Three Adults & a Toddler – 6/7-13/09 - UPDATED 11/20 - Page 45 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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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So sorry you went thru the same thing we did. We had an appt at the BBB at DTD, and left MK with plenty of time to get there. We took the monorail to Poly, then waited and waited and waited for a bus to DTD and it started pouring rain. My pour DD was in tears as we're running through DTD just soaking wet!
Ah, memories...
Can't wait to read what's next!
__________________
Tina
2009 Feb Disneyland - offsite
2007 Aug WDW - offsite
2005 June DCL West Coast/DL & DCA
2002 April Disneyland - offsite
2000 September WDW/DCL - CBR/Wonder
I can totally see something like that happening to dh and I. Sometimes we are a hard time communicating when we are trying to navigate in a strange place.
Sounds like the heat was getting to y'all pretty good!
Hopefully once lunch was done everything went more smoothly!
Atleast your experience can be a tip for the rest of us!!
Glad they honored your "ressie" at T-Rex. Can't wait to hear about it. I think this is one of the things I may never get to experience as I am probably the only one in my group that would want to go.
Do you have any favorite stores in DTD? I couldn't get Steph out of the Lego store when we went and I prolly won't be able to get my DMom out of the Christmas store in Nov!!
Things were better once we had lunch and got to cool off (in more ways than one). I hope someone else learns from this experience because i don't wish it on anyone. I loved the new Tren-D store - it's small but there's so much to look at. Of course WoD and I like the Christmas shop too. Mike likes the lego store.
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Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Sorry for the hassle trying to get to DTD!
Thanks! I kow to never do it that way again!
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Originally Posted by B.M.
I would've been a little frustrated too; what a hassle to get to DTD- glad they still seated you at T-Rex!
I was beyond frustrated. It was nice - especially after the ordeal we'd just been through.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lauriep
Ugh, what an exhausting trek to get to DTD in all the heat. I'm glad, though, to hear that this June was hotter than others you've experienced. It sure was hot and I was thinking I'd never go in June again.
I'm thinking this whole 'summer' has been HOT down there - it seems every TR I read people said it was H-O-T!
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Originally Posted by Cam22
That was one very long trek!
Tell me about it!
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Originally Posted by scdisneyfan
I looked last night and you were more than right about how to get to DTD I went to the transportation calculator website. Its suggestion was Bus over to Saratoga Springs and then to DTD is the fastest route...being around 30mins is what the estimate was. Now i'm dying to know how far you walked that day!!!! that's so crazy...eric and I have decided we may drive down because he remembers our only experience with DTD was waiting for a bus until 1am and it was not pleasant
This will be my first glimpse at TREX since I saw them building it last sept. I am curious as to what you thought of it....I guess I will have lots of catching up when i get back
Crissy I hope you have a better travel outcome than me to DTD while you're there! Especially since the heads up I gave you about the Marketplace bus stop being closed. I don't think we waited long for a bus back to the resort though - so that was at least good.
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Originally Posted by goofyboysmama
Wow - I would have been mad too! I hope T-Rex made up for it
Thanks for understanding. It helped the situation.
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Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
If you want to walk to DTD from SSR take the bus to the Congress Park Stop and walk through Congress Park to the river--take the path to the left and walk to the bridge. Its not far from Congress Park--but its not a short walk either way.
Sorry you had such a trying time! I hope that the meal made up for it!
I was thinking we should have gotten off at Congress Park to walk, but no -that's not what happened. I really wasn't sure how to go but I saw the Baloon at DTD so I just knew we had to head that way somewhat.
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Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
The Passporter meet looked like fun! And your day at MK was good, but ugh! Sorry about the fiasco of getting to DTD. I walked to DTD from Congress Park and that wasn't that short a walk, I can't imagine how long it took from the Paddock. I probably would've had steam coming out of my ears the whole time.
It was fun! I'm surprised with the heat and the anger I had that there wasn't steam coming out of my ears.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dsnytina
So sorry you went thru the same thing we did. We had an appt at the BBB at DTD, and left MK with plenty of time to get there. We took the monorail to Poly, then waited and waited and waited for a bus to DTD and it started pouring rain. My pour DD was in tears as we're running through DTD just soaking wet!
Ah, memories...
Can't wait to read what's next!
I'm sorry you experienced that too. I hope the BBB experience made up for it.
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Originally Posted by jagmom08
I can totally see something like that happening to dh and I. Sometimes we are a hard time communicating when we are trying to navigate in a strange place.
Usually Mike is very good with directions and getting us somewhere, but not so much this time. I usually trust him 100%, but I was second guessing it the whole time and I probably should have just put my foot down - earlier than I did. Oh well! Live and learn.
I may not get a update in until next week as it's a busy weekend - my cousin is getting married tomorrow and I have to do a reading. I may be able to get one in this afternoon, but if not - hopefully early next week.
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So we’re at T-Rex and we sat in the ice room – I don’t remember the actual name – but it changes colors and has a skeleton of a dinosaur in the wall. Our server, Kip, was not the greatest – wasn’t really seen a whole lot and we waited forever to get refills and get our bill. The food was ok too, but nothing spectacular. I think we were still tired, hot & cranky from the journey.
This is the room we were in.
Becki had the Lost World Chicken Salad Sandwich (although I think she actually got a grilled chicken sandwich) with fries and a sweet tea, Mike had the Guacasauras Burger with fries & iced tea, I had the Bronto Burger with fries & a Diet Coke, and Dylan got an apple juice and ate off our plates. The total was $56.67 (after a 10% DVC discount) before tip.
After lunch we did some shopping – hitting the Lego store, WoD, Tren-D, and the Art of Disney. Nothing, surprisingly, was purchased at the Lego Store. At WoD we got: Dylan a Disney bus (like a Matchbox car) since he was obsessed with the buses this trip, a little pouch to hold credit cards, etc in (intended for pin trading lanyards, but I use mine at home too), an Alice t-shirt for me, a small one of the Vinylmations for Mike (ended up being the panda bear), a 4 parks 1 world photo album, and Thunder Mountain Railroad toy train with Mickey inside for Dylan. All that was $76.44 (after our Disney Visa 10% off). At Tren-D I purchased a pink Alice messenger bag for $28.71. Attachment 34527 This is the Alice messenger bag.
After our shopping was done we headed out and made it back to AKL at 5:15pm. We relaxed a bit, gave Dylan a bath, and got freshened up.
Oh Kelly what a trip to DTD you had. I could almost picture you storming off with the stroller walking all the way there (it is something I would have done). Glad they still took you for lunch and while not the best, it did fill you up and cool everyone down. Looks like a very good shopping experience (love the messenger bag). Can't wait to hear all about your anniversary dinner.
Wow - T-Rex looks amazing! This is definitely a must do for next trip - the boys would be blown away. There have been so many reviews of T-Rex that say the same as yours tho' - we'll have to go in knowing about the food already. Can't wait to hear about Sanaa - I love Indian food...
I know on your last trip you did signature mats for autographs. I loved the idea and would like to do it for our dinners at CP and CM.
I do have three questions for you.....what size mats did you get? what kind of markers did you buy? and how did you decide which way to have the characters sign?
Oh Kelly what a trip to DTD you had. I could almost picture you storming off with the stroller walking all the way there (it is something I would have done). Glad they still took you for lunch and while not the best, it did fill you up and cool everyone down. Looks like a very good shopping experience (love the messenger bag). Can't wait to hear all about your anniversary dinner.
Thanks for the comments and especially about my bag.
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Originally Posted by goofyboysmama
Wow - T-Rex looks amazing! This is definitely a must do for next trip - the boys would be blown away. There have been so many reviews of T-Rex that say the same as yours tho' - we'll have to go in knowing about the food already. Can't wait to hear about Sanaa - I love Indian food...
I think I'll have to try it again for the surroundings as I didn't really explore the place like you can - I was still fuming a bit!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilovedisney247
Oh Yummy I love Sanaa--can't wait to see what you thought!
Well...I'll tell you this: We're going back in December!
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I know on your last trip you did signature mats for autographs. I loved the idea and would like to do it for our dinners at CP and CM.
I do have three questions for you.....what size mats did you get? what kind of markers did you buy? and how did you decide which way to have the characters sign?
Thanks so much
I'm glad you like the idea! I got an 8 x 10 mat, so a 5x7 photo would fit inside it. I then just had the characters use regular markers (although I've recently purchased the rectractable Sharpies to use on our upcoming trip). Our mat is hung horizontally, but I think you could do it vertically as well. It seems like most pictures are horizontal so I kind of gave the mat to the characters in a certain way to have them sign like that. I hope yours turns out just as well!!
Kelly, Im so sorry I have so much catching up to do on your TR! I hope all is well with you and I hope you're not experiencing Terrible 2s with Dylan like I have with Skyler lately!
T-Rex looks neat, but it does seem that the wait staff is a weak point for these one. Can't wait to hear about your dinner at Sanaa (one of my new favorites).