DrDolphin's Great California Adventure *COMPLETED* - Page 7 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Oh my goodness, this is not a good start to this trip - I'm hoping that things get better for you from here on in, although I'm guessing that things don't improve with the cheerleaders somehow...
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Originally Posted by loobyoxlip
Yikes, Terri. I didn't realize HOW bad your flight was! And I don't remember you mentioning cheerleaders at San Diego, too! ICK!!!
I have to admit - other than an upcoming loud pool incident - the Cheerleaders (Did I mention they were at our hotel too!) were not an issue - since we were never in the hotel except to sleep.... so.... I must have blocked them out.
You know - being sick and in bed all day has it's good points. Like writing TRs!
I have to admit - other than an upcoming loud pool incident - the Cheerleaders (Did I mention they were at our hotel too!) were not an issue - since we were never in the hotel except to sleep.... so.... I must have blocked them out.
Yeah, I only ever noticed them when the pool incident came about . . .
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
I checked in, and changed Crystal’s reservation from my name to her name. I went to our room, and dumped all my stuff. Not 15 minutes later – my phone rang. Crystal and DH Doug were on the ground, in the rental car and headed to the hotel. I left the room (after dealing with the blister) and headed down to meet them. I guess parking the VanUV (it’s a combo mini-van/SUV) and finding the elevator took a bit – but they materialized and were quickly checked in. We all ended up on the same floor – around the corner from each other. I have to say that for $99.00 a night – it was a good room. Our room had a view of the cruise ship pier and overlooked the pool. I had been warned on a frequent traveler’s website that this hotel had issues with noise from the trains that run behind it – but I only heard the train once and I did overhear the manager say that due to all the high priced condos going in downtown, next to the train tracks, a noise ordinance was being put in place that created a quiet zone from 9pm to 6am for the trains (not in place yet I guess).
View from our room - Star of India and Holland America Lines' Cruise ship (Oesterdam, I think)
After getting Crystal and Doug in their room – we realized that Sarah and Princess Em would be arriving very soon and we loaded back into the white VanUV and headed back to the airport. Sarah called as we were driving in and told me to meet her at Baggage claim – so I went to the one I had just arrived on – thinking that since we were both flying in on Southwest – we would be at the same baggage claim – nope!! She was at the claim for Gates 1&2…. So I hopped back out the doors and over to BC #1 and met my roomies for the next 10 days. Got all the bags – called Crystal on the cell phone and after a short discussion concerning a car seat and how to buckle in a 5 “turning 6 on March 9” year old – into the total back seat with shoulder harness – we were on our way to get tickets.
On the way to the Navy base – we all realized we were HUNGRY. Crystal and Doug had gotten home baked chocolate chip cookies – no such luck for the lackies on Southwest. I got my snack pack – but somehow – Sarah and Em had not – so we stopped at Del Taco!!
Feasting at Del Taco!!! Yeah – Mexican food (1st round!)
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Editor's note - please ignore the date on the photos - I had to mess with the date function on my camera so some of them say 2004 instead of 2007. We now return to our regularly scheduled update!
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After a very filling lunch – we headed onto base and started the comedy of errors. I will have to let Sarah give you all the details (and show the photos!) – I can only say that the Navy (just like every branch of the military) has an interesting way of doing things that are never consistent from command to command, base to base or even gate to gate… Nuff said!!!
Sarah and Crystal getting the pass to get on base to get the tickets
Queen of the Road!
After all the tickets had been procured – we headed downtown to catch our Harbor Cruise. It was a cool (temperature) afternoon with a bit of a breeze and I am glad I had my jacket with me. As we were driving from the base to the Harbor Cruise – with me in the front seat navigating and Sarah in the middle navigating and Crystal trying to drive – we came across this sign –
Which way to go????
Classic driving directions!!!!
We were a bit early for the Harbor Cruise – so we walked along the harbor, shopped in the gift shop and talked and talked and talked – so hard for the 3 of us!!! Emilie also practiced taking pictures from the camera I gave her – and we all quickly realized that having the photographer shooting from below you makes it very challenging in the “chins and cheese” department!
Harbor Cruise vessel – MV Hornblower Adventurer
We boarded our Harbor Cruise boat, took the obligatory pre-sailing photo – all of us squinting or with sunglasses on – not a pretty picture and headed to the back deck for some air as we sailed into San Diego Bay.
Sarah and Crystal with downtown San Diego in the background
Overall it was a nice afternoon on the water – and if you ignored all the BAD script reading from the first mate – who needs a few lessons in US history and proper pronunciation – an enjoyable one!!!
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Since I'm not doing a trip report, I'll just add my comments in here and there. OUr flight was terribly uneventful after reading about everyone else's. We had a full breakfast right after take off, saw a couple movies and even got warm chocolate chip cookies just before we landed. Getting out of the airport was a piece of cake and getting the rental car easy enough - it was the only minvan left so it made my choice easy! I will say that I may or may not have broken a few traffic laws while in California.
Other than that all that I might add is that those Nachos were killer!! I could still taste the jalapenos many hours later! Doug got a Cheeseburger at the friggin' mexican place
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I'm a little nervous about your foreshadowing of central time!! 
You didn't even mention the cheerleaders in San Diego!
Glad everyone has arrived safely! More please 
! 
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