A Few of My Favorite Things & a Race, too! - Page 27 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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LOL...promise to update tonight. I have everything written but waiting on photobucket to resize pictures is a pain.
I am so happy that you are running. WOW...already lots faster than me! Keep going...you can do this and plan yourself a DisneyRace to Run...I am doing PHM 2015! Always welcome to join in the craziness!
Much as I love the idea of running a Disney 5K, it's highly unlikely it will ever happen, as our vacations just don't coincide with any of the races.
Way to go pushing through that pain at the start! How cool some of the stuff they had set up along the way for you all too Can't wait to hear how you finish!
Tower of Terror 10-Miler Race Recap
Part 2: Just Keep Going...Just a Little Further
I kept my intervals going strong and I knew if I could just make it through WWOS and just past Mile Marker 7 without seeing the balloon lady, I would be able to finish this race! I could see the turn off approaching for the dirt trail into WWOS and felt a surge of adrenaline pass through me as I passed by a huge group of runners who had stopped at the medic tent to apply biofreeze. I was feeling strong as I went past them and onto the dirt trail and then I kicked my mind into full alertness....remembering that 3 months ago it was a trail like this that was the final straw for my leg and I ended up with that darn stress fracture! I knew that the trail was going to be dark, dusty, slower, and possibly rocky…no need to rush through this area and end up injured…2 ½ more miles and I should be home free for the remaining 2 ½ miles! I went with the crowds pace and a lot of people were walking, so I too slowed to a walk. The trail through the wooded area was probably one of my favorite parts of the whole run, simply because it felt spooky. Lots of people complain about this stretch of the race…its congested, its dusty, it’s rocky (and I knew to beware of rocks flying through the air).
None of those things really bothered me, because I chose to live in the moment and I was prepared and knew what to expect. I remember seeing Captain Hook and maybe the hyenas from Lion King…but again, I did not allow myself time to stop or really soak in the surroundings; I had to get to Mile Marker 7. As we emerged onto the fields at WWOS, I knew that Betsy would be somewhere here cheering me on, so with that in mind I felt like I could run and I ended up running most of the entire next 1 ½ miles...
through WWOS because I wanted Betsy to see how strong I was and be proud of me. I loved running through WWOS, there were so many people cheering you and giving you high fives.
The last stadium was the best to run through as it was dressed up for the race with a lightning maker, scoreboard lit up with a “deadly” game and empty player uniforms on the field…the fans made it even better in the stands cheering you on!
As I left the last stadium, I still had not seen Betsy (probably missed her somehow) but I did get to see Stitch and some grave diggers.
As I left WWOS my battery began to die on my phone so it was time to switch to the backup charger that I had brought along in my filled sparkleskirt pockets…the best pockets ever for hands free running without a running belt. After switching to the backup charger, I noticed that I was now at Mile Maker 7 only about ½ mile to go and if Betsy was right it would be the last time I would see the sweeper buses waiting. Sure enough when I made it back onto Osceola Parkway on my way back to DHS there were the sweeper buses. I gave them a big wave and smile and ran past them.
If nothing major happened, I was going to make it. The first really freeing moment of the entire race. Somewhere along this stretch I remember seeing the gravediggers and the ballroom dancers from Haunted Mansion.
I stopped for some water and continued on my way to Mile Marker 8, when I spotted Cammy a few people ahead of me and ran to catch up with her. I must have made up a lot of time running through WWOS! I was happy to see her, but I knew that I really needed miles 1-8 by myself to work out all my physical and emotional issues on my own. She was just as excited to see me and always being the cheerleader gave me lots of praise and encouragement. I know that she was worried when I made her go on her way; it was nice to get that hug. Mile Marker 8 came...
just as we were ready to go back down the cloverleaf towards the entrance of DHS. This time we ran down it and as we passed under the entrance gate of DHS there was Maleficent up above trying to cast her spell on us before we headed back into the green strobe lights to return us from the Twilight Zone.
Running through the strobe lights this time was a little different; I knew there were not any buses behind me waiting to pick me up! Cammy settled into my interval pace as me made our approach to Mile Marker 9 in the Lights, Camera Action Stadium. I could tell that she had a lot more left in her and I urged her once again to go ahead of me. As my excitement for finishing was starting be replaced by something else, that at the moment I could not explain but understood when I reached the finish line. Running through the stadium, I had to smile as I remembered sitting in those stands with my family almost 2 years before and watching my youngest eyes light up with the appearance of Lightning McQueen, but even those special memories were starting to be flooded with something else. I exited the stadium and onto the Street of America, again with memories of the Osborne Lights and what a happy (but cold night) it was the last time I was here. Just as I was about to make it past the turn for Muppet Vision my phone rings…really? Ugh, another note to self to use airplane mode during a race. On the other end was my husband wanting to know if I finished yet. I was very brief and short with him and remember telling him “NO, rounding the corner at the Muppets talk to you later. Click.”
The next major attraction in front of me was the Sorcerers Hat and there standing with the poster was Betsy.
I yelled at her and waved, catching her by surprise! As we made the loop back towards the BackLot Tours, just before entering the tunnel area with the different prop shops I remember hearing one of the spectators encouraging us on…just a little bit further. So I decided right there and then to run the rest of the way. With each corner turn, I kept asking myself how much further because “just a bit further” did not seem like just a bit further. Looking back at the map, just a bit further was about ¾ of a mile. It was a good 10 minutes until I did finally spot the ToT looming ahead of me...
and all of the sudden I was over taken by a flood of emotions and tears began to well up in my eyes. The finish line was now in sight…
I pushed the play button on my music, turned up the volume on the song that had become my own personal anthem the last few months, held my arms up in victory and I pushed through to the finish line running before I let the tears overtake me…
Thanks...some of them are not mine. My camera was acting crazy..
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
Much as I love the idea of running a Disney 5K, it's highly unlikely it will ever happen, as our vacations just don't coincide with any of the races.
Never say never...
Quote:
Originally Posted by xwewhisper
Way to go pushing through that pain at the start! How cool some of the stuff they had set up along the way for you all too Can't wait to hear how you finish!
I think it is the neat stuff along the way that keeps you going...except for the first 3 miles and dealing with the shin splints I really never noticed the mileage.
Yayyyyy the finish line! You finished and you finished strong! Amazing job! I've signed up for the Everest challenge and you are inspiring me to try to actually run some of it!
Congrats on finishing the race! What an accomplishment! Even though you struggled throughout your entire journey, you have the satisfaction that you did it. When you crossed that finish line I was overwhelmed by joy and happiness for you.
What an emotional race that was - I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes, just reading all about it, so I can imagine your reaction when you crossed the finish line. Congratulations to you for getting through it - you must've been so proud of your accomplishment!
Yayyyyy the finish line! You finished and you finished strong! Amazing job! I've signed up for the Everest challenge and you are inspiring me to try to actually run some of it!
So excited about your EE challenge. You can do it! Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk Interval method is amazing and it works...and he is the RunDisney Coach!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
Congratulations on finishing the race!!!
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Donald's #1 Fan
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! You should be so very proud of yourself!! I can completely understand the emotions, I've had them at both of my races as well.
You've totally inspired me to run this race. I loved reading every minute of your report.
You did it!!!
I am not an emotional person, that is one of my biggest faults. I try to show only the strong side of me. I can't wait for you to run the ToT!
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Congrats on finishing the race! What an accomplishment! Even though you struggled throughout your entire journey, you have the satisfaction that you did it. When you crossed that finish line I was overwhelmed by joy and happiness for you.
Thank you...I feel sorry for all the people on PP...you really got an emotional broken mess in September when I started this PTR! It was a struggle, but those things are what makes us stronger...
Quote:
Originally Posted by lfredsbo
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
I could feel your emotions and have happy tears for you right now!!!!
ahhh that is so sweet, thank you
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Originally Posted by Cam22
Another great page!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
You did it! Awesome work!
thank you...thank you
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
What an emotional race that was - I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes, just reading all about it, so I can imagine your reaction when you crossed the finish line. Congratulations to you for getting through it - you must've been so proud of your accomplishment!
If you through crossing the finish line was emotional...just wait for my next update.
PP is an amazing, wonderful, supportive group of people. You have no idea how your words always make me feel loved!
Now with that being said, I think I can post my FINISH LINE experiences. I am totally opening up and bearing my soul, with what I was really feeling in the moment. Writing it down after we got back to CBR was hard, reading my journal to write this was hard, writing this update and then posting it...well it is FREEING!
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Can't wait to hear how you finish!
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