Auntie and Me take on an all new Disney - The TR - July 2014 Updated 12/4/14 - Page 2 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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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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That room is massive! WOW! Loving the view as well, it's amazing what you can see if you're actually up high around there with how flat it is
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Originally Posted by lfredsbo
Very nice room! Lots of space for everyone!
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Originally Posted by chezp
Love your home for this trip - it looks nice and large enough to comfortably accommodate everyone!
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great suite!
Yes, it is huge! Originally we were going to have 8 total in the room, but when they cancelled, my parents just ended up keeping it. It was definitely enough space for the four of us!
Saturday 7/26: afternoon: Next time I'll pay better attention....
Right as Kenzie and I were done taking photos, Mom and Jim came into the room. We unpacked a little and I gave Kenzie her gifts. She was so excited about the matching Frozen shirts and about the Frozen Summer Fun Package.
Mom and Jim decided they wanted to rest since their drive had been exhausting. Kenzie was having none of that, so she and I threw some items into the pool bag and headed for the Pirate Pool. We jumped in the water and I tried to turn on my waterproof camera.... the one that Kenzie had been using to take photos of the room.... I couldn't get it to turn on, then realized the case was open. It turned out she couldn't get it to work, so she'd opened the case and now it was full of water. My brand new camera
I made us both get out and go try to dry it. She was upset that I made her get out of the pool, but I told her that she should have told me about the battery and opening the camera. I was upset but tried my hardest not to cry. I was mostly mad at myself for not checking the case. She's a kid, and things happen, so I moved on. We set it on the edge of the lounge chair to drain and went back to swim.
Pirate slide:
I'll admit, I wasn't in the best of moods, so between that and the crowds, we got out of the pool and decided to try out the closest lazy river. It too, was crowded, so we gave up and headed back to the room. I tried to dry out the camera while Kenzie called her mom. I'm not sure what happened but Kenize was left crying. Now no one was in a good mood! I figured some Disney magic might cheer us up, so I suggested that she and I go to Downtown Disney. We could get our magic bands and maybe some ice cream.
She was all for that, so we grabbed our pin lanyards and jumped into the van. Well, it was a Saturday night in summer. That plus the construction made a five minute drive take at least 20. We finally found a spot at the very back of the cast parking lot and began our walk.
I felt like cattle as we were shuttled between these walls through the old parking lot and came out at Planet Hollywood. Someone in front of us had a bubble gun so Kenzie had fun chasing those bubbles. At least she was having fun and not caring about the continuous stream of people.
These signs were all over the "cattle walls" as were advertisements for the stores of DTD:
Eventually we found our way to the World of Disney store. We mostly looked at the princess area. They had some Frozen merchandise and Kenzie wanted an Elsa pin but had forgot her gift card. I told her we'd make sure to get it before we left Orlando.
We did our first pin trade, then looked around for the magic bands, but found only the accessories. I asked a CM and he tried to explain to go around the corner, yet there was a bit of a language barrier and it only left me more confused. I went around the corner into the villains room and found no bands.
Kenzie was getting restless again and I figured out she was hungry. She suggested T Rex but we ended up in line for a Pretzel. We must have waited at least 30 minutes. It was hot and horrible standing there. But I will say that pretzel tasted so very very good! We also asked for ice water and he showed me the tiny cup for free ice water. Then he told me we could upgrade to the biggest cup for 80c. I was sold!
After that, we went back to WOD to attempt to find the magic bands. Again we were told "around the corner" and found nothing. Finally someone else told us that they were at the Pin Traders store. Apparently that was what "around the corner" meant! We hurried over and of course were turned away because I'd forgotten the actual tickets. I'd left them on the bed at the resort. Oh well, we could get them tomorrow.
So we walked and walked and walked back to the car. The CMs directing foot traffic were really nice and lessened my frustration a little bit. I was hoping tomorrow would be a better day. Though I will admit that the horrible crowds everywhere today made me wonder how the parks would be. I realize it was a Saturday night in July, but I don't remember it ever being quite like this. Back at the resort, we crashed. Hopefully some rest would help and I wouldn't be as tired and forgetful tomorrow!
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so she and I threw some items into the pool bag and headed for the Pirate Pool. 
We jumped in the water and I tried to turn on my waterproof camera.... the one that Kenzie had been using to take photos of the room.... I couldn't get it to turn on, then realized the case was open. 
It turned out she couldn't get it to work, so she'd opened the case and now it was full of water. My brand new camera 
But I will say that pretzel tasted so very very good! We also asked for ice water and he showed me the tiny cup for free ice water. Then he told me we could upgrade to the biggest cup for 80c. I was sold! 
I'd left them on the bed at the resort. Oh well, we could get them tomorrow.
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