Thanksgiving @ WDW 2009; Crazy and Lovin' it! - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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Tuesday November 24th
Hollywood Studios
We were all awake around 6am as usual. We ate breakfast in the food court. We headed out to the bus stop around 8:15am. There was a bus loading when we first got there. It was PACKED to the gills. We decided to just wait for the next bus. The wait took forever! This ended up being the only morning we arrived after the park was open! (And it was toy story madness day)
We got in and picked up our double stroller. When I rented a double at MK last night, I went ahead and purchased a length of stay rental. By the time we made it back to Toy Story Mania it was nearly 9:30am. The line was already an hour long and the line for FP’s was a mile long also. My dad and the kids sat on a bench and watched the HSM3 show from a distance while I got FP’s. It took about 15 minutes just to get the FP’s.
My dad could barely walk at this point. I offered to get him a wheelchair, but he said he was going to sit on a bench. So, we left him at the bench and we were off to the Little Mermaid. It was ten minutes till the next show. They packed us in that preshow room like sardines, it was HOT in there. We were finally let into the theatre. The kids snagged the front row. FYI: front row is a horrible seat for this show, you can’t see over the stage! We still really enjoyed it even if our view was obstructed at times.
We made a bee line for Playhouse Disney, but it filled to capacity just before we made it. We spotted a gift shop and Wesley and Dillon each bought a club penguin plush toy. Winston found a stuffed Pooh he wanted, but I was not on board. It rattled when it shook, so I told him it was for babies. He was determined to have this Pooh and things were going downhill, when a really great CM stepped into help- he backed me up, saying it was for babies and that he should leave it here in case some babies came in the store later. This did the trick and Winston put the stuffed Pooh down and we walked out of the store w/out a fit! Thanks CM!
Just caught up.
Sounded like you got a lot done at AK and MK.
The kids seem to be doing well and you had a good night at MK without your dad's help. Great kids!
We headed into Animation Academy. We spotted the characters from UP. The kids were super excited! Winston spotted Mickey. I let the big kids stand in line for UP and I walked Winston over to meet Mickey. I could see the kids in their line, from my line; plus Wes had his cell. Winston kept running toward Mickey and was SO excited to see him again. But when we got to the front, he got cold feet and I had to hold him and he would barely look at Mickey. The kids still had a way to go for the UP characters. So Winston and I took a seat in the floor. They finally made it to the front and they loved meeting these characters! (all 3 of these pics are photopass)
I planned to do the drawing class, but the kids were starving and could not wait any longer for lunch.
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We headed back to retrieve my dad from the bench. He had just eaten a hotdog or something, so he wasn’t hungry, but he walked with us to eat lunch at Back lot express. He said his foot was swollen, and his knee was stiff and he would probably continue bench sitting for the day. I felt bad for him. I suggested he go back to the hotel, but he said he enjoyed people watching from the bench. Dillon had a chili dog, I had a turkey sandwich, and all the other kids had chicken nuggets with fries.
We decided to ride Star Tours next. Wesley doesn’t do thrill rides, so he went with my dad. Austin, Dillon, Madilyn, Winston, and I rode it and loved it! This is Dillon’s favorite ride and Austin was in love with it also. The wait was listed at 30 minutes, but it took less than 20. another photo pass picture. I really like this one.
Wes called and wanted to know if we were ready to ride Toy Story Mania, so we headed over there to meet back up with him and my dad. Even w/ FP’s I knew it would be a bit of a wait. My dad didn’t think he could manage the line (He SO needed a GAC card, but he won’t do stuff like that). I suggested he go in One Man’s Dream next door while we rode, for different scenery and more comfortable seating. It took about 10-15 minutes even with the FP’s. There was some arguing in line over who was riding w/who. Austin and Madilyn had been ride buddies, but Madilyn was mad at Austin over something and refused to ride with him. Wesley and Dillon wanted to ride together and Winston wanted to ride with me. Finally; I told Wesley he had to ride with Austin and Dillon with Madilyn. Wesley complained for a minute, but I reminded him he was older and needed to help out. By the time we loaded, everyone was happy with their ride partners and we all enjoyed the ride. Austin begged to wait in the two hour line for a second ride. NO.
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We were now headed to Muppet Babies and the Back lot tour. Wes and Austin went w/ my dad to meet Prince Caspian. The rest of us headed over to the Back lot tour. It was posted at a 45 minute wait! What? We moved onto Muppet babies. There was a 5 minute wait till the next show and that went by quickly. We all enjoyed the show.
After the show, we spotted Lightning McQueen and Mater. We hopped in line. Dillon also spotted another penny machine. Winston loved meeting McQueen; he kept trying to climb on him. It was hard to get a picture because he was so fascinated and he didn’t want to leave them either. After meeting them, my dad, Wes, and Austin walked up. They had met Prince Caspian and other Characters (I think Playhouse Disney characters) while we were separated.
Prince Caspian was Austin’s first encounter with a face character. My dad said it was a good thing there was no one behind them in line because he asked him every question under the sun for like 15 minutes with the CM’s giggling. My dad said it was great, I would have loved to seen it.
We stopped for a snack. Dillon and my dad got a strawberry bar, Madilyn got itzakadoozi, Austin got a Mickey bar, Winston and I shared a diet coke, and Wes got a coke.
At this point it was 3:40 and the final showing of Lights, Motor, and Action would be at 4:10pm. So, we headed that way. My dad returned to the bench. I really think he would have enjoyed this show. I told him he would be able to sit, but at this point he said that even walking to the attraction was too much. We arrived really early, but the kids were content taking a break on the benches waiting for the show. We all really enjoyed this show last year, and Austin and Winston truly enjoyed seeing it for the first time. We exited the show with the other million people and headed for back lot tour.
The wait for the back lot tour was down to 30minutes, so we hopped in line. It was more like a 10-15 minute wait, so I’m glad we did it. After the tour, we made a bee line for the Indian Jones Show, we were cutting it close and it was their last showing of the day (5:30pm) we got there at 5:35 and the show had been cancelled due to weather. They said it started at 5:30 and filled to capacity, but a few minutes into the show it was cancelled. We spotted Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc and Wesley had to meet them.
At this point we were all starving for dinner! We spotted ABC Commissionaire and I called my dad to meet us there. When Wes found out there was no chicken nuggets, we left. We headed to back lot express, but they were closed. Ugh! Finally, we headed to Toy Story Pizza Planet. They didn’t have nuggets either, but Austin was DYING of starvation and the others were cranky. Wesley agreed to make due. We all 7 had pizza. All 5 kids had cheese, my dad had pepperoni, and I had supreme. I don’t think any of us really cared for it, but we ate it all the same. It was packed and we sat upstairs, which was great because it was away from the games.
After dinner, we all walked over to see the Osborne lights. WOW! We all loved it! We were now off to the Great Movie Ride. Wesley and my dad sat on the bench while the rest of us rode. It was a great ride and we walked right on it. I told my dad afterward he should have rode, as it was a walk on. Oh well.
It was now after 7pm and we had an hour left before the park closed. So, we were headed to TOT and RRC. My dad, Wes, and Dillon left the park since none of them were riding. I felt horrible for my dad-he didn’t ride a single thing! And he had really been looking forward to TOT, but he just could not walk any more than necessary. I had meant to get FP’s for both these rides, but never did.
TOT had a 75 minute wait. YIKES! RRC had a 60 minute wait. I told Austin and Madilyn they had to choose one or the other. They were disappointed because they wanted to do both. But, they chose RRC. Then I had an idea! Single Rider line! I knew Winston was not tall enough, but I just wanted to wait in line with them. I’ve left them in lines before w/ Wes or Dillon, but the boys were w/my dad and I didn’t want to leave them alone. The CM would not let me enter the line w/ Winston. I was torn, but it was a snap decision. I decided to let them enter the line. I told them once they got out of my sight; I’d go around and meet them at the exit. I explained the single rider line and they may not be riding together. The CM took sympathy and even though she could not let me enter the line with Winston (being too short), she pulled out FP’s for them so they could at least ride together. YAY! So, they entered the FP line and I walked around to the exit. As I waited for them at the exit, I got nervous and felt I had made a bad decision leaving them in the line, but it was too late now. In less than ten minutes, they exited the ride smiling ear to ear! They both still claim it as their favorite ride! Looking back, it probably was not the best decision to put them in line alone and I doubt I’d do it again; but all is well that ends well.
Now it was about 7:40pm, so we headed over to Tower of Terror! The wait was listed as 75 minutes. I gave Austin and Madilyn the option and they wanted to wait, so we got in line. They measured Winston and he barely made the cut off. I told Winston it was an elevator that would try to be scary and go up and down really, really fast. He still wanted to ride! People looked at Winston surprised that he was riding. The wait only ended up being about 40minutes. The kids were SO good during that long wait. Austin and Madilyn couldn’t stop talking about RRC and they were so excited to ride TOT. Once in the stretching room, Winston got a little nervous. We left the room and he was excited again. We all got on the elevator and started up. I told Winston to get ready, that we were going to go down really fast and it would take his belly away. I could tell he was nervous, but he didn’t cry or complain and when we got off he said he would ride again! WOW! But, I realized I made a mistake in my wording because he kept lifting his shirt and asking if his belly came back. I should have said tickle your belly or make it feels funny, not take away. Unfortunately, all the photo pass people were long gone since the park was closed. I was bummed not to have a picture with TOT in the background. I tried taking some with my camera, but it was dark and they you couldn’t tell what was in the background…
We headed for the exit. When we returned the double stroller, the kids were telling the CM about TOT. Winston jumped in 100mph saying we went up and down really fast and it took my belly away, but don’t worry I got it back. LOL.
We headed out to the bus stop. We were on the bus quickly. Austin and Winston fell asleep on the bus ride. Winston skipped a shower; I laid him straight in the bed. The rest of us took turns showering and we were soon off to sleep.
Once we were settled in the room, and I talked to my dad- he still didn’t want a scooter and thought he’d be ok after a day of rest. He had done a little more than I thought also. He walked through One Man’s Dream and enjoyed that and he also went through the drawing portion of the Animation Academy several times, he really enjoyed them teaching him to draw the characters. The funny thing is, we didn’t get a chance to do either of those things, and I had really wanted too. I know a lot of people say DHS is a one day park, but we ran out of time last year and this year. Next time, if possible I’m going to try to allot two days for this park. There is still a lot here, we have not done: Playhouse Disney, American Idol, Beauty and the Beast, Disney Animation drawing class, Prince Caspian exhibit, and there are a few we did last year, but didn’t have time for this year: Indiana Jones, HISTA playground, Star Wars light saber show, meet Power Rangers, HSM show, and One Man’s Dream. I think we could easily spend two days here!
The weather today was… H78/L66 rain was called for and it looked like it could rain any minute, but we never got more than the occasional sprinkle. It was really nice today!
The best thing today was… Getting in RRC and TOT that final hour!
The worst thing today was… My dad having to sit out and missing the ride he was most looking forward to; TOT.
The funniest thing today was… Winston wanting to make sure his belly came back after it went away on TOT
Today we tried… Toy Story Pizza Planet
And the result was… not good
The most magical moment today was… walking out of DHS when the park was empty with Madilyn, Austin, and Winston in the best mood ever and just letting them run down the empty streets…
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