National parks, natural beauty and a bit of Disney wonder! PRE-TRIP AND DURING TRIP REPORT COMPLETED - Page 14 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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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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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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It's almost time for you to be off! I hope you have a splendid time touring. You have so much planned that it is absolutely mind boggling. I'd be happy to update for you along the way, feel free to text all you like and I'm sure that there's another friend or two who fits the qualifications as well!
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Just a couple of quick updates since yesterday... firstly, when I checked Accuweather again last night, all mention of snow had gone from the forecast at Yellowstone, which was a relief! However, it looks, at the moment, as if the weather while we’re in Alaska will be suitably miserable, with rain forecast every day. However, at the end of the day, that doesn’t worry me too much, as I’m sure everything we see there will be stunning, whatever the weather.
Talking of the weather, I just hope that Irene doesn’t impact on Sue and Steve’s plans, as we’re conscious that they’re flying out of the north east, just as it’s due to hit. Lots of to everyone in her wake at the moment. Stay safe everyone!
We also have another meet to add in, with Tanya (Disney_duke) who contacted me last night. We’re trying to set something up for while we’re in Chicago, so from no meets, we’ve got quite a fun time planned now!
So that’s it for actual updates... now here are our final plans:
Friday 26 August
Fly out to Los Angeles and spend the night at the Villas at the Grand Californian.
Saturday 27 August
Visit Disneyland and the Californian Adventure.
See our friends Mari and Raleigh and Carrie and Patrick.
Sunday 28 August
Visit Disneyland and the Californian Adventure.
Meet up with Jeannie at lunchtime and explore Downtown Disney/the resorts.
Head to LAX late afternoon and then fly up to Vancouver in the evening with Air Canada.
Stay the night at the Pan Pacific Vancouver.
Monday 29 August
Spend the day exploring Vancouver with Joy, Barb, Bob, Sue and Steve.
Tuesday 30 August
Spend the early morning exploring Vancouver, then boarding.
Set off on the Disney Wonder in the afternoon for our Alaskan cruise with Barb, Bob, Sue, Steve, Bruce and Marta. I know there are other PassPorters on board, so if anyone sees us, please say hi!
Wednesday 31 August
Spend the day at sea relaxing.
Thursday 1 September
Visit the Tracy Arm Fjord. This isn’t a stop, so there are no shore excursions today.
Hopefully brunch at Palo – we’ll try and get this as soon as we board
Friday 2 September
Visit Skagway and take a trip on the steam train on the White Pass and explore the town.
Saturday 3 September
Visit Juneau and take a whale watching tour, before visiting the Mendenhall Glacier. Also enjoy a salmon bake for lunch. Then take a trip on the Mount Roberts Tramway, if the weather permits!
Dinner at Palo.
Sunday 4 September Mark!
Visit Ketchikan and take a flightseeing tour and enjoy a crab feast.
Monday 5 September
Spend the day at sea relaxing.
Tuesday 6 September
Arrive back in Vancouver in the morning from our cruise.
Pick up a rental car and drive to Seattle with Sue and Steve.
Meet up for lunch with Debbie, Sarah and her family
Explore Seattle in the afternoon.
Stay the night at the Homewood Suites by the Convention Center.
Wednesday 7 September
Spend the day exploring Seattle.
Thursday 8 September
Spend the morning exploring Seattle.
Fly to Bozeman, then drive to Yellowstone and see some of the park.
Spend the night at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.
Friday 9 September
Spend the day exploring Yellowstone National Park.
Spend the night at the Old Faithfull Inn.
Saturday 10 September
Spend the day exploring Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons National Park.
Spend the night at Colter Bay Village Cabins.
Sunday 11 September
Spend the morning exploring the Grand Tetons.
Visit Salt Lake City.
Head for Provo and stay the night there in the Hampton Inn Orem.
Head for the Sundance Resort for dinner with Patricia.
Monday 12 September
Head for Bryce Canyon and spend the day exploring the area.
Stay the night at the Bryce Country Cabins.
Tuesday 13 September
Head for Zion Canyon and explore the area.
Head for Page, Arizona and stay the night at the Lake Powell Resort.
Wednesday 14 September
Visit Monument Valley.
Head for Valley of the Gods.
Stay the night at the Blue Mountain Inn, Blanding, Utah.
Thursday 15 September
Head for Arches National Park and explore the area.
Stay the night at the Hampton Inn in Rifle, Colorado.
Friday 16 September
Drive to Denver and see the city.
Fly out of Denver to Chicago.
Stay the night at Club Quarters, the Loop.
Saturday 17 September
Spend the day in Chicago.
Explore the Museum of Science and Industry and maybe the Shedd Aquarium with Heather and hopefully Tanya and her family.
Fly home in the evening.
Well, that’s it from me, although I will try and do some live updates along the way. I believe we have free Internet at various stages along the way and we will no doubt pay for access while we’re on the Wonder, as the prospect of seven days without being online is frankly scary to me!
As far as any live updates go, they will appear in the relevant forum – i.e. either here, in the Disneyland trip report forum or the Disney Cruise Line forum, so keep your eyes peeled in all three!
Of course, once we’re back, I’ll be embarking on the full trip report and I will update here to let you know when that gets underway. Have a great few weeks everyone! I’m hoping we will...
In light of the current forecast for your time in AK, just wanted to give you a little tip for your Skagway day as you are taking the White Pass RR. IF the person on the train makes the offer, "Due to the weather, we may encounter some fog on this trip and if you feel this will detract from your enjoyment of the excursion, you may get off the train now and make other arrangements with the Port Adventures desk. This is your only chance to take advantage of this offer", get off the train and go to the Port Adventures desk!!! We wish we had. The day we went on this excursion, the entire top half of the mountain was fogged in and we saw next to nothing. I felt that the comment made along the lines of "there will still be plenty to see" was misleading. If they make the offer, chances are you will see very little. I paid the $ for the view, not the "ride", so this was a great disappointment. We had a morning departure. We heard from those who rode later that the fog had lifted a bit. Hope this helps you .
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In light of the current forecast for your time in AK, just wanted to give you a little tip for your Skagway day as you are taking the White Pass RR. IF the person on the train makes the offer, "Due to the weather, we may encounter some fog on this trip and if you feel this will detract from your enjoyment of the excursion, you may get off the train now and make other arrangements with the Port Adventures desk. This is your only chance to take advantage of this offer", get off the train and go to the Port Adventures desk!!! We wish we had. The day we went on this excursion, the entire top half of the mountain was fogged in and we saw next to nothing. I felt that the comment made along the lines of "there will still be plenty to see" was misleading. If they make the offer, chances are you will see very little. I paid the $ for the view, not the "ride", so this was a great disappointment. We had a morning departure. We heard from those who rode later that the fog had lifted a bit. Hope this helps you .
Have a fabulous trip!!!
Thanks very much for that advice - I'll keep that in mind and definitely go for something else, if we get that message.
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Well, we've made it to the airport, after a tortourous drive up in heavy rain. It took a long time to get here, but now we're enjoying the luxury of life in the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class lounge. This is so the way to travel. Shame it usually costs thousands, otherwise we'd do it all the time. We're just finishing a very nice lunch and, as you can tell, I'm enjoying the free wi-fi here. Flight is due to take off in just over an hour's time...
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However, it looks, at the moment, as if the weather while we’re in Alaska will be suitably miserable, with rain forecast every day. 
However, at the end of the day, that doesn’t worry me too much, as I’m sure everything we see there will be stunning, whatever the weather. 
I know there are other PassPorters on board, so if anyone sees us, please say hi! 
Mark! 
I’m hoping we will... 
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