Our Stop and Smell the Roses (a.ka. ditching the itinerary) Trip Report- COMPLETE!! 2/16 - Page 5 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Great morning at World Showcase and what a coup with all the characters at once! I your pictures, especially with that perfect blue Florida sky! Dinner at Kona looked very, very ! We've still got to try this one.
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Sounds like a fantastic day! Love your stroll around WS. Great meal at Kona and what a way to end it with fireworks!
** I have to admire you and your dh, you both are adventurous eaters! I'm not! lol
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by OhToodles!
All caught up. It sounds like your having a fantastic trip, except for a few glitches. I'm so sorry all that happened at Narcoose's.
Aw, I appreciate that!
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Originally Posted by chezp
What a fun, relaxing day!
Definitely!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great morning at World Showcase and what a coup with all the characters at once! I your pictures, especially with that perfect blue Florida sky! Dinner at Kona looked very, very ! We've still got to try this one.
I highly recommend Kona for your future to-do list (if you're like me and already have a running list)!
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Originally Posted by KMB733
What a great time in the World Showcase and a wonderful meal at Kona!
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Originally Posted by lazanya
All caught up! sounds like a wonderful time you all are having!
Thank you both!
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Originally Posted by DonaldGirl1
Great start!!! I am anxious for more! Sounds like a great trip (with the exceptions of a few glitches) and alot of great memories.
More comin' right up! Just getting a bunch of pics on Photobucket rigth now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick and Ryans Mom
I cannot believe how the manager at Narcoceese's treated you!! It would have ruined my night also.
I am glad you had blue skies and a better day the next day.
Thanks -- the wonderful weather and blue skies were a mood lifter for sure!
After a quick breakfast from the lounge (cereal and banana bread, which DD couldn’t get enough of!) it was off to DHS. While we waited at the bus stop DD got a couple more pressed pennies for her collection. I realized that other than DME, this was our first bus ride of the trip!
We missed rope drop by a couple of minutes but we were pretty darn close. DH speed-walked over to TSMM to get FPs and DD and I followed behind to meet up with him for the stand-by line. The wait was only about 20 minutes so in no time at all we saw the big guy.
Last year DD wanted nothing to do with this ride but this year she was determined to play. She sat on DH's lap and controlled the gun, although she wouldn’t wear the glasses. I have to laugh though because look at her accuracy (on the left):
Maybe next time I’ll try it sans glasses!
Next we headed over to Muppets 3D (or “Muffets” as DD calls them). I took some shots around the courtyard before we headed in. When I saw this picture I was perplexed because there was no way it took us an hour forty-five to get to this point – I check the time stamp on my camera and sure enough it was only about 10 a.m. Someone needs to fix the clock.
I never noticed this little detail before:
DD love the movie (no glasses again!) and when she heard them say at the end that they needed to get ready for another show she wanted to stay because she thought there was another version of the movie! We stopped in the gift shop for some pressed pennies and to buy DD a Miss Piggy doll. She tried to sucker us into getting a “husband” for Miss Piggy (a.k.a. Kermit) but we were strong!
It was time to use our TSMM FPs so we headed that way. We had an ADR for lunch at Sci-Fi but I decided at the last minute that maybe it would be fun to switch to 50’s PTC. We stopped to talk to the hostess but unfortunately they didn’t have any openings until about 2 p.m. so we decided to stick with what we had. Had to settle for a picture this time, but it's on our list for next trip.
We took our second ride on TSMM and this time DD sat on my lap so DH could have a turn playing. We then headed over to the animation building for meet and greets. First we saw Mickey then the characters from UP. I love, love, loved this adorable meet! The attention to detail was really great (notice the tennis balls on the walker and the garden hose in the background).
After a quick play with the computer paint program and meeting Mr. Incredible, it was time to head over to Sci-Fi.
Up next: Day 5 (part 2) – lunch, shows and a ginormous cupcake
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As DD and I headed to Sci-Fi, DH detoured to get us another set of TSMM FPs for later.
Lunch was great – we all had the same meals we had last year. The beef and blue salad was as good as I remembered.
I finally figured out a setting on my camera that got me some not too dark pictures.
(intently watching the clips!)
After lunch we stopped to have some PhotoPass pics taken in front of the hat. The photog also set us up for some fun magic shots. I’d made sure that DH and I skipped dessert at Sci-Fi because I had something yummy in mind – the ginormous cupcake from Starring Rolls. It would be one last birthday goodie for DH.
I had DD and DH get a table outside while I headed in for THE cupcake. I picked marble and asked the cashier if she had any candles. She gave me three and I headed out. I didn’t even think to light them (I figured they’re not allowed to have matches on hand) but next thing I knew the CM came rushing over with a lighter (she’d gone to the smokers’ section to get it!). She lit the candles and stayed to sing with us. What a sweetie! I wish I’d gotten her name because I really appreciated her extra effort.
Once we’d stuffed ourselves on cupcake, it was time for the 2 p.m. showing of BatB.
After I took some glamour shots of my favorite ride ever!
At this point DH and I were set to go back to the hotel but DD wanted to keep going to VotLM so we did. We had about a 15 minute wait until the next show so I headed to the shops to see if I could spy any Dooney and Bourke wristlets (did you think I had given up? No, I was just on a temporary break for DH’s birthday, per his request). I got the shops mixed up so I never did end up finding them.
Once VotLM was over we headed for the bus. We had a bit of a wait and by the time we got back to the hotel it was 4 p.m. and DD had fallen asleep. We put her in the stroller and headed over to the Poly to check her into the Neverland Club. When we got to the lobby I started waking her up. I was afraid this was going to be a disaster (she can be a crank when woken up prematurely) but as soon as she heard, “time for the club” she hopped out of that stroller like it was nobody’s business! She went off into the club with nary a goodbye and we were off for date night.