A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise! TR August 21-31 - Page 33 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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A nice, relaxed last day. Poor, poor sad little children saying goodbye to MK! This was a great trip! I always feel the same way when I get home. I put down my bags and think, "Oh, I wish I were still there!" I guess you do need to put in a lawn and driveway, but if you were at WDW you wouldn't notice!
I missed so much and didn't take notes as I went. Everything but the rain sounded great. A very nice family vacation. Sorry your hubby gets motion sickness, I know exactly how he feels. That is why I have never done MS. ST usually gets me a little nauseated, but goes away quickly.
Loved all your pics.
Can't wait for your next trip!!!!
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Thanks for all of the info on Sorcerers of the MK, I'm sure my girls would really like it. Definitely putting it on the list for next time!
You really got a lot done on your last day! Breakfast at CP looked yummy, especially those puff things you had I love all the pictures, especially the sad face ones. Looking forward to your final thoughts!
Sounds like a lovely last day. I still can't believe you took a vacation right as you were moving - very gutsy. I hope you have gotten everything unpacked at this point. Looking forward to your final thoughts.
A nice, relaxed last day. Poor, poor sad little children saying goodbye to MK! This was a great trip! I always feel the same way when I get home. I put down my bags and think, "Oh, I wish I were still there!" I guess you do need to put in a lawn and driveway, but if you were at WDW you wouldn't notice!
I may have to try that logic with my husband....somehow I don't think he'll agree though
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
What a fun last day - but what a shame it was your last day. I've really enjoyed reading this.
Thanks Cheryl!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great last day! Love the pictures from MK and the resort! Looking forward to your final thoughts!
Thanks Marnie. I was glad I got some shots around the resort
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
I missed so much and didn't take notes as I went. Everything but the rain sounded great. A very nice family vacation. Sorry your hubby gets motion sickness, I know exactly how he feels. That is why I have never done MS. ST usually gets me a little nauseated, but goes away quickly.
Loved all your pics.
Can't wait for your next trip!!!!
Thanks for following along!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Those french toast puffs looked delicious! Glad you fit in some time at MK and swimming before heading home. Looking forward to your final thoughts!
They were so yummy! We've never had time to swim before leaving - it was nice to just relax a bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
You've convinced me to try Crystal Palace next time. Enjoyed the "we are so sad" pics.
Swimming is a great way to finish up the trip.
We love CP dinner and breakfast was great too!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
Thanks for all of the info on Sorcerers of the MK, I'm sure my girls would really like it. Definitely putting it on the list for next time!
You really got a lot done on your last day! Breakfast at CP looked yummy, especially those puff things you had I love all the pictures, especially the sad face ones. Looking forward to your final thoughts!
Sorcerers is a lot of fun. The kids still look through their cards and 'trade' them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommapants
Sounds like a lovely last day. I still can't believe you took a vacation right as you were moving - very gutsy. I hope you have gotten everything unpacked at this point. Looking forward to your final thoughts.
Gutsy? More like insane LOL! It's all unpacked except for our china and a few platters - they can wait!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Reading your update has gotten me all excited again that I'm taking my DSis's family to Crystal Palace for breakfast!
I can't wait to read about your breakfast there - it will help me relive ours
Quote:
Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
Hate that it is yalls last day sounds like yall had a great time, thanks so much for sharing your trip!
Thanks for reading! We did have a great time. It was so nice to have some relaxing time before all our craziness hit!
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
Where to begin? Taking a 10 day vacation 3 weeks before moving and a week before starting a new grade at school was a little crazy. To be fair, we had booked the trip before deciding on the house and the grade change came after both the other decisions had been made, but still....
We planned it out to be as ready as possible before we left so we could just relax and by the time the trip came, we were more than ready for it and did our best to avoid talking 'house' while we were there - we had done enough of that for the past 5 months!
This was our first stay at a Deluxe and we really enjoyed the convenience of being just a boat ride away from MK. Despite the unwelcome frog visitor, we would stay there again in a heartbeat and the kids loved the pool area - especially the slide.
Far and away our favourite meal was 'Ohana. Dave still talks about the steak there It really was delicious - my only complaint would be that it was difficult trying to eat while my kids just wanted to join in the fun, but we made due and I ate lukewarm food because that's what we moms do .
On the house front....
When we got home, we plugged away at the packing and organizing. The night before the move, we were done at 8 pm. As in, nothing else could be packed, we were ready. At 8. I was so shocked! I sat down and relaxed the rest of the night and had a decent night's sleep before the movers arrived.
We took some pictures with the kids after the house was emptied and everything was put in storage.
Saying goodbye to their playroom.
Rolling around the empty living room
Alex had a hard time saying goodbye to his room
Sabrina was okay though.
We left our mark under the stairs.
The week at my mom's flew by and by this point, our Disney trip seemed a distant memory . It looks like it will be 2014 before we return to WDW - that's the plan anyway!
Here are a few pics of the new house before the furniture arrived. It looks a lot different now with the furniture, and you know, all my kids stuff everywhere
Basement living room.
Kitchen.
Main floor living room.
Upstairs hall.
Our room.
Front entrance.
Movers are here! And so is the rain!
Getting ready for stuff to come in....
I really want to thank everyone for following along. It is so much fun to relive a trip and share it with people who 'get it'. You are all the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
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Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
I've really enjoyed reading this. 
Liz 
I love all the pictures, especially the sad face ones. Looking forward to your final thoughts!
Holly: 
LOL! It's all unpacked except for our china and a few platters - they can wait!
because that's what we moms do 
for sharing your trip with us! The new house looks beautiful! 
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