VERY FIRST FAMILY VACATION-JUNE 21ST -JULY 5TH - Page 22 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
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WOW!! Sounds like it was crazy in the MK!! Glad you had a wonderful time at CP, enjoyed the fireworks and were able to find your mom afterwards! Can't wait to hear about the shopping spree
Yikes! That's why we refuse to go to the parks on the 4th. Although I'm sure the other parks weren't as crowded as Magic Kingdom was, we still prefer to do other things. Usually that means Downtown Disney. We watched the fireworks that night from our balcony at Wilderness Lodge. Of course we couldn't see everything that great, but all the extra firing locations around the lagoon made it really cool. Looking forward to hearing about your trip to DD!
I know how claustrophic and scary it can be when it's that crowded at the MK during fireworks!!! Sounds like a fun last night. I'm sad that your TR is coming to end. Looking forward to reading about whether you got your gifts at DTD though.
Even though we got in really late, I seemed to be energized this morning. Maybe it had something to do with, we didn't really pack last night. I literally threw stuff in the washer and dryer while I threw stuff in the suitcase. LOL. Uh it didn't fit. I carefully packed before I left with cute little baggies and rolled clothes and really, I just didn't feel like taking that much care on the way back. LOL. Sooo, I made it work by stuffing some surplus in our carryons that was now going to be checked. This is the sight that greeted me as I poked into the bedrooms:
When we put the stuff in the car, I was amazed on how in the world we ever fit in that van with our luggage in the first place. After manuevering luggage and putting smaller items in the under the floor storage compartments (These were GREAT!!), we got everything in and was ready to go. Not before however the timeshare called us and said we were basically overstaying our welcome. LOL. She was NOT nice about it either but we didn't care, this was our last day and we were DRAWING IT OUT.
We were ready to go about 10:30, a half hour after check out time, not too bad though. Dropped off some videos at the condo rental.
We were off for some breakfast, we stopped at Ponderosa for our last breakfast. Yummy. Then we headed for DTD.
First stop was World of Disney. Can I say I LOOVE this store...it has everything I mean what do ya want? They probably have it.
I loved the Pirates of the Caribbean display in the beginning of the store.
cute.
Then we played around with the many, many, many hats they have here.
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Not long now....August 22-August 28, 2011. Fort Wilderness Cabins!
They then did the little train ride they have outside. I believe it was $3 or something like that.
My older son and my Mom was still shopping so we (the boys, Bria and I) marveled at the legos.
Once they were done, we stopped over at Ghiridellis and had a sundae each. OMG....delicious. Then I let the kids run all that sugar off at the lego place.
cont in next post
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Not long now....August 22-August 28, 2011. Fort Wilderness Cabins!
I know I'm a bad Mommy letting her climb on that but look I was exhausted, it was hot as sin and I made her get down after a few minutes. LOL
She was determined to do what the big boys did.
Oh and if your daughter was here, I once again apologize because the boys were flirting with every girl they saw.
After letting them play for at least an hour we had to get moving so we went over to McDonalds which I'm surprised isn't more Disney themed. I mean no disney toy, no real excitement at that McDonalds. Our local McDonalds has more for the kids to play with...very strange but got your typical chicken nuggets and fries fare. On our way out we got a couple of pics
We then left DTD and headed to the car rental place at the airport to catch our flight. This was the scene in the car.
She was crying I don't wanna leave, I don't wanna leave....me neither. Can I throw a tantrum too?
Once we got to the airport she was fine again. They all were once we boarded and they got their treat.
These were at the WOD as was a Disney themed Yahtzee game and Monopoly for my older son. A few Disney t-shirts and wafter cookies for everyone at my job. That was my spending limit. My Mom got quite a few other things including mickey pasta. LOL.
Up Next...Final thoughts...
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Not long now....August 22-August 28, 2011. Fort Wilderness Cabins!
Great update! Glad you were able to fit everything into your vehicle. What a nice time at DTD! And, I know exactly how Bria was feeling. So your trip has come to an end. Looking forward to your final thoughts
Sounds like you had a great time at Downtown Disney, even in the heat. I know that feeling of not wanting to leave, it doesn't matter how long your trip was, it's never long enough. Looking forward to hearing your final thoughts, and hearing about your next trip!
I have to say I learned quite a bit on this journey and will use every bit of that knowledge on future trips. Here is a few things I learned that is posted all over this site but if you repeat things maybe they'll stick. LOL.
1. Don't procrastinate...when you see good prices, as soon as your financially able, book the place, get the airfare and tickets. You could always change later and save if you have to.
2. Forget what people who have not been to the expansive Disney Resorts say, BRING A STROLLER! I'm telling you, I'm still bringing the stroller and my kids are now 6 years old. It keeps them close to me and definitely helps with carrying things if nothing else. Is it a hassle? Slightly but more of a hassle to carry those little buggers to a bus stop or car because they are exhausted.
3. If you are driving at all...get directions, lots of them, with landmarks before you leave.
4. If you have AAA and are purchasing your ticket through them, make sure you ask for the Diamond Preferred Parking pass. It was worth it in Animal Kingdom and Epcot..not so much DHS or MK.
5. It will rain almost definitely at some point of your trip...get a poncho and keep on trucking. It will doubtfully last all day and if you stop for rain, you will waste a lot of time.
6. Make sure you check yourself each morning before leaving to make sure you have everything.
7. Touring plans are great and very useful but be prepared to ditch them and fast!
8. Save money by bringing in water, juice and if not on the dining plan, lunch.
9. Most important...when you see something you want to try...DO IT..don't say you'll come back and do it because the likelyhood that you will is slim.
There's my ten cents or whatever you think it's worth.
Continued on next post is our favorites...
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Not long now....August 22-August 28, 2011. Fort Wilderness Cabins!
good advice. i am going in 2011 and yes i am a bit early but i love planning ahead. plus, when the time come to go i will have 4 year by then. so i am looking at all the advice people can give me. i love reading the stories of others that just came back. i will keep on reading until the day of my trip. glad you findly got to take your trip to your favorite place. i am lucky everyone in my family are excited to go.
We all enjoyed different things on the trip and some of the same things. Here are our favorites:
Animal Kingdom
5 year olds and me : Kilimanjaro Safari
2 year old: Not positive but I think she enjoyed the petting area the most.
DH & DS12: Expedition Everest
My Mom: Nemo Musical
Must sees on next trip: Kali Rapids & Festival of the Lion King
Epcot
5 year olds: Turtle Talk with Crush
2 year old: Exhibits at the Seas and Universe of Energy()
DH & DS12: Mission Space
Me: Tie between Mission Space & Soarin & Illuminations..i just can't choose one
Mom: Soarin definitely
Must sees on next trip: More FB's and more time in the countries including American Adventure, Test Track, Mission Space and Soarin
DHS
5 year olds & 2 year old & me: Playhouse Disney hands down!
DH: ToT
DS12: Motors Cars Action show & Star Tours
Mom: Great Movie Ride
Must sees next time: Almost the whole park as we didn't get a chance to do much here. Definitely Indiana Jones, TSM, Star Tours, and Beauty and the Beast.
MK
5 year olds: Teacups & Buzz light year
2 year old: It's a small world
DS12 & DH: Space Mountain
DM: Caroussel of Progress
Me: Haunted Mansion
Must do: I think we did everything we wanted to do here except Swiss Family Treehouse and Hall of Presidents which will be closed the next time we're there. We will try to do all of the favorites except Space mountain which will also be closed while we are there. However one thing I must try is a Dole Float!
Universal Studios
5 year olds & 2 year old: The water slide in Fievel's play land
DS12: MIB
Mom & Me: Simpson Ride
We're not going back here this next trip so I won't do must dos.
Islands of Adventure
5 year olds & Mom: Cat in the hat
2 year old: Trolley in the Sky
DS & Me: Spiderman
Must do: Won't go back until they are finished with Harry Potter world.
If you haven't guessed by my signature, I'm going back end of April and am beyond excited. I'm bringing my twin 6 year olds now. I figured they would be the perfect age, they don't complain and they don't whine. Perfect! Well I'm off to begin planning for that trip. Just waiting for the pesky hours to go up on the Disney site.
Thank you all for reading no matter how wordy I got. LOL.
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Not long now....August 22-August 28, 2011. Fort Wilderness Cabins!
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After manuevering luggage and putting smaller items in the under the floor storage compartments (These were GREAT!!), we got everything in and was ready to go. Not before however the timeshare called us and said we were basically overstaying our welcome. LOL. She was NOT nice about it either but we didn't care, this was our last day and we were DRAWING IT OUT.
your trip has come to an end. Looking forward to your final thoughts
Perfect! Well I'm off to begin planning for that trip. Just waiting for the pesky hours to go up on the Disney site.
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