What will it be for trip #3? (August 5-14, 2012) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
I think my trip plans will be changed a number of times before we actually get to August, so I thought I would start my PTR to get some help and support in the process.
I will skip formal introductions, as personalities will be revealed as I move along. Also, I figure those of you who checking in early may have followed one of my previous journey's to the World. You may already know that I am a bit obsessive as I try to plan a trip that will accommodate the variety of needs in our family (DD7 has ASD and DD4 has severe food allergies). The first trip taught us the lessons we needed to have a magical second visit. (There is a link in my signature to my August 2010 trip to the BC. ) Our third trip will be August 2012.
Why August? I am a teacher and contractually obligated to vacation during student breaks. Our 5 day stay at a mod during Thanksgiving week in 2009 cost as much as our 10-day stay at BC. Kind of a no-brainer.
We knew we would return during the summer of 2012 but were awaiting a pin code or special offer to book. We also wanted to plan an xtra 3 days to drive down to southern FL to visit DH's sister and her family. We were limited by value season (starts around Aug 5 for mod/value) and my returning to work Aug 20. DH should have 8 days of vacation time but he may be able to take a day or two with no pay in order for us to have a longer vacation. .
About 2 weeks ago, we got a pin code for 30% off any resort level. It even worked on the family suites at ASMu. We booked for 11 days, hoping to provide some flexibility to move our 8-day stay around to allow for better air fares. We also got the tix and DDP but are hoping to get DS into Y.E.S. program (and get those discounted tix) which would make us to food OOP. I have been plotting dining choices to be ready for Feb 7 ADR day.
I spent yesterday *almost* becoming a DVC member. (There is a post on that diversion on the DVC thread). Ultimately, we would love to be DVC members but it is not a wise financial decision at the moment. In less than 2 years, our daycare budget will drop precipitously and we hope we can consider it again at that time. For now, we thought it was important to actually stay in a villa to make sure we love it enough to plan for DVC in the future.
So today....I changed our reservation. We will spend 4 days at POR and 5 days (for now) at OKW in a 1-bedroom villa. I was still able to get the 30% pin code applied to both reservations. The room costs are just a bit more than what it would have been for the same time at the Fam suite. I dropped the tix and DDP. I would not expect to add them back unless I got a promo for free dining (which would also make me change the resort days a bit).
Now I get to re-work our dining choices, taking into consideration our new location and how to manage the resort switch day (which happens to be DH and my 15th anniversary!).
As we move along, I hope to get feedback on my dining choices, especially with plans to pay OOP, as well as other activities we are considering. I hope to post an update about once a week and I appreciate anyone who will join me while I plan our 3rd trip.
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.
Hey Shelly,
Great start and I am looking forward to reading along with you again. I think the idea of holding off on DVC is a smart choice too, I have been going over it for about a year now.....back and forth, back and forth. The split stay sounds good too, but do you think the move may cause added stress? I only ask because our trip this year had us one day at BC, move on to the DCL, off the boat to one day at AKL, next day back home. NOW, I know THAT was alot of moving, but it was the one thing that annoyed me the most on our stay.
I know this year we have to pay for some meals OOP so I wrote down what places we liked then checked the prices on ALL EARS. Out of those we pick, I'll just pay for the cheapest ones. It helped us alot to look over that info.
Hey Shelly,
Great start and I am looking forward to reading along with you again. I think the idea of holding off on DVC is a smart choice too, I have been going over it for about a year now.....back and forth, back and forth. The split stay sounds good too, but do you think the move may cause added stress? I only ask because our trip this year had us one day at BC, move on to the DCL, off the boat to one day at AKL, next day back home. NOW, I know THAT was alot of moving, but it was the one thing that annoyed me the most on our stay.
I know this year we have to pay for some meals OOP so I wrote down what places we liked then checked the prices on ALL EARS. Out of those we pick, I'll just pay for the cheapest ones. It helped us alot to look over that info.
Good luck with the plans!!
Hi Linny!
When I have read about people going to WDW before and after DCL only to return to the airport....it sounds very stressful! I would imagine the commutes would have a hand in the stress in that scenario, not to mention how you would need to get COMPLETELY packed to make for easy transport of your luggage.
Last trip we originally planned a split stay but moved it to the BC for the whole trip, in part because it seemed quite stressful.
I *think* it will be okay this time. We are just moving from POR to OKW (essentially neighbors). My kids will be 10, 8 and 5. Because I can do laundry once we get to OKW, I should be able to limit the packing (no matching outfits for us!). We are also planning to rent a car for this trip (so we can drive to southern FL to visit family after our WDW trip). So it seems to me that moving the luggage will be fairly smooth. It will definitely add a wrinkle, but we are adding an extra resort day to allow for it. We will also need that to be a non-park/DTD/waterpark day to cut down on the stress.
Great start Shelly - so glad you decided to start your PTR as I always enjoy reading along as your plans fall into place. We have done a split stay twice now, I held off doing it for so just because I thought it would just take too much time from our trip...granted I did wait until the girls were a bit oldr but I know realize I wshould have had no fear. Both times the change went over fine, the only thing I would like to perfect if we do a split stay again is to try to truly keep one bag unpacked and save those closthes for the second resort. My girls are creature of habit, they do not settle in until we are unpacked, so we are still trying to master that aspect of it but it truly made our vacations feel like two seperate trips, it really made the trip feel longer in a way. As you said....OKW and POR are so close, plus having the car which make it much easier.
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.
Great start! Can't wait to see what you come up with. I'd definitely keep the split stay. A little more work, but then you get to experience 2 separate resorts!
I hope that you and your family have a magical time at the world
__________________
Heather - "I'm Tinkerbell's biggest fan!"
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
Great start Shelly - so glad you decided to start your PTR as I always enjoy reading along as your plans fall into place. We have done a split stay twice now, I held off doing it for so just because I thought it would just take too much time from our trip...granted I did wait until the girls were a bit oldr but I know realize I wshould have had no fear. Both times the change went over fine, the only thing I would like to perfect if we do a split stay again is to try to truly keep one bag unpacked and save those closthes for the second resort. My girls are creature of habit, they do not settle in until we are unpacked, so we are still trying to master that aspect of it but it truly made our vacations feel like two seperate trips, it really made the trip feel longer in a way. As you said....OKW and POR are so close, plus having the car which make it much easier.
Thanks for the advice. I think having a bag stay unpacked is a perfect idea. We have the delta AMEx card so we get to check 5 bags for free when we travel. Last trip, we filled one whole bag with food. I will have to plan it out to keep one bag unpacked...with food and necessities. But I am looking forward to laundry in the villa.
Quote:
Originally Posted by missminniedreams
Great start! Can't wait to see what you come up with. I'd definitely keep the split stay. A little more work, but then you get to experience 2 separate resorts!
I guess it would only change with better pin code opportunities. But I will remain open to what life sends us.
I said we could not afford to buy into DVC. It could be said that we also could not afford to go to WDW. But I plan to work around that wrinkle. Last time we took advantage of the 6 months no interest financing on the Disney Visa. Choosing room-only option takes that out of the picture. Here is the plan:
1. We flex spend money for daycare/preschool. We usually have it automatically deposited in our checking account every 2 weeks. Starting this month (2012) I plan to let it accumulate in my flexspend account and claim it at the end of the school year. January-June should be about $2,400. (I am a teacher so childcare needs are gone in the summer). This will be a tricky plan to pull off since we generally use the money when it is deposited in our account. I hope seeing a smaller balance will make it easier to choose to eat in and pack lunches.
2. Last July, Sparky turned me on to the wonders of the survey sites. I will not copy her PTR by detailing my earnings, but I may report on it occasionally. (I keep a spreadsheet.) From July 2011-December 2011 I earned over $600 from surveys. Half of that was cashed in as Amazon dollars and most of it was used to splurge on Christmas (3 kids and extended family to buy for...). Hoping for a repeat total in the next 6 months!
3. Annual garage sale. Our town hosts one of the largest garage sales in our state (according to various thrifters who have made our house a regular stop over the years). We have a great outlet mall in our community and people want to get deals on peoples' deals. My house location makes our sale one of the busier ones (last year we had a "staff" of 4 adults on opening day and they still had lines to checkout much of the morning!). Our sale brought in over $2,000 for the 3 families over two days. Our take was around $800. We got rid of the last of the high-ticket baby items last year....but DH is a collector of free stuff from the side of the road. Last year, his finds got us over $150 at the sale. He has since stepped up his "picking." (He is a delivery driver so spends his days driving past lots of free stuff). We are hoping to double our take from free stuff this year.
I wish we would get a pin code! We haven't received on in a while and we are going back around the same time as you. We changed our passes into annual passes last August so we were hoping this trip we would get some kind of passholder discount, but nothing yet! Congrats on receiving yours.
I wish we would get a pin code! We haven't received on in a while and we are going back around the same time as you. We changed our passes into annual passes last August so we were hoping this trip we would get some kind of passholder discount, but nothing yet! Congrats on receiving yours.
I have gotten a number of pin codes over the years. I always seem to get one after "saving" vacation offers on the WDW website. I try to play around with bookings on the WDW site even when I am not planning a trip. Maybe something to try?
I have gotten a number of pin codes over the years. I always seem to get one after "saving" vacation offers on the WDW website. I try to play around with bookings on the WDW site even when I am not planning a trip. Maybe something to try?
Not a bad idea! I'll save a reservation under my wife's name. I already saved one in mine before booking our room.Thanks!
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
