The Not Like Any Other Pre Trip Report Pre Trip Report - Page 3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Everything looks wonderful. The boys are adorable. So sorry about the Downer though. I have turned my DH around on that one. Now every time he sees Goofy he has to have his picture taken with him. He actually told me that it would be 2 years before we get to go back but I talked him into going again this year only this time it is a land/sea adventure.
I do hope however that you get a new travel agent as that last one was some humdinger since she didn't do the insurance like you wanted. I am so sorry for your loss of money. I hate it when that happens. Hope more good things come your way and I will also send some healthy your way for your boys and your trip.
Thank you all for hanging in there with me. I have to admit it reads alot funnier in my head so kudos to all of you with great imaginations!
On Wed the Downer comes home and says "There will be 10 other families there the same time as we are so you have to be in your best behavior." Mois? When have I ever not been on my best behavior? I'm always on my best behavior. I can't help if some people are selfish, not well informed, stupid and sometimes, downright mean. I have little patience for it.
So the speech proceeds for a few minutes. I listen and when he finished I said "Fine, but all bets are off when I see any character."
Yesterday, after Sam's appt with the lovely nurse practioner and dropping him off at school, I came home and packed. I managed to do both kids suitcases in less than an hour. Mine took about an hour but that's only because I couldn't throw my most comfortable shorts and tshirts. I had to go through my summer clothes and pick out stuff that look decent. I have to say, one of the smartest things I have done (besides joining this board) was to put the kids suitcases under their beds. They've been there since last summer but they haven't suspected anything.
So realizing that not only do I have to dress more decently, I need to spruce me up more than I would normally. Luckily I already had an appt to get my hair cut and colored (sorry to inform you all I am not a natural brunette with red highlights. Shocking I know). Now I just had to get the nails, all of them, done. I knew I didn't have a chance at getting in anywhere that I would normally go so I decided to go to a place up the road. Now I've never been to one. It was definately different. Everything was fine until they took the warm washcloth put it down my shirt and started washing my back. Then she lifted up my shirt from the bottom and washed what she couldn't reach from the top. Now I am mostly legs and not much torso height. Then she (literally) slapped the nail polish on. Well you get what you pay for, so $35 later (for both mani & pedi) I was out the door to get my hair done. I went got my hair done and face waxed and I am now a pretty pretty princess! Just don't get too close to the nails.
Great story about DH and being on your best behavior, but washing your back at the nail salon? I think I would have freaked out if someone unsuspectingly put a hand down my shirt! Not much longer!
Sounds like you paid for a sponge bath....huh interesting! Yeah my clothes need a renewal too especially seeing myself in the disney photos in shirts I thought were cute but only made me look pregnant. NOt good!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
...We worked the dates around DH's sales meeting in the Bahamas. Just about when Anna Nicole died. He was there either when it happened or a couple days after. He was also in Aruba the time of Natalie Holloway. Certainly I'm not saying he had anything to do with it but it does make me think twice about sleeping with my eyes closed.
OMG...this was too funny!! This seems very curious!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jams67
... Now one thing I need to mention is the kids know none of this. We do not tell them because they first of all, Jack alone would drive me INSANE!! He talks ALOT about going to Disney World, usually with the Muppets but lately it's been the "Birds of Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room". When he asks and I don't answer him exactly the way he wants he tells me "Let's start again." Can you imagine months of that? Then there is Sam who every day I'm sure would ask "So let me get this straight. First we are going to go to bed and then we get and go to the airport. How are we getting to the airport? I better look in the phone book for someone to take us. And then we would get on the plane right? But when we get to the airport down there how are we going to get to Disney? I'd better go find a way. And then the first thing we'll do is put our stuff in our room. No we better have Jack go to the bathroom before we leave the airport because I'm concerned He wouldn't be able to hold it" and it would go on for days. Yes we have had conversations quite close to that.
Your children have the best personalities...I think they get their sense of humor from mom and not from Disney Downer who I think should be called Double D
Quote:
Originally Posted by jams67
...So realizing that not only do I have to dress more decently, I need to spruce me up more than I would normally. Luckily I already had an appt to get my hair cut and colored (sorry to inform you all I am not a natural brunette with red highlights. Shocking I know). Now I just had to get the nails, all of them, done. I knew I didn't have a chance at getting in anywhere that I would normally go so I decided to go to a place up the road. Now I've never been to one. It was definately different. Everything was fine until they took the warm washcloth put it down my shirt and started washing my back. Then she lifted up my shirt from the bottom and washed what she couldn't reach from the top. Now I am mostly legs and not much torso height. Then she (literally) slapped the nail polish on. Well you get what you pay for, so $35 later (for both mani & pedi) I was out the door to get my hair done. I went got my hair done and face waxed and I am now a pretty pretty princess! Just don't get too close to the nails.
Umm...did she think you asked for the works like at the carwash? Perhaps that was her old job. You know, instead of slopping the wax on the car, she slops the nail polish on your nails. You have some of the most interesting things happen to you. I'm not quite sure what I would have done if that had been me.
Anyway, your kids will Jetblue! They cater to kids and we now only fly with them. If they have their own headphones, take them with you so they are comfortable because they get to watch TV for the entire flight. I also like that you're leaving some of the planning up to the kids and they don't even know it. You should get an award for being a totally mom.
I also hope that you can keep those 10 other families that want to let their silly young side show at bay and enjoy your vacation as if they aren't even there!
That's right. I couldn't wait another 2 days. Sam was just so darn cute, flapping his gums about something, that I let him in on the secret. I told him he couldn't hoot and holler, that this was the most important secret. I told him he couldn't tell Jack until we woke him up. He's done MUCH better than his mother. 2 FREAKIN DAYS!!! He did start to talk about all the stuff he had to do but then he saw Jack coming down the stairs and said "Oh forget it." He got a high five for that.
So last night I went through my suitcase and weeded out what I could. I really don't want to take a whole lot on this trip. I've gotten much better about doing laundry while I'm there. The kids and I all have loads of room left in our suitcases for anything that we pick up and don't want ship home. I usually over pack the medical supplies so I'll stick some souveniers in with them but it usually takes about a week to get the boxes.
I have to run out today and return some things and pick up some stuff for the Downer and kids. My goal is to have everything possible packed tonight. Craig's car is picking him up at 10 am so that gives us the rest of the day to go spend some gift cards I've been saving for them. We'll be going over to Mom's to have an early dinner and hopefully have the kids in bed by 8pm with me to follow shortly after.
That's all she wrote for now. I have to go take a look at flights for the Second Annual NO BOYS ALLOWED trip with Dsis.
Thank you all for being so sweet and sticking with this. I know there's not a whole lot of details, but if there is one thing I have learned living with these wonderful kids of mine is absolutely NOTHING goes according to plan. I can honestly say I like it that way. I never get bored and it always interesting.
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.