This is the pool at the Hilton Bonnet Creek - picture taken from our hotel room on the 14th floor. Around the edge is a lazy river - water temp is 85.
Every fall the Florida Association of Media Educators has a convention - usually in Orlando. This time it is held at Hilton - Bonnet Creek - right on the Disney property. Disneyworld has gotten so big - you need to use your GPS to get around.
Back in the 1970s - Lulu and I used to bring my students down here in a bus. Lulu and I got chauffeur's licenses and we would drive 20 hours straight to get here from Tamaqua PA. It was about 1050 miles each way. In those days - our bus got 10 MPG - and it took 100 gallons of gasoline each way. My bus had 2 large 40 gallon tanks so we could almost make the whole trip without refueling.
Our favorite spot to stay - because it was the cheapest - was Fort Wilderness. Disney it seemed actually gave us money to stay there. A campsite was $12.00 - and I would squeeze up to 16 kids in one site. Then they would offer a discount to campers when they entered the Magic Kingdom. The discount at the time was like $2.00 a kid - so we got $32 in discounts for staying at a $12 a night campsite. The boys would stay in a tent and the girls would sleep on the beds in the bus. In those days we used to be able to turn the kids loose in the Magic Kingdom - because that was all there was then. Now I am guessing there about 8 different parks and 30 different hotels on Disney grounds.
When I bought our Prius two years ago - I bought a pair of red folding bikes to match it. They were on sale at Camping World for $99 each. They are one speed with a good old coaster brake on the back. They fold up nicely and you can store two of them behind the back seat of the Prius and still use the back seat.
We took the bikes to Fort Wilderness and rode around there this morning. Then we took the back trail over to Wilderness Lodge and had lunch there.
This is out hotel - Hilton Bonnet Creek. The pool is heated to 85 degrees. We are on the 14th floor facing the parks so we can see the fireworks.
In Downtown Disney - they have a beauty shop for kids. It had 10 chairs and they were all filled with girls getting done up like princesses.
Many people that stay at Fort Wilderness stay a long time - and they decorate their campers for the seasons.
Look at this giant motorhome all decorated.
This couple must stay here often - their wooden sign says Fort Wilderness 114 - just 100 feet from the Trading Post.
Lulu and I made our first trip to Disneyworld in 1972. In 1974 - we chartered a plane and brought 150 Pennsylvania kids to Disney for a day - 4 AM to midnight. The whole trip including jet - buses - admission - and 3 meals was $89.
Lulu loves riding her bike especially on paved paths. We had lunch in Wilderness Lodge.
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