Sharing our FIRST Disney Cruise Adventure! December 4 Sailing ~ Disney Dream updated 2/23/2016 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Sharing our FIRST Disney Cruise Adventure! December 4 Sailing ~ Disney Dream updated 2/23/2016
Hello and welcome to my Cruise Trip Report!
Let’s start with intros!
My name is Shelly. I am the wife, the mom, the ultimate Disney planner! I work full time as a Travel Agent, specializing in…… you guessed it – Disney Destinations! And I work part time as at Teaching Assistant at our elementary school. That job has become VERY part time with how busy my TA work has become. In my spare time I enjoy photography, shopping, and spending time with all my boys – DH & I have been married for over 17 years and have 2 boys, 16 and 14, and a Sheltie named Captain “Jack” Sparrow!
DH has become quite the Disney fan himself! He didn’t used to like to admit it, but anymore he will tell anyone that will listen! DH works long hours as a Quality Assurance Inspector, so he really enjoys taking it easy on our Disney Vacations! In his spare time he enjoys spending time with the boys and being outdoors.
DS16 is our oldest. Hard to believe that he is just a few years away from being a man. He is a Junior in High School. He enjoys writing stories, being with his friends, and making & editing videos. He is now in the working world and is learning lots in the fast food industry! He is a thrill ride seeker and my WDW ride buddy! He was NOT looking forward to this cruise at all. Did he end up enjoying it???
DS14 is our youngest, but is growing up quickly. He is in his last year of Middle School. He loves playing video games and hanging out with his friends. Most of all he LOVES soccer!! He has played since he was 4 and he is super! He loves Disney very much and I can always count on him if I want to talk Disney!
The photo they take right before you board your cruise!
We started going to WDW in 2005. DH and I never went as children. The kids were 6 & 4 then. We all fell in love instantly and have gone back so many more times since then!! Not to mention I have made a career out of it!
Our WDW trip history includes:
CBR Oct 2005 - First Trip!
POFQ May 2007
CSR May 2008
CBR Jan 2009
POR and OKW Nov 2009 - First split stay!
BWI Nov 2010
CBR and Poly Aug 2011 - Best Trip Ever!!
BC May 2012 + Side trip to Legoland and Celebration
GF and Poly Dec 2012
YC Aug 2013 + Side trip to Clearwater Beach
WL Jan 2014
GF and BWI Aug 2014
BLT Jan 2015 + Universal & Portofino Bay
POFQ June 2015 - Just me for a work trip!
Poly and BWI Aug/Sept 2015
I LOVE our August trips!! Years ago I said I'd never go to WDW in the summer, but now we do it every year. It is HOT, but you just can't beat the low crowds and low prices at the end of summer. Plus, we don't start school until after Labor Day!
To those who read my August 2015 PTR, again I apologize for never getting to the actual TR. I really wanted to, but work and life just got in the way. Starting a 9 day TR just seemed overwhelming with how busy life has become. But hopefully I can make my way through a 3 night cruise TR!
After going to WDW so many times, we decided we really should start to broaden our horizons. But, I was just never willing to give up WDW to try anything else! I'm sure a lot of you can sympathize! But, I felt I needed to at least experience the other things that I sell as a TA.
So, last January we forced ourselves to go to Universal! We all really enjoyed it, but didn't feel the need to go back anytime soon. After all, it's not WDW.
I have been wanting to get out to Disneyland for a very long time, but that trip just never seems to happen. (Although, it IS happening in 2016!!) So, next on my list was a Disney Cruise.
I toured the Disney Fantasy in June as part of an Agent Education Training Program, and have booked many cruises for clients, but had never actually sailed on one myself. Crazy, I know!
After lots of debating and searching the dates, we settled on the 3-night Bahamian Cruise that sailed out on December 4.
If you have never cruised before, a 3-night cruise is definitely the way to go to try it out and see if it's for you!
Lots to come!!
Welcome to the TR, hope you enjoy!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
Last edited by duck addict; 02-24-2016 at 01:51 PM..
I'm so glad you decided to do a cruise - we started off with the three night as well, all the way back in 2004.... wow, that sounds like such a long time ago now! I can't wait to hear what you thought of it - hopefully you loved it as much as we did.
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
I'm here! I enjoyed the intro. And I agree with you that the 3 night cruise is definitely the way to go for first timers. Even after all the cruises we've been on, it's still our favorite.
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'm so glad you decided to do a cruise - we started off with the three night as well, all the way back in 2004.... wow, that sounds like such a long time ago now! I can't wait to hear what you thought of it - hopefully you loved it as much as we did.
Thanks for joining in! I look forward to sharing our experience!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Great start! Looking forward to hearing about your first cruise.
Thank you - Hope you enjoy!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
I'm here! I enjoyed the intro. And I agree with you that the 3 night cruise is definitely the way to go for first timers. Even after all the cruises we've been on, it's still our favorite.
Welcome!
Yes, any longer might have been too much for our first time. The three nights is the way to go!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disny_luvr
I'm here! So glad you started your TR. Can't wait to hear all about it!
Yay! Glad you are here. Lots to come!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
I can't wait to read your experiences. We will be going on our first cruise in April. We decided to do a 4 Night cruise so that we would have a relaxing at sea day. Looking forward to getting any advice you can give as a first timer.
__________________
Waiting for our next adventure after enjoying our Alaska cruise. Jenn
I can't wait to read your experiences. We will be going on our first cruise in April. We decided to do a 4 Night cruise so that we would have a relaxing at sea day. Looking forward to getting any advice you can give as a first timer.
Welcome! I hope the TR will be helpful to you!!
I think the 4 night cruise would be great as well. Unfortunately the 4 night cruises sail Mon-Fri, which just doesn't work out with school!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
Our cruise sail date was Friday, December 4. As with most people who cruise, I thought it would be smart to get down there the night before just to be safe. After all, if you fly down on the day of the cruise and you end up with a flight delay, the ship isn't waiting for you!
As hard as I tried to make it work to have a day at Disney World, it just wasn't going to work out with the kids and school. I was so bummed. I really wanted to see the Osborne Lights one last time. But, it just wasn't meant to be. We have such fond memories of the time spent on the Streets of America dancing and enjoying the lights when the boys were younger.
Our flight out of Pittsburgh was at 5:45pm. I worked until about noon and then loaded up the car with our suitcases. I picked the kids up from school right before last period and came home to finish up last minute things. DH arrived home shortly after that and next came the house/dog sitter. We finished up everything that needed to be done and were on the road right around 3:00. We were to the airport by 4:00. The line for security was longer than usual. But then we usually fly out on Saturday morning, not Thursday night. We thought we had arrived early enough to have a leisurely dinner before heading to our gate. But, we ended up with a rushed fast food dinner! Only to get to our gate and be told that our flight was behind schedule.
It was only behind about 25-30 minutes and we apparently made up time in the air because we landed by 8:15pm as we were intended to.
We had originally thought about staying at the Hyatt that night, but that place is so expensive, even with a TA discount! Once I finally decided we were going to stay at WDW for the night (about a month prior), there was pretty much nothing left. I ended up getting a room at CBR for a really good TA rate. A pirate room as the only thing left.
While we were at the airport earlier, I had received a text that our room was ready and we could by-pass check in. Once we were to Orlando, we jumped off the plane, used the restrooms, and grabbed some Mtn. Dew for the trip. I HATE that Disney only has Coke products! Next, we headed to Magical Express. We got right on a bus and then waited... I knew the bus would also be going to YC, BC, and BWI, as we have stayed at all of those before. And CBR is usually the last stop. But, today was our lucky day and CBR was going to be the first stop! It was weird being on the ME bus in the dark.
We arrived at CBR around 9:20 or so. We got off the bus and walked over to the Bell Services desk to get a van to our room, which was in the Trinidad South section of the resort. It was a bit chilly outside. Pretty soon IllumiNations started. I guess it was showing at 9:30 instead of 9:00?
We were taken to our room by a very nice CM. He took our bags to the room and asked if we wanted a ride back to Old Port Royal so we could get a snack. We took him up on the offer. He dropped us off right outside of OPR and explained how to get back to our room after we were done. We were pretty familiar with the resort though since we had stayed there a few times before!
We all grabbed a snack, but DS16 thought he needed a pizza! At 10:00pm.
After we finished up we headed out the back door of OPR and to Trinidad South. It had started to sprinkle and was cold.
We got back to the room just after 10:30pm. We had hoped our checked luggage (just one bag) would be there, but it wasn't. So we turned on the TV and watched Stacy and the Disney "Must Dos"! After an hour it had been over 3 hours since our flight landed, which I thought was when your checked luggage was to be delivered by. So, we tried calling the front desk, only to be put on hold and no one ever answering... Then we tried Bell Services, only to have no one answer for over 20 minutes!! They finally answered and said that your luggage was to be to your room within 3 hours of checking in, not within 3 hours of your flight arrival. Well, we had done online check in, so no one could seem to tell me when my bag was coming... After a bit longer, nearing midnight now, they said they could see that my 2 bags were on the way and were at POFQ right now. They couldn't tell me when my bag would arrive or why they were showing 2 bags.
We were trying to decide if we wanted to tell them to hold it until morning or wait up half the night for it. We decided we better just wait because we didn't want to be going through trying to locate it in the morning when our ride to the port was waiting. We decided to just go to bed and hopefully hear them knock when the bag arrived. And we did - at nearly 1:00am. We were not happy!! Note to self - whenever arriving in the evening, go get your checked luggage yourself!!
I'm not sure how much sleep we ended up getting, but it wasn't much! I think next time we will just fork out the money to stay at the airport or just chance flying in the morning of the cruise.
Up Next: Arrival at the Port!
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
Sorry for the small pictures!! I don't know why some load different sizes. I think it has to do with if they were taken with the camera, ipad, or phone...
__________________
Shelly
Disney Destinations Specialist
Magical Vacations Travel
About This Page: 
DH works long hours as a Quality Assurance Inspector, so he really enjoys taking it easy on our Disney Vacations! In his spare time he enjoys spending time with the boys and being outdoors.
He is a Junior in High School. He enjoys writing stories, being with his friends, and making & editing videos. He is now in the working world and is learning lots in the fast food industry! He is a thrill ride seeker and my WDW ride buddy! He was NOT looking forward to this cruise at all. Did he end up enjoying it??? 
Years ago I said I'd never go to WDW in the summer, but now we do it every year. It is HOT, but you just can't beat the low crowds and low prices at the end of summer. Plus, we don't start school until after Labor Day! 
Starting a 9 day TR just seemed overwhelming with how busy life has become. But hopefully I can make my way through a 3 night cruise TR! 
But, I felt I needed to at least experience the other things that I sell as a TA. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
Waiting for our next adventure after enjoying our Alaska cruise. 
Jenn
We have such fond memories of the time spent on the Streets of America dancing and enjoying the lights when the boys were younger. 
Next, we headed to Magical Express. We got right on a bus and then waited... I knew the bus would also be going to YC, BC, and BWI, as we have stayed at all of those before. And CBR is usually the last stop. But, today was our lucky day and CBR was going to be the first stop! It was weird being on the ME bus in the dark. 
Not how you wanted your first night to end. 
Linear Mode
