Sarilas' O-fficial Pre-Trip Report -1/2009 (a.k.a. Vacation, Take TWO!) - Page 13 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.
To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.
If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.
Double digits. That food looks very yummy. I think I am going to steal this idea when it gets close to our time to go.
Sorry to hear about your husband having to go to the hospital. I hope he is better now. I hope your father will feel better now that he is on dialysis. I understand it is rough.
__________________
Trish ,
Me and the family Magic Kingdom New Years Eve December 29, 2009-January 9th, 2010
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.
WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
Double digits. That food looks very yummy. I think I am going to steal this idea when it gets close to our time to go.
Sorry to hear about your husband having to go to the hospital. I hope he is better now. I hope your father will feel better now that he is on dialysis. I understand it is rough.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Congrats on double digits. The food looks delish!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by bsblady01
more please
Please do try the idea! It's so much fun and the kids can't wait for the next weekend's dinner and a movie!
The girls and I went crazy and decorated a pumpkin as Cindy's castle, complete with multi-changing color light inside! (some of the pumpkin light pics are blury, but you get the gist!)
I told you I had a lot of updates to make up for...
Last Saturday was our weekly Disney movie night leading up to our trip. And while some weekends fly by unnoticed because there's just too much to do, we DO try to make the dinner and a movie thing happen when we can.
Last night we were not feeling the movie thing (nobody could decide on what they wanted to watch) so it was dinner night instead. And because I'm still getting back into the swing of things I also completely spaced taking pictures!
Chicken and Leek Pie (a la Rose and Crown)
Bread and Honey Butter (a new family favorite!)
Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake (a la Boma)
I wish I could pluck the memories in my noggin and show them to you all, but alas, I cannot. Suffice it to say the pie was DELISH, and the cheesecake was SO RICH that even with 6 of us eating dinner there was still more than half the thing left. CRAZY GOOD.
...and because I love you all so much I went to the fridge and snapped a quick pic of what was left of that cheesecake...
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.
So I mentioned that we'd made some major changes to our ADR list.... and I WASN'T KIDDING!
We've decided (whether this sticks or not, who knows) to stay with the regular DDP, for a few reasons. The first is that there are some counter service places I really want to try, and the second is that the tips alone are going to be a pretty penny. We're a party of 6 with the automatic 18% gratuity (no matter what level of service we get), and with 5 meals, drinks, etc. being ordered, even though it's paid for by the DDP, the gratuity on all those things could be the equivalent of a QS meal somewhere else. I'm a cheapskate and that'll drive me NUTS to do this more than a few times during the week!
So yeah, we'll let the kids explore and find QS places they want to try as well. (Let's face it, they'll fill up on every junk food under the sun most of the afternoon anyway.)
Also, I present to you... Our new itinerary!
I decided to sign up for Tour Guide Mike after hearing such good things about line avoidance, etc... and I'm ALL ABOUT avoiding the hordes.
And naturally my original itinerary (based on EMH's and the DinseyWorld.com site) had us hitting all the worst parks each day! So some frantic time was spent reorganizing our schedule, and we decided that we really don't need Park Hoppers. We're going to be leaving each park mid-day anyway for naps, etc., so it's natural we'd want to pick up where we left off in that park later in the afternoon, not run to another park we haven't been to yet. Conquer one park at a time! That's when I reorganized our ADR schedule and we decided to stick with the DDP as well!
I made an overview list for park hours/dining for each day we're there, which I'll send to my cellphone for a portable reference! I'm also working on a daily version of this with our ADR numbers, times guide, etc. for each day...
Now, here's where some audience participation would be appreciated...
Boma. I hear great things and I'm sure 99% of our crew would love it, but my poor husband seriously cannot eat spicy food. Or potatoes. It's a digestive thing but he can't do it. So much of what I read/see seems to be curry/spiced/potato at Boma that I'm thinking I need to find an alternate dinner choice for that night! And we'll be in Epcot that day... there are so many choices at World Showcase... if you could pick your ONE table service meal of choice, where would it be?!
Cali Grill. LOVE this place, want to try it... BUT... the plan has been to get a sitter from one of Disney's recommended places for Stasia and Lexi, then take Kyle and Tatiana for dinner here. As we get closer to January though I'm just crazy hesitant about someone I don't know being in my hotel room, babysitting my PRECIOUS BABIES. It's driving me batty and I'm considering...
Cancelling.
It's our first trip to WDW and letting a stranger watch my girls in an unfamiliar location is so far outside my comfort zone it's not even funny.
We'll be at MK the day of our Cali Grill dinner. IF I did the unthinkable and cancelled that, in favor of someplace I would take the whole clan, where would YOU suggest (that's not already on our list)? I love hearing your opinions, especially since all (most?) of you have actually BEEN to these place before! I value what you have to say!
I thought about doing dinner on our Epcot night in the Japan pavillion, to make up for loss of sushi my DH and son would miss out on... but I'm still out an MK or close resort dining option...
Hey, two ADR's to stress over is much better than the 27 or so I've had up until now!
Well if you aren't comfortable with the idea of having people in your room you can always take them to one of the child sitting service places on site. ie: the neverland club etc....
Well if you aren't comfortable with the idea of having people in your room you can always take them to one of the child sitting service places on site. ie: the neverland club etc....
I thought I'd read that the babysitting clubs were for potty trained children only? I have a 1 year old who will definitely not be potty ready by January... that's why I'd originally thought of the in room service, before my gut got the better of me!
And it's not the having someone in our room that's bugging me as much as it is that our daughters will freak OUT with our leaving them in a strange place with a stranger... it's not like they're in the comfort of their own home or something... usually their big brother babysits them so they're not used to sitters at all.
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.
Oh my goodness! You've been busy!! Your dinners sound scrumptious!! I can relate to your apprehension about leaving your children alone with a virtual stranger in a strange place. Our DS is 16, but we never left him alone with a sitter while at WDW. We figure we'll be able to do all those things once he's on his own and we're travelling as a couple instead of a family. Every family is different and I'm sure those sitting services are wonderful, but you need to do what is best for your family and what makes you feel the most comfortable. figuring everything out.
Great plans and ADRs You're right, you can only take potty trained children to the on-site kids clubs
Quote:
Originally Posted by DyanKJ130
Oh my goodness! You've been busy!! Your dinners sound scrumptious!! I can relate to your apprehension about leaving your children alone with a virtual stranger in a strange place. Our DS is 16, but we never left him alone with a sitter while at WDW. We figure we'll be able to do all those things once he's on his own and we're travelling as a couple instead of a family. Every family is different and I'm sure those sitting services are wonderful, but you need to do what is best for your family and what makes you feel the most comfortable. figuring everything out.
I think I'd be more comfortable with it if it weren't for the fact that the girls are so little (1 and 3) and if Stasia (our 3 year old) weren't so terribly people-phobic from time to time. You never know with her- sometimes she'll walk up to perfect strangers and be willing to walk away with them and sometimes she literally hides her face and cries. This is her first trip to the World and I don't want to scar her with a fearful experience!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
DH and I were last minute shopping on Saturday morning (we threw a Halloween party that night), and I was filling him in on the Food & Wine TR's I've been reading here and there. Now, DH LOVES unusual food, food from different countries, etc. Very adventurous palate and willing to try everything (except potatoes!) once. I told him what a blast it would be to go to WDW again next year during F&W- we could celebrate our anniversary (which is actually in November, but it's our fifth next year!), go to one of MNSSHP's and get to enjoy Halloween at WDW all in one trip. He LOVED the idea! So now I need to figure out details!
Does any one know when the dates for MNSSHP are set? And is F&W at the same time every year? I doubt this will be another long trip like the one we're taking in January- maybe only 4 or 5 days so I want to be sure there would be a MNSSHP overlapping our visit to F&W.
But I have always wanted to go to Disney over Halloween! Food & Wine and our 5th anniversary would be just the icing on the cake!
I think dinner in Japan would be a great alternative to Boma - I have not yet to try but hear amazing stuff about Teppan Edo, and the menu looks wonderful.
For your MK day how about doing O'Hana for dinner, we love the meal there and the kids have so much fun. It is real family dining. It is a family served meal, check out the menu I think there is something that everyone will enjoy...and then you can hop back on the monorail back to MK or take the boat and make it an adventure.
About This Page: 
Double digits. That food looks very yummy. I think I am going to steal this idea when it gets close to our time to go. 
, 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
You're right, you can only take potty trained children to the on-site kids clubs 
figuring everything out.
Linear Mode
