The "I Thought We Weren't Going" Surprise Trip - Page 4 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
PassPorter.com
Award-winning travel guidebooks

   guidebooks   |   news   |   podcasts   |   boards   |   blog   |   worksheets   |   photos   |   articles   |   updates   |   register   |   follow us on


Forums Closed
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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!

Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!

Go Back   PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums > PassPorter's Walt Disney World Resort (Florida) > Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Register


Welcome! We're happy you've found the PassPorter Community -- the friendliest place to plan your vacation to Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and the world in general! You are now viewing the PassPorter Message Board Community as a guest, which gives you limited access. As our guest, feel free to browse our messages by selecting the forum you want to visit from the list below.

To post messages and ask questions, join our FREE community today and you'll get access to tools and resources not available to guests, such as our vacation countown timers, "living" avatars, private messaging system, database searches, downloads, and a special PassPorter discount code. Registration is fast, simple, and completely free. Just click the Join Our Community link.

If you think you've already joined, log in below now. If you don't remember your member name or password, please visit our Member Name and Password Recovery page. You are also welcome to contact us.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 11-27-2017, 09:40 AM   #46
purplegal
Community Rank: Jetsetter
 
purplegal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 2,017

Post Thanks / Like
My daughter was 4 on her first trip to Disney and we did fine without a stroller, so hopefully it will work for you also. Great day 2 plans.
__________________

Julia
My Countdown Counting down to:
Tigger I am here!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsWDW 1972, WDW 1987, WDW 1996, WDW 2005, Coronado Springs 2008, POFQ Jan 09, POFQ Aug 09, Apr 2011, Aug 2012, May 2013
purplegal is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 11:10 AM   #47
num1DVCfan
Community Rank: Globetrotter
 
num1DVCfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maryland
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 3,150

Post Thanks / Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by tdhc View Post
Enjoying your plans! I know it is hard to keep it a surprise, but my kids still ask for a surprise trip again. Also, we continued to bring a small stroller even though our son didn't use it outside of WDW. We used it to store bags and stuff. He would occasionally choose to ride. So we told him bringing it was not a choice, but him riding was a choice for him.
I thought about that, but I don't know if we want to push a stroller around all day with no one in it. It's definitely an option I'm willing to consider.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom View Post
Glad you had a great time at your Mom’s! Sounds like the plans are coming together!!
They are but of course there's always an adjustment
__________________
*o* Jenny *o*


My Countdown Counting down to: Winter Getaway
In our happy place
num1DVCfan is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 11:11 AM   #48
num1DVCfan
Community Rank: Globetrotter
 
num1DVCfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maryland
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 3,150

Post Thanks / Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by purplegal View Post
My daughter was 4 on her first trip to Disney and we did fine without a stroller, so hopefully it will work for you also. Great day 2 plans.
That's good to know. Owen has never been the type of kid to stay still long. He's always full of energy and on the go. I wish I had a crystal ball!
__________________
*o* Jenny *o*


My Countdown Counting down to: Winter Getaway
In our happy place
num1DVCfan is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 11:28 AM   #49
num1DVCfan
Community Rank: Globetrotter
 
num1DVCfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maryland
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 3,150

Post Thanks / Like
Another side bar update - over the weekend we went to a local farm that really goes all out for the holidays. They put up all sorts of lights that are timed to music on one of the radio stations. You can drive through and look at them, or you can park and go into their buildings. They have lights all over the property and the buildings are decorated with anything from John Deere collections, antique toys, pop culture, etc. They have baby pigs, lambs, sheep, cows, donkeys, and horses that you can pet. Pony rides and a visit with Santa are also available. Additionally they have a candy shop, toy shop, and a Christmas store where you can buy things to take home. The boys look forward to this every year and we typically will go a few times between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Here are a few pictures from our outing:










Afterwards the boys came home and eagerly looked to see if our Elf from Elf on the Shelf had arrived yet (he hadn't). Owen mentioned that when our elf, Rich, showed up, he was going to ask him to have Santa bring him a Mickey visit.

I told Chris that instead of surprising them the day we leave, maybe it could be a family gift from Santa Claus. It would certainly make the next two months a little easier with getting ready. Chris said he would think about it, but I believe he was really looking forward to waiting. There are so many cute ideas online about how to reveal it as a present and the more the kids push, the harder it's getting!
__________________
*o* Jenny *o*


My Countdown Counting down to: Winter Getaway
In our happy place
num1DVCfan is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 01:18 PM   #50
chezp
PassPorter Message Board Manager
PassPorter Guide Author

Community Rank:
Legend VIP
 
chezp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Maidstone, Kent, UK
Concierge Level: 3
Posts: 190,285

Post Thanks / Like
Oh my - donkeys! Just my type of place if it had cows as well!
__________________

Relaxing on board the Magic. The trip report for our back-to-back cruises on the Disney Magic has started!
My Countdown Counting down to: 2019
Happy New Year!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips21 trips to WDW, 6 to Disneyland in California, 9 to Disneyland Paris, 1 to Hong Kong Disneyland, 1 to Tokyo Disney, 1 to Aulani, 1 to Hilton Head, 2 to Vero Beach and 13 Disney cruises on the Magic, Wonder, Dream and Fantasy
chezp is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 05:14 PM   #51
num1DVCfan
Community Rank: Globetrotter
 
num1DVCfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maryland
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 3,150

Post Thanks / Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp View Post
Oh my - donkeys! Just my type of place if it had cows as well!
I thought of you when I saw them!
__________________
*o* Jenny *o*


My Countdown Counting down to: Winter Getaway
In our happy place
num1DVCfan is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 05:39 PM   #52
Tara O'Hara
Community Rank: Legend
 
Tara O'Hara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Newtown Square, PA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 23,859

Post Thanks / Like
That sounds ah-mazing!!!
__________________

My Countdown Counting down to: Our Mystery Trip!!
Tara O'Hara is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 07:59 PM   #53
SuperDave
Community Rank: Explorer
 
SuperDave's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Southwestern Connecticut
Concierge Level: 4
Posts: 11,588

Post Thanks / Like
Looks like everyone enjoyed the farm with so much animal interaction!
__________________

October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew

My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World
Orlando Trifecta TR
-Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!





My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous Trips1995-2000, 2006-Various in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Holland, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Lichtenstein, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Morocco; 1998-U.S. National Parks (California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada) 1999-Las Vegas, 2001-Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii, 2005-Memphis, 2011-Austin, TX: ACL Festival and Orlando: Bay Hill Lodge; 2013-Paris and Eastern France's Wine Country, 2015-Memphis for 7 WDW: 2002-WL, 2003-CSR, 2004-AKL, 2005-BWI, 2007-POR, BC, 2008-Offsite Championsgate Omni & CBR, 2009-Poly, POR (Decade of Dreams), 2010-POFQ, GF, 2011-POFQ, 2012-CSR,WL, 2014-POR, 2015-DCL Magic in Western Caribbean, 2016-B Resort in DS, 2017-USF: Royal Pacific /WDW: Dolphin
SuperDave is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-28-2017, 08:49 PM   #54
Cam22
Batman's Gal/Mickey's Pal
PassPorter's Club Passholder


What's this?

PassPorter Guide

Community Rank:
Legend VIP
 
Cam22's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Owensboro, KY USA
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 95,254

Post Thanks / Like
The local farm looks so fun for the holidays. Good luck figuring out when to reveal the trip to the boys.
__________________
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsAKL Jambo April/May 2017--SSR/OKW Sept/Oct 2016 --AKL Kidani May 2016 -- Polynesian Village Resort May 2015 -- OKW/Magic December 2014 -- AKL Jambo House October 2014 -- VWL May 2014--SSR October 2013--AKL/Kidani June 2013--CBR October 2012--BWI June 2012--AKV Jambo House/Kidani Village June 2011 -- November 2010 Beach Club -- June 2010 Beach Club -- October 2009 CBR and Gaylord Palms -- June 2009 AKV/Kidani Village -- June 2008 VWL --June 2007 OKW--June 2006 Disney Wonder/SSR -- June 2005 SSR -- June 2004 VWL -- June 2003 AKL -- August 1997 Off Property -- March 1980 Cocoa Beach
Cam22 is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2017, 10:04 AM   #55
Colexis Mom
RED SOX NATION!!
PassPorter's Club Passholder


What's this?

PassPorter Guide

Community Rank:
Legend VIP
 
Colexis Mom's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Connecticut
Concierge Level: 9
Posts: 136,854

Post Thanks / Like
Great pictures!!
__________________
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsAUG '16 - POFQ, APR '12 - POFQ, JUL '10 - DL, AUG '09 - DCL Western, AUG '08 - POFQ/BC, AUG '06 - AKL/BC/DisneyWonder/Poly, DEC '05 - AKL, APR '05 - AKL/BC, DEC '04 - AKL, MAY '04 - AKL/BC, MAY '03 - WL/BC, MAY '98 -offsite, MAY '94 - BC, AUG '85 - Poly, AUG '83 - Poly, AUG '81 - Poly, JUL '79 - World Inn, JUL '76 - World Inn
Colexis Mom is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-29-2017, 01:33 PM   #56
pamcarey
Community Rank: Navigator
 
pamcarey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chelmsford, MA
Posts: 6,912

Post Thanks / Like
Great plans! My trip is in 16 days, and I'm looking forward to two of the same things as you... dining at Homecomin' and checking out Pandora! I can't wait!
__________________
Pam

June 2016
My Countdown Counting down to: Returning to WDW!
Watching DD's marching band in the Magic Kingdom!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsMarch 1989 - offsite; April/May 2002 - Coronado Springs; March 2003 - All Star Movies; May 2003 - offsite; July 2003 - Port Orleans Riverside; April/May 2006 - Port Orleans Riverside; September 2007 - All Star Sports; August/September 2008 - All Star Movies and Pop Century; June 2009 - Pop Century; August 2010 - All Star Sports & Disney Wonder; June 2011 - All Star Music; April 2012 - Disney Fantasy; April 2013 - Port Orleans French Quarter; August 2015 - Disneyland offsite; April 2017 - Coronado Springs; December 2017 - Old Key West
pamcarey is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2017, 09:12 AM   #57
purplegal
Community Rank: Jetsetter
 
purplegal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 2,017

Post Thanks / Like
The farm looks like quite a fun outing. I like the idea of letting the gift be from Santa, then the boys can help plan and get excited.
__________________

Julia
My Countdown Counting down to:
Tigger I am here!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsWDW 1972, WDW 1987, WDW 1996, WDW 2005, Coronado Springs 2008, POFQ Jan 09, POFQ Aug 09, Apr 2011, Aug 2012, May 2013
purplegal is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2017, 11:52 AM   #58
num1DVCfan
Community Rank: Globetrotter
 
num1DVCfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maryland
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 3,150

Post Thanks / Like
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara O'Hara View Post
That sounds ah-mazing!!!
It really is so much fun. We look forward to it every year. The best part? It's free, unless of course you buy something in one of the shops.

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperDave View Post
Looks like everyone enjoyed the farm with so much animal interaction!
The boys love it so much. They've already asked to go again this weekend.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22 View Post
The local farm looks so fun for the holidays. Good luck figuring out when to reveal the trip to the boys.
It's a great local holiday treat. I consider ourselves lucky to live so close. I'll be so happy when the reveal is finally over!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom View Post
Great pictures!!
Thank you!

Quote:
Originally Posted by pamcarey View Post
Great plans! My trip is in 16 days, and I'm looking forward to two of the same things as you... dining at Homecomin' and checking out Pandora! I can't wait!
Your trip is coming up fast. I hope you have a magical time. It's so beautiful there during the holidays.

Quote:
Originally Posted by purplegal View Post
The farm looks like quite a fun outing. I like the idea of letting the gift be from Santa, then the boys can help plan and get excited.
That's what I'm thinking too. Plus it will make the next two months much easier.
__________________
*o* Jenny *o*


My Countdown Counting down to: Winter Getaway
In our happy place
num1DVCfan is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2017, 12:23 PM   #59
num1DVCfan
Community Rank: Globetrotter
 
num1DVCfan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Maryland
Concierge Level: 5
Posts: 3,150

Post Thanks / Like
Back to the PTR...

Plans for Tuesday include getting up and heading to Hollywood Studios. The boys are really into Star Wars, so I know we'll be getting a FP+ for that ride. It will be fun to see any construction changes since the last time we were there too. I'm bummed that I wasn't able to ride the Great Movie Ride one last time before it closed, but I have fond memories of it from past years. Last time we were there, I talked Sean into getting on Tower of Terror with me. He was a bit shook once it was over, but after a few minutes of recovery he decided he loved the ride. I'll have to make sure I get a FP+ for that ride as well. Sean is still too small to ride Rock n' Rollercoaster so we'll probably skip that one. I like roller coasters, but I don't want to ride them alone. I need someone next to me so I can scream along with them. That ride definitely involves some screaming to get through the blast off

After getting in some attractions, we have a lunch ADR at 50s Prime Time Cafe. I think it's so fun here and it's one of my most favorite restaurants on property. There are mixed reviews on the food, but I've always enjoyed my meals here (knock on wood). The atmosphere and cast member interaction is so much fun. I can't forget to mention the PB&J milkshake - amazing!

After lunch we'll probably take a breather and head back to the resort for a rest and some pool time if weather is permitting. The evening is a bit up in the air now. I had a dinner ADR at Chefs de France and figured we could finish the day up in Epcot. However, DVC just announced it's Moonlight Magic dates and one of them falls on this day. For those that don't know, Moonlight Magic is a special after hours event for DVC members so after the park closes, we get it to ourselves. I've never been fortunate enough to attend one, but my understanding is that we'll also get some free drinks and snacks too. Best of all it's free, but you do have to register in advance. The Moonlight Magic event for Feb 6 just happens to be at Magic Kingdom (the event switches parks depending on date). Anyway, if we attend this event, we'll have to change our ADR as I don't want to put the boys through going to dinner in Epcot and then going to Magic Kingdom. I think two parks is enough for them in one day, especially if we don't end up getting a stroller. Not to mention, I'm factoring in the possibility that they wouldn't want to leave Epcot and then we'd be faced with potential meltdowns and pouty faces. Anyway, registration opens up next week so I'll have to see if I can get a spot. I hope I do because it does sound like a fun event. I think Chris might be a little disappointed about the dinner change as he loves Chefs and we didn't go last trip either. I have looked at our plans to see about changing to another night, but we have other ADRs that we don't want to give up. I'll just have to promise that our Fall trip will include dining there.
__________________
*o* Jenny *o*


My Countdown Counting down to: Winter Getaway
In our happy place
num1DVCfan is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Old 11-30-2017, 12:32 PM   #60
pamcarey
Community Rank: Navigator
 
pamcarey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Chelmsford, MA
Posts: 6,912

Post Thanks / Like
It sounds like it would be a lot of fun to attend the Moonlight Magic event!
__________________
Pam

June 2016
My Countdown Counting down to: Returning to WDW!
Watching DD's marching band in the Magic Kingdom!
My PassPorter Bookshelf
My Previous TripsMarch 1989 - offsite; April/May 2002 - Coronado Springs; March 2003 - All Star Movies; May 2003 - offsite; July 2003 - Port Orleans Riverside; April/May 2006 - Port Orleans Riverside; September 2007 - All Star Sports; August/September 2008 - All Star Movies and Pop Century; June 2009 - Pop Century; August 2010 - All Star Sports & Disney Wonder; June 2011 - All Star Music; April 2012 - Disney Fantasy; April 2013 - Port Orleans French Quarter; August 2015 - Disneyland offsite; April 2017 - Coronado Springs; December 2017 - Old Key West
pamcarey is offline  
 
Reply With Quote
Reply




Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump














Please login or register to hide these ads -- it's free and easy!

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:27 AM.

-->

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Feedback Buttons provided by Advanced Post Thanks / Like v3.4.0 Patch Level 1 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
(c) 1998-2017 PassPorter Travel Press/MediaMarx, Inc.
Celebrating 19 Years of Making Dreams Come True
Ad Management plugin by RedTyger