Land and Sea - Yippee! September 2013 -TR updated 02/11/2014 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
We decided to stay on board on our Nassau day in August, and from your description of your mornign it doesn't sound like we missed anything. I would not have liked the straw market at all, I don't like the "hard sell" tactic. The rest of your day sounded wonderful though!
We went the opposite way of you on Nassau. And it was interesting too.
Sounds like a good time the rest of the day though! Wasn't that grand marnier souffle awesome?!
the boys are growing up. Just curious would they be allowed off the ship by themselves (By Disney not by you)? Is is nice to know on board they are safe and you can give them some freedom
What a great time - I'm glad you managed to do what you wanted in Nassau. I've never been to the Straw Market because of the description in the PassPorter, and from your description, I don't think it's for me.
I'm glad we went too, but we may try an excursion next time
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Like Cheryl, I was deterred from visiting Nassau by the descriptions I've heard, but can see wanting to step onto foreign soil if you've never done so. For me, Nassau is an extra sea-day on board! I love the roaming around shots and dinner looks wonderful. Good job, Titus, for setting off on your own and managing to get yourself fed and entertained!
I was so proud of Titus! He was always where he said he would be and would always check in or wait for us like we told him to. I never had to worry about my 9 yo on the ship. (That is totally saying something about my trust of Disney.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneydreamer33
Sounded like a great day.
I can't handle shopping with pushy people. I remember when we went to Cancun for our honeymoon and trying to shop and getting things shoved in our faces and them trying to negotiate a price. It was too much for me to handle.
Sorry the beach was gross.
The rest of the day on the ship sounded relaxing and everyone did their own thing.
Can't wait to hear about Castaway Cay!
Yeah, it was tough. I mean I really wanted to just look around in there, but you couldn't do that. At the other shops we stopped in, we were allowed to just browse without being hassled.
Quote:
Originally Posted by stardust190
Great times on the ship. On land? Well... Sounds interesting. I will say your pictures from the morning out on the veranda have me sold on getting one. We'll be cruising in 2016 and I've been debating on if the cost is worth it. Me thinks it just might be. Morning coffee and a view like that? Where do I sign up?
I thought having a veranda was a waste of money, but in reality, we really enjoyed having it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Great day! Well except for the lonely, creepy beach. At least it was across the street from the police station, you know, just in case.
Lol, "just in case" Actually, I didn't realize it was there until we left.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
Sorry Junkanoo Beach was a disappointment. At least you got to enjoy the water, though! I took a tour in Nassau because I wanted to see the sights, and I didn't have to experience too much of the hard sell anywhere. Glad it was a good chance to take advantage of the stuff on board!
I'm glad we went, maybe we'll try a tour next time...
Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey
Great update! I truly don't understand the behavior at the Straw Market. I know it's how they make their living, but don't they understand that the hard sell is pushing people away instead of the opposite? When I went there, I probably would have bought stuff if I had time to browse, but the pushiness made me hate it there, and I didn't buy anything.
I agree, we had money to spend, but just got turned off. There were actually some pretty nice things in there
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Sounds like an interesting day on Nassau. Glad once you were back on board the ship you got to explore a little.
It was nice to just wander around a bit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
We decided to stay on board on our Nassau day in August, and from your description of your mornign it doesn't sound like we missed anything. I would not have liked the straw market at all, I don't like the "hard sell" tactic. The rest of your day sounded wonderful though!
It was just in the Straw Market that we felt that way. The people in the other shops we visited didn't bother us.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OhToodles!
We went the opposite way of you on Nassau. And it was interesting too.
Sounds like a good time the rest of the day though! Wasn't that grand marnier souffle awesome?!
The souffle WAS awesome!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mommapants
the boys are growing up. Just curious would they be allowed off the ship by themselves (By Disney not by you)? Is is nice to know on board they are safe and you can give them some freedom
After about a day and a half (lol) I felt more relaxed about letting them go. They had the wrist band thingys on and since they were always where they were supposed to be, we let them go play and explore. The clubs usually had lots of stuff to do, so I stopped worrying about them. The wave phone was hit or miss though, I wish it was a little easier to use.
I'm pretty sure they had to be with one of us to get off the ship, but they could come back on by themselves.
(Sorry so long between updates, been a busy little bee...)
Tuesday 7:29am - Our day started bright and early after going to bed around 12:30am. Here's what it looked like off our veranda 'round midnight:
Pulling into Castaway Cay!
So excited! We went to get some breakfast at Cabanas and enjoyed what had become our usual breakfast by now. (Including Titus who ate like, a piece of bacon and some juice. I have no idea how he can go so long with only a few bites to eat. Maybe I should take a lesson!) We went back down to the room to get our gear: camera bag, sand flea/sunblock, hats, snorkel gear. People were already getting off the boat by the time of these pics, around 9am. You can see where they have towels for folks right there on the dock. You can also see a little bit of "backstage".
We finally made our way down and stopped to take a family photo. This is pretty much the last time we'd all be together again until later that night. Erika and Gus were still at breakfast. I wanted to mail some postcards but 1. I forgot them 2. I forgot cash 3. the post office was still closed at this time. Oh well. (They were "original" post cards of the Titanic we got at a museum. I thought it was hilarious at the time, but then later thought it might be pushing it .) The only thing we had planned was to ride bikes early in the morning before it got too warm or crowded on the path. Max and Titus had met up with their new buddies by then and wanted to go do the tween thing. We went on to find a spot on the family beach. Our previous experience with beaches (mostly in Naples, FL) was to hurry up and stake out a spot before all the good ones were gone, then send dad to go rent an umbrella. Well we didn't have to worry this time! There were tons of chairs and umbrellas to be had - there was a good spot everywhere! We found a good combo of chairs, tree, and umbrella, then went to find the boys to tell them where our spot was. While we were walking along, I happened to see Titus walking by himself - the older boys had kind of kicked him to the curb . (Max had told him to go find Mom and Dad, smh.) Ok buddy, you're hanging with us. We found the bike rental place and spent several minutes picking out just the right one . The CM showed us the map and how to get around and off we went.
We had a very nice time on the bikes - it was a really beautiful morning. The bike path isn't very long and it's an easy ride, with lots of water coolers along the way. We stopped for photo ops with some of Castaway Cay's back story props. I got over the feeling that something was going to jump or slither out of the bushes and get us, but I was a little leery at first. Lol, ahem. We finally made it to the observation tower. I was so impressed by this little structure. You could see where they had recently replaced some of of the boards with new ones on the stairs and other places. A simple thing, but just one example of how clean and well maintained the island was. Here's some of what we saw...
We got back on the trail and made it to the landing strip but decided to keep going further instead of heading back to the beach. It was like a neat little highway between the main part of the island and the adult only area. We veered off to the right and went down the path behind the cabanas, all the way down to the end. We rested there for a little while (getting hot now), then headed back.
Looking back at the Serenity Bay adult beach
The water was so clear...
By the time we got back, clouds had started rolling in, cooling it off a bit. Titus played on the "playground" out in the water.
View to our left...
View to our right...
It started to sprinkle, but I wasn't worried - we had plenty of shelter and it was kind of nice to be cooled off by the drizzle. Exactly 10 minutes after I took the shot of Titus out in the water, it started to really rain, then we heard rumbles of thunder. The life guards ordered everyone out of the water and off the beach. Hey, it was lunchtime anyway We were close to Cookies BBQ, so we hurried over and found a table. By the time we sat down it had turned into a real thunderstorm!
These photos don't show it, but it was really coming down. The one above is of a dad giving his little one a "shower", that's how much it was raining! There was lightning, but it wasn't too close (I guess), and we still had a good time enjoying lunch and the music under the pavilion. The buffet was very good - I don't know why people who review it give it hard marks. I think it was great for beach food and there was plenty of it. Reading some websites, I was led to believe it was only burgers, fries and dry chicken, but our food was really good. There were different kinds of salads (German potato!) and lots of unusual things to try, along with barbecue ribs and the usual cook out food. And soft serve ice cream! We got there before it got too crowded and ate while the rain slowly stopped. After about 30-45 minutes, the storm stopped and they started letting people back onto the beach. (We found out later that Erika and Gus had gone back to the ship when it started to rain.)
Clearing skies
I happened to see Max with his snorkel gear heading toward the water. He had absolutely no experience in deep water, so I headed out with him. (I'm so glad I went with him. I don't know if he would have had the sense to come back in when it got too deep .) By the time we realized we didn't have flippers we had gone pretty far out. I had no idea where Dh and Titus were, but we kept going anyway. He wanted to go out far to see fish and stuff under water and we had to go out quite far. We were actually near one of the life guard stations near Head's Up Bar, when one called out and told us we needed life jackets. Smart! (I was starting to get a little tired.) He had life jackets for us which we figured how to put on and use. I asked him where the statues and shipwreck were and he pointed us in the right direction. I'm so glad the water was so salty (buoyancy!). It had been a long time since I've been in the water that long and I was really thankful for the life vest. Max's (cheap, Walmart) snorkel kept getting water in it and he was getting frustrated. I just kept telling him to relax and just keep tipping the water out. The water was so clear that I could see fish and the "ruins" under the water even without goggles. It was still overcast, but I'm sure on a sunny day, you could've seen even more. We were able to swim out to see Minnie and Donald I think and some more of the shipwreck, but there was no way we were going to make it all the way to the submarine. Maybe next time, and maybe with flippers. We started heading back and I found it was easier to swim on my back. Max isn't good at doing that yet, but he was making good progress. By the time we made it back were were very tired. We must have swallowed a lot of water because we both made a beeline for the restrooms!
After showering off, we rested on the lounge chairs on the beach for a bit and then got some ice cream. Max wanted to head back to the ship for some activity that was scheduled. I rode back with him, not knowing that he could've gotten back on by himself. I caught the tram back and sat for a bit while the sun came out in earnest. Around 3:30 I got up to explore a little bit on my own and do some shopping.
Another restroom shot...
Funny sign... kind of.
I found Titus in Da Shade playing pool - he said Daddy went out to snorkel, but he didn't feel like it. I asked if he was ready to go back to the boat and he said yes - it was about time anyway. We found Dh just as he was coming out of the "other" snorkeling lagoon, closer to Gil's Fins.
Titus couldn't help getting in just a little more
Fish swimming close to the edge
Eventually, we made it back to the boat as the CMs had started putting away the chairs on the beach. It was nice to get back to the room and clean up and relax - what a day! We felt the boat moving and looked out to see us pulling out.
What a great day at Castaway Cay! I've thought about doing the bike trail before, so it's good to hear your thoughts on that. I hear you about the thunderstorm on Castaway Cay - that's exactly what happened to us on our last stop there, although the weather was appalling for the rest of the day onwards.
Even with the rain, it sounds like a near-perfect day at CC. Good thing you went with Max on his snorkeling adventure. That doesn't sound like something even an adult should do solo unless a VERY strong swimmer and experienced snorkeler. I hope Titus wasn't too disappointed that the older boys shuffled him off-- looks like he still had a great day!
I always find it amazing that even a rainy day at castaway cay can still be a good one. On two of my there trips to it it rained. The first time we arrived early to try and avoid it but the rain held off until it was time for the ship to leave the skies opened up and it poured they even drove the trams right up to the ship so ple could get on quikr. The second time there was appen;y a ring of clouds and rain right around the island but no frain that day. My third time it rained a bit in the morning.
__________________
You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality.
- Walt Disney
Great day at Castaway Cay, it's just so beautiful and fun there! The bike trail sounded like a lot of fun, I'm putting that on my list for the next time we are there
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.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Holly: 
Actually, I didn't realize it was there until we left.
.) The only thing we had planned was to ride bikes early in the morning before it got too warm or crowded on the path. Max and Titus had met up with their new buddies by then and wanted to go do the tween thing. We went on to find a spot on the family beach. Our previous experience with beaches (mostly in Naples, FL) was to hurry up and stake out a spot before all the good ones were gone, then send dad to go rent an umbrella. Well we didn't have to worry this time! There were tons of chairs and umbrellas to be had - there was a good spot everywhere! We found a good combo of chairs, tree, and umbrella, then went to find the boys to tell them where our spot was. While we were walking along, I happened to see Titus walking by himself - the older boys had kind of kicked him to the curb 
. The CM showed us the map and how to get around and off we went.
.) By the time we realized we didn't have flippers we had gone pretty far out. I had no idea where Dh and Titus were, but we kept going anyway. He wanted to go out far to see fish and stuff under water and we had to go out quite far. We were actually near one of the life guard stations near Head's Up Bar, when one called out and told us we needed life jackets. Smart! (I was starting to get a little tired.) He had life jackets for us which we figured how to put on and use. I asked him where the statues and shipwreck were and he pointed us in the right direction. I'm so glad the water was so salty (buoyancy!). It had been a long time since I've been in the water that long and I was really thankful for the life vest. Max's (cheap, Walmart) snorkel kept getting water in it and he was getting frustrated. I just kept telling him to relax and just keep tipping the water out. The water was so clear that I could see fish and the "ruins" under the water even without goggles. It was still overcast, but I'm sure on a sunny day, you could've seen even more. We were able to swim out to see Minnie and Donald I think and some more of the shipwreck, but there was no way we were going to make it all the way to the submarine. Maybe next time, and maybe with flippers. We started heading back and I found it was easier to swim on my back. Max isn't good at doing that yet, but he was making good progress. By the time we made it back were were very tired. We must have swallowed a lot of water because we both made a beeline for the restrooms! 
PassPorter Guide Author
I've thought about doing the bike trail before, so it's good to hear your thoughts on that. I hear you about the thunderstorm on Castaway Cay - that's exactly what happened to us on our last stop there, although the weather was appalling for the rest of the day onwards. 
Liz 
Linear Mode
