I knew she never liked Disney as much as I do so I'm not sure why this question took me by surprise - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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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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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Darlene please do not let your DM ruin the magic of Disney for you!
Please tell your DM that my 20yo DS specifically asked to do a character meal when we visited DL together in May this year. He thought that since we were showing a newbie to his first Disney park (my work colleague), that we should maximise timing for meet and greets by doing several characters at a meal (that and he wanted a buffet breakfast). Lol.
He even wore a Donald shirt on Day one and a Mickey shirt the next day just because he knows I would be getting the photopass pictures...
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I bet my mother (among others) probably wonder what's up when they see DD21 and I with a character in a photo. No one ever says anything though. We don't do Greets very often, but will on occasion.
I'm another adult who loves meeting the characters. DH doesn't like lines much, so I don't usually do the greeting spots, unless there is little to no line. However, I my character meals! I willingly accept hugs from any Disney character, especially Tigger! BTW, Darlene's Mom: my grown children still love character interaction too.
Last several trips have been solo, but that hasn't stopped me from bringing an autograph, album and doing character meals. I've just gotten a bit more selective in time. I gave up a long time ago caring about what other people think about such things. I'm a responsible adult when I'm home but at WDW I get to be 8 1/2 again.
I love all the characters and so does DH. Our daughter (15) doesn't want anything to do with them and this is from a young age. In 2008 we ate at CRT and she refused to get her picture taken with Cinderella.
Ran the half marathon in January....the lines for the characters en route were so long I couldn't stop to meet any.......I had to scream "I love you Mary" to Mary Poppins as I ran by the grand floridian (she yelled that she loved me too back lol).......didn't see one kid running the half marathon lol.....so I'd say lots of older kids and adults get excited to meet characters some people just don't get it.....and that's ok..
I'm 58, and yes, i stand in line to meet characters. Not all, but some. I don't think there is a thing wrong with it in the least! If it makes her happy, it makes you happy, that is the important thing. The magic is there for EVERYONE, both young and young-at-heart! I'm not 58 when I'm there, I'm that 6 year old girl once again!
You should continue to do what makes you and your family happy. Don't let others spoil your fun. Enjoy this time of your life as one never knows what the future will bring. Stay youthful, upbeat and most importantly...magical!
We will be arriving in WDW Saturday September 2nd!! Can't wait!! Tonight at dinner my DD ages 15 and 17 made a list of characters that they will wait for, the ones they might wait for, and the ones they think they won't wait for. Last year when we were in DL, I literally ran smack dab into Sulley as he was walking to his spot, and I swear, my girls reacted the same way as if it had been Justin Bieber!! lol
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Funnily enough, my family (mum, dad & sister) always loved going to Disney and talked about it endlessly. Now that mum and dad have gotten a bit too long in the tooth to cope with the 8 hour flights, no-one will talk about our Disney holidays at all, unless we bring up the subject. Then they will nod a bit and rapidly bring the conversation round to them and what they are doing.
Sad.
I'm not telling you how old I am, but in theory I'm old enough to know better and not old enough to care, and one of my favourite things to do at Disney is get a hug from Tigger. And my 35 year old son spent quite a bit of time last year interacting with Pluto, his absolute favourite character from when DS was 8 years old and met him for the first time! We don't tend to queue up for many characters, we will queue for Duffy and occasionally Mickey, otherwise we make a point of dining at Crystal Palace to get to Tigger, and Garden Grill for Pluto last year. But physical size or age in years has no bearing on anyone's ability to be a child again, when at a Disney park or resort!
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Silvercat
(Enjoy reading trip reports? Why not try my books, "Tiggerific Travels Parts 1, 2, 3 & the new volume 4" - available now as e-books)
I think you are very lucky you got to go to WDW as a child. Only DL existed when I was young and a cross country trips wasn't in the budget (I am not sure a trip to Cape Cod was in the budget).
I went to WDW the first time as a college student before the characters were handled and they were just roaming around. I loved meeting them and have lots of pictures of us (4 college aged girls) with them.
As an adult, I never waited in line for them. Personally, I think that children should be given priority when it comes to interacting with the characters-for them there is still magic.
I think how long Abby goes for characters depends on her. But the questioning may also reflect your mother's concerns about Abby's disability and how it will effect her ability to be independent. She may not be able to ask about that but questionning her character interaction may be easier.
I think HunterMom is right. She is indirectly questioning a lot more that meeting Pooh Bear.
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my character meals! I willingly accept hugs from any Disney character, especially Tigger! BTW, Darlene's Mom: my grown children still love character interaction too.
some people just don't get it.....and that's ok..
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Jackie
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