Pretrip Report: Anticipating the MAGIC (instead of doing laundry) - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
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If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Pretrip Report: Anticipating the MAGIC (instead of doing laundry)
We leave two weeks from today for our Disney Magic vacation! Instead of cleaning the house, or cleaning the house, or hey-cleaning the house… I am writing a pre-trip report! I’m sure it won’t be nearly as exciting as the post-trip report, but it’s helping to pass the time!
A little history about our Disney mania… DH and I will be celebrating our 10 yr anniversary in August. About 10 years ago from today, I was planning our honeymoon. We were going to splurge and do a full week at the Grand Floridian and have an enchanting Disney honeymoon. I think we had nearly $4000 honeymoon booked. But we were also remodeling a house, I was looking for a job since I would be relocating to marry DH, etc. SO…we sadly decided we should not spend that much money on a honeymoon , cancelled the Disney trip, and did a much cheaper (and still fun) honeymoon to Las Vegas instead!
Two years later we were in Florida for my cousin’s wedding. DH and I bailed on the rest of the family the day after the wedding and went and did 4 days at WDW by ourselves, staying at the Contemporary. That was in 2001. Two years later we started talking about starting a family…but we had two things we wanted to do before we did that. Do another big trip to WDW without kids, and get an SUV. We took a fabulous trip to Disney World in May of 2003, got an SUV in June and had our first daughter in April 2004. (A side note, you should see our nursery. We blew up coloring book pages of Disney characters on the wall with an overhead, traced them, hand painted every detail…there are characters all around the room and it’s so cute).
As soon as we thought we could handle a trip to WDW with DD, we went. That was right after she turned 3— so we travelled May of 2007. We did 5 days at WDW and the 3-day cruise. In-laws went with. There’s a TR on here somewhere of that. It was fabulous, and we were HOOKED on cruising. We already can’t get enough of WDW, now we are DCL addicts too! Before we even got back to the airport after the cruise, we were trying to figure out when we would go again!
Our second DD was born in early 2008…. I was ready to take another Disney cruise when she was 6 months old but hubby was hesitant to take her that early. So we decided to wait till the Spring after she turned one. And that is how we ended up being booked on the May 2nd sailing of the Magic!
We thought DD5 would enjoy the Oceaneer Club more if she had a friend along with her…so I emailed all of my friends and family to see if anyone else wanted to come along. Some couldn’t afford it, others’ couldn’t go the dates we had booked, but one set of friends decided to book and we got it all set.
So instead of taking a big exotic romantic vacation with just DH and I for our 10 year (as I always swore we would do)…we’re doing a Big Disney Cruise vaca with family and friends! I told him "We’ll just do a quick weekend to Vegas on our actual anniversary"… No sacrificing Disney this time!!! We had to choose between that exotic vaca alone and a Disney Cruise with our kids…and there really was no debate. We couldn’t wait to sail with DCL again!
To set the stage: Travelling with us will be DH, DD5, DD1, hubby’s parents, and our friends who have two boys aged 5 and 3.
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Part II
We are flying to Orlando on April 29th, renting a car and going to spend that night in Sarasota so we can see some family that evening and the next day. On the 30th, we’ll drive back to Orlando and stay at the Swan and Dolphin for two nights.
After we’d already purchased our airline tickets, we found out that all of our Florida family was going to be coming up to the midwest in June for a family reunion. A month after we are there. So I had thought about canceling the Sarasota portion all together, but we don’t get to see much of my grandma. Originally we were going to do 2 nights in Sarasota and one night in Orlando (the night before the cruise).
However it was DRIVING ME NUTS to be in Orlando and NOT going to Magic Kingdom! How can I be so close to WDW and not ride a ride?! I finally decided that we would just do one night in Sarasota, see grandma for awhile , and then do two nights at the Swan and Dolphin. I’ve never stayed there before, and as a travel agent I’m excited to get to check out another resort. (We have stayed at the Contemporary three times).
Since we’re driving back to Orlando on the 30th--- that means we are going to MAGIC KINGDOM for the day on May 1st. I’m soooo excited! DH is worried about how DD1 will do, but me the eternal optimist thinks it will be a fine and dandy day! DD5 is tall enough to ride everything, so we’re hoping we can get her on BTMRR and SplMtn (as in- hoping she doesn’t chicken out!).
This day will be interesting in that our friends have never been to WDW. They will be going to MK that day too. My girlfriend has it in her head that she does not want to do frontierland at all. Her first words "yuck, cowboys." She’s also afraid her 3 yr old will have a fit if big-brother goes on something he is too short for. I think "he’s going to have fits anyways…so what’s the big deal?" And me being the big BTMRR and SplMtn fan that I am, it’s driving me bonkers that they are going to not even try those rides for themselves and their 5 yr old!
So the plan is that we’ll be there early- all go to fantasyland together, then my family will probably go do Frontierland while they go to Tomorrowland. She says "yep I just plan on doing fantasyland and tomorrowland and that’s it." I’m hoping to figure out a way to get it in her head to be open minded, get the rides done that they totally want to do, but be laid back and go with the flow and see as much as they can at a leisurely pace too. But it’s their trip, and if she wants to center it totally around the three-year-old, than so be it. I figure we’re going to be doing a lot of swapping, DH and I, and in-laws with us too, so that we can go on what we want and keep DD1 entertained and happy as well! We’ll probably do Tomorrowland too- but BTMRR and SplMtn are higher on our priority list so that’s why we’re heading that direction first. Anyways, I am going to try to put together a little "touring plan" for her to stick in with her travel documents (since I am their travel agent too)….so I can suggest they hit other rides under the guise of travel agent information! Either way…. It’ll be a fun day!
I’d thought about making an ADR for the evening of the 30th, but I didn’t want to be locked into leaving Sarasota by a certain time to make it. I also don’t know how things will flow for us on the 1st, if we’ll have to go back to the hotel in the afternoon for naptime for DD1 (or if she’ll sleep in the stroller), so we’re not doing any ADR’s that day anyways. Food shouldn’t matter much anyways since we’ll be eating such fabulous stuff on the cruise for 7 days!
Wow this is turning out to be a long pre-trip report. Yikes. Well, you know how to navigate AWAY from this long story if you don't want to read it all!
Basically... this all boils down to sheer excitement! I cannot wait for this trip. I'm trying to keep everyone rested, hands washed, allergy medications taken so we all stay healthy! (Anyone else have a FEAR of getting sick right before you leave! yikes!).
I feel a little behind the eight-ball on getting things ready to go. DH and I laid out all our clothes last weekend on the bed. Then we got distracted by the girls waking up- and when we went to bed that night, transferred the big pile of clothes to the couch in our room! That's where they still sit. I have not gone thru either of the girls' casual clothes...I've mentally gone thru their dinner outfits. The suitcases have been dug out of the laundry room and are sitting in the spare bedroom. I feel like in the next few days I need to get all the laundry washed and "stage" all the clothes so I can see how we come out on suitcases. I keep trying to talk myself into not over-packing. The advice of lay it all out, and put half of it away that i've seen on here--- can't bring myself to do. But I'm trying to cut down one way or another!
I've got movies loaded onto our Ipod Nanos for DD5 to watch on the plane (instead of dragging along the portable DVD player and DVDs!). I've got sunscreen purchased, little sample packs of things from Minimus.biz purchased, extra batteries purchased for the camera, etc. I'm still tossing around whether I need to get another memory card. I got a cute little messenger-bag tote to use at MK and other days. All of my dinner outfits match one pair of dress shoes. Since Dave Marx said DH can wear black shoes with Khaki pants, he only gets one pair of dress shoes too. Passports are all ready to go. Disney rewards card is filled with all the points we have, and cash is in the safe ready to go.
What am I missing? We have not shortage on excitement and I can't wait for this fabulous trip!! Thanks for all your info and advice the last few months helping me learn more details! I'm a details girl, and even though we've done a Disney Cruise before.... we have not done a trip like this with a 14 month old! So your input has been invaluable.
I'm trying to keep everyone rested, hands washed, allergy medications taken so we all stay healthy! (Anyone else have a FEAR of getting sick right before you leave! yikes!).
I was a raving lunatic for a few weeks before our cruise worrying that someone would get sick.
I have an idea for you: Don't clean the house! I don't normally have a housekeeper come, but during our last cruise I splurged and had a maid service come while we were gone (my sister let them in and paid them for me). It was sooo wonderful to come home to a fresh, clean house.
Lastly...Don't tease us! Post some pics of those Disney wall illustrations ASAP, please!
Maybe, once your friends get to WDW, they won't want to miss anything.
Great start! I know this will be fun to read, so don't worry about how long it is... just fill us in on all the details!!
Hope you have a great trip! Are you doing Eastern or Western?
We're doing the Western for our first 7-day.... DH kind of wanted to do Eastern but I'm still not real thrilled with being out on a boat in the middle of the ocean, so I wanted the fewer days-at-sea!
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, cancelled the Disney trip, and did a much cheaper (and still fun) honeymoon to Las Vegas instead! 
That was in 2001. Two years later we started talking about starting a family…but we had two things we wanted to do before we did that. Do another big trip to WDW without kids, and get an SUV. We took a fabulous trip to Disney World in May of 2003, got an SUV in June and had our first daughter in April 2004. (A side note, you should see our nursery. We blew up coloring book pages of Disney characters on the wall with an overhead, traced them, hand painted every detail…there are characters all around the room and it’s so cute). 
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So I had thought about canceling the Sarasota portion all together, but we don’t get to see much of my grandma. Originally we were going to do 2 nights in Sarasota and one night in Orlando (the night before the cruise).
, and then do two nights at the Swan and Dolphin. I’ve never stayed there before, and as a travel agent I’m excited to get to check out another resort. (We have stayed at the Contemporary three times). 
DD5 is tall enough to ride everything, so we’re hoping we can get her on BTMRR and SplMtn (as in- hoping she doesn’t chicken out!). 
Her first words "yuck, cowboys." She’s also afraid her 3 yr old will have a fit if big-brother goes on something he is too short for. I think "he’s going to have fits anyways…so what’s the big deal?" 
And me being the big BTMRR and SplMtn fan that I am, it’s driving me bonkers that they are going to not even try those rides for themselves and their 5 yr old! 
I’m hoping to figure out a way to get it in her head to be open minded, get the rides done that they totally want to do, but be laid back and go with the flow and see as much as they can at a leisurely pace too. 
But it’s their trip, and if she wants to center it totally around the three-year-old, than so be it. I figure we’re going to be doing a lot of swapping, DH and I, and in-laws with us too, so that we can go on what we want and keep DD1 entertained and happy as well! We’ll probably do Tomorrowland too- but BTMRR and SplMtn are higher on our priority list so that’s why we’re heading that direction first. Anyways, I am going to try to put together a little "touring plan" for her to stick in with her travel documents (since I am their travel agent too)….so I can suggest they hit other rides under the guise of travel agent information! Either way…. It’ll be a fun day! 
I'm still tossing around whether I need to get another memory card. I got a cute little messenger-bag tote to use at MK and other days. All of my dinner outfits match one pair of dress shoes. Since Dave Marx said DH can wear black shoes with Khaki pants, he only gets one pair of dress shoes too.
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