down the calendar. Once you receive your reservation number, you can go to My Disney Experience and link that number to your account.

The original contents of Post #1 of this thread will be moved to Post #2 and Post #1 will become the latest news and lists post.

Good luck! Hope to see all your reservations on the list soon!

Bama Ed

PS - still hoping @Boomer1 / Krista sees the instructions for getting PM's in post #25 above.
 
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Great job on this, Ed.

The process is smooth as butter. I'm reserved for October 10-17. It would have gone easier if I had indicated a Premium site (instead of no indication).

See everyone next year!

j
 
Jim,

Good to hear. Those are my dates too. Saturday to Saturday.

I loaded my number into My Disney Experience and noticed that the Early Check-In link was already active. "Want to skip the Front Desk? Start Check-in". <sheesh> Thanks Disney, I'll wait a few months. :rolleyes:

Now given my usual travel pattern, I think I'm going to plan the night before (what is that, Friday October 9, 2020?) for Lake Louisa SP.

Lots of time left to plan!

Bama Ed
 
I'm going to plan the night before (what is that, Friday October 9, 2020?) for Lake Louisa SP.
I may give Lake Louisa a 3rd try (hurricane 2017, truck problems last year). It depends on when we really leave. If I can get out of work and get on the road Thursday night, that will make the drive to LL easier for Donna to tolerate. 12 hours is about the most she will put up with. It is 16-17 to LL or the Fort.

I noticed the "Check in" button when I added onto our friend's September reservation. I may do it and ask to be "close to the elevator" again. Actually, they finally fixed that. It has camping appropriate options now; accommodates a fifth wheel, accommodates an awning, close to pool, accommodates slide outs, close to transportation.

I didn't see "Close to Ed". :-)

j
 
Don't know why I posted this on the pm side, but we have a reservation!! :cool1: Got the notice this morning from Nancy to link the reservation # to my MDE account, arriving on Oct 4 and leaving in Oct 18! Thank you bama ed for all the hard work you put into this! Really is appreciated! We only have 448 days to complete my MB order now!! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust:
 
I won't be able to pull out until Friday the 9th after the girls get out of school because they'll already be missing 3 days that next week while we are at Disney. When I leave at that time I usually drive non-stop to the rest area in Ocala and then then rest there until about 6AM, it's exactly an hour from there to FW. Depending on @SouthAlabama5er I might try to link up with his convoy (half of Grand Bay, AL) and travel with them. Strength in numbers.

I haven't gotten my confirmation yet, She said she probably wouldn't get back around to our group until next week so I hope you guys don't grab all the elevator sites before I have a chance to.
 
Don't know why I posted this on the pm side, but we have a reservation!! :cool1: Got the notice this morning from Nancy to link the reservation # to my MDE account, arriving on Oct 4 and leaving in Oct 18! Thank you bama ed for all the hard work you put into this! Really is appreciated! We only have 448 days to complete my MB order now!! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: pixiedust: pixiedust: pixiedust:

rajak73,

I added the week before on the contract since several of you had indicated on the feedback thread that you could come in for two weeks. Personally, I'm jealous and will bring my work laptop in 2020 to see how it connects to my corporate VPN and I might be able to pull a garneska from my campsite and "work" :rotfl: from my site on future trips over the WIFI.

I know of at least three folks that will be coming in the week before. I hope they get in early, supply a lot of pictures, and let all those people (like me) circling 24x7 on I4, Hwy 27, and all parts around Orlando when our sites become available and we can home run into the Fort.

I decline the MagicBand option nowadays, rajak, since we bought some nice ones a few years ago. So I guess I can decline them now (why wait? :confused3 ).



Bama Ed
 
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I don't decline them. I'm working on a collection for a project one day. On our last trip I actually had two original reservations that I was eventually able to put together. I actually got 8 magic bands on that trip!
 
I have reservation for Oct 4-18. Ed, you really made this simple and easy for the rest of us. I know a lot of work goes into this type of get-together. I really appreciate it, thank you. We’re actually in WDW now and having great time in what feels like the monsoon season😱. On the plus side, the parks clear out a lot So rides are easier to get on.
 
I was able to snag some of the special design magic bands for our Oct & Nov 2019 trips for $14.99 Just saw they’re now out of stock but I’m sure if you keep checking they’ll be back in stock soon. Same as the $25 ones in park just fewer to choose from, great deal if you’re into them, which I am.
 
I noticed the "Check in" button when I added onto our friend's September reservation. I may do it and ask to be "close to the elevator" again. Actually, they finally fixed that. It has camping appropriate options now; accommodates a fifth wheel, accommodates an awning, close to pool, accommodates slide outs, close to transportation.

I didn't see "Close to Ed". :-)

j

Not much call for that, I'm afraid. :sad2:

Ed
 

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