Is That a Raincloud Over My Head? EMTPEJ's Land & Sea Adventure **Updated 10/28** - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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!
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LOVE the picture of the bridge and the background on everyone.
Come on-you, being anal, and in the medical profession? SAY IT AIN'T SO!! I thought just us RN's were that way!
I had my car that's just 2.5 years old pronounced fit and healthy, and when my dad (who is a retired mechanic) drove it not even 3 weeks later he told me the news no one wants to hear: "you need new wheel bearings". OY!
Anyway, we love Cracker Barrel too but with prices being what they are nowadays our treats are Taco Bell & BK-my kiddos love the checker games as well.
Hope you can hurry back with another installment soon......I thought Murphy's Law only affected me........
Great start!! I can't wait to hear more! I was recently in North Carolina (another tobacco state) and was surprised when they asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking in the restaurant. I'm so use to everything being non-smoking around home.
I have been looking forward to this TR. Isn't Cracker Barrel wonderful. We have a tradition of stopping at the one in Loveland on our way home from Girl Scout Camp every July. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip and the trials of going first class at WDW.
This is my "I'm Cheating" post so I can find your TR with a bit more ease when I can read it. (Yes I skipped reading right now because I'm in cranky over tired need to go to bed mode) So I look forward to reading your report, but it will probably be Tuesday!
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Glad you TR is started. Even though I know what happens next I'm still anxiously awaiting the next installment....!
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Originally Posted by bitterchickey
Good start! Hanging on.......
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Originally Posted by ArielsMomto2
Great start EJ. Sounds like an uneventful first traveling day. I have actually eaten at that Cracker Barrel in Emporia!!! Great place as long as you don't speed. Hurry back. Can't wait to hear more.
It seemed to be just the right distance away to make that second day about eight hours...
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Originally Posted by chezp
Great start - that bridge is a stunning piece of architecture. I'm not sure I like the sound of the next installment though...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick and Ryans Mom
Great start!! I can't wait to hear more! I was recently in North Carolina (another tobacco state) and was surprised when they asked if we wanted smoking or non-smoking in the restaurant. I'm so use to everything being non-smoking around home.
Its funny that you mention North Carolina... Stay tuned!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jookiba
LOVE the picture of the bridge and the background on everyone.
Come on-you, being anal, and in the medical profession? SAY IT AIN'T SO!! I thought just us RN's were that way!
I had my car that's just 2.5 years old pronounced fit and healthy, and when my dad (who is a retired mechanic) drove it not even 3 weeks later he told me the news no one wants to hear: "you need new wheel bearings". OY!
Anyway, we love Cracker Barrel too but with prices being what they are nowadays our treats are Taco Bell & BK-my kiddos love the checker games as well.
Hope you can hurry back with another installment soon......I thought Murphy's Law only affected me........
I'm hearing from more and more people that wheel bearings have affected many a trip!
No, Murphy is a stakeholder in most of our projects!
Quote:
Originally Posted by CountryTink
I have been looking forward to this TR. Isn't Cracker Barrel wonderful. We have a tradition of stopping at the one in Loveland on our way home from Girl Scout Camp every July. Looking forward to hearing more about your trip and the trials of going first class at WDW.
We love them! Maybe its because 'absence makes the heart grow fonder', or something!
Quote:
Originally Posted by tinker_me_happy
This is my "I'm Cheating" post so I can find your TR with a bit more ease when I can read it. (Yes I skipped reading right now because I'm in cranky over tired need to go to bed mode) So I look forward to reading your report, but it will probably be Tuesday!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
Great start EJ - can't wait to hear more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaTink
Great start EJ! Hey, come on down the road toward me...there is a Cracker Barrel two exits past me! Rt 234. A nice Sunday morning drive down I-95!
I'm waiting to hear more!
Maybe we can do that sometime! We go to the Blueridge every year! And you KNOW how much we LOVE I-95!
Do You Want Me To Tell You About Murphy’s Law, Or Would You Like A Demonstration?
Episode 2: Sat. 7/12/08:
OK, so today we travel to the Jacksonville FL, area and stay overnight.
Well, that WAS the plan.
We were driving on I-95, just south of Fayetteville, NC, and wouldn’t you know it, the rear end started making a loud hum or growl, which then began to ‘skip’ I feared it was the rear wheel bearings! We got off at the next exit as we certainly did not want to be stranded along the side of the road with big trucks and things blasting past. BAWAMMMMMMMP (as a truck roars by spewing partially combusted hydrocarbons – cough-cough)!
AAA was no help since we did not need a tow. Since it was afternoon on a Saturday, there was only one place open in south Lumberton, but they got the van up on the lift right away and the diagnosis was the differential lubrication was improper. O-Kaaaay??? I then did a road test and it sounded worse – my BIL and I both watched the mechanic and he did not seem to do anything to it to make it worse. After some driving around and considering our options (gnashing of teeth), we found the one motel in south Lumberton, for us to stay in, down the street – a brand-new motel (the repair shop folks did not even know of it), which seems to be independently owned by a family that recently immigrated. It was out in the open, next to the road, and did NOT have a creepy old house overlooking it (a la ‘Psycho’). So we checked in, unpacked our stuff into connecting rooms, and left the van at the shop to have a new rear end (as it seems it was actually the wheel bearings or something), to be picked up on our return in a week. Assuming there really was a problem as bad as they said it was, these fine folks treated us very kindly and not like dumb yankee tourists.
Well, the motel had no pool, but at least it wasn’t raining (yet)! Now, before anybody makes any jokes that involve hogs and banjo players (da-da, da-da, da-da, da-dum, dumm – Dueling Banjos – ‘Deliverance’) this was a pretty nice little area, even if it was ‘the other side of the tracks’ in North Carolina (no offense) (On our way back, we found out what the ‘right’ side of the tracks was like- yikes!). The phone books didn’t even have all the listings for the area. What’s up with that?
I called to cancel, just in time to avoid being charged for the room in Jacksonville. I called AAA and the car rental number they gave me to make sure that they had a vehicle large enough for us and our stuff. Again, AAA was little help. Why do we belong, again?
I then had to wait and wait and wait (did I mention wait) for a cab to take me to the regional airport (30 minute + trip) where I had booked a mini-van so we could continue our trip. Don’t you just hate to be in a position like that? You want to call and ask them how much longer, but you can’t because they might get pissed and ‘accidentally’ put you at the bottom of the list? Hoo-boy! I had to call the rental place a couple of times to make sure they didn’t rent out the seemingly ONE and ONLY mini-van in the place! God Bless America! I do love (seriously) the diversity we have here. I think we have greater strength because of that. We have a wonderful society! I had an intelligent conversation with the chauffeur during the ride and he gave me his printout of the directions back to the motel (I neglected to bring my GPS), I gave him a very nice tip as I was relieved to finally get to the terminal.
I saw so many wonderful new things this trip that I never imagined I would ever see – like the picturesque and cozy Fayetteville Regional Airport. Who here would’ve thought that they would?
Much of the business here is dependent on Fort Bragg / Pope AFB and all the major car rental companies have round-the clock service, so I guess that was fortunate for us! No offense to anybody, but I was looking forward to a MUCH different skyline that day! It was a great tip from Passporter to have various forms of payment as the cab company demanded cash in advance. Whew! The mini-van I was loaned was a Chevy Uplander, at least, so the controls would not be COMPLETELY unfamiliar.
As we had already planned to stay in Jacksonville that night, we would just have to make up the time a little and plan to check into the Poly a little later than we had anticipated. Thank God that my BIL Kenny was with us to help keep Kendra from freaking out and the boys occupied. Once I got back to the motel, we packed up as much as possible so we could head out ASAP in the AM.
It was a slightly (meaning much) tighter fit as our van is considered a mid-sized, these days. Finally, we all got to sleep after sharing the poly-saturated offering from Hardee’s next door (yuck). We toasted our good fortune and thanked the good Lord with a prayer and a spot of rum, savvy? We could count our blessings, as we were safe, together, clean, dry, fed, and were still on our way to Disney! Which is much more fortunate than most of the world, I must say!
My motto is: ‘Everyday above ground is a good day’!
Today the weather was: Cloudy & humid.
The best thing about today was: We were safe and still on our way to Disney!
The worst thing about today was: The van breaking down.
The funniest thing about today was: Seeing the regional airport for the first time.
Today we tried: This independent motel that seemingly sprang from nowhere.
And the result was: Good.
The most magical moment today was: Realizing that things were going to be fine, after all that happened.
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Oh my gosh - what a start to your vacation! I knew it was coming, but to actually read the details of what you all were going through brought it home.
I am amazed at home calm and cool you all remained. At the same time, life is an experience, and this was just another one under your belt. Besides, now you know how to get to the Fayetteville Regional Airport if you ever need to!
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I thought just us RN's were that way! 
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I'm still anxiously awaiting the next installment....!
I'm not sure I like the sound of the next installment though... 
*Ginger*
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