Our very FUN and very HOT grand gathering TR: August 14-23 - 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.
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.
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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!
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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Sorry about that!! I am trying to figure out how to insert another posters comments so I can respond. Please forgive me!!! New to this!! Any advice?
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If you want to respond to just one poster, you hit the QUOTE button down in the right bottom corner of the post (it's blue). If you want to quote multiple posts in your post, you hit the " button in the bottom right corner of the post (next to the QUOTE button) in EACH of the posts that you want to respond to, and then when you're done selecting the posts you want, hit the QUOTE button in any one of them, and it should bring them all into the text box for you to respond to.
Wow! After reading Shelly's "re-do" trip report, I was inspired to dig through the boards, find my unfinished trip report and try to finish it! I hope that's ok! It's only been about 5 months!! (I've also decided I have to finish before I can start on our pre-trip report for DISNEYLAND!!).
So... after a VERY long break... back to the trip report for our grand gathering summer trip!
Tuesday/August 17th
This morning we didn't rush to make rope drop (TSMM was closed for refurb!). We got to the park a few minutes after opening and stopped to take a photo:
DH nor i had ever been on TOT so i can't even explain how accurate this photo was (at least of my experience on the ride!!) But more about that later...
After the photo op, we headed straight to Star Wars. We wanted to get DS 5 signed up for the training academy. We missed the first show sign up so i got in line to sign him up for the second show. DH took the two older kids to ride Star Tours while I waited in line with DS 2 (playing in the stroller!). I think I was in line for a good 45 minutes. Once I signed him up, we only had 10 minutes before he needed to be in the waiting area so we hung around. During the wait time my cousin, her DH and their two DD's joined us to watch the show. The whole line/wait time/watching show process took about 2 complete hours but it was WORTH every second!! My son LOVED being in the show!! I was so excited for him! DD 7 always does the BBB but DS 5 isn't into the pirate thing so i always felt like he didn't have anything "special, just for him" like the BBB was for her. Well, this was IT for sure!!!
After the show we headed over to meet up with some more of our grand gathering party. We found my parents and DBil and my two nephews. Everyone decided to ride the Great Movie Ride.
up next... the children in our party decide the great movie ride isn't so "great" after all!
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Yay for you returning to your report! If I can finish 6 months later--so can you!!
We were at Epcot this DHS day for you.
LOVE the pic from Jedi Training academy! When my DS did it, it was such a rushed surprise, that we did not have our wits about us to even consider photopass peeps.
BUT--I made a poster photo collage of the jedi pics to hang in his star wars themed room. I sometimes catch him staring at it. He still talks about how he has been "trained in the ways of the Jedi." He took it very seriously! Next trip, I will have to make sure I get in line early so we will not have to rely on another boy chickening out!
Side note: I am planning a Star Wars birthday party for him in a few months. I found some really cool invites on a website that I plan to order--invites everyone to participate in Jedi training! The particulars will be a surprise to him, but I am certain he will love it!
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Side note: I am planning a Star Wars birthday party for him in a few months. I found some really cool invites on a website that I plan to order--invites everyone to participate in Jedi training! The particulars will be a surprise to him, but I am certain he will love it!
Keep going!
Oh, I bet he will love that!! My DS loves star wars too!
Thanks for all the encouragement and for tuning back in!!
The Great Movie Ride Experience....
My dad really wanted us to all ride the Movie ride together. I must admit, we aren't big fans. DH and i like it and it's a nice place to cool off and take a break from the summer heat but it's not a must-do for us. We went with the family though and all rode together. DD 7 and DS 5 hadn't been on this ride since their very first WDW trip and were much younger then. I forgot about the gun/gangster part when the "mean" driver takes over. Our group had 7 children on the ride: our three, my two nephews, and my cousins two girls. Of the 7 children, one of them really enjoyed it. The rest of the kids were either crying (the three youngest), hiding their heads on their mommy (my DD and cousin's oldest DD), or holding on to Grandma for dear life! I have to admit, we thought it was rather funny. I guess they weren't expecting quite so much action. I think if i had remembered to 'prep" them it would have been ok. We still tease my dad about the time he scared all the kids by making them ride the Great Movie Ride!
After the ride we stood around for a few minutes "deciding what to do next". I have to say these were the times that were the hardest with a big group. Everyone has different ideas and it wastes a good bit of time deciding. We really wanted to do the Pixar Block Party parade but it was SO SO hot that nobody wanted to wait for it. We decided to head to the Animation area instead. We let the little ones have some fun inside with the playhouse Disney show. Then we headed to the animation building. We split up and DH took the older kids into the show/drawing. i stayed with DS 2 and my mom inside the cool building. DS fell asleep and my mom and I got to relax and cool off. I think there was quite a wait for the drawing class; mom and i waited about an hour. No complaints though! It was a nice break. Little one woke up after about 45 minutes, right as the Incredibles (who he LOVES!!!) were heading over for a meet and greet. We were the first in line!
Everyone soon joined us showing off their great drawings and we headed over to see The Little Mermaid. DS 5 decided he wanted to skip this and have his face painted like a Storm Trooper instead so DH and DS left us to go do that! We really enjoyed the show. It's always a favorite for my daughter and I! DS really loved his face!!!
Up Next: DH makes his debut in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL!!
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Thanks for all the encouragement and for tuning back in!!
After the ride we stood around for a few minutes "deciding what to do next". I have to say these were the times that were the hardest with a big group. Everyone has different ideas and it wastes a good bit of time deciding.
Everyone soon joined us showing off their great drawings and we headed over to see The Little Mermaid. DS 5 decided he wanted to skip this and have his face painted like a Storm Trooper instead so DH and DS left us to go do that! DS really loved his face!!! !!
Sounds like you handeled the group indecision better than I did with our GG. I thik I would be better now... having experienced disney success....but I am not expecting that any time soon!
Where did you get your DS's face painted? Were there other options? We did not see that!
Where did you get your DS's face painted? Were there other options? We did not see that!
I'm not sure exactly where he got it done since DH took him but I think it was near the Star Wars area. He said there were a few other options as well.
As we made our way out of the Animation area we realized the High School Musical production was starting and of course the girls (and this mommy! ) wanted to stop and take a look. We had a pretty good viewing spot, just behind the first row. My DD really wanted to be chosen as a volunteer but..... DH was picked instead!!! Didn't have his hand up or anything, someone just came out of the show, grabbed his hand, and led him "on-stage". He was a GREAT sport about it, even seemed to get into it a little .
After his musical debut we headed over to Mama Melrose for our very early (3:50pm) dinner ADR (Fantasmic! package). We got there about 15 minutes early and were seated right around our ADR time. We were a party of 14 and were seated at two different tables. (The kids enjoyed going back and forth). I'd read some "not so good" reviews of Mama Melrose but we all really liked it (I'll admit here that I like Olive Garden too ). Since we had the Fantasmic! package an appetizer was included as well which was great because I had already decided to pay out of pocket for the bruschetta! I don't have any food photos but everyone really loved their meal. My only small complaint was the dessert. I LOVE tiramisu and was really looking forward to it. What I got instead was some sort of tiramisu drink, kind of like a parfait/shake?! It was rather strange and i didn't like it. My DH did though! We'd definitely eat here again, I'd just get the cake instead!!
Up next.... I FINALLY ride RNRC and TOT for the FIRST time ever!!!!
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(I've also decided I have to finish before I can start on our pre-trip report for DISNEYLAND!!). 
Glad your son enjoyed being in the show! 
Sammi
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). Since we had the Fantasmic! package an appetizer was included as well which was great because I had already decided to pay out of pocket for the bruschetta! I don't have any food photos but everyone really loved their meal. My only small complaint was the dessert. I LOVE tiramisu and was really looking forward to it. What I got instead was some sort of tiramisu drink, kind of like a parfait/shake?! It was rather strange and i didn't like it. My DH did though! We'd definitely eat here again, I'd just get the cake instead!!
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