Two, Yes Two! Pre Trip Reports in One! (Sept and Oct 2011) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
Hey! Great start on both trips! I did not find you a pin...I looked everywhere, I even drove over to AKL! You can read more about in my TR this weekend....I hope to get it on here by then. But never fear.....we might get back before August 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
__________________
Me and Cole in the Sears Tower Skydeck, 103 floors up, in a glass box hanging off the side!
Hey! Great start on both trips! I did not find you a pin...I looked everywhere, I even drove over to AKL! You can read more about in my TR this weekend....I hope to get it on here by then. But never fear.....we might get back before August 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You crazy woman!! You didn't have to do all that! It was a $2 pin (Ok, granted Jamie got it on clearance, but still.) But I am touched
I hope you were able to spread some Disney magic while you were down there
Ha! to your joke and congrats on 2 trips 2 months in a row. Very jealous
Yes! Someone got a laugh out of it! I did have to explain it to Stitch, who is younger than me. Granted, I think I've seen that SNL skit once and thought it was dumb then
Still can't believe two in two months - I am insane
Oh I am definately with you on how addicting AP are. Couple that with the need to use up DVC points and it becomes very dangerous! I am a prime example of that!!!
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.
Oh I am definately with you on how addicting AP are. Couple that with the need to use up DVC points and it becomes very dangerous! I am a prime example of that!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennie622
You and your comment about APs we are both going twice in two months yay!
It's scary how addicting they can be. And my boss just laughs and laughs - because that was him last year. Karen got APs and she just kept planning trip after trip after trip. I mean, the running joke as it is that anytime he puts in for days off we tease him that he's going to Disney, but that year yes he really was! LOL
So, on the commute in this morning, I realized that two weeks from today (just a mere 10 working days, if I can last that long), I will be at DISNEY WORLD!!
Let's recap the first day plans
Monday - arrival via plane around 10:30. Estimating that DME will get us to the room around 12:30 or so. Our brand new Owner's Locker should be there As should Stitch's ECV Definitely need to give her some practice time!!! LOL
I'm not doing online check in because when I check in that day I'm going to ask that my park pass be on a separate card/media. I've been warned to not have both the room and the dinning plan on our pass when we get annual passes as it can mess things up. Not a big deal, IMO. We'll then go to Magic Kingdom to upgrade said passes to Annual Passes (squee!!!)
I'm expecting MK to be a mob house and we are not planning on staying long at all - just enough time to upgrade the passes.
Then we really want to hit Downtown Disney. We missed this completely last time and I remember liking it when I went back in 2000. So we are going to spend our day there with maybe a side trip to the local outlet for pins. Else, it's two girls, a room charge card and some SHOPPING! Oh and the biggest Disney Store in the world. Thank goodness they will deliver back to the resort
Nothing is firm for dinner, no ADRs made. I know we want to go to the Ghirardelli chocolate shop for their samples and their milkshakes. And I want to check out Goofy's candy shop and make our own rice crispy treats But beyond that, nothing very firm.
We'll get back to the hotel at some point that afternoon/evening. Probably visit the pool and relax. I'm thinking that this will be an early to bed type of day since we have the 2nd flight out in the morning - I'm expecting us to be tired. But it will be a good tired cuz we'll be at Disney World!!!!!!
As should Stitch's ECV Definitely need to give her some practice time!!! LOL
Hey! I don't think it will be that hard... plus we have the extended waruntee if I bang into something.
Speaking of DTD... Does anyone know if there's a clearance section of the world of disney store? (I'm a huge bargain shopper).
BTW... The real reason we need to get to bed early on day 1 is because we have an O'dark thirty date with Stitch at O'hana.. then an all day excursion at MK
Great plans--I don't know if you are planning on doing anything at MK on your first day, but you can upgrade your park media at DTD's guest services if that was just a stop to do that one thing! APs are addictive. This past year I bought my AP in July, was back in October, November, December, April, May/June and July right before it expired. I managed to spend a whole month at WDW in the space of a year thanks to my AP, DVC, and AP room rates.
I second Heather, if you're already planning on going to DTD, hit up Guest Services located conveniently near Ghiardelli and WoD. Then go shopping! I have seen sale items there but not true clearance. Since you are hooked on Pin Trading, make a stop at the store there - don't forget all the AP exclusives!
Just 10 days! You're almost there! Great day 1 plans!
Thanks all!! Cam - just 10 days at work, still 13 days total to go. And as my husband pointed out to me this morning, it's just 9 more days at work, not 9 more working days - the working part is optional
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Great plans--I don't know if you are planning on doing anything at MK on your first day, but you can upgrade your park media at DTD's guest services if that was just a stop to do that one thing! APs are addictive. This past year I bought my AP in July, was back in October, November, December, April, May/June and July right before it expired. I managed to spend a whole month at WDW in the space of a year thanks to my AP, DVC, and AP room rates.
Hey Heather - yes I know I can do it at DTD, but since we bought the tickets before the price increase, they would charge us the price increase then the upgrade to AP. If you use the media at least once, then you don't get charged the price increase - just the upgrade to AP. (if that doesn't make sense, let me know and I can show you this great thread I found on another board written by a CM that works in ticketing.)
Then again, I see on the touringplans.com blog this morning that now the front desk can do AP voucher exchanges and purchases. Not sure if that includes upgrading MYW tickets, the post is not clear on that (waiting for an answer.) It would be easier to do it at DTD, but my inner cheap person says "that costs money!!" Yeah, I'm bad with things like that. We'll see what the day brings.
Hey! I don't think it will be that hard... plus we have the extended waruntee if I bang into something. [/QUOTE]
HA! I remember when you busted your knee and had to drive one around the local supermarket! Practice is a good idea and your fellow vacationers will count their toes!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KCSunshine
BTW... The real reason we need to get to bed early on day 1 is because we have an O'dark thirty date with Stitch at O'hana.. then an all day excursion at MK
Are we???
We keep changing our plans.
But since it's now two weeks until our first full day at Disney, here is what we have so far:
Breakfast is definitely at 'Ohana. Stitch and Stitch need to meet up. (btw - are you aware that you didn't spell that correctly? And it's not like you don't have a reference to it, it's tattooed on your LEG!! )
Originally we were going to do MK on Tuesday and try to get in all the meets and greets that we could. On the list: Mickey & Minnie, Rapunzel, Fairy Godmother and Mary Poppins & Bert.
BUT!! With touringplans.com being my guide and bible for crowds, the best two days to do Disney Hollywood Studios is Tues and Wed (with Tuesday slightly better). With Fantasmic! now showing every night and the opening of the new Star Tours, they are predicting crowd levels at 4.6 and above the entire time we are there. (For comparison, only two parks are a 2.5 or higher for crowd levels for the rest of our planned visits.)
So, this day is up the air right now, and probably won't be decided until the time comes to go to a park. One very smart thing I did, even before I decided to get APs, was to include Park Hopper on our tickets. So, we could start at DHS, go back to the room, rest and then end at MK.
Anyway - for the rest of Tuesday:
Currently we have an ADR at Tony's Town Square. I just recently saw Lady & The Tramp for the first time in decades and Lady just so reminds me of Miss Molly (except Lady is a lot smarter!!) Of course, now that I'm a total dog person I loved the movie even more and so want to eat at that restaurant (even with the not-so-great reviews.)
The lovely day is scheduled to end with the Wishes Dessert Party at the Magic Kingdom, with a beautiful view of the fireworks from a non-crowded location.
I second Heather, if you're already planning on going to DTD, hit up Guest Services located conveniently near Ghiardelli and WoD. Then go shopping! I have seen sale items there but not true clearance. Since you are hooked on Pin Trading, make a stop at the store there - don't forget all the AP exclusives!
Whoops! I was already working on the reply when you posted (and then my boss interrupted me and the other director interrupted me - so much for my lunch hour!)
Anyway See above about why I'm not sure about doing it at DTD. Then again, it may be too much to do MK that day, the crowd levels for that day are all 5 and above for the various parks.
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.