A magical Meditteranean vacation - the Italy road trip COMPLETED - Page 16 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Wednesday 16 July – part three: a Disney appearance!
We then headed back down a level, and saw a recreation of Enzo Ferrari’s office…
… and then entered the hall of victories. My goodness, this room really brings it home to you how much success Ferrari have had on the racetrack. We would later find out that this was Enzo Ferrari’s true love. He only went into building cars he could sell to drive on the roads to fund this obsession, and wow, it has paid dividends. There were trophies galore in here, photos of all the Ferrari drivers to win the Formula One season for Ferrari, and the cars they did it in. You just couldn’t take it all in.
There was also a cinema, showing clips from movies and TV shows that had featured Ferraris. The ones I knew included the Charlie’s Angels movies, the Magnum PI TV show, and of course our favourite, Cars! It’s the bit where the Michael Schumacher Ferrari comes into Luigi’s and he keels over. Love it!
We met up with Raleigh and Mark about now, and said that we’d head out, as we’d pretty much done everything, and they still had quite a bit to see. They told us we had to see the display of a Ferrari in pitch dark, where you hear it rev up. We went to see it, and got some photos, but I think was definitely one where they enjoyed it more than we did, shall we say…
We headed for the shop, where Mari wanted to get a shirt for her grandson, but just about every design she liked, they didn’t have in a size aged 5-6, which was what she needed. Eventually she found something, and they wrapped it up in two gift bags – very good service, but then again, given the shirt had cost something like €45 ($57), in a way you’d expect great service.
I was anxiously watching the cafeteria during this time, as it seemed to be packed out, but by the time Mari had made her purchase, and the guys had turned up, it had emptied out, and we got a seat no problem. Everything here is Ferrari, including the trash cans…
Both Mark and I went for the mozzarella and tomato Panini, and very nice it was too.
As you can see, Mari got a beer, and you can now also see the great packaging of her gift…
Once we were done eating, the others all headed over to watch the people on the simulators, although I stayed put….
Mari came back, and then Mark and Raleigh were still watching it, so she decided she was bored – and that meant one thing… back to the shop! She ended up getting a hat for her grandson as well, blaming it on the guys for not being ready.
Eventually we headed outside, and there were quite a few more cars out there. It was clear there was going to be some sort of event tonight…
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.
Wow, that's a lot of trophies. The simulators looked pretty fun actually, did they enjoy it? I would assume so.
Expensive shirt - I hope he wears it like every other day!
__________________
Tanya
Every click helps feed .6 bowls of food to rescued animals. Give a quick click every day and help animals in shelters! www.theanimalrescuesite.com
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.
Well done with the Ferrari museum! Lot of detail and seems well done here. You're right about the packagind being so good and not surprised with the prices, considering it's Ferrari! I'm surprised Mark didn't do one of the simulators!
It's funny you should mention Michael Schumacher as he suffered a severe brain injury while skiing in the French Alps in December, 2013 with his 14 year old son. He almost died and was put into a medically induced coma, which he came out of in June. They said the helmet he was wearing saved him, but wearing a GoPro camera may have contributed some how to the accident. Not sure how? It could take him up to three years to recover from this. Michael is one of the top F1 drivers of all time and certainly part of the elite in his sport! I've watched Michael over the years and was amazed by his skill as a driver. I wish him the best in his recovery!
__________________
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.
Well done with the Ferrari museum! Lot of detail and seems well done here. You're right about the packagind being so good and not surprised with the prices, considering it's Ferrari! I'm surprised Mark didn't do one of the simulators!
I wasn't surprised, as sometimes those things can mess with his head.
Quote:
It's funny you should mention Michael Schumacher as he suffered a severe brain injury while skiing in the French Alps in December, 2013 with his 14 year old son. He almost died and was put into a medically induced coma, which he came out of in June. They said the helmet he was wearing saved him, but wearing a GoPro camera may have contributed some how to the accident. Not sure how? It could take him up to three years to recover from this. Michael is one of the top F1 drivers of all time and certainly part of the elite in his sport! I've watched Michael over the years and was amazed by his skill as a driver. I wish him the best in his recovery!
I remember all of that, as it was the top news story over here when it happened.
Wednesday 16 July – part four: visiting the Ferrari factory and track
We waited in the shade for our tour of the factory and the race track, and saw one bus come back, but then the woman said it would be a different guide, so we retreated to the shade. Mark was worried about whether we’d all fit in, and we’d be at the back, so went to wait in the sun, but I wasn’t going to do that. As I knew I’d be inside for much of today, I hadn’t applied any suntan lotion, so I was keeping out of the sun as much as I could.
When the guide did turn up, Mari and I headed over, and so much for worrying about being the last on the bus. She called each group by name. The first group weren’t there, and mine was the second name called. We were ticked off and told we could get on the bus, so we snagged the front seats.
Now while that was nice for viewing, it didn’t help with anything else, as photography is strictly prohibited on this tour, and I mean strictly. About halfway around the factory tour, a Ferrari employee flagged down our driver and told us that there was someone on the left towards the back taking photos, and very discretely our guide went to have a word, and I clearly heard her ask to see the person’s camera/phone for proof they hadn’t taken any photos. I didn’t hear anymore after that, but you get the idea.
First, you head out along the road, and you’re taken past a giant Ferrari store, and are then shown the restaurant opposite that Enzo Ferrari used to wine and dine his guests at. I stuck to the no photography rule, but as we passed this way on the way out, I managed to snag these photos then:
Then opposite we entered the factory site. We learnt that Enzo Ferrari had started with just 15 employees, but that had grown and grown since. We saw various employees wandering around, and what stunned me was how all the guys were in jackets, albeit some of them in jeans and tennis shoes, but they all had jackets – and in this heat! We were shown the management offices first, and five little windows all together in the entrance building, which marked where Enzo’s original office was, that you saw the interior of in the museum.
We learnt how every street in here is named after famous racing drivers and Enzo himself, although our guide explained there’s no Michael Schumacher street in here, it’s actually at the race track that we’d be visiting next.
We then drove down the main street here, and there are stunning buildings on either side, where different elements of the production process take place. What I loved was that it wasn’t just a case of “let’s build a factory”, they actually created beautiful buildings. In the design and innovation place, they involved a Japanese designer, who introduced elements of water inside, as it’s supposed to soothe you and create a calming working environment. I think it might have a slightly different impact on me though…
We also saw their wind tunnel building, which was again stunning, and as our guide explained, unlike any other, as usually they’re just inside an ordinary building, but here they put the building around the wind tunnel, if that makes sense? I managed to find an image of it online, which will explain it better than I can put into words… This one gives you a bit more perspective on the site. You’ll see how massive it is…
We also went past their staff restaurant, and our guide explained this is one perk that employees get. They also get free school books for their children, although I guess they don’t get free Ferraris… Mark did jokingly say there weren’t many Ferraris in the car park, but I’m guessing the employees don’t earn enough for one of those…
Speaking of which, apparently the cheapest in the catalogue starts at around €200,000 or $252,600, and from ordering to delivery, they take between nine months to a year. A lot of that is to do with the fact that they are custom built once the order is placed, and as you’d expect for that amount of money, they do a heck of a lot of testing to ensure they’re perfect. I liked the fact that the final test is putting the car through a giant car wash to check the finish, although I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if it isn’t perfect?
We saw a number of Ferraris being tested, and one we saw is apparently the hybrid that Ferrari is currently working on, so that was very cool. I can’t begin to imagine how neat it would be to work here, although I guess if you test drive cars every day, the novelty may wear off after a while…
We headed out of the complex, and over to the track which Ferrari used to use to test its Formula One cars. We first saw a new building they’re working, which will be used for testing, as apparently they can only test using wind tunnels and simulators now. It’ll be impressive when it’s finished, just like all their other buildings…
We then headed down the road towards the test track, and up until that point, I wasn’t sure we’d actually get to do this, as the website has loads of warnings on it that they can pull this right at the last minute. They didn’t, and the gates glided open to let us inside, and almost straight away, we saw Ferrari cars racing around the track, because as part of the build, they also test their cars out here. I think we must’ve seen two or three race round while we were there. I think this is about a three kilometre track, if I remember right, with bends to test every element of a car, and of course it was also designed for Formula One cars, when they were allowed to test them. This has been open since 1972, and apparently they’ve amended and added things in that time, such as a long straight section that Michael Schumacher requested.
It was very cool, and we then drove past some of the buildings they have here, where the engineers work on the cars. We also saw a coach all being loaded up with Ferrari suitcases, which was quite funny. We think they might have been off to the German Grand Prix, as apparently that’s taking place in about a week’s time.
When we got back to the museum, there were even more cars out, and they were also covering up some of them, which was fascinating to watch.
We headed out a few minutes later, leaving them to their event this evening. I hope it all went well. Mark had asked our guide what the event was, but all he’d managed to get out of her was that it was for their clients…
By the way, I've only just realised I didn't add any photos into this instalment of the factory of the ones that are available online, so here are a few to give you an idea of what we saw:
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.
About This Page: 
PassPorter Guide Author
We would later find out that this was Enzo Ferrari’s true love. He only went into building cars he could sell to drive on the roads to fund this obsession, and wow, it has paid dividends. 
There were trophies galore in here, photos of all the Ferrari drivers to win the Formula One season for Ferrari, and the cars they did it in. You just couldn’t take it all in. 
It’s the bit where the Michael Schumacher Ferrari comes into Luigi’s and he keels over. Love it! 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Lot of detail and seems well done here. You're right about the packagind being so good and not surprised with the prices, considering it's Ferrari! 
It could take him up to three years to recover from this. Michael is one of the top F1 drivers of all time and certainly part of the elite in his sport! 
We were shown the management offices first, and five little windows all together in the entrance building, which marked where Enzo’s original office was, that you saw the interior of in the museum. 
Linear Mode
