Where are the kids? At home with their Dads! TR April 13-19, 2010 - Page 3 - 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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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.
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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!
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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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I’m Heather (36), mom of DD(5) Bri & my Robert (he was 14 ½ mons). I’ve been with my DH Joe for going on 7 yrs & will be married for 6 this Nov. I have Disney for as long as I can remember! This will be my 6th trip to WDW & my first semi-solo trip.
Ginger already told you how we became great friends! And I have to say, all the PP friends I have had the honor to meet in person are just awesome, amazing people (that’s a shout out to you Princess Sharon, Sheri, Maria, Ben, Matt & Bethany ) I’m excited that our trip overlaps with Matt’s trip with his two older girls! Since the darn Swine Flu sidelined me from the EPOCT Bar Crawl in Oct, I only managed a “Hello” with Matt & Bethany waiting in the EPCOT bus line at POP. We stalk each other on FB now
Anyway, on with the show! Ginger sends me a text saying “Wanna go to WDW with me? Oh BTW we are staying at AKL!” Umm Heck yeah!!! (& I believe that was exactly what I sent back to her too) I had to make the pouty face , the eyes got a little teary & I had a to promised I would get a small job to help pay for the trip (the next day I contacted AVON & am now an AVON Rep!!), but he said !!!
Since I was just taggin along, I let Ginger “run the show”. At this point we were still planning on AKL & I was trying to figure out how Ginger got the points to stay there. She hadn’t gotten to the point in her Oct TR where she sprung the surprise on all of us that she had bought into DVC while on the cruise! Honestly I was soooo excited about a WDW trip with my new BFF that I honestly didn’t care. All I knew was this was going to be an awesome, relaxing vaca with one of my gf’s & that was really all that mattered. When she let me know we were now staying at OKW,I hooped on PP to check out some pics & fell in LOVE with the resort! I grew up spending my summers at the Jersey Shore. Not the NY Jersey Shore like on MTV (which is a guilty pleasure of mine), but the REAL Jersey Shore, Southern NJ, Sea Isle City to be exact…..now it’s Wildwood for me & the fam. I digress again, sorry I talk A LOT (SJ girl remember ). So I the change to OKW b/c I can see myself relaxing by the pool on this trip!
Ginger let me in on where she had ADR’s for & I was even more excited! I’ll let her tell you where they are, but there is only 1 that I had eaten at before, so they are ALL NEW places for me
Since Ginger & Alma are there for “work” umm sure you guys are ! I knew I would be spending most of the days in the parks by myself. That was "A" OK with me because I could take as many pics as I wanted without slowing down my family. I was inspired by “The Mosey Challenge” and was going to just take it easy & enjoy my beloved WDW & all the little details that are often passed by.
I had been thinking about a solo trip, but with my panic/anxiety not quite controlled yet I didn’t know if I could truly handle one. Ever since Robert died I have a hard time being alone. I was always very independent, loved going to eat alone, just driving around to clear my head, or going to new places & exploring the unknown city. Heck, I spent a whole year alone, well OK Bri & Robert were always with me, while Joe did his tour in Iraq. I can’t do any of that anymore. BUT I also knew I need to “get away” from everything here at home too. Sometimes being home is too much for me & the stress of the past 14 and a half months makes me want to run away…literally. I honestly have spent that time running on auto-pilot and keeping all my true feelings buried.
Yes, I need this vacation! As soon as I get home I start planning our next fundraiser, so I need some R&R & time with my girl Ginger !
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All I have to say is that I don't want to run any shows thats for sure! I have been busy making ADRs and emailing everyone to see if they approve. It's not an easy job being the semi-planner for this trip when everyone of us are your typical "disney planners".
And I know that friends don't keep things from friends, you know like buying into DVC while you are on cruises. Things like that. But I wanted to drop that surprise in my trip report. So, I'm sorry I kept it from you Heather and Alma. But guess what? You are the first one's going "home" with me and that means something right???? I you guys!
I have never done a sorta solo trip to the world myself either. I typically do go to a conference each year, but that is usually just 3 or 4 days. So 6 nights away from my girls is going to be alot. And I will tell ya what, I have that "mom guilt" hanging over my head already. I need to let that go and have a great time with my friends. That is exactly what we are going to do!
You’re right ~ “running the show” isn’t right….you’re the lead planner of all the planners on this trip I actually that I don’t have to make any tough choices on this trip, well other than should I have a Mojito or a Pina Colava
I’ll have Mom guilt the first time I call home, don’t worry! The other day Bri asked if she could stay with Belle & Maddy when I went away with Ms. Ginger. She looked so disappointed when I told her they would be home with their Daddy like she will be with hers! I still haven’t told her we are going to WDW…..oh crap! Maybe I have Mom Guilt NOW too!
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Last edited by mpwife153; 03-17-2010 at 02:10 PM..
"Lead Planner of the Planners" that is a better title! LOL! Once we are together I think that the mom guilt will subside. Along with a few mojitos and margaritas and pina colavas!
You can tell Bri that we plan to meet up with her sometime this summer on one of my long weekends for sure. Maybe that will help?
Storytime: I forgot to tell you all about the time I went to a conference in Orlando. I believe it was August 2008. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms resort. That place is just Beautiful! I was there with Alma and two other NP friends Pam and Pam. Anyway we decided that we would take one day and go over to the Magic Kingdom. This was the first time I was EVER in a disney park without my girls. So while I had a grand time with my friends, it felt strange. It was getting late and I decided I better call home so I can tell them all good night. We just so happened to be waiting on the train in toontown. Just as I get on the phone the loudest train whistle blasts "TOOT TOOT" My husband was like "Uh...where are you?" "Mmmm...I'm at the the Magic Kingdom". Well, let's just say I never lived that one down. They still say "remember when you went to the magic kingdom without us and the train whistle went off and we caught you" Needless to say, sad girls turned into happy girls once I brought them disney gifts, lots of them.
So this year I am preparing them that I am going to WDW for a conference . They know I will be with Ms. Heather and Alma. So far I think I have talked more to Maddy about it. She seems okay. Now I need to start talking to Isabelle more and get her okay with the idea. They should not be by any means. They have a big trip planned at Thanksgiving. (insert smiley that means spoiled rotten)
So, from this point on...no more mom guilt! I'll try my best!
Hi everyone--I am along for Ginger's excellent adventure. I am a long time WDW freak and Passporter user. Ginger is the next generation!!! Cannot wait!!! My sister Judy is also included. We are part of the unhappy people that were soooo disappointed when they canceled ABC Super Soap Weekend last year. I had been to that 9 years in a row. Now we need reasons like this to go back to "The World". Ginger is letting us stay in her "house". I think I want to just live there. Warmer in Ohio today but no palm trees in site and I am missing my WDW
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I’m Heather (36), mom of DD(5) Bri & my 
Robert (he was 14 ½ mons). I’ve been with my DH Joe for going on 7 yrs & will be married for 6 this Nov. I have 
) I’m excited that our trip overlaps with Matt’s trip with his two older girls! Since the darn Swine Flu 
sidelined me from the EPOCT Bar Crawl in Oct, I only managed a “Hello” with Matt & Bethany waiting in the EPCOT bus line at POP. We stalk each other on FB now 
, the eyes got a little teary 
& I had a to promised I would get a small job to help pay for the trip (the next day I contacted AVON & am now an AVON Rep!!), but he said 
!!!
). So I 
!
Things like that. But I wanted to drop that surprise in my trip report. So, I'm sorry
I kept it from you Heather and Alma. But guess what? You are the first one's going "home" with me and that means something right???? I 
I need to let that go and have a great time with my friends. 
*Ginger*
Maybe I have Mom Guilt NOW too! 
Great update Heather! 
pool! Great updates, ladies.
PassPorter Guide Author
I forgot to tell you all about the time I went to a conference in Orlando. I believe it was August 2008. We stayed at the Gaylord Palms resort. That place is just Beautiful! 
I was there with Alma and two other NP friends Pam and Pam. 
Anyway we decided that we would take one day and go over to the Magic Kingdom. This was the first time I was EVER in a disney park without my girls.
the loudest train whistle blasts "TOOT TOOT"
"Mmmm...I'm at the the Magic Kingdom". Well, let's just say I never lived that one down. They still say "remember when you went to the magic kingdom without us and the train whistle went off and we caught you"
by any means. They have a big trip planned at Thanksgiving. (insert smiley that means spoiled rotten) 
I'll try my best! 
Warmer in Ohio today but no palm trees in site and I am missing my WDW
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
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