Returning to our Happy Place: Pre-trip report - UPDATED 09/08 - Page 4 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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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.
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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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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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WDW - August 1997 Off Property
WDW - January 2005 AKL
WDW - May 2006 Pop Century
WDW- november-dec 2007 pop century
WDW- dec/jan 2009/2010 pop century
WDW- oct/nov 2012 art of animation
WDW- sept 2013 port Orleans riverside
WDW- july 2015 beach club
So glad you were able to Ohana for dinner, too! Your ADRs look terrific!
We do not currently have the 4 CD set, but like you it is on our wish list. I got my Mickey Crocs at WDW (I think the first pair came from WoD). The size is exact and I find them very comfortable for wearing in the park all day. I now have 3 pairs of them.
Thanks Cam! Got the CD and love it!!
I definitely think I will order the shoes!
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Originally Posted by kingfamily1129
Your ADR's look great!!! We love 'Ohana for breakfast and dinner as well...you always leave full!!
We are very excited about 'Ohana for both breakfast and dinner. It will be a first for us!
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great ADRs!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by OCEANGRLLG
Yummy dining plans!! Cant wait to har about your plans for Day 1!
Coming right up!
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Originally Posted by Shelley the Pooh
Your ADR's sound so delicious! We love Ohana for dinner. I've never tried it for breakfast. We have eaten at Crystal Palace for lunch and it was fun and yummy. I want to try for breakfast one day but I am not a morning person so those are kinda hard for me.
I hear ya about the seafood restaurants. We live in SE TX and have some pretty good seafood here too. Plus we are so close to NOLA that if we want even better its just a short drive.
If you ever want some yummy food you should try Lafayette, LA. We were just voted the south's tastiest town in Southern Living Magazine!!
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Originally Posted by MayraLR
Great adr choices!
Thanks!
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Originally Posted by bsblady01
more please
Coming right up!
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Originally Posted by TexasHeathers
I'm jumping in on your pre-trip report! Can't wait to hear more! Love your ADR's - Ohana's is fabulous - we all loved it there. Congrats on flying!!
Thanks we are so excited about both flying and 'Ohana!
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Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Great ADRs--I love 'Ohana for breakfast!
I LOVE Stitch! I am so excited!
Quick update on the pipe issue at daycare:
Scott got bad feelings when he brought Abby to school last Monday and Tuesday. Every teacher was there by 7:30 AND the owner/director. This is NOT normal. By the third day of this he jokingly asks "So did ya'll really have a broken pipe or was it something else?"
He said that the response he got was very suspicious so we did some research and it seems that it is public knowledge when these centers get visits from the state department. Don't you know that they had a visit on the Wednesday before they were closed for 2 days!! That made me even more suspicious and so I checked with the state and it seems that they were written up for having too many children and not enough staff. It really burns me up that 1) the director is lying to all of the families (she has done it before) and 2) she is making her teachers (who are all very good) lie too! I can get over the problem with the numbers. Perhaps someone was late for work and the state just happened to walk in and count heads at that exact moment. I would rather you just be honest with us and tell us "Look there was a problem but we have fixed it and it will not happen again!". I am so mad about this. If she will lie to us about this, it makes me wonder what she wouldn't lie to us about.
OK done with that!! Only about 7 more weeks of that place and then Abby and I will be on summer vacation and then she will start Kindergarten!!
Now back to the PTR.
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Check out my Pre-Trip Report for our 9/18-9/23/12 trip here:
Two things that I have gotten checked off my to-do list:
I ordered and got the Four Parks, One World CD in from the Disney store. Abby and I love it. There are lots of songs from attractions on it that we don’t recognize. Abby asks “What is this song Mommy?” and I keep having to tell her it is a ride we missed. Looks like I need to make a list of rides that we need to try for a first time this trip.
We also pre-ordered the photo pass CD. This is a must for me each trip. I just love the candid shots that the photographers get, the magic shots and the borders. I also love that when I want it to be a family picture, I don’t have to hand over my camera and can just jump in quickly.
Now onto the trip planning:
Since we decided to fly this trip we had to shop around to find the best prices for flights. We have an airport that is about 30 minutes from our house but there are no direct flights to Orlando. When asking friends and such they all recommended flying out of New Orleans as this is the only airport near us that flies to Orlando directly. While this will save us lots of time on our flying day it will also require us to stay overnight in New Orleans. I will be working on Monday, September 17th. Scott has decided to take this day off. He will take the dogs to board them, pack up the last minute things and the car. I suggested to him that Abby go to school but he is leaning towards keeping her at home. I will keep working on him on this. I feel that it would be best to let her go to school and pick her up before her nap. Then they can go home and finish up the last minute things. I will be home by 4pm from work. We will then do one last check to be sure we have everything and then head out. As much as I would love to be running out of the door right at 4, we will just take our time because leaving at 4 would put us getting into Baton Rouge right at 5 and that is a very bad place to be at 5pm. We will probably leave the house around 5. It will be about a 2 hour drive to our hotel. Dinner will be somewhere on the way between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
We have decided to stay at the Comfort Suites Airport in Kenner, LA. http://comfortsuitesneworleansairport.com/photo.asp
We stayed here once before for a get away weekend and it was a decent place. We will be able to leave the car (no parking fees!)and take the shuttle to the airport in the morning. They also have a big breakfast downstairs in the mornings so we will definitely take advantage of this before we head to the airport. For $100 bucks for the night I think it is a good deal. Parking for the week, shuttle to and from the airport and a free breakfast in the morning of departure.
Up Next:
Flight to Orlando and plans for our first park day!
__________________
Check out my Pre-Trip Report for our 9/18-9/23/12 trip here:
I agree that a direct flight is best! I also agree to send the little one to school that day! We've done a similar scenario - sent the kids to school while we packed up and got ready and then picked them up and off we go! It makes packing easier and the kids liked going to school and bragging to their friends that they are leaving for Disneyworld today!! Now, I am going to have to get that music CD!!
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Heather "You want your picture taken with me don't you? Of course you do!"
Sounds like a great place to stay before the flight! And the daycare situation, oh my! I had my kids in daycare for 7 years, and I would not be a happy camper if the director was lying to me! . She should be refunding the money for the days they were closed due to their own negligence!
Sounds like a great place to stay before the flight! And the daycare situation, oh my! I had my kids in daycare for 7 years, and I would not be a happy camper if the director was lying to me! . She should be refunding the money for the days they were closed due to their own negligence!
You are oh so right!! Like I said it was probably just a simple mistake with the staffing and for the last 3 years I have always felt good about brining Abby there. I have never worried about her safety or well-being as she has some excellent teachers who care and love those kids but she is running it down doing things like this. And I am finding out that this is not the first time she has lied to the parents about an issue with the state department.
You know, I need to write a check tomorrow. I think I will just go ahead and "deduct" two days off of my total tuition payment!
__________________
Check out my Pre-Trip Report for our 9/18-9/23/12 trip here:
Awesome ptr so far! I have begged my hubby for that cd and he always says no. I am beginning to think what he doesn't know won't hurt him. We are staying at Pop too. I love the layout and the fact I know it. Maybe we can meet one day as we will be there the 15-22. I can't wait to read more!
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I have the CD I LOVE it!! My son has to listen to the CoP track over and over LOL Ughhh i would have been so mad if Aiden's daycare director was lying to us... I think you should definitely deduct those two days from tuition....
How awful about the daycare! Hope that situation gets squared away quickly. Its never good if the owner/director is lying to the parents about whats going on.
Awesome that y'all can leave the car at the hotel while y'all are gone. That alone is a great deal for $100.
Lafayette is closer to me than New Orleans so I may just have to take a day drive and try some of that delicious seafood!
I agree that a direct flight is best! I also agree to send the little one to school that day! We've done a similar scenario - sent the kids to school while we packed up and got ready and then picked them up and off we go! It makes packing easier and the kids liked going to school and bragging to their friends that they are leaving for Disneyworld today!! Now, I am going to have to get that music CD!!
Yeah I think I am going to make the decision on that one. I know he would be crazy by the end of the day because of all of her excitement!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 3kidsandamom
Awesome ptr so far! I have begged my hubby for that cd and he always says no. I am beginning to think what he doesn't know won't hurt him. We are staying at Pop too. I love the layout and the fact I know it. Maybe we can meet one day as we will be there the 15-22. I can't wait to read more!
We would love a meetup!! Check out my plans as I post them and let's see if we can meet. Even if it's just a quick hi by the pool or Food court!!
__________________
Check out my Pre-Trip Report for our 9/18-9/23/12 trip here:
I have the CD I LOVE it!! My son has to listen to the CoP track over and over LOL Ughhh i would have been so mad if Aiden's daycare director was lying to us... I think you should definitely deduct those two days from tuition....
I am still mad about it because when DH asked the other day they blew him off and walked away! Needless to say we are counting down the days til summer! Oh and I did deduct those 2 days. I wish I could have seen her face when she saw it on her desk!! Lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shelley the Pooh
How awful about the daycare! Hope that situation gets squared away quickly. Its never good if the owner/director is lying to the parents about whats going on.
Awesome that y'all can leave the car at the hotel while y'all are gone. That alone is a great deal for $100.
Lafayette is closer to me than New Orleans so I may just have to take a day drive and try some of that delicious seafood!
Let me know if you ever come that way. I can suggest a few places for you!!
__________________
Check out my Pre-Trip Report for our 9/18-9/23/12 trip here:
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Congrats on flying!!
Your ADRs look terrific! 
That made me even more suspicious and so I checked with the state and it seems that they were written up for having too many children and not enough staff. It really burns me up that 1) the director is lying to all of the families (she has done it before) and 2) she is making her teachers (who are all very good) lie too! I can get over the problem with the numbers. Perhaps someone was late for work and the state just happened to walk in and count heads at that exact moment. I would rather you just be honest with us and tell us "Look there was a problem but we have fixed it and it will not happen again!". I am so mad about this.
If she will lie to us about this, it makes me wonder what she wouldn't lie to us about. 
. She should be refunding the money for the days they were closed due to their own negligence! 
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