“Can We Go Home Yet??” - A Day Trip into NYC! - COMPLETE! - UPDATED 10/27 - Page 2 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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Out come the maps and we’re off in the direction of Times Square. It really wasn’t too far away, and in no time at all, we were sashaying on Broadway
By now it was almost 11:30, the troops were fading fast, so lunch time it was. We needed something fast, and spotted a Hard Rock Café, so there it was! It should have something for everyone, and it shouldn’t be crowded yet. Once we found our way to the restaurant (below street level), we were checked in and seated right away. Oops, but first, “Smile for the picture!!” I think that one was around $25 as well…we didn’t buy it, it didn’t come out good. I’m amazed how big this place was, and it was all underground !! I had a Cobb Salad (delish, especially the honey citrus dressing), DH had a burger, Alexa had a cheese burger, and Colin had chicken fingers. The food came out lightning fast! With drinks (sodas) and tip, the bill came to $54, which I considered pretty reasonable!
Back out to street level, the next plan was the Toys R Us store. We crossed the main street, and had to make one more cross. The light turned green (for us to walk) and Alexa started out into the crosswalk. Thankfully she didn’t run, because a black SUV ran the red light and almost ran her over. Not a fun moment at all I even got a picture of the car, because I was taking pictures while we were stopped at the light.
SUV that almost ran over Alexa
Matt said if he had a rock, he would have thrown it at the car, as would have a lot of other people we were waiting at the crosswalk with Well, that was enough excitement! Let’s get inside where we can’t get hurt! Into the store we went, and boy, if you have never been in the Times Square store, you’re missing out Holy Smokes! But wait, “Smile for a Picture”! I must admit this was starting to get old very quickly. Never did go back to see how that picture turned out
First stop was the ferris wheel because we knew it would have a line. It cost $4/person to ride (not too bad) so we waited our turn, and watched all the different cars go round and round. Here’s some pics of the cars you can ride in (you can’t pick and choose).
We were lucky (for Colin’s sake) to get the red fire truck Of course, Alexa would have preferred something else, but what can you do! And of course, “Smile for the Picture”! Didn’t get that one either Took some pictures as we went up and down and all around.
Then we headed out to the main shopping area. Of course, LEGOs was our first stop. It was right next to the Mega Blocks section and Jurassic Park.
There was also a collectibles section in the back that had some Disney stuff and some Star Wars stuff
They also had a fancy Barbie section too, with some expensive ones.
After that, we called it a day for the Toys R Us store Back out to the street and a few more pictures of Times Square.
Coming Up Next......Rockefeller Center and World of Disney!
Glad Alexa wasn't hurt...a rock might have been deserved gretly at that moment...they act like people are not even crossing...
Lunch looked great...haven't been to that Hrd Rock but DD14 had her 8th grade graduation trip there and to see a show (which I forget which one at this moment)...
You have me laughing at all those picture takers...there are just too many and I actually got caught by one a few months ago at Planet Hollywood...there I was eating at a place where I eat at least once a month and they came out with this cute picture of the kids and my lunch bill goes up $25...lol
I've got to ask - is that who I think it is in your first batch of photos of Times Square? In the third shot, the guy on the big video screen behind the traffic light looks just like our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. The more I look at it, the more convinced I become that it is him....
You have me laughing at all those picture takers...there are just too many and I actually got caught by one a few months ago at Planet Hollywood...there I was eating at a place where I eat at least once a month and they came out with this cute picture of the kids and my lunch bill goes up $25...lol
we bought the one at Planet Hollywood too! it really wasn't a great picture of us. they keep it so dark in that one area we didn't know what it looked like until we had left!
new york looks interesting! i've never been there, but i'd like to someday.
I've got to ask - is that who I think it is in your first batch of photos of Times Square? In the third shot, the guy on the big video screen behind the traffic light looks just like our Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. The more I look at it, the more convinced I become that it is him....
I think you might be right Cheryl To be honest, I wasn't even looking at the screen, I was just snapping away I looked at the original size one but it doesn't have any text on it, other than it's on a Reuters sign!
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I'm just catching up. I love the picture of your kids pouting. It really is adorable to someone whose kids are too old to pout.
When my DD was young, we frequented the Boston Museum of Science once or twice a month. My DD was always disappointed if we didn't stop at "her favorite exhibit"-the gift shop.
I'm so glad that your DD wasn't injured! I'm really enjoying all of your photos. I've never been to NYC (at least that I can remember), since my DM told me I was there when I was two years old. That doesn't count! It sounds like you packed a lot in to one day. I'm looking forward to the rest of your trip report!
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Next up was Rockefeller Plaza which was quite a few blocks up. Alexa started complaining about the walking by this point, and Colin was as happy as a clam in his stroller! We passed the library, and a beautiful park area (not sure if that was part of the library or not). We made it up to the Plaza, to find that they were ice skating already! It was 85 degrees out, and they were ice skating. Well, I’ll call it skating in slush and trying not to fall because there were big puddles everywhere.
We decided to take a rest here for a bit and let Alexa recharge her batteries….um legs. She was happy to sit in the stroller at this point
Time to stroll down 5th Avenue. As luck would have it, we must have come out too far down so we missed the American Girl store! Alexa isn’t in to these dolls anything (thankfully for my pocketbook) but I wanted to see what it looked like! Oh well. We passed St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
And happened upon this cute little mail box
Finally, finally, we made it to the Disney Store I must say, it seemed smaller than I was expecting Oh well. It was pretty chaotic at the entrance. They had some face painting going on, but Alexa didn’t want to stop right now (this would prove a bad decision). We found the princess area, and spent some time in there. Alexa was upset that I wouldn’t let her buy anything!
We walked throughout the store, and found the character meet and greet up on the 3rd floor. The line was pretty short, and I jumped into the queue. Plus, it was more time to rest!! While we were waiting, there was a huge bubble machine blowing bubbles, which kept the kids entertained The characters today were Peter Pan, Wendy, and Captain Hook. Colin wanted no part of it, so it’s pictures of Alexa only! Par for the course!
I just realized I haven’t put in my Photopass card yet I’ll have to see if I can find it! Characters seen, we went back to the first floor so Alexa could get her face painted. And of course, what are they wheeling away as we make our way to the front? You guess it. The makeup cart She was not thrilled with that So she decided to try on a hat before we left.
World of Disney conquered, we were now in search of the Nike store for Matt. But we couldn’t find it I don’t know if we missed and how we missed it, but it was nowhere to be found! Oh well. We walked up to the edge of Central Park near FAO Schwarz and the Apple store, and decided we (or rather Alexa) was done. She could walk no further. She kept yelling TAXI, TAXI!! I guess in retrospect, she had walked almost 30 blocks, so who were we to complain at this point. Even FAO Schwarz couldn’t entice her
We hailed a taxi, and soon were on our way back to Penn Station. $10 lighter (which frankly was a steal), we were gathered with the masses in the station waiting to find out which track the train was going to be on. Why they do it this way, I have no idea, because it’s like a cattle call And of course, there’s pushing, and shoving, and name calling (none of which we partook in )! We were back at the in-laws by 4:30, and had a whirlwind day in NYC.
What a great day you had in New York Marnie - and you've really inspired me with how much you can achieve in a day. I can't wait to enjoy our day in NYC next fall.