The Sunshine Family (and Little Dude) Does Disney Again! - PTR - Sept 2011 UPDATED 7/25 - Page 11 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel 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
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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Your idea for the Dessert Party is great. Any time you get to sit back and enjoy anything at disney sans crowd is the bomb (probably why I like Feb so much). Your choice to wait on Fantasmic is smart. I've only been once. While it's something everyone should see - I can't justify waiting all that time for a show and then dealing with the insane crowds leaving the theater. See it when the crowd levels are lower.
A suggestion. If possible, snag a seat in the sleigh outside of the Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square to watch the parade. We plopped ourselves there about an hour and a half early, strolled across the street to get some excellent Chicken and Rice Soup and other snacks from Sleepy Hollow. The was the best viewing spot ever. The sleigh sits across from the castle so you can watch the lights change color and once the parade starts all your pics will have the castle in the background. The sleigh is up higher, above the crowd and surrounded by a fence. VIP if you ask me.
Another suggestion. Bookmark Walt Disney World Live Entertainment this website lists meet and greet times as well as any other entertainment going on at WDW. Check it just before leaving so you have the most up to date info. It will really help you get all the pics you have on your todo list.
EEK! That link has a link to the Sherman Brothers CD. AHHH!!! I love their music and love finding "new" songs by them that I didn't know they did
Thanks for the tip for the sleigh. Does it really keep you up from the crowds? because if we can't be up and away from them, then it will just trap Stitch.
Sounds like your plans are coming along nicely! Even if you are still "tweaking" them I think we all do it, I know I do right down until we are leaving! I'm constantly looking over my passporter and my planning notes, all the while getting strange looks from DH, wondering what else I could possibly be planning I can't wait to hear about your experience at the Dessert Party, we've never done it before and I'm not sure we will with my DDs peanut allergy (Desserts are almost always a no no for her, and I'm just not sure that there will be enough for her to eat to justify the cost), so I'm happy with living vicariously through others' reports!
On one of PrincessSharon's past Trip Reports, she said that they (her family and her) did the Dessert Party and since her nephew had an allergy, they asked him what kind of dessert he wanted and then made him a special plate.
Don't let the allergy stop you - Disney would make a special plate all for her, prepared with the care that they would for anything else that she wanted to eat. Someone else posted on the boards about needing sugar-free and was more than satisfied with the options and the CM checking multiple times for a refill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PamelaK
On one of PrincessSharon's past Trip Reports, she said that they (her family and her) did the Dessert Party and since her nephew had an allergy, they asked him what kind of dessert he wanted and then made him a special plate.
I will definitely have to do some research! I'd be curious to know what kind of nut free desserts they would have there, if it would be the same pre packaged cookies and brownies that they have at the TS restaurants. Also, I wonder how much stuff on the buffet had peanuts or peanut butter in them?
I will definitely have to do some research! I'd be curious to know what kind of nut free desserts they would have there, if it would be the same pre packaged cookies and brownies that they have at the TS restaurants. Also, I wonder how much stuff on the buffet had peanuts or peanut butter in them?
Call them - because you're right that it's a lot of money for prepacked brownies and cookies. If they're going to do it, then they should comp you her ticket cuz damn that's not dessert, that's a treat!
Call them - because you're right that it's a lot of money for prepacked brownies and cookies. If they're going to do it, then they should comp you her ticket cuz damn that's not dessert, that's a treat!
Exactly! Plus, if all she got to eat was fruit and those other treats, I would feel terribly guilty sitting there pigging out while she's watching Maybe we'll save the dessert party for date night, sans kids
Exactly! Plus, if all she got to eat was fruit and those other treats, I would feel terribly guilty sitting there pigging out while she's watching Maybe we'll save the dessert party for date night, sans kids
Btw Boyt's on Main Street in downtown Metuchen sells peanut-free chocolate.
Btw Boyt's on Main Street in downtown Metuchen sells peanut-free chocolate.
Yes, Vermont Nut Free chocolate, yum! One of our favorite restaurants is right next to Boyt's and we usually stop in there for an after dinner treat! They also sell them at Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, and actually, last year at MNSSHP I stopped in Town Hall to ask about the candy used for trick or treating. They had Halloween themed Vermont Nut Free chocolates as a substitute!
Sounds like your plans are coming together. How does Little Dude like the fireworks?
Actually, he hates them. Last year we went to a local baseball professional league and they are fireworks and he FREAKED out.
BUT!!! Stitch had the best idea. She downloaded some fireworks shows via iTunes and then played them softly in the car, back and forth to work. Each week she increased the volume a little bit. By the end of August, he was like "yeah, so, and your point is?" LOL So when we hit Disney, he was find. Sleeping through parts of the show in fact!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeL
As long as people keep having kids and some of us can revisit our kidhood MK will allways be a HOT PARK So sometimes we'll probably just have to take it in , in smaller bites
True true true, although I suspect with the expansion that MK is going to be worse than ever. That's ok, we'll get to spend more time at Epcot, which is my favorite park!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ravensgirl76
LOL i was tweaking this morning!! I do it all the time because now that everything is pretty much planned out i have nothing to do...so i tweak
Whew! So I'm not crazy! Well... let's not go that far So I'm not different, how about that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Sounds like everything is coming together. I can't wait to see how you feel about the dessert party!
I promise to post lots of pictures. Maybe I'll even do a write up for the newsletter
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I too am tweaking my plans. I think you are right - we all do it.
Amazing how sometimes just thinking or looking at something in a different way can give you that A-ha moment and this it is so obvious like "why didn't I see this before"
Good luck with the rest of the plans - I have back up plans and then back-back up plans and still now I need to be flexible once there. I have a 5 year old so that is a "special needs" in and of itself but nothing like what you are planning around. Good luck to you.
Yes, Vermont Nut Free chocolate, yum! One of our favorite restaurants is right next to Boyt's and we usually stop in there for an after dinner treat! They also sell them at Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, and actually, last year at MNSSHP I stopped in Town Hall to ask about the candy used for trick or treating. They had Halloween themed Vermont Nut Free chocolates as a substitute!
Oh, how I love Delicious Orchards. We used to go there every year for apple picking. The pies OH the pies!
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EEK! That link has a link to the Sherman Brothers CD. AHHH!!! I love their music and love finding "new" songs by them that I didn't know they did
Thanks for the tip for the sleigh. Does it really keep you up from the crowds? because if we can't be up and away from them, then it will just trap Stitch.
Here's a pick taken while I was standing up in the sleigh. It's the best one I have the shows not only the great view but how high up you are and since there is a fence around the area, there isn't a crowd around you. It is literally steps away from the door to the Christmas Shoppe.
I think your plans are looking great, tweaking and all. If Luke and Stefanie wouldn't mind, I'd book us twice for the Wishes Dessert Party, too. I prefer the lessen crowd and my sweet tooth is happy. We didn't do it this past June, but if it is still going on next June, it's back on the list to do.
I too am tweaking my plans. I think you are right - we all do it.
Amazing how sometimes just thinking or looking at something in a different way can give you that A-ha moment and this it is so obvious like "why didn't I see this before"
Good luck with the rest of the plans - I have back up plans and then back-back up plans and still now I need to be flexible once there. I have a 5 year old so that is a "special needs" in and of itself but nothing like what you are planning around. Good luck to you.
I really love these boards, so many of you understand exactly
Quote:
Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
All the plans are lookin good!
Thanks!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennie622
Oh, how I love Delicious Orchards. We used to go there every year for apple picking. The pies OH the pies!
LOL - I've been there a couple of times and all I can think of is OVERPRICED! But, their triple berry pie is dreamy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennie622
Here's a pick taken while I was standing up in the sleigh. It's the best one I have the shows not only the great view but how high up you are and since there is a fence around the area, there isn't a crowd around you. It is literally steps away from the door to the Christmas Shoppe.
That does look like a great seat!!!! I'm no sure when we'll be able to use it, but it's great to know.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
I think your plans are looking great, tweaking and all. If Luke and Stefanie wouldn't mind, I'd book us twice for the Wishes Dessert Party, too. I prefer the lessen crowd and my sweet tooth is happy. We didn't do it this past June, but if it is still going on next June, it's back on the list to do.
Anything that involves chocolate is automatically a good time in my book
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I think we all do it, I know I do right down until we are leaving! I'm constantly looking over my passporter and my planning notes, all the while getting strange looks from DH, wondering what else I could possibly be planning 
I can't wait to hear about your experience at the Dessert Party, we've never done it before and I'm not sure we will with my DDs peanut allergy (Desserts are almost always a no no for her, and I'm just not sure that there will be enough for her to eat to justify the cost), so I'm happy with living vicariously through others' reports!
Maybe we'll save the dessert party for date night, sans kids 
i was tweaking this morning!! I do it all the time because now that everything is pretty much planned out i have nothing to do...so i tweak 
Holly: 
But, their triple berry pie is dreamy.
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