"Hey, Mom, Dad, get on plane and go to Disney" Trip report - "Finding shelter from the fireworks" - **Updated 11/13** - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
The look on Kiara's face on the plane says it all!!! I wouldn't feel the need to tell any rude TSA person any excues, it's really none of their business where you are going and who's going. How cool to arrive in the Escalade and I'm so happy you had such a great room with a gorgeous view!! Your sig pic brought tears to my eyes, what a lovely photo at the place you guys love the most!! Can't wait for more!!!
I started from the beginning of the TR and got all caught up!! What changes you had but this trip definitely has a magical feel to it already!! the matching outfits!! Can't wait for more!
I started getting misty eyed just looking at your new sig pic, so I know I'm gonna need the jumbo box of Kleenex for this one. Can't wait to hear about all of the magic! And, are those hammocks I spy in the grove of palm trees just outside your patio door? That looks like a little piece of heaven to me!
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
I'm REALLY curious how this trip was more magical than your others, as you ALWAYS seem to have a fabulous time!! Maybe it was b/c you met me just kidding!!
__________________
Looking forward to another Christmas with The Mouse!!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
All your trips that I've read about have seemed wonderful, so I can't wait to hear how extra-magical this one is!
I love your matching outfits!! You all look great! I just saw those same outfits last week on clearance at disneyoutlet.com, but they only had my size left and none for the rest of my family .
Can't wait to hear more! I've been waiting so long to hear this report as I too will probably have to wait 36 years to get to the Poly!! Can't wait to hear about all the "extra magic" this trip had and what about the room?
What a great start to your trip Nala! The outfits are great - you all look so good, even if Grumpy doesn't want anyone to know he dressed to match his DW and DD! Oh the view(s) from your room!!! That shot of the GF from across the lagoon is just gorgeous - all blue sky,fluffy white clouds, palm trees AND the GF. What a paradise found! Can't wait to see how perfectly magical this trip is for you and your pride!
__________________
A Fairy Godmother wannabe -
Look what a little Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo can do!
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
When the bellman was gone, the three of us headed to the concierge desk to officially check in. The desk area was empty except for one Cast Member who greeted us with a warm “Aloha”. Kiara and I sat down in front of Daisy and she began our check in process. She printed out our itinerary, our tickets for the luau and also our tickets for MNSSHP. She then proceeded to tell us about the restaurants at the resort, the offerings in the lounge and all the other fun things that happened at the Poly. I really was listening to every word she said, but I couldn’t help looking out the window at the amazing view. Grumpy saw me grinning from ear to ear and explained to Daisy that I had waited thirty six years to stay at this resort. She then presented us with our leis and gave Kiara a little bucket and shovel to play with on the beach.
Something else I noticed while Daisy checked us in was a bunch of gift baskets waiting to be delivered to guests who were checking in. One of them had a bunch of anniversary balloons tied to it and for a moment I wondered if Grumpy had contacted the IPO to have something sent as we were considering this our belated 10th anniversary celebration. But I knew better as that is so not his style. I had shared Jillybean’s story about how her DH had done that, but I was pretty certain it had fallen on deaf ears. Or had it?
We finished with check in, said our Mahalos and said Aloha to Daisy, who was such a sweet woman. Lunch was the next order of business. Grumpy and I were starving and when we told Kiara we were going to get some food, the whining started. Our one track minded child had other plans, to get in the pool. We told her she had to eat first and then promised a swim. Off to Captain Cook’s we went to check out the offerings.
Grumpy and I headed to the cooler of packaged foods first to see what was available. He spotted a fruit and cheese tray and I grabbed a sushi tray. We grabbed drinks for the three of us and headed to the grill to make additional selections. Grumpy went for the Hawaiian flat bread and I ordered the Aloha Pork Sandwich - pulled pork with barbecue sauce, pineapple cole claw, cheddar cheese, cucumbers, and tomatoes, served warm on a pineapple-coconut hoagie roll.
Once we figured out how things worked (use the touch screen to place order, go pay for order, get pager for when order is ready, find table and wait for order) it was all pretty smooth and easy. We found a table, snacked on the cheese, fruit and sushi, and soon the pager went off. Kiara and I were splitting the sandwich and after one bite of it, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
I was a bit leery of this sandwich as its description was going to make it really, really good, or really, really weird and bad. It was delish! Grumpy took a bite and I practically had to fight him off for the rest of it. Right then and there, we both proclaimed it the best sandwich we had ever had at a CS in WDW!
With lunch finished, and both of us still raving about the sandwich, we decided to head back to the room to change clothes. In past TRs, I have talked about my Disney dumbness that hits me from time to time. But this trip, Grumpy seemed to have a case of it. We decided to take the path along the beach back to our room, and Kiara wanted to try out her new bucket and shovel, so we let her fill it up and play a bit. She finally had her fill of that and agreed to head back to the room to change into our swimsuits.
Since we had only spent a few minutes in our room, I was not certain which sliding glass door it was from the beach. Grumpy, ever the confident and in control male, assured me it was the third one from the end. That made sense as we were in 1514. 1510, 1512, 1514, yep that must be right. And anyone who has stayed in the Hawaii building knows where this story is going.
Blindly I followed him as we approached “our room”. Grumpy stepped in first, I was behind him and Kiara behind me. As he opened the door, I noticed he had to fight back the sheers that were closed. Hmmmm, I don’t remember closing those before we left our room. He took a few steps in and as I followed him, I noticed a stripped beach towel on the chair. Hmmmm, we don’t have a towel like that. The next thing I noticed was a bouquet of balloons on the desk. And then it hit me. And it hit Grumpy at the same time. He turned so fast that he almost crashed into me and his face was like and mine was like . I was walking (or closer to running) backwards and the two of us almost knocked poor Kiara down as we scrambled from the room. HOLY COW! We had walked into the wrong room!!!!!!
We quickly closed the door behind us, found our room (after checking through the door to make sure it really was ours) and stepped inside. Once the door was closed we both erupted in laughter. We were both grateful that no one was in the other room in the middle of changing clothes or something!
So, there are two morals to this little story. 1) keep your sliding door locked at all times if you are on a ground floor and 2) make certain you know your room location BEFORE you leave it!
As Grumpy and I changed into our swimsuits, Kiara decided to sit on the patio and play with her bucket of sand.
Boy, does my little girl love the feel of sand between her toes!
We were finally able to pull her feet from the bucket and get her to change. The three of us headed to the pool and had a wonderful time just relaxing and enjoying the sunshine and warm water. As we sat at a pool side table, Grumpy asked what our plans were for the day and I told him we were doing it. This was a total down time day. No rushing off to a park, no ADR to make it to. This day was all about hanging out together and enjoying the fact that we were in our happy place. After about an hour and a half, we talked Kiara out of the pool and decided to head back to the room. But she couldn’t walk by the Tiki shower without trying it out.
As we stepped back into our room (we used the interior door that required a key this time ), I noticed something on the desk. It was a gift basket. Grumpy seemed not to notice it, so I headed straight for it to check it out. It was a metal tub filled with Corona, and chips and salsa and some other snacks. I was totally confused as to what it was about and who it could have been from, so I did the most obvious thing I could and removed the attached card and read it. It said:
“Thanks for ten wonderful years,
Love, Grumpy”
At that moment, the tears began to fall (again). I was so shocked and so touched. This totally blew me away. This type of thing is so unlike Grumpy that all I could do was cry and hug and kiss my darling groom.
We had only been in central Florida a few hours and already had been touched by so much magic. How could it get any better than this?
Up next: More magic at our door and why the money for a concierge room at the Poly was worth every penny!
Ohhh!!! How sweet!!! Grumpy really did do it.... What a great husband!!! Love your update... yeah, the wrong room thing?? Totally something we would do!! And then laugh so hard about it for the rest of the night!!!! Keep 'em coming Nala!! Loving every bit!!
Great start. I don't know how your trip could get more magical. I've always wanted to stay at the Poly. Kiara looks like she's enjoying herself already. It's amazing what you can do with a bucket of sand.
Liz
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
limo, adorable outifits and a room with a view! I can not wait to hear what happens next!
How cool to arrive in the Escalade and I'm so happy you had such a great room with a gorgeous view!! Your sig pic brought tears to my eyes, what a lovely photo at the place you guys love the most!! Can't wait for more!!!
the matching outfits!! Can't wait for more!
lease: !!!
.
and mine was like
. I was walking (or closer to running) backwards and the two of us almost knocked poor Kiara down as we scrambled from the room. HOLY COW! We had walked into the wrong room!!!!!! 
), I noticed something on the desk. It was a gift basket. Grumpy seemed not to notice it, so I headed straight for it to check it out. It was a metal tub filled with Corona, and chips and salsa and some other snacks. I was totally confused as to what it was about and who it could have been from, so I did the most obvious thing I could and removed the attached card and read it. It said: 
How sweet!!! Grumpy really did do it....
What a great husband!!! Love your update... yeah, the wrong room thing??
Linear Mode
