PTR: Holiday trip for 3? Err, 5? Wait… 9?? Oh, 7..ish? - Page 9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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
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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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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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So I woke up this morning and was in a fabulous mood, and then I walked into the office to see my husband looking extremely peeved. He gets off of the phone and tells me that our home resort (Orange Lake) apparently shifted weeks this year and didn't bother informing us of this change. Our week is, and always has been, the week after Thanksgiving, beginning the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year? Nope, it's supposed to start on the 3rd. Our trip? Um... it ends on the 3rd. Shame on me for not calling... but I never had to before because I know when our week is. Bigger shame on them for not bothering to inform their owners of this change. (Something about an extra week this year, blah blah, but still, they should have sent out at least an email or post card!)
I spent about ten minutes crying, because I've worked so hard on this trip just to have one stupid thing happen and possibly screw it up. Then I calmed down, got on the RCI page to see if there was anything nearby available. Our home resort had a condo available for Sunday, but we didn't want to arrive a day late, as we have everything planned out already, and they would still charge us the exchange fee for one day. I found a place that's actually a little closer to the parks, though, so we banked this week, exchanged for the new place, and we're ok. Granted, that's $179 out of pocket that hadn't been planned, but I'm saving more than that on the hotels two and from Disney, so we'll manage. It means one of the teenagers will have to sleep on the pull-out sofa, though, because this one has twin beds in the second room, but that's ok. (The little nuts slept on the floor the last time they were here because neither wanted to share a bed.)
Chaos. Frustration. It will all be ok. Like I said I just need to breeeeathe.
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Disney World Trips So Far: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015a, 2015b, 2016a (2016b in planning)
2009 Feb Disneyland - offsite
2007 Aug WDW - offsite
2005 June DCL West Coast/DL & DCA
2002 April Disneyland - offsite
2000 September WDW/DCL - CBR/Wonder
Good grief! I'm glad you were able to sort all that out before you left!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyKYFan
I can't believe that didn't at least send an email about that change! So glad you were able to work everything out.
Thanks! I know, though. I mean, I realize that it's partly my fault for not calling, however, they should know that when your week has always been the same (and this is our 11th year owning there) that a tiny heads up might help. I'm so glad that we were able to find something else and we only had to pay $179 to exchange. Whew.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsnytina
Woo-hoo!
Today, Joc is going to stay with my parents and will likely be there until Thanksgiving. Yesterday I did the laundry and then pulled out all of the (too many) outfits that I plan to bring for her, and then packed her bag for my parents' with the things I didn't plan to bring along. That way, I won't have to wash more of her clothes before we go. I have an entire clothes basket full of her clothes to bring, and she's only a size 5/6. I know I'm overpacking, but it's so hard to know exactly what I'll need for her while we're there. Currently, the weather over the week we'll be there is showing the lowest estimated low to be around 45, and the highest estimated high to be around 78. Unfortunately, that doesn't include the 'feels like' index, which can make it feel hotter or colder, but at least we're accustomed to the humidity. So, yes... dresses, costume, long sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, shorts, tshirts, tights...
Fortunately, for me, it'll be three pairs of jeans (we have a washer in the condo) and then a bunch of shirts, a sweater or two, zip up Tink sweatshirt and my coat. My husband's will be pretty similar, plus all of our hats and gloves, which I'm only really expecting to need the night of MVMCP.
Joc is currently sitting on the floor next to my desk sharpening her colored pencils so we can pack them in her backpack. She's already packed up her My Little Ponies and a few stuffed critters. I'll add some books, paper, and coloring books and she'll be good to go for the car ride. (We have a DVD player, but we pull that out at night when it's too dark for her to see to do anything else in the car.)
I'm working hard on getting packed so I won't have to come home on Thanksgiving and be up until midnight trying to get things done. Honestly, I probably will anyway, but we'll see.
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Disney World Trips So Far: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015a, 2015b, 2016a (2016b in planning)
Oy. My 11 year old kitty has a UTI, so I had to take her in today for medication. The vet says that as long as we have someone trustworthy to give her the antibiotic twice a day he sees no harm in us going on the trip without her. If she doesn't improve between now and Friday (which is when we are supposed to leave), I'm supposed to bring her in again. I guess at that point if she hasn't improved either I'll need to stay home a couple of extra days and rent a car or fly to join the rest of the group or she'll need to be boarded at the vet. He said that the antibiotics sometimes help in as little as 12 hours, but she should definitely be improved by Friday morning. I could use some kitty health pixies, though!
Packing is going ok, if slower than I expected, but it'll get done!
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Disney World Trips So Far: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015a, 2015b, 2016a (2016b in planning)
Glad everything worked out with the condo.
pixies for your kitty
Thanks! Fingers crossed and pixie dust to help her feel better!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
that your kitty is well quickly!
Thank you! She's been getting lots of cuddles to help her feel better. That makes me feel better, anyway!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
for the kitty! Does your vet board? Wow! You've had a lot thrown at you the last few days! Good Luck!
Thanks for all of the kitty pixies. My vet does board, but that's a last resort for us. She gets so stressed out when she isn't in her own environment that the vet suggested we have our cat sitter give her the medicine instead of leaving her with them. If she hasn't improved by Friday, though, having her boarded will probably be the only thing we can do.
She never reached that lethargic/not eating stage of having a UTI that our male cat would hit, so hopefully that means we caught it quickly. She still has enough energy to go running down the hall over and over, so I'm pleased. She doesn't like taking her medicine, but she deals with me giving it to her without too much fuss. I'll be keeping a close eye on her tomorrow (except for when we're at my parents' of course) to see how she seems to be feeling.
Our cat sitter came by earlier, and she's agreed to come by twice a day so that she can give her the medicine and check on her. I'll call Nini's vet on Friday, regardless of how she is feeling, to set up things in case she needs to be brought in, and to make sure they have space if she has to be. If they don't have room, I'll call Annie's (our 6 month old kitten) to see if they could board her instead. (We have two vets because Nini has been going to hers since she was a kitten and I like that he knows her and has been taking care of her for 11 years. It's across town though, so when we got Annie we chose a vet 5 minutes from home.) My next door neighbor is going to be a back-up in case our sitter can't come by to give her the antibiotic at any point. Hopefully everything will be a-ok though, or I'll be stressing out the entire time we're gone.
It does seem like I've had a lot thrown at me the last few days, but here's hoping that means we'll have an incident/accident/sick-free vacation!
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Disney World Trips So Far: 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015a, 2015b, 2016a (2016b in planning)
here's hoping that means we'll have an incident/accident/sick-free vacation!
with everything!
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Tina
2009 Feb Disneyland - offsite
2007 Aug WDW - offsite
2005 June DCL West Coast/DL & DCA
2002 April Disneyland - offsite
2000 September WDW/DCL - CBR/Wonder