September Mediterranean Magic Trip Report updated 10/25/2017 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
September Mediterranean Magic Trip Report updated 10/25/2017
Welcome along to a journey I hope that I will be able to complete for you all Here’s a tidbit from my unfinished PTR if you don’t know us yet.
The Who: Myself (Maci) and my mom (Teri) embarked on this adventure!
She is my ultimate travel partner and has done one Disney cruise before with me. We did the Western Caribbean on the Disney Fantasy back in 2012 for my college graduation trip! I have been on the Disney Wonder one time before that myself when I finished my Disney College Program in 2010! This makes us both Silver Castaway Club members but I'm striving for that Gold status one day!
We have also done countless trips to WDW together as well as an Adventures by Disney (England and France) back in 2014! She is a photo-taker extraordinaire so you know if I get through a TR for this trip there will be a lot to look at
My favorite Disney movies are Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty with my favorite characters being the main characters in both of those I love Epcot and travel in general and it has always been a dream of mine to see more of Italy after a day-trip on a high school study abroad to France. I have 2 little kitties whom my boyfriend will be watching while I'm gone and my hobbies include Netflix marathons, cooking and planning Disney trips (which I'm happy to say is now my part-time job!) I'm really working on eating healthier and working out more before this trip as well, so I welcome any encouragement there I have quite a few pounds to lose these days
Mom's favorite Disney movie is probably Pirates of the Caribbean because she loooves Johnny Depp! She also loves meeting the Pooh characters! Her favorite park is also Epcot and she's excited anytime she can get a new stamp on her passport! She has 3 wonderful cats and her hobbies include photography and gardening which I took advantage of last time she visited me and had her plant all my flowers in the backyard
We both love good food and good wine so we travel really well together (when we aren’t getting on each others nerves) and these types of trips are perfect for us
I spent every other day the week or so leading up to the cruise trying to get everything squared away for the trip. Running to the store to look for cruise-appropriate attire AND church appropriate attire since several tours would require knees and shoulders covered. Naturally I overshopped, overbought, and overexhausted myself. But I felt like I had some great new pieces for the trip and had a good idea of what I was going to want to pack!
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.
I had been mentally preparing for days but when I woke up Wednesday morning it was crunch time! I had some clothes set aside and a major packing list but still ended up scrambling which of course resulted in overpacking and I still ended up leaving 30 minutes later than I had hoped. I account the extra time to reshuffling items as my luggage had hit 55 lbs. I really regret not just taking some of that stuff out but instead I moved it into my carryon… Which I chose my Vera Bradley instead of a second roller bag. Yeah I was sore from carrying it almost immediately. I think it was about 20lbs. Plus I had my backpack with my plane essentials. My Fitbit charge HR also broke this morning, so I spent some time with Jimmy trying to fix it before I went to work.
Trying to be organized…
Someone didn’t want me to leave
I requested an Uber and quickly threw together a sandwich for the plane and headed out. It was a bit of an anxious ride knowing I was cutting it close. I was able to check my bag (49 pounds, woo!) and then headed to the farther checkpoint for TSA Precheck. Not having to dig for liquids or my laptop was totally worth the extra walk!
Another hiccup of the day was Jimmy left my iPad on all night because he was loading movies on it and didn't realize I had it set to never shut down. I prefer it that way so I don't always have to unlock it when using for cooking recipes. Anyway I charged it as much as I could while getting ready but only had about half life when getting on the plane.
I found a seat at my gate and plugged in the iPad within eyesight. I hopped on my laptop (which is new and I absolutely adore by the way!) and did some last minute things online in the short time I had. It was about this time I realized I forgot to pack my raincoat which I had worked so hard to find a good one before the trip. This actually means I packed no coat at all. So I was really keeping my fingers crossed for nice weather!
Soon they were calling for boarding so I packed up and headed to the ladies room. In no time I was settled into my window seat and enjoyed my lunch while everyone else boarded. We seemed to take off on time and I watched Insurgent on my iPad trying very hard not to fall asleep. I hadn't seen it before and it kept me engaged!
Halfway through the movie I got a sharp pain in my back and probably got very annoying and fidgety to the person next to me. The plane just felt extra uncomfortable! Thankfully that subsided once I got off that plane.
Once my movie ended I took some time to check on Magic Kingdoms and type up some trip report! Not quite enough time for another movie so just needed to stay busy until landing!
It was quite a beautiful flight today
The rest of the flight was uneventful and I was quickly landing in Philly where my mom was waiting at the gate for me just like in the movies before no one was allowed through security without a ticket! (She had actually arrived before I even took off, she had quite the layover today!)
Great start, Maci!! Your mom is as adorable as you are! So is your kitty for that matter!! Glad to hear that someone else overpacks a bit. I am so looking forward to hearing about your Med adventures!!
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.
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.
Nice start to the TR Maci and glad all went well when meeting your mom at the airport!
__________________
October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
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.
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.
Has anyone every packed a perfect bag? I always pack more than I need (but I am getting much better with each cruise) and usually forget at least one thing . On the last cruise it was door magnets we purchased during our pre-cruise visit to WDW (but left in the car) and the trip before last it was my cell phone (after being so excited about loading and using the new DCL app).
Great start, Maci!! Your mom is as adorable as you are! So is your kitty for that matter!! Glad to hear that someone else overpacks a bit. I am so looking forward to hearing about your Med adventures!!
Aww thank you
Quote:
Originally Posted by jandsdennis
Checking in early on here. Looking good so far. I am also an overpacker!
Glad I'm not alone!
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Signing on for the report! Great start, Maci!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Great start! Can't wait to read more.
Sorry for the delay
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Great Start!!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Nice start to the TR Maci and glad all went well when meeting your mom at the airport!
It worked out really well!
Quote:
Originally Posted by elisa1006
Bummer about forgetting your rain coat. Hope you don't end up needing it. Glad you had a smooth, albeit uncomfortable, flight.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
It was a total bummer!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
Sorry you forgot your raincoat, hope you didn't need it! Glad you made your flight with no problems. TSA Pre-check. Best money and time I ever spent!
TSA PreCheck is my favorite! Except when it's closed
Quote:
Originally Posted by belle0517
Great start!!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by benchley
Great start. Looking forward to the rest of your report
Will get right on that!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeneane
Has anyone every packed a perfect bag? I always pack more than I need (but I am getting much better with each cruise) and usually forget at least one thing . On the last cruise it was door magnets we purchased during our pre-cruise visit to WDW (but left in the car) and the trip before last it was my cell phone (after being so excited about loading and using the new DCL app).
Forgetting my phone would send me into a massive panic. I'm embarrassingly addicted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
Great start! Looking forward to the details of this trip!