We've done WONDERful, now let's go for MAGICal! **Updated 8/24** - Page 11 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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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Hmmmm, let me do some quick figuring.....yep! 3 WEEKS!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
Was that 3 weeks?
Well, now it's 20 days - Yikes! I'm almost in the teen digits! And, if we don't get them today, cruise docs come Monday. I've heard that they're offering Halloween activities all month this year!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
Not much longer now...
Quote:
Originally Posted by belleandmaddysmom
It won't be long Heather!!
And I lay out all of our clothes on our pool table. So I know what I got and what goes with what. No pool playing for awhile, we never use it anyway!
Gosh, 20 days seems like forever in some ways and not so long in others. We're still waiting to hear about FIL. He's actually getting some tests as I type. It's pretty definite that he's not going to go, but if he can get his procedure done prior to the trip, then MIL will go. If not, she will stay with him. So, understandably, she is waiting until the last possible moment to decide all this (and doesn't want to talk about it in the meantime). However, we do need a few days to cancel and change things, so I hope we know whatever is happening soon...
I've gathered some stuff - fancy clothes are in the closet and bathing suits are next to the dresser (along with odds and ends that I've purchased). I can't find DS' rash guard (bright lime green, so it's hard to miss). I think it's at MIL's house, but it's not with the other pool stuff, so I have to go searching for it. Sigh, that's what I get for leaving it there for a while. I also bought a new fancy necklace/earrings to wear with my formal and semi-formal.
DD has gotten much better about her ears. We got them pierced back in mid-April. It was funny because she had to keep the starters in for 6 weeks, which put her "I can change them" date on my birthday in June. Well, she changed them and didn't realize that she got a hair caught through the hole along with the post. We went to change them at some point and holey moley!!! It was really bad (to the point where I thought about going to the doctor for antibiotics). It cleared up pretty good when she started using the cleaning solution again, so we thought we were ok. THEN, we spent a week at the beach. In the sea water. How much bacteria is running around there, huh? So, more red ears and soreness. I was ready to give up on her piercing and let them close. But, she persisted with the cleaning and is now at the point where her ears are good and she is able to switch earrings out with no problems. She always goes back to her starters for swimming and at night and is very good about cleaning them - so that's a silver lining of all this, she understands the hygeine she needs for this. (Oh, and that reminds me - I need to buy alcohol pads to take with, so we don't need to schlep her solution....I'm glad I told this story!)
Why did I just bore you with all that? Well, now she can wear pretty earrings with her dresses and all that, and not just tiny gold balls....
So, 3 weeks from yesterday, we leave. 3 weeks from tomorrow, we set sail! 17 days from now, hopefully MarisaG will have been able to secure a new cruise for us. I'm not holding out much hope, since I'm a lowly Silver level and have to book a week after the "special people", but if I can get Alaska, I could be sailing on my 40th birthday! And DH and I both turn 40 in 2011, so I'm hoping birthday pixies help us get something (Panama Canal Repo OR Alaska).
Wonderful PTR! Can't wait to read all about your trip! So sorry to hear about FiL and hope MiL gets to go. If not, that just means you have to do it again and get that Gold rating so much faster!
I know what you mean about the levels. We have been waiting for an Alaskan cruise forever...but we won't hit gold until after our cruise in December! Do you think one will be left? If you get the Panama crossing...it's wonderful!
Good luck with the Alaska cruise!! How I would love to do one of those!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenny
It figures on the Halloween stuff!
OK, pixies for FIL/MIL and the lime green thingy! Oh, and the ears!
Panama Canal or Alaska... hmmm... wouldn't THAT be nice! BIRTHDAYBIRTHDAY
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
with the Alaskan cruise!
Thanks for the pixies, everyone!
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
Wonderful PTR! Can't wait to read all about your trip! So sorry to hear about FiL and hope MiL gets to go. If not, that just means you have to do it again and get that Gold rating so much faster!
I know what you mean about the levels. We have been waiting for an Alaskan cruise forever...but we won't hit gold until after our cruise in December! Do you think one will be left? If you get the Panama crossing...it's wonderful!
Well, we're still so up in the air about it all, but I figure it's better to at least try for them and then sort it all out when we actually know what our options are (example, only Cat 11 on Panama or Cat 6 on AK would make a huge difference). I remember lurking (OK, I didn't just lurk, I actually posted) on the PC repo cruise thread and didn't you do a PreTR, NanaTink?
One of the things we may do is look at other cruiselines. While it would be great to go with Disney, if we can save considerable dollars going with another line and get what we want, then I'm open to doing that. I wouldn't let DH price out other options for the Caribbean because of Castaway Cay. But on the West Coast, well - I'm open. No Carnival, definitely. And probably no Royal Caribbean. I'm thinking the lines that compare to Disney. But, first up is seeing what is available and how much it costs on the Wonder....
So, FIL's condition has gone through some tricky stuff. His procedure has turned into surgery and it looks like MIL won't be going with. She's very disappointed (we'll know by next weekend), but we managed to perk her up a little with talk of going to Alaska. So, to find a silver lining in this disappointing stuff, they can take the cruise money and put it toward Alaska instead. And that would be in less than 2 years, so it's not that far away, really....(remember, silver lining, people!)
Hey, does anyone know how long it is until my cruise? It's 3 WEEKS!!! From today!!! 3 Weeks from Today!!!! (Oh, and if I was a "glass is half empty" sort of person, it's 4 weeks until debarkation....)
Well, we're still so up in the air about it all, but I figure it's better to at least try for them and then sort it all out when we actually know what our options are (example, only Cat 11 on Panama or Cat 6 on AK would make a huge difference). I remember lurking (OK, I didn't just lurk, I actually posted) on the PC repo cruise thread and didn't you do a PreTR, NanaTink?
Yes, I did...only never got around to writing the TR because of family issue that happened right around that time. By the time everything had been handled and the situation settled, it was this year and I felt strange trying to write the TR then. We had a fabulous time and would do it again in a heartbeat. But Alaska beckons... we hope we can get on one of those cruises. If not, maybe the Christmas Southern Caribbean cruise. I know our chances are slim for that one since there is only one. Oh, to be Gold!
Sorry to hear that FiL's situation will prevent MiL from going but good idea to view it as a POSTPONED cruise and plan for one at another time! for him!
Three weeks from today you will be ready to board the MAGIC! I'm
Well, sorry MIL won't be coming along, but I certainly understand and agree with postponing, not canceling!
We are looking into other cruise lines for the future, maybe next year... the other lines can meet our medical needs, where DCL does not, at this time, anyway.
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I just found this pre-trip report!
How exciting! You don't have long to wait now! for your FIL! I hope that his surgery goes well and that he has a full and speedy recovery!
I am so sorry that your MIL doesn't get to go!
Hopefully everthing will fall into place for the Alaskan cruise!
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Just got caught up on the last couple of updates. Sorry to hear that you MIL won't be going with you. And for your FIL and for getting the cruise of your choice in 2011!
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We went to change them at some point and holey moley!!! It was really bad (to the point where I thought about going to the doctor for antibiotics). It cleared up pretty good when she started using the cleaning solution again, so we thought we were ok. THEN, we spent a week at the beach. In the sea water. How much bacteria is running around there, huh? So, more red ears and soreness. I was ready to give up on her piercing and let them close. But, she persisted with the cleaning and is now at the point where her ears are good and she is able to switch earrings out with no problems. She always goes back to her starters for swimming and at night and is very good about cleaning them - so that's a silver lining of all this, she understands the hygeine she needs for this. (Oh, and that reminds me - I need to buy alcohol pads to take with, so we don't need to schlep her solution....I'm glad I told this story!)
How I would love to do one of those!
and the ears! 
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