Cruising the Med with Mickey and the Crew **Updated 11/25** COMPLETE - Page 14 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Just getting caught up on your TR, Terri, and I have to say that the history of the cities you are visiting is absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and for all the hard work that you put into your reports!
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.
Thank you for sharing the history and pictures of Pompeii!
It looks like such an amazing experience!
Can't wait to read more!
Tina
__________________
Tina
2009 Feb Disneyland - offsite
2007 Aug WDW - offsite
2005 June DCL West Coast/DL & DCA
2002 April Disneyland - offsite
2000 September WDW/DCL - CBR/Wonder
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
Terri - I've spent the last couple of days catching up on this TR. It's so great! I'm so sorry about all the trouble with the luggage That really stinks! But other than that, sounds like a fantastic trip. I have to say, I was quite jealous of that picture of Jolene and the Italian waiters in one of your first updates. Lucky girl!
Your excursions so far have been amazing, and I can't wait to hear more! I'm so living vicariously through you!
Great TR! I am finally caught up, what with trying to post my own TR.
Also, about your future trip to Italy. I have traveled in Italy quite a bit the last three years, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. You will have a great time!
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 2
Likes (Received): 7
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 1
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
After our exciting day in Naples – I came back to the ship and found my dad returning from the laundry room with the family’s clean laundry. Disney did my laundry (as limited as it was…)- they even pressed my jammies and hung them on hangers!!
Dinner tonight was at Animator’s Palate – a feast for the nose (smell of the meal), the tongue (taste of the meal) and the eyes – the restaurant itself!! Mom and Jolene’s excursion was due back late – so dad and I left them a note at the room and went to dinner. We went ahead and ordered an appetizer and a soup course to eat before they returned and after finding our note – they came and joined us. Mural on the floor entering Animator's Palate
Entrance to AP
Tonight was the Animator’s Palate “show” menu. I love this show!! I wish I had written down the name of what I ate – but I did remember to take photos.
We started with our regular cheese and fruit plate…. Then I had a mushroom appetizer in a puffed pastry. For my main course I opted for the filet mignon (as did mom) with the feta cheese, shrimp and steamed broccoli. Jolene wanted to take photo of her Mickey pasta (I can’t tell it’s Mickey pasta – but I know it was). I can not for the life of me remember what I had for dessert…. And I didn’t seem to take photos of it. Mushroom pastry
Filet Mignon with Shrimp Jolene's Mickey ravioli
Jolene also too a photo of the daily cheese and fruit decoration in the dining room. And of course – there was the show.
I videoed the last 6 minutes of it – but it is too large to post on YouTube…. So I can’t share - but I really love this show. Still photos just can not do it justice : - it must be seen with the eye! On my previous cruises I have only been in AP one time – so this was the only way I’ve seen this place – but this time we ate here 4 times (??) so the diversity was a bit different.
After dinner – Jolene and I reviewed the navigator and she decided she wanted to go to the Walt Disney Theatre and play “On the Nose”. I had heard that of all the evening shows – this was the one that you could skip… I was sort of EH about going – but we had a good time. We played on the Sneezy team – and ended up winning 2nd place! I helped the team get an answer correct – did you know that there are approximately 5.2 million gallons of water in the Living Seas tank? Well now you do!! Playing "On The Nose "
After winning our mini-spinning Mickey globe – we headed back to our cabin to tuck in for the night – since we had another busy day planned tomorrow as we pulled into Sardina!
Great update! I've benn looking forward to you posting a new one. Funny thing is that while I'm reading your TR, I'm watching Disney Cruise Line on the Travel Channel. I really tempted to go on a cruise.
__________________
ºOº ~*~
Oct '99: CSR ~ May '02: CR ~ Nov '04: SOG ~ May '06: SOG ~ Dec '07: Solo @ Pop ~ May '08: Pop w/friends ~ Oct '08: SOG ~ Dec '09: Pop w/LeAnn ~ Sept '10: Solo @ Pop ~ Spring '11: AKL ~ Jan '12: Pop for 1/2 Marathon ~ Sept '12: 1st trip for DL 1/2 Marathon? ~ Feb '13: Pop w/pals? ~ Mar '13: Tokyo Disney w/PP's?
congrats on placing 2nd!! too bad about the large video. i'd like to see it because i doubt i ever get to go on a disney cruise! when my videos are too big, i condense them in windows movie maker.
PassPorter Guide Community Rank: Legend Extraordinaire
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
Post Thanks / Like
Likes (Given): 2
Likes (Received): 7
Thanks (Given): 0
Thanks (Received): 1
Pixie Dust (Given): 0
Pixie Dust (Received): 0
SARDINA – Today we were in Olbia, Sardina. We pulled into port – while passing extensive aquaculture of mussels and fin fish. A co-worker of mine studied aquaculture in graduate school and he had told me to keep my eyes open for it while in the Med – so as we pulled into port – I took a few photos for him. It was windy and cool this morning – but I must admit Sardina is a beautiful island!
Views of Olbia and Sardina and the aquaculture in the harbor
This morning’s excursions were both half day. Mom, Dad and Jolene were taking a train ride to Gallura. Disney said that they would “Rove Sardina’s charming countryside on a picturesque tour before embarking on a delightful jaunt through the historic city of Tempio Pausania”.
I would “uncover the exquisite beauty of Sardina as you kayak on Lago del Liscia against an unspoiled backdrop of green vegetation and gentle rolling hills”.
I had breakfast outside at Topsiders as we pulled into port and saw a couple of the Moby Ferries – including the “Moby Wonder” – another Wonder next to the Magic! After breakfast I headed to Diversions for my excursion. I had decided not to wear my swimsuit…. Thinking I would not get really wet- but I walked in the door of Diversions, there was a pile of towels… and they were telling the kayakers to take one… ummm should I rethink the whole swimsuit thing?
Breakfast and the Moby Ferries After we all gathered our stuff together, we loaded into bus #1 – the mini-bus and met our guide Renata from Poland and headed up into the “mountains” above Gallura to Lago del Liscia – a manmade lake that is the drinking water source for Olbia.
Renata - our guide We had a very small group – right about 20 people. After about an hour – we arrived at a Funtana Abbas – a local hotel and unloaded. We took a biological break and walked down a dusty country lane to the waters edge.
Line of buses for all the excursions; and the Sardinian countryside Funatta Abbas We met our kayak guides – an Italian and a Brit. We put our life vests on and selected our kayaks. I lucked into a solo kayak and after putting my camera in the new floating waterproof case I purchased for the trip – I donned the life vest, loaded myself into the kayak and pushed away from shore… Renata with our guides (Italian and Brit) and our kayaks My kayak As I started to paddle – I realized that this kayak was NOTHING like the ocean kayaks I have been in before – you know – the kind that have RUDDERS that help stabilize you!!! All I could think was – “whatever you do – don’t wiggle!” And while you are not wiggling anything from the waist down – rhythmically you’re moving your upper body in a push pull motion to paddle this thing. There were three young men from England – near Manchester (Karen – isn’t that near you?) named Sam, Max and Eddie (and dad too, but he did not kayak) – all of whom go kayaking at school and proceeded to give me “lessons”. Max – the eldest – told me that as long as I didn’t tip over in the first 10 minutes – then I probably wouldn’t for the whole morning. I must say that my genetically issued Irish/English/German-childbearing hips (doesn’t matter if I ever use them for that purpose – I have them…) were nicely squeezed into the kayak – and I thought if I went over there was NO way I was coming out of that thing….and that I would drown… View from my kayak (the one photo I took while trying to balance....) Me in my kayak - taken by Max - Sam's big brother.
OK – so I paddled, and followed the Italian guide (I never saw the British gentleman – I learned later that he was dealing with a couple of boys who flipped within 30 seconds of pushing off from the beach).
The morning was very relaxing – once I got over my flipping over fear. After about 20 minutes I could feel my arms and chest and back start to feel a little sore and tight. I was getting a major upper body workout. We ended up in 2 groups – the “semi-not-too bad” and the “not too sure what they were doing” group. I actually ended up in the first group and I was proud of myself. The 3 UK boys, the Italian guide, a mother/son pair in a tandem kayak and I ended up rounding the island in the middle of the lake.
While we were rounding the island, I heard a song…. “Timewarp” from “Rocky Horror picture show” lofting across the lake… it seems as though one of the UK boys – Sam – is an amateur actor and loves 1970s and 1980s music. After “timewarp” Sam serenaded us with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. I commented that he was not old enough to know those songs…. I later learned from Dad that Sam is considered “a human iPod”… Lago del Liscia - with the island I circled and the bridge in the original photo
About two hours after we started, we paddled back to the beach and my wobbly legs and tight and sore chest, abs, back (heck all of me) – and then climbed up the HILL that seemed like a casual stroll down a bit more than two hours ago. We headed up to the main complex of the hotel and entered the restaurant. After cleaning up in the restroom – we headed out onto a covered patio that overlooked the lake.
Cork oak - the bark is harvested every 7 years - can you see the line on the tree where the bark at the bottom has been stripped, harvested and since grown back? View from the restaurant where we had our snack
We had a snack of pecorino cheese (which I learned is made from sheep’s milk – there are 5 sheep for every person on Sardina), a salty ham that reminded me of parma ham and a very nice salami – but it was not hard like salami we get here in the US. It was all wonderful. We also had a wonderful red wine and a liqueur made from the myrtle bush called Mirto… (MEER – TOE). It reminds me of Jagermeister… or Vicks 44 cough medicine.
During lunch I ate with the British family and learned they are DVC members and veteran Disney cruisers. They told me all about the relocation cruise through the Panama Canal and what to expect on that upcoming trip.
After our snack, we loaded back on the bus for the drive back to the ship. We drove through some beautiful countryside… and I must tell you – this is a place that I would definitely love to return to.
View from Gallura approaching Olbia, the Magic at dock in the distance
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.
What beautiful pictures Terri I'm glad you didn't overturn the kayak How scary it must have been in the beginning Sounds like a great lunch/snack as well! More please
Great updates, Terri!! You were busy last night!! Animator's Palate sounds wonderful & congratulations on your second place finish with Jolene in "On the Nose." The kayaking adventure sounds fun! Can't wait to hear more
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
That really stinks! But other than that, sounds like a fantastic trip. I have to say, I was quite jealous of that picture of Jolene and the Italian waiters in one of your first updates. 
Lucky girl! 
: - it must be seen with the eye! On my previous cruises I have only been in AP one time – so this was the only way I’ve seen this place – but this time we ate here 4 times (??) so the diversity was a bit different.
ºOº ~*~ 
I'm glad you didn't overturn the kayak 
How scary it must have been in the beginning 
Linear Mode
