A Spring Adventure: Wilderness, Flowers, and the Force (with Cam and Luke) PTR Updated 5/22 - Page 17 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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.
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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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Great lineup of meals. Our 180 day for our trip is the 18 and we plan on being on line at 6 am. Two musts for our trip in September will be BOG and Artist Point.
So glad that your FP+ selections went well, and that the system did not give you any troubles!
Great dining choices. Congrats on getting that BOG spot, I hope that your sister loves it!!
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Your ADRs look great and the addition of Artist Point is perfect. I had a great dinner there last month with Sharon (Shazza) and Lou. It's a beautifully decorated room. Congrats on getting BOG!
Caught up again, your park choices look great and glad fp+ worked so well for you. I had no issues with it when we went in October and it was great to be able to not run thru the park and do everything from my iPod touch.
The dining options look great and are making me hungry LOL!
Great ADR Choices. I still can't believe how popular BOG is even after being opened for two years now. I'm glad you were able to get an early reservation there. My ADR window comes up in just 10 days and I'm hoping to catch an early ADR there too.
I guess a lot of folks are still trying to get that first experience at BOG as it was only a year after opening when we got to make our current ADRs. Hope you get lucky with your own ADR.
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Originally Posted by jackid2
I love Artist Point!! I've been there 3 times!! You are going to have a wonderful time.
I am probably most excited about this dinner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mouseketeer1
Great ADR lineup! (Ick to having colonoscopy prep coincide with the fun of planning...). Happy to see your arrival day dinner worked out to be extra special and that Pam will get BOG after all. Can't wait to see pics ( no pressure! of all the great food.
Luke got tickled at me when my first comment after hearing the date of the colonoscopy was "Oh no, that's our ADR date." But it wasn't too bad as I was the last one of the morning and didn't have to be there until 11:00.
Great ADR choices! I'm excited to hear how Artist Point is, as we never did make our ADR over there so it's still on my "to try" list!
I'm going to try to take food pictures this year. I get a little better each trip (at least if I'm not starving by the time we eat. :rolleyes)
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Originally Posted by twins4me
Yum, makes me hungry for Disney food! Love your ADRs!
Food has become as much a factor in our WDW trips as anything else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coop
Ahhhh. Artist Point! It's been a while since we've dined there. We enjoyed it. I think you will too. It will be especially nice not bring rushed. All your ressies sound great! Hope the colonoscopy went well.
I think a relaxed dinner to start the first night will be perfect. I had one pre-cancerous polyp that was easily removed. But that does mean repeating this procedure in 3 years. I was proud of myself for behaving so well with the prep as I did not behave well for the one when I was 49. Both mine and Luke's doctors felt after Stefanie's diagnosis of colon cancer that we should have our own colonoscopies. Thank goodness, I did, too.
Great choices!
Will be interested to hear about Bongos as Scott wants to dine there.
The one time when I ate here was for lunch, and the place was so quiet. I have a feeling it will be much more living on a Saturday night, which I hope makes it fun as well as delicious.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Great dining choices - congrats on getting into Be Our Guest!
I realized a few days after I had made this ADR that folks on PassPorter had figure out that odd numbered parties were getting fewer options. If I had to do it again, I make it for 4 to see if I had been able to get an earlier day. But since Pam had already gotten the day off and a sub, there was no need to change now.
Great decision on Artist Palate and very nice of Luke to agree to khakis lol!!
I don't think he really minds the khakis since we'll have time to change before dinner.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rhinohunter
Great lineup of meals. Our 180 day for our trip is the 18 and we plan on being on line at 6 am. Two musts for our trip in September will be BOG and Artist Point.
on Tuesday getting everything you want.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
So glad that your FP+ selections went well, and that the system did not give you any troubles!
Great dining choices. Congrats on getting that BOG spot, I hope that your sister loves it!!
I hope she loves it, too, as her friend (and maybe me) have made it sound so wonderful.
Great FP+ plans! and ADR's!! We haven't been to Bongos in a couple trips, but have enjoyed it every time we have been.
I can't believe it has taken me this long to get Luke there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Your ADRs look great and the addition of Artist Point is perfect. I had a great dinner there last month with Sharon (Shazza) and Lou. It's a beautifully decorated room. Congrats on getting BOG!
I remember being so excited to read your review of Artist Point in your latest TR. I can't wait to see it as much as eat there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iwonathomas
Caught up again, your park choices look great and glad fp+ worked so well for you. I had no issues with it when we went in October and it was great to be able to not run thru the park and do everything from my iPod touch.
The dining options look great and are making me hungry LOL!
Luke and I both checked yesterday to see how easy it would be to change things from our smartphones. Doesn't look difficult at all!
Help, Adrian says we’re going to Disney World for Spring Break
Last Sunday night I got a frantic call from niece Annie Laurie that her husband Adrian had decided they were heading to Disney World for Spring Break. They have three small kids, ages 7, 4, and 1, which makes her a bit apprehensive about travel. Last year right before their third child was born, Adrian told me that he would love to go with us to Disney when Maple Alyss was 3, a trip that will probably still happen. But recently he has gotten the Disney fever and decided not to wait that long for trip #1.
Annie Laurie and I talked for about a half hour about flights from here, Louisville, and Nashville; resorts (whether to rent or pay for DVC points); parks (whether just visiting Magic Kingdom would make the park silly); and general concerns about travel with three little ones. I know some here make think they have wait too late to plan a truly memorable vacation. But I know from experience that a fabulous Disney vacation can be planned in 3 weeks as that is all Luke gave me for our #1 trip. The idea that we had had a great trip #1 with no long to plan seemed to calm Annie Laurie.
On Monday, Annie Laurie sent a text, asking if they could choose between Saratoga Springs and Bay Lake Towers, which did we think was best. Luke and I agreed hands down on Bay Lake Towers due to its proximity to the Magic Kingdom. She was afraid they were going to pester us, but I reassured her that talking Disney was one of our favorite things to do.
Later Monday night, she sent a text at around 9:15, asking if we were still up and, if we were, would we mind talking. I sent a text back, reminding her that we weren’t that old. She responded that the time change had her all confused. Then a few minutes later my cell rang. She told me that Adrian had lots of questions and was hoping I wouldn’t mind another lengthy conversation to answer them. I didn’t, so he got on.
He had lots of questions as he had been talking with fellow doctors at work. Saratoga Springs was going to be their resort choice, but he wanted to know what section to request. I recommend The Grandstand for its proximity to the Carriage House, themed pool, and quiet pool. Later I’d tell him to request near transportation, too. Then he wanted information about a two-bedroom villa as they were hoping that my DSiL and DBiL (the grandparents) would go with them. He even invited Luke and me to join them, but we’ve reserved our vacation funds for two trips this year. Next, he had lots of questions about renting vs. purchasing. We had given him a site to check out on Sunday night, but he was wondering about purchasing the whole package room and tickets now. In the end, they decided to purchase a package. With little planning time, he felt this was best so that he knew everything was taken care of. Finally, he wanted just a little more information about how to do online check in.
Some of his friends had mentioned the dining plans, but he felt, after looking over these on the Disney website, might not be the best expenditure of money for them. Neither of their boys are big eaters and Leif, the oldest, is also picky.
Adrian told me they had booked their airfare from the airport here in Owensboro because it eliminated a 1 ½ to 2 ½ car ride both ways. Allegiant flies non-stop from here to Sanford, so he wanted to know about car rental and distance to Disney. Annie Laurie, on the other hand, was concerned about car seats. That’s the difference between moms and dads.
Then his questions moved to FP+, Memory Maker, and Magic Bands. Hopefully, I did a good job explaining how to set up a My Disney Experience account, getting the app for their iPhones, ordering the Memory Maker, and what the Magic Bands can and cannot do. Thank goodness for all the great information right here on PassPorter.com. I was really proud of how much research the two of them had done and how much they understood before calling for help.
Leif’s 7th birthday was Tuesday, and we were invited over for a small family party complete with grilled hamburgers, chips and Black Bean and Corn Salsa (homemade by Adrian who might have been a chef if he hadn’t become a doctor first), and a Harry Potter chocolate cake. They are surprising the boys, mainly because they are afraid the anticipation and ensuing frantic excitement might do them in before they arrived at WDW. But they did tell me, they were booking a two-bedroom villa at SSR that night as they had just learned that MiMi and Poppy were going with them.
I haven’t had to help any since Tuesday night, so it must all be coming together well.
This photo was taking on Luke's Mom's 80th birthday. From the left: Row 1 -- Walt (4), Mamaw, Leif (now 7). Row 2 -- Betty Jane (Mimi), David (Poppy), Annie Laurie, and Maple Alyss (1). Betty Jane is Luke's older sister, and Maple Alyss's middle name is borrowed from our Stefanie Alyss.
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It's so much fun to help others plan for a WDW trip. It can be frustrating, too, if they refuse to accept the need to plan and do a little research. Annie Laurie and Adrian sound like the perfect ones to help. I hope the spring break crowds aren't too bad for them and they have a great time!
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Hope you get lucky with your own ADR. 
of all the great food.
I'm going to try to take food pictures this year. I get a little better each trip (at least if I'm not starving by the time we eat. :rolleyes) 
on Tuesday getting everything you want. 
She responded that the time change had her all confused. 
I was really proud of how much research the two of them had done and how much they understood before calling for help. 
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