The Stone Family's Magical Adventure including food photos - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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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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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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The plan for today was EPCOT! I knew that there was extra magic hours so I wanted an early start. I set the alarm for 6:45 and roused the adults. Gelsey is easy to get up in the morning but Remy takes awhile to function. We headed to the Concierge Lounge for breakfast and had our fill, then jumped on the monorail. We arrived a little after 8am. That was pretty good for us. We began our day at Test Track. Gelsey for some reason didn't want to go! What? My little daredevil. I wasn't sure what was going on there! So she and I started to walk around. She heard the test track car zooming across the track and said "ooohhhhh what's that?" When I told her she now decided she wanted to ride. It had only been a few minutes so we got into line. We politely asked everyone if we could join the rest of our party and we were kindly allowed through. Now the wait was supposed to be 30 minutes so we opted to wait instead of FP. Well, they kept having announcements that there were technical difficulties several times. We ended up waiting an hour ! When we got off we grabbed a FP for later. Gelsey loved it by the way. After that we figured we better head over to Soarin. I opted not to ride this as I am afraid of heights...maybe next trip. I don't remember how long the sign said but that was another hour. I was impressed at how well the girls handled the wait. I was surprised at the crowds because it really looked like it was going to be crappy weather. There were a few periods of sun here and there but it was really trying to rain all day...never did though! This was going great! Whe I had looked at the weather forcast before we left it was Rain, rain and more rain!
After Soarin which everyone loved we decided to head over to the World Showcase since we had lunch ADRs at Teppan Edo, another first for us! ADR was for 12 noon. Before we did, though, we were fortunate to be just in time to catch a Jaminators performance. Remy loved this. She's very theatrical and loves any kind of performance. She takes a musical theater class and private voice lessons, and she was singing and dancing along with them. We took the water launch over and explored Morocco a bit and then headed to Japan. We spent awhile in the BIG store there and some of the kiosks before we went in to Teppan. We have a Shogun (Benihana style restaurant) near our house back home and it's just about the girl's favorite so they were very much looking forward to this. We were seated right away. They are so polite there but, gosh, all that bowing, I'd have a serious backache if I worked there. Everytime they came to the table they bowed! Kumiko was our server and she was very sweet. We had a terrific chef, lots of tricks, and he did the volcano that the girls love! We really enjoyed lunch. I thought the Tempura appetizer was really good. The girls ate good too. Gelsey chowed like I have never seen. All her rice, some of mine and both the girls wanted our noodles. So, there we were: picking them out of our other food and giving them to the girls! Everyone was enjoying. MIL seemed like she really liked this place too!
Jaminators rocking the sidewalk!
Remy learning to use chopsticks after a demonstration!
The Tempura appetizer: shrimp, chicken, squash...YUM
Garden salad with Ginger dressing.
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Teppan Edo lunch total: $153.84 --5 platinum credits + a cash tip of $35
After lunch we descended on WS. The girls hit the kidcot in Japan and decided to make masks. Coming out of Japan we made a left and hit everything that side.
The girls especially enjoyed Mexico and China. We rode the Grand Fiesta SEVERAL times. I'm really not sure why they loved it so much. They got stamps and cutouts at all the countries we hit for their masks...although Gelsey was sleeping in Germany and none of us thought to take her mask for her
We figured we'd hit the other side on our next Epcot day. We especially needed to go to France. Remy is obsessed with France. She was Marie Antoinette for Halloween..wig and all, and if you ask her she will tell you that Marie was very misunderstood! Jeff and MIL had some margaritas and the girls had everything else. It was like Gelsey was a bottomless pit. They had ice cream, chips and we all discovered that we loved those sort of candied nuts. I bought the girls a bag and then Jeff had a taste and said...better get another bag. Snack credits all around About this time the girls started to ask about taking a swim. We had Citricos ADRs for tonight with the babysitter coming so we made our way to the monorail to head back "home".
Once back we took a quick swim and then came back to the room to get ready for dinner. Jeff and I got the girls all showered up and hair washed and dried and into their jammies. Jeff had gone down to the concierge desk and got them a few DVDs to watch and they got toally involved in a few of thier favorites: Hanna Montana and Harry Potter. Jeff and I took a quick run down to the lounge for a pre dinner snack and to check out the evening offerings.
After our little snack and cocktail (wine for me and Heineken for Jeff) we got cleaned up for dinner. The sitter arrived and the girls were so excited to see Trish. We had her a few years ago and the girls both remembered her. When planning I asked the planner to ask if she was still there when she booked our Kids Night Out and to request her. Trish remembered the girls as well. We ordered the girls some room service for dinner. A large pepperoni pizza and some plain pasta ans a big bowl of popcorn to go with the movie. They were all set!
Trish had brought her big suitcase of goodies and the girls were excited she had play-doh
We headed off to Citricos a little early and admired the lobby. I love the GF lobby, especially at night. So beautiful! We arrived to find Citricos REALLY crowded. We had a nice table by the window and David R was our server. He was great! When we couldn't decide between appetizers he brought us EACH a sampler, he helped me pick an entree, and by dessert he didn't even ask us what we wanted...just brought us what he knew we'd like. He was very very good, and entertaining.
Three different appetizers: sauteed shrimp mmmmm Feta!, gateau of crab- this was heavenly, and Arancini Crispy Risotto,(Italian Sausage, Quattro Formaggu and white truffle Aioli) mighty fine and I really am not much of a sausage fan.
appetizer rounded out with the cheese course-2 platters...oh so yummy
Another appetizer...just one of this though, it was a special soup not on menu I think it was a potato/mushroom soup. I don't care for mushroom so I didn't try it. Jeff was happy with it though.
After dinner We went back to the room and found Remy still barely awake and Gelsey sleeping like a log. Trish said they watched the fireworks from the balcony and loved it. She said they behaved but they always do...for everyone else! MIL was going to bed so Jeff and I decided to go take a dip in the hot tub just the two of us. We had a great time..met some folks who live right near us and also some that went to school at Jeff's alma ....Penn State.
We finally dragged ourselves out and ran to the room to stay warm. I snuggled into bed staring out the window as the castle changes colors.....Now that's how I want to fall asleep every night!!!
Next up:
It finally rains
"construction at the GF"
Guided fishing tour
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Loved your food pictures, you've giving me a few idea's for our trip in February. I also agree watching the Castle change colors is a Great way to fall asleep every night!! LouigiAnne
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What? My little daredevil. I wasn't sure what was going on there! So she and I started to walk around. She heard the test track car zooming across the track and said "ooohhhhh what's that?" When I told her she now decided she wanted to ride. It had only been a few minutes so we got into line. We politely asked everyone if we could join the rest of our party and we were kindly allowed through. Now the wait was supposed to be 30 minutes so we opted to wait instead of FP. Well, they kept having announcements that there were technical difficulties several times. We ended up waiting an hour 
! When we got off we grabbed a FP for later. Gelsey loved it by the way.
After that we figured we better head over to Soarin. I opted not to ride this as I am afraid of heights...maybe next trip. I don't remember how long the sign said but that was another hour. I was impressed at how well the girls handled the wait. I was surprised at the crowds because it really looked like it was going to be crappy weather. There were a few periods of sun here and there but it was really trying to rain all day...never did though! 
This was going great! Whe I had looked at the weather forcast before we left it was Rain, rain and more rain!
! Kumiko was our server and she was very sweet. We had a terrific chef, lots of tricks, and he did the volcano that the girls love! We really enjoyed lunch. I thought the Tempura appetizer was really good. The girls ate good too. Gelsey chowed like I have never seen. All her rice, some of mine and both the girls wanted our noodles. So, there we were: picking them out of our other food and giving them to the girls! 
Everyone was enjoying. MIL seemed like she really liked this place too!
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
About this time the girls started to ask about taking a swim. We had Citricos ADRs for tonight with the babysitter coming so we made our way to the monorail to head back "home". 
and 
Susan
the lounge food pictures!
LouigiAnne
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