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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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We got a front row seat and we waited for the show to start. Patty and Lisa texted us and said they just passed Rick Springfield as they were heading to the boat launch…but didn’t even realize it till after he had passed and some other ladies mentioned that he was walking by. Ugh!!! I want to see him!!! LOL.
This is a show I have never seen and I was really impressed. I had debated coming to see it with the girls or heading off to see what the wait for Kong was…I am so glad I came. It was pretty funny and a lot of fun.
Brook and I then went to see what the wait was for ET, but even with Express Pass I think it would be a good 15 – 20 minutes in total before we would be done and we needed to really be back for our event before that, so we decided to skip it and head that way.
I believe they called this Central Park, though I had never heard this area called that before.
We had to show our credentials to get in and then we walked a little ways to where they had standing tables set up. We all wished they had some chair too.
They had tables set up with food and one for drinks. This was supposed to be supper and we were kind of disappointed. It had some sandwiches on one table, and then another had veggies and dip I believe and then one had some Cajun foods, like jambalaya and some sausage things. I am not a big fan of Cajun food….and even the sandwiches seemed to have a Cajun flavor…..but I thought the sausage things were tasty and the jambalaya was good. Not the best I had, but decent. I can eat that, but I really couldn’t make a meal of anything as it was all more appetizers. Many people did not like Cajun food at all and some went out and got some snacks and brought them back.
After a bit we were told we could go off again on our own and to meet back here at a certain time. Had I known we were going to have more free time, I would have left and found some more food.
A bunch of use decided to go on the Simpsons….which is one of my all-time favorite rides. Lisa is nervous about rides and she kept asking us how each one was….and then she would scream the whole time….and we would laugh hysterically at her…and usually she said she liked them when she was done.
I think Lenora and Brook went on ET while we were on the Simpsons.
After that many of us headed over to Men in Black and rode that….I had the high score! Yay!!!!
It was then time to meet back up to get ready for the parade. I thought they had us meeting fairly early, but I had no clue what we would have to do to get ready.
Where we waited for what seemed like forever. We had been divided into groups, I believe according the lanyard we were wearing. My company was wearing the Simpsons themed lanyards and they had all sorts of different ones for each company.
We chatted and waited and chatted and waited……
My friend who had said he would be in the park today messaged me and said he was across from the new Jimmy Fallon ride so I told him I would look for him.
Finally something started to happened and we got announcements and told how to throw the beads…Frisbee style or underhand…never overhand….though it was easy to forget and sometimes I accidently did so. But throwing overhand you can really beam people. Heck even the other 2 ways we were pegging people on accident.
We had to wear costumes, which just slipped right over our clothes….super easy…and they had different sizes. He went over the rules again and when we saw our float……so many people wanted to take a picture, but of course he had to keep reminding us we couldn’t. There were all the people back there ready to go and I recognized them all from the other night when I watched.
Chris told us that a song we would hear a LOT would be Feet Don’t Fail Me Now. He said the best way to time when to throw the beads was to sing in your head…..Feet don’t fail me now, Feet don’t fail me now….throw…..and repeat. He said that way you should have enough beads to last the whole parade route. We had boxes of beads but once they were out, then they were out. We would have a hook in front of each of us with beads hanging and he would be on the float coming around to refill as needed.
Oh Boy!!!! This is going to be fun!
We then boarded our float…which is just basically wood on our side…not pretty at all. And Brook and I headed up top and Lenora was behind me and she was up top on the end….just a little ways from me. We had a lower level of people below us, so we had to be sure to throw over them too. We filled both sides of the float and soon we were singing….Feet don’t fail me now, feet don’t fail me now!
We just kept laughing as we would throw the beads. We honestly were trying to be gentle but we had to get them to the sidewalk too and every so often we would totally blast someone who wasn’t paying attention. Note to self…if watching a parade where they are throwing beads…..you may get hit!
I threw one out and totally caught the guy by surprise and he caught it just in time…and then I realized it was my friend and I yelled his name! He was with his mom, who I had also met before, so they both waved back!
As we got to the end we were running lower on beads but there were a couple of spots that people weren’t standing at the whole time and they still had beads on the hook, so we grabbed those and we had enough to last us to the end.
And I just have to say this was soooooo much fun. I would love to do it again. If you are ever there during Mardi Gras you might just get a call in your room asking if you would like to be in the parade…..DO IT!!!!!!! Now you will lose some evening time in the park, but if you are there a few days this will totally be worth it and such a fun memory. This was seriously one of our favorite things from this whole event….and we did some pretty cool things.
We rolled backstage again and took off our costumes and put them in a laundry bag….again no pictures. We were more towards the front of the parade, so when we headed out the parade was till going on. We once again were to meet back at our Central Park location for a dessert party.
Unfortunately dessert wasn’t much better than dinner. They had some bread pudding and I think the other was King bread …or something like that…both being Mardi Gras themed. The bread pudding was ok…not great but ok and the sauce was good on it. The bread was like a really really really dry cinnamon roll. I put the bread pudding sauce on that as well and that made it better…but all in all it was not that great and I really wanted something chocolatey.
We decided to meet up at the patio bar. I went to the room for a bit and I think I called home…etc. I then headed down the patio and just hung out with the girls for a bit. It was nice to just relax and talk and catch up a bit and unwind from the day. All too soon I was just too tired to go on and headed back to the room to go to bed. Lenora had gone back earlier I believe and she was going through her pictures on her phone and making cute collages. She always makes the cutest ones.
We had a busy day tomorrow with classes and tours so we decided it was time to get some sleep.
Looks like a great day at US! The makeup show looks like a winner and I'll make sure to see that on my October trip. What a great experience to be able to ride in the parade and especially throwing the beads!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Looks like a great day at US! The makeup show looks like a winner and I'll make sure to see that on my October trip. What a great experience to be able to ride in the parade and especially throwing the beads!
the show is really good. So glad I finally went to see it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
I've never been to the horror makeup show either. It sounds like fun! The parade sounds like a blast! Too bad the food they gave you wasn't very good.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
it's really good. Give a try next time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Such a cool experience to be in the parade! Too bad the food was disappointing.
We were up nice and early as we had to be at class (which included breakfast) at an early hour. I am an early riser, so I am ok with this, but I will admit I am usually kind of slow when it comes to actually getting myself ready.
And then class began and we had several presenters. I found it interesting and I did learn new stuff, which is always a plus.
We had little contests at the end of each presenter where we had to answer an question and if you were the first one to raise your hand and answer correctly you won a prize. I was a WINNER!!!!!
Our company evidently was paying attention as we won 3 of the prizes (I think out of 4 given). Someone actually complained that it was not fair….um yes it is…we paid attention and raised our hands and answered.
We only got short breaks during our classes this morning. They really kept us moving to cover a lot of stuff. Finally lunch time….well sort of. They had boxed lunches for us and we could choose between 2 sandwiches…I picked turkey.
We then were to take our lunch to another room, actually they had a couple of rooms and each company was sent to a particular room with 1 or 2 other companies, and sit at round tables….to have Round Table discussions. We did have about 15 minutes or so to start eating, use the restroom, etc. Sadly we couldn’t all sit at one table as some other gals sat down with us. I am not sure why, as they had co-workers at the other table. Oh well.
It really was a good sandwich and little lunch. We participated in the discussions as different presenters came to our table and we were able to ask questions and also give some feedback and input.
Then it was time to tour the resorts. Since we were staying at Sapphire Falls we would not be touring there. Our conference was at Royal Pacific so we started here with our tour.
We were broken up into groups and our leader was Lidia, who is our Business Development Manager. We were happy!
I have stayed here once and the rooms have been redone since then. I wasn’t too sure when I saw the pictures if I liked the new look, but seeing them in person made me like them.
We had gotten earbuds in our backpacks and were instructed to bring them today with us. We now had them in as we toured so that Lidia could talk to us all and we could hear all she had to say clearly. I personally HATE earbuds. They really bother my ears. I can never get them in right and then it irritates my ears and the sound so close to my eardrum seriously makes me feel like my ears are going to start bleeding. They were already bothering me and I vowed that the next time we needed them I would be bringing my own little headphones to plug in instead.
There are 2 new towers being built and look over Volcano Bay. They also will have some bigger suites in there to hold families of 8. Unfortunately they weren’t finished and we didn’t get to see them.
They sell tubes here for the lazy river. Basically the price is the same you would find for the same types of tubes at Walmart, so they don’t price gouge for them. However I am sure you can find some brands that are cheaper. They will deflate them for you at the end of the trip so you can take it home as well.
And then we visited a suite that had an entrance from a hallway in one of the wings where there are mostly standard rooms. This has a hallway entrance rather than from outside like the one we had stayed at our first night.
We were then going to go to a standard room. I have stayed in a standard room as well before and I needed to get some air and a pop. So I headed off on my own and said I would meet up in the lobby. Actually a couple of people did. We were really running nonstop and some of us just needed a little extra break.
Nice tour of the two resorts and I especially love the theming of the Royal Pacific! Love those ceilings in the lobby and remind me so much of The Poly which makes sense with the South Pacific feel to it. Nice rooms in the RP and especially love the bath and a nice view of Sapphire Falls. Love those outdoor gardens as well. Cabana Bay is nice too but not as impressive as RP as it's a value resort vs a deluxe.
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Great pictures from your tour! The rooms at Royal Pacific have definitely been rehabbed since I stayed there in 2012. They look nice, but I'm not sure about the giant orchid print on the wall, either.
Congrats on winning! It does pay to be attentive. We stayed at the Royal Pacific back in June 2011 and the rooms definitely look different from then. I too am not sure about that orchid wall, but otherwise they look wonderful.
I had stayed here just over a year ago at the time. I really enjoyed the hotel and the details. I am however not a big music fan, but the location and how close it is to the parks were a huge plus for me.
And we all gathered in our groups and started our tour. I took a quick picture of the Express Pass Machine. Staying here, Express Pass is included and you pick up your ticket for that right here around the corner from the desk.
Emack and Bolios was a place I never really got a good look at last year…but it was totally redone now and totally different from what I remember with my glance in.
Now this is where we were supposed to originally stay, but they changed it on us at registration and I was totally bummed as this is a place I have yet to stay at and it would have been perfect (and affordable) for me to stay there for this event. Oh well…at least I get to tour it.
See those black cars out front? Several of the hotels here have them and they can take you around to other hotels and even sometimes run you off site for a tip. If the destination is further and they agree to take you, there is a small fee involved.
Congrats on winning! It does pay to be attentive. We stayed at the Royal Pacific back in June 2011 and the rooms definitely look different from then. I too am not sure about that orchid wall, but otherwise they look wonderful.
That orchid wall definitely doesn't fit in with the rest of the room theme. Otherwise the room looks great. I didn't know you had stayed at the Royal Pacific. Reminds me so much of the Poly with the South Pacific theme to it but not nearly as big of a hit on your checking account! Always wonder what Disney is thinking in regards to some of the resort pricing and especially the deluxe and moderate resorts as well.
I will be doing a split WDW/USO stay in October and the RP is one that I am considering for my trip. I don't want to give too much away as I hope to do a PTR eventually. The thing is, I'm only about 60% through my current TR from last October. May have to have two going at once shortly and not easy with work stuff.
I'm not Cheryl and amazing how she can have four TRs going at once and update them daily as long as she is not on holiday! Just insane how she does it!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Last edited by SuperDave; 06-20-2017 at 10:39 PM..
Since we'll probably never stay at one of the US resorts, it was especially fun to see what they look like! I didn't care for the orchid wall paper but other than that, all the rooms were beautiful!
Nice tour of the two resorts and I especially love the theming of the Royal Pacific! Love those ceilings in the lobby and remind me so much of The Poly which makes sense with the South Pacific feel to it. Nice rooms in the RP and especially love the bath and a nice view of Sapphire Falls. Love those outdoor gardens as well. Cabana Bay is nice too but not as impressive as RP as it's a value resort vs a deluxe.
Yes, each resort really has their own theming and they do it well. I really can't say I would be unhappy at any of their properties as they are all so close and so nicely done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
Your box lunch looked good and the tour of the resorts seemed like a lot of fun!
It was a really good lunch for a boxed lunch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Congrats on winning! It does pay to be attentive. We stayed at the Royal Pacific back in June 2011 and the rooms definitely look different from then. I too am not sure about that orchid wall, but otherwise they look wonderful.
Yeah the orchid is kind of big there but I think on the walls it was a bit too much for me.
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The makeup show looks like a winner and I'll make sure to see that on my October trip. 
It does pay to be attentive. We stayed at the Royal Pacific back in June 2011 and the rooms definitely look different from then. I too am not sure about that orchid wall, but otherwise they look wonderful. 
Otherwise the room looks great. 
I didn't know you had stayed at the Royal Pacific. 
Reminds me so much of the Poly with the South Pacific theme to it but not nearly as big of a hit on your checking account! 
Always wonder what Disney is thinking in regards to some of the resort pricing and especially the deluxe and moderate resorts as well. 
The thing is, I'm only about 60% through my current TR from last October. May have to have two going at once shortly and not easy with work stuff. 
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