Sarilas' O-fficial Pre-Trip Report -1/2009 (a.k.a. Vacation, Take TWO!) - Page 19 - 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.
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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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way cool. What kind of phone do you have that you can upload these to it? I have Sprint and am looking for something like this that I could possibly do....
Love the cards and how you uploaded them to your phone, what a great idea...think the plans look wonderful. As for CS at DHS there is Pizza Planet or we have enjoyed the ABC Commissary. DHS is my least favorite for CS and this is where we usually end up skipping the CS and just snacking on a pretzel or a turkey leg.
The AK and DHS day are the only one where I might forgo heading back to the resort. If you stop for lunch and let's say finish up at noon and then first head out to the buses...you will spend much of your time traveling just to make it back to the parade.
Maybe wander through Walt's Museum and watch the movie, or do the Animation Theater...something low key where you can sit and enjoy some non-ride time but at the same time not spend most of your break on the buses.
At the AK maybe after lunch take in the Nemo show or TFOTLK show...either way you will get to sit down and enjoy a show...I just find that even if the buses are running great, by the time you walk to the buses, stop at any other stops along the way (during the day - off hours - many times the POR splits bus time with POFQ, and the POR has 4 stops) and then get to your room, lay down you will be getting up again to catch the parades....plus on your AK day since you are heading back early for Boatrights (which my parents ate at last week and loved) you can then do some arcade time, wander the resort and get an early night in.
Love your charts and daily plans! Uploading them to your phone is such a great idea!!
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryEL8775
way cool. What kind of phone do you have that you can upload these to it? I have Sprint and am looking for something like this that I could possibly do....
I have the LG Dare from Verizon. It's like an iPhone with all kinds of bells and whistles including no keyboard, it's a touch screen, etc. Really fun, and let me add, durable... I like it a lot!
Love the cards and how you uploaded them to your phone, what a great idea...think the plans look wonderful. As for CS at DHS there is Pizza Planet or we have enjoyed the ABC Commissary. DHS is my least favorite for CS and this is where we usually end up skipping the CS and just snacking on a pretzel or a turkey leg.
The AK and DHS day are the only one where I might forgo heading back to the resort. If you stop for lunch and let's say finish up at noon and then first head out to the buses...you will spend much of your time traveling just to make it back to the parade.
Maybe wander through Walt's Museum and watch the movie, or do the Animation Theater...something low key where you can sit and enjoy some non-ride time but at the same time not spend most of your break on the buses.
At the AK maybe after lunch take in the Nemo show or TFOTLK show...either way you will get to sit down and enjoy a show...I just find that even if the buses are running great, by the time you walk to the buses, stop at any other stops along the way (during the day - off hours - many times the POR splits bus time with POFQ, and the POR has 4 stops) and then get to your room, lay down you will be getting up again to catch the parades....plus on your AK day since you are heading back early for Boatrights (which my parents ate at last week and loved) you can then do some arcade time, wander the resort and get an early night in.
Looking forward to hearing more...
These are great tips! It never even occurred to me about all the travel time to and from AK and DHS to POR! Thank you!
Each holiday season 1,500 Christmas trees, ranging in height from 45 to 70 feet, are placed in prominent positions in the theme parks. The tallest is a 70-foot tree in Disney's Contemporary Resort.
You didn't think I'd forget my silly trivia, did you?
But I promised a shopping update and a shopping update you shall HAVE!
First of all I have to show you the chairs my dad bought for the little girls for Christmas. They're SO cute (and HEAVY)- little chairs that convert to stepstools and I guarantee the little monkeys will play with nothing else on Christmas Day!
I also picked up more bribery -er, I mean Tink gifts for the girls from our old favorite, Target:
Stickers
Cindy bracelets
And Princess jellies
I think I can stop buying Tink gifts now... I mean I have more than enough but I can't stop!
Here's what our little baggies of Tink gifts will look like (in the rough):
I still need to add some curly ribbon AND one each of the THIRTY SIX handwritten gift tags from Tink herself! (I forgot to take a pic but I'll do that tomorrow.)
Oh, and here's what the formerly overflowing Disney box looks like with all the gifts that qualify as Christmas presents missing from its contents. Does that mean I can keep filling it up?!
Okay, down to serious business; I bought park shoes this weekend! DH and I ended up at Sears to return a couple of things and they had amazing sales going on. These shoes were half price (normally $45) and are SO comfortable! Very cushioned in the heel, loose fitting yet snuggly- I think they'll be perfect!
And now, the bag. You know I've been wavering on a decision about a park bag but after looking in stores this weekend and finding NOTHING, I had to make my move.
The decision came down to this: We're going to have two strollers, and DH can help lug an actual diaper bag for the girls that can stay with a stroller at all times. (Something I wouldn't have a heart attack over if it were to be... God forbid... STOLEN.) On the other hand I still needed something I didn't have to hold or tug up on my shoulders all the time to carry my own personal belongings with me. It needed to be hands free, small enough to go on the rides with me and yet CUTE.
Now as much as I liked some of the bags I'd posted earlier, they were big. Like 19 inches long big. No way was that going to be comfortable much less something I could take on a ride. This led me back to the ever popular Baggallini.
Now I wasn't LOVING my options with the Baggallini.
I mean I could do basic black, but their basic black bag looks like every diaper bag I ever had (and that's four, count them FOUR kids people). Uninspired.
Until that is I rediscovered THIS:
The Baggallini in GIRAFFE PRINT! YES! Now we're talkin'. I do love a good animal print, and while this bag also comes in Zebra, it was a bit stripey for my taste. The Giraffe however was PERFECT.
Here's a view of the inside (on another color of the bag):
Cell phone? Check. Mesh pockets? Check. Enough zippered compartments to lose my belongings in? CHECK. Water resistant material for Kali and Splash Mtn? CHECK.
So I bought it. And I got a wicked good deal, too. Sale priced PLUS 10% off and free shipping? Come to mama!
Love the bag...and the kids will love their Tink gifts. It is just so much fun reading your PTR - your excitement about your plans is contagious and can put a smile on someone's face who having even a bad day....
Love the bag...and the kids will love their Tink gifts. It is just so much fun reading your PTR - your excitement about your plans is contagious and can put a smile on someone's face who having even a bad day....
Not you, I hope! But I'm glad it's entertaining for you to read- it's certainly entertaining to live! And I really AM excited for the trip; thank goodness it's close, I don't think I could stand it much longer!
Lara, Love the Tink gifts. I bought some similiar stuff from Target. Do you think it is to soon to start collecting goodies for our trip? Can you imagine your box times 2 if I do that now. You will have to let us know how your Baggalini works for you. I was looking into one as well. I just get so tired of having something heavy on my shoulders. Then again, I do tend to carry too much stuff that we don't use. Can't wait to hear more.
__________________
Trish ,
Me and the family Magic Kingdom New Years Eve December 29, 2009-January 9th, 2010
Lara, Love the Tink gifts. I bought some similiar stuff from Target. Do you think it is to soon to start collecting goodies for our trip? Can you imagine your box times 2 if I do that now. You will have to let us know how your Baggalini works for you. I was looking into one as well. I just get so tired of having something heavy on my shoulders. Then again, I do tend to carry too much stuff that we don't use. Can't wait to hear more.
Oh my gosh, can you imagine collecting Tink goodies and such for a year and a half! You might have to rent a storage unit for it all! (Like that would really deter us from starting!)
I have high hopes for the Baggallini. At first I thought it was too small, but that was before my DH talked me out of carrying ONE bag for both a diaper bag and my personal belongings. It's already shipped to me so I'll keep my fingers crossed and I'll post when I get it!
Okay, this is another 'stretching it' countdown, but what else do you expect from me?!
Mounted on the roof of the administration building at Avenger Field (Sweetwater, Texas) in 1943 was a 10-foot-high sign with a giant portrait of Fifinella, the gremlin drawn by Disney who served as mascot to the Women's Airforce Service Pilots.
DH received his bonus check today, which STUNK. It was $3000 LESS than it was supposed to be, thank you current fiscal climate. But no worries- the trip is paid off and we'll be good to go, just perhaps with less bells and whistles than we'd hoped to have. BUT there are always new trips, right? I mean I can't do EVERYTHING on my first trip to the World! (See me thinking positively?!)
So anyway, I hadn't as of yet purchased our plane tickets down. DH has been adamant on flying, even though driving is much less expensive, albeit much more time consuming. Southwest is the only airline to fly nonstop from here to Orlando, so that was a no brainer! I have been fare watching for EVER, and today got a Nashville to Orlando Ding! But wait for it... the ONE day excluded was our travel day! SERIOUSLY?! So I just bit the bullet and bought the full fare ticket for when we wanted to fly- EARLY Friday morning, January 30, leaving Nashville at 6:25 am and arriving in Orlando at 9:10. You know what that means, right? We'll be in downtown Disney by lunchtime! This, my friends, takes me to my happy place.
Now, I still haven't purchased our return tickets. Reason being, we haven't as of yet decided HOW we'll be returning. I want to drive back for the convenience of having a minivan full of packing space. DH is wavering but not sold on the idea. There's apparently an Avis car rental in the Hilton at Downtown Disney, so it's just a boat ride away to pick up a car and bring it to POR. We don't have any plans that last day anyway and I think it might be fun to see all that exists between Orlando and Nashville! Again, DH is not convinced. Oh, and I don't know if Southwest has had different baggage allowances until now but my confirmation says:
"Beginning January 29, 2008, Southwest will allow two (2) checked pieces of baggage per ticketed Customer. Size and weight limitations apply. Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage."
TWO pieces of luggage times 5 paying passengers equals... enough baggage to bring down in room breakfast goodies and have enough space to return with souvenirs!
At least we made a decision on how we'll GET to Orlando! That's half the battle... :rolleyes1
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And I really AM excited for the trip; thank goodness it's close, I don't think I could stand it much longer!
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(Like that would really deter us from starting!) 
So I just bit the bullet and bought the full fare ticket for when we wanted to fly- EARLY Friday morning, January 30, leaving Nashville at 6:25 am and arriving in Orlando at 9:10. You know what that means, right? We'll be in downtown Disney by lunchtime! This, my friends, takes me to my happy place. 
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