A 40th celebration to end the world! COMPLETED 4/23 - Page 52 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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
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.
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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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Glad you were able to go on your Segway tour. I am not sure I would of been able to go up or down that hill. Dinner looks very yummy! Great pictures of you guys and Stitch, Lilo and Minnie.
I had a wee bit of catching up to do. But I have truly enjoyed reading about the Segway tour of San Juan. At dinner tonight I told Luke if we ever take a cruise that stops at San Juan, we are doing this one. I also can't believe how incredibly sunny and beautiful the day became. It almost seemed like two different days. How neat that Stitch remembered you all and was so playful again. I would think that it would be to Disney's advantage to have the photographers take pictures of the whole character experience rather than just the posed shots. It would have been great for scrapbooking to have pictures of your interaction with Stitch. Dinner looks good, though I agree that souffle looks like a mousse.
Wow, did that pasta look GOOD! Hope it's still an option on the menu in December!
In fairness, I don't think they alter the menu that often. Some of the items we had on this cruise, we remember from our August 2011 cruise around Alaska.
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I had a wee bit of catching up to do. But I have truly enjoyed reading about the Segway tour of San Juan. At dinner tonight I told Luke if we ever take a cruise that stops at San Juan, we are doing this one.
Yay!
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I also can't believe how incredibly sunny and beautiful the day became. It almost seemed like two different days.
I know - insane, wasn't it?
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How neat that Stitch remembered you all and was so playful again. I would think that it would be to Disney's advantage to have the photographers take pictures of the whole character experience rather than just the posed shots. It would have been great for scrapbooking to have pictures of your interaction with Stitch. Dinner looks good, though I agree that souffle looks like a mousse.
I would've loved those shots for the scrapbook....
Thursday 20 December – part one: an early start and a bad hair day
Wow, for once on at sea day we were up early – 7:00am too. Wow! Having said that, I did have a look at the Navigator for today last night, and to be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with it. I thought it was Ok, but nothing spectacular. I would say that, compared to the Alaskan cruise, I feel there’s been a lot less to enjoy on this cruise on at sea days, which is a shame, and not what I’m used to on a Disney cruise… I don’t know if it’s a one-off, or a trend. I hope it’s the former.
We got going, and our first stop was the launderette to get our washing on, then we headed for breakfast at the Enchanted Garden via the shops area…
I did ask for one of those nice round “D” tables as you enter, as I’ve always fancied eating at one of those, but they were all taken, so the girl seated us at a table for six by the window to make up for it. We didn’t eat much, as we had our Remy champagne brunch at 12:10pm, and we just needed a little something, as a certain bear might say to keep us going in the meantime.
Once we were done eating, we headed up to guest services. Last night, we’d gone to recharge the cell phone, as it had discharged, and couldn’t find the charger anywhere. We’d come to the conclusion that we must’ve left it at Walt Disney World, probably at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. I already had the number of lost and found, to the boards, but I suddenly realised that guest services call ashore to Disney all the time, so we asked them.
I ended up leaving Mark to it, as the washing was nearly done, and needed drying, but when he found me, he said they’d been pretty useless. Oh well, I guess we’ll be hitting a Walmart then, and trying to get one when we get ashore. Of course, charging it will then be fun, as we won’t be in a hotel until late on Saturday night when we get to Disneyland. Maybe we’ll luck out at an airport along the way.
We retrieved our washing from the dryers, then a few minutes later, set off to the Rainforest, saying we wouldn’t leave any later than 11:30am. Considering we were going there at 10:20am, that wouldn’t be a problem. We lucked out, and although there were two hot stone chairs left in there, a minute after we arrived, the woman next to Mark left, so I moved over, and there we stayed for – you got it – the next hour and 10 minutes. I have no idea where the time went!
It was very peaceful in there, just looking out to the ocean beyond, except for the older couple, who went to use the hot tub, as there were no chairs free, then came back in, and grabbed two to the far right, nowhere near we were. Well, blow me down, two minutes later, they were heading our way for the chairs next to us. The next thing we know, he’s off to get something from the room, then he comes back, then they crash around a bit. Honestly! We were so glad when they finally left, although it was near to 11:30am when they did, so we weren’t far behind them….
We got ourselves changed, ready for our champagne brunch at Remy, and headed out just before midday, as I wanted to hear all the ship’s horns, which were due after that announcement. We headed up to deck 13, and then wandered down to deck 12, but the wind was really blowing. So much for having nice hair for Remy! When my dress started to blow up that was it, I gave up, and headed indoors, and we checked in for Remy.
Next: I’m not surprised the servers are divided over this dish!
It's not good news that the navigator wasn't crammed full of things to do on a sea day! I'm with you and hope that's not a trend. Enchanted Garden is such a beautiful restaurant, but I can't wait to hear about the Remy brunch!
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It's not good news that the navigator wasn't crammed full of things to do on a sea day! I'm with you and hope that's not a trend. Enchanted Garden is such a beautiful restaurant, but I can't wait to hear about the Remy brunch!
I think you'll certainly be interested in what we thought of it...
Hmm, I imagine there are several reasons why the navigator isn't as full as it is on an Alaskan cruise:
- you're in the warm Caribbean so Disney probably figures most people want to enjoy the sunshine by the pools
- you're on one of the newer ships, meaning there are more things to do already (like minigolf, AquaDuck,...)
- just the fact that it is cold in Alaska and you'll have to occupy people inside more whereas in the Caribbean, you're able to enjoy everything available outside (not just the pools)
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On such a long journey as this one, I'm surprised you don't lose more stuff. I know I would!!
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Hmm, I imagine there are several reasons why the navigator isn't as full as it is on an Alaskan cruise:
- you're in the warm Caribbean so Disney probably figures most people want to enjoy the sunshine by the pools
- you're on one of the newer ships, meaning there are more things to do already (like minigolf, AquaDuck,...)
- just the fact that it is cold in Alaska and you'll have to occupy people inside more whereas in the Caribbean, you're able to enjoy everything available outside (not just the pools)
Enchanted Garden looks so bright and cheerful. I can't believe how quiet everything looks.: Even the pool deck/aqualab looks pretty empty, so must be people are sleeping in?
Too bad that you couldn't get a nice mini nap in while that couple was around. I wonder what they were thinking?
I am waiting anxiously to catch your review of the Remy brunch. I hope that it doesn't disappoint. Looking forward to your next update!!
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Enchanted Garden looks so bright and cheerful. I can't believe how quiet everything looks.: Even the pool deck/aqualab looks pretty empty, so must be people are sleeping in?
Maybe sleeping in or maybe some of the suggestions Sabine made - on the Aquaduck, sunning themselves etc.
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Too bad that you couldn't get a nice mini nap in while that couple was around. I wonder what they were thinking?
I often think that people like that just don't think...
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I am waiting anxiously to catch your review of the Remy brunch. I hope that it doesn't disappoint. Looking forward to your next update!!
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Having said that, I did have a look at the Navigator for today last night, and to be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed with it. 
I thought it was Ok, but nothing spectacular. 
I would say that, compared to the Alaskan cruise, I feel there’s been a lot less to enjoy on this cruise on at sea days, which is a shame, and not what I’m used to on a Disney cruise… I don’t know if it’s a one-off, or a trend. I hope it’s the former. 
to keep us going in the meantime. 
We’d come to the conclusion that we must’ve left it at Walt Disney World, probably at Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. I already had the number of lost and found, 
to the boards, but I suddenly realised that guest services call ashore to Disney all the time, so we asked them. 
The next thing we know, he’s off to get something from the room, then he comes back, then they crash around a bit. 
that was it, I gave up, and headed indoors, and we checked in for Remy. 
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