Home is Where the Mouse Is TR (June 1 - 11, 2017) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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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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Finally is was FP time so we walked over to Kilimanjaro Safaris. We all got in the line. We had a great driver and saw lots of animals. I'll warn you, there's a lot of photos.
Sometime during the day, Arben and his brother stopped for a beer.
We had one more FP left for EE. I was trying to talk my SIL out of riding with the girls. In my opinion, the ride is too much for them. We volunteered to go on first and then we'd stay with the girls and they could ride.
On our way to EE.
We had a great ride, as always. And here is the most unflattering ride photo I've ever taken.
This photo is horrible but yet hilarious at the same time. I look awful. Abniel is having a biological emergency. Arben looks like he's about to cry.
Now, these guys look great.
When we got to my BIL, they had decided not to ride. We were all pretty much done, so we headed out of the park.
We got some MM photos as we were leaving.
Upon arriving, Adriel and Abniel wanted to go swimming. We quickly changed and headed over there. Arben and AJ stayed in the room. After a couple of hours of fun, it was time to go. We all showered and started getting ready for the evening.
I decided to take a peek outside and the skies had opened up. Our evening plans for AK were not looking good. We waited for the rain to stop. And waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, we were able to head out at 7:45.
And then we waited at the bus stop. Every other bus came but the AK one. It was 8:20 and still no bus. And worst of all, the wait time kept going up. Our breakfast included the Rivers of Light tickets for the 9:15 showing. At this pace, we weren't going to make it. I finally got fed up and headed to the lobby. I told the CM (as calm as I could) our situation. The CM told me to wait one moment and went to the back. He came back and told me they would be putting us in a cab.
I immediately called Arben and told him to meet me out front. The cab arrived quickly and we were off to AK. We arrived at 8:45 and made our way through the turnstiles. We were running a little late and I wasn't sure what the fastest route was. Our entrance for the show was by the Nemo theater. I asked a CM and she told us where to go. We were almost running and I was for sure thinking we would get awful seats. I was wrong, there were plenty of spots to choose from.
We settled in. Shortly after, the show started. Let me tell you this show was very well done. I liked it a lot. My boys were bored, but I enjoyed it. I only got a couple of pictures.
After the show was over, we wanted to ride EE but the wait time was too much. At this time, my back was starting to bother me. We kept on walking. The boys were hungry so went in search of food. But first, I wanted something I had seen earlier. A Dole Whip with coconut rum. Yum, yum, yum!!!
On our way to the food, we saw BIL. We chatted for a bit and then went our separate ways. We arrived at Restaurantosaurus (spelling??). AJ and Abniel got burgers. Adriel got a chicken sandwich. Arben and I shared some chicken nuggets. Again, no photos. It was a ghost town there, only a handful of families eating.
The park would be open until 11:00 and I really wanted to see Pandora at night, but my back was giving in. I was in so much pain and stiffness, I could hardly walk or bend. It was awful. We decided to just head back to the room so I could rest. Arben texted his brother and told him we were leaving. As we were walking to the bus stop, we saw them ahead.
I got some not-so-good photos of the Tree of Life as we were leaving.
I don't have it in my notes, so I'm sure I got a seat. I couldn't bare standing for that much. We got to the resort and headed quickly to the room. We all changed, I took some pain medicine and we all went to bed.
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Great pictures from the safari. Glad the front desk was able to call you a cab so that you could make it to AK on time for the River of Lights show. Sorry your back started to bother you. Hopefully you're back will feel better in the morning.
Your safari pictures are wonderful!! All in all, it sounds like a great day!! I can't wait to see ROL!! That was very cool of the CM to do the right thing by putting you guys in a cab. I am so sorry about your back. . That stinks!!
I love lots of Kilimanjaro Safaris photos as I feel like I'm riding along from the comfort of my couch. Your wait for an AK bus would have had me quite a bit anxious. Thank goodness, they got you all a cab. I'm so sorry about your back and hope it didn't interfere too much with the rest of your vacation.
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Wonderful photos of your Safari! And photopass pictures as well! The ride photos are never very flattering for me either!
It's always so stressful waiting for a bus when you've got an ADR or FP. That was very nice of the CM to get you a cab!
Rivers of Light sounds so awesome! I am so looking forward to that show, and I'm glad you mentioned that you got good seats with your FP because that's the plan for us as well.
Great day at the AK and love your KS photos and especially the lion taking a snooze! The EE photos are quite funny and I see AJ is doing his standard taking a nap routine with these. Too bad with the bus situation at POR and I've had problems with the buses many times there and more here than at any other resort I've stayed at. Glad they were able to get you a taxi back to the AK for ROL. They should have comped you on the taxi as it wasn't your fault and you gave yourself plenty of time. No surprise with the show not being crowded as many probably bypassed the show with the rain earlier.
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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!
I'm so glad that the CM called you a cab or you probably wouldn't have made it in time! I still haven't seen ROL yet but hope to on an upcoming trip as the pictures look so beautiful. Loved your EE pictures!!! So sorry your back was acting up but hopefully the pain meds kicked in!
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Great pictures from the safari. Glad the front desk was able to call you a cab so that you could make it to AK on time for the River of Lights show. Sorry your back started to bother you. Hopefully you're back will feel better in the morning.
Thank you! It was so nice of the CM to get us the cab. Disney magic at its finest.
Your safari pictures are wonderful!! All in all, it sounds like a great day!! I can't wait to see ROL!! That was very cool of the CM to do the right thing by putting you guys in a cab. I am so sorry about your back. . That stinks!!
Having your back or legs/feet hurt is not something you want to deal with when at Disney.
I love lots of Kilimanjaro Safaris photos as I feel like I'm riding along from the comfort of my couch. Your wait for an AK bus would have had me quite a bit anxious. Thank goodness, they got you all a cab. I'm so sorry about your back and hope it didn't interfere too much with the rest of your vacation.
The wait had me anxious at first, then it was just anger. The wait was ridiculous, given that the other parks had a couple of busses come and go.
Wonderful photos of your Safari! And photopass pictures as well! The ride photos are never very flattering for me either!
It's always so stressful waiting for a bus when you've got an ADR or FP. That was very nice of the CM to get you a cab!
Rivers of Light sounds so awesome! I am so looking forward to that show, and I'm glad you mentioned that you got good seats with your FP because that's the plan for us as well.
The seats were amazing with the dining package. And we got there like maybe 20 minutes before the show and there were plenty spots to choose from.
Great day at the AK and love your KS photos and especially the lion taking a snooze! The EE photos are quite funny and I see AJ is doing his standard taking a nap routine with these. Too bad with the bus situation at POR and I've had problems with the buses many times there and more here than at any other resort I've stayed at. Glad they were able to get you a taxi back to the AK for ROL. They should have comped you on the taxi as it wasn't your fault and you gave yourself plenty of time. No surprise with the show not being crowded as many probably bypassed the show with the rain earlier.
Yup, Sleeping AJ is at it again. I don't know how he's able to do this.
We didn't pay anything for the cab. Sorry for not being clear on that.
Other sections of the show were already full when we got there. I'm thinking they were probably the stand-by one.
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Our evening plans for AK were not looking good. We waited for the rain to stop. And waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, we were able to head out at 7:45.
All in all, it sounds like a great day!! I can't wait to see ROL!! That was very cool of the CM to do the right thing by putting you guys in a cab.
I am so sorry about your back. 
. That stinks!!
Your wait for an AK bus would have had me quite a bit anxious. Thank goodness, they got you all a cab. I'm so sorry about your back and hope it didn't interfere too much with the rest of your vacation. 
The EE photos are quite funny and I see AJ is doing his standard taking a nap routine with these. 
Too bad with the bus situation at POR and I've had problems with the buses many times there and more here than at any other resort I've stayed at. 
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