A Dream That Came True! The First Timers TR - COMPLETED 9/10 - Page 3 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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I am glad you are writing your TR. I have been looking forward to it. You really made the most of the airport situation. I think I would have been less happy about the whole thing. I am not a morning person to say the least…lol! I admire your attitude about the whole thing. From there it all sounds wonderful! I love seeing the Disney sign…..it always makes me tear up with happiness!! The CBR sounds, & looks amazing! I love all the pictures of it. The Christmas decorations add even more magic. Getting a room upgrade must have been a real treat! Hollywood Studios is a great place to start. That huge tree looks very cool! Rock n Roller coaster first thing… now you sound like us! It’s always RnRc & Tower of Terror first thing!! I am sorry to hear Scottie didn’t like ToT! I love all the parade pictures! We didn’t get to see that while we were there. We also never rode TSMM the wait was always too long & they were always out of FP’s. Everything sounds, & looks great so far! I can’t wait to read more….who could be at your door…what a great way to keep us anxious to read more!
Thank you so much! I must say we really loved the huge trees at all the parks, they were just gorgeous. That parade was our favorite out of all of them!
Quote:
Originally Posted by disneyfreeeak
Wow that short of a wait for both ToT and RRC? That's awesome! Sorry that Scottie didn't like ToT. I was the same way when I went on it my first time, too.
It was awesome!! I couldn't believe it. His reaction was really funny, though not to him lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lazanya
Congrats on the upgrade! Great way to start off your trip!
Great day so far at DHS! Love your pictures!
It really was a great way to start a magical trip!
Quote:
Originally Posted by emvenable77
So glad I found your trip report. I have been looking forward to reading about your trip! Sounds great so far! Love all the pics. RnR and ToT are two that I didn't get to do but want to try them at least once. The bad thing is that I will have to ride alone as it will be only DH, DD (3) and me again on our next trip. Can't wait to read more.
Thank you for following! I loved both rides and am so glad we got to try both of them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elbodans
aaaack! you cannot leave us hanging like that!
Sorry lol, gotta keep attention somehow! I promise to not leaving you hanging for long though!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Great pictures at CBR! It truly is a beautiful resort! You all had great luck with ride wait times at DHS! Can't wait to find out who is knocking on your door!
I really wish I had gotten more pictures of the actual resort, it is really gorgeous! You won't have to wait much longer lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great day at DHS! Love the pictures!
Thank you, I definitely want a new camera before we go again lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Isn't it amazing that these days the wait for what used to be the headline attractions--RnRC and TOT can be so short but the wait for TSMM is always a disaster! Can't wait to read about the mysterious knock and dinner as well!
I was also amazed at that! Everytime we went, TSMM was at least an hour wait!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcc0313
Sorry for the long wait for your flight but I think going through those WDW gates made up for it. Love the pictures from the resort and it sounds like you had a great start to your trip at DHS (minus a not so enjoyed 13 story drop for Scottie). Can't wait to hear more.
I really cannot describe the feeling of going through those gates for the first time! It is the most magical feeling in the world!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie092408
I love RnRC, and if we aren't trying to ride TSMM first thing, we head there! Last trip, we rode twice in a row with no wait, and then had a ten or fifteen minute wait before our third ride. (This was in September.) When we came out the third time, the wait time had jumped to forty minutes, so we headed to TOT.
Sorry Scottie didn't like that ride. Tell him that when my brother was 10, he went on that ride with us, and came off very green. My dad, being a joker, couldn't help asking "Do you want to ride it again?" Jake turned WHITE as a ghost. That ride is definately not for everyone.
I think the funniest part is that he literally told EVERYONE he met how scared he was on that ride lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lonereb
who's that knocking at your door.....who's that knocking at your door???
You're about to find out!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
At least you were able to hit two of the three headline attractions at the Studios, even if it sounds like Tower of Terror wasn't exactly a hit...
I still can't believe we were able to ride RnRC twice in a row in such a short time!
Ok, so I open the door to a very friendly CM with a special delivery......for Scottie! It was a Birthday card from none other than Mickey Mouse! Bonus!! It had a coupon for an additional 20% off our photopass cd!!! Scottie loved that it was signed "Your Pal, Mickey Mouse".
This made him so excited that he couldn't sit still lol. In case I haven't mentioned it before, Scottie has mild ADD problems, no meds for him though, I just give him subtle redirection and loads of patience lol. Anyway, this was just too much for him to be able to calm down and therefore no rest for me either. I took him outside to walk around the resort a bit. May I reiterate how much we LOVED this resort?? It was beautiful! The white sand beaches with their hammocks just beckoning you to rest in them. The colorful boats on the water, the pool, the tropical plants, it was all so wonderful. We decided to head on to MK where we would grab the monorail to the Polynesian for our Spirit of Aloha Dinner.
We grab a bus and get to MK, where we are promptly in awe of just the outside of the park! And why is it sooo crowded outside at 7pm?? Oh no, there is a christmas party tonight and everyone is leaving the park in droves. Ok, well the monorail looks sooo crowded, I decide to take a ferry instead. Boy, was that the wrong choice lol. We waited forever for a ferry, when one finally came, we couldn't fit on! Oh man, we are never gonna make our Show...wait...is that another ferry heading here? It is! But wait....does he even know what he's doing? It took the guy 10 minutes to get the boat stopped where he wanted it!! With trepidation, we get on hoping for the best because we really want to make that Dinner Show. Everyone on board seemed to be just as nervous but also determined to make it to the Luau. We set off for the next stop, and then the Poly. After another 10 minute parking fiasco, we offload a few people and gather a few more on board. I swear this guy had no idea what he was doing! He nearly ran into the dock!
Finally, we are at the Poly and the whole boat emptied with just about everyone heading for the luau. Wait, where do we go? Does anyone know? We had people going every which way, rushing, trying to find out where the show was!! It was kinda like watching one of those shopping game shows, where the people have to run as fast as they can but have no idea where to start lol. Finally, I figure out where to go (Yay me!) and everyone follows me to the show. Surely, they can't keep us all out because we're late?? Right?? I mean there's about 30 of us at this point....but we are about 45 minutes late at this point....
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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.
This is going great!!! I am excited to keep reading!!! I would be thrilled to have a CM drop off a happy birthday card to me!!!! He is a lucky guy
Thanks for following! He was definitely thrilled and so was I.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
What a great surprise for Scottie! I hope you found the Luau!
Thanks! The Luau was definitely something I really wanted to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessie092408
Scary ferry experience! Glad you found the luau...now hopefully you can get in!
Omg, Jessie, this guy ruined the whole ferry experience. I ended up not taking another ferry the rest of the trip lol. I was too afraid he might be driving again lol.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KMB733
Just getting caught up on your trip! Sounds like your trip is off to a good start! I hope that you make the Luau.
Thanks for following! We definitely had a wonderful start to our trip. I really hope we get to do it again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
What a surprise for Scottie! I would have been frantic trying to get to the Luau. I hope they let all of you in.
I'm just glad I wasn't the only one running around like mad lol. I know we all must have looked quite silly!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Disney4us2
Wow.... talk about a cliff hanger LOL I hope they let you in.
Lol Marci, told you I was a bit of a drama queen!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lonereb
how cool to get a birthday card from Mickey. Scottie is a lucky guy. Great TR. Looking forward to more.
Thank you so much! I was not expecting the resort to do something like that at all! He was a very lucky little boy indeed, this was really a magical trip for him.
Well, it turns out they delayed the show a bit because of alot of people being late lol. We were all stuck at MK trying to get there!! We were greeted with an "aloha" and a lei and shown to our seats in Cat 3, but we still had a good view of the stage. Immediately after being seated we were brought our salad and bread.
The salad was delicious and the bread was heavenly! They also had fresh pineapple on the tray. I oredered me a Pele Fire Punch in a monkey coconut so Scottie would have a cool souvenir from the party. Can you say....YUM? It was really good!
The tray with the main course arrived and it was loaded with wonderful food. There was grilled chicken, barbecue pork ribs, stir-fried vegetables, and polynesian rice.
Everything was delicious! I mean so good that I asked the server if there was ANY way of finding out the recipes. She came back to the table with actual pre-printed recipe cards!! What a cool souvenir to take home! What to say about the show? It was so much fun, it was a bit corny, but no more so than a movie about a crazed alien who learns to love a crazy little girl lol. I loved the dancing and singing and they even invited all the birthday people on stage to do a special birthday hula! Scottie actually did it!! (He's the one in a camo shirt and glowing shoes lol)
After that the show concentrated on different types of dancing from different tropical islands. It was fantastic! I wish my brother's camera had taken better pictures, but it just was not taking very good pictures at night. They brought out the desserts with flair!
The actual dessert is a chocolate mousse volcano with raspberry and pineapple sauces, which we thought was yummy, even it was just a chocolate mousse.
Then while everyone eats dessert, the fire dance starts. Let me just say, this guy was Incredible! He had that baton whirling so fast that we were in awe. I borrowed some pics off the net just to give you an idea of how cool it was.
After the show, Scottie was so hyped lol, but I was ready for bed!
One more picture before we left the poly (which I would love to stay at someday).
We hopped on the monorail back to MK and then grabbed a bus to our resort. When we got to our room, I had Scottie talk about our day while I wrote down some notes.....I found this to be a great way for him to calm down a bit so he could sleep good. Exhausted but ecstatic, we hit the bed. We had an early wake up call of 6:30am so we could make our 7:30 ADR at the Captain's Grille for Scottie's official birthday breakfast!
Woke up to the phone ringing, and how cool to have Mickey Mouse tell you to get up!! LoL Got Scottie up and going, and while he was getting ready I called Mears Transport to arrange a car for the next days trip to Universal Islands of Adventure. Then, I realize I messed up big time! I forgot that there are no buses between resorts! We were never going to make our 7:30 ADR at Yacht Club....
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.
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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You really made the most of the airport situation. I think I would have been less happy about the whole thing. I am not a morning person to say the least…lol! 
I admire your attitude about the whole thing. From there it all sounds wonderful! I love seeing the Disney sign…..it always makes me tear up with happiness!! 
The CBR sounds, & looks amazing! I love all the pictures of it. The Christmas decorations add even more magic. Getting a room upgrade must have been a real treat! 
Hollywood Studios is a great place to start. That huge tree looks very cool! Rock n Roller coaster first thing… now you sound like us! 
It’s always RnRc & Tower of Terror first thing!! I am sorry to hear Scottie didn’t like ToT!
I love all the parade pictures! We didn’t get to see that while we were there. We also never rode TSMM the wait was always too long & they were always out of FP’s.
Everything sounds, & looks great so far! I can’t wait to read more….who could be at your door
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