The $16,000 "Free" Disney Trip **Updated 12/11** COMPLETE - Page 15 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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
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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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This is a great start. You've done alot in a short amount of time - as usual!! I'm hoping we get to see some pictures soon!
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Tanya
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I have been so ready for this TR (and very patient as well ) I understand that even the FP Queen needs a few days to unwind....(and get some work done in between her trips).
Glad the flight was uneventful...boy you guys don't stop for a minute, hop off the plane, meet Karen and Zach, check-in and head to the parks. Sounds like the crowd levels were great becuase you got a nice amount of stuff done already...
Can't wait to hear all about dinner at Goofy's kitchen...
Great start, Sharon!! Sounds like you're off to a wonderful start with Karen! Glad you were able to get your ticket straightened out. I'm with Eileen....who goes to Disney with a magazine!??! Yikes! Looking forward to more
Sounds like a pretty awesome first day. Your DF sounds like a real sweetheart. Reminds me a little of my own DF. He was always doing sweet things for his girls.
Great start! I was beginning to wonder if you were really back home, or if maybe you decided to move to CA!
And I agree with you about the DCA ToT. It was neat to do something different, but not nearly as good a ride. After I got home, I decided that the whole building was much smaller than the one in Florida, which is probably why they can't get such good drops.
And I think I would have had to say something to magazine lady! On the ride????? I just can't even imagine.
Looking forward to more (and I definitely want to see the pictures!)
Woo Hoo! First Sharon update! So I know you have been to DL before but how does it "feel" to be in the park that Walt built? Only us Disney geeks will know what I mean haha
I know exactly what you mean! That's actually part of what I love so much about DL. It feels like it's Walt's park!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
A magazine?! Are you KIDDING me?! Who goes to a Disney park with a magazine? Who has the audacity to actually READ a magazine on a ride?
OMGosh... I'm practically shaking with indignation over this one.
SERIOUSLY?!
Wow....
Eileen
She was actually annoyed when the ride would start moving because it would make her lose her place! I was hoping she was only there out of duty, which is why I hoped she was the nanny. Still, she could've actually had fun herself, even if she got paid for it (shucks, sounds like a dream job to me! )
Quote:
Originally Posted by CountryTink
Sounds like a pretty awesome first day. Your DF sounds like a real sweetheart. Reminds me a little of my own DF. He was always doing sweet things for his girls.
Can't wait to hear more!
My brothers will tell you that he doesn't know how to say "no" to me, but I just know how to ask the right questions.
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Excellent start. Can't wait for some famous PSha pic's. Too bad you couldn't have gotten a photo of magazine lady. More please.
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ºOº ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
YAY....very glad you started and you set a deadline, too!
Nice to hear the flight was relatively smooth and you jumped right into the action at DLR with Karen and Zack (I actaully had to go back and re edit that sentence as it sounded a bit risque, at first glance)
Looking forward to lots more...and BTW....will you share your actual birthday with your loyal subjects? (Izzy's is 11/22)
danielle
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~Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars~
Day One, Part Two How to Not Be a Communist in 6 Easy Lessons
We walked over to the DLH and into the Dreams tower. We called for our room number (which was 2541) and then headed up to the 7th floor. The room was in a good location (centrally located). I immediately dug out my camera and took a few pictures.
But I wanted the bed by the window.
Where Zack actually slept
I absolutely loved all the little Disney touches everywhere, but my very favorite thing was the toiletry bottles with little Mickey head caps!! So cute! I ended up taking two full sets of them home. I probably would’ve taken more, but I didn’t want to overload my suitcase.
Aren’t they cute?!
I checked out the view, which was amazing. It was getting dark, so you can’t really tell from my pictures, but you could see 3 of the 4 DL mountains, Downtown Disney, the Grand Californian, Paradise Pier Hotel and the Paradise Pier section of DCA as well as the Tower of Terror. Plus, we knew we’d have a view of the fireworks, so we decided we’d watch it in the room instead of in the park that night.
While Karen was freshening up for dinner, Zack entertained me (well, he was entertaining himself, I was just enjoying the ride). He was taking video of himself walking backwards around the room, so it would look funny on the video. He just kept walking backwards around the room.
He stopped after he almost tripped over a suitcase! I’d love to see the video he took (particularly since I’m sure you can hear Karen laughing ). Hilarious, but not in the way Zack intended, I think.
We headed down to dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen. We didn’t have to wait too long before we were seated. We were first visited by Chip. I told him he’s my favorite chipmunk, which of course he loved. I don’t have any pics on my camera of Chip.
The next to our table was Jasmine. Zack kindly volunteered to take one for the team and pose. Good, since I still haven’t forgiven her for the before-and-after pose she made me do the last time I posed with her. She told Zack to pose like Aladdin, but Zack had a little trouble mastering it. He finally did get it right.
The pose is Aladdin, but the face is 100% Zack
After that, we all filled out plates and then proceeded to fill our tummies. The next to visit our table was Dale.
They were showing off their ahem muscles
Zack immediately ratted me out and told him I’d told Chip that he was my favorite. I would’ve been mad, but karma got Zack back for me. Poor Dale was so sad, but he forgave me, and even agreed to pose with me for a picture.
We also got a visit from Minnie Mouse. I noticed that when Minnie is in LA she dresses a lot more… well, hoochie. Her dress was really short (and she was showing her bloomers to anyone who wanted to see when I saw her later over in DCA. Maybe she’s getting desperate since Mickey won’t commit. ) You can’t see how short her dress is in my photo, but maybe Karen got a shot of it. But her dress ended about where the photo cuts off (so right about the middle of her hand - put your arm by your side and you'll see where that ends up).
Remember how I mentioned karma? Well, Zack spilled water on himself, so it looked like he had an accident. Then he couldn’t stand up for photos anymore. When Goofy came to our table, Karen told him what happened and Goofy almost split his sides laughing. Goofy had a lot of fun with us.
I this shot!
We were contemplating dessert when Zack turned around and saw Mulan, which caused him to say “Oh, crap!” and start furiously rubbing himself with a napkin. Well, that didn’t come out right. Anyway, he was trying to dry himself off enough to get a photo with Mulan, but I think it’s for the best that he didn’t because Karen and I were laughing so hard that we couldn’t have taken pictures anyway!
We got our dessert and enjoyed that. Zack was finally dry, so he joined in on the dancing led by Goofy.
When we returned to our table, our CM was clearing our stuff away, so I guess we were done. We were actually almost done, but sheesh, what was the rush, buddy?
We checked out the Neverland pool area, which of course, is Peter Pan themed.
We returned to the room and settled in to watch the fireworks. We had a prime viewing spot, but we couldn’t hear the music. I only took a few shots.
Once the fireworks ended, there was some discussion about whether we should turn in for the night or head into DL park and use the FPs we had. I was tired, but not too tired to use the FPs, so out we went.
We got the monorail at Downtown Disney and rode into Tomorrowland. We had 2 FPs for Space Mountain, so Zack and I rode together. Karen had informed him earlier that day that I’d never seen any of the Star Wars films. His reply to Karen: “What is she, a communist?” So during our time in the queue for SM, Zack made me promise that I would watch the SW movies (and let me know which order I should watch them in). Just so I wouldn’t be a communist.
I really love DL’s SM. It’s very smooth and really dark and fast and just fun! We also had a couple of Buzz Lightyear FPs to use, so we did that next. I had a fairly good score, but I didn’t write it down. Zack beat me handily, though (must have been his Jack Bauer-esque style of shooting ).
We found Karen and decided to call it a night. There was a band performing in Tomorrowland (well just wrapping up) and the lead singer was thanking everyone she ever met in her lifetime (I wondered if she knew her gig wasn’t really that great ).
We almost got the new monorail red on our return, but they sent it out before it was full (I decided that the new monorails were too “high maintenance” ) so we had to wait for the next one, which was monorail purple (the old one).
Back at the room, I was first in the bathroom. Once I was in bed, Karen went next. I told Zack that I needed to stay awake until Karen came out of the bathroom (because I can fall asleep within like 2 minutes of climbing into bed) and he thought that was pretty funny. I did make it until Karen came out of the bathroom but it was a struggle. Just as I was drifting off, Zack called my name to see if I was already asleep. The last thing I remember was the pixie-dusted wallpaper.
Up Next: Haunted Mansion Holiday! and a bunch of other attractions
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
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) I understand that even the FP Queen needs a few days to unwind....(and get some work done in between her trips).
That's actually part of what I love so much about DL. It feels like it's Walt's park! 
I was hoping she was only there out of duty, which is why I hoped she was the nanny. Still, she could've actually had fun herself, even if she got paid for it (shucks, sounds like a dream job to me! 
ºOº ~*~ 
)
He just kept walking backwards around the room. 
She told Zack to pose like Aladdin, but Zack had a little trouble mastering it. He finally did get it right. 
When Goofy came to our table, Karen told him what happened and Goofy almost split his sides laughing. 
this shot!
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