Sarilas' O-fficial Pre-Trip Report -1/2009 (a.k.a. Vacation, Take TWO!) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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
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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Sounds like everything is coming together.
I can totally relate to not being able to believe your son is turning 13! Wow, a teenager...........I'm still in disbelief that I have an eleven year old!
Slowly but surely plans are falling into place! I told Kyle that I remember PERFECTLY my 13th birthday... I still feel like a teenager myself so how can I POSSIBLY be the mother of one?!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DyanKJ130
Great update! Too funny how Anastasia didn't want to be the center of attention and now that's all she talks about! Kids! I absolutely your countdown calendar!! It came out awesome!! Can't wait to hear more
Stasia is a RIOT. Never a dull moment with that child! I can't wait to see the 100's disappear from my wall calendar so I can finally start USING the new 50 day one!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryEL8775
I am loving the plans can't wait to read more.
Thank you! I can't wait for it to start getting closer so I can kick it into high gear!
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I love the $1 Store....you got some great purchases (love the bathing suit also). Everything seems to be falling into place. I love the idea of a countdown until you can bring out the countdown that is just so cute...
I love the $1 Store....you got some great purchases (love the bathing suit also). Everything seems to be falling into place. I love the idea of a countdown until you can bring out the countdown that is just so cute...
Can't wait to hear more...
Thanks so much! I hope you'll be writing a TR when you come back from your holiday adventure- I'd so love to be at WDW during Christmas!
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Man did the Labor Day weekend throw a loop into my updating plans! Nonetheless, here's a little update of recent purchases (small as they may be) and some DISNEY related news!
First thing's first!
We hit up the local Disney Store so I could scope out whether or not they had any different deals than DisneyShopping.com did... NOPE! Everything looked the same AND DisneyShopping.com seemed to have some righteously better deals!
But I'd never leave the Disney Store empty handed...
I found these Ariel t-shirts for Lexi and Anastasia to wear SOMETIME during our trip! I love that they're the same color but have different graphics. I'm already contemplating how I will bling them out to make them more unique!
And I let myself be lured in by the Super Shammy kiosk, as I've read numerous tips for using these little babies in the parks! (Such as cutting them into smaller towels and use them to dry off shoes, strollers, etc. in the parks- no carrying wet towels or needing extra shoes...) I played hard to get with the poor college age boy running the kiosk and came away with two for one Shammy's... go me!
Feeling somewhat defeated by my lack of Disney Store purchases, I convinced DH that I NEEDED to stop by the dollar store to see what was in stock. Now, most of you probably have the same thing we do which is a REAL dollar store (where everything is truly a dollar) and the dollar-ish store (where things are more like handfuls of dollars from time to time).
Turns out the REAL dollar store doesn't carry much Disney in these parts but I did come away with:
A Jasmine Pez dispenser (and I'll keep my eye out for at least one more, otherwise this one will go to Tatiana) and some ring pops for entertaining the kids on that loooooooooong drive to the World!
I also found some promising looking glow necklaces which claim to be twisty, bendy versions! I'm thinking these could be great on the strollers, wrapped around the handles, etc.!
Then today I received a package in the mail from a friend who works for Disney in CA...
I've been trying to locate a copy of Cinderella, which you probably know is locked up in the Disney vault... I didn't get a copy when it was out ages ago! I can't even rent a copy on NetFlix now! Said friend went directly to the vault herself and shipped us a copy of the movie! It makes me want to use copious exclamation marks! Now my family will be able to recognize all the Cinderella references at WDW! (This weekend the Disney Channel played the Cindy III movie and they were all SO confused...) Yeah for Disney surprise #1!
Surprise #2!
DH comes home from work tonight and calls a family meeting... Imagine the look of horror on my face as he NEVER calls a family meeting. But as it turns out, it was fantastic! The company he works for is a big supporter of our local hockey team (YES Nashville has one!) and whenever something comes to their arena, the company gets tickets to the event. Sooo...
DH scored 6 tickets (one for each of us!) to Disney On Ice: Worlds of Fantasy, next Thursday at 7 pm! As it turns out next Thursday is ALSO Kyle's 13th birthday... he won't mind spending it with hot babes in ice skates, he says.
124 days till our trip! (Why does that sound DEPRESSING?! Too far away!)
A couple of weeks ago we instituted Disney Movie Night here at our house; a movie is chosen and I prepare a meal based around it and we all get to eat dinner while watching said movie (a treat for everyone!). My DH still hasn't seen most of these movies, and Anastasia is just now old enough to 'get' them- and well my oldest two love seeing their old favorites over again! It's a great way to introduce movies some of us (ahem, THEM) haven't seen and it's fun to plan a meal around it. A good family night!
The first one we did was Monster's Inc, of which I have NO pictures. It didn't even cross my mind! We had just a simple meal with Monsters Inc. graham crackers and Monsters Inc. kool aid (found at my local Kroger). This weekend's choice was Lilo And Stitch with a POLYNESIAN menu! (Polynesian... get it?! ) I made white rice, chicken and veggie kebabs with peanut dipping sauce (recipe from 'Ohana), sticky wings (recipe from Kona), we had bread and butter (dude I was NOT up to baking bread in the heat this weekend!) and for dessert... bread pudding (recipe from 'Ohana)! It was served family style in our living room, and other than trying to keep Lexi from playing in the sticky wing sauce it was a lot of fun and the food was a big hit! We really enjoyed it and I'm already trying to plan the next movie (to be determined!)
I didn't remember to get pictures during this one either, UNTIL it came to dessert, and then I remembered at the last minute! So, for your drooling pleasure, I present to you...
BREAD PUDDING a la 'Ohana! (I added pineapple and raisins just because)
...and banana's foster sauce...
...and the whole shebang with ice cream!
YUM!
Peanut Dipping Sauce (makes a lot!) 'Ohana, Polynesian Resort
1 oz. garlic in oil
1 teaspoon Thai curry paste
16 oz. soy sauce
1 1/4 lbs. sugar
14 oz. peanut butter
1 oz. fresh ginger, finely chopped
salt & pepper to taste
chopped green onions & peanuts for garnish
In a medium saucepan, lightly saute' garlic in a small amount of oil. Stir in curry paste. Add soy sauce and bring to a simmer.
Add sugar and stir until dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat and chill.
Serve in bowls for dipping garnished with chopped green onions and peanuts.
Sticky Wings (I didn't use the mustard sauce this time around) Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort
Wings
Wing Sauce
1 Green Onion chopped
1 pinch White and black sesame seeds
1 oz Mustard sauce
8 oz Canola Oil
Sticky Wing Sauce:
1/2 lb Brown sugar
5 oz Minced garlic
1 1/4 c Soy sauce
Sticky Wings Poaching Liquid:
1. Heat everything but wings and bring to a boil. 2. Add wings and cook for 20 minutes. 3. Remove, cool wings, and discard liquid.
Preparing Wings:
1. Heat oil to 350°. 2. Cook wings until crispy. 3. Reduce sauce until sticky 4. Toss wings in sauce. 5. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds. 6. Drizzle with mustard sauce.
Sticky Wing Sauce:
1. Mix well over low heat.
'Ohana Bread Pudding With Banana's Foster Sauce 'Ohana, Polynesian Resort
Foster Sauce
4 ounces sugar
4 ounces brown sugar
4 ounces corn syrup
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup spiced rum
1 cup banana (sliced)
TO MAKE THE BREAD PUDDING:.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease large baking dish with butter.
In large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Cut bread in 1/2-inch cubes. Add bread, pineapple, coconut, and raisins (if desired) to egg-and-milk mixture. Add bread custard mixture to the greased baking dish.
Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand 5 minutes.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE BANANA FOSTERS SAUCE:.
In a saucepan, combine dark brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and half of the heavy cream. Using high heat; bring to a rolling boil. Allow mixture to boil 10 minutes.
Add remaining heavy cream. Let it boil additional minute.
Now add the rum and vanilla extract. Carefully flambe pan using a long stemmed lighter. Let boil until the flame goes out. Reduce to a simmer and stir with a high heat spatula.
Peel and slice bananas; add them to the caramel sauce. Remove the caramel from the heat and set aside.
TO SERVE:.
Place scoop of ice cream on top of each portion of bread pudding. Top with bananas Foster sauce.
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I decided some time ago that we NEEDED a mascot on this trip, but the decision of who that mascot should be was a little tricky. Now, I have a deep and abiding love for Alice In Wonderland (the movie in general) and the very first stuffed animal I ever bought from Disneyland was the Cheshire Cat... so I decided that's exactly who our mascot should be!
Trouble was... I haven't had that ol' cheshire cat for eons, so I set out to try and track down a new member of the family.
Luck was on my side! I found the PERFECT mascot, and he came with friends!
I introduce to you... The Mad Hatter, Red Queen and the Cheshire Cat!
I know! They're too cute for words, right?! And can you believe they come IN PLUSH TEACUPS?! SHUT UP! Love at first sight... A wonderful woman was selling them on eBay, and after I bought them we got to chatting. Turns out she lives in Dana Point, which is the neighboring town to where I grew up (and where my Grandparents lived) in San Juan Capistrano, CA! I spent every summer at the beach there, and it was only about 30 minutes to Disneyland... a paradise, I tell you! She was thrilled that the characters were coming to such an appreciative home and I was THRILLED with the irony that the cheshire cat I'd just bought was somehow akin (if only in my mind) to the one I'd first gotten so many (many, MANY) years ago. Awe...
I've decided to box up the mad hatter and red queen for Kyle and Tatiana, and give them as gifts at Christmas (so they can all come to the World)!
Thank you both! My three year old has been trying to abduct the cat... I've got a plush Ariel doll for her for Christmas and I'm wishing I could give it to her NOW!
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I absolutely 
your countdown calendar!! It came out awesome!! Can't wait to hear more
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Pixie Dust
that is just so cute...
) I made white rice, chicken and veggie kebabs with peanut dipping sauce (recipe from 'Ohana), sticky wings (recipe from Kona), we had bread and butter (dude I was NOT up to baking bread in the heat this weekend!) and for dessert... bread pudding (recipe from 'Ohana)! It was served family style in our living room, and other than trying to keep Lexi from playing in the sticky wing sauce it was a lot of fun and the food was a big hit! We really enjoyed it and I'm already trying to plan the next movie (to be determined!)
, 
I 
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