Celebrating as One Big Happy Family: 5/10/14 - 5/18/14 - Page 4 - 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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The main reason for this trip was my promise to Hope that when she turned 5 years old, we could go back to Disney. Yeah, technically we went to Disney after our cruise in October by making a quick stop at MK for MNSSHP, but that doesn’t really count …at least that’s my story that I’m sticking too. So when we were deciding on our dates, it just so happened to work out better if we went the week her birthday fell on. Perfect! No agonizing over a birthday party for her because we’d just make this her big birthday blowout instead.
I decided to book the Princess Storybook Breakfast at Akershus for the morning of her birthday, and at the time, that was all I had planned on doing. Then things changed. Corinne asked if we could celebrate Trinity’s birthday at the same time, and even though I was a little upset about this, I said yes. I mean, what could I say without sounding like a total b*%@h? Trinity wasn’t having a birthday party either, however, Corinne did have a small get together with family members and a few close friends to come over and enjoy cake and give Trin her presents. To me, that’s a birthday party, even if only 5 people show up, but we weren’t even doing that much for Hope at home. So, now Trin would be celebrating her birthday along with Hope on Hope’s actual birthday. And what made Hope’s birthday stand out here? Nothing. My mom thought I was making a big deal out of nothing, but then I asked the opinion of my Disney girls, and they knew exactly where I was coming from, which made me feel better about my disappointment.
Of course, this set the wheels in my brain turning. I needed to do something for Hope that was specifically to celebrate her birthday, and only her birthday…on her birthday. I found out about the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage (Wishes fireworks), and after reading such good reviews about it, I decided I wanted to book it. Then I thought it would be cute if she went to the Pirates League beforehand to get a little pirate makeover for the cruise. Perfect! At least that’s what I thought, until I called to book it and found out they don’t schedule that voyage on Wednesdays, which is the day of her birthday.
Back to the drawing board. I decided to hang onto the PL/cruise idea, and see if I could book an Illuminations cruise instead of the P&P Voyage. We were already staying at BCV, and the boat dock would be right there. Perfect again! Believe it or not, I scored a Illuminations cruise reservation, and then went ahead and booked makeovers for Hope and Trin at PL. Everything was good, and I was very happy with my decision…not.
After I started doing more research (this really is my ultimate downfall), I found out that it can be extremely loud during the Illuminations cruise because you are right there on the water where they set them off, and there is also the chance of flying fireworks debris falling around you as well. Hope is a lot better with fireworks then she used to be, but I honestly thought it might be a little too much for her and Trin being that close to them in a boat.
Time was starting to dwindle, but I decided to go back to my original plan of a fireworks cruise, with the fireworks coming from Wishes. After all, it was my favorite nighttime show on Disney property, and thanks to the cd that Linny gave us, Hope was a big fan of the music. I figured there was no chance that there would be any availability left for the night I was looking for, but somehow I had luck on my side, and I was able to cancel my Illuminations cruise and book a Wishes fireworks cruise instead. Then, after talking with Corinne, we decided to cancel our PL reservation, just because we felt like it was a bit of overload for the girl, plus it would save us some money.
With the fireworks cruise, you get sodas, water and snacks, but since it was Hope’s birthday, she of course needed a birthday cake. After talking to Hope about what kind of birthday cake she would like to have, she chose what pretty much any girl would chose right now…Frozen. So I then began the task of searching online for Frozen birthday cake ideas, and found two pictures of what I was sort of looking for.
Took a screen shot with my iphone because it was protected
I emailed Chef Brian at the Contemporary, and it was decided that the cake would be a 6”, 1-tiered round vanilla butter cream cake with buttercream frosting (no fondant) that looked the like the bottom of the cake in the first picture, and the top of the cake in the second picture, including the 3D snowflakes. I knew it was going to be expensive, but I honestly didn’t know it was going to be as expensive as it ended up being. I normally would have just said no, but because we weren’t throwing her a birthday party, Chad and I agreed to just go ahead and order the most expensive birthday cake known to man...$90!
With the birthday cake finally ordered, planning the birthday surprise was now complete. Well, almost complete. She still needed a small birthday present from mommy and daddy that she could use/wear at Disney World.
I found this on Etsy, which is probably the only place you can find anything Elsa related anywhere on the face of the earth.
Another iphone screen shot
Plus, I bought her a little tiara, along with a birthday shirt for her to wear to the princess breakfast in the morning. She has no idea about the breakfast or the fireworks cruise, so I hope that when she does find out she’s as excited as I am. As much as I’m looking forward to this little celebration, my feelings are sort of torn right now because with it comes my baby girl turning 5 years old. I just don’t want it to happen. I look at her and can’t believe how grown up she is, and I miss the baby girl who was just learning how to walk and sleeping on my stomach when we had naps on the sofa. This grown up 5 year old will be starting Kindergarten in September and probably learning how to ride a bike without her training wheels in the summer, an then there’s me, standing there as all this time goes by around me, not stopping no matter how much I want it too.
1st Birthday
2nd Birthday
3rd Birthday (can you say over-edit?)
4th Birthday
Now
And I still remember what I used to sing to her when she was a baby, and she’d wake up crying in the middle of the night …
Come stop your crying
It will be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry
For one so small,
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you,
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart, always
Aww, Melissa you're gonna make me cry. Loved seeing the photos of Hope through the years. But that last one, that's the one that got me.
I love all the surprises for Hope's birthday! And I totally understand your point of wanting to celebrate Hope's birthday separately. But, under the same circumstances, I would've done the same thing as you. Glad you are able to do things specifically for her special day.
Awe, Melissa - you are making me cry AGAIN!!! They do grow up WAY to fast!!! Just wait till she is turning 15! That's what I have to (not) look forward to this summer . It goes way too fast!!!
__________________
Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Melissa, I know how you feel about the FP+ mess. Have pity on me because I have to make the arrangements for 14 of us for our trip in August. Our grandchildren range in age from 8 to 15 and only one of them is a girl. She desperately wants to see Elsa and Anna, so wish me luck in getting that FP. She is the youngest and always gets special attention when at Disney because she is surrounded by all her boy cousins and her brother.
Pass the tissues, please! Wonderful photos of Hope through the years, gone by too fast. What a beautiful, sweet girl. I think the plans as they finally ended up will be great. She'll be so excited to see that cake. Worth it!
I love the pictures of Hope through the years! She is looking so grown up now. It's an obvious difference even since your cruise TR. I know how bittersweet that is. I was singing the lyrics of You'll Be in My Heart... love it!
I think you have absolutely the best birthday planned for Hope! Hope is blooming into the most beautiful girl. I especially love the portraits of her at nearly 5 that you've taken.
Great birthday plans, and I love the cake!!
Hope is so photogenic!
I hear you on the angst over them growing up! My "baby" will be 18 on his next birthday, and one more year and it's off to college! Luckily my other baby has a bit more time - but she'll be a freshman in September. Where DOES the time go?!
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…at least that’s my story that I’m sticking too. 
So when we were deciding on our dates, it just so happened to work out better if we went the week her birthday fell on. Perfect! 
No agonizing over a birthday party for her because we’d just make this her big birthday blowout instead. 
Corinne asked if we could celebrate Trinity’s birthday at the same time, and even though I was a little upset about this, I said yes. I mean, what could I say without sounding like a total b*%@h? 
Trinity wasn’t having a birthday party either, however, Corinne did have a small get together with family members and a few close friends to come over and enjoy cake and give Trin her presents. To me, that’s a birthday party, even if only 5 people show up, 
but we weren’t even doing that much for Hope at home. So, now Trin would be celebrating her birthday along with Hope on Hope’s actual birthday. And what made Hope’s birthday stand out here? Nothing. 
My mom thought I was making a big deal out of nothing, but then I asked the opinion of my Disney girls, and they knew exactly where I was coming from, which made me feel better about my disappointment. 
I needed to do something for Hope that was specifically to celebrate her birthday, and only her birthday…on her birthday. I found out about the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage (Wishes fireworks), and after reading such good reviews about it, I decided I wanted to book it. 
Then I thought it would be cute if she went to the Pirates League beforehand to get a little pirate makeover for the cruise. 
Perfect! 
and I was very happy with my decision…not. 
(this really is my ultimate downfall), I found out that it can be extremely loud during the Illuminations cruise because you are right there on the water where they set them off, 
and there is also the chance of flying fireworks debris falling around you as well. 
Hope is a lot better with fireworks then she used to be, but I honestly thought it might be a little too much for her and Trin being that close to them in a boat. 
and thanks to the cd that Linny gave us, Hope was a big fan of the music. I figured there was no chance that there would be any availability left for the night I was looking for, but somehow I had luck on my side, and I was able to cancel my Illuminations cruise and book a Wishes fireworks cruise instead. 
After talking to Hope about what kind of birthday cake she would like to have, she chose what pretty much any girl would chose right now…Frozen. 
So I then began the task of searching online for Frozen birthday cake ideas, and found two pictures of what I was sort of looking for. 
As much as I’m looking forward to this little celebration, my feelings are sort of torn right now because with it comes my baby girl turning 5 years old. 
I just don’t want it to happen. 
PassPorter Guide Author
Liz 
Hope is blooming into the most beautiful girl. I especially love the portraits of her at nearly 5 that you've taken. 
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