Four if by Land, Six if by Sea **Updated 2/23**COMPLETED - Page 19 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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My parents were going to come on the island later, so the four of us headed for the gangplank. Before we left, I mentioned that we needed our photo ids. Thom immediately poo pooed this remark since they had taken our pictures immediately after check in and stored them on our KTTW. So . . . what is the first thing we see after we walk all the way down to the gangplank??? You got it - - a big sign saying that you need photo ids. Thom said “I’ll be right back” and took off without saying another word.
The girls and I moved into a corner and watched as many, many people sent one person in their party back to grab everyone’s photo ids - - so my husband was not alone. It was taking Thom a long time to return, but our suite was about as far as you could get from the gangplank. Mary Devall kept asking me over and over where he was and I would tell her that our room was far away, but finally she got a look of horror on her face. “Oh Mommy! What if he went to the bathroom!?!”
I.thought.I.would.die. Apparently, Mary Devall has officially waited for her daddy to get out of the bathroom enough times to warrant pure panic when he doesn’t return from an errand immediately. I had to admit . . . I had the same fear.
He returned not too long after that interchange with photo ids in hand. We were soon off the ship and headed into Castaway Cay proper. A shuttle had just left, so we debated whether to walk or wait for another one. After waiting about 10 minutes, I suggested that we walk. As soon as we crossed the street, however, along came a shuttle so we backtracked and rode in style.
There was a very long line to drop off the girls at Scutter’s Cove, so I was starting to get a little worried about making our massage appointment at 11 a.m. Apparently, the trouble was just with one family because soon the line started moving and the girls were ready to go.
This was Maddie’s first experience with the kids’ club since she had missed it last night, so I was a bit concerned at her reaction to leaving us. There was no need to because she bee bopped hand-in-hand with a CM to the play area as if she had known him her entire life. Mary Devall, of course, took off without a care.
With plenty of time to spare, Thom and I strolled to the shuttle area for the adult beach (I briefly considered grabbing a FAB for the ride as we passed the bar , but decided to wait until after my massage) and waited only a few minutes before one appeared. It was cool seeing the “other” side of the island since we had never ventured this far before. We both were surprised to see the cool shaded path open up to a gigantic landing strip!
The massage cabanas were located right at the shuttle stop, so we had no problem finding our way. A CM greeted us as soon as we walked up, offered us a cup of tea (um . . . no thanks ) and asked us to take a seat until the other therapist was ready. Sets of beach chairs were set up under umbrellas in a nice, shaded area and we took the last unoccupied set. Apparently, massage business on the island was booming.
It was only a few minutes before the CM who had greeted us brought over another therapist and we were off to our cabana. Okay, I should have taken pictures because this was just the cutest little cabana - - made to look rustic, but comfy enough where you could easily spend the day. It consisted of weathered board walls and floors and the front of it was covered in shutters that had been raised to give you a gorgeous view of the outdoors. You couldn’t necessarily see the beach or ocean from this cabana since there were high hedges in the front of it due to the various stages of undress that a person might find themselves, but the breeze on my face and the smell of the ocean let me know where I was right away.
The two therapists introduced themselves and then instructed us to undress to our comfort level and choose whatever massage table we wanted knowing that the male therapist would be on the left and the female on the right. This was a very diplomatic way for a person to choose who they wanted working on them. Thom and I didn’t even have to discuss this after they left us because I knew he wanted the female therapist.
Once we were ready, the therapists entered the cabana again and got to work on our tired and achy muscles. This was THE moment of the trip and was one of the best massages that I ever had (it didn’t hurt that my therapist was gorgeous with the clearest blue eyes ). I asked Thom later “Did you notice how blue his eyes were?” His answer was “Nope.”
The time just flew by and, before I knew it, I could hear the therapists washing their hands. Just when I thought my massage was over, I felt the therapist pick up my hand. My first thought was “Goody! He’s going to work on my hands again!” The next thing I knew my hand was being placed in Thom’s hand (at least I was assuming that it was Thom’s hand ) and then a bell was rung. Huh? They then told us that they would be outside while we dressed.
I was so glad that they left quickly because I was about to get the silly giggles (one of Eileen’s famous church giggles was coming on fast ). The setting was gorgeous . . . the massage was wonderful . . . the therapists were sweet and charming . . . but that hand holding and bell have got to go. Thom and I must have looked like pure tee idiots laying our tables and holding hands across the way. I’m still laughing about it.
After we were dressed, sitting back on our massage tables and drinking our bottles of water as we had been instructed to do, the therapists came back and gave us “evaluations” of our stress levels. I knew that essentially they were going to try to sell us massage lotions and oils, but my therapist did know exactly the places where I feel stress the most. I was quite impressed. Thom must have been equally impressed because he said “yes” as soon as they asked if we wanted to buy any of the products - - and these two were really not giving us a hard sell. So now we get to relive our massage experience at home - - except for the hand holding and the bell. Well . . . I might hold his hand, but I am not ringing a bell.
They left us alone again to figure out the tip and told us that they would meet us outside. Thom apparently really enjoyed his massage because he left them both nice tips, but then again, they gave great massages and were so very nice. We left them with the receipts, our thanks and hand shakes before we walked back over to the shuttle stop. We both would have loved to have spent some time at the adult beach, but the distance between the beaches worried us if we had to get back to one of the girls quickly.
A tram quickly arrived and had us back to the family beach within minutes. We walked out on the beach, but the fierce wind was downright chilly so we decided to check on the girls. We couldn’t see them from the check-in desk, but when we returned back to the eating areas Thom spotted both of them finishing up their lunches. Mary Devall spotted us also and took off running for us.
Just to prove how closely these children are watched, one of the counselors immediately ran over to Mary Devall. Even if Mary Devall had wanted to go with us at this point, she wouldn’t have been able to since she wasn’t officially “checked out.” We gave her a hug and promised her that we would pick both of them up later for some beach time.
The lines for lunch were all pretty long, but Thom spotted a short line at the far left end that was tucked out of the way so we quickly moved. I have always been so impressed that Disney can pull off a quality lunch on an island and today was no exception. I had a cheeseburger with several different types of salad and everything was absolutely delicious! Thom and I found a picnic table that was in the sun and blocked the wind, so we had a perfect setting. After Thom returned to the table with a coke for himself, I took the short walk to the bar and ordered a margarita on the rocks. I was shocked when I went to sign the bill and noticed that it was only $5! That’s a bargain for Disney!
After our relaxing and yummy lunch, we decided to try the beach again. The wind wasn’t quite as bad as before, so we found two lounge chairs in the sun and just sat back and relaxed. The beach wasn’t crowded at all even though the day was just gorgeous. Thom even stuck his feet in the ocean when he saw others doing it and not coming out blue. He reported that it was cold, but not killer cold.
We sat there just chatting away until a server came by and asked if we wanted a drink. Well . . . okay, if you insist. When I ordered my drink at the bar, I had noticed an interesting drink that was a spin on a mango margarita. I described it to the server and he immediately knew what I wanted. Within minutes I had my drink in my hand although the server stuck around to make sure that it was what I wanted. And it was!
Next to the massage this may have been my favorite moment of the cruise - - just sitting there talking to my husband (which can be a luxury with two talkative little girls in the house ), staring at the gorgeous blue sky and water and sipping a fruity FAB was like being in paradise. Wait! I was in paradise! No wonder it felt like that!
After about an hour, we decided to check on the girls to see if they were ready for a little beach time before heading back to the ship. Apparently they were because this was the sight I saw coming towards me.
Before we hit the beach again, we stopped by the gift shop to pick up t-shirts for them (their daddy loves nothing better than buying t-shirts for them ). Once they had each decided on one, Thom took them on to the beach while I paid. While at the counter, I also made an impulse purchase of a Castaway Cay pin for each of them since Maddie had received her own starter lanyard for Christmas.
I easily spotted them on the beach since they were one of the few people in the water. Those girls had the best time running in and out of the water for the next 30 minutes. Maddie even wiped out one time and went in face first, but she still kept going back.
When they had enough of the cold water, we headed for the shuttle but first stopped for a couple of pictures.
When a shuttle arrived, Mary Devall led us to the front where who did we find, but Dragan and O’Neill. We enjoyed chatting with them during the ride to the ship. Dragan loved talking about his children while O’Neill was finally able to meet Maddie. Poor Dragan was suffering from his first ever ear infection , but he still managed to be cheerful.
You could tell that Dragan was a big family man because he loved talking about his life at home and his children. He told us that he worked for 6 months and then was home for 2 months. He said that it was like a “honeymoon,” but he also had a “honey do” list every time. He looked a bit guilty when he said that he usually managed to erase all of the discipline that his wife had achieved in the first week that he was home.
We said goodbye to our servers, old and new, at the ship and got in line to board the ship. The process was simple and quick and we were soon back in the room. My parents were there having visited Castaway Cay for a bit, but returning before lunch.
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Ok - I'm trying to think back . . . . . Didn't Thom mention something previously about them expecting you to "do the deed" after your massage? Or am I thinking of a different situation? Did he think that the bell was his cue to proceed with this?
In any case, it sounds like you guys are having a great day so far!! You are so lucky that your girls are so willing to be left with others and you don't have to go through any guilt trips in order to have your own fun!!
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Portege/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]
OK, these two are just adorable!
Great update. When we were there in October, it was warm, but the water was too cold for me to stay in it very long.
Ok - I'm trying to think back . . . . . Didn't Thom mention something previously about them expecting you to "do the deed" after your massage? Or am I thinking of a different situation? Did he think that the bell was his cue to proceed with this?
Ding goes the bell and cue the Marvin Gaye song: "let's get it on"
Love, love, love that itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini that miss Maddie has on!!
Ok - I'm trying to think back . . . . . Didn't Thom mention something previously about them expecting you to "do the deed" after your massage? Or am I thinking of a different situation? Did he think that the bell was his cue to proceed with this?
They book the cabana massages back-to-back, so no time for that! Thom was actually more concerned about what was expected of you if we booked one of the spa villas on the boat since it specifically says that you have time alone after your treatment.
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Another great update.The girls look too cute playing in the surf! All that massage talk is going to have me hinting at a couples massage for my bday in WDW!! Thanks for the idea
Sorry about your fall, Jill. At least it wasn't as bad as it could've been (and for minimal spillage). Good thing you had a massage right after, and it sounds like it was fantastic. I must admit I cracked up when I read about Mary Devall's worry that Thom may have had to go to the bathroom.
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You got it - - a big sign saying that you need photo ids. Thom said “I’ll be right back” and took off without saying another word. 
It was taking Thom a long time to return, but our suite was about as far as you could get from the gangplank. Mary Devall kept asking me over and over where he was and I would tell her that our room was far away, but finally she got a look of horror on her face. “Oh Mommy! What if he went to the bathroom!?!” 
Apparently, the trouble was just with one family because soon the line started moving and the girls were ready to go.
, but decided to wait until after my massage) and waited only a few minutes before one appeared. It was cool seeing the “other” side of the island since we had never ventured this far before. We both were surprised to see the cool shaded path open up to a gigantic landing strip! 
(it didn’t hurt that my therapist was gorgeous with the clearest blue eyes 
). I asked Thom later “Did you notice how blue his eyes were?” His answer was “Nope.” 
They then told us that they would be outside while we dressed.
). The setting was gorgeous . . . the massage was wonderful . . . the therapists were sweet and charming . . . but that hand holding and bell have got to go. 
Thom and I must have looked like pure tee idiots laying our tables and holding hands across the way. I’m still laughing about it.
We both would have loved to have spent some time at the adult beach, but the distance between the beaches worried us if we had to get back to one of the girls quickly. 
Thom and I found a picnic table that was in the sun and blocked the wind, so we had a perfect setting. After Thom returned to the table with a coke for himself, I took the short walk to the bar and ordered a margarita on the rocks. 
No wonder it felt like that! 
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, but he still managed to be cheerful.
Danny and I at Epcot 8/14/08
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
At least it wasn't as bad as it could've been (and 
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