Forums Closed
|
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
|
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 10:32 AM
|
#31
|
Community Rank: Jetsetter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 2,476
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
I'm really enjoying your report! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] The pictures are really great too. We are spending part of our holiday with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece Lindsey who will be 23 months at the time so it's quite interesting to read how your children did.
Mel
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 11:47 AM
|
#32
|
Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Posts: 27,691
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Marnie, that pic of Colin in front of American Adventure is so adorable. I love your TR so much!! I can't wait to take both my boys in December. Last year I took just my older one. Oh, isn't the refillable mug program horrible at BC? We were so far away from the lobby (the last building before going Epcot walkway) that I didn't bother getting one, and once I saw how they did it I was glad I hadn't wasted the money.
*~*Tina*~*
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 01:22 PM
|
#33
|
Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 1,574
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Great report! Thanks for posting. I love the picture of the lion at AK. It is so rare for them to actually be up [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
I'm sorry to hear that you had such a hard time at the BC with your refillable mugs. We never fill them at B&C but always fill them at the 'snack bar'(whose name is escaping me right now) out at the pool as the line is never that long there (of course they aren't open as long as B&C, but while we are at the pool it is great).
Pam
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 03:19 PM
|
#34
|
Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ohio
Posts: 319
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
I just want to thank you so much for your detailed trip report! I haven't been to Disney since college, so it would not have occurred to me to do something as obvious as bring my DD's Belle dress to the character breakfast. Thanks for the tip!
Did you try to keep the kids pretty much on schedule with naps and bedtime? We're planning to take longs breaks in the middle of the day, but I'm worried how they'll do with being up late for fireworks and then up early the next morning. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 03:37 PM
|
#35
|
RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
CJDrew's Mom - I'm lucky that my kids are very flexible with naps, etc. I'm also lucky in this case (or unlucky at home) that my kids are on the low end of the sleep scale. If it says kids their age need 10-16 hours of sleep a day, mine only need and get 10 (there's little rest for me). Also Alexa (4) usually doesn't nap at home anymore for us (but she does in school) and since it was so hot, she was just pooped. Luckily, both can fall asleep anywhere without much of a problem. Colin is always up first at home (usually around 6 or before) and that didn't change here, although he tended to go a little later if we were out later and he was still up late. They're not on any nap time schedule at home (although at school they usually nap at the same time each day), so I just put them down when they need it (or if I need to drive a distance, will do it when I think they're ready for a nap so it will coincide).
|
|
|
05-27-2003, 09:39 PM
|
#36
|
Community Rank: Legend
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: North Central Ohio
Posts: 21,629
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Great trip report and pictures! Looking forward to the next installment!! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
|
|
|
05-28-2003, 12:31 AM
|
#37
|
RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Day 6 (Tuesday, May 13th ) – CRT and MK day!!
I couldn’t sleep as I was worrying about the taxi thing. I had the alarms set for 6, as we were told by Disney Dining that we needed to be there early since we had an early PS. So up we go, and I call down and have them call for a taxi. In retrospect, I should have asked the CM if there was an early character bus, but at this point, we’d just take the taxi. We meet my parents downstairs at 7:05. Their alarm didn’t work, so they had only been up since 6:45. I had dressed Alexa in her Cinderella dress for the breakfast. We took the taxi to the CR, and he was actually able to take us really close. Luckily, the cars enter the CR on the MK side, so he went in there and then took us to the end of the parking lot next to the road that the buses enter. It was only about a 5 minute walk. But, gee, there are buses entering from other resorts??? So I’m still not sure what happened. If you’re staying at the BC and need an early character bus, check to see if it is still running. Anyway, it doesn’t matter, because we were the first ones to go thru security that day at the MK, and were first in line for PS check in. We finally get thru the turnstiles at around 8, and head down Main Street. Alexa is tired by this point, she’s been up early, and is probably ready for a nap. We decided to stop and have our picture taken on Main Street by one of the Disney photographers, since there weren’t that many people there. Then off to the castle. We were escorted upstairs via the elevator, and had a nice table. After about 5 minutes, the princesses started appearing. It was more of a rush than at PSB. They all appeared at once, and there didn’t seem to be any organization as there was at PSB. I also didn’t think their interaction was as good either.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADlAqsUxdLix6e1WFXW*qhKGnfLg*OosVGU2zhTO4yKwC21b Sp8chXK6D3Qto7n2KmQwPx8O9w2S4Mb!05H6Lz66v0fOmWwGCA *1D16DCo8AAAAYXJiAg/DSCN0140.JPG?dc=4675423448925501761[/img]
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SACvBKgU386qRp12pd*CE2*X4SvGXBy0gk*ryfzDu7!Wg*1Nc e1Kr8WTCVMph0r!ac0IyoZzDck68nqmuBghMJeFz74A74ufmbB d!76Tu1lZAAAAYXIsBA/051303-1.jpg?dc=4675423856048851136[/img]
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADjAq4UgtPix6e1WFXW*gJGDAv!Gc7X41NRvlCcAMscx1Jt3 Hs7D7ldnuTAukj5cGWIV6G!L6HMlcC43j161lQ4I9xlmeCj2en E7jwCA2EzAAAAYXJgAg/DSCN0143.JPG?dc=4675423449067405890[/img]
The food again was good, but where were the chocolate muffins that I had heard so much about??? And I didn’t care for the cheese filled toast (I’m just not a cheese person). I also felt more rushed here. But Alexa had a good time, and she enjoyed meeting all the princesses. When we were done, we went downstairs and waited in line to see the Fairy Godmother.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADAA7AUANTix6e1WFXW*v69JWQqJCvj0pg*oM9UuAPKyjNhk 56HgTr2iIDmOrMAJPsHrRMl1CNu59S!whd2PvA*boIMWJCvRCV XOJqDTztHAAAAYXIhAw/DSCN0145.JPG?dc=4675423449150823699[/img]
Here is a picture of the mice that jennyh (on the boards) told me about. Otherwise, I would have never seen them!!
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADeAq8UwdPix6e1WFXW*sc6WJxGg2I0W1YwczIJtuuOl2HtX E9NgqQmNIWXUJY8tc4eB6quoAfep2DSJL0WF4mginYwdEoCOXr o5DVTIY8zAAAAYXJbAg/DSCN0144.JPG?dc=4675423449101108657[/img]
I love her, she is always so nice. Alexa told her she wanted to ride the Carrousel first, and the Fairy Godmother suggested that she head to Dumbo first so she wouldn’t have to wait in a long line.
We were right at the castle for the rope drop, and headed for Dumbo. This time, we were in the second group to ride for the day. After Dumbo, we changed Alexa out of her Cinderella dress. It was getting hot, and I hadn’t lathered anyone up with sunscreen yet. Then it was off to the Carrousel, and then Snow White again. Next we walked onto IASW, and then had a 5 minute wait for Peter Pan. Since Mom and Dad were now with us, we decided to go thru HM with the kids. I think Colin pretty much slept. Alexa was a little scared (I think more of the dark than anything). She was glad to get out of there. At the end of the walkway at HM, a CM was giving out Mickey stickers, so Alexa got a bunch of those. We headed for Frontierland again since Mom and Dad were with us. My Mom isn’t much of a thrill rider (she’ll do Splash if my Dad makes her, but was happy to skip it this time and stay with Alexa and Colin, who was still sleeping). Me, Matt and my Dad decided to go on BTTMR first, and it was only a 5 minute wait. Then, off to Splash Mountain, where we pretty much walked right on. By now it is close to 11, and I thought for sure there would be lines. Good news for us. I got absolutely soaked on SM. At the beginning of the ride, when you are going around the corner and you get splashed from the other boat going down the big falls, well, it all landed on me. My shorts were dripping. It felt nice, but today was actually a much cooler day (only about 85 with low humidity) so it was quite a change. We met up with Mom, Alexa and Colin. They had gotten some water and ice cream while we were riding. We headed toward PoC, as Mom and Dad wanted to do this one. Alexa decided that she didn’t want to. I can’t remember her reason. Matt went back to Frontierland to get Colin some McDonald’s French fries, as this was one of the only things he was eating. After my parents entered, a huge tour group got into line. There were a bunch of tour guides directing them into PoC. I have never seen so many people. The wait had to have gone from 5 minutes to 30 just like that. The line stretched all the way out of PoC across the road and to the other side.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADeAq4Ug9Pix6e1WFXW*twszWot4vEjAeZNpWkeG*Aig6fQp 9VCvjOPnq1HFeyn*hKzUcyTY6CygBP929gHJzzZ*VSq3ftlFNj d09w0Mh0zAAAAYXJbAg/DSCN0152.JPG?dc=4675423449201754057[/img]
I had never seen it so long. It was like the whole tour group was going as a group from ride to ride. Good thing they were going in the opposite direction we were. After that, we headed over to Adventureland. Alexa wanted to ride the Magic Carpets again. Mom and Dad went to sit in the shade, and I took Colin for a frozen OJ at Sunshine Terrace. After that, we decided to wait in line for Jungle Cruise. It was about 20 minutes (one of the longest we’d waited in all week). I don’t’ know, I just think this ride has to go. Now that they have Animal Kingdom, it just looks silly. I know it’s a classic, but it just seems out of place now. After JC, it was after 1 and the park was starting to get crowded (by my standards anyway), the kids had passed meltdown, so we headed back to the BC. I was disappointed, no towel animals. We spent a couple of hours at the pool, and then it was tub time and nap time. Matt decided he was going to go to Epcot while they were napping and before we went back to MK. He wanted to ride Test Track. He wasn’t that impressed. But, he did run into one of my coworkers who was also down there (it’s always funny who you end up seeing).
[b]Up Next: Day 6 evening at MK!![b]
[ 05-29-2003, 07:41 AM: Message edited by: Colexi's Mom ]
|
|
|
05-28-2003, 12:55 AM
|
#38
|
Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 272
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Great TR and pictures! Your kids are so adorable [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] I love the picture of your DD asleep in the stroller, it just cracked me up [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] I've seen that look on my own DD. Keep up the great work!
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 07:38 AM
|
#39
|
RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Day 6 Continued (Evening at MK)
So, off we go to the MK for tonight. We took the bus over, and on our bus are 3 cute boys (probably 9, 6, and 3) who are brothers (and all wearing the same sneakers, how cute!!). Anyway, they all had lanyards on and were discussing pin trading with someone else on the bus. Matt starts talking to me about how it’s so expensive, it’s a waste of money, blah blah blah and then the couple seated across from us pull out their lanyards and put them on (which were very full). It was just funny to watch him put his foot in his mouth, he needs to learn to keep it shut if he doesn’t have something nice to say, especially around people you don’t know. We get thru the turnstiles and notice that there seems to be a good crowd in the park tonight (probably because of Spectro and FIS). We stopped in front of the castle to catch most of Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration. This was a nice show, and there are so many characters in there. Alexa enjoyed it, after she got thru her pouty stage. We headed for Tomorrowland and passed the area where Belle gives Storytime (mental note for next trip) and headed for Buzz Lightyear. The line said 15 minutes, so we decided to get a FP which was only about a half an hour later. Matt was thirsty, so he got some frozen blue thing from the shop underneath TTA/Astro Orbiter. We decided we’d ride TTA while waiting for Buzz Lightyear. But, you cannot bring open containers on the ride. So Matt stayed behind with Alexa, who was also enjoying the slush. We had just come out of Space Mountain when the ride broke down (good thing, Colin wouldn’t have appreciated being stuck in the dark for 5 minutes, or I wouldn’t have appreciated trying to keep a hold on him in the complete darkness). Up and running again, we finished and headed off to BL. Apparently, there were a lot of people waiting to use their FP at that time, as even the FP line got backed up. I feel sorry for the people in the standby line, because it didn’t move for quite a while. I love this ride. Alexa went with my parents so she could spin their car, and we took Colin. This time I don’t think we fared too much better. I forgot to write down the scores, but I think I was only around 10,000, and Matt wasn’t playing. Pathetic, we definitely need more practice on this one. Matt was trying to take pictures of Alexa who was in the car behind us. After that, Mom and Dad decided that they wanted to go get something to eat and get a seat for Spectro (since they haven’t seen it this trip yet). We’d already seen it, so we thought we’d stay on the rides and hopefully the lines would be shorter. We’d meet up with them tomorrow morning in the lobby. We headed for Space Mountain and did baby swap. This was our first experience doing baby swap, and I liked the idea here that the person doing baby swap gets a FP for their turn. The line was about 15 minutes for Matt. My turn, and it took me about 5 minutes with the FP. Not bad. Oh, this ride is rough. My kidneys were aching. I don’t remember being tossed around as much. After that, we took the back walkway and headed back to Toon Town for a fruit break. By this time, it was getting close to 9, and the park was supposed to close at 9:30.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADeAq4UhNPix6e1WFXW*pWj3s3sPEi9WxSfCXkdNUCcexhE8 mta*MIKcn99TiWjJAyM21f24jNT7pnWBiSp8DAbj1RvjvflZo9 ZSgXnzhgzAAAAYXJbAg/DSCN0161.JPG?dc=4675423449228323998[/img]
We headed for Dumbo and had a 5 minute wait (not bad). Matt took Alexa, and she was hesitant about going into the pink one. The last pink elephant she had didn’t go up and down easily, so she didn’t want to get stuck in another pink one. But this one worked. Then it was off to Peter Pan, where we walked on, and we got one of the last rides of the night on IASW. After we got off, FIS was going off, and everything was closed. I guess the park did really close at 9:30. So we head to the castle to get the strollers that we had left at the Carrousel. We walked thru the castle, and OMG, where did all these people come from??? Main Street was absolutely packed with people. We lingered around the castle and tried to figure out how to get my camera to take a good picture of the castle. I think we figured it out, because it came out pretty good. The castle was all lit up in warm colors.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SAD5BLIUgNTix6e1WFXW*jkiXdKzJlmkSYuaeAqM6YEqT3xNH fv5AKiM9yLLcp1N67!ocRbhxGmDc3BAKad60cASXarV5T*r2jK TecceJtMzAAAAYXJ2BA/DSCN0165.JPG?dc=4675423449259093462[/img]
The crowd was still not moving, so we headed with the masses and broke off at Casey’s and got more hotdogs. I was worried on this trip that all Alexa would be eating was chicken nuggets. Turns out all she was eating was hot dogs. Oh well, as I was walking away from the counter, one of the hotdogs shifted, and so did my large coke which landed all over the floor. Oops. They were nice to give me another. We watched the cartoons to the side of Casey’s while we ate, and then headed back down Main Street. It was much more tolerable at this point, but by now it was close to 10:30. We got to the bus stop and there was a long line. We made it on the second bus that came, which wasn’t far behind the first one. Both kids fell asleep on the bus ride back. It was interesting trying to get off the bus with 2 sleeping kids and 2 strollers. Lucky, Alexa woke up enough to make it mostly on her own. We got up to the room around 11. It had been a long day as we’d been up since 6 for CRT. Lights out!!
Up Next: Day 7 (MGM and a rainy evening)
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 07:46 AM
|
#40
|
RED SOX NATION!!
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Day 7 (Wednesday May 14th) – MGM
We woke up late today (7:30) since we had had an exhausting day yesterday. We met my parents in the lobby at 8:30, and decided that we’d head over to MGM. We had only been there once so far, and weren’t able to do too much because we got there late. I love the convenience of the boat at BC to MGM, and not having to fold up the stroller. After getting into the park, we had our picture taken in front of the the big “hat”.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADeAqkUIs9DXVXxnHOzc!YhD0izcvzRftmtDo*xRks0i9Bny ct7sYBFfpiXO02buZ2*!761hXzYsdNuKhVbq4*NSCejVlOoyyA dzASbVxQ3AAAAYXJbAg/051403-1.jpg?dc=4675423856129803316[/img]
Then was a quick bite at Starring Rolls bakery. We discovered that Colin liked Corn Pops (at least it was something other than French fries, chips and melon). After that, Mom and Dad decided to do the backlot tour and we headed off to Playhouse Disney. They didn’t really want to sit on the floor with us, but I guess I can’t blame them. We’d meet them back at the pool. I thought this show was cute. Both Alexa and Colin also liked it, and were singing and dancing along. This was the first time we had seen this show, and I think it is great for little kids.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SADdArQUANXix6e1WFXW*tW*cG7pxG6suOyMLBxAgDBLW5ipH tkSLeCioRIDQCWlUY3*fGaRammUYNVt0kWca05Tg8rH5xcWXv! YN3rLvAVGAAAAYXJaAg/DSCN0185.JPG?dc=4675423913755252268[/img]
Then, it was time for an ice cream break (Alexa enjoyed herself).
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SAAAALAUBdTix6e1WFXW*uAorvkTIHdSGcCPSQg2ST9nuQ6uK tgUI56fsxWhYcORxIZ0x*anQPkWLpo4xsRc9i16l*ldtOGJ8!d 0XS8vb*MAAAAAAAAAAA/DSCN0190.JPG?dc=4675423449289991774[/img]
It was getting hot again. We headed for Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N Rollercoaster. RnRC was being built the last time were were down there, so we both experienced it for the first time. They weren’t giving out FP for baby swap (the line was only 10 minutes). I got a FP which was only for 20 minutes later, just in case it took Matt longer to ride. Matt absolutely loved it. Next it was my turn. I was able to get a seat in the front car. Wow, what a ride!! This is our favorite ride at Disney now!! We still had my FP, but Matt wanted to head for ToT. We get to ToT, and the standby line is 20 minutes. The FP was for about 45 minutes later, so I didn’t want to get one. I tried to do baby swap, but the CM said one party has to stay outside and wait for the other one. Ok. So Matt went first. I took the kids for a water break and potty break. Colin fell asleep right before Matt came back. We decided that the line was too long for me to wait, and we’d just come back later. It was time for lunch. Matt got a turkey leg at Toluca, Alexa got a hotdog from Toluca, and I got a BBQ Chicken pizza from one of the stands on Sunset Market. Matt didn’t like the leg, he said it was tough. Then it was back to the BC for more pool time.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SACvBLQUAdXix6e1WFXW*ujz!X1ECpk6ovN3tfyS7Ixqna50t nYVuqogeiyM6RfrsSlhe2wnoccKWptyk0wdREdS30SOeAP1iP9 jVtEMLy1IAAAAYXIsBA/DSCN0194.JPG?dc=4675423449325803848[/img]
After tub time, the kids were set to have their nap, and I decided it was my turn to head to Epcot. We were meeting my parents at 6 in the lobby, and it was now 4:15.
So I headed to Epcot and TT, as I had yet to do this ride. I get all the way over there, after stopping in the Dog Gone Maze to take pictures, and par for the course, TT is down.
[img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0SACpBKoUhNK8CQy!SkIti3CcYrAsC2ub2Rffv8hquhdCV7htr sjxzBi2lwQYtD*ICR8aoiPKxKmmkGjuWpWEkGdE!DTvxMQTarx dUutzKWMvAAAAYXImBA/DSCN0202.JPG?dc=4675423449459949993[/img]
They don’t know how long. The FP was only 35 minutes later, so I decided I’d get a FP and go cool off in Mexico on the ride. Another hot afternoon and the sky was getting dark. After Mexico, I walked past the Margarita’s, but decided that I probably shouldn’t do that if I was going to go on TT. So off to Norway and Maelstrom. The line was 5 minutes. I skipped the movie, and headed back to TT. I could hear the cars racing as I walked by the Odyssey, so that was a good sign. It still took me about 30 minutes to get thru the whole thing. Frankly, I was not impressed with this ride. I was glad I did FP and didn’t have to wait a long time for it. By now, it is 5:40, and I am supposed to be in the lobby at 6. So I high-tail it back to BC, get up to the room, and no one is there. Where is my family??? I didn’t see them in the lobby when I rushed thru. Matt left a note that the kids couldn’t sleep so he was out walking them. Uh oh. I went to the arcade thinking they might be there. Nope. Head back to the lobby, and see them coming out of the elevator with my parents. Matt was exhausted. Sorry!! I go upstairs to pack the backpack and the bottles for the evening. The sky is getting darker by the minute, so I got the rain ponchos and stroller covers. Matt decides that since it is going to rain, he doesn’t want to bring his camera, we’ll just risk my new one getting wet!! Then my Mom decides she is going to go back for their ponchos. So, we finally get our act together and start heading for the boat launch for MGM. The plan was to see the Beauty and the Beast show. Since the first show was at 3:30, we couldn’t see it in the morning. It then starts to rain, and rain, and pour. Out come the ponchos and the stroller covers. I had left the stroller covers in the original package as I was going to return them if we didn’t need them (last time we went we had no rain at all). Was I ever glad we had them. It poured for an hour. I think there was just a black cloud over MGM and the BC. As soon as we get onto the boat, both kids are asleep. Great. See what happens when they don’t take a nap. We get off the boat and get thru security and the gate. I can’t tell you how many people stared at us, saying “where did you get those covers” and “what a good planner you are”. I was taking no chances. If my kids were as wet as some of the poor kids there, they would have been miserable, I would have been miserable, and that would have been the end of it. We head down Sunset to wait for the show. But alas, we can’t bring strollers in. Both kids are still asleep, it is still pouring, and there is no way we’re going to take them out and risk getting them all wet. By this time, my feet are squeaking, my shoes are so wet. So we decided to go back to the BC since everything else was pretty much done, and we’d try it another night. We get back on the boat, to more stares (one guy offered Matt $50 for the covers), and back to BC. I could have made a mint selling these things. I think the covers were $15 each, but it is money well spent in my opinion. Both kids were well protected (Alexa’s feet got wet, but she still fell asleep, and didn’t seem to mind). We tried to have dinner at Cape May Café, but it was a 45 minute wait, and we decided against that. So we went to our rooms, changed our wet feet and got rid of the ponchos as it had stopped raining, and headed over to Epcot. By now it was close to 8, so Matt got dinner at Yakitori House (he wanted to get sushi takeout at Matsunoma Lounge but they didn’t do that), and Mom, Dad, and I ate at the American Adventure (I had a very large club sandwich which was very good). We found a spot for Illuminations and waited for the show. I think we were between Japan and Morocco again. I tried to get another Kaki Gori, but they didn’t have anymore shaved ice. Alexa had woken up by now and was ready for the show (she loved the fireworks and the music, she can’t stop talking about it). Right before the finale, Colin woke up and sat up straight in his stroller, opened and closed his hands (his music sign) and started clapping). I wish I had a video, it was so cute, and out of a sound sleep. After the show, we decided to go to the Boardwalk, since both kids were still up and we hadn’t ventured over there yet. We ended up at the Sweet Shoppe, and we got Alexa some cotton candy. My mom got Alexa a hot dog (again) and fries, and she ate that on the way back to the BC. We got up to the room, and both kids actually fell right asleep again. I wasn’t sure since they had taken a very long nap, but I think the trip and all the running around was starting to take it’s toll on them. I went down and did a load of laundry (how can a resort of that size only have 2 washers and 4 driers available)?? Very irritating. I only washed because all the driers were full and I didn’t feel like waiting, it was getting late. The other facility was closed because there was construction going on in the quiet pool area (it was all boarded off, my Dad wasn’t happy as I guess that is the pool that they usually use). Oh well, it was after 11 before I got to bed.
Next Up: Day 8 (AK again and Cape May Cafe!!)
[ 05-29-2003, 08:29 AM: Message edited by: Colexi's Mom ]
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 08:38 AM
|
#41
|
Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: WV
Concierge Level: 4
Posts: 325
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Great report Marnie! Your kids are soooo cute! Those are wonderful pictures! You had the same Cinderella at CRT that we did back in March, DD was looking at the pictures with me and pointed this out. Can't wait for more! [img]graemlins/wavin.gif[/img]
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 08:57 AM
|
#42
|
Community Rank: Trailblazer
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Pittsburgh, PA , USA
Posts: 5,943
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Excellent report, and the pictures are awesome!
I really love the one of your DD with Cindy! [img]graemlins/love.gif[/img]
Keep the great installments coming! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 05:57 PM
|
#43
|
Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: NY (just north of NYC)
Posts: 1,269
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Love your report! We lucked out didn't we? We chose a time to go with light crowds and decent, although hot, weather.
It is so funny about your trip to Walmart. DS had also forgotten to pack his swim goggles and goodness knows he simply cannot swim without them. We trekked to Walmart for goggles too!
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 06:10 PM
|
#44
|
Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: NY (just north of NYC)
Posts: 1,269
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Marnie,
The more I read your report, the more I feel we must have passed each other. You guys were at Epcot on Wednesday night (May 14th) like we were. Funny thing though, we went around to Canada and then to Great Britain where we had dinner at R&C.
Didn't you just hate the timing of that rain. I am glad it stopped before Illuminations! What an awesome show.
|
|
|
05-29-2003, 09:19 PM
|
#45
|
Community Rank: Jetsetter
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 2,476
|
Re: Colexi\'s 10 Days of Fun in the Sun May 2003 - Complete with Pics!
Great pictures for Day 7!!! That's the first inside picture I have seen of Playhouse Disney.
Mel
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
|