Trams?

[kathymk616]

I haven't been to FW in many years, but my family used to camp there all the time. I have noticed many mentions of buses...are there any trams any more? I remember taking the boat back from MK in the evening and large trams making the stops at the loops. I always liked them better than regular buses...

[jonahbear2006]

Nope. No trams. Just the buses, and unfortunately, in February, what used to be a two bus loop is now a one bus loop, so purple is all purple, going both ways, and if you miss the bus you have to wait for it to finish the 45 min. that it takes for it to finish it's route. It is completely frustrating. I complained to Disney about how irrate we were all about it and it seems that the answer is to just rent a golf cart, so apparently they cut costs on buses, in hopes that instead of spending money on that bus, they are making money off of the golf carts. Good for them, harder for us! That is the only thing I don't like about Fort wilderness is that to get anywhere in the park you either need a golf cart or a bus and I feel the golf carts are going to go up in price, now that gas has risen. I meant that they will raise the price in the carts because they want more help running their bus system, prob the same reason why they cut out some of the buses altogether.

[SFTrny]

Ummm...while there is probably an indirect connection between the price of gas and the price of everrthing else...the golf carts are electric.

[NJ Camper]

We have been getting the cart the last few years for just that reason we don't want to wait for the bus and then wait for the crowds it's bad enough waiting for the ones that go to the parks we don't want to also wait on the internal buses also plus we like to cruise the camp looking at the other rigs

[TheMartellFamily]

We were told many years ago that the trams went to the other parks from the parking lot to bring guest to the gates. That is why they are no longer at Ft. Wilderness.

[ibrowse17]

I remember those from when I was younger, but had forgot them until I read this post. Thanks for bringing back those memories

[WDWdriver]

I remember those from when I was younger, but had forgot them until I read this post. Thanks for bringing back those memories

Yep. I remember the trams, too. They were similar to the parking lot trams seen today at all the parks, but they were somehow more "down home" and friendly.

And before the trams (dating myself here ) were the steam trains that circled the campground loops. They were really fun, but not very efficient for moving lots of people. You can still find old trestles and roadbeds left over from the trains. Did you ever wonder about the names "Settlement Depot" and "Outpost Depot"? They were both once the train depots at either end of the campground resort.

[faline]

And before the trams (dating myself here ) were the steam trains that circled the campground loops.

I remember the trains from my very first camping trip to Disney World. Alas, I never got to ride on one before they were "retired"!

[Not2Loud]

As a kid, I loved riding the trams around Fort Wilderness. I was 8+ when I was allowed to ride them by myself. (Times have changed...)

Anyways, it was a great adventure. In the afternoons when my younger brothers were sleeping, I would plot out a course and head out. A typical scenario for me was to hop the tram around Fort Wilderness, ride the boat to the Contemporary. There I would play a few games in the game room then head up to catch the monorail. I usually would ride the circle and get off at the TTC and hop the other monorail to Epcot. After doing the full loop, I would get off at the TTC and ride the boat over to the MK, and then catch the smaller boat back to FW and finally a tram back to our loop.

I look back and think its crazy I did that as an 8 yr old, but it sure was an adventure. It was a sense of freedom that today's 8 yr olds probably don't get. Can't say I will let mine do that when she is 8!

Thanks for causing me to relive those great memories!!

[SFTrny]

I'd love to see a steam train installed that runs through FW, over to WL, and on to the TTC.

[drummerboy]

And before the trams were the steam trains that circled the campground loops. They were really fun, but not very efficient for moving lots of people. You can still find old trestles and roadbeds left over from the trains. Did you ever wonder about the names "Settlement Depot" and "Outpost Depot"? They were both once the train depots at either end of the campground resort.

I've got a couple of photos of the FW steam train; one from a car right behind the cab looking into the cab and one of the train at one of the depots (I think it was the outpost depot). Those were from DW and my honemoon trip in '76. I've read somewhere that the tracks were put in rather hurriedly and caused a lot of problems. It would be nice to have that added attraction back at FW though.

Oddly enough, I don't remember the trams, although I'm sure we rode them.

On a completely unrelated note, I still have the ticket stubs from seeing Hoop-de-Do in '76. We thought we were being extravagent paying $12.50 apiece for them.

[disneydad153]

I remember back in early 80's probably, camping with my family in a pop up at FW. I remember the tram cars vivedly. They were fun to ride as a kid. I also kinda remember some sort of tree houses with pop guns mounted in them that kids could climb up into and play. Maybe I'm wrong though. I'm sadened to hear that the trams are gone though. Someday We'll stay there again.