Is Belle a Disney Character? September 2015 PTR - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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My favorite part of a Disney trip before the actual trip… Planning!
I absolutely love planning, and if I had it my way, I would plan every moment of my vacations from beginning to end and be that person that gets completely upset when something doesn't go to plan So I wouldn't actually LOVE that but if everything could be planned and go exactly to plan, it would probably make me happy.
But we all know that’s not how we should do it! Plus, if you plan every moment, it leaves no room for unexpected magical moments, which end up being the best of them all!
Mom does need to get to Florida though, so she has purchased a one-way ticket to Orlando for Sunday, September 13th. She’s flying JetBlue by my recommendation, and she was pleasantly surprised to get a non-stop flight. She’s set to leave Syracuse, NY, at 7:00am and get to MCO at 9:49am. I was surprised she went for the early flight, as she has told me, “Early flights are too hard for me. I’m getting old, ya know.” But she’s excited to get to Disney and get things going!!
I will also be setting her up with Magical Express. This was a new element that they didn't have when we went to Disney before, and she’s excited to use it. I’ll have our magic bands and travel documents sent to her in NY so she can get the full experience!
I will be driving to Orlando, and plan to leave around 7-7:30am that same day. It will take me about 3 hours to get to the Disney bubble. I will then await Mom’s arrival at our resort…
Pop Century!
This vacation was originally planned for December 2016, as my 30th birthday present. We were planning to go fully deluxe at the Polynesian (possibly renting DVC points), and with Deluxe dining. While that vacation may still happen, I convinced Mom into the September 2015 trip by paying my own way, which would not have been possible with a Deluxe resort, unfortunately.
As a family in ’98, we stayed at All-Star Sports (All-Star Movies wasn't even built yet!!!). This also reminds me, there MUST be more photos from that trip, because there are ones of Dom and I on top of the Xs and Os on the football field...
Mom and I are more than happy with a Value resort, and Pop Century seemed to be the collective choice! Once I explained to mom how the different buildings were themed like different decades, she got excited stating “Oh cool! I think I’d like to stay in 80s or 90s!” which are my two all-time favorite decades!! We are so alike! Requests for those sections will be made on check-in day, and I've started to do some research on room numbers to request from those sections as well.
Check-in is only 92 days away!!
Dad and Dominick’s visit to FL was great. We spent a lot of time together and we all thoroughly enjoyed it! Friday we went to the “cable park”. It’s pretty much a small lake, and there is a big circle of cables around it. A cable comes around and you grab the ski handle and off you go! There were also jumps in the water but Josh tried one and hit the water pretty hard. Dom decided against trying them after that Really cool to see some of the other wakeboarders doing things like flips though!
Dom Wakeboarding
Josh Wakeboarding
On Sunday, Josh was working, so I got some alone time with my dad and brother. Here is a picture of us at The Fish House, on the same canal that my small efficiency apartment is on now. If you’re friends with me on Facebook you've probably already seen this
Dom, Dad, and I
By the way, if you’d like to friend me on Facebook, feel free to send me a private message and I will send my info. I also have Instagram and Twitter, but rarely use those. I'm a bit of a lurker on social media at times instead of a poster
And here is a bonus photo of Brockton. Slightly blurry but still cute as ever! Brockton and his Girlfriend
This pre trip report sounds like a bunch of fun is in the works!! I can't wait to read more!
I remember your PTR from your last trip but don't remember reading about Josh hating Disney. I'm glad to hear your making progress & that he's slowly coming around!!
Brockton looks like BOLT!! It was the 1st thing I thought when I saw his pic & then I read that DawnK thought so too & I LOL'd!!
This pre trip report sounds like a bunch of fun is in the works!! I can't wait to read more!
I remember your PTR from your last trip but don't remember reading about Josh hating Disney. I'm glad to hear your making progress & that he's slowly coming around!!
Brockton looks like BOLT!! It was the 1st thing I thought when I saw his pic & then I read that DawnK thought so too & I LOL'd!!
Oh I decided to not write much about that trip, just because it was bringing me down and I didn’t want to be a complainer (I can be a bit of a pessimist at times and I’m trying REALLY HARD to be more optimistic!)
Brockton is super fast like Bolt too! And definitely has a Sonic Bark! We probably would have renamed him, if the tie to MA wasn't there
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great resort plans! Glad your Mom will get the full experience!
I hope she enjoys it as much as I do!
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
Love the way the title came about!
Glad you had a nice visit with your family!
Thank you! I love getting visitors, anything to break the norm!
I had been waiting for yesterday to come for quite some time.
The day of Free Dining release.
I spend the whole day making random calls to try to get through the lines to no avail!
I tried to “Modify Reservation” through MDE, to no avail!
I then chalked it up that the promo said that it had to be 6 nights/7 days and then I wouldn’t qualify for it anyway. I was able to price it out, and it was $20 more to add another day, and then have to add Park Hoppers as well (silly new requirement!).
But do I give up? No way dude!!
I got to work late this morning (my poor car died on us last night and had to be towed to the shop this morning ) and sat down at my desk. I then proceeded to go through my work emails and complete whatever tasks needed to be done.
When I had a moment of free time, I decided to go to MDE and try once more.
Modify Reservation
*click*
Think – think – think – think Ie. Spinning circle
Oh look! It worked! This is pretty cool… Oh let’s just see if I can at least get the room discount.
Oh look!It says I can get the free dining! It will probably tell me I need to add a day but, hey, at least I can say I tried!
Oh look again! It let me in! Well with this park hopper or water park and fun requirement, it’s surely to be more, but again – let’s try anyway.
LOOK AT THAT!
It’s almost $300 cheaper.
Yes, I got the “Free Dining” deal!!
Which in my world, ended up actually being free park hoppers and a discount on dining
Now that I’ve thoroughly confused you because I hadn’t given any of those details yet, let’s review!
We’re still staying at Pop Century in a Standard Room from September 13th to September 18th. Even though the offer somewhere said that we needed 6 nights/7 days, in the end I read somewhere else that you just needed a 3 night minimum!
In our original plans, we had 6-Day Magic Your Way tickets. I've had everything planned out to go to one park a day, which I thought (and still somewhat think) will be easiest on Mom (especially if it’s really hot!!). BUT, in order to get the free dining deal, they now require you to either get Park Hoppers OR Water Park and More option. I opted for Park Hoppers (even though Mom and I are in discussion about changing it to the Water Parks instead – Florida can still get really hot in September!!) I was almost CERTAIN that this was going to make it more expensive.
Then, in our original plans, we had chosen the Deluxe Dining plan. If you remember correctly, originally the whole vacation was to be Deluxe, and while still in the works for next year, this was one feature I was not willing to give up. So, upgrading from the Free Dining plan (QS plan) to the Deluxe, I did.
Don’t ask me how I did it, because I’m not sure how I ended up with Free Park Hoppers (or possibly changing to Water Parks) and a discount on my dining, but I did, and I am so excited about it!
My pocket is also very happy about it, pending the condition of my car
Be back soon with more details! (now that I have more opportunities to change them!)
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So I wouldn't actually LOVE that but if everything could be planned and go exactly to plan, it would probably make me happy.
Plus, if you plan every moment, it leaves no room for unexpected magical moments, which end up being the best of them all! 
I was surprised she went for the early flight, as she has told me, “Early flights are too hard for me. I’m getting old, ya know.” 
Requests for those sections will be made on check-in day, and I've started to do some research on room numbers to request from those sections as well.
Really cool to see some of the other wakeboarders doing things like flips though!
I also have Instagram and Twitter, but rarely use those. I'm a bit of a lurker on social media at times instead of a poster 
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Disney Magic - Oct 2015
) and sat down at my desk. I then proceeded to go through my work emails and complete whatever tasks needed to be done. 
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