Happy 10 Years - The Anniversary of our "Dreams" TR - Page 12 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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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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Great tour of the WS so far - we have met Mulan a few times and I have always found the interaction so wonderful with her. My younger one loves the kidcot stations too, I think we colored a number of Duffys on our trip.
Glad they were able to fix the issue with your purchase, I must say I find it very strange that they cannot override the system as well.
Too funny about the lady on Maelstrom!
I love the pictures with Mulan! How pretty she is!
I don't think you were wrong to make a fuss about the price of the pins. Usually, they have to give it to you for that price, even if it's incorrect. I'm surprised they didn't want to. You got so many nice PP pictures in WS! We didn't see too many photographers in WS, and were disappointed.
She was a pretty Mulan wasn't she?
I was surprised that the CM originally didn't want to give me the packaging price, that's always been rule number one for any retail stores I've ever worked in. Even if it's incorrect, the customer pays the price as marked.
That was the only day we saw a PP photographer in the WS, I was actually surprised to see him there!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Glad you got the purchases all worked out! Love all the pictures as you worked your way around the World Showcase!
Thank you
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Originally Posted by MayraLR
The man wanting a photo of Mulan...Ok, that was kind of weird. But I have to say that Mulan was very pretty but she seemed very tiny.
Sorry about the price mix up. I am surprised they didn't have the option to manually overwrite the price. It's not like that never happens in retail.
She was a tiny little thing, just a little taller than the girls She was beautiful though, and looking at the pictures you can't even tell that she was a little under the weather. She had a little case of the sniffles.
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Originally Posted by chezp
Glad you were able to get the pins in the end. Great photos from around World Showcase.
Thanks, Cheryl
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Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
I'm finally caught up. I have a lot of comments from the past few updates but I'll just summarize....
We can never get the angle right to "hold up" the big golf ball either.
I'm loving all the WS pictures, they are turning out really well! I think the guy trying to snap a pic of Mulan sounds a bit creepy. Get some patience buddy!
I don't blame you one bit for making a fuss over the price of the pins. If the box is marked one price, that is what you should be charged. I'm glad a CM was able to help you out in the end.
We need to work on our camera angles, I know the girls want to try for that pic again next trip.
That guy was really creepy, especially when he was shoving the camera in Mulan's face. I'm glad the photographer intervened.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneLittleSpark
Glad you got the pins situated. I think that Mulan was pretty too. One of the better ones I have seen. I agree with you and Linny, I don't know what is up with the princesses lately. I have seen so many in pics on here that I am like...what?
I am of the opposite though with the dresses, especially Aurora. I prefer the old dress for her...her dress was hot pink, not light pastel pink. No. I don't mind Cinderella's at all though. Belle's...well I love yellow and I think the new on is gorgeous...however, I prefer the bright golden yellow dress, bc that is how it was in the movies.
I totally agree, the colors are way off and it seems that they are moving away from what these characters actually look like in their original movies. Though, I do like Aurora's new dress, the cut and fit of it is much more flattering than the, but they should have kept it the darker pink shade it was.
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Originally Posted by iwonathomas
Great photos
Thank you!
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Originally Posted by Linnynad
Your pics are ROCK STAR GOURGEOUS!!!!! I thought you said it was hot and sticky
Oh, trust me, it was! Thank goodness for ponytails and big, dark sunglasses
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Originally Posted by lauriep
I'm glad that photopass person blocked weirdo from getting too close to Mulan! The photopass family photos are wonderful. The light was very nice for photos this day! I think you were right to insist on paying what the labels said. Very creative the way the CM solved the problem of giving you the fair price!
Thanks, Laurie! I was happy with our PP pics today, they did come out great.
I thought it was pretty creative of the CM to get me the right price, though I still don't understand why they couldn't just override the system.
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Originally Posted by mcc0313
Great tour of the WS so far - we have met Mulan a few times and I have always found the interaction so wonderful with her. My younger one loves the kidcot stations too, I think we colored a number of Duffys on our trip.
Glad they were able to fix the issue with your purchase, I must say I find it very strange that they cannot override the system as well.
I have a box full of colored Duffys upstairs, the girls will not let me get rid of any of them! They do love him so
I was glad that the CM was able to come up with a way to correct the pricing issue!
I totally agree, the colors are way off and it seems that they are moving away from what these characters actually look like in their original movies. Though, I do like Aurora's new dress, the cut and fit of it is much more flattering than the, but they should have kept it the darker pink shade it was.
I completely agree! I like the design of the dress, even the lacey way it looks...they should have kept it dark pink though.
I thought the rain was supposed to cool things down??
After our little photo session, we headed to Germany next.
Chris grabbed himself and icy cold Oktoberfest beer and found a bench to enjoy it on while I took the girls into the toy shop for another Kidcot stop. The CM working the station was a young man, and he couldn’t have looked more miserable to be there. I watched him interact with other guests while we were there, and he barely spoke or smiled the whole time. He did perk up, however, when a cute, young female CM came over to talk with him for a bit.
The girls were taking their time coloring, and then Kaeli browsed the Duffy section for a gift for one of her friends back home, so we were in the shop for a while. By the time we left, it was pouring outside.
We grabbed our ponchos and decided to move on, but before we were even past the model train, the rain had gone down to just a drizzle. I had thought that maybe the rain would cool things down a bit, but it actually made it worse. There was steam coming from the ground, and I could feel the heat radiating off of it. Between that and still having my heavy, plastic poncho on, it was sweltering.
By the time we got to Italy, the rain had stopped completely so we stopped to get our ponchos off. I decided it was time for me to get something icy and cold, this time trying something new for me, and Italian Margarita. It was delicious! I’m glad that I had read about them in another TR, because honestly I didn’t even know they had them at that drink cart. It was oh so refreshing, just perfect for a hot afternoon.
For some reason, there was no CM at the kidcot stop, so we decided to come back on our next visit to Epcot to get our stamp. We did a little exploring in Italy, and then stopped to watch Sergio for a bit. What fun he is!
The girls were getting antsy, so we moved on towards America to make a stop to get them something to snack on. I had read about a snack at the Fife and Drum not too long before our trip, and I knew the girls would love it. I checked the ingredients on it before letting Kaeli know what we were getting, and luckily everything was safe for her. So, we ordered one American Dream for she and Abby to share. In case you don’t know about it, it’s blue raspberry and cherry slushy layered with vanilla softserve.
Kaeli was feeling the heat, and it was definitely showing at this point. We brought our snack over to the seating area outside of the Liberty Inn and she was just whining and complaining because she didn’t want to share with her sister. First of all, that thing is not small, it’s in a 16 oz cup for goodness sake! Of course, when I gave her a choice of sharing or not having anything at all, she quickly dropped it and dug in with her spoon.
I could tell that everyone was fading fast, so I used that to finally get my family in to see the American Adventure! The lure of cool air conditioning and comfy seats was enough to get them to agree to it. We made our way inside of the building and caught the ending of the Voices of Liberty. I had never seen them before, but I am so glad we caught them, even if it was only for a few minutes. They sang the National Anthem for their finale, it was beautiful, moving and brought me to tears. They are a very talented group and I hope to next time be able to see a full set of theirs. We moved on to the theater and enjoyed the nice cool break off of our feet. Abby and Chris both said the show was boring, but I enjoyed it. Even though Kaeli wouldn’t admit it, I know she did too, she was on the edge of her seat watching the whole time.
We stopped for a restroom break when we were done, and when we came out I noticed some rare characters down in the walkway that goes along the side of the Liberty Inn towards the backstage area.
It was Jack and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas!
He saw me and waved!
After I snapped those pictures, they went backstage and we started to make our way away from that area. Chris had asked something about those characters and I started to explain that they use that area for training, and that Jack and Sally must have been practicing for the meet and greet they would be doing at the MNSHHP in a couple of weeks. No sooner did I finish saying that, did we see a whole slew of characters come out from behind the gates. There was King Louie and Balou, the Fox and his sidekick from Pinnochio, and then Tigger, Pooh, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald. People were gathering around, but they were just watching. I knew that we’d be able to meet these guys, so I led my family down and we had a lot of fun with this impromptu character meet!
While we were waiting for Mickey, the gates opened again and out came the Fife & Drum Corp. That was really cool to see them up close and personal, they played the Star Spangled Banner as they made their way past us, up towards the pavilion.
We made our way back up to the other side of the American Pavillion, making sure we stopped to get another stamp at the Kidcot stop, and of course a few pictures along the way.
The girls were on a mission today to finish up their Kidcot stamps, but knowing that we were now only at the halfway point, we were not going to make it. There was no way, even with our little rest inside, I didn’t want to push it. So, I gave them a choice. We could try and trudge on, or we could backtrack to the friendship boat dock and cross over to do some shopping for their Duffys at Disney Traders and then meet Duffy. Which do you think they chose??
Ugh, that heat and steam after the rain sounds awful. I can see in a couple of the photos that Kaeli is drooping a bit. That CM at the kidcot station in Germany needs a bit of re-training so that he does his job properly. Even if he isn't enjoying himself, he's a CM and is "on stage"! I never knew about that concoction the girls had to cool them down, but it's great that it was safe for Kaeli. Great photos with that surprise character fest!
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I'm guessing they chose Duffy (that would have been my choice).
I've never heard the Voices of Liberty, but you are another person who has commented on how beautiful their performance is, so I really need to make time to see them next trip.
How awesome you were in the right place for the impromptu character meet! I'd love to see Jack & Sally.
Ugh, the heat and steam. Gotta love the summer weather!
I've never seen any of the attractions at the American pavilion. I don't think my family would be to interested. I think I may have to go solo for a couple of days on my next trip.
I know all too well about the toll the heat can take on you, especially at Epcot. It looks like you are having a great time though and seeing those characters was great!
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Ugh, that heat and steam after the rain sounds awful. I can see in a couple of the photos that Kaeli is drooping a bit. That CM at the kidcot station in Germany needs a bit of re-training so that he does his job properly. Even if he isn't enjoying himself, he's a CM and is "on stage"! I never knew about that concoction the girls had to cool them down, but it's great that it was safe for Kaeli. Great photos with that surprise character fest!
It didn't last long, but that steam coming off the ground was really uncomfortable!
The girls loved their treat, I was glad I had read about it online! I don't think we would have ever stopped at the Fife and Drum otherwise
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Originally Posted by mojjo
Okay, after catching up even I'm tired so I'm going with Duffy. That was so cool you got to see Jack and Sally.
It was a nice surprise to see Jack and Sally, he is a really cool character. I love his voice and cackel!
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Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
I'm guessing they chose Duffy (that would have been my choice).
I've never heard the Voices of Liberty, but you are another person who has commented on how beautiful their performance is, so I really need to make time to see them next trip.
How awesome you were in the right place for the impromptu character meet! I'd love to see Jack & Sally.
Definitely make time to see VoL, they are amazing!
We were really lucky running into those surprise characters, it was a lot of fun!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Ugh, the heat and steam. Gotta love the summer weather!
I've never seen any of the attractions at the American pavilion. I don't think my family would be to interested. I think I may have to go solo for a couple of days on my next trip.
You know, I knew it was going to be hot in August, but I guess I just wasn't fully prepared about how tired and dragged down it was going to make us feel. It was definitely not what we were used to, but we made the best of it!
I was glad that I finally got my family into the AA, it was very interesting. Not a must do for every trip, but something that should be seen at least once. Just ditch your family and get over there to see it
Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchdisneyfamily
I know all too well about the toll the heat can take on you, especially at Epcot. It looks like you are having a great time though and seeing those characters was great!
I really wasn't prepared for the toll the heat was going to take on us, but we made the best of it with lots of water and cool treats It was a great day so far, and those surprise characters was a nice treat.
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pictures from your afternoon! Sorry the heat is getting to everyone! I'm going to assume they chose shopping!
Thanks! I'll let everyone know soon what they chose to do
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Originally Posted by OneLittleSpark
Another vote for Duffy M&G and shopping, I know how the girls love Duffy!
It does get sweltering in those ponchos when it rains and is hot. It's crazy!
It was funny because when I first saw the rain I was a little excited about it, thinking we would get a little break from the heat. Boy was I wrong about that! That poncho was like my own personal sauna
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
How wonderful to have an impromptu character meet like that!
You got some great pictures in the WS! Sorry about the heat. It's always rough when the heat causes you to hit a breaking point. Not that it sounds like things went all that badly, but when you're hot and miserable the fun tends to get overlooked. I'm really looking forward to the kidcot stations this year with DS. Except for the markers. I still don't understand who thought markers were a good idea. My kid will be so messy.
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Love all the pictures as you worked your way around the World Showcase! 
The man wanting a photo of Mulan...Ok, that was kind of weird. But I have to say that Mulan was very pretty but she seemed very tiny.
"Sparky"(My first trip.)
I’m glad that I had read about them in another TR, because honestly I didn’t even know they had them at that drink cart. It was oh so refreshing, just perfect for a hot afternoon. 
First of all, that thing is not small, it’s in a 16 oz cup for goodness sake! Of course, when I gave her a choice of sharing or not having anything at all, she quickly dropped it and dug in with her spoon. 
They are a very talented group and I hope to next time be able to see a full set of theirs. We moved on to the theater and enjoyed the nice cool break off of our feet. Abby and Chris both said the show was boring, but I enjoyed it. Even though Kaeli wouldn’t admit it, I know she did too, she was on the edge of her seat watching the whole time. 
There was no way, even with our little rest inside, I didn’t want to push it. So, I gave them a choice. We could try and trudge on, or we could backtrack to the friendship boat dock and cross over to do some shopping for their Duffys at Disney Traders and then meet Duffy. Which do you think they chose??
I'm going to assume they chose shopping! 
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