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

[DYNSC]

I'm gonna post this here in the DISMeet thread and also will cross-post it on the Chit Chat thread.

My news is that I have retired as of last Friday from my employer after 32 years with the company. I got a nice announcement, should get to select a retirement gift and have a small dinner celebration. The timing was not of my choosing but don't cry for me - I will have retiree insurance, don't have to work, and am still planning to come to the October DISMeet (why I am posting this info here). So be excited for me as I am (DW is sorta/kinda.... ).

My decorations budget for my campsite will take a short term hit so I won't be decked out to the gills in our loop in October but will make the best with what I have.

I've already booked my anchor reservation for a trip out west (out past Texas that is) next summer so I will be hitting the road with the Aliner without regard to fitting into vacations days away from work. I'd also like to just "show up unannounced" at regional DISmeets that are springing up.

Cuz ya never know.....

Have a drink on me!

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Bama Ed

Congrats on retirement even though wasn’t time you chose it can be a blessing at this crazy time in the world. Enjoy

 

[tigger92662]

I booked a few reservations. All the ones i want the restaurant is not open. I have CA Grille for dinner (prefer brunch but since brunch is part buffet not open), morimoto asia, and Homecoming for brunch. I really wanted to Jaleo, but again not open.

@tigger92662 do you want to go to dinner one night since we are both coming in Sun Oct 4. Do you have a date or restaurant you prefer? I was thinking maybe Tuesday. I booked Morimoto Asia for Thursday Oct 8. and i see that is when @Teamubr is going. i think i booked sometime around 6ish. I know we are planning to work a few days each week just not sure which days. I am kind of thinking will work Tues and thursday the first week and then Tues and Wed the next week. I guess Bert and i can do some planning on our 11 hour drive on Saturday .

Kris, i will talk with Glenda and be in touch with you early next week about dinner plans.

 

[friendofeeyore]

So happy for you. God has a plan for all of us - he thought it was time & now watch out - you will stay busier than ever. You are lucky to have your Dad to have lots of fun with anytime. Arnold & myself was enjoying our retirement & was able to do & go places otherwise would be saved for vacation. When Arnold gets well we will hit the road again, enjoying God's landscape.

 

[Boomer1]

With the announcement recently that the Canada/United States border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Sept.21,2020 Tom and I have made the sad decision to cancel our October FW Dismeet trip. We hope that the meet will be such a resounding success that a future meet will be planned that we can attend when the world goes back to being a little closer to normal.

 

[bama_ed]

With the announcement recently that the Canada/United States border will remain closed to non-essential travel until at least Sept.21,2020 Tom and I have made the sad decision to cancel our October FW Dismeet trip. We hope that the meet will be such a resounding success that a future meet will be planned that we can attend when the world goes back to being a little closer to normal.

You had warned us, Boomer1, that this might happen. So it's not a surprise.

I hope there is a future DISmeet at the Fort (although I will be carrying the DISMeet Chairman Emeritus by that point LOL.)

Seriously, though, the one thing that is important is that us campers that love Fort Wilderness and WDW have a common bond. The southern Gulf State Park Dismeet that has taken place for 5-6 years was the start. A Midwest DISmeet sprung up next and this summer we had some DIS members in the Northeast "glamping" recently (when Medic springs for a poolside Cabana, I was ready to move in with my EasyBoy!).

Personally I have met you and Tom at multiple past stays at the Fort. I hope there are more meet-ups in our future.

My opinion and advice is to always try to meet up with and say hello with a fellow DISser while at Fort Wilderness. Even for 5 minutes. Putting a face with a name is invaluable - and no matter how funny they talk (from Canada, Wisconsin, or, god forbid, New Jersey) a real personal encounter makes the bond stronger. (For the Jersey folks the other 49 states need Closed Captioning).

I used to work in sales for my company (before I was forced into retirement this summer) and our expression was "at their place and in their face". In other words, get OUT THERE and see folks, shake their hands, learn their names, where their from and what school's football team they pull for. What are their interest, who are their spouses, and what are their hobbies (travel ball, equestrian, ballet, dog shows, etc.).

I hope to meet up again some day with Tom and Krista (Boomer1). If not this year, ........... well..............soon.

Ed

PS - Boomer1, please feel free to kibitz and comment on our trip report when it happens in two months.

 

[bama_ed]

And JUST LIKE THAT last night the SEC Football schedule release dropped a bomb in my lap.

So the reveal last night was the dates the SEC teams would play each other - we already knew who our 10 opponents would be but not the dates we would play them - until last night. And Alabama was scheduled to play Georgia here in Tuscaloosa for the first time in like 12 years. And last night showed they put that game on Saturday October 17 which is my last full day of the DISMeet! ARGH!

I don't even know if I will still qualify for season tickets to the games this fall (Alabama has not announced its reduced attendance level they will allow yet) but I should find out in the next week. I still will be at the DISMeet even if I get tickets (hello StubHub) so that means I'll be watching the game at my campsite.

Just to warn you, when we have a tough opponent or a close game, I am very wrapped up in the game. When we play a team we are supposed to beat (and do), I can be relaxed, easy going, gracious...... But I can be on the other extreme too. I hope some of you will watch the game with me (exact time yet TBD) and calm me down if things don't go well (you just never know). If you want to be entertained, watch me watch a close game. It's the family joke line.

But maybe it will go like this again.

Bama Ed

PS - I arrive at the Fort the prior Saturday when Bama plays at Ole Miss. I'll make sure to catch that game on tv then too.

PPS - hey maybe now that I'm retired, I can make some chocolate chip cookies this morning and walk over to Greg Byrnes' office (Alabama Athletic Director) down the street and see if I can get moved up on the ticket list a little bit. It couldn't hurt, no?

 

[Teamubr]

I still haven't seen the calendar dates yet, but Mizzou was not happy when it was announced last week that Alabama and LSU were added to the schedule.

Be gentle on them. They are in their 54th year of rebuilding.

j

 

[rajak73]

They are in their 54th year of rebuilding.

Ah...the old Big 8, then on to the Big 12 and now..........I remember them having some really good teams.

 

[Teamubr]

Ah...the old Big 8, then on to the Big 12 and now..........I remember them having some really good teams.

I'm not sure why Missouri moved to the SEC. TV revenue, I'm sure, but it doesn't make for an easy schedule.

I've lived in Illinois twice as long as I lived in Missouri. But I grew up in MO and still have a draw towards supporting them over the Illini. Partly because I remember some of those good seasons when I was younger.

j

 

[bama_ed]

I'm not sure why Missouri moved to the SEC. TV revenue, I'm sure, but it doesn't make for an easy schedule.

Well, Texas A&M wanted to join the SEC and we gladly took them to give us access to the Texas tv market and they became the 13th team.

However, you couldn't have an odd number of teams in a conference (difficult scheduling) so the SEC needed someone else to come over with aTm. I believe the SEC attempted to get a team on the eastern side of the division (NC State, Virginia) but they wouldn't come. Missouri would for the better revenue sharing approach that the SEC uses but they were a second team from the western geographical side of the conference (they do bring the St. Louis tv market and surrounding area).

But they got placed in the eastern division of the SEC anyway.

Back on topic, though, I have a small DISMeet update to post in the next day or two and will be getting that done soon.

Bama Ed

 

[tiggerdad]

Wait...Missouri is in the SEC!?

I thought Vanderbilt was just playing folks twice!

 

[WeLovePluto]

I saw a 20% capacity for Bama. Hopefully they do that in a way where every season ticket holder gets at least one game.

Tulane cancelled all season tickets and will offer single game tickets if fans are allowed later in the season.

 

[Disbug]

Congrats on your retirement, Bama Ed! I agree with others that you may find you're busier than ever now. Could you put me on the DIS Meet list for Oct 12-16 in a Tent site? (Probably 2000 if 1500 stays closed...) See everyone on the 12th for the group gatherings!

Oh, and even though my sister graduated from Auburn and our neighbor from Alabama... Go Gators! Lol!

 

[DYNSC]

Sorry we won’t get to meet everyone coming to the Oct FW Meet, I just cancelled our reservation. We now have 14 yr old living with us full time and even though school will be virtual, at least for the first semester we felt we should cancel now vs last minute. Hope to meet at some future date.

 

[bama_ed]

Sorry we won’t get to meet everyone coming to the Oct FW Meet, I just cancelled our reservation. We now have 14 yr old living with us full time and even though school will be virtual, at least for the first semester we felt we should cancel now vs last minute. Hope to meet at some future date.

I hope our paths cross again, DYNSC.

Some new info rolled in so my update will be slightly delayed.

Bama Ed

 

[Stratman50th]

So I have been going on to the Disneygo site every day trying to get my ADRs for the October trip. As you all know I'm looking for 'Ohana, Trails End and maybe Cape May Cafe. I figure I'll keep at it in case they open on the site before announcing it through a release. Still hoping for some openings before I'm there. When you all were booking your ADRs for October were you ever surprised that one had opened before they announced it?
Sidebar: I got an access denied message this morning when I tried to get on their site. Don't know what that was about but I'll try again later.

 

[bama_ed]

Time for a late August 2020 update:

1. The window has closed on new reservations in our group block. Our groups will be placed together in the Full and Premium loops that we get.

2. Due to covid, the check-in/charging process has been changed. Now your credit card will be charged the remaining balance due the day before arrival per our TA.

3. Use the My Disney Experience link on your reservation to use the Early Check-in option and to request or defer your Magic Bands (I'm going to defer and bring some older decorated ones I had paid for).

4. Not clear yet on if we can do site assignments. The personnel the TA has interfaced with in years past both on the contract and Fort back-office sides have been furloughed, out of the office, or on other assignments.

5. On your arrival day you should receive a text with your site number when it is ready.

We have had several cancellations (all for various legitimate reasons) so our numbers are down. But we will persevere those of us who will be there.

I'm going to post the DIS names still on our "GO" list in a few days (need to validate the list somewhat). I know some people (like DisBug recently) said they will be there at the same time but in parallel (not in our group but in a Meadow or Tent site for example). So I will need your help to sanity check the list when I publish it.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

So I have been going on to the Disneygo site every day trying to get my ADRs for the October trip. As you all know I'm looking for 'Ohana, Trails End and maybe Cape May Cafe. I figure I'll keep at it in case they open on the site before announcing it through a release. Still hoping for some openings before I'm there. When you all were booking your ADRs for October were you ever surprised that one had opened before they announced it?
Sidebar: I got an access denied message this morning when I tried to get on their site. Don't know what that was about but I'll try again later.

No I haven't been surprised but restaurants that are opening up may have a shorter lead time than resorts. As we mentioned for Ohana, the Poly (resort side) already has an announced opening date in early October but now may be too soon yet for Ohana.

Personally I have doubts that TE will open for our window but I would expect the Halloween crowd to still be big at the Fort so you never know.

Bama Ed

 

[Teamubr]

Ed,

Thanks for the update. I'm curious what loop(s) we will be in. Any ideas on how to pay for the balance on a Disney card? I have about $800 or so on my Disney Visa account that I was going to use.

Don,

I didn't find anything unusual for ADRs. I tried getting Ohana, but it didn't show as an option since it is closed. I did have problems using the Disney web site on my PC. It would show availability. When I would pick a time and try to complete the reservation, it would fail every time. Error messages varied. I could do it on the MDE app on my phone and it would work fine.

j

 

[Bishoparc]

Any ideas on how to pay for the balance on a Disney card?

Since we are having to complete check in online now, you should see it on the Disney site. I used mine to buy our tickets and it automatically checks the balance and lets you split it with another card if it’s over what you have left on your Disney card.