Sailing with the Gang..DCL Magic, 2016 updated 6/21/2016 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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There are other changes as well.
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We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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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.
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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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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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Looks like a fun night at dinner with the show at AP and over at Fathom's!
It ended up being a really fun night. I could've gone for hours more really.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
That sounds like a fun night, well except for poor old Brooke - my goodness, she did get hit badly by the seasickness and very suddenly too!
I can't believe someone did the Dirty Dancing move - that's impressive enough, but on a moving boat?
It was SUPER Impressive. They deserved it, but I got cheated. hahaha.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
It sounds like you really had a great time with these ladies! Loved all the stories that you shared on this trip!
I had such a good time with so many of them. I wasn't sure how I would like all of them beforehand. Some I talk to more than others online, but I hit it off with all of them and some who I wasn't too sure about I became pretty good friends with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
You really made the most of your last night and it looked like a total blast!
We all know how that last morning is….it sucks! These wonderful Cast Members you have come to know and love are now smiling at you in a different way….It’s been nice….but get off the ship, we have very little time to prepare for the next set of travelers.
I got up way too early again. I always notice this is the one day I would like to actually sleep in. Crazy, isn’t it?
Evidently I wasn’t too hungry? Or maybe I had a 2nd plate and didn’t take a picture of it.
Everyone had different plans today. Some were going back to Disney World, some were heading to the airport and one lucky one, Patty, had her family meeting her at the port and she was sailing the Magic once again. Brook was almost as lucky..well lucky in a different way. Her family was flying in as well but they were spending the night at WDW and then sailing the Dream tomorrow. I proposed this to my husband and he looked at me like I was insane.
I was heading back to Disney for 1 more night. It is so depressing to have to go back the airport when getting off the ship. I try to avoid it if possible. Plus I knew that hanging with a group meant that what I did in the parks was going to be minimal early on in the trip.
Cass was flying out but she had a later flight. She had rented a car for the day and said she would take me back to Disney. Brook had her mom’s car and offered as well, but Cass said she had time to waste and it was perfectly fine so I went with her. Good thing. It took basically hours for Brook to get to her car and then get it out (it was blocked) at the offsite parking area. I don’t remember which place it was but I have noted to myself to never use it.
We got off the ship and got a porter and breezed through customs. Cass checked to see how long before an Uber driver could be there to pick us up and take us to Hertz. They were not that close and we decided since taxis were waiting there already we would just hop in one of those.
Only a few minutes later we were at the Hertz, which is located right in front of the Residence Inn….and a new hotel, which I think just opened recently but was not at the time we were there.
Cass ran in and got settled and then they brought the car out and we loaded all the bags in and set off for the World!
We chatted away about the likes and dislikes of the cruise and both had felt it went fairly well. We weren’t sure if we were going to like everyone in person…talking online is one thing, but meeting and hanging out can be full of surprises sometimes. Luckily we had a great team.
As we approached Disney, Cass said I should get my camera out since this is probably going to be the best shots of arriving I will ever take…so true. I am either driving or on a bus most times. And even a front seat on a bus is hard to get a good shot.
I took about 30!
As we were driving I got an email that said my room was ready and it gave me the room number. Well that’s great. Cass could drop me off near it and less hassle with the bags.
I was staying at All Star Sports this time. I decided from the beginning to just stay cheap. I also have a goal to eventually stay at all the resorts. I figured with 1 night I would get it out of the way since I really had no desire to stay here. Nothing wrong with the place, I just don’t like sports so the theming isn’t great for me.
As we got closer to the trip, I really debated at moving to the Contemporary to be close to MK as that is where I planned to be and knew it would be much easier getting back and forth so close. I also looked at Port Orleans Riverside in a Royal room and decided to save that for when I have Claire with me. In the end I stuck with Sports and I am glad I did and saved the money and got that one off my list.
We pulled up and Cass helped me with the bags. We went to the room, which is WAY far out, not close to the main building at all. I swore I booked a preferred. I always book preferred because I can’t stand being far out. I have done standard a few times at a Value and was always unhappy with how far out I am put.
I scan my band and nothing…I try again and again and again, and nothing. Ugh! What the heck am I going to do? I have 3 bags and one is Mr. Tippy who falls over if you look at it cross-eyed. Cass said she would help me lug the bags up and see what is going on. That was a long walk. All 3 of my bags are spinners but they were all heavy and I was just achy and ready to be done lugging bags around.
When we got to the lobby I double checked my reservation and I did book standard! Who knew? Won’t make that mistake again.
As we tried to figure which line to go in a CM came up to me and asked how she could help. I told her my problem and she looked into it.
I had a new band for this part of the stay, but they somehow linked everything to the band from the Poly. I have no clue why as both were in my MDE and this one was for Sports. And I have heard that most of the time you can use any active band and it will work for everything. I know some change band colors to go with their outfits. Let me tell you this does NOT work for everyone. I have another friend who goes often and she said the same thing. None of her old bands EVER work.
The CM got it all squared away with my current band. The other was buried in the luggage somewhere and I was not about to hunt for it in the middle of the lobby. She also got a guy from bell services to help with my bags.
We made the walk back and put everything in the room and the guy told me his name and said to ask for him tomorrow morning.
Then it was time to say goodbye to Cass. We had been together for over a week and I hate saying goodbye. I hate getting mushy. I don’t want to tear up and I could see she just might do so. I hugged her and told her not to cry. (mainly because I didn’t want to cry either. ) I like to think we will see each other again soon and it’s not really a goodbye. Yes that is a coping mechanism, but it works for me. We said goodbye and I had a pang in my heart as Cass walked away. If this was a movie, I would have ran back to her and hugged and cried and we could spend another week together because I just got a text that that I won the lottery. But that didn’t happen, unfortunately.
Now I was on my own. What was I going to do without Cass with me. Yes I had been with all the girls throughout most of the trip, but I had been with Cass since Day 1 and we really just gel together well.
I went into the room to look it over and take pictures.
PassPorter's Free-Book to Walt Disney World It’s hard to believe anything is free at Walt Disney World; but there are actually a number of things you can get or do for little to no cost. This e-book documents over 200 free or cheap tips to do before you go and after you arrive. You could save a considerable amount of money following these tips. Perhaps more importantly; you can discover overlooked attractions and little-known details most people whiz by on their way to spend money. Click here to see free sample pages from the e-book! Get this popular e-book free of extra charges when you join the PassPorter's Club for as little as $4.95. A club pass includes access to all our other e-books; e-worksheets; super-size photos; and more! This e-book is also available for separate purchase in the PassPorter Online Store for just $5.95.
Glad your departure from the ship went so smoothly and you were able to get your MB problem solved. It's always nice when you receive that text that your room is ready early!
Sorry your cruise has come to an end, but at least you get to spend another night in WDW! Glad you got the Magic Band situation sorted out!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Glad your departure from the ship went so smoothly and you were able to get your MB problem solved. It's always nice when you receive that text that your room is ready early!
I still get a little nervous...for absolutely no reason...going through customs. LOL.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Sorry your cruise has come to an end, but at least you get to spend another night in WDW! Glad you got the Magic Band situation sorted out!
Me too. I am counting down till my next one. Still several months away but I am ready
Now I always get anxiety when I know I have only a short time to do all I want. I decided to fight that anxiety and just chill out. My original plan was to head right over to MK but I decided to be more laid back and walked around the resort a bit to check it out. (I actually even debated taking a nap).
This football field was a hot spot for a lot of young boys. I think there were some teams of some sort staying here and the boys would play on this field all the time. They were kind of wild actually. I always seem to notice when I go to hotels with a team staying there that the parent’s kind of let the kids do their own thing while they stand or sit off to the side. Sure the kids are having fun, but in most cases they are annoying everyone else around. I have found this in the pool area a few times on different hotel stays we have done and accidently stayed when a team is staying as well. This held true for this field area, but at least they weren’t bothering so many people in this area.
I then decided to head to Disney Springs. Yeah, I know…that was not in my plans either. But I honestly wanted Earl of Sandwich for lunch and I had no one to answer to but myself now.
I got on the bus and got a seat. I laughed at this girl with her suitcase. I am actually shocked she was let on. I know when changing resorts you are not allowed to take your luggage on the bus. Your options are to have it transferred via Disney or take a cab or uber. She must have not gotten that memo and I guess the bus driver didn’t catch her.
Nice photos of the resort! Never stayed at a value, but never really had interest in doing so as a Mod is usually fine and I've seen how crowded the buses can be for the value resorts and I thought the mod buses were bad at times!
Odd that that woman was let on the bus! I've switched resorts on a few occasions and had my previous resort send them over. One time they forgot and after returning from one of the parks, they were not there and had to wait nearly two hours to get them. I should have been offered something for the inconvenience, but wasn't as it was the fault of my previous resort (CSR) to have my bags sent to my new one (WL). I needed my bags and was late afternoon by now. If you have this done in the am, they pretty much guarantee, you'll have them by 3pm or so. I have done this a few times and this was the only time I had a problem. In the future, may take a taxi!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Nice photos of the resort! Never stayed at a value, but never really had interest in doing so as a Mod is usually fine and I've seen how crowded the buses can be for the value resorts and I thought the mod buses were bad at times!
Odd that that woman was let on the bus! I've switched resorts on a few occasions and had my previous resort send them over. One time they forgot and after returning from one of the parks, they were not there and had to wait nearly two hours to get them. I should have been offered something for the inconvenience, but wasn't as it was the fault of my previous resort (CSR) to have my bags sent to my new one (WL). I needed my bags and was late afternoon by now. If you have this done in the am, they pretty much guarantee, you'll have them by 3pm or so. I have done this a few times and this was the only time I had a problem. In the future, may take a taxi!
I don't mind Values at all, but as Claire is getting older, mods or higher actually work better for us. Though we haven't gone with Skip and stayed on property for several years now. Well I take that back. We did stay at OKW 1 night 2 years ago.
Brook had that issue once. She was at Pop and moved over to Yacht Club to join me and her bags were late arriving and she had to call several times to get them tracked down to make it over. I had come from Movies and I took a taxi because I just didn't want the hassle of waiting for the bags.
I tried to get a lot of shots as it has been awhile since I have been here, but I still never made it very far and missed a lot of the new stuff. We plan to spend half a day here in Oct and I hope to do more exploring and perhaps even bowl a game.
I sat and enjoyed my lunch. I think I called Skip and then played on my phone a bit. I also listened to the people around me talking about their trips. It’s kind of fun to eavesdrop sometimes.
After lunch I had a mission. I was in search of maps. I had been collecting them prior to the cruise but I still needed some more and some for Disney Springs. (I know it sounds weird but yes I do use a LOT of maps for something so I pick them up every time I come to Disney). springs11 by Jenseib, on Flickr
The store has been totally changed around since the last time I was there…which was probably 2 years ago.
I made a few purchases for the family. I can’t remember what all I got, but I know I bought a package of different kinds of popcorn because Skip and Claire love popcorn. I also once again checked out the 2016 sweatshirts. I usually buy one each year if I can and this years selection was not wowing me. I liked the black one but in the end decided not to get it. I later bought it when I got home when the Disney store had 30% off and free shipping so I am glad I didn’t get it in the end.
I also was being careful on what I bought because I knew I had limited suitcase space. Mr. Tippy was only a carry on size. Coming down he was filled with gifts for my co-workers, so that pretty much emptied that, but I had bought several things already and my big suitcase was already at its limit coming down.
After purchases were made I went again in search of maps.
Now you are probably wondering how I was going to get all those heavy stacks of maps home? I was smart…well actually I got this idea from one of my co-workers….before I left I went online and printed out a priority mail shipping slip. I also brought down a box folded flat and a small roll of packing tape. I was going to put all the maps and anything else I could fit in it and send it home. It worked perfectly and arrived about a day or 2 after I got home.
I got on the bus back to Sports and a friend had asked me what my new purse looked like so I took a picture for her.
While traveling back to Sports, Michelle, the owner of our wonderful little company texted me. She was at Mk and wondered if I was there. I let her know I was coming soon and we could meet up later.
The bus stops now have a monitor that tells you when the next bus is coming. Sadly they are not in a great spot and hard to see from where I was standing. It was pretty accurate and if the bus was running later or earlier it would adjust the time.
Looks like a great time in DS with some nice purchases!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Glad you were able to enjoy lunch and find your maps! I often have solo parts of my trips and eavesdropping is one of my favorite ways to pass those solo meal times!