Walt Disney World With Rob and Debra

(Avon Park, FL)  Hi 82  Lo 56 -- Today was a full and active day! We got up at 7am, which is early for me. We were out the door at 7:30 headed for the Fort Wilderness Campground at Disney World to meet up with Rob and his wife Debra. Rob is an RV-Dreamer friend, and is active in our nightly chatroom. We met him a couple of years ago  when he visited us, and today we finally got to meet his lovely wife Debra.

On the way north we stopped at IHOP for breakfast. I had my favorite again, the Hash Brown Stacker. With full bellies we continued our trip  and arrived at the entrance to Fort Wilderness around 9:30. Rob was there to meet us with a parking pass, and two resort passes good for the next two weeks. How nice! He rented a golf cart for the day and we loaded up and rode a couple of miles to his campsite. The Fort Wilderness Campground is HUGE... Rob says there's over 800 sites! It's very "woodsy."

We arrived at Rob's site and he showed us around his 4-month old Pinnacle fifth wheel. It's a beauty!

We went inside to meet Debra and got an inside tour of their rig. Then after sitting and socializing for awhile we all piled into the golf cart and Rob took us on a tour of some of the Disney World resorts.

We went to the Campground boat dock and took a ferry across the lake to the Fort Wilderness Resort. It's a rustic looking complex that's built from huge logs, and designed to resemble the big National Park lodges out west.

The central atrium is many stories high with all the rooms' balconies facing the lobby.

In one corner is this huge fireplace that's two stories high.

This is one of two totem poles that rise up on two sides of the lobby. This photo doesn't really reflect it's beauty and bright colors.

Although the lodge is very rustic, outside there's all the modern amenities of leisure, like this swimming pool.

After admiring these beautiful surroundings for awhile, we hopped on another ferry and went across the lake in another direction to the Contemporary Resort, one of the two original resorts that were here when Disney World opened in 1971.

It's a lot more modern looking than the Fort Wilderness Resort. This is a view of the lobby from the monorail track two stories above the floor. Those long white walkways run in front of the hotel rooms.

The monorail runs right through the lobby of the hotel.

We jumped on the monorail to go to our next destination...

The Grand Floridian. (Sorry for the quality of this photo; I took it out the window of the monorail.)

And this place really is GRAND! It's the fanciest hotel at Disney World (and the most expensive at several hundred dollars a night). Walking in from the monorail station we were on a balcony overlooking the lobby. Note the grand piano being played, and the uniformed staff waiting to be "beckoned and called." (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Behind the hotel is a beach, with the whitest sand we've ever seen. It was obviously trucked in from somewhere, probably from one of the beaches on Florida's west coast.

After getting our taste of how the "other half" lived, we re-boarded the monorail and took a ride past the Magic Kingdom...

Space Mountain...

Cindarella's Castle...

And Epcot.

Me and Jim, next to Mickey.

After transferring from the monorail back to the ferry, we crossed the lake back to the Fort Wilderness Campground. Rob and Debra, thanks for your hospitality, and for making this a day to remember. You guys are the greatest!

We said our farewells to Debra as she stayed behind while Rob took us back to our car. We parted with hugs and a promise to get together again, then headed home just as darkness was falling. 

What a wonderful day! A whole day at Disney World without spending any money.