The CLQ Heads West - Even Eileen!! - Page 12 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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Oh!! These pictures are making me want to visit DL even more than I already did. It's convincing Craig that's the problem. He has NO desire!
Love the pic of Maddie on RSR and I can't belive how much the area looks like the movie, wow!
I think that Pixar parade looks better than the one at DHS.
Tell Mary Devall I get the squirrel issue. After having to pay a 'boat load' of money to get one out of our attic and get the roof fixed, Craig aims for them when we see them on the street
Oh my goodness! Maddie looks so big in this picture! Adorable as always, but definitely older looking...
Love the Cars Land pics! You scared me with your "bumpy" flight story. I'm already nervous about my flight. Sounds like a great start and as always - you brought your weather mojo!
How funny that the same girl that checked you into the hotel was still there when you left! How often does that happen?! Even better view from your room in the daylight!
Carsland is amazing. Wow! I see people on the roads though, and I keep thinking there should only be cars on the road, like in the movies. Very cool that a PP recognized you and the girls too!
It really was a short stay at PP. The CM had a longer shift! I'll have some pictures of Carsland with few (or no) people in them on Day 5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by taylan1
Great Start Sharon! Your room at PP was really cute! You always seem to find the most interesting people, I guess that is because you are P-Sha! LOL Great first day so far. I have never been to DL or DCA yet (that will change when I visit my sister who now lives about 30 minutes from both of those) so I can really compare but I don't get why someone would wait in line an hour to get FP to avoid waiting in line when you could just go ride the rides right then with no wait! I guess I will never know why they do that. I totally loved that CM that knew all your names, how cool was that! Disney Magic! or should we say Passporter Magic! Can't wait to read what happens next! More please!
I meet interesting people alright. Although I usually am not so nice and say I'm a weirdo magnet. Definitely Passporter magic with Terry spotting us in the park!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caldercup
Oh, my be-YEW-ti-ful friends. You made me all sniffly with that picture!
And I loved the one of Maddie in the Cars vehicle.
And the story of MD and the "squirrel." (I bet she hates them as much as Larry does!)
And the one non-DragonBallZ picture of Zack...
I even liked the one of Thom.
But... where's the love for Jilly? Are you so concerned that she'll "out fact" your TR that you've neglected to capture her lovely mug?
Sheesh. Talk about jealous!
Not sure how I managed to miss getting a picture of Jill. Especially since she's my favorite!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydani
Thanks for the awesome,mega update and fabu photos. I am beyond excited to check out Carsland in December and hoping ABD us right through the FP queue!!!
How does the Pixar Parade stand up to the other Disney parades....I haven't yet seen it but think it needs to be on the "next trip list".
Looking forward to your thought on DLH CL....
Danielle
I don't love any of the daytime parades. This one is pretty similar to the parade at DHS from what I remember (I haven't seen either in its entirety in a few years). But at DCA, you get wet! I like it a little better than the DHS parade, if that means anything. And if you don't ride RSR with ABD, you'll get FPs you can use, so you're good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shnewell
Cars Land looks A-MAZ-ING!! And Buena Vista Street and the trolleys look great too. Sounds like a really fun morning!
Maddie is too cute on RSR! I would have been really freaked out if someone had called me by name out of the blue! How funny!
Poor Mary Devall being the squirrel! My boys always end up arguing over whose spirit is cooler, since one is usually something fierce like a bear or wolf and the other ends up being some much tamer creature.
DLH Club Level sounds enticing! Can't wait to hear all about it!
I can't believe they thought putting lame animals in with fierce animals wasn't going to cause teasing. Sheesh!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DawnK
Awesome pictures from CarsLand!!! I love the picture of you and Goofy!!!
We actually leave the 25th...
Oh, I'll miss you by hours then.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsteiny23
Oh!! These pictures are making me want to visit DL even more than I already did. It's convincing Craig that's the problem. He has NO desire!
Love the pic of Maddie on RSR and I can't belive how much the area looks like the movie, wow!
I think that Pixar parade looks better than the one at DHS.
Tell Mary Devall I get the squirrel issue. After having to pay a 'boat load' of money to get one out of our attic and get the roof fixed, Craig aims for them when we see them on the street
That Craig! I need to sit him down and talk some sense into him.
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Karen went to get the car and the rest of us took the long way to the DLH. We walked through Disneyland so the Koenigs could see the castle. We’d warned the girls ahead of time how small it was, so they were prepared for the size of it. I pointed out to Mary Devall that even though the castle was small, it had squirrels on it. She still wasn’t happy about being a squirrel.
We thought we might ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride on the way to the monorail, but the standby was listed at 30 minutes and we didn’t want to keep Karen waiting too long before we checked in. We had a quick detour into Toontown because the parade was running, then we walked over to the monorail. I forget which one this one was.
There are 3 different monorails with different names, and they “say” something different while you’re riding them. We seemed to get Manny a lot, so that’s the only name I remember.
When we got to the DLH, Karen was waiting for us at the counter. Once we checked in and I paid my balance, we sat down to wait for the Koenigs to finish.
Who’s that boy?
I told you about Zack’s mission to stick his head into the corner of photos, right? Well Jill posted a pic of her girls (and a bit of Zack) on her FB page and got a comment of “who’s that boy?” It made me laugh. Zack, too! And every time he did it after that, I’d say “who’s that boy?”
We went up to our room and dropped off our stuff. We had what we thought were lock-off rooms. You used the key on the outer door and then there were two rooms inside that door (you had to use your key again). We later learned that the Koenigs weren’t in that other room, they were on the other side of us (we had a connecting door between us, which turned out to be better – most of the time ). I think it’s kind of weird to have a room with a lock-off connected to another room. Maybe for large family groups traveling together? Anyway, it wasn’t an issue and we never even saw the people in the other room.
We headed up to the lounge for some snacks. The way club level works at the DLH is a bit different from the WDW resorts. Club level can be any room (including rooms not even in the same tower, which would be a giant pain in the butt). So the lounge is on the 11th floor, but you need to use your key to get in, because other rooms on the floor aren’t necessarily club level. But you don’t need to use your key in the elevator, so that’s good.
The view from the lounge is amazing – you can see practically all of the Disneyland Resort – Splash Mountain, the Matterhorn (the castle is too puny), Downtown Disney, The Grand Californian, and pretty much all of the tall attractions and mountains at DCA. For some reason, I don’t have a single photo of it, though! Actually, I probably left my camera in the room for this part.
We hung out in the lounge for a while, and had some champagne to toast Eileen and wish her luck (which Karen posted on Eileen’s FB page). The awards ceremony was that evening. Then Karen went to the room to have the bags delivered. Thom was teasing Mary Devall about being a squirrel and Mary Devall said something kind of fresh (I forget now what it was). What I do remember was Maddie’s expression. That child has the most expressive face, I love it. Maddie had a look of shock and utter joy that her big sister was about to get in trouble. Anyway, Thom took Mary Devall back to their room for a talk, and after a while, we all had to get moving because our reservation time was getting near.
We only had to go downstairs, though, because dinner that night was at Goofy’s Kitchen. Goofy was out front, so we got our picture with him right away.
Here begins the Dragonball Z poses by Zack – he was especially happy when he could get a character to do it with him
Dinner was fun, but our server had a hard time with the drink orders. Karen ordered a cocktail (I forget which one now) and Jill asked if she could get a superfruit martini. The server went to the bar to ask and came back and said they could make one for her, but when he returned, he had 2 superfruit martinis. Karen told him she’d ordered something else, but our server told her she didn’t! Not wanting to make a big thing about it, Karen took the superfruit martini (and I think she liked it). I was glad I hadn’t ordered a cocktail! Martinis are way too strong for me.
Other than that, dinner was fine. The food was good, and the characters were a lot of fun. We especially appreciated when they would give Zack a hard time for his Dragonball Z poses.
You can see Suzy trying to make Zack pose normally (and the girls are loving it!)
When the Photopass photographer came to our table with our photo, everyone looked good so we decided to buy it. The photographer told us it would be a good value to get the Photopass Plus (at Disneyland it’s only $99, which is a steal). That was the best advice! We were able to get our character meal photos, ride photos, and any other Photopass pictures in the parks.
Throughout the day, Maddie kept asking what we were doing next. It made us all laugh because we knew she wanted to know when “shopping” was going to make it to the top of the list. After dinner, it was finally time. Jill and Maddie went to the gift shop while the rest of us returned to our rooms to settle in. Karen planned an early night for us so we’d all be up early for EMH at DCA in the morning.
We put on our pajamas and settled in to watch the fireworks. Our room was almost directly beneath the lounge, so we had the same amazing view. We could see the fireworks from Fantasmic going on, and we could also see World of Color going on (we even tuned to the WOC station on the TV to hear the soundtrack). When the fireworks started (at 9:30, I think) we were able to see almost the entire show (though not the effects on the puny castle – I kid, I think Sleeping Beauty Castle is simply charming), with the music too. It was a fantastic way to end the night.
Unfortunately, an alarm started going off in the middle of the night. We worked out that it seemed to be going off in the Koenigs’ room (and only in their room). We had both connecting doors open for easy access. It woke everyone up (except Maddie, who only rolled over). Mary Devall was upset at first, but when we assured her that everything was fine, she calmed down. She stayed in our room until someone was able to come up and shut the thing off. Zack kept insisting that we just shut the door on our side so he could get back to sleep. I’m sorry to say that no compensation of any kind was offered (we were hoping for some Fastpasses ). I don’t even think they got an apology for an alarm going off in their hotel room at 4:30 in the morning!
Up Next: Cash falling from the sky… err, elevator
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Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
Sound like a great time is being had by all! Zach cracks me up and reminds me of my own DS. Those two girls just keep getting cuter. Looking forward to more!
All caught up! Zack's picture sneak attacks are hilarious. The poses are just super silly. Crazy kid! Sorry about the alarm fiasco, I don't blame Mary Devall for being upset. I would be too and I know my DS would have a meltdown. They should have at least apologized for the alarm. What gives with that? Watching fireworks in your PJ's at Disney sounds like heaven.
Glad work is calming down a bit for you. I had to laugh when you mentioned the girl doing suduko, I actually use a pencil to lightly put in all the numbers it could be as well, I am not as obssessed as your seat partner as I never erase just right the correct number darker in the box (and no switching from pencil to pen either), sometimes I use pen...whatever is handy
Love the look of the room at PP, really cute and I love the pillows. Our top pick for our stay there is the Disneyland Hotel for when we finally make it there.
Great start to the fun, love that you surprised Eileen with a club level stay. The new Carsland looks amazing!!!
Sounds like you had the perfect room at the DLH! How amazing to be able to watch the fireworks shows from the room with the tv for sound! Do the rooms there have balconies? Love the photos from the character meal. Zach is too funny-- I can't wait until he becomes a famous film-maker. Those will be some films!
Sounds like an awesome room with view....I love being able to watch the FW in my PJs and then not have to fight any crowds to get back to my room!
Never been to Goofy's kitchen, yet, but looked like a great time with the characters.
So sorry about the 4:30 alarm...that had to be super stressful and definitely an adrenaline pumping experience. It is a wonder anyone was able to sleep after that...I don't think I would have.
Danielle
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~Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars~
I can share some pictures, including this very sweet one of the BFFs toasting my success:
Little did I know they were in the CLUB LEVEL LOUNGE AT THE TIME!!!!
And here's how my name appeared on the four Jumbotrons (and I'm not joking about that) in the ballroom at the Marriott on the night of the big to-do:
That's my pen name, and the old version of the title of this book. (It's new working title is "Gentling a London Gentleman.")
And... even more exciting than the fact my mug was flashed on four massive screens, I got to meet the goddess Deanna Raybourn, the woman who has been my inspiration for a long, long while.
Apparently, being starstruck makes me look a bit manic. (And I blame my crappy hairspray for leaving me with limp hair. Ugh!)
Now, on to teasing Sharon...
Shashi, I think you and Goofy need to get some blue contact lenses -- you look out of place with all those Koenigs and Weiss eyes!
The characters at Goofy's kitchen look like such fun! Sad about the alarm though. Weird. Even if it isn't their fault, they should have at least apologized. Can't wait to see what happens next!
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Love the Cars Land pics! You scared me with your "bumpy" flight story. I'm already nervous about my flight. Sounds like a great start and as always - you brought your weather mojo!
Very cool that a PP recognized you and the girls too!
I'll have some pictures of Carsland with few (or no) people in them on Day 5.
I guess I will never know why they do that. 
I totally loved that CM that knew all your names, how cool was that! 
Disney Magic! or should we say Passporter Magic! 
Definitely Passporter magic with Terry spotting us in the park!
Especially since she's my favorite! 
My boys always end up arguing over whose spirit is cooler, since one is usually something fierce like a bear or wolf and the other ends up being some much tamer creature.
Actually, I probably left my camera in the room for this part.
Not wanting to make a big thing about it, Karen took the superfruit martini (and I think she liked it). I was glad I hadn’t ordered a cocktail! Martinis are way too strong for me. 
We worked out that it seemed to be going off in the Koenigs’ room (and only in their room). We had both connecting doors open for easy access. It woke everyone up (except Maddie, who only rolled over). Mary Devall was upset at first, but when we assured her that everything was fine, she calmed down. She stayed in our room until someone was able to come up and shut the thing off. Zack kept insisting that we just shut the door on our side so he could get back to sleep. 
Mary - not enough trips!
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