the EIGHTEEN years, TEARS, CHEERS & Hurricane FEARS TR - Page 21 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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There are other changes as well.
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We go on to the joy and through the tears
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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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.
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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Our last morning was uneventful. Well with the exception of seriously OVERSLEEPING and completely MISSING our 9am Cape May Breakfast Buffet ressie! I woke up at 9:05! Well so much for our last nice meal… or was it?
I was looking forward to one last nice meal together and thought that breakfast was the way to go, but obviously the week of little sleep had caught up with me! But there was little time left in my beloved Disney so I hustled out of bed, got everyone else moving and showered. We were all packed, showered and out of the room by 10! I’m not really sure HOW that happened, but a little fairy MUST have sprinkled some GET MOVING pixie dust on everyone!
Alicia was especially happy about going home, which in turn made me especially sad about leaving. She is the ONE person in my family who LOVES Disney at least as much as I do (if not more!). But, as much as she loves being away, she IS a homebody at heart! We checked our luggage with Bell Services; Yes this time they DID get it right! We WERE checking out! I went up to the check out desk using the MIDDLE space so I would not get reprimanded again, and was told that we were all set. Evan had borrowed a second Ethernet cable while we were there, and the woman actually seemed a bit surprised that I returned it to the desk. (Do people steal them or leave them in the room???) Whatever. After the bizarre behavior on the part of the CMs at Beach Club all week, I guess none of their reactions should have surprised me anymore!
I saw Art the Greeter again, but didn’t even bother asking my family to take a picture. Though I did look longingly in that direction hoping someone would pick up on my cue, no one noticed. No surprise there. Luggage checked and only a few short hours left, we headed for our last visit to Epcot. Today was family pick day for a park and it was a no brainer! Everyone LOVED Epcot. That and the boys had been craving the Fish and Chips from England ALL week! We had our special fast passes from our LOOOONNNNNGGGGG wait at Le Cellier, so we decided today was the day they would be getting put to good use! One last sad pass in through the International Gateway, and we headed straight to…... NO not a ride… MOM was on a mission!
I was determined that we would get at least TWO family pictures on my photopass prepaid cd if it killed me. So family in tow we headed straight to the very front of the park by Spaceship Earth. There are ALWAYS photopass photographers hanging around there. Always that is, except TODAY. I searched in EVERY spot I knew where they usually hang out and there was NO photo pass guy/girl anywhere. Needless to say this really made me SAD. I did get this nice photo, but it wasn’t the same as having the 5 of us.
There were a few people around, but most were in there own little bubble, and I didn’t feel comfortable enough with those around us to ask anyone to take a picture of the five of us. Disappointed in the knowledge that I wouldn’t be getting my family picture, we headed over to Soarin to use our first family fast pass. As usual Soarin did not disappoint! While in the line, I asked if we could have the first row and the CM gladly accommodated us! We were in the "C" section so the scents were not a strong, but the flight was incredible!
One last try for a PP after Soarin – I dragged the family over towards The Seas, but still no luck. I give up! The skies were cloudy and it was a bit drizzly out so I figured they were just not coming out today. I asked the kids if they wanted to do Mission Space or Test Track. The boys never did get on Mission Space. I don’t understand why as they had plenty of opportunities. (More on that in my wrap up! ) But they all chose TT! Woo Hoo! I was almost afraid if they chose MS and went for the full out version I’d be barfing all the way home! We went through the line and almost made it past the last CM just before the instruction room with my family fast pass still in hand. For a moment I thought we’d be able to use it again!! Yes I know the honest thing for me would have been to hand it to her when she was waving me by with it! But then the other CM working with her told her “No, you’re supposed to take that!” Oh well…. don't hate me for trying to keep the fass pass! I handed it over like I should have done in the first place, but for a few fleeting seconds, I thought I had created my OWN YOMD prize!
Test Track was definitely more fun when we rode it all together. We even adopted a little boy for the journey!
I’m not sure if it was because of the time of day, or if it was the wind, or the rain, or if it was because the track was wet, but we DEFINITELY went FASTER (even the speed posted proved it was faster) today than we did our first day!!
Everyone’s spirits were up, but our bellies were empty! We decided to head back over to England and get ourselves some of those delicious smelling fish and chips for lunch that we’d been waiting all week to try!
Here are a couple of pics I snapped along the way:
Last edited by tinker_me_happy; 10-23-2008 at 10:28 AM..
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It was still fairly early, and it didn’t look like the booth was quite open yet, so I decide to inquire at the Rose n Crown to see if they had a table available. I wasn’t expecting they would, but was very pleasantly surprised when they said they could seat us right away!
The boys were a bit grumbly at first. “The fish and chips cost twice as much here as they do at the stand”, Corey complained. Umm OK, you haven’t CARED all week how much money I’M spending why today??? I think it was because it was rather muggy out and even though we were seated under the awning he was just grumpy and hot. OF COURSE, had we gotten it at the take out window we would have been sitting on the GROUND and I would have been grumpy hot and UNCOMFORTABLE! I think the other part of it was he didn’t realize it was THE SAME Fish inside and outside the restaurant. Once the food started coming he was fine! He can be SO WEIRD at times! Of course he didn't eat breakfast like he should have (yes he KNOWS better, so I'm sure his blood sugar was completely bottomed out!)
Jeff and Evan shared the Samosas, and they were KIND enough to let me steal a bite. (Actually I think I had to fork fight someone for it...) Yummy. We should have gotten two! I tried to talk someone (EVERYONE) into getting the Potato Leek soup, but no one would, and I just wasn’t hungry enough. The boys each got a fish n chip and Alicia and I shared one. I also had a salad (I like my veggies ). Jeff and I also had a beer, but I forgot which one. This is where either writing stuff down, or finishing my TR closer to coming home from my trip would have come in handy! I will say I was very pleasantly surprised. I did not put Rose n Crown on my list of restaurants even though it always seems to get good reviews, because the menu just didn’t appeal to me much. I am eating here again in December with my Mom, and will definitely get the samosas again, but since I was so surprised with how good things were, I may be more adventurous and try something besides the fish and chips!
Here are some pictures of our last Disney meal and some shots of our view from the patio of Rose and Crown (notice the looming clouds!)
The boys were happy they finally had their fish and were set free for the rest of the day. The plan was to meet back at the hotel by 2:30, and they left for parts unknown! Jeff Alicia and I headed off to France for a Chocolate Crepe and one last Grey Goose Slushie! I snapped a few more photos...
...but the skies darkened once again, and the rain began to fall, so we headed off to the hotel to relax in the lobby while waiting for DME to bring us back to the airport. The ride in DME back to the airport was uneventful. The movie played…sort of… when it didn’t get stuck… but the rain was pretty severe. Disney was crying that we were leaving so soon!
Jeff Evan and Alicia wondered off to look for a snack, but no one was particularly hungry. Corey... who was back to his usual grumpy self...and I waited with the stuff!
I was nervous about our flight, with the weather being so severe, but we left pretty much on time. Which SURPRISED me, because the plane pulled up to the gate about 30 minutes before we were supposed to take off! It was a REALLY bumpy ride home, and they had the "keep seat belts fastened" signs on the whole time. So of course… yup you guessed it! We had a couple of KOOKS who kept getting up and walking around! I just shook my head and laughed.
Final thoughts and ramblings up next…
Last edited by tinker_me_happy; 10-23-2008 at 10:57 AM..
sounds like you and your family had a magical time at the world
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Can't believe the trip has finally come to an end. I so enjoyed your TR...guess missing your CM ADR worked out for the better, your lunch at R&C sounded fantastic (I will definitely be ordered the samosas on our December trip).
I put off writing my final thoughts, mostly because I was just too sad thinking about it! BUT here they are: This trip was a long time coming for me and I had a LOT of expectations. SOME were met and SOME were not.
First the Not so Good: The hardest part for me was the bickering and fighting that went on even though I knew ahead of time it would happen, it still broke my heart. I was very sad that I could not have given my kids a Disney Dream Trip when they were younger. I think it was hard for them at first to just relax and enjoy the vacation because they didn't know how! We never REALLY went on family vacations! By the time they did figure out how to enjoy themselves the weather had turned against us and it was pretty miserable. Even with that, they did have a good time - YES even GRUMPY!! - but there is a part of me that will always be sad I was never able to take them when they were young.
We had a LOT of problems with the room, and with RUDE CMs! There was little to NO magic for a LOT of this trip. I was REALLY hoping DH would fall in Love with Disney as much as I do (or at least a little bit), but it just didn't happen. Never mind the rude guests we encountered. I just look back and LAUGH at them! The magic that was made, was definitely MADE by US!! Sadly Disney did little to give us any magic. For me this was the most disappointing thing of all. Knowing I will probably NEVER get my whole family back there again makes it even sadder.
NOW THE GOOD!
After the fighting and near bloodshed, we all found ways to get along and actually HAVE FUN TOGETHER as a FAMILY! THAT was MAGIC for ME! We laughed and we cried - well ok I'm the only one who actually cried, but you get what I mean! and we ATE!! We really ATE well! And even though both my boys on a scale together probably weigh less than an average 10 year old girl, those kids can EAT!
Magic Kingdom at NIGHT was a BLAST. Corey WANTING to go back to MK and even getting himself UP at the crack of dawn and dealing with a nasty tropical storm to ride two rides (over and over!) was wonderful! Of course I had a conversation with my mom saying I felt bad that he wouldn't try a lot of things, but she pointed out: he was HAPPY with what he found IN HIS COMFORT ZONE! That is the KEY!
Getting my boys to act silly and having some alone time with the two of them was terrific! I know Alicia and I will ALWAYS have fun at Disney! She and I will always be silly too!
Seeing JEFF smile on EE - even though he claims he hates roller coasters... umm ok??
Did I mention eating? Yea, the food was awesome!!!
Knowing that somewhere deep down inside I was finally able to keep my promise and bring my kids to Disney - a lot later than I ever hoped or imagined, but so WORTH it!!
The kids didn't really want to help plan much, but I think things went well (with the exception of one breakfast!) once we all started adjusting the itinerary.
I am not giving up hope on Jeff. He says "ok been there done that, never have to go there again" But I have my sights on a trip for just the two of us - midweek - after Evan graduates HS. Maybe F&WF ? We'll see! I'll get him back down there someday!
And if Walt could dream so can I .... maybe another trip in 2010 after Evan's graduation? You never know!
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LAST DAY
Well so much for our last nice meal… or was it? 
about going home, which in turn made me especially sad
about leaving. She is the ONE person in my family who LOVES Disney at least as much as I do (if not more!). But, as much as she loves being away, she IS a homebody at heart! We checked our luggage with Bell Services; Yes this time they DID get it right! We WERE checking out! I went up to the check out desk using the MIDDLE space so I would not get reprimanded again, and was told that we were all set. Evan had borrowed a second Ethernet cable while we were there, and the woman actually seemed a bit surprised that I returned it to the desk. (Do people steal them or leave them in the room???) Whatever. After the bizarre behavior on the part of the CMs at Beach Club all week, I guess none of their reactions should have surprised me anymore!
I searched in EVERY spot I knew where they usually hang out and there was NO photo pass guy/girl anywhere. Needless to say this really made me SAD.
The skies were cloudy and it was a bit drizzly out so I figured they were just not coming out today. I asked the kids if they wanted to do Mission Space or Test Track. The boys never did get on Mission Space. I don’t understand why as they had plenty of opportunities. (More on that in my wrap up! 
) But they all chose TT! Woo Hoo! I was almost afraid if they chose MS and went for the full out version I’d be barfing all the way home! We went through the line and almost made it past the last CM just before the instruction room with my family fast pass still in hand. For a moment I thought we’d be able to use it again!! Yes I know the honest thing for me would have been to hand it to her when she was waving me by with it! But then the other CM working with her told her “No, you’re supposed to take that!” Oh well…. don't hate me for trying to keep the fass pass! I handed it over like I should have done in the first place, but for a few fleeting seconds, I thought I had created my OWN YOMD prize!
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