We Turned Her Into A Disney Lovin', Character Huggin', Thrill Ridin' Girl! COMPLETED 7/11 - Page 24 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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!
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Glad you were able to find a gift for Piper. Girls that age are hard to buy for -- my best friend's daughter is 11 and I struggled with what to get for Christmas. I finally gave up and got gift cards for iTunes and Barnes & Noble!
I hear you on the t-shirts! So hard to choose. The last couple of trips, I find myself putting off the decision until "later" then end up going home empty-handed! I hope that's not the case for you!
Girls are harder to buy for than boys in my opinion. Maybe that is because I have a boy and can always figure out what to get for him and with Selah I don't really have a problem either. She is still into 12 month toys. Again easy. I just always find it hard to get something for the girls. For Christmas we did gift cards all around. So much easier.
I have a tendency to do the later thing too when I am buying for myself.
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Originally Posted by KMB733
Glad you having a good time shopping in DTD!!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Glad Jamie was feeling better! Great purchases at DTD!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by lauriep
So sorry you're having problems with your hands! I'm glad Jamie was feeling well enough to join you. The t-shirt selection is pretty overwhelming. I'm very picky about the background colors so end up choosing that way. (no blue, pink or purple for me, which really narrows it down!) Hope Asher and Wanda both find watches.
Your puppy is so cute I wanted to gather him up right off the screen!
Thanks!
They have so many great t-shirts to choose from! we really should not have to choose. We should just be able to get them all.
Thanks! He is pretty cute and he knows it already. He has us all wrapped.
Sorry to hear about the problems with your hand. Have you tried a wrist support for your keyboard and mouse? That may help.
Thanks! I am using a wrap on my wrist. It is for carpal tunnel. It does help to have it on but it doesn't make it go away completely. The last time I had problems with it it lasted a couple of weeks. I'm hoping it doesn't last that long this time.
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Originally Posted by m.mouse
Your puppy is too cute!!
I am so glad you both were feeling better! That is my worst nightmare to be sick on vacation as I am sure it was yours also. I also wanted to cry when Asher started crying but I'm so happy it all worked out!
Can't wait to read more.
Thanks! I always worry about the kids getting sick when we are on vacation. I have never worried about Jamie and I getting sick.
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Originally Posted by disneyfreeeak
I'm glad Jamie was starting to feel better!! And I love how Padfoot got his name...too cute!
I was so glad he was feeling up to coming out of the room!
We thought it was pretty awesome when Asher popped up with that name.
I'm with Cheryl -try a wrist support when you use the computer. That might help.
What an adorable little puppy!
Glad to hear Jamie was on his way to DtD. Hope you got the rest of your shopping done.
I am using a wrist wrap that is for carpal tunnel and it seems to help some. I don't have as much pain when I have it on. I think part of the problem is that I am always having to pull on Selah. Tonight I was with Asher at soccer practice and I had Selah with me. Jamie had a meeting so he couldn't go to practice with Asher. I took her over to the playground but I was still having to pull on her the whole time. Either to catch her when she would run away or to keep her from falling. Then she just goes all floppy. When we are places like that though I let her go floppy and lay on the ground because she will eventually get up. I know that it can't help me having to pull on a 5 year old though.
Thanks! Padfoot knows he is adorable too. He looks at us with those little eyes and tilts his head to the side and then gets whatever he wants.
I just found your TR, and apparently we were in WDW at the same time you were. My sister, her husband & their 2 girls were at Port Orleans French Quarter that week too. I am guessing you probably saw each other at one time or another! It also looks like we were in a lot of the same parks at the same times...my older niece was in the flash mob also at DHS.
Love all your stories and pics. One of these days I am going to try to write a TR. Every trip I say I am going to take notes, but I never do.
I just found your TR, and apparently we were in WDW at the same time you were. My sister, her husband & their 2 girls were at Port Orleans French Quarter that week too. I am guessing you probably saw each other at one time or another! It also looks like we were in a lot of the same parks at the same times...my older niece was in the flash mob also at DHS.
Love all your stories and pics. One of these days I am going to try to write a TR. Every trip I say I am going to take notes, but I never do.
Thanks for joining in! That flash mob was pretty fun! Asher loved it! You really should write a TR! I didn't take notes. Shhh. Don't tell anyone. I go off of pictures and receipts. I have a really good memory too. Pictures and receipts can really help though in helping you to remember what you did when. I say I didn't take any notes but I did take some just not a lot.
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Originally Posted by Cam22
Catching back up! Padfoot is the cutest dog! I WoD, but sometimes there are just too many good choices.
Thanks! We think he is pretty cute too.
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Originally Posted by lauriep
I love the story of how Padfoot got his name!
Thanks! I thought it was a pretty good story to share.
I finally have the next update ready. I just have to copy it on to here and add pictures but first I wanted to share a story with you guys. This past Friday night we went to Selahs school for Spring Fling. They had face painting, games, bounce houses, food, etc. Asher loves going to these things. Selah doesn't usually care anything about them and will just sit in her stroller the whole time. We decided to not bring on her stroller this time since it is her school and she loves her school. We figured she would walk around fine. We go in and buy 20 tickets. Everything requires a ticket, even the food but we figure 20 is enough since Asher is the only one that is going to do games, bounce houses and things. Plus we got there late and there is only an hour left. We go into the gym first. That is where the bounce houses are. Asher heads straight to the giant slide. He gets in the very short line, takes his crocs off and Selah starts pointing and squealing. She wants to go on the slide. Ok, we shouldn't have been surprised by this. She went to WDW and learned about rides. We tell Asher he will need to help her up the ladder. There is nothing to hold on to to walk up since it is a blow up slide. We give the teenager that is taking the tickets our tickets and I tell Selah she has to take her shoes off. She quickly, with a squeal, takes her shoes off. I lift her up on the bounce house and she heads to the latter, Asher following behind. There is a teenage girl at the top to help the kids if they need help. This makes me feel a little better. Selah has no problems getting up the latter. We are so proud. My mom, sister and niece show up about that time so they got to see Selah too. Selah gets to the top and the teen helps her scoot around to the slide. She just sits there looking down but she is smiling. So far so good. Asher comes up behind her and nudges her down. She SLOWLY starts down the slide. Her feet gripping the slide the whole way down but she is so excited. When she is about half way down Jamie says, "she is going to try to go back up that slide". I'm taking pictures so he goes around to the side to grab her when she gets down. Sure enough, she gets down to the bottom and tries to climb back up. Jamie pulls her off and Asher comes down the slide. Next Asher wanted to go in the obstacle course bounce house. We give him a ticket and off he goes. Selah points to the bounce house that is just jumping so we take her over there. There are kids in and we have to wait. After a few minutes she doesn't want to wait any more and starts pointing at the slide again. Asher has just come back from the obstacle course and we ask him if he will go on the slide with her again. He says yes and we head over to the slide. This time there is a line but it is moving quickly. By the time we get shoes off we are at the front of the line again and I put Selah on the bounce house. Asher follows behind her. The same teens are working at it. Asher and Selah start up the latter but this time they are followed by about 10 kids. Selah is leading the way. The kid behind Asher looks to be about 3 and decides the line is moving too slowly. Before Asher realizes what is happening, the kid goes between his legs and climbs over the top of Selah! Selah screams but keeps climbing. She is not happy though. When she screams the little girl standing next to me, who I have not noticed because I was focused on Selah, says "that's Selah". With a big smile on her face. I say,"yep, that's Selah" and smile back at her. Selah is very popular at school. Her teacher says that at lunch all the kids want to come see her. Anyway, Selah gets to the top, sits down, and tries to go down the latter. I know she was thinking it was a slide too, just a bumpy one and she wanted to give it a try. Asher is trying to keep her from doing this. The girl at the top is talking to her but that is NOT going to do any good. I can't do anything. There is no way for me to get up there. I keep talking to her and Asher but it is no good. All those kids are still on the latter behind her and there is a line on the ground now too. The woman right behind me is complaining. She says, "what is that little girl doing? Why aren't her parents doing anything about it?!" I am getting really irritated with the woman but my focus is on Selah. I finally tell Asher to just let her come back down. All the kids on the latter come back down. Selah bounces on her bottom all the way down, with sound effects. She is very happy. None of the kids complained. Some of them were giggling. Little girl next to me says, "Selah is so silly ". Woman behind me complaining more. Jamie says, " she is going to go back up the latter when she gets down." Sure enough she turns around and starts back up the latter. I look up at the teen girl and tell her to MAKE Selah go down the slide. Then I very calmly turn to the woman behind me, who has NOT shut up yet, and say, "she has special needs, she does not understand." I turn back around and little girl next to me says, "Selah has special knees?!" At this, I smile and say, "no, Selah has special needs, her knees are fine" Little girl says, "oh good! I didn't want her to have special knees too!" Thank goodness for that little girl. Selah get to the top of the slide and slides down giggling all the way. Before we left that night we let her do the slide one more time. It was a good night even with the comments from the lady behind me.
Here is a video of Selah doing the hula hoop. They have been doing this in PE recently and I had heard from her teacher this is how she does it but had not seen until that night. Hopefully the video works. I have never posted one.
Jamie finds us and he is looking a little better and he says he is mostly just tired from feeling bad not being able to sleep. Asher shows him the watch and purse. Jamie likes the watch for Asher and the purse for Piper. Next we head to the home area to look at stuff for my sister. My sister is getting married this May and we were thinking about getting their wedding gift at WDW. We saw a couple of things we liked but just couldn't decide. I guess nothing really jumped out at us. We also still needed to find her and my parents something for watching Padfoot. We just didn't know what. We decided to skip that for now and look at t-shirts. Jamie was really wanting a WDW Carolina Tarheels shirt. We saw it online before going on the trip and should have ordered it then. It was listed as Park merchandise so we were hoping to find it here. We looked at the shirts they had at WoD but I was still undecided about mine. We found a cute one for Selah that she seemed to really like. I did not get a picture of it. I don't know why. It is purple and it has Minnie on the front but Minnie is made out of words. Some of the words are, cute, adorable, beautiful, adventurous, sweet, lovable, etc. We thought this fit her great and purple was the perfect color. Purple or lavender is the color for epilepsy awareness. Next Asher wanted to look at the ear hats. He got an ear hat on his first trip but it was messed up so he was wanting to replace it. After trying on what seemed like every hat they had he finally decided on Tow Matter as Goofy. After purchasing the shirt, watch, hat and purse we head over to the Christmas store to get Ashers hat embroidered. While in there Wanda saw some leather bracelets you could get personalized and she picked up one for another grandson back home. Once we got those two things taken care of we headed over to Team Mickey stopping by Goofy's Candy Co. on the way. Asher was really wanting a Goofy Glacier. At Team Mickey Jamie is hoping to find his Carolina shirt. Well, we didn't. We found Carolina shirts for women and kids but not men. That made no sense to us. It was not a wasted walk over there though because Asher was very excited to see Ride Makerz. This was something he had been wanting to do and had been saving his money for. He and Jamie had a lot of fun doing this together and this was one thing we did not want to do without Jamie. We would have waited if he had not made it that night. They spent a lot of time looking at all the options. Asher chose Finn McMissle. He loves Cars 2 and Finn is his favorite new character.
You can see Ashers watch in these 2 pics. It is Pirates of the Caribbean Mickey and Friends.
While Jamie and Asher were building Finn Selah and I were following them around taking pictures and Selah was working on stickers. A CM in Team Mickey had talked to us when we first came in and talked to both of the kids. She gave them both a couple of stickers and they both thanked her. When Selah signed thank you the CM first looked a little shocked but quickly recovered and did a good job of masking her shock. We got that a lot on this trip. Didn't bother us any. People just didn't realize she has special needs. When she is sitting nicely in her stroller playing there is no way to tell. She looks like a typically developing child. It's when she starts to make noises or when they see her diaper sticking out over her shorts that they realize she has special needs. Anyway, back to the CM. We stood there and talked to her for a few minutes. Jamie had asked her about the Carolina shirt and Wanda asked about a watch sale she saw they had going on. All the while Selah was playing with her stickers and blowing bubbles with her mouth. Well, fast forward to Finn and Selah is still playing with stickers and doing some babbling. That CM we saw when we first came in walked over with a HUGE stack of stickers for Selah! Selah gave her a big smile and then blew bubbles at her with her mouth and signed "thank you". The CM thanked us for coming in that night. It was a really neat experience with the CM and Selah.
After Asher and Jamie finished up making the car we all were ready to eat some supper. It was going on 7 and we were hungry. We had wanted to try Earl of Sandwich and had planned to pay out of pocket since it was an inexpensive CS but with the day being messed up we had credits to use so we just used our CS credits for this meal. Jamie and I both got a club, the kids got grilled cheese sandwiches and Wanda got soup(?). I can't remember for sure what she got but it seems like it was soup and not a sandwich. We all loved EoS. It is on our list for next time for sure. I don't know why we never ate here before. Once we were finished eating it was about time to pick up our items at the Christmas store. After picking them up we stopped in at Little Miss Match. Selah sees some Minnie socks she REALLY wants. They were 3 socks in a pack all different. Selah loves socks and shoes. She loves putting them on and taking them off. She also loves Minnie. So of course she wants the Minnie socks. Jamie takes them up to the register and the girl there tells him they have womens pj's on sale when you buy a pair of socks so I got new pj's! They are super cute and super comfy.
It's now around 8 and we are all tired and ready to head back to the resort. On the way back to the car we make a quick stop in for a free piece of candy at Ghirardelli and then we head back to the room. We have to get up bright and early the next morning for our breakfast with Mickey and we are planning to spend the whole day in MK. We want to end our time in the parks with fireworks.
Sorry about the rude lady, but I'm glad you were able to have a good time!
We are use to people making comments so it was fine. I just usually am able to walk away form the situation. I couldn't do that this time and I just got tired of hearing her complaining about the parents not doing anything when I was obviously the parent and I was trying to do something. I was nice about it though. We did have a great time.
I love so many things about this post! I love how patient and sweet Asher was, I love that Selah's Disney ride experience has made her recognize a good time when she sees one, I love the little girl in line with you, I love that Selah's presence in the school is an education and joy to everyone else, and I LOVE hearing her happy squeak in the hula hoop video! The only thing I don't like is the complaining lady, but maybe she got a bit of an education as well.
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