Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue TR-Cruise portion **Updated 3/7** COMPLETE - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
This is the cruise part of our TR. If you want to go back and read about our adventures around WDW you can find that TR HERE.
Just in case you missed the Pre TR with all the info... We were on the 3-night Wonder that sailed November 23rd
We had a category 7 room booked originally and had scored one of the former Category 6 rooms with the partial obstructed view... HOWEVER, we were upgraded a couple weeks before to a full category 6 !!
After our rush of a morning at the CR, we were now on our way to Port Canaveral. The whole ride I was nervous and anxious. This was our first cruise and neither of us knew what to expect. I can do WDW in my sleep, but this was unfamiliar territory and those that know me, know I like to be prepared We made excellent time and followed the directions in the PP
The closer we got the more my stomach started hurting. When we crossed the first bridge and we could see the ship off in the distance I thought I'd have to make a rest stop TMI I know. Imagine how I was feeling when we crossed the second bridge and it was so much closer! Seriously, when we got there and we were driving right by I was so worried my teeth were chattering!! What a dork I am!!! We pulled around, dropped off our luggage, which really made it seem real which really started getting to me even more. Then we went and parked the car and headed to the terminal. Here we finally got to use our Passports I felt rather distinguised handing over my passport But instead, I think I handed over Andy's I was so nervous I couldn't even get the stupid thing open to my picture. When we got through that first checkpoint and up to the actual terminal we got in the long line for security. All of a sudden we were directed to another door and BAM we were going THROUGH security before we even knew what hit us. I was NOT prepared (and neither was Andy). We both set the thing off when we walked through (me... well I was stupid and had my cellphone in my back pocket and my belt and with Andy it was just his belt). So we had to be pulled to the side and wanded... nice....
Finally we were in and ready to check in
We received our "boarding pass"
I had done all of our paperwork online and had it printed out and ready to go. So we walked right up to a counter and handed it over. Before we knew it we had our KTTW cards and it was easy breezy Covergirl! We quickly checked our cards for our dining rotation and saw that it was just as PP had said it might be for adults only which worked for our Palo ressie!! We had Triton's first, then AP, then Parrot Cay! One worry taken care of there! (my list of worries included the dining rotation, the safety drill, sea sick, and not knowing the plans until we got our navigators!) Man am I anal or what?!?!
Now all we had to do was wait for boarding. To take my mind off the worrying and the knots my stomach was turning I took pictures
Characters were out as well We got to see Goofy first...
After chatting with Goofy about his spiffy sailor outfit we meandered around the terminal.
A self shot in front of the tree was mandatory of course!
Then we realized you could go outside and see the ship!! So we did
Our self portrait must have caused a guy to feel sorry for us and he offered to take our photo for us...(Yesssss, our secret plan worked again!!)
Actually, we've gotten so good at the self shots that we like to do them for fun, I kid about the getting people to feel sorry for you thing...(but it does work )
We sat outside for a few minutes before heading back in. I was afraid we'd miss the beginning of boarding. I think when we went back in they had started boarding conceirge (sp?? Everytime I say that word I say it in the way Nani says it in Lilo and Stitch......conceirgery)
Captain Mickey was out when we went back in so we hit that up!!
We meandered around the model of the ship
And we took a stupid photo with the map on the floor...
I was "in" Castaway Cay.... get it??? Yeah I don't think Andy thought it was that funny either....
We took a seat and people watched while they continued boarding folks. We were boarding number 8 I think. I kept trying to call my parents before getting on board b/c once on board we were turning the phones off. At one point I considered going to the restroom since my stomach was starting to freak out again. But when I got over there the line was really long and I didn't want to miss our boarding...
Finally I got my parents and chatted with them for a few minutes and then they called our boarding number so I said "Adios" to them and headed up to the big Mickey Ears. It was getting really exciting now. The stomach pains were coming fast!!
Andy handed the old guy his passport and KTTW card...
And I had to get an action shot of it!! Which may have annoyed the old man...
Tough old man, this is our first cruise and I document EVERYTHING! Even you!!
So, we were through the Mickey Ears...........we were freaking out..........we were headed for the ship!!!!
Coming up: Oh.....my......gosh.....what are we supposed to do??
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Great start...hopefully walking through the Mickey Ears helped calm your stomach some Sounds like a wonderful start to the cruise - weather looks beautiful and by the smile on your face I don't think anyone could tell how nervous you were...
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I'm so glad you're posting this cruise TR. DH and I have never been on a cruise and are seriously considering a Disney Cruise for next year. I can't wait to read about more of your adventures!
Oooooh yeah! You started the cruise portion of your trip! Can't wait to hear all about the new stuff you got to do. I'm kind of the same way about trying new stuff, I think that's why we've stuck with WDW the last few years. The known and all that.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Great start to your cruise TR. We haven't cruised since 2004 so it'll be neat to see what's different (boarding #'s) - I think when we got there I went right to the line while dh and the boys checked out the terminal.
Deb
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
!!
We made excellent time and followed the directions in the PP 
TMI I know. Imagine how I was feeling when we crossed the second bridge and it was so much closer! Seriously, when we got there and we were driving right by I was so worried my teeth were chattering!! What a dork I am!!! We pulled around, dropped off our luggage, which really made it seem real which really started getting to me even more. Then we went and parked the car and headed to the terminal. Here we finally got to use our Passports 
I felt rather distinguised handing over my passport 
I was so nervous I couldn't even get the stupid thing open to my picture. When we got through that first checkpoint and up to the actual terminal we got in the long line for security. All of a sudden we were directed to another door and BAM we were going THROUGH security before we even knew what hit us. I was NOT prepared (and neither was Andy). We both set the thing off when we walked through (me... well I was stupid and had my cellphone in my back pocket and my belt and with Andy it was just his belt). So we had to be pulled to the side and wanded... nice.... 
)
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
