A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise! TR August 21-31 - Page 9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Seems like they're sending out the DME packets earlier than they used to, which is great! Glad your husband read your expression and the kids didn't find out.
We were surprised to get it already, but I'll take it!
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Originally Posted by chezp
Congrats on the Disney mail!
Thanks! Made my night
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Originally Posted by dwonderz
Congrats on the Disney Mail!
Thanks!!!
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Originally Posted by BJ Wanlund
Congrats on your Disney Mail and being able to keep the surprise for another couple of weeks!
And I totally agree about Flights of Wonder. Terrific little show, and next time I go to AK, I'm going to take in that show.
BJ
Flights of Wonder has officially made 'the list', now to see if it actually works out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
More great plans!!! And nothing beats shopping at DTD!! Congrats on the Disney mail
Thanks! I love me some shopping at DTD
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Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
Congrats on the new grade and the new house.
Ooohhh I love surprise trips! We tried it once with our girls. We were going for my youngest DDs birthday. We ended jp telling them we were going because her birthday party was such a mess. We planned on the zoo but a monkey got out and they wouldn't let anyone in. We felt bad and told them bug left out the fact ghat grandma and grandpa were going too. They were so surprised when we Got off the tram and they were standing there. I hope you have a great reaction when you tell them!
Your plans look great. Congrats on WL.
Darn monkey! Ruining plans like that....DS has his heart set on going to the zoo this summer. Better be no escapees!! Glad your kids enjoyed their surprise of Grandma and Grandpa being there
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
More great plans! Congrats on the Disney mail!
Thanks Marnie!
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Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
What fun! I love surprise TRs! I can't wait to hear about the reaction after the reveal.
I can't wait to post about their reaction....someone will have to teach me how to upload videos with Photobucket.
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Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
On day 5 I hope you get signed up for the Jedi training! Day 6, gotta love shopping at DTD, sounds like a nice relaxing day. Congrats on the Disney mail! Love gettin those DME packages!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
WooHoo for Disney mail!
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
Here's where plans get a little more sketchy - I know the parks, but not whether we'll be getting there early or not. We are (okay, the kids are....) early risers, so odds are we'll go early, but who knows....
Today is an Epcot day and we have dining reservations at Garden Grill for dinner (another first for us!!). Other than that, I'm going to be very boring and say we have no plans We will be out of the park before Illuminations though - pesky fireworks!
Day 8: August 28
A few crowd predicting sites are giving an awesome crowd level for today - can't wait to see how right they are! We will be hitting MK again and going on any rides the kids haven't been on and want to. We'll also make time to meet Merida as the kids are currently big Brave fans. Mid-afternoon again, we'll head out of the park to get ready for dinner, which is at 1900 Park Fare. We've been here before and really enjoyed it, so I am looking forward to it (and the strawberry soup! ).
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
I like that you don't have a lot of plans for these days, sometimes those non planned days are the best ones at Disney!
We tried 1900 PF for the first time last year, we loved it! The strawberry soup is so good
I hope your zoo adventures are good ones. I hope you get to see Merida. We really loved Brave.
Thanks! We are off to the zoo tomorrow. DS is so excited he didn't know if he could sleep tonight
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Originally Posted by chezp
I think it's nice to have a more unplanned day and then decide when you get there what to do.
I love those kind of days at Disney! Much more relaxing than being go-go-go.
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Originally Posted by Coop
We booked 1900 PF just because I wanted to try the Strawberry Soup! Glad to hear that it's a fav! Loving your plans.
I am soooo looking forward to it! Last time, I made the mistake of getting it towards the end when I was full. Not this time!! It will be a starter for sure
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
More great plans!
Thanks so much for reading along!
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Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
Ol the Strawberry soup!!! Sooooo yummy!!!
Couldn't agree more!
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Originally Posted by JKnott17
I like that you don't have a lot of plans for these days, sometimes those non planned days are the best ones at Disney!
We tried 1900 PF for the first time last year, we loved it! The strawberry soup is so good
I agree - I love the 'go with the flow' days
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Originally Posted by KMB733
Sometimes it's nice to go to a park and not have any firm plans.
Absolutely! This is the very reason I love longer trips!
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Originally Posted by mommapants
I'm loving your plans. Day 6 sounds nice. I always try to plan a down day of DTD and pool somewhere around the middle of my trip.
YAY for Disney mail.
Thanks! We always try and do a down day half way through too - on the go all the time doesn't make for a very relaxing vacation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
Great plans! Congrats on the Disney mail!
Thanks! We were excited!
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
DS's bday party was on Sunday, then I started some serious packing. We don't move until September, but being on vacation for 10 days just before I go back to work means I have to get as much done in the next month before we leave as I can. The kids have been very good at deciding what they can live without for 2 months - and they don't even know they don't have to worry for almost 2 weeks what to do with themselves
"I'm 7!"
On a separate silly note, they have been bugging for a later bedtime for summer, so DH promised they could stay up late the last week and a half of August DD was thrilled. LOL!
Anyways.....on to the PTR again.......
Day 9: August 29
If we didn't make it for the Jedi Training last time we were here, that is highest priority today. I'd also like to try Animation Academy on one of our days here....We'll enjoy (hopefully!) the park until dinner when we will head to Cape May, where I will desperately be trying not to consume any shellfish I do have my allergy noted on my reservation and have been assured by many on this board that I will have plenty of selection besides the shellfish. DH loves seafood and is very excited to give CM a try for dinner. We'll probably wander around the Boardwalk area after unless we are exhausted, in which case we'll head back to WL.
Day 10: August 30
Epcot again today and we have reservations at Via Napoli today, another new to us place. Is it bad that I already can't decide what to order? We can get some fantastic oven baked pizzas here, so I'm not sure I want one of those, but they are soooo good......Maybe pasta? Recommendations welcome
__________________
Stacey
Why do these kids look so pathetic?
Find out in: A New Grade, A New House, and A Surprise!Final Thoughts 01/30
There will be plenty for you to eat at CMC, no worries and the Chefs are great there. At Via Napoli the Quattro Formaggi (?) Pizza is to DIE for! I also HIGHLY recommend the Zeppole di Ricotta for dessert it is absolutely DIVINE!!! Can't wait to read your TR! Great plans!
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Congrats on the Disney mail! 
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Liz 
PassPorter Guide Author
Sooooo yummy!!!
Holly: 
I do have my allergy noted on my reservation and have been assured by many on this board that I will have plenty of selection besides the shellfish. DH loves seafood and is very excited to give CM a try for dinner. We'll probably wander around the Boardwalk area after unless we are exhausted, in which case we'll head back to WL.
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