Eight is Enough - A July 2014 TR with cousins, club level and more Updated 3/29 DHS and Frozen Fun - Page 6 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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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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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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Sorry you didn't get your room request, but I guess sometimes having a room ready is sometimes just what you need.
Yes, I was happy just to get in the room so early.
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Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
Food looked good!
It was.
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Originally Posted by chezp
Your room looks wonderful!
I love the rooms there.
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Originally Posted by Irenaroo
Nice start! The food at The Mara looks good! I'm sure the kids were happy to get some pool time. I hope you got the tables in Wonderland card. Since our youngest are now Disney Adults, the dining plan isn't a value for us anymore.
We did get the TIW card, but not until the next day.
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Originally Posted by KHarrod
That was really nice of the hotel to have breakfast baggies waiting for you in the morning. REALLY nice! Other than the incident with your phone, sounds like your travel day and arrival went pretty smoothly. Ready to hear more!
It was nice of them. I'd go back to the Hampton Inn in a heartbeat.
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Originally Posted by TheAyers
Great updates!! I'm signing on to make sure I don't miss anything :-)
Thank you for reading.
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Originally Posted by xwewhisper
I think heading to lunch before pool time was the right call! That African Stew looked delish!
Yes, we would have been hungry and cranky if we went to the pool first. I think DH regretted not ordering the stew.
So sorry about the cell phone fiasco! What a scare... I would have been out of my mind! Glad it all worked out and you made it to the airport on time. How awesome that you rolled into the bubble so early... and your rooms were ready! Looks like your trip is off to a great start. (And I have to admit that pina colada is making my mouth water... yum!!!) I will have to get me one of those when we arrive at Kidani... two weeks from today!
Yes, those are my kids. It only took me about 8 years to update my signature pic!!! Can't believe how quickly the time goes and how fast they grow.
The pina colava was lovely. Wish I had one right now. Hope you have a great trip! I can't believe how big your kids are! They are beautiful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Sounds like a great day! Funny - Scott took the shuttle over to Jambo several times! I never once visited Jambo during this trip! But he said that he was pleased with the shuttle service - oh and wait a minute - I did take the shuttle - once - very very early in the am for the sunrise safari - we had to meet there!
And I bet our paths crossed many times and we didn't even realize it
Where was the shuttle at? I never saw it. Where did you guys eat when you were at Kidani? The more I look at your picture, the more I think I did see you. Wish I would've been thinking clearer, but my brain gets all foggy in Disney, lol.
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Originally Posted by MayraLR
This exact thing happened to me. We didn't have the DDP this trip and I constantly found myself worrying about how much we were spending on food. And let me tell you, my boys eat a lot and I was nervous I would overspend.
I know we saved a little money, but the vacation didn't feel the same without the dining plan. I'm not sure if I would go without it again. We didn't really save that much. Will you go back to dining plan next time?
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Originally Posted by xwewhisper
No Kidani wasn't my favorite. But Boma and Sanaa are two of my most favorite places to eat so I'm sure I'll give it another chance someday. It's one of our home resorts too. You guys were able to get more use out of the resort amenities in one day than we were our whole trip though so maybe if we had that chance we would have liked it more!
Kidani was my favorite, but I think I preferred Jambo this time. I love breakfast at Boma and never tried Sanaa.
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Originally Posted by mcc0313
Sounds like a fun first day. We have taken the shuttle I think once from Kidani to Jambo once after a meal at Sanaa but we usually do the walk if we head over there for a meal.
Kids look like they had a great time at the pool. Hoping you enjoyed Boma more this time around.
Thanks. I'll be updating with our experience at Boma soon.
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Originally Posted by shazza
I think hanging in the resort on July 4th is a good idea, but I can also imagine having a nagging thought, "we have lots of time to visit a park." Curious how your Boma dinner goes. I'm in the minority here, but it's not my favorite.
You hit on one big advantage of the dining plan. It takes away the worry about what you are spending at each meal. Even if it's not logical to think like that, many of us do.
I know, you are right. It isn't logical, but who thinks logically on vacation? I didn't like worrying about prices.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jambo
Hope your dinner at Boma was more impressive this time. It's a family favorite for us. Looks like someone was having fun during the pool activities!
Aidan had a blast at the pool. I will let you know what I thought about Boma soon.
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Where was the shuttle at? I never saw it. Where did you guys eat when you were at Kidani? The more I look at your picture, the more I think I did see you. Wish I would've been thinking clearer, but my brain gets all foggy in Disney, lol.
The shuttle was a white van - it would pick up at the front entrance of the Resort.
At Kidani we ate at Sanaa - one night Scott took shuttle over to Jambo and brought food back from the Mara. I was walking around resort quite a bit - so you may have seen me! Sunday the 6th, we spent quite a bit of time in the resort (there was a lot of rain that day) and Em & I went to Community Hall to paint pottery Or you could have seen us on a bus?
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We took the first park bus and got to Jambo at around 5:45.
I really liked these monitors by the buses at Kidani that told you when the next buses were arriving
We arrived at Boma in no time and checked in with the hostess a little before our 6:00 pm reservation.
Let me backtrack a little and explain that when I was planning the trip, I had called Disney dining and asked if I could use my AP or DVC discount on July 4 at Boma. We were planning on getting the Tables in Wonderland card, but knew we couldn’t use it that day. I was told I could use either the AP or DVC discount. When I checked in at Boma, I asked about the DVC and AP discounts again and was told I could use either. I just had to let the waitress now when she brought out the bill. Ok, no problem. It wasn’t as good as the TIW discount, but it was better than nothing.
After we checked in, we waited probably about 5 minutes before we were seated.
waiting to be seated
I love the atmosphere of the restaurant and we’ve enjoyed quite a few breakfasts there.
I was so happy when our waitress introduced herself because she was so nice. We usually have bad luck with rude or inefficient wait staff everywhere we go for some reason (and we aren't even difficult to please). Anyway, she took our drink order and went to get the chef for DH’s food allergies (he’s allergic to nuts, raw fruit, and raw veggies). The boys and I headed over to the buffet and got our first plates of food.
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I don’t remember too many details about the food. Sadly, all I remember is that we tried a lot of different things, but couldn't eat more than 1 or 2 bites of anything except the bread and dessert. We just didn't care for anything.
Here are some pictures of our food. I’m sorry, I’m not sure what everything is.
I know what you're thinking, everything looks really good, but we didn't think anything tasted as good as it looked. We really wanted to like our dinner, really, but we just didn’ t.
I know we are in the minority here, but I don't think we will be back for dinner any time soon. Breakfast yes, but not dinner. I didn’t even enjoy the Zebra Domes, which I absolutely loved in the past. They just tasted different. The Kenyan coffee tarts were really good though. They are in the lower,right hand corner of my dessert plate pictured above. My boys thought the mac n cheese was ok, but we all left hungry. To make matters worse, when it was time to pay the bill, the waitress informs me that we cannot use either the AP or DVC discount on July 4. I explain that I was told, not once but twice, that I could use it. In the end, she insisted that there was no discount on July 4 and charged me full price. Our bill came to $165.
Normally, I would've paid the bill and just let it go, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. Why would two different people tell me I could use the discounts? I would have eaten somewhere else if I hadn't been misinformed. That is when I decided to do something I’ve never done before and emailed Guest Communications. I explained my issue in great detail and waited (not so patiently) to hear back from someone. Finally a few days later, someone called me to discuss the issue. She asked me to email her our receipt and ended up giving me a refund in the amount of $82. I was happy with that and thought it was fair. I didn't end up getting refund until we were back home, but that was fine.
After dinner we took a bus back to Kidani and checked out the resort while we waited for Dsis's family to finish their dinner at The Mara.
the Kidani entrance
some of the animals on the savannah
my babies
Aidan watching tv in the lobby while we took pictures. He insisted we wait and watch the Duffy story.
We had made plans to watch Toy Story out by the pool at 8:30 pm and decided to wait there. While we waited for the movie to start, a really nice CM gave my boys glow sticks and some leftover pool party prizes (try saying that three times). She was trying to get rid of them, and since we were the only ones there, DH and I even got some.
waiting for the movie to start
Lion King preview
About 15-20 minutes into the movie, my sis and her family showed up. By now, the long day was really catching up to me and I was ready to crash. I seriously could not hold my head up any longer. DH and Aidan felt the same, so the three of us headed up to our room. Jared still had a little energy left in him (the boy is never tired) and decided to finish the movie with the rest of the gang.
Back at the room, the three of us took turns showering. That’s when I realized I had packed two large bottles of conditioner and no shampoo. I had no choice but to use the tiny, complimentary bottle of shampoo they’d left for us, but I knew that wasn’t going to cut it with my hair. Luckily, DH found some extra ones somewhere. I think he saw a housekeeper in the hallway the next day and asked her for some.
Just as I was getting out of the shower, Jared returned. He showered next, and we were all in bed by about 10:30. We needed to get re-energized before our first park day.
Up Next: MK and our first experience with Fastpass +
So sorry the Boma dinner was a disappointment. Honestly, I love eating there, but I am not a fan of zebra domes. I'm pleased you spoke up and received a refund on the meal. Way to go!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
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Your meals at Mara looks so delicious and the pool time looked like lots of fun for the kids. 
![[SIGPIC]](signaturepics/sigpic27594_7.gif)
during this trip! But he said that he was pleased with the shuttle service - oh and wait a minute - I did take the shuttle - once - very very early in the am for the sunrise safari - we had to meet there! 
Or you could have seen us on a bus?
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