Southern Fried in Mickey's World Updated 12/31 - Page 5 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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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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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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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Hopefully with all the mishaps....you & Luke get some Magical Days with Magical Weather!
(It rained everyday on our May trip, except my birthday & the day before we left. Also my son & I got water soaked sandals & sneakers the night we stayed for the Dessert Party at MK...I just laugh now! We only had ponchos, no umbrellas...OMG)
I bought that same sweatshirt jacket when my son & I were in Disney in May. I love it too, and love how it is so fuzzy inside the sleeves...I like checking out the inside of the hood too. I forget that there is a big stitched emblem on the back...lol
I am glad you like it too!
__________________
Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
I've also had some starts like this as well and on my first day. I covered this in my TR from 2014 in Studios. I didn't have a poncho but even better with a rain jacket that should have worked but didn't 100% as the rain was insane! Once I got on the bus and returned to Riverside all was good.
I think a lot of us probably have had some bad days at WDW when it comes to rain. I'll be remembering to put to rain gear in the carry ons in the future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
So sorry for all the rain Cam, that really is not fun at all!
I love that sweatshirt you got, very unusual style to it. If I'd have seen that in January when we were there, I'd probably have got one of those...
Luke and I kept wondering if we overlooked this jacket back in May because we both instantly liked it. I glad I saw it this time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by purplegal
Sorry your first day was not that great, but you did score some wonderful souvenirs, I love the sweatshirt and lion.
That lion is on my front entrance table with several elephants and giraffes. They all make me smile.
Just getting caught up and I'm glad I'm not too far behind. Your night in Nashville seemed like a perfect place for celebrating Luke's birthday and the start of your trip. That's horrible that your room was dirty. We noticed things, not as bad, like that in our room at the Poly. I'm glad you enjoyed your meal at Sci Fi and it seemed to bring up your spirits. I can't wait to hear about the tour!
I hope this isn't a bad trend in housekeeping at WDW resorts. Food really helped my attitude.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lovewdw2
Hopefully with all the mishaps....you & Luke get some Magical Days with Magical Weather!
(It rained everyday on our May trip, except my birthday & the day before we left. Also my son & I got water soaked sandals & sneakers the night we stayed for the Dessert Party at MK...I just laugh now! We only had ponchos, no umbrellas...OMG)
I bought that same sweatshirt jacket when my son & I were in Disney in May. I love it too, and love how it is so fuzzy inside the sleeves...I like checking out the inside of the hood too. I forget that there is a big stitched emblem on the back...lol
I am glad you like it too!
The rain moved out in a few days, but the heat set in to stay for the entire vacation. Boo! We have some hilarious memories of rain at WDW that still get us to laugh. You have answered a question Luke and I had on whether the sweatshirt had been there in May. We don't remember seeing it then, but it jumped right out to me on this trip. Maybe because I was wet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cubfancolleen
That is an adorable sweatshirt!
But your day, wow, not a lot of Magic....
Thanks! The Magic was missing this day, but it won't stay away.
NEXT: Will it be Lyft, a Minnie Van, or some other means of transport that gets us to MK on time?
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 Part 1
Today dawned very humid and overcast with lots of clouds, and for us it dawned at 5:15 AM. We didn’t want to risk being late for The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains tour at the Magic Kingdom. Based on the concierge’s advice last night, we attempted to get a Minnie Van as soon as we got outside, using the app on Luke’s phone. When he tried to finalize our ride, the app seemed to lock up. While he was working that out, I went on the DME app to check bus times. I discovered that one would be arriving at 6:39 and should arrive at the Magic Kingdom by 6:51. Plenty of time for us to make our 7:15 check in. As we walked to the bus stops, Luke attempted to cancel the Minnie Van, but the app was still stuck. He eventually closed the app and started over. Thankfully, we had never booked a ride and we were free now to ride the bus. The bus arrived at 6:40 and we were off. Our bus did stop at Jambo House before driving us directly to MK, arriving at 7:05. Not bad at all, and totally free. The Minnie Van was going to be $45+.
Once through bag check and the scanners, we made our way to the left for early check in where a rather grumpy CM told us that we were to meet at the pumpkins between the touch point sections. I don’t think she’d had her morning cup of coffee yet. With 10 minutes before our guide was due to show up, I wandered a bit to photograph an early morning in the World.
The clouds overhead were moving rapidly and forebode rain in our future. I just hoped the rain waited until we had completed our tour.
I love the Magic Kingdom decked out for fall. I even managed to catch a shot or two of the early monorail passing through.
About 7:20, Kaitlyn arrived and began handing out our audio sets. Once we were all wired for sound, she began our tour, sharing about the Walt window at the top of the train station. I zoomed my lens out and captured it as I had never noticed it before.
Then she sent us all off to the restrooms outside the park, telling us we’d have no break until approximately 9:30. When we had all returned to the pumpkins, Kaitlyn handed out name tags as a way to take roll. She led us over to the first touch point where a family was already waiting to be some of the first into the park. They were very, very reluctant to move though it was now 7:35 and the park did not open until 9:00. Kaitlyn had the first half of us pass through then she went ahead. The granddad in this family moved to block the touchpoint again. The folks in front of Luke seemed unable to get him to move. So I tapped his shoulder and explained there was still half of the tour that needed to get in. He moved then, but he was definitely defensive of the family’s spot.
Kaitlyn now continued with the tour information just outside the tunnels, reminding us first of the Walt window, which she now told us was a rather the newest window addition. Time has erased the date it was added, but I do remember it was in the 2000s.
From here, she led us through the tunnel and into the park. She took us right up to the hub area here and allowed us all to get photos of a deserted Main Street. Deserted except for several PhotoPass photographer. We had about five minutes, allowing all of us to get quite a few photos.
We now moved toward the train station with Kaitlyn telling us how the imagineers wanted to leave their own little signature on the building. She then pointed out some hidden Mickeys, the first being the arrangement of some circles on the ceiling.
The second was a series of Mickey’s in wrought iron railing around the top of the roof.
Kaitlyn was the best type of Disney Cast Member, exuberant and excited about her job, Walt, and the guests. Her love of Disney, especially its trains, was obvious.
Our group climbed the stairs to the top of the station and moved out by the track to await boarding.
Parked on the tracks was the Roy E. Disney. Several CMs were setting up for the day, and we learned about the morning safety check that is done every day before the trains are allowed to take on guests. We would be riding the first train of the day, so the check had to be done before we could board.
Eventually, a supervisor cleared us to board. Our train did not pull out immediately, so I managed a couple of photos from this cool vantage point.
The train then pulled out of Main Street Station and rode the rails to all three train stations. We sat right across from Kaitlyn for this portion. She shared quite bit at this point about safety, including max speeds, various whistle and bell codes, and the jobs of engineer, fireman, and conductor. I would have needed a recorder to remember everything, but it was all captivating. When we reached Fantasyland, we were told that our train would now be backing into the backstage area that would take us to the Round House, and that at this point, we could not take any photos until we arrived at the Round House. I do remember Kaitlyn explaining at this point that the conductor is the eyes of the engineer when the train is reversing. This is a good stopping point for this update.
NEXT: Learning More at the Round House
Love some of your shots!
Can’t believe that family and how early they were staked out, and how unwilling they were to move!
Great deal with the bus rather than the expense of the Minnie Van!
That family getting into the park, though - ugh! I can understand it to a certain extent when you've turned up stupidly early and think you'll be the first in the park, just to get your plans scuppered. You should have seen all the people literally running into the cruise terminal in New York City, only to discover they weren't the first people in, as they let the back to back cruisers in first! Their faces were a picture....
Glad the bus worked out for you as that's a steep price for the Minnie Van. That family is certainly not starting the day off magically Great pictures so far!
Wow, your shots are wonderful! Love the pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, and of course the white pumpkin snow man!
I love that tour, it's been so long since we've done it. Very sad it will probably be a while before we will get to ride the train again!
How rude of that family to try to block the entrance. I don't understand the strong desire to 'be the first'.
It sounds like it was fortuitous that the Minnie Van app froze up on Luke. $45 is awful! Lucky the bus was coming and yea for the WDW app that let you check it out. Good start to the tour. Here's hoping the rain held off for you.
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I didn't have a poncho but even better with a rain jacket that should have worked but didn't 100% as the rain was insane! 
Once I got on the bus and returned to Riverside all was good.
Our bus did stop at Jambo House before driving us directly to MK, arriving at 7:05. Not bad at all, and totally free. The Minnie Van was going to be $45+. 
With 10 minutes before our guide was due to show up, I wandered a bit to photograph an early morning in the World. 
PassPorter Guide Author
I can understand it to a certain extent when you've turned up stupidly early and think you'll be the first in the park, just to get your plans scuppered. You should have seen all the people literally running into the cruise terminal in New York City, only to discover they weren't the first people in, as they let the back to back cruisers in first! 
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