2 Haunted Mansions, 1 Day (Plus Free Dining!) - Page 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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
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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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Day 8: Quest for the Haunted Mansion on Both Coasts
My journal entry for this day is kinda sketchy b/c I wrote it at 1am the next day and had to be up again at 4:30am...
The plan was to wake up fairly early, get in a swim at the Polynesian’s main pool, and then pack up and check out before our 11:30am brunch reservation at Kona Cafe. However, when we got to the pool at 8:30, we learned that they don’t open the water slide til 10am – booooo!
No slide for you!
The View
So we trudged back to the room and packed as much as we could, knowing we’d have to come back, shower and finish packing in time to make brunch. Then it was back to the pool for a 30 minutes of elbowing kids outta the way as we raced up the stairs to the slide, trying to ride it as many times as possible.
(I’m giving you lots of pix now cuz there aren’t many for the rest of the day...)
After a hasty shower and DH running to the restaurant to hold our table while I finished packing and lugged our junk to the car, we had this delicious breakfast at Kona Cafe...
Tonga Toast & Sausage
The Big Kahuna: Coconut macadamia pancakes, French toast, eggs, ‘tatoes, bacon... prolly some ham... sausage... I love “everything breakfasts”!
It was OK. It’s never as good as I think it’s gonna be. But at least by that point we were paying good honest cash, instead of using the Dining Plan!
After brunch we poked around in the gift shop looking for something to get our neighbors as a thank-you for watching the cat...
Eureka!
And then we took the monorail to the Grand Floridian to shoot some pix...
The Grand Floridian Spa
What?! A Saturday with NO events at the Wedding Pavilion?!
And then we took a boat to the Magic Kingdom to start our Quest for the Haunted Mansion on Both Coasts.
First stop....
We also rode Pirates of the Caribbean just in case we got to Disneyland and Haunted Mansion Holiday was down, or something....
One of my fave places in Adventureland...
Somewhere in there, we also had a pair of these:
All seemed to be on track for us to breeze out of the park within the hour and head off for the airport, Disneyland, and our DESTINY! Until...
...we thought we’d take one last ride, on Splash Mountain...
Things started out weird when we noticed the people in the log in front of us were letting a small child stand on their laps during the ride! Every few feet we’d hear a ride operator say into the PA system “Remain inside the log!”
Then, just as we got to the end of the ride, right past the showboat scene, we hit a (literal) logjam of boats. And sat there for 15 minutes. I started looking at my watch and stressing out about whether we were going to make our flight.
Finally, the work lights came on and three CMs came walking down the tunnel toward us. They told us we had to evacuate the ride then began helping us out of the logs. I felt like a rescued damsel in distress!
View from the back of our log
“Secret” Passageway!
We had to stand there waiting as they evacuated 10 or 12 logs in front of us, time ticking away. We asked one of the CMs what happened, and he said some people got out of their logs in the middle of the ride!! Who does this?! Couldn’t you get killed? They said it happens all the time.
We didn’t get to go in here...
Finally we got to walk the narrow ledge along the canal out toward the loading area. As we passed the one of the last characters in the ride – I think it was the frog – I whipped around and put my face next to his, flashing the thumbs up so DH could take a picture. Stoopid camera wouldn’t warm up in time and we got herded out – it woulda been the BEST picture!!
This is what backstage at Splash Mountain looks like... if Elastigirl is standing directly in front of you waving...
As soon as we got onstage, DH and I broke into the Disney Rope-Drop Speed Walk trying to get out of the park and back to our car so we could make our flight – only to be thwarted by our arch-nemesis, The Parade!!
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I thought I was gonna lose it. There we were, stranded on the island that is Town Square as dippy floats lazily circled us – nay, MOCKED us and our plight. I frantically asked the nearest CM how much longer the parade was, and he said something like seven minutes. Seven minutes too many! I don’t know if this helped, but we started running back down Main Street to meet the end of the parade so we could cross the street and get to an exit.
FINALLY, we got to the Monorail and headed back to the Polynesian...
This next part is boring, but trying to get to California in time to ride Haunted Mansion at Disneyland before it closed sure felt exciting!
We hopped in our rental car and high-tailed it out of WDW toward Orlando International. Once we got there, we missed the turnoff for the Alamo return and, on our second attempt, ended up in the parking garage for the wrong terminal. ARGH! All these little things were conspiring to make me very antsy. DH kept his cool, as usual. Then we got to the terminal and were looking at a newsstand to pass the time when we learned, from a tabloid headline, that our bank had failed while we were on vacation. ACK!
Then something good happened. Everyone was lurking by the gate waiting for them to start the boarding process, when the desk agent came on the PA and began “I need two volunteers...”
ZING!!! My hand shot up! I didn’t even know what I was volunteering for. It turned out to be two seats in an exit row – HOORAY! It was like payback for being squished by the oblivious Mile High Club members on our flight out.
We had an uneventful flight and landed 30 minutes early. The clock began ticking... Disneyland was to close at midnight, and we were 35 miles and three clogged LA freeways away.
Sorry these pictures are all blurry – perhaps it will help replicate the feeling of urgency and excitement!
8:39 pm – Step off the plane at LAX
9:15pm - Shuttle to Disneyland!
The shuttle driver knew we were in a hurry and broke several land speed records (and some laws!) to get us there on time. We were hanging on for dear life in the back of the van as it careened down I-5 when Disneyland’s fireworks show began – and we got to see it from the freeway!
Finally we screeched to a halt in front of the Disneyland Hotel.
9:43pm – Disneyland Hotel
We dumped our bags at Bell Services without checking in and dashed to the Monorail station.
9:57pm – Monorail to Tomorrowland
When we hit the ground in Tomorrowland, we knew we were gonna make it. In fact, since the line was so long, we got FastPasses for Haunted Mansion and went to ride Pirates of the Caribbean while we waited!
1:34pm EDT - Haunted Mansion at WDW / 10:57pm PDT - Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland!
HOORAY!!!!!
I couldn’t believe we’d made it. I barely remember anything after that, but I know we went back to the hotel and had a painfully slow check in. Seriously, at 11:35pm you should not be waiting 20 minutes to check in and then have the desk agent tell you you’re not getting the discounted rate you paid for. (Eventually another CM straightened it all out).
Here are some pix of our room at the Disneyland Hotel, in case you’re curious. It was originally just a regular, non-Disney hotel, so there isn’t the level of theming you’d find at WDW. Still, the Never Land Pool is pretty cool!
Up next: Wait! Where are you going...? Don’t you wanna see our day at Disneyland with our wedding photographers? Their pictures are a-friggin-mazing!!!
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.
AWESOME!! I knew you'd do it...you were a Woman On A Mission! I laughed out loud when I got to the encounter with your nemesis...
I can't wait to see the professional Disneyland photos...my knowledge of DL is pitifully small so it'll be a good education for me!
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Tinkerboo (or in the real world, Toyah) Reading Challenge 2015: 0/84
Follow my journey from sweaty panting mess to running goddess (I hope!) Out walking with The Boy...
Hooray!
What a cool story... the fireworks on the freeway is like a plot point in a movie. This would actually make a really fun short film. Thanks for sharing with all of us!
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.
Oh man!!! You had me rolling with this one!! I'm so proud that you guys made it! Plus you added pirates...how cool. I can't wait to see the wedding pics from DL!
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.
pheeewww. I just read the last 6 pages.
What an amazing adventure. So many things I loved about your TR. The pic with the micky balloons in the balloons...BEAUTIFUL.
the gecko on the "poison" box super funny.
I love that you did the two HM's, my Dh would never do anything like that, but sounds like something I'd attempt.
I really enjoyed reading about your trip. Keep it coming Carrie
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~~Allaina~~
Last edited by Disney Dream'n; 04-10-2009 at 02:19 PM..
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
HOLY COW! You made it. I was getting tense right along with you. Would love to visit DL .With the new offer I've been trying to convince DH to go for it
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Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
YEAH!!!! So glad you made it...I was reading along as if i was watching the ending ofsome great romantic comedy.....all that you had to go through to get there!!! And to get POC in too!! How cool is THAT!!??
BTW...I must ask...how did you manage to get pictures from the waterslide and not destroy you camera???? I'm having visons of you or your DH going down the slide in some contorted way to keep the camera dry!! LOL!!!
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Pixie Dust
I laughed out loud when I got to the encounter with your nemesis... 
. I can't wait to see the wedding pics from DL!
Have a Pixie Dust day!
Love the pictures!! 
ºOº ~*~ 
You guys made it. How cool!
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