The Surviving Deployment Trip Report, Updated 10/18 COMPLETE!! - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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Welcome home, Laura. I'm sorry you got sick. I hope it didn't mess your trip up too much. I can't wait to read about your trip and how Michael the Bear and Victoria's sketchbook went over with the characters and CMs.
Let's get this TR underway! This is the first trip where I actually took notes. I didn't finish the trip taking notes, but more on that later. So, without further adieu, off to WDW!
SEPTEMBER 13 - DEPARTURE DAY
Victoria and I got up and got ready for church. We got the car loaded and were off to church. After church, I stopped for an on-the-road meal from McDonald's. I know. It's not my favorite, but it was convenient and on the way. As I got back on the road, I remembered that I hadn't put water in the radiator. So, I pulled off at the next exit and into a gas station. That's when I remembered that the tires needed air, too. Phew! I was so glad I pulled over. I filled the tires and checked out the radiator. It looked full to me so I closed the hood and got back on the road.
I was trying to eat my Chicken McnNggets and drive in a downpour when Michael called. Victoria put the phone on speakerphone for me so I could concentrate on the road. My DH just wanted to wish us a safe trip. He's so sweet!
The drive to San Antonio was pretty uneventful. We encountered rain here and there but nothing drastic. We found Lackland Air Force Base easy enough and breezed through the gate with my military ID. I got directions to the hotel.
I found the hotel, and there was a huge line waiting to check in. It was worse than lines at WDW. We got in line and waited. We waited for about 30 minutes, but something just didn't seem quite right, so I went into the little shop inside and asked if we were in the right place. We weren't. Ug! We were at the hotel where they put up soldiers. We were booked in the Officer's Quarters. So, I got directions to the Villas, and we hopped back in the car and found it in no time.
We got our room assignment and took our luggage to the room. This is what $27 a night will get you at Lackland AFB.
I had no idea it would have a kitchen. It has pots, pans, dishes, silverware, everything you'd need. It was very nice. Two televisions with cable and free high-speed internet. We will definitely stay here again if the need arises.
We chilled out for a bit and decided to get some dinner. I had gotten directions to Outback for dinner, and we made our way there. Not being used to traveling with a stuffed animal, we left Michael at the inn. I also left my camera. Oh well.
At Outback, I ordered my favorite chopped salad. That has to be the best salad ever. I also got the Outback special with shrimp on the barbie and fries. Victoria got the special with fries and garlic mashed potatoes. I had a coupon for a buy one, get one free meal. So, our meal total came to just over $10. You can't beat that!
We left Outback and went back to the hotel, vegged, and read the "Magic of Disney" book and some Disney trivia books. I set the alarm clock for 3 a.m., and we were in bed by 10 p.m. Victoria said, "Mommie, are you asleep?" I said, "No. I'm too excited to sleep."
Actually, we slept pretty well, but the pillows were really weird. They crinkled. So, we slept on crinkly pillows that made crinkly noises all night. Does that make sense? I don't normally go to bed so early, so I woke up at midnight. My body thought I was taking a nap, but thankfully, I quickly fell back to sleep. But, I woke up again at 2 a.m., with a headache. Good grief! I finally got up at 2:40 a.m., to get ready.
Wow hope you are feeling better I am glad you posted photos of the Gateway Inn I am staying there in December and was wondering what it was like I could not believe how much it rained that weekend in Texas ... I know you needed it down there but it was a pain in the butt for all the ceramonies. I am sad I missed you and your DD I would have loved to have met you
Rock those prices, girl!!!!LOL!!! That was ONE of the BEST parts of travelling while in the military, that I loved.... You can go almost anywhere in the world and the lodging will NOT break the bank!!! Can't wait to hear more....
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Enjoy a Disney Lifestyle......Everyday!
Last edited by orionchika; 09-26-2009 at 06:59 AM..
You are like a real life Handy Manny the way you have een taking care of the car. That's so great. I am looking forward to reading your actual TR now. Hope it was awesome!!
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.
Wow hope you are feeling better I am glad you posted photos of the Gateway Inn I am staying there in December and was wondering what it was like I could not believe how much it rained that weekend in Texas ... I know you needed it down there but it was a pain in the butt for all the ceramonies. I am sad I missed you and your DD I would have loved to have met you
Yep, we got days and days of rain. We were never able to cut the grass before we left because it rained so much, and we came home to grass up to our knees! Poor Victoria got out there and tackled the front yard yesterday. What a trooper.
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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So sorry you got sick! 
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Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
So sorry to hear you've been sick. 
Enjoy a Disney Lifestyle......Everyday!
I got directions to the hotel.
We got in line and waited. We waited for about 30 minutes, but something just didn't seem quite right, so I went into the little shop inside and asked if we were in the right place. We weren't. Ug! We were at the hotel where they put up soldiers. We were booked in the Officer's Quarters. So, I got directions to the Villas, and we hopped back in the car and found it in no time. 
I also left my camera. Oh well.
Denice 
Hope you're feeling better.
Poor Victoria got out there and tackled the front yard yesterday. What a trooper.
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