The "third times a charm" HCL cruise PTR - Page 10 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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BTW, I and am obsessed with that book my friend gave me to read on the trip! I read Twilight and was blown away! Its the best and now i'm on book number two! I thought it was for teenagers but I it and am waiting for the release of the DVD next friday!
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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.
BTW, I and am obsessed with that book my friend gave me to read on the trip! I read Twilight and was blown away! Its the best and now i'm on book number two! I thought it was for teenagers but I it and am waiting for the release of the DVD next friday!
I thought the same thing, until so many people were in love with it that I read it. Wasn't it great! Don't you just love Edward? I can't wait to start book 2, and also get the DVD next week.
I love the twilight series....I've been soo overwhelmed with things, I'm still stuck on the 4th book! Great easy reads.
Thank goodness there wasn't more damage! I can't wait for the weekend updates....it will give me something to read on Monday when I'm back at work! YAY!
Well you know I breezed through that Twilight series I couldn't stop. My friend's teenage daughter was reading book 2 while we were at the beach last summer and she had started book 1. I went out and got it and couldn't put it down. I too will be purchasing the DVD as soon as it comes out.
hey girl! so glad to hear from you!
im going to start the twilight books soon too! a friend at work has been bugging me but ive been working on kristin hannah's firefly lane--- which was awesome!
HEY!! Who said anything about patience?!!!! We are here on the edges of our seats waiting on this story!!! And don't try to pull all that "we got a lot of snow dumped on us thing"... A bunch of us are from up here in the cold country and deal with that stuff every year!...
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Just kidding!
I'm glad the house came through the storm OK. I thought you got out of there just in time!
I understand the constraints of work, so take your time... but HURRY UP!!
Hey everyone! thanks for the well wishes over the snow damage! We were lucky...we really didnt get the brunt of it! Its so funny how the south gets so affected when so little snow comparatively is dumped on us *LOL* we laugh over it.....
Now Kenny! i KNOW you are dying to hear all about it So here you go!!
I am so excited to share this vacation with you guys! It may not be a brief TR so i apologize for that But, I'm sure you guys wont mind
Friday day one, February 27th:
I went to bed around 10 the night before because I know we had to get up and I honestly was feeling pretty bad. I had a horrible fever and between that and the excitement I didnt sleep much. I mean who can sleep the night before vacation anyway!!!!???
I had set my alarm for 5:00 am and I was the one that was supposed to get everyone up. Since i'm used to getting up at four for work Eric and his parents went to bed around 11pm so we all werent going on too much sleep but enough i guess.
The alarm went off at 5am and I dont think it mattered how sick i was i bounded up and outta the bed. I immediately went to the kitchen and made coffee for everyone. I was kinda nervous about walking into the guest room to wake his parents cause i didnt know if they slept sans clothes or not
Thank god they had on clothes and i tried to be quiet when i woke them up but my voice was slowly going so it came out in a squeek *L* But they got the point!
I took a shower and tried to make it as tepid as possible to break my fever but that didnt work. I think i was running on excitement because i havent felt that bad in a long time!
I quickly dressed with the clothes we had laid out the night before and began to get ready and pack last minute essentials as I went along.
Soon, we were all ready to go and it was 6am. They all wanted to drink coffee so I ate something small and took some tylenol per my mom's suggestion to break the fever.
We then loaded all the bags into the car and it was unreal getting all that in there! We had the same amount of luggage as last time so we knew it would fit but Eric was put in charge of making it all fit.
Somehow in packing the SUV he cut his hand badly!!!
He was putting in the last bag and his finger got caught on some metal piece in the car....it bled forever!!! We had to go back inside and put neosporin and bandaids on it and then i took the whole box because he was soaking through the first one i had put on him!!!!
We finally were heading out around 7am, one hour later than we had wanted but with the cut and me dragging with being sick we felt we were doing pretty good *LOL*
We got on I26 heading down and out of the upstate of South Carolina. We were to Colombia in a little over an hour and it was around 8am at this point and we decided that once we got out of Columbia we'd stop for breakfast.
We waited to stop right before the change onto I95. We stopped at mcdonalds in some shady exit *LOL* We literally stopped in what southerners refer to the sticks!! *L* some really "quality" individuals were there But, it was a nice truck stop despite that.
We ate quickly and were back on the road in no time.
We found I95 at this point and Eric was still driving. I fell into a slumber from sickness and woke back up right outside of Brunswick, GA. That's where we stopped the last time. On our last trip last year. At this point it was about noon roughly. We were making really good time!! The GPS had us arriving around 4pm Which was much earlier than we expected!!!
As we got into florida i sent out some text messages to fellow passporters to let everyone know the time we were making. We got through Jacksonville and it was around 1230 or so. His mom started to suggest we stop in St. Augustine. She's always wanted to see what it looked like and we needed to eat lunch.
Well, since we were making such good time we reprogrammed the GPS and headed to St. Augustine. Now, I had been here when i was 18 for a week for a vacation and its really a pretty town so i was a little upset that we were stopping here because I wanted to keep good time *LOL* But, i was sick and did not protest *LOL*
We drove over to St. Augustine which was about 10mins from the interstate. It was exactly as I had remembered. Minus the nice old bridge that was there. they were restoring it so that was kinda disappointing.
We drove through the city on the cobblestone streets. Then his mom decided she needed to see the lighthouse. This Woman is a fiend for lighthouses. At this point, I was feeling like I had been hit by a Mack truck. I was ready to cry so I began to pray that if God would break the fever that I could deal with the coughing and loss of my voice. *LOL* gotta love the reasoning and bargining when you are sick!!!
We drove over to the Lighthouse and Eric took a lot of pics and here is one of them that we took....
We then decided it was time to eat so we ate at this little greek resturant on Flagler College Campus and it was REALLY good.....
We then got back onto the road and this had been a two and a half hour detour!!!!!!! i cannot believe we were there for that long!!!!!! But, I will say that St. Augustine is really beautiful old city! I'm glad we did stop there so I could see it again!
We headed on our way down to West Palm Beach which is where Eric and his parents booked a hotel the night before. They had stayed up and found a courtyard by marriott to stay at in West Palm Beach so we werent going down there late with no hotel.
Eric kept pointing out I4 to disney or disney signs on the way there *LOL* Such a good boyfriend!!!
Things were a blur at this point......I fell into a deep sleep....with nightmares and the next thing i know i wake up clothes soaked! I broke my fever!!!!! A answered prayer later and I felt so MUCH better minus the cough which i could totally deal with! I was getting so excited because of that and we stopped a few times more for potty breaks and then next thing i know we are arriving at West Palm beach. It was 7pm exactly!!! We had done the drive with stops in 12 hours exactly!!!!!!!!
Such good timing!
His aunt and uncle were already there and so we went to the hotel which was really nice and checked in.
The room was nice but the air conditioner didnt work. We thought it would come on after we left so we went to meet them to eat dinner.
We met them at Cracker Barrel Eric and I were pretty upset about this because we wanted to try something new! But, his uncle is pretty picky about food so this is where they wanted to eat.
I will say that it quickly became apparent that there's a lot of money in this town. Also, dont stray off the path......we were told that just down the street was a really bad part of town and to not be out much after dark....How comforting right????*LOL*
We said our goodnights and decided to get up around 8am and meet with his aunt and uncle around 10am to go see the big homes and rich part of west palm beach then we decided we'd head down to the pier around 1130 cause we were only 45mins away. We got back to the room and the air conditioner did not work!!!! So, they gave us a new room which was very nice of them! We quickly fell asleep around 11pm or so. Lets just say that nobody really slept very much. I think it was out of pure excitement!!!
I just wanted to add that I dont feel we took many pics of that first day at all. But his mom took some and maybe i can add them later.....sorry But, there are a lot of pics of our sail away day!
Sooo glad you broke your fever on the first day! See bargaining can pay off
I LOVE reading about St. Augustine. My grandparents (that I lived with until I was 16) lived in Palm Coast which is about 40 mins from St. Augustine. We would go there once a trip to visit, eat and walk around the fort. Then sitting outside the fort about 14 years ago, Craig first told me he loved me.
Now my grandparents have passed and I don't know when I'll get there again. But reading about it always brings back wonderful memories. Thanks for that.
(Wow...way to get all mushy on the first post, huh?? )
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.
Well!!! It's about time! But totally worth the wait! I really felt like I was right there in the car with you...a...ah...AH-CHOOO!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by scdisneyfan
I am so excited to share this vacation with you guys! It may not be a brief TR so i apologize for that But, I'm sure you guys wont mind
I had set my alarm for 5:00 am and I was the one that was supposed to get everyone up. Since i'm used to getting up at four for work I immediately went to the kitchen and made coffee for everyone.
I was kinda nervous about walking into the guest room to wake his parents cause i didnt know if they slept sans clothes or not
but Eric was put in charge of making it all fit.
Somehow in packing the SUV he cut his hand badly!!!
We waited to stop right before the change onto I95. We stopped at mcdonalds in some shady exit *LOL* We literally stopped in what southerners refer to the sticks!! *L* some really "quality" individuals were there But, it was a nice truck stop despite that.
Eric kept pointing out I4 to disney or disney signs on the way there *LOL* Such a good boyfriend!!!
and the next thing i know i wake up clothes soaked! I broke my fever!!!!! A answered prayer later and I felt so MUCH better minus the cough which i could totally deal with!
We met them at Cracker Barrel Eric and I were pretty upset about this.
It better not be too brief, 'cause I need something to read! And I want to know all about this "other" cruise line!
Don't you just hate being the one that has to get everyone else up? I'm put in that position all the time. Sometimes I just wish the others could just get themselves up, after all I'd like to sleep in too!
And that's another thing: Why is it that the guy always has to pack the car when everyone knows that the women are the great packers of the world... well, except in Green Bay, maybe... Since you didn't mention it again I'll assume Eric's cut was not too, terrible bad and he was able to deal with it. But, geeze... sick and sliced!.. you guys sure know how to start a vacation!
I think I know that "shady exit". I used to stop at a Days Inn somewhere around there for the night... it was pretty shady down there!
Keeping you "Disney Informed" as much as possible... yep! I think he's a keeper!
I hope that pesky fever stays broke!
And finally... Just what's so bad about Cracker Barrel? It's one of my favorite places to eat... and a great "Southern Tradition"!
But seriously, Crissy. A great start and I can't wait for the next update!
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.