SO MUCH MAGIC, SO LITTLE TIME tr April 28-May 5 - UPDATED 5/11 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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SO MUCH MAGIC, SO LITTLE TIME tr April 28-May 5 - UPDATED 5/11
So we just got back last night and Scarlett and i had the MOST magical trip ever!!!! There is so much to share and i can't wait to get it all out!!!
DAY 1
It all started with my sleepless night April 27. Up from 1 a.m. on Wednesday and left for the airport at 5:45. Baggage was prepaid and weighed at home. No worries! YEAH RIGHT!!! Air Tran decided to measure my bag at the counter and it was 2 1/4 inches over the limit......... Can you lay it flat and measure it please??? NO maam!!! Please pay the $49 oversized bag fee. Fine!
Off to the gate we head. WHAM! A plane full of seniors........
DME was pretty fast picking us up.
Get to the on line check in lane. Hands me my KTTW and "please head to 80's building". "I paid for a preferred building". "Sorry, the paperwork says standard". Let me whip out my paperwork..... Preferred right there on the paper. "I don't know what happened with your ressie ma'am. Let me call someone". 45 minutes later........... "when you called on Sunday to add QSD, your room went to a standard. Did they not tell you?" "no they didn't". "you can pay the difference and get a preferred room" "no thank you. Just put me in the room type I paid for" "Can't do that ma'am. I can put you in 50's building". WHATEVER. "Just make sure we are close to the main hall"
Off to MK!!! went to 1900 PF for our dinner
Back at the room, Scarletts gift basket by Betsy was waiting. Opening it took all of 5 minutes! Decorated our room with the dollar store b-day decorations I bought and she couldn't have been happier.
DAY 2 coming up........ Did it go on without a hitch? Did Scarlett get to do something magical??? Find out in the next post!
Sorry for the bad start on your vacation. The 50's section is a great location! You're close the the pool, main lobby/bus transportation, food court, etc. I can't wait to read more of your trip report. Do you have any pictures you can share?
Great start Melinda - sorry for the stress with your bag and at check in but hoping to hear that everything was smooth sailing from then on. Can't wait to hear more.
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.
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.
Day 2 was AK day. Started with the best safari ride we have ever been on! Saw the really young elephants running around and got a few good camera shots of the baby rhino!!! The male lion was out and roaring on the rock. Just awesome! Went to the Lion King show and Scarlett was in her Scraps of Heaven Lion King custom outfit. She FINALLY got picked for the finale!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!!!
We were walking out of the show and Thumper and Miss Bunny were just coming out of the back stage cm area and we were first in line! I have never seen these characters on any other trip! Sooooo excited.
Off to lunch at Pizzafari (blech) since it is Scarletts favorite.
A little retail therapy never hurt a girl so we stopped in at the large gift shop by the main area. Scarlett was being thrifty with her Disney dollars and I let her pick a gift for her bff that I would buy. Into my sling back I go to get my gift card I got at check in. Where is it? NOT WHERE I PUT IT THAT MORNING!!!!!! So I keep my cool on the outside as my stomach sinks on the inside. I take everything I have n my bag out and check every pocket twice. Not there. Thats when I lose it and start crying (out of my control at this point). So I check the whole bag for a 3rd time. Still didn't magically appear........ The CM told me to go to guest services and see if it was turned in. I doubted it but I went anyway. Still in hysterics (I was using the gift card for our table service meals and didn't budget much spending money) I try to explain the story to the CM. She tells me to call the front desk at POP and see if they have the gc # on file. I was on hold for 15 minutes and finally talked to the person again and she said they were working on it and to sit tight. The hotel had all of the gc #'s except for the last 4 that were just xxxx. So Scarlett was giving me hugs and kisses trying to make me smile. 40 minutes later, a CM came to the front and told me they recovered the info we needed and the remaining balance. Cancelled my old card and issued me a new one. after saying thank you a bizillion times, we went on our way to the Poly Neverland club for Scarletts reservation.
My blind date decided he couldn't make it out since he works early (I didn't care either way) and I went to the Tambu lounge by myself for a cocktail or 2 or 3......
We went swimming in the Hippy Dippy pool and hit the hay.
Day 3 coming up later. We were supposed to go to DHS but Scarlett said she would rather do an extra day at MK....... Will there be no issues this day? Check back to find out
Wow, what a scare with the gift card. Something similar happened to me on my last trip, but it was with my family's park tickets. I took off my lanyard in the bathroom and hung it on the hook inside the stall. I finished and got out of there. When I got back to my family I realized I didn't have my tickets. I went running back and someone was in the stall I was using. As I was explaining to a CM, a lady came out holding my lanyard. I was so relieved.
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.
So we head off to Chef Mickeys since they had an early ressie open. B-fast was good as always.
MK was pretty empty. My little dare devil wanted to try Big Thunder. Line was about 15 minutes and she LOVED it! So I suggested trying Haunted Mansion. She agreed and she did fine but said she wasn't wanting to go on again this trip. A little girl in line was telling her about Space Mountain. Scarlett saw the ride from TTA ride earlier and wanted to give this a shot. I'm personally not a fan but wanted her to be able to try it. So the line was only 20 minutes and we just waited. She kept her hands up the whole time as I was white knuckled. I asked when the ride was over if she liked it. She said not so much but didn't hate it (relief on my end. I felt nauseous).
So, since the rest of the day was full of parades, shows, and favorite rides, there isn't much else to report!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!
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Something similar happened to me on my last trip, but it was with my family's park tickets. I took off my lanyard in the bathroom and hung it on the hook inside the stall. I finished and got out of there. When I got back to my family I realized I didn't have my tickets. 
I went running back and someone was in the stall I was using. As I was explaining to a CM, a lady came out holding my lanyard. I was so relieved.
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