My Best Trip Ever! A Disney Trip 10 Years in the Making - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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!
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You poor thing!!! I think you handled the situation really well becasue I would have been an absolute mess. I would have been so angry with myself, because I'm like you, I never lose things. I'm glad you eventually found the keys, but too bad you couldn't get your refund.
BTW, I just got my weekly Allears newsletter, and I read one of the "magical moments" that was submitted by a reader named Holly. Sort of sounded like you because she was talking about her son's birthday moments. Am I right in guessing that was you??? If so, you're getting published left and right around here!!!
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.
Ugh! Sorry you had to go through that! I thought for sure you were going to say you found them in your sister's room on the last day! I was all mad at her on your behalf for nothing!
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
You poor thing!!! I think you handled the situation really well becasue I would have been an absolute mess. I would have been so angry with myself, because I'm like you, I never lose things. I'm glad you eventually found the keys, but too bad you couldn't get your refund.
BTW, I just got my weekly Allears newsletter, and I read one of the "magical moments" that was submitted by a reader named Holly. Sort of sounded like you because she was talking about her son's birthday moments. Am I right in guessing that was you??? If so, you're getting published left and right around here!!!
Yup that was me - sort of a soiler alert as to his birthday surprises.
Oh my goodness, what an ordeal! I'm so glad that eventually you found the keys, if for no more than peace of mind - at least you knew what happened to them, but what a nightmare end to the day.
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.
Today wasn’t anything too structured, we had things planned but we were also flexible.
The 4 boys (Evan, Eric, Gunnar and Bryson) were going on the pirate adventure. Megan was going to have tea with her Mom and Grandmom and Aaron and Stephen were going to rent boats at a marina. We would all meet back up later at the hotel and figure out dinner and evening plans.
We needed to be at the Grand Floridian Marina at 9:30 for the boys to take their cruise. We were going to drive over so we didn’t actually have to get up at the crack of dawn today. I think everyone else slept in late.
We valet parked the car and made our way over to the marina. We made our final payments and signed all the waivers as the boys got suited up.
Soon they were off on their trip around the “oceans” looking for buried treasure and fighting off rival pirates.
I was so looking forward to just 2 hours of peace a quite. Christine and I hung out in the GF lobby. We strolled through a few shops and I purchased a glow ice cube for Evan and Eric. We walked about the property for a bit and then just relaxed. I had made an ADR in the GF Café but neither of us was hungry so we just chilled. We each made a few phone calls to catch up with back home. My niece was watching my dogs so I checked in and all was going well.
We happened to be sitting near the restaurant where they have the Princess Teas Party. I’m not sure the name of it but it is the ungodly expensive one where the girls get dresses and stuff. We could hear them announcing the arrival of each little princess and then we could see later on when Belle was in there. It looked cute but at $250.00 it really would be a cold day in he** before I took my kid there. Since I don’t have a little girl, I don’t need to worry about that.
As a reminder Chris’s father is dating my mother. So we talked a little about our parents and how they like each other’s company and yada, yada, yada. She complemented me on being a single parent and I reminded her that I was a single parent by choice and she was a single parent not by choice. We compared notes on the struggles of being single.
Her father had one time made a comment calling Evan colored. I corrected him and told him that it is not the term to use. He apologize “I don’t mean any offense” he said. I know he didn’t but I told him “you may not mean any offense but you could be offending someone regardless”. I was telling Christine that story and she said “You have no idea how far he has come”. I’d like to think my adorable little boy may be helping to erase some stereotypes and prejudices – at least in one man’s heart.
Soon it was time to go get our scallywags. All 4 boys came off the boat smiling and couldn’t wait to dive into their treasure. They got an eye patch, some gold doubloons, a few rings, a treasure map, bandana, telescope, earring and not sure what else. They had some snacks on the cruise so just hit the potty and were then on our way over to DTD for some retail therapy.
Coming up Next
“Hey I’m on vacation, who says you can’t have ice cream for lunch”
Oye. Thank goodness the key ordeal did not happen the last night. Now that it's behind you... a definite memorable moment of the trip.
Cute, cute pictures of Evan with the princesses. He is a little doll.
Sounds like you are following your instincts and going your own way when you need to. I find that sometimes when we travel with our parents that's exactly what we need to do - can't please everyone all the time so sometimes you have to break off and go separate ways and try to hook up later.
The Pirate Adventure sounds like a success! Evan looked great all geared-up for his treat. Good to get some private time to chat with Chris about family matters. Definitely a good thing that Evan may be helping to get rid of some prejudice, but what a shame that it's still a big subject to be dealt with.
That sounded like a wonderful morning, just you and your friend and some peace and quiet. I'm glad all of the boys liked the pirate cruise! And I agree about the Princess tea. I thought it sounded cute, until I saw the price tag
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I'm glad you eventually found the keys, but too bad you couldn't get your refund.
I thought for sure you were going to say you found them in your sister's room on the last day! I was all mad at her on your behalf for nothing! 
Holly: 
PassPorter Guide Author
I'm so glad that eventually you found the keys, if for no more than peace of mind - at least you knew what happened to them, but what a nightmare end to the day. 
I've got your back, don't you worry.
Deb
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