Rain, Sunshine & Cupcakes ~ June 24 - July 3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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The alarm came on at 7:30 but I quickly turned it off and went back to sleep. We were all super exhausted. I finally dragged myself out of bed at 8:00. The rest of the gang woke up and slowly started getting ready. After a quick breakfast, we left the room at 9:15. Not bad considering I had also gone to the food court for some drinks.
We got to the bus stop and had to wait about 25 minutes for an AK bus. After a couple of stops and what seemed like forever, we arrived at the park. I have to say, AK seems like the farthest of all parks and it felt like it took an eternity to get there.
We breezed through bag check and the turnstiles and were soon on our way to our first ride.
Abniel didn’t want to ride so Arben (the other chicken ) volunteered to stay with him. The wait was 20 minutes we decided to go for it. Adriel needed a potty break. I asked him if he wanted to go now or after the ride. He decided to wait. Remember this little detail later.
I like to go through the regular queue because you’re able to see all the cool artifacts they have. I didn’t have my camera, so no photos.
The wait turned out to be less than 20 minutes and we were soon ready to board. And then... Adriel said “Mom I can’t hold it in”. And... you can imagine the rest. I felt so bad for him and he was mortified about his little accident. I immediately felt like a “bad mommy” for not making him go before getting in line. He wanted to get out of line but I told him there was nothing we could do right now and that we should just ride. I promised him I’d take him back to the resort afterwards. He was ok with that.
Our train arrived and we boarded. Adriel rode with and AJ rode with a little girl. We had the last two rows of the train. This time around Adriel was a little scared. He held my hand throughout the entire ride. These kids, as they get older they’re more scaredy cats. He’s already saying that next time we go he won’t be riding any thrill rides. As for the Yeti, he was just standing there. Not scary at all! I really wish they’d fix him.
When the ride was finished we rushed out. I didn’t even get a chance to see the photo. I found Arben sitting in a shadowy spot. Abniel had been watching the trains come down and actually saw us but wasn’t quick enough to get a picture.
Every time I go on this ride there’s something I always do. When the train pulls out of the station and starts going up the big hill, I turn my head back towards the left side. If you do this you’re able to se SE and farther back to the left you can see Cinderella Castle. So cool!
Anyways, I told Arben what had happened and that I had to go back to the resort. I never carry a change of clothes because my boys are older now, it’s been years since I’ve done that. The decision was made (by me) that I’d take Adriel back to POR and the rest would stay and do some rides. We’d meet up at Y&Y Local Food Cafe. Before leaving I got fastpasses for KRR.
There was a bus waiting at the stop. A couple of minutes later we left, we had the bus all to ourselves.
On the way, the bus made a stop POFQ and a family boarded. One of their boys got sick in the bus. Poor thing! They got off at the first stop in POR and the bus driver didn’t take anymore passengers. He took us directly to our stop and left to get the bus cleaned.
We got to our room and Adriel got ready. After potty breaks, we were on our way. Again we had to wait quite a bit. 2 Epcot busses, a MK bus, a DHS bus, and a DTD bus came before an AK bus finally arrived. After what seemed like forever we arrived at the park. And I have to add, can the AK bus stops be any farther? All in all it took us about 1 ½ hours.
We found our buddies hanging out in a shaded table. They had ridden KRR via stand-by line. I collected everyone’s key and went to get fastpasses for KS. The posted wait time was only 10 minutes. I was tempted to go in without them. On the way back I got an ice cream for Adriel, as the others had already had one. Everyone was kind of hungry but I didn’t want us to eat that much because we had an adr for later in the afternoon. I went to Y&Y Local Food Cafe and bought 2 egg rolls, 2 french fries baskets and 1 large coke. I loved the fries, they were so thin and crispy. Yummy!
After our snack, it was time for KRR. Thankfully I wasn’t the unlucky one that got drenched. Can’t say the same thing for the guy who sat next to me.
Our KS fps were ripe so we headed towards Africa. On our way I spotted this beauty.
Our guide was very informative and entertaining (a huge difference from the boring scripted one we got last year ). As we were approaching the lion spot our guide said “ and over here we have... a large rock formation”. The lions were nowhere to be found. I wonder what they were doing.
Anyways, we saw lots of animals and I was very happy because we hit giraffe jackpot. There was one fellow who was walking right in front of our truck and taking it’s time. I took lots of pictures of the giraffes as they were so close. I love giraffes! Our guide showed us the spot where the zebras will be in the future so I was super excited to hear that.
It was starting to get hot so that meant it was time for some a/c. And guess what I chose.
Yes, finally after so many visits to this park I was able to see FOTLK.
Loved it!! I can’t believe I’d waited so long to see it. Best show EVAH! Even Arben and the kids loved it. The boys were amazed. We sat in the lion section so we got to growl like the king of the jungle.
I will continue later, as photobucket has decided to stop working.
Sorry about the accident, but what can you do! I agree that getting to and from AK is a pain in the patoot (unless you're staying at AKL, and then getting to MK takes unbearably long!).
Overall, though, it sounds like a fun day so far. I FotLK, and I'm glad you got to see it!
Sorry about the accident, but what can you do! I agree that getting to and from AK is a pain in the patoot (unless you're staying at AKL, and then getting to MK takes unbearably long!).
Overall, though, it sounds like a fun day so far. I FotLK, and I'm glad you got to see it!
It took forever to get to AK. And when you're anxious to get there it can be frustrating.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Sorry about Adriel's accident. Other than that, sounds like you're having a great time at AK. Glad you finally got to see the FOTLK!!
Yes, I was so happy I got to see it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Sorry about the accident, but apart from that, what a great day at Animal Kingdom.
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pictuers from AK! Sorry about the accident, but glad you were able to get back and see FoLK!
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When we got out, the Greating Trails were a madhouse. We quickly escaped the crowds and kept wandering around.
I wanted to see the parade since the only I’d seen it was in 2006. We found some great spots in front of Pizzafari. It was partially shaded so the wait wasn’t that bad. I spent the time taking pictures. AJ had a headache so I gave him some medicine (pills) which he had some trouble swallowing. It was quite funny although AJ didn’t find it that amusing. Abniel was mad again for an unknown reason so he was over at a table not wanting to talk to anyone. Whatever! While waiting for the parade to start I took some pictures.
When it was time for the parade we had to stand up as this group of young people decided to stand and block our view. I took quite a bunch of pictures.
This was the one and only afternoon parade we saw all trip. We enjoyed it but would we wait for it again in the future? Probably not
Arben took the boys to the bathroom and then we went to ride Dinosaur. The line went quickly and we were on the vehicle in less than 10 minutes. Adriel was scared, again, and he held my hand throughout the ride.
The boys wanted Primeval Whirl. I didn’t want to ride so Arben got stuck with taking them. I took the time to snap some pictures and also staying in the shadowy places. It was very hot and sunny.
It was time for our adr so we headed on over there. I took some more pictures along the way.
The hill where I like to look back at Epcot and MK.
I checked us in and we were seated almost immediately.
Funny, they have the fire extinguisher right beside the statue.
The only photo I got of AJ being somewhat silly.
Our food soon arrived
Baby Back Ribs – Arben and AJ got this
Crispy Honey Chicken – my plate
Kid’s cheeseburger with rice and fries – Abniel and Adriel’s plate
For dessert:
Chocolate Cake – AJ’s
Cheesecake – Arben’s
Assorted Sorbet (raspberry, lemon and mango) - Mine
Sundae – Adriel and Abniel’s
Food was very good but my dessert was absolutely divine! Especially the raspberry one.
Everyone was ready to leave at this point but I wanted to do one last thing. I hadn’t been able to go through the trails. I visited Maharajah Jungle Trek first. Then I did the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. I wanted to see the gorillas but no such luck.
Some pictures
A new living statue I found at AK. He's giving DiVine a run for her money.
They are so ugly and creepy but I'm so fascinated by them.
The boys wanted to shop so we went into Mombasa Marketplace/Ziwani Traders. Abniel and Adriel both bought a necklace. I saw a zebra that I liked but decided against buying it. AJ had seen some engraved leather bracelets close by so we went there. He chose the one he liked best and had it engraved with his name (he’s named after his father).
While the engraving was being done, we went back to the store. There was a quite a selection of zebra things. I was in heaven. Arben decided that I had to have that zebra so he bought it for me.
We picked up AJ’s bracelet and started heading out, snapping pictures along the way.
The boy’s needed a bathroom break for the 100th time. We took care of that and exited the park. Adriel spotted a safari Mickey Mouse he wanted but I told him to wait. This would come back to haunt me later.
We waited 5 minutes for a bus. Got to the room. The kids were very happy to find what our mousekeeper had done.
Adriel wanted one of these so it was cool we got it. The best part, I didn't have to pay $1o for it.
We quickly changed and went to the pool. We swam for
an hour and then we were ready for some food. AJ and I quickly showered and took off to Riverside Mill. When we got there I realized that my key wasn’t in my lanyard just my Photopass card. Umm, I don’t think I can pay with that. AJ volunteered to go back to the room and get it.
I ordered 2 burgers with fries to split and 2 cookies. Arben was suddenly health conscious and only wanted fruit . We filled our mugs and headed back. We ate and then settled in for some tv. Shortly after the guys (including Arben) were out. I wasn’t sleepy yet so I watched some tv. Turned it off at 11 and forced myself to sleep.
too bad about the accident but it happens and more often on vacations when kids get absorbed in all the fun....no big deal. One time Claire went potty and didn't pull her undies down all the way at MK....so needless to say, they were wet and luckily I had threw an extra pair in the bag that morning for some odd reason. She was wearing a dress so we walked out, her with no undies on under her dress and she was so embarrassed, but no one could see anything, got the new pair and went back in and put them on. All was fine.
I love your goofy picture in the parade. That is one of my favorite parades...it's the music for me. I just love the beat.
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but I quickly turned it off and went back to sleep. We were all super exhausted. I finally dragged myself out of bed at 8:00. The rest of the gang woke up and slowly started getting ready. After a quick breakfast, we left the room at 9:15. Not bad considering I had also gone to the food court for some drinks.
) volunteered to stay with him. The wait was 20 minutes we decided to go for it. Adriel needed a potty break. I asked him if he wanted to go now or after the ride. He decided to wait. Remember this little detail later.
And... you can imagine the rest. I felt so bad for him and he was mortified about his little accident. I immediately felt like a “bad mommy” 
As for the Yeti, he was just standing there. Not scary at all! I really wish they’d fix him.
After what seemed like forever we arrived at the park. And I have to add, can the AK bus stops be any farther? All in all it took us about 1 ½ hours. 
The lions were nowhere to be found. I wonder what they were doing. 
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Pixie Dust
FotLK, and I'm glad you got to see it!
PassPorter Guide Author
Sorry about the accident, but glad you were able to get back and see FoLK! 
Umm, I don’t think I can pay with that. AJ volunteered to go back to the room and get it. 
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