Trip Report "Dreams Really Can Come True" 6/1/09-6/8/09 - COMPLETED 7/19 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
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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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Trip Report "Dreams Really Can Come True" 6/1/09-6/8/09 - COMPLETED 7/19
Pre-Trip Report “Dreams Really Can Come True” 6/1/09 – 6/8/09
April 21, 2009
Hi folks! “First-timer here”. I’ll explain the quotes in a minute. I want to say first that I appreciate everyone’s advice and help for planning my trip – I love PassPorter! I enjoy reading trip reports (I actually use them as a reward for myself for finishing the laundry, cleaning the house, etc.) When I have down time at work, I’ll read them there too, mostly at some crazy hour at night, when normal people are sleeping… I have wanted to write this pre-trip report for some time, but I wanted to get that “Paid in Full” status first!
Here are the quick and dirty details:
Cast members -
Me (Angela) – 39 yo, visited the World once in 1995
DH Dexter – 40 yo, newbie
DS6 Maximus – newbie
DS4 Titus – newbie
Disney personalities: Me = I wish I could say Goofy, but I’m probably more like Marlin! (good parent, but a little anxious) DH = Cobra Bubbles (serious, but loving) The boys = Huey, Dewie and Louie (smart, mischievous, sweet) and they like Phineas and Ferb.
June 1-8, 2009, staying at the AKL, booked a savannah view room (too paranoid to take a chance on an upgrade.) Requested the Zebra Trail.
Transportation: AirTran, Magical Express
Tentative plans: (using touringplans.com)
Day 1 – MK afternoon tour, ADR dinner - Tony’s Town Square
Day 2 – MK full day tour, ADR dinner – Chef Mickey’s
Day 3 – Epcot full day tour, ADR dinner – Tokyo Dining
Day 4 – AK full day tour, ADR dinner – Boma
Day 5 – DHS full day tour, ADR dinner – Jiko
Day 6 - DHS full day tour, no ADRs
Day 7 – DTD, ADR breakfast – Boma
Day 8 – open, possible rez for House of Blues
Planned 2 full days at DHS because of STAR WARS WEEKEND woot! (I’m just as excited about SWW as my sons are.) The Leia and Chewie tee shirt I ordered came today - woot! again… http://www.threadless.com/product/1738/New_Hairstyle Thinking about personalized Mickey Jedi shirts for the boys and a Vader shirt for DH.
It’s just the four of us, of which I am so happy. Every time we go on a trip somewhere, it turns into a “family” vacation, meaning, it is understood that everyone is supposed to be invited, and it turns into something larger than life. I am usually the planner and “make sure everyone has a good time-problem solver, soother of ruffled feathers, and mediator”. I love my family, but vacations are usually a little stressful for me in a family of strong personalities… I am very much looking forward to only having to ensure the magic for the 4 of us, ha ha.
I want to clarify the “first-timer” status. I really want to call myself a first-timer, even though technically my very first visit to WDW was in July ‘95. Basically, my mom got all of the family together and we went to Disney at the last minute. I had NO CLUE what WDW was about. Our large family was broken down into smaller groups and we all stayed at CBR. I had no idea that CBR actually had a beach!
I had a great time, not knowing a thing about the World. For 5 days, we just wandered around the parks, stood in line and quickly learned to stay hydrated! I thought that Disney World was just some theme parks that had "the tea cup" kind of rides and “It’s a Small World”. We didn’t see any shows. We mostly ate in our room (we could have fed a whole other family with how many groceries and snacks we had!).
I walked through Epcot WS saying to myself, "Wow, nice buildings", not knowing that there were shops, rides and experiences to be had. I met the only one character in 5 days, Goofy in his swim trunks. We did eat in Germany to reminisce being stationed over there. We rode Spaceship Earth and Honey...Kids, and that was the end of our FW tour. I remember having a great time, but I really didn’t know how to really enjoy Disney.
Now, years later, I have a family of my own. I'm now seriously planning a real "first time trip" to WDW. (Which brought me to PassPorter.) Now that I'm paying for it, I want to be able check in and proudly ask for my first-timer pin. Would I be wrong? Well at least my DH and DSs will be “for real” first timers...
Next time, I’ll explain the reason for the title…
(I wanted to post a picture of our family, but I don't know how to insert it. I'll figure it out for next time )
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Great start...we went last year during Star Wars weekend, it was great but it does get pretty crowded. I definitely think you can get a first timer pin...it is the first time you are going as a mom and a family right
Your plans sound great, do you have PH's on your tickets? I only ask because you have three full days listed for DHS during the Star Wars Weekend, if you get there early you can get a lot done and this way if you have some extra time you can hope over to Epcot in the evening and enjoy the WS or one of the other parks. What a great resort for your first trip...we have not gotten to stay there yet but we love to visit that resort..we love Boma. Can't wait to hear how the boys love the savannah view.
Have a great trip and I can't wait to hear more...
Your plans sound great, do you have PH's on your tickets? I only ask because you have three full days listed for DHS during the Star Wars Weekend, if you get there early you can get a lot done and this way if you have some extra time you can hope over to Epcot in the evening and enjoy the WS or one of the other parks.
Whoops! I was supposed to put "DTD" instead of "DHS". (only 2 days at DTD) Our 7th day will be at DTD and be open for 8th day. We didn't get PH passes, b/c my friend tells me that the kids will be too tuckered out. But I have to check if you can get PH pass for one day... Hmmm. Maybe a solo night out for Mom?
I am already in love with your PTR and your enthusiasm is infectious!! So excited for you and your family to be able to have this time alone in the World. My DH and I are staying at AKL for the first time this Sept. when we run the EE 5K. So, I’d love to see what you think about it. By the way, my 3 boys were Huey, Dewey and Louie for the Halloween party last year (DH and I were Donald and Daisy) so I can totally relate . Can’t wait to hear how you like Jiko. It’s the one place I’d like to eat when we are there, so please let us know what you think. I say TOTALLY get a “First Timer” pin. Sounds like a First Time for just your family for a vacation, let alone at Disney. Love the way you described your family with Disney characters…too cute!! And your boys will Love Chef Mickey’s. Looking forward to more.
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(I’m just as excited about SWW as my sons are.) The Leia and Chewie tee shirt I ordered came today - woot! again… 
We did eat in Germany to reminisce being stationed over there. We rode Spaceship Earth and Honey...Kids, and that was the end of our FW tour. I remember having a great time, but I really didn’t know how to really enjoy Disney.
Would I be wrong? Well at least my DH and DSs will be “for real” first timers...
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I was supposed to put "DTD" instead of "DHS". (only 2 days at DTD) Our 7th day will be at DTD and be open for 8th day. We didn't get PH passes, b/c my friend tells me that the kids will be too tuckered out. But I have to check if you can get PH pass for one day... Hmmm. Maybe a solo night out for Mom? 
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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