/Cruising on a Dream Full of Frights and Friends: 10/12/13-10/19/13 TR completed 4/21/2014 - Page 18 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
Brunch looks amazing. Minus the Trout stuff, but then I don't like anything trout to begin with. Sounds like you girls had a lovely little time. Hopefully the guys and the kids were able to handle themselves in your absence.
Enjoying your report. Hope is growing, and still so adorable.
Glad to see you've started developing your photography business - you have a knack for capturing the moments and great portraits, so I'm betting on your success.
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.
How great that a nice CM came over to help Chad and then became smitten with Hope-- who wouldn't? I've never had to ask for help, either. Someone always runs right over to help me with the tray at the buffet. Your brunch with Kelley looks and sounds so delish. Sorry that the Halloween offerings weren't exactly as advertised, but I'm looking forward to seeing the kids in their costumes.
That's what I like about cruises, and not just Disney cruises. Everyone always goes out of their way to help you out. It makes me not want to ever get off the ship because the real world is definitely not like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
What an amazing looking brunch! I never knew it was a buffet PLUS plated entrees! Better make sure I'm near starved if I ever decide to do that myself because it all looks amazing... well except for that fish mousse business
Definitely go on an empty stomach, and don't plan on eating lunch afterwards either. If you have late dining, you will probably need something to snack on beforehand, but if you have early dining, you may not be able to eat anything until dinnertime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
OMG, that brunch looks amazing! What a nice treat for you and Kelly, to have some girl time and all of that delicious food
The brunch was amazing!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
The brunch at Palo looks AMAZING! So many yummy things to choose.
It was delicious! Especially those pastries!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Sounds like you and Kelly had a wonderful brunch at Palo's (aside from the Trout Mousse). Everything looked delicious
I find it so interesting what people from other areas of the world find tasty. Our waiter said the trout and salmon mousse were delicious, so there must be more than just one person out there that likes eating it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russi01
Sounds like a great time that you and Kelly had without hubby and kiddos!! Food looked yummy all but that fish stuff! I like fish but not with mousse!
It was a nice break from the rest of our families, and I know Kelly was craving some girl time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneLittleSpark
Sounds like a fantastic brunch with a great friend. There is nothing better! I love the pic of you girls, I think you look great.
Btw, Kelly, I really think your hair looks cute. I like that length on you.
Glad that Chad got help to the table, without even having to ask. Just another reason I love Disney! I think that it is great Chad had some one on one time with Hope while you and Kelly got some girl time.
Can't wait to hear what happens next!
I said the same thing about Kelly's hair! I thought she looked super spunky, but she said she hated it that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Sorry you didn't try a pizza to share - they are amazing!
I loved the mango panna cotta and also enjoyed the tiramisu. Good choice with eggs Benedict - that's always my choice!
And yes, Palo on the classic ships is VERY different in set up and appearance than on the Dream liners. Funny, I like the classic ship better for brunch, but the new ships for dinner! Does that make sense?
I've never been to Palo dinner, so I can't comment on that, but I do agree with you about the classic ships being set up much better for brunch. I think Palo was much more open on them, making it easier to work your way around the tables.
Quote:
Originally Posted by guerns17
That food looked AMAZING!!!
It was!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
How wonderful that you and Kelly were able to have some one on one time! What a wonderful experience! And of course the food looks amazing!
Between the company and the food, it was a very enjoyable way to spend our first morning on the ship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
My work is done....................MATCHY-MATCHY!!!! LOVE it!! You gals looks so fancy and beautiful!!!
I am so proud of the dishes you tried.....trout mouse?!?!?? What's NOT to love about that
I'm jelly though
And we didn't even know we were going to be matchy-matchy. I think we even said something about it when we saw each other. And don't be jealous. Hopefully you'll be enjoying that trout mousse with us next time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Your food from the Palo brunch looks incredible! I will definitely be doing that again on my next cruise!
I think it's almost mandatory to do that on the cruise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
I'm with you, trout mousse doesn't sound very good at all. The food looked great though and girl time is always fun!
In my head, I knew it didn't sound good, but I thought what the heck, I'm on vacation. Unfortunately, I was right, and should have listened to myself.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
Next time, you'll be there so you won't have to be jelly! And I'm crediting my adventurous eating that morning to you. I tried lots of new things for me. I may not have liked them, but I tried them.
That brunch was AMAZEBALLS! So so good - even if there were a few questionable items. It was so great we met Tricia and we never did see her again. It was a fantastic time!
I really hope we'll be doing this again in the future...maybe making it a bi-annual tradition or something awesome like that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommapants
Brunch sounds amazing and to be bale to get out without the kids for awhile is a vacation in and of itself.
I couldn't agree more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
Glad you had such a wonderful meal at Palo! I'm interested in your opinion on the Halloween stuff, because as you say, there was a lot of hype about it. Looking forward to more.
They did hype it up...way too much IMHO. I had read a little about it before we left, and I was hoping it was just some kinks that they were going to work out because it was something new they were doing. But they weren't kinks, so I was a bit disappointed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
It sounds like an absolutely wonderful brunch.
It was wonderful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
Glad you and Kelly got a little girl time! The food looked amazing!
Kelly definitely need a little girl time in her life since is constantly surrounded by boys.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stardust190
Brunch looks amazing. Minus the Trout stuff, but then I don't like anything trout to begin with. Sounds like you girls had a lovely little time. Hopefully the guys and the kids were able to handle themselves in your absence.
I've actually never had trout before, so I wasn't sure what it was going to taste like. But I have had salmon before, and even though I love it, it shouldn't be made into a mousse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
Enjoying your report. Hope is growing, and still so adorable.
Glad to see you've started developing your photography business - you have a knack for capturing the moments and great portraits, so I'm betting on your success.
Brunch sounds like fun!
Thank you so much for those kind words. I definitely hope you're right.
Hate my hair! It's even longer now and driving me mad! Getting it cut Tuesday and I can't wait!
And I sure hope we can make this an every other year tradition or at least if it's not cruising then vacationing somewhere together! Because the boys already think you'll be there on the next one - plus Linny & fam too. They keep asking how old all the kids will be when we go again. Just last night Dylan said he was 8, so that meant he could go on the Disney boat again. I'm thinking he loved it!
Signing in. I just read your entire report (I read Kelly's too)! I'm "researching" because we are taking our first cruise in November (on the Dream as well)!
Hate my hair! It's even longer now and driving me mad! Getting it cut Tuesday and I can't wait!
And I sure hope we can make this an every other year tradition or at least if it's not cruising then vacationing somewhere together! Because the boys already think you'll be there on the next one - plus Linny & fam too. They keep asking how old all the kids will be when we go again. Just last night Dylan said he was 8, so that meant he could go on the Disney boat again. I'm thinking he loved it!
That's so cute Kelly! Now I'm really feeling the pressure, but don't worry, because every time we see a commerical for a Disney Cruise, Hope reminds me that 1) she can't wait to go back and 2) it means she will get to see Dylan and Lukas again. But I totally agree about vacationing together again...anywhere!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
Signing in. I just read your entire report (I read Kelly's too)! I'm "researching" because we are taking our first cruise in November (on the Dream as well)!
Thanks for joining in! I promise this TR will move along a lot quicker now that my life is slowly getting back to normal. You are going to cruising with Disney!
Hate my hair! It's even longer now and driving me mad! Getting it cut Tuesday and I can't wait!
And I sure hope we can make this an every other year tradition or at least if it's not cruising then vacationing somewhere together! Because the boys already think you'll be there on the next one - plus Linny & fam too. They keep asking how old all the kids will be when we go again. Just last night Dylan said he was 8, so that meant he could go on the Disney boat again. I'm thinking he loved it!
Sounds like a PERFECT plan.............
But Kelly.............I'm really digging your hair just the way it is in this sig pic
Day Three: Monday, October 14th
Part Two: It’s the Wave Phone’s Fault
I headed straight for the pool before going back to the stateroom so that I could find Chad and Hope and see what they wanted to do next. They had just finished eating some lunch (and ice cream ) that they had grabbed from one of the many food windows they have scattered around that deck. Hope kept asking if she could go to the kid’s club for a bit, and since the second Halloween Party didn’t start until 3pm, I figured it would be nice to have some adult time before we had to put her in her costume.
Back in the stateroom, our attendant had already cleaned and left behind a trick-or-treat bag (with some candy already in it) for Hope.
I changed into my bathing suit, while Hope changed out of hers, and then we were off to explore again. On our way to the Oceaneer’s Club we passed by the atrium, and got a chance to see a little bit of the first Halloween party getting underway. My first impression was just what I thought it would be…crowded, unorganized and something that Disney could have done SO much more with.
As we dropped Hope off at the club, we told her that we’d be back in an hour so that she could get dressed up for the Halloween party. I wanted her to be prepared so there weren’t any tears this time.
Then Chad and I headed up to the adult pool area for a little rest and relaxation.
Don’t ask me how it happened, but as soon as we walked up, we were able to snag two loungers right in front of the pool. They have the coziest chairs and loungers in this area. I wish they had them in other areas of the ship, but I guess if you’re with anyone other than adult, you don’t get to enjoy a cozy chair.
It was extremely hot in that area, so every now and then Chad and I would hop in the pool to cool off. It was so nice to be able to lie around without that feeling of hearing “MOMMY” or “DADDY” at any second. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing that little voice, but since I knew that little voice was off having fun without us, it made the experience that much more enjoyable.
But boy did that hour fly by, and before we knew it we had to head back down to the club so we could get Hope out of there. When I checked in at the club, I was once again told that she was in the lab, so I walked down to that entrance for the second time. When she saw me, she was right in the middle of coloring some craft she had just made, and even though there were no tears, she did ask me if she could finish her picture. The CM that was sitting with her told her she could always bring it back and finish it at another time, and thankfully she liked that idea, so we were out of there pretty quickly.
As I was busy turning Hope into Tinkerbell, I kept asking Chad if he wanted to still dress up, even though we had nixed the idea at brunch, and he kept saying, “whatever you want to do”. I kept saying, “maybe we should since we have the costumes”, and then in the next breath I’d say, “no, we should just stay the way we are since I told Kelly we weren’t going too”. Then I tried calling Kelly a few times to see if she had changed her mind, but since I never got an answer we decided to just go the way we were.
On the way to the atrium I saw a family of four in front of us who are all dressed up in their Peter Pan costumes, and as I’m staring at them I realized it’s Mike, Kelly, Dylan and Lukas…ALL DRESSED UP! I immediately yelled, “I thought you weren’t going to wear your costumes Kelly”, in a very sarcastic tone of voice, and she turned around and had this big grin on her face. Apparently she sent me a text on our wave phone, but just like I had done the day before, she sent it to the wave phone that we weren’t carrying around with us. Basically it was the wave phone’s fault, and it took us a day to realize that even though each room had two wave phones, each wave phone didn’t share the same number. So after that little mix up, we started texting both phones just in case.
I told Chad that we should run back to the stateroom and change, but he didn’t want to leave Hope or miss any of the party with her, so we decided to be the party poopers in the group, and go to the party as ourselves. The party lasted about 45 minutes, and it was basically a dance party with some of the characters dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Scattered around the dance floor were little games that the kids could participate in, and then by each game there was a trick-or-treat station (ie; a CM standing there with a bucket).
The kids played a few games first, then went and got some candy, and then we stood by the dance floor to watch what was going on and do some dancing.
Hope Playing a Ring Toss Game
Showing Dylan All of the Goodies She's Collected so Far
I Found Out That Dylan LOVES to Dance!
And So Does Hope
Once it was all done, there were no costume contests, nor any mention of any family costume contests, but there were A LOT of people dressed up, and some of them had really gone all out. Like this family right here, who have now adopted a little girl of their very own…
I grabbed a few pictures of Hope on the way back to our stateroom.
And then we parted ways with Kelly and her family until we would meet back up with them again at dinner. Of course as soon as we got back to the room, Chad and Hope decided to take a nap, and because napping makes me tired, I took a shower and got ready for dinner. The one thing I do think they need to have on this ship is more TV options to choose from. When we sailed on the Magic and the Wonder, they had movies playing, as well as a few ABC TV shows, but on the Dream all they had were stations that played the same loupe Disney cartoons, DVC information, and cruise happenings…nothing else. It got a little boring in there while I was getting ready all by myself.
Once Hope woke up, I got her dressed so that she could go to the club before dinner. They were having a special Halloween party up there for them, and she wanted to enjoy the holiday festivities a little bit more. While I left to take her to the club, Chad got ready for dinner, and then we both walked around the ship for a bit, exploring more areas that we hadn’t seen yet.
Up Next: Hope’s First Royal Encounter on the High Seas
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.
Glad the party was fun for the kids! Tinkerbell looked great Were there adult-focused Halloween activities as well? Seems like that was really just for little ones!
What adorable photos! Love the ones of the kids dancing as well as the one of Kelly's family plus one! Too bad the party wasn't more..... just MORE. A missed opportunity there, for sure. I'm surprised that the stateroom TVs on the Dream don't have the same movie and tv choices as the older ships.
Hope makes an adorable Tink! She fit in well with that pirate family!
The Dream & Fantasy DO have on demand movies, but they aren't necessarily easy to find. You have to go to some other setting, and then there are hundreds to choose from. If it makes you feel better, our 17 yr old didn't figure that out until day 4 or 5 of our cruise last month (and don't teenagers usually know all there is to know about anything electronic?!)!
About This Page: 
Liz 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I thought she looked super spunky, but she said she hated it that way. 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
That's so cute Kelly! Now I'm really feeling the pressure, but don't worry, because every time we see a commerical for a Disney Cruise, Hope reminds me that 1) she can't wait to go back and 2) it means she will get to see Dylan and Lukas again. But I totally agree about vacationing together again...anywhere!
cruising with Disney!
) that they had grabbed from one of the many food windows they have scattered around that deck. Hope kept asking if she could go to the kid’s club for a bit, and since the second Halloween Party didn’t start until 3pm, I figured it would be nice to have some adult time before we had to put her in her costume. 
My first impression was just what I thought it would be…crowded, unorganized and something that Disney could have done SO much more with. 
so every now and then Chad and I would hop in the pool to cool off. 
It was so nice to be able to lie around without that feeling of hearing “MOMMY” or “DADDY” at any second. Don’t get me wrong, I love hearing that little voice, but since I knew that little voice was off having fun without us, it made the experience that much more enjoyable. 
and before we knew it we had to head back down to the club so we could get Hope out of there. When I checked in at the club, I was once again told that she was in the lab, so I walked down to that entrance for the second time. When she saw me, she was right in the middle of coloring some craft she had just made, and even though there were no tears, she did ask me if she could finish her picture. The CM that was sitting with her told her she could always bring it back and finish it at another time, and thankfully she liked that idea, so we were out of there pretty quickly. 
I kept saying, “maybe we should since we have the costumes”, and then in the next breath I’d say, “no, we should just stay the way we are since I told Kelly we weren’t going too”. 
I immediately yelled, “I thought you weren’t going to wear your costumes Kelly”, in a very sarcastic tone of voice, and she turned around and had this big grin on her face. 
So after that little mix up, we started texting both phones just in case. 
The party lasted about 45 minutes, and it was basically a dance party with some of the characters dressed up in their Halloween costumes. Scattered around the dance floor were little games that the kids could participate in, and then by each game there was a trick-or-treat station (ie; a CM standing there with a bucket). 
and because napping makes me tired, I took a shower and got ready for dinner. The one thing I do think they need to have on this ship is more TV options to choose from. When we sailed on the Magic and the Wonder, they had movies playing, as well as a few ABC TV shows, but on the Dream all they had were stations that played the same loupe Disney cartoons, DVC information, and cruise happenings…nothing else. It got a little boring in there while I was getting ready all by myself. 
While I left to take her to the club, Chad got ready for dinner, and then we both walked around the ship for a bit, exploring more areas that we hadn’t seen yet.
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
