A 40th celebration to end the world! THREAD 1 COMPLETED 2/16 - Page 21 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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We had some issues with the sound on our tour as well. And we were not far behind the guide! When we told him, he moved his pack around to his back and that seemed to help quite a bit.
Funny that they never mentioned anything about not taking photos on our tour. I had heard that it wasn't allowed, but nothing was said to us before or during. Jeff had the camera out when we were stopped, but also as we were riding. I'm sure the guide saw him, but did not say anything to him.
Wow really? I'm shocked by that, as Disney are usually huge sticklers over that. I'm sure you won't be surprised to know Mark's got into trouble before now for trying to sneak a photo from on a Segway...
Sounds like a great tour - I am going to have to show this to Scott - as he had done the older version of this tour and really enjoyed it. Him & I had done a Segway tour in Bahamas and really enjoyed it - but yes - it does do a number on your calf muscles!!! Don't like the sound of that woman falling though - but we had one of those on ours and she flipped over the handle bars!! and showed up to do it in flip flops!!! hmmm..........wonder if it is the same family?
Over the handle bars?
I remember being told that we couldn't do the Segway tour in open toed shoes, but I think that might've been our Segway tour in Puerto Rico on the cruise....
I love learning about all the details in WS. Interesting about the lion sculptures. I always thought the female was squashing the cub and couldn't imagine what the story behind it was!
I must admit I have looked at it before and thought the same thing!
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Very nice Segway tour photos! I surprised DH a few years ago with the tour and we loved it....I didn't realise they could poop out on their rider and flip them off though yiikes!
When we did it, we were told no cameras on the Segways but we were ok to wear flip flops because I remember wearing my Croc flops It was a great tour and I agree with your recomendations to anyone interested in giving it a try. We were there during the F&WF so there was more activity with the vendor booths being set up early in the morning. It looked really nice when you were out there with so few people around then.
Can you tell me something, given your expert status ? On your other Segway tours, have you ever been let off "turtle" mode? We feel a need for speed and wondered if it was just a WDW thing or are most companies cautious with tourists?
I think breakfast sounds like a very nice addition to the tour. Hope the woman who fell was ok...I can understand why Disney is being so safety concisous as even this little mishap could have turned into a major injury.
Very nice Segway tour photos! I surprised DH a few years ago with the tour and we loved it....I didn't realise they could poop out on their rider and flip them off though yiikes!
Oh - usually they do go through the noise it makes when it's about to go and warn you that if you hear that sound, get off straightaway. The problem was the woman just wasn't quite quick enough...
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When we did it, we were told no cameras on the Segways but we were ok to wear flip flops because I remember wearing my Croc flops
The more I think about it, the more I think that was a rule on the Puerto Rico Segway tour...
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Can you tell me something, given your expert status ? On your other Segway tours, have you ever been let off "turtle" mode? We feel a need for speed and wondered if it was just a WDW thing or are most companies cautious with tourists?
Never at Disney, but in Madrid and in Puerto Rico, we have been. WDW are a lot more cautious than other Segway tours in our experience.
I think breakfast sounds like a very nice addition to the tour. Hope the woman who fell was ok...I can understand why Disney is being so safety concisous as even this little mishap could have turned into a major injury.
That's pretty much what the Cast Members said to us after it happened.
Friday 7 December – part four: I don’t think this was modelled on Detroit
Our next stop was at the American Adventure, where we learnt about the use of forced perspective here, and how it appears to be a three storey building, as that’s the size building that fits with this era of history. However, it’s actually five storeys to accommodate the mechanisms that lower and raise the audio-animatronics in the show.
It was on to Japan next, and we didn’t stop here, but Sarah was still very good in pointing things out to us, like the stone statue that was gifted to Disney from the American Ambassador to Japan before Epcot opened. It started life over at the Polynesian, and was then moved over here when the Japan pavilion opened.
From here, we went to Morocco, and I can tell you that going through the passages either side of the main entrances here are tight on a Segway but fortunately, there were no more mishaps. We learnt about the involvement of the Kingdom of Morocco here in creating this pavilion, and how it was designed to be imperfect, as humans cannot create imperfection, only the prophet can.
We set off for France, with Sarah asking on the way which city the buildings were modelled on, and Ed, quick as a flash, saying “Detroit”! They were a good pair, and worked off each other well. We talked about forced perspective again, and how they had to coat the Eiffel Tower to stop birds sitting on it, as that would just look ridiculous, and how it only exists in the shape you can see it, and is actually attached to the top of the Impressions de France building.
We were then back into the crowds walking through the United Kingdom, and I was surprised to see there were people already waiting to get into World Showcase, as it was only 10:40am. We stopped briefly in the United Kingdom, and talked about the creation of the Rose and Crown, and how it incorporates a countryside, town and waterside pub in one, as the Imagineers apparently spent a lot of time checking on pubs in the UK to get this right. Yeah, nice work if you can get it!
Our final stop was Canada, with Sarah explaining how the pavilion showcases all elements of this vast country, before it was time to head back to the start. I felt this was just about the right length tour, as I was absolutely exhausted by now. When we got back, we got our obligatory pin, and Ed noticed all the other Segway tour pins Mark had, and asked why he hadn’t got the Around the World on a Segway tour pin. I remembered we ended up with the Simply Segway tour pin, as the last time we took it, they didn’t have any supplies, and Ed immediately went to rectify that.
Our tour over and done with, despite Sarah’s warnings not to sit down for half an hour, that’s exactly what I did, as I was just done, and needed to recharge the batteries a bit. After 10 minutes, I felt a lot better, and we set off slowly for Via Napoli, where we were booked for lunch.
When we got to World Showcase, we were lucky enough to find a Friendship docked, so we took that over to Italy.
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I'm shocked by that, as Disney are usually huge sticklers over that. I'm sure you won't be surprised to know Mark's got into trouble before now for trying to sneak a photo from on a Segway... 
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Don't like the sound of that woman falling though - but we had one of those on ours and she flipped over the handle bars!! 
and showed up to do it in flip flops!!! hmmm..........wonder if it is the same family?
Tricia
Guess where we were headed??
<--- Disney Fantasy 2016!
I don’t think this was modelled on Detroit 
but fortunately, there were no more mishaps. We learnt about the involvement of the Kingdom of Morocco here in creating this pavilion, and how it was designed to be imperfect, as humans cannot create imperfection, only the prophet can. 
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