Disney World or Psych Ward: Trip Report Updated 11/11/08 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
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.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Disney World or Psych Ward: Trip Report Updated 11/11/08
This is my first attempt at a pre-trip or trip report so here goes.
First let me introduce the cast for this trip, then I will explain the title.
Me (Niki)- I am a 33 yr pediatric nurse who loves all things disney. I am an overplanner and freak when it comes to organization. This will be my 3rd trip to disney.
DH (Charles)- a 38 yr Electrical Engineer who likes me to plan everything and relax when we are on vacation, but who will not leave his cell phone off during the trip. He feels the office will explode without him and must take a little time each day to check in and put out any fires. This will be his 2nd trip to disney.
DS (Byron)- at the time of the trip will be 23 months old. Byron is my pride and joy. We adopted Byron. We meet him when he was 7 weeks old and he moved home at 3 months.
Now let me explain a little about my title.
First, as I said we adopted my son. If anyone has ever gone through this process you know how stressful it is. Plus, we choose to do an open adoption so the parents our the ones who pick the adoptive parents. We had multiple delays due to my husband having an FBI file from being in the Navy. After we got approved we had several let downs due to not getting a baby after meeting them or being told we were being considered. Then one day I got a call from my social worker and she asked if we would like to be considered for this little boy. She had to ask due the birth mothers medical history. We said yes. We were then told it was between us and one other family and we would find out in a week. We were picked and meet our new son. Due to delays in the court he was not placed with us for 6 more weeks, but we got visitation. So in January of 2007 our family had a new member.
All was going well until October 17, 2007 when my husband got up one morning and said he was having chest pain. After about 30 minutes he agreed to go the ER. Well after tests were done it was determined that he had 80% of LAD (main artery feeding the left side of the heart). He spent 5 days in the hospital and had a stent placed.
On October 24, 2007 my son was having an elective surgery for hypospadia (misshape of the opening of the penis) since my husband had missed a week of work I was on my own at the hospital for the surgery. It went well.
On October 27, 2007 was my sons first birthday party. Both of our families our from out of town so I had multiple house guest. My husbands parents had been there since his heart problem and my divorced parents drove up together a few days before (I wish I could have been a fly in that car ). I did all the cooking and cleaning for the party. We had about 50 guests. A few days after the party everyone was gone.
At this time I asked my husband if we could go to WDW next year for DS birthday instead of a big party. He said you start planning.
I thought life will be normal again, but I was wrong. I had to put my cat to sleep due to cancer.
Then Thanksgiving was at my house. My husbands family came for the long weekend. I had to work the night before and then stayed up all day and did all the cooking. Plus, I had to work part of the weekend. Did I mention I only work night shift.
Then on December 6. 2007 my mother and father in law were in a car accident that killed my father in law and left my mother in law critically injuried. See was in the husband for 6 weeks then in rehab for 2 months. Of course all the this was 2-4 hours away from my house and we were making weekly trips to see her. Once out of rehab she moved in with my sister in law, but that did not go well and 6 weeks later she was living with me. She has never lived on her own and refuses to do so now, so she will be with me till death do us part.
Right now I am working 3 nights a week, taking my mother in law to appoints 3-4 days a week, caring for my son, and being a wife. I do not do daycare so I am sleep deprived. And do to my mother in laws health she can not watch my son or help around the house at this time.
So see if I don't get a vacation to WDW I will need a straight jacket and a padded room very soon.
Niki - If ever anyone needed a vacation...it's YOU!
I've done the night shift before and that alone can wear you down, add all the other stresses you have going on...I think I'd already be in that straight jacket that all goes well with your planning and I can't wait to hear more details!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
You definitely deserve this trip. I can only imagine what the last year has been like for you. Thank you for sharing it with us and I can't wait to hear about the magic that was bestowed on you during YOUR VACATION!
__________________
They caught us all smiling and looking at the camera!!!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
). I did all the cooking and cleaning for the party. We had about 50 guests. A few days after the party everyone was gone. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
to you and your family.
)
PassPorter Guide Author
]
Linear Mode
