Welcome to the second in a series of trivia quizzes about Disney’s Fort Wilderness. There are twenty questions, ranging from moderate to a little difficult. Bet you don’t know as much as you think you do!
Continue reading “Part 2: How Much Do You Really Know About Fort Wilderness?” →
Remember Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s when she said, “We belong to nobody, and nobody belongs to us.” Such is the case of the Wandering Fire Pit at Disney’s Fort Wilderness. True to its cowboy spirit, the Wandering Fire Pit is a nomad, giving and receiving warmth before it’s on its way. It’s fiery temper is aroused only by misguided attempts to control it or suffocate it. Continue reading “The Tale of the Wandering Fire Pit at Fort Wilderness” →
When we took our family on a cruise a few years back, I imposed afternoon naps for everyone. I did this partly because it’s always fashionable to channel Mary Poppins, and partly because we Continue reading “Old Pioneer Hall Cheese Dip and the Art of the Charcuterie Board” →
These were the days of Teflon and Tupperware, of $5 campsites and gelatin molds. Mothers were still the ones in the kitchen, and their upbringing had taught them that dinner was to be delicious, yet appear effortless. I remember being at Fort Wilderness in the 70s, and all of the Winnebago moms had on full make-up and flawless beauty parlor hair throughout the entire camping w Continue reading “Forgotten RV Cooking & Camping Hacks That Your Grandma Rocked in the 70s” →
I’m convinced that the only loyalty greater than that of Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom is that of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. But as connected as they are, they are worlds apart. While Fort Wilderness has some Disney themes with nightly Disney movies and Chip and Dale appearances, it feels more like being on the set of an old western film. For many of us over age 21 or so, going to the park is secondary to the camping adventure, and perhaps not necessary at all.
Evidence of the obsession (mine included) is evident in the sheer number (dozens) of Facebook pages and groups dedicated fully Continue reading “The Psychology of Our Obsession with Disney’s Fort Wilderness” →
It’s Thursday night quiz time! There’s 12 questions, and you’re doing quick word association for Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground. At the end, you’ll find out your forest animal brain match. Continue reading “Ultimate Word Association Quiz for Fort Wilderness – Take the Challenge!” →
I’m not one to keep a vacation secret very well, so once I have those Fort Wilderness reservations in hand, I let the family know. Most of the tribe are genuinely thrilled, but at least one (usually a teen) has some variety of objections. “Mom, when are we going back to the Polynesian?”, “Isn’t it going to be hot in May?”, “I hate sleeping on the jackknife couch.” or “I guess that means we’re not flying.” Through creativity, bribery, and sheer manipulation, I’ve managed to simmer down most of the complaints. I do this because I know that the end results will be grand – Continue reading “10 Ways to Totally Sell Your Kids on Camping at Fort Wilderness” →
Our greatest culinary delights are the simple vegetables of summer – corn, tomatoes and cucumbers. For my June birthday each year, I request the same meal year after year. It doesn’t matter whether we’re having three guests or fifty. We have simple tomato sandwiches (on white bread with mayo) and corn on the cob. Really, the main secret to corn is to have very fresh corn, and not to overcook it. Corn can be boiled, prepared on the microwave or grilled with the husks on. I grew up on boiled corn freshly picked from my grandmother’s garden. But when camping, I prefer it grilled.
For such a simple dish, it can be quite difficult to get it just right. First of all, we must begin with very fresh corn – the kind you get at the farmer’s market. Secondly, there are some (my daughter included) who skip the step of soaking the corn in water, but it does seem to make a slight difference in the juiciness of the finished corn. To get maximum princess sweetness, we will use the method of grilling the corn in the husk rather than wrapping it in foil.
Start by pulling back the husks (don’t remove!) and getting rid of as many of the stringies (silks) as you can. Put the husks back into place, and immerse the corn in cold water for about 20 minutes. Afterwards, shake (like a polaroid picture) off as much water as you can.
Pull the husks back again, and cover each piece of corn with butter. Cover the corn with the husks again, securing at the end with a small piece of tin foil.
Place the corn directly on the grade over the gray coals (or 350 degree gas grill). Cook for about 5 minutes on each side (corn has four sides), for a total of about 20 minutes. The husks should turn a nice dark brown. If they are black, you might find yourself with two much of smoky smell. What is critical is to be mindful of not overcooking the corn. This is where most grilled corns go wrong.
After removing from grill, you can wrap in a little foil to make them easier to handle and stay warm for a few minutes. Serve right away with butter. Stop messing it up with extra herbs and cheese and cool names like Mexican Street Corn. Corn and butter don’t need any new friends.
As most of us know, Walt Disney passed away in 1966 from lung cancer. This was well before Disney World opened in 1971. He never saw his vision of a campground at Disney World come to fruition. We can only imagine what his thoughts would have been about the campground, and how Fort Wilderness might be different had he lived another 20 years. In this hypothetical, fictional interview, I’ve taken some questions about the Fort, and answered them using quotes attributed to Walt Disney. Continue reading “Chatting with Walt About Fort Wilderness: A Hypothetical Interview” →
Dear Friend:
It doesn’t matter how much of a Mickey fan you are, there are moments that almost all of us have hated being in Disney World. One of mine was many, many years ago on the monorail at about 1 am. My daughter was a little over two years old, and still breast-feeding (remember, I am the Wilderness Princess). There were more people on the monorail than inhabit the state of Alabama, and she started screaming “Boobie! Boobie, mommy Boobie!” Over and over. Over and over for 20 minutes. It was shrill, loud, annoying, and yes, embarrassing. If you were on the monorail that night, you remember how much you hated me, and I now apologize. I was in a personal hell, and wanted to be as far from that f—king Happy Place as I could. Continue reading “A Letter to Disney World Haters: I Understand, and I’m Here to Help You” →
