Three Weeks in The World and 20 Happy Thoughts: a DTR (During Trip Report!) - Page 19 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
I say GO, Stay at Pop or Swan/Dolphin, either way you're on property and at Disney right? And finally are you crazy? - No more so than the rest of us!
BTW - the Osborne lights are A - MAZ- ING! You have to see it! I want to see if they so something special in memory of Jennings Osborne this year. It is opening while we are there - can't wait! 33 days!
Hi! I just found your TR a few days ago and just am getting caught up. I totally understand why you left early...better to stop when you're just starting to go downhill! I say you should go to WDW...Christmas is the best at Disney with the decorations and the Osborne Lights. I'd lean towards Pop just because I like the themeing more than the Dolphin. But either way you're in Disney
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.
benefits of the trip:
-i'd be able to use my AP some more!
-i'd be taking my husband to WDW, which i really REALLY want to do.
-my husband is VERY enthusiastic about it. he started reading my passporter mere minutes after suggesting it--and HE suggested it.
-it would likely be cheaper than any other trip we'd take with his two little personal days (we were thinking of combining them with a holiday like easter, but then everything is SO EXPENSIVE everywhere...we were looking at beachy, all inclusive type places...or savannah, ga.)
-i can sort of justify it because i'll likely 'need' to go back for research purposes by that point in the year....and by 'that point' i mean 'two months from now'.
-this is the big one: thinking about it MAKES ME HAPPY.
Those are good Pros . . . especially the last one
Quote:
concerns i have:
-that we 'should' be going somewhere else. i just spent 15 days in WDW (working, yes, but still) and i was there three other times in the last year. we SHOULD be going somewhere else. right?
-that it's not the kind of trip my husband actually wants. he THINKS it is the kind of trip he wants, but he doesn't think about things like getting up at 6am to make EMH rope drop, or standing in line for cafeteria style food.
-that it will still cost SOME money (even if it is cheaper than 'any other option') and i'm not working (well, i'm not being paid, anyway) right now.
I don't see any reason why you "should" be going somewhere else if WDW is where you want to go. Of course I'm the wrong person to ask--if I've got an AP and 3 days off I have to talk myself out of booking a room and airfare AND I'm not very good at doing that--so I took 3 impromptu trips last year--all booked within days of departure.
Maybe your husband will surprise you--Brandon certainly surprised me when he told me he wanted to buy into DVC with me!
It will cost some money, but you can usually get a pretty good AP rate for the values during December--I think I only paid about $50 a night. Do you qualify for the teacher discount at the Swan/Dolphin or another discount type there? If you eat mostly CS meals you can save money--or do what we do and have sit down meals, but only order appetizers to share--usually 3 is enough--in some cases like at Tutto their antipasti plate is enough for the two of us for a meal at a whopping $25.
Quote:
issues:
-it sometimes takes a REALLY long time for him to have personal days approved. as the trip is only 9 weeks away, that might kill it before it even begins. if his work doesn't approve the days off for, say, two or three weeks, there may not be reasonable airfare (there's only one flight per day on my preferred, direct, cheap airline from my preferred very-close-by airport) or rooms available at the AP rate (or with a teacher discount if we decide to do the dolphin)
Book the rooms as soon as you can--you can always cancel. Do you fly Southwest? If you do you can always cancel the flight, and take a credit to apply to another trip within the year. Otherwise I'd hold off on booking the airfare as other airlines will impose a change fee.
Quote:
questions:
-given ALL of that--what would you do? would you book another WDW trip and take your husband? or would you 'save' those two days and go to a beach somewhere--or a major city (we often do city break trips) during easter?
-IF you say 'i'd go to WDW' (because that may be what all of you say) would you stay at POP, POR/POFQ, or swan/dolphin? why?
side note: my husband is gunning for the swan/dolphin, and i kind of agree with him...but feel that there are also pros and cons for each of the three resorts we are considering.
i guess the last question should be 'do you think i'm insane?' and 'yes' is a totally acceptable answer!
i'm going to wait and see if he even attempted to put in a request for the days off today. if he did that, it means he REALLY wants to go. though if he didn't it doesn't mean that he doesn't really want to go--it could also mean that he was really busy today! will report back when he gets home from work!
I would avoid the AllStars and PO/FQ during the Pop Warner football week. The resorts will be super busy even though the parks are empty.
No you aren't insane, in the last year I've spent 34 days at WDW--that's right more than a month over the course of 6 trips. This coming year will probably be a lot less, unless I win the lottery. Right now I'm looking at October at WDW, December at DL and April in WDW and US/IOA. I might squeeze in a solo trip in June.
Good luck for your DH putting the time in and actually getting it off. One of the things I love about my job is that when I say I'm going on vacation, I get the time off. Plus they don't really seem to have a problem with me taking several weeks of vacation time a year--just as long as it isn't all at one time.
I am asking this because I am curious. I think you told us at some point that your husband is a teacher. Is he in a public school system? The reason I ask is because I can't imagine having to get personal days approved or denied. I am a teacher in a public school system and we get three personal days a year that cannot be denied. The only restriction is that they cannot be taken the first or last weeks of school. We also can bank personal days, up to five, which is how I am going to Disney the week after Thanksgiving. I hope it all works out for the two of you. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about your adventures!
I am asking this because I am curious. I think you told us at some point that your husband is a teacher. Is he in a public school system? The reason I ask is because I can't imagine having to get personal days approved or denied. I am a teacher in a public school system and we get three personal days a year that cannot be denied. The only restriction is that they cannot be taken the first or last weeks of school. We also can bank personal days, up to five, which is how I am going to Disney the week after Thanksgiving. I hope it all works out for the two of you. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about your adventures!
his school kind of sucks with personal days. he gets two a year and he CAN'T bank them--so he can't EVER take off for more than two days at a time. we had a destination wedding last year (that we ended up not being able to attend) and he asked to take days WITHOUT PAY and they wouldn't let him.
and yes, his days can be denied. there's a maximum % of teachers that are allowed to take personal days on any given day. so if that max is met for the dates he wants, he can't have them. most fridays and mondays are taken by the end of september--and it is october 1st. why does this happen? because all of the teachers TAKE their two personal days each year because if they don't, they lose them.
stupid system, eh?
sorry if that was confusing--i'm in a hurry but wanted to answer your question.
EDIT--ilovedisney...thanks for your input. will reply asap. running REALLY late! (picture me like the white rabbit in alice in wonderland...I'M LATE...I'M LATE...ok must stop typing now! )
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Ballston Lake, NY
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 46,162
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 94
Likes (Received): 241
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 139
Pixie Dust (Given): 3
Pixie Dust (Received): 4
Another vote for GO!!! There really is nothing better than WDW at Christmas time. And if I'm not mistaken most of the Pop Warner kids stay at the All-Star resorts. making a decision!!
first, i have to say that i really liked being able to do a DURING trip report. i just read back over it all and while it was definitely shorter than a TR i'd write AFTER a trip, it also 'captured the essence' of the trip a bit better. it also made it seem like a REALLY short trip--even though it was 15 days long!
the trip was great--if hot and exhausting. for sure, the highlight was the time i spent with melissa sue (with no disrespect to my mon--in fact, all three of us would have a great time together in WDW...or anywhere else...i'm sure!) it was wonderful to have a new pair of eyes--and a different touring mindset. were i to list other highlights, you'd find that most of them were melissa sue inspired. fantasmic, kouzzina, and yes...meeting mickey...are all at the top of my highlights list. and all were because of melissa sue. if you ever get the chance to go to WDW with a friend, DO IT!
just try to make sure that friend is as awesome as melissa sue. which may be difficult. she's pretty awesome.
i'm also surprised at how much i got done in a relatively short period of time. i have all of my notes organized into an outline (it 'only' took me one work week...sheesh!) and i feel really good about what i accomplished.
the thing that was very different about this trip was the off-site car rental thing. and i have to say that it definitely had its pros and cons. for the most part i REALLY enjoyed having a car. thus, staying off site wasn't really an issue. it was definitely faster to drive than to take on site transport. but you really DO lose some of the magic leaving the resort property every day (sometimes twice). for a work trip--and a trip of this length--i'd want a car and would gladly stay off site again. but for a shorter vacation trip (say, like the one i'm planning for december) i'd want to be 'in the bubble' the whole time.
i regret a few things, mainly food related! i regret that i didn't branch out and try different CS restaurants like i wanted to. i mean, i definitely ate at more CS places than i ever have (i actually don't think i'd EVER eaten at a CS place outside of epcot before this trip.) i regret not enjoying world showcase more--despite the heat--though that's easy to say sitting in my house in chilly PA! and i regret not making this two medium sized trips instead of one giant one.
but then i may be back sooner rather than later!
if i end up booking something i will post here with a link to a PTR. because planning really is half the fun!
thanks for following my trip, everyone. having you all 'along' with me made the trip even more magical!!!
Wonderful trip report!! I am glad it was productive, but I totally understand hitting the wall at Disney. though it is an awesome place to be, there is a point where you definitely say, okay enough is enough. LOL I think i just got annoyed with having to figure out where we would go for lunch and dinner every day!! LOL I hope your trip in December works out!! And if it does, I can't wait to read the PTR.
Oh and I have been to St. Augustine, it's actually the only other place in Florida I have been. It is simply beautiful, and we had a lot of fun walking around soaking in all the History. My son was a newborn at the time, but we still really enjoyed that trip.
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.
Great wrap up! The heat affected our time in the World Showcase too. For some reason the days we spent at Epcot were the hottest days of our trip.
I am glad you had a great time with Melissa Sue, I have never toured Disney with friends before (only family) and I think it would be so fun to go on a girl's only trip.
I hope you are able to make it back in December, I will be on the look out for your PTR!
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
I just found your TR a few days ago and just am getting caught up. I totally understand why you left early...better to stop when you're just starting to go downhill! I say you should go to WDW...Christmas is the best at Disney with the decorations and the Osborne Lights. I'd lean towards Pop just because I like the themeing more than the Dolphin. But either way you're in Disney 
for whatever comes!
)
Thanks for sharing your trip with us! 
Linear Mode
