An Animal Kingdom State of Being with Cam and Fam COMPLETED 9/18 - Page 94 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
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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!
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I woke up at 8:00 AM, but the alarm was set for 9 AM. So as not to disturb Luke and Stefanie, I got my notebook and phone and went to sit on the balcony, taking notes on the day before for almost any hour. At 9:00 Luke rapped on the glass and I came in to get ready. We spent the next couple of hours cleaning up and packing for the move to Kidani Village. Luke checked us out and called Bell Services, which arrived a little after 11:00.
On our way out to the bus stop we took the Zawadi short cut, and I bought a giraffe clip magnet, which now sits on my refrigerator with my alma maters football schedule in the clip. We had a little bit of a wait at the bus stop for the one to DTD to carry us to Kidani Village for registration. Once there registration went very smoothly as I had already done online check in. We received our keys, but our room was not ready yet and when it was, it would be in the back 40, literally a ¼ mile from the lobby. One more room and we’ve have been sleeping on the savannah. I may not do the online check in for future Kidani stays as there is no option to request close to transportation, something we need for Stefanie’s and mine joint problems and could really have used this year for Luke’s broken toes.
From the concierge desk we moved back out to the bus stops to actually go to DTD this time. We got off at the West Side and walked to Pollo Campero for lunch around 12:30. This is a new favorite for our family as it is a great deal for the money and the food was all tasty. I had the Savory Chicken Salad, Luke had a Citrus Wrap, and Stefanie picked the Hot Dog and the best chips (popped). All three meals together were under $20! Wow! We all cleaned our plates as the portions sizes were perfect.
Don’t faint in shock, but I’ve actually taken a food picture.
My chicken salad
Stefanie peeking at me through one of her popped chips.
Let the shopping begin. First up, the Lego Store where we first took photos of all the displays . Luke and I both got 2 magnet sets each (Harry Potter for me and Toy Story for him and his were on sale). We also got key chains (Hagrid, Ron, and Doby for me; a Toy Story Alien for Luke) and then Luke got one small kit.
Tongue out
Tongue in
From there we moved to World of Disney. We wandered through the entire store, before deciding on purchases. Stefanie got a Donald plush, which will make a lot of appearances in our last day pictures as he couldn’t ride in the suitcase home, a Cinderella figure set, and socks. Luke found a yellow WDW t-shirt, a 40th Anniversary semi-truck, and an Alien figurine. I picked up Mickey Mouse Chip Clips, Corn on the Cob Holders, Ice Cubes, lens cloth, and reuseable bag. I was definitely in a Mickey Mouse kind of mood. Purchases photos will come later as I didn’t have time to load them up and still get this posted tonight.
After shopping, we took a restroom break where a mother and grown daughter kept staring at me while I washed my hands. As they exited, I heard the mom say, “You’re right it is the same as our.’ Who knows what IT was?
No shopping here yet, but we’ll be back! (But 2 is my favorite number and it was 222 days until Christmas this day.)
It was now 3:15 so Luke and I decided to head back to AKL to put our stuff up and then head to Magic Kingdom for dinner at Crystal Palace. And then Stefanie suffered a meltdown and pitched a 2 year old fit because she didn’t want to leave DTD yet. Finally, I told her any more complaining or outbursts and her shopping for the day was over. She tested me and now could not buy anything until tomorrow. At one point she mumbled menacingly that not letting her spend her money was wrong.
Meltdown face!
This was our longest bus wait at 32 minutes. While waiting though, the text finally came that our room was 7260. On the bus Stefanie refused to sit beside us and chose a seat across from us because she was still pouting and mad at me. But about halfway through the ride that wore off and she started talking to me again. By 4:25 we were at Jambo House and then by 4:28 we were home at Kidani Village.
Up Next: What do we think of our new room? And a dinner with our 100 Acres Woods friends!
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I have to say that it was very funny how fast Cam and I scooted out of that bathroom with the continuous flushing potty!
The food was good, the Hidden Mickey booth was fun! The friends....they are priceless!
What a wonderful way to finish such a magical day!
Ok - I think we must have posted at the same time, because your last post was not here when I was typing!!
Poor Stefanie! I remember you texting me about her meltdown! I think she had shoppers overload!
I am glad she came around while on the bus!
I am really sorry that I didn't venture over to the new Lego store! I really missed quite a bit of cool stuff.
I am really wondering why I didn't go there!
It sounds like your check in at Kidani went smoother than ours. But, I think our room location was a lot closer than yours!
Note to self.....when staying at Kidani - request a room close to the main lobby!
I absolutely love the scrapbook story and it made me tear up. I'll bet that'll be a favorite story for Stefanie to listen to. I love a shopping day and sort of sympathize with Stef for having a meltdown. She's usually such a trooper. Even her meltdown face is sweet. I'm glad for your sake she came out of it pretty quickly and was nice to you again!
LOVE the little story you made for stephanie!! What a magical day at AK! You really are so talented
I love how kids can have a meltdown and be so "angry" with you but then 5 min later talk to you as if nothing had happened
Your purchases sound great! Can't wait to read the rest!
Oh I love the photos from the new lego store! I'm so sorry Stefanie had a melt down, but it sounds like it didn't last too long. I'm curious to hear about Kidani, because even though it is our home property, we haven't stayed there--we seem to always end up at Jambo--either because we're splurging on Concierge points or saving on Value points
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Love the scrapbook story! Sorry to hear about the meltdown but it sounds like it passed rather quickly. When we stayed at AKL we had the very last room farthest away from the buses at Jambo. It was quite a hike after a long day at the parks! (And as DH points out - it was always UPHILL!)
Your gifts are so adorable as are the figurines on your shelf at home! The giraffe mug that you put your pens in is perfect for that use too! The dinner at Sanaa sounded wonderful and I'm glad that your server was so helpful. The Legos at DTD are so neat! I hope I get a chance to make it down there on our upcoming trip.
The Scrapbook story is a real gem!!!. I love all the new characters the Lego store have displayed, they are awesome. Glad to see that little Stephanie was happy once again!!!!!
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We had a little bit of a wait at the bus stop for the one to DTD to carry us to Kidani Village for registration. Once there registration went very smoothly as I had already done online check in. We received our keys, but our room was not ready yet and when it was, it would be in the back 40, literally a ¼ mile from the lobby. One more room and we’ve have been sleeping on the savannah. I may not do the online check in for future Kidani stays as there is no option to request close to transportation, something we need for Stefanie’s and mine joint problems and could really have used this year for Luke’s broken toes. 
Wow! We all cleaned our plates as the portions sizes were perfect. 
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The room at Kidani doesn't sound promising though... 
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