Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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02-15-2005, 02:58 PM
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#16
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Community Rank: Adventurer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 823
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip-more weather?
What's the difference between showers and rain? The weather channel site says showers on wednesday, 60% chance and rain on thursday, 60% chance. What does that mean? Does it mean there is a 60% chance that there will be random rain on one day and all rain on the other day? Are showers shorter than rain? Are they less intense? For God's Sake People!! Don't they know I'm trying to pack?
Speaking of packing, I just got a great pair of sneakers from JCrew off ebay. $10.50 for a a pair of blue suede puma style trendy retro type kicks, pretty good I think, can't wait to wear them in the showers/rain.
Okay, more planning. Its sort of up to me what we do, I don't want to run around like a chicken with my head cut off, but I'd like to see some favorites and some things I haven't seen in awhile. First on the list is probably Fantasmic. I haven't been since Mark and I went in February 2001
(by the way, the same trip as our Daytona 500 trip, the one that Earnhardt was killed in, and I'll never go again, not because of Earnhardt, but because the speedway assumes that your ass is only about 10 inches wide and uses that number to determine how many tickets to sell. I've never been so uncomfortable in my life. Add to that that I was never and am not now an Earnhardt fan, so imagine the guilt I felt when I cheered because he crashed and then found out he died. They didn't tell us until well after the race, but still, I cheered just as a guy got killed, really its awful. If I don't go to hell for that one I don't know what gets you there. So the moral of the story is, watch the Daytona 500 on a TV in your living room and never cheer for a crash that keeps the guy you don't like from winning.)
Back to Fantasmic. I call to book the package and can't get a table anywhere. I call the next day and the next day hoping that someone has cancelled. Turns out that 3 is a hard number to seat. I finally get a CM who is helpful and she says that she can get me into Mama Melrose at 4PM and that they only have tables for 2 available, but she's putting us down anyway and they can just put two tables together. I sure hope she's standing at the podium when I get there to tell the host that! Anyway, we're booked, its early, but don't old retired people eat that early anyway? Oh, I crack myself up.
That's for wednesday. That's the night MK has EMH, so it doesn't look like EMH is on our agenda right now. Maybe we'll go to PI that night? I also make a PS for Chef Mickey's for my last morning, its sort of tradition now. That's when I was asked the question that makes the title of this report. The CM on the phone assumed that 3 meant one of them must be a kid and asked for the ages of the children in the party. I said 34. I don't know if she thought I was funny. Mark won't be there, but maybe I can steal some breakfast lasagne for him. Our PS isn't until 11:20, I would think that a to-go container of breakfast lasagne would survive about 12 hours, I mean its cooked and everything. Hmmm.
Okay, now I'm thinking that we should have a PS for the tuesday night we are there too, just in case its crowded and we are hungry and don't want to wait for dinner. We loved AKL when we stayed there last year, so I decided that Boma might be a good choice. The parents don't like "weird" food, the want "normal" food. I've never really understood this, but I've always just made sure they could have a steak or spagetti at any restaurant they go to. My brother hasn't accepted this yet, he took them to an Ethiopian restaurant last time they visited him. I heard all about it. I tell him, eat the Ethiopian when I come to see you, take them to Applebee's or order a pizza, but don't try to change them because it ain't happening.
Seriously, how did I come from these people? I'll pretty much try anything you put in front of me and my dad won't eat it unless its beef or pasta and its burnt to a crisp. Just to give you another picutre into my psychosis, growing up I thought roastbeef and hamburgers were the two worst foods a person could eat. I can remember chewing on roast beef so long that I would spit it into my napkin to get rid of it. And burgers? Dad makes them into charcoal. Little black charcoal briquets. Horrible. When I was 12 I saw the light. I was at a friends house and they were having burgers. Mom always taught me to eat what was put infront of me to be polite at best. So I tried the burger. Oooooh, that's what these are supposed to taste like, mmmm, good.
Anyway, Boma should do it, they have beef and salad and I can have some "weird" food.
So the plans so far are, Luxury Trailer Park monday night, POFQ tuesday - thursday, Boma on tuesday, Mama Melrose on wednesday, and Chef Mickey's on thursday. Oh, and don't forget the showers/rain for 60% of the time.
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02-15-2005, 03:56 PM
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#17
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Community Rank: Globetrotter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Orange, Texas
Posts: 3,717
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
You are way too funny!!
I'm sitting at working, reading your trip report, (I know I should be working, but I"m taking a break!), and I busted out laughing. I love reading your stories...
More please....
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02-15-2005, 04:19 PM
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#18
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Dopey's biggest fan!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: China Spring, TX
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 26,975
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
So . . . am I going to hell for laughing at your story about cheering when #3 crashed? Awful as it is, it was honestly very funny!!!
About the rain and showers . . . without getting TOO scientific . . . they're the same dang thing, it just depends on what kind of CLOUD it's coming from!!! RAIN comes from stratiform clouds (which are clouds that have layers and cover the sky (like a blanket ) ----- SHOWERS come from convective clouds, which are the big fluffy ones.
And did you know that raindrops aren't really "teardrop" shaped? They actually are shaped like hamburger buns (without the little black charcoal briquet)!!!
There's your science and weather lesson for the day!!!
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Sponsored links
| | 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. |
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02-15-2005, 04:21 PM
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#19
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The Original BagMan
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Shalimar, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 22,002
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
Great Updates!!!
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02-16-2005, 09:47 AM
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#20
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Community Rank: Adventurer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 823
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
You learn something new everyday....
Seriously Sarah, who knows that kind of thing? Are you a weather person? You should be, because that was a great explanation!
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02-16-2005, 10:12 AM
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#21
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Dopey's biggest fan!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: China Spring, TX
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 26,975
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
[ QUOTE ]
You learn something new everyday....
Seriously Sarah, who knows that kind of thing? Are you a weather person? You should be, because that was a great explanation!
[/ QUOTE ]
Nope . . . but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night . . . no wait . . . no I didn't!!!
Seriously, I'm a nerd and I learned about that stuff once when I was really curious about the difference in precipitation myself!!!
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02-16-2005, 01:34 PM
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#22
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Eileeeeeeen!™
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 28,861
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You learn something new everyday....
Seriously Sarah, who knows that kind of thing? Are you a weather person? You should be, because that was a great explanation!
[/ QUOTE ]
Nope . . . but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night . . .
[/ QUOTE ]
OMG - I just let out a big snort of laughter. <ducking from colleagues> I think I better go home now!
Eileen
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02-16-2005, 08:40 PM
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#23
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Living Seas wannabe
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 31,940
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
You learn something new everyday....
Seriously Sarah, who knows that kind of thing? Are you a weather person? You should be, because that was a great explanation!
[/ QUOTE ]
Nope . . . but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night . . .
[/ QUOTE ]
OMG - I just let out a big snort of laughter. <ducking from colleagues> I think I better go home now!
Eileen
[/ QUOTE ]
- Ok - Eileen needs to go home and I need to go too bed. Kim and Sarah - you are like a comedy team!!! You two make me laugh SO hard!!!
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02-16-2005, 09:55 PM
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#24
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Community Rank: Adventurer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 823
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
Thanks for coming folks, I'll be here all week, and don't forget to tip your waitress...
Oh, wait, that was Sarah who was so funny, what with her Holiday Inn Express plug
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02-17-2005, 12:27 AM
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#25
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Dopey's biggest fan!
Join Date: May 2004
Location: China Spring, TX
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 26,975
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for coming folks, I'll be here all week, and don't forget to tip your waitress...
Oh, wait, that was Sarah who was so funny, what with her Holiday Inn Express plug
[/ QUOTE ]
Hey Kim . . . I'll cut you in on some of those tips!!! Say 70/30? 60/40?
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02-17-2005, 10:45 AM
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#26
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Columbus Ohio USA
Posts: 1,902
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
Making mental note not to wear long socks or a fishing hat with pins on it when I visit son........
Love your pre-report, I can hardly wait for the real thing!
Suzie
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02-17-2005, 01:34 PM
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#27
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Community Rank: Adventurer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 823
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
Oh, where was I? Oh yes, rain. Now the forcast is much better, sunny monday thru wednesday and rain, I mean showers, on thursday. Downside to weather? Prediction of snow storm here, sunday night and into monday. What if my plane doesn't go?
I email the parents with the plans and possible ideas for days in the parks. I suggested that on tuesday we check in really early to POFQ, like 6 or 7 AM, even though the room won't be ready, we can get over to MGM for early entry and I can go on RNR and ToT.
My dad responded with a very indignent tone, what did I mean that I could go on those rides, he wanted my to know that he had been on RNR just last week. WHAT?? The old man has a heart condition, had a quadruple bypass 9 years ago and generally should not be on rollercoasters. And don't forget we were just there all together last month and he wouldn't go on it then, so what gives? He did say he was saving ToT to do with me. I told a friend of mine about this and that I was surprised he went on without me. He said that my father probably figured he would do a test run without me, that way if his heart gave out I wouldn't have to live the rest of my life knowing my Dad's ticker went while sitting next to me on a roller coaster. I have morbid friends.
I very excited about the possibilities of roller coasters with Dad again. When I was a kid he took me on them as soon as I was tall enough. My Mom and brother hate them, but we loved them. Dad hasn't ridden a coaster as far as I know since the late 80s, so this is quite a change. WOOHOO, another adreneline junkie to ride around with, who needs a husband to have fun with when you've got a Dad like mine!
On other exciting fronts, the mellow part of Dad has been busy measuring the distance around the trailer park loop so I can get a run in there monday night. I'm training for Ottawa and I need to do a 9 miler on monday that includes 4 miles at a pretty hard pace. These are much easier to do on a measured path or road. He says the loop is 2.5 miles, so I think I'll do one easy, two hard and another easy for 10. So much for exciting Dad, now he's old man on the bike with an odometer Dad.
Did I mention in my last trip report that they both fell off their bikes? The story in which my mother ran into a post because she couldn't decided which side of the post to ride on? Oh, I'm cracking up at the computer just thinking about it.
Anyway, back to Disney planning. Here's some more basic itinerary stuff, but I'm second guessing myself after reading some other posts. Monday is arrival day, so nada.
Tuesday: check in, MGM EMH but just for RNR and ToT and then over to AK for early safari ride seats (driving between parks of course), afternoon at the pool/nap, dinner at Boma at 5:10, then MK for Spectro and Wishes. I'm reconsidering this because I read from many that the EMH parks are packed. I remember doing morning hours in the past and having good luck so I don't know if these are people who end up a little late or if they have changed that much. I assume that MK will be light that night because the next night in EMH there and people will do that instead of tonight.
Wednesday: Epcot, I haven't spent much time in future world in awhile so we might go there in the morning, then pool and nap again til Mama Melrose at 4 for our early bird old people special Fantasmic dinner. Obviously, then Fantasmic. After I thought we'd go back to POFQ and take the boat to DTD. Mom and Dad haven't been (unless that's a secret too, perhaps with the new retirement they've become party animals) to AC so I thought it would be fun.
Thursday: get up early and run, I'm really cutting back on the miles for this trip, I'm only going to run twice, monday and thursday, but then I have double duty when I get home on friday, plus I have big race on Saturday, the end of the winter series I've been doing and I'll most likely win my age group (editors note: I is the only one in my age group, okay not the only one, but the only one who runs even fairly fast, the fast lady in the age group got divorced and dropped out of the running scene locally, so now I get to win sometimes and next year when I turn 35 I won't win anything, all the local fast ladies are 35 to 39). Where am I? Chef Mickey's. And then what? Who knows? I need to be to the airport at 4, so we could go to the outlets or something.
Got to go, getting my hair colored today, I'm thinking bleached blonde bouffant...
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02-17-2005, 02:53 PM
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#28
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Community Rank: Globetrotter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: LITH, Illinois
Concierge Level: 1
Posts: 3,205
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
Kim, I am loving your pre trip report. You have me
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02-17-2005, 03:02 PM
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#29
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Eileeeeeeen!™
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 28,861
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
[ QUOTE ]
The story in which my mother ran into a post because she couldn't decided which side of the post to ride on? Oh, I'm cracking up at the computer just thinking about it.
[/ QUOTE ]
Me too!!
[ QUOTE ]
I read from many that the EMH parks are packed. I remember doing morning hours in the past and having good luck
[/ QUOTE ]
I've always found that, if you get to EMH right as it opens, the place is almost dead. By about an hour after regular opening, that park seems quite crowded. Since you're only going for two rides, you should have an excellent time!
[ QUOTE ]
Got to go, getting my hair colored today, I'm thinking bleached blonde bouffant...
[/ QUOTE ]
If only your dad didn't insist on the fishing hat, all three of you could get them!
Eileen
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02-17-2005, 04:46 PM
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#30
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Facebook Addict
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Philadelphia
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 39,682
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Re: The age of the child in your party? Uh, 34...PreTrip more weather 2/15
This is the funniest report I've read in a while, and it's all pre-trip report. I can't begin to imagine how the REAL trip report is going to be!
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| | 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. |
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