Southern Fried in Mickey's World Updated 12/31 - Page 15 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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.
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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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The Old McDonald version that the VOL sing is one of my favorites too! That song is on my VOL CD that I play a lot in the car and I love singing it while I'm driving. Sounds like a relaxing stroll around Epcot but the bus ride home did not sound pleasant. That poor mom with the screaming baby must have been beside herself and I can imagine how you felt when the bus driver almost pulled away without you getting off!!! Sorry you had no giraffe sightings from your balcony this day but I'm glad you at least had something to look at besides the workers out there!
I have experienced those bus rides home as the grandma of an inconsolable toddler and they are not fun!
Glad you were able to raise your voice and alert the bus driver to the fact that a few people still needed to get off!
Glad you saw such a great performance with the VOL! That exhibition looks very good and fairly extensive and detailed. Glad you got off the bus as not a pleasant situation!
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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!
Oh my goodness, I'd love to have seen the rendition of Old McDonald... so not what you expect to see from the Voices of Liberty... at least I don't anyway!
That exhibition looked fascinating. It's a shame it's not permanent.
Thank goodness you made it off the bus!
This was the first time in my memory that we had seen Old McDonald performed. So much fun! There were lots of folks wandering the exhibit, so it is kind of sad that it is not permanent.
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Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
Yikes! That was a close call on the bus! Glad you were able to escape the screaming toddler.
No kidding! I know the mom was feeling helpless, but I really needed some space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lindawdw
The Old McDonald version that the VOL sing is one of my favorites too! That song is on my VOL CD that I play a lot in the car and I love singing it while I'm driving. Sounds like a relaxing stroll around Epcot but the bus ride home did not sound pleasant. That poor mom with the screaming baby must have been beside herself and I can imagine how you felt when the bus driver almost pulled away without you getting off!!! Sorry you had no giraffe sightings from your balcony this day but I'm glad you at least had something to look at besides the workers out there!
I have never had a bus driver so hasty in shutting the doors. If the bus hadn't still been packed, we could have moved to the front doors. There was no way this mom was going to get herself and her child to the front. I was so excited to finally see some animals from our own balcony.
I have experienced those bus rides home as the grandma of an inconsolable toddler and they are not fun!
Glad you were able to raise your voice and alert the bus driver to the fact that a few people still needed to get off!
I didn't want to do anything to make that mom feel any worse than I knew she already did. And thankfully, even though my voice does not often carry well when I try to yell, the driver finally heard and let us off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave
Glad you saw such a great performance with the VOL! That exhibition looks very good and fairly extensive and detailed. Glad you got off the bus as not a pleasant situation!
The exhibition was very nicely done. I was feeling a bit trapped on that bus.
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Since we didn’t have far to travel, we began today at 7:30. While I was getting ready, Luke logged into the DVC site to book us accommodations for May 12 – 18, 2019. You may remember that we already have a studio booked for Aulani for May 6 – 12, 2019. Thankfully, he was able to get a one bedroom at the Grand Californian. This does mean spending more points, but it will help to have the washer and dryer, so we won’t have to pack as much for this trip. I was definitely doing a happy dance! WooHoo!
By 8:50 we were at the bus stops with an Animal Kingdom bus arriving right at 9:00. At Animal Kingdom, I took a hard left to the extra tables set up for bag check since all of these had much shorter lines. Bag check was pretty easy here. In fact, the security officer hardly looked in my backpack at all. He just pulled out my rain coat and Luke’s poncho, handed them to me, and sent me on my way. Odd! Luke gave me a funny look as I came around the corner, trying to stuff these back in the backpack.
First task, a PhotoPass pic with the front entrance as the backdrop. This particular PhotoPass photographer seemed to already be suffering from the heat.
Then we were off to scan our Magic Bands, using the Annual Pass gate, which we discovered had absolutely NO line. Cool! And cause for another happy dance! Once inside the park, I picked up a map, times guide, and my newest favorite, the animal guide.
While waiting for our bus back at Kidani, we decided that we would use our first FasPass before getting breakfast. So now, we traveled over to Africa for a truck ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Overall, we saw lots of animals despite a driver/guide who was less observant than we are accustomed, too.
The bongos were out in a small herd this morning.
Our driver then blew past the black rhinos, telling us none were currently out, though I had already noticed one and quickly snapped a shot. Thank goodness, I was quick as she didn’t give me more than a second. The other one was in its usual place under the ledge. I attempted a photo of him, but she putting the metal to the pedal, accelerating us off and away.
Okay then, I’m going to have to be vigilant if I want animal photos today. Next up were the hippopotamus, keeping cool in the ponds. I’m still disappointed that we’ve not yet seen the baby hippo.
The hippo’s friends, the pink backed pelicans, were clustered nearby. I’m not sure we’ve ever seen them in mating season when they actually turn pink.
Keep in mind that our driver is still channeling her inner race driver. Usually, we stop for a brief look at the Nile crocodiles, but not today. I snapped several in quick succession, managing one decent photo of this mighty reptiles.
Arriving at the baobab tree, our driver decided this needed more time, stopping our truck and chattering on about baobab trees. But this did afford me an opportunity to get some giraffe photos, my first of this trip, while she educated us on the life cycle of baobabs. In her defense, other trucks were just ahead so traffic here had to move more slowly. Thanks goodness for me as giraffes were in the area.
Moving further into the savanna, I momentarily caught a glimpse of the painted dogs. Before our truck was charging ahead. The ankole cattle were stationary, so I could get a few photos of these guys.
Then giraffes were once again nearby. Another happy dance!
Leaving the savanna, our truck brought us to the elephants, or at least, the bull elephant.
Now as we came around a bend, our driver was more observant, noting a mandrill seated up by the tree. Luke had to help me find it as there were several trees.
Then we were back with the elephants where we barely slowed down. But I was fast enough to get several photos, and especially one of baby Stella.
Our quick tour brought us around the Mickey head island of greater flamingos.
At this point in every safari, I get excited knowing the lions are next. This safari they were acting like typical felines – lazy. I apologize that a few of these are slightly blurry, but I was doing my best in a vehicle that never slowed down or stopped.
Pumba was out in all his warthog glory.
The first area where white rhinos are usually found was deserted, but we found them a little further on. I managed one, not blurry, photo.
That ends our speed version of Kilimanjaro Safaris. Kwaheri! Go Well!
Back in African civilization, we headed to Starbucks for breakfast. I changed up a bit, having a tall hot chocolate with pumpkin bread. Luke go a bacon, egg, gouda on ciabatta along with a venti caramel Frappuccino. We took our goodies to the covered waiting overflow area for Tusker House and dined in the shade.
Nice sightings on KS even though it was somewhat of a speed right with your driver! Glad you got some photos of the giraffes! I remember baby Stella from my Caring For Giants tour last year and she has gotten big! Every time I go on this ride the lions never seem to be out, but you have better luck with this! I did not know there was an AP line to scan your MB.
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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!
You were so lucky to get through the bag check area and the ticket entrance so quickly this trip as we found our AK very crowded with lines at the entrance for both! The description of your KS tour had me absolutely laughing out loud! It is rare that you ever get a driver who seemed as shall me say "hurried" as yours seemed to be. Well, at least you know everything you need to know about Baobab trees.
All things considered, you got some good Safari pictures. Maybe getting through the bag lines and entrance scan so quickly set the tone for the day - FAST! It seems too early in the day for your driver to be racing back for a break?
Great update Cam! Thanks for sharing the Indian exhibit. My great great grandmother was a full blood Blackfoot Indian. I've always thought that was where I got my love of color. Too bad your driver had such a lead foot on your safari! Looking forward to more!
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Sounds like a relaxing stroll around Epcot but the bus ride home did not sound pleasant. That poor mom with the screaming baby must have been beside herself and I can imagine how you felt when the bus driver almost pulled away without you getting off!!!
Sorry you had no giraffe sightings from your balcony this day but I'm glad you at least had something to look at besides the workers out there!
Every time I go on this ride the lions never seem to be out, but you have better luck with this! 
The description of your KS tour had me absolutely laughing out loud!
Well, at least you know everything you need to know about Baobab trees.
PassPorter Guide Author
Great photos!
Looking forward to more!
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