Frolicking with Fay TR **Updated 11/21 - SeaWorld After Dark** - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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Thanks Rob for the photos!! Those pics of South of the Border took me back to my childhood driving down to Florida from NY!! On the old hwy!! Those signs kept us entertained for hours!! Haven't seen them since. Glad they're still up. So thanks for a trip down memory lane
While I was in Orlando in Aug. I had the weather channel on whenever I was in the room, tracking Fay!!!
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 I found this TR. The Nick Hotel looks like fun. My DS would definitely love it. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures with Fay.
Great start...I have been waiting to see the start of this report. Loved your PTR...sure the TR will be even better. Glad tht once you passed the worst of the traffic it seemed to be smooth sailing...the Nick Hotel looks like loads of fun, and the room is very spacious...
We stayed at the Marriott World Center across the street from the Nick Hotel a few years back. Every time we got in the car and drove past the Nick Hotel, the kids asked when we could stay there. I'm sorry to say, they might be a bit old for it now......but who knows. I'm looking forward to hearing other things about your stay there. Thanks for getting your report going.....I'm looking forward to it
Every time we got in the car and drove past the Nick Hotel, the kids asked when we could stay there.
Every time we would drive past the Nick Hotel during our vacation stays at WDW, Nicholas would plead with us to stay there. We decided that we would make good on our promise and stay there this summer. Both Nicholas and Joseph loved it. They had so much fun, they want to stay there again.
So I am so excited to read your review because I am very curious about the Nick Hotel. We are thinking about adding a few days there onto our next Disney trip.
Totally loving the TR so far Rob. I have to say that I completely agree with Dyan the pick of your son with the Red Sox Pillow is by far my FAVORITE!!! I can't wait to hear more about your trip and of course we need the MRS. to interject her thought.
This morning began at 7am for me. I got ready first, then Margaret and the boys all took their turns in the bathroom. We were out the door and in the car on our way to Sea World at 8:30.
A quick 20 minutes later, we were parking in the first row of cars.
Since we opted not to eat in the room, our first stop after passing through the gates and getting the obligatory photos taken was the bakery. Joseph opted for a chocolate-dipped peanut butter cookie with a strawberry smoothie, Nicholas decided on a chocolate chip muffin and a root beer, while Margaret and I decided to split a banana nut muffin and a large cappuccino smoothie. We sat at a table outside and ate while waiting for the rest of the park to open at 9am.
A few minutes after that, we had finished eating and began walking towards Kraken with the remains of our drinks in our hands. My cell rang and I picked it up. It was Jagafen (Jen) calling to let me know they were in the park already. We made plans to meet up and watch the Clyde and Seamore show together at 10am.
Our next stop – KRAKEN!
Nicholas cleared the 54” height bar with ease, and the cast member put a wristband on him that showed he passed muster.
Joseph, on the other hand, all of a sudden was afflicted with a stomach ache, so we left him holding our backpack and watching our drinks at the exit while we went on board without him. A few minutes later, we were aboard the sea creature for some twists, turns and loops. Nicholas managed it with flying colors! As we approached Joseph at the observation area, Nicholas told him he had a blast and asked if his tummy was ok. Joseph’s reply was still no , but Nicholas wanted to ride again. Margaret decided to sit this one out as well, so off Nicholas and I went back in line. We only had to wait for two cars to load before it was our turn to climb aboard.
Here’s a spot-shadow zoom of Nicholas and I (my arm is raised)
Nicholas and I coming atcha!
…and a zoom of the same shot:
And a shot of the two daredevils after the fact:
It was about 10 minutes until 10, so we headed over to Clyde and Seamore… Margaret split off and went to the dining reservation window (which opens at 10) to make a reservation for dinner while the boys and I went in and met up with Jen and her husband Mark and their son. We filled each other in on what we did so far while in Orlando, while sneaking peeks at the mime assisting last-minute arrivals into the amphitheater. He’s a hoot!!!
Then it was showtime!
After the show, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.
Thanks for watching the show with us Jen!
UP NEXT: more Sea World (Shamu, Sharks and Kraken – again!)
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.
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
Love kraken!! My dd wouldn't go on it so on line a 13yr old girl was on line near me, & asked if I was going on alone as she was too & could she sit with me!! She was alot of fun & got me to sit in the first row with her!!
Love the Mime at The Clyde & Seymore show. He's very funny. Wish I knew our dates were similar, we were in Orlando 8/18 -8/26!!
more please!
Cool that you got to do the Kraken twice. My DD9 was too small to ride it 2 years ago when we were there so she and I waited for the rest of the crew. Just love the mime at the Clyde and Seamore show. We didn't get to see the Shamu show because one of the whales had recently given birth. I'm looking forward to hearing about your experience.
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.