My Very First Trip Report - Pop Century 2013 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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!
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.
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.
I love reading trip reports, because not only does it transport me to my favorite place, but you learn new things too! I had no idea about a character greet at the Disney Animation building. I feel like a terrible Disney fan! LOL
My kids would love to meet the Wreck It Ralph characters! I definitely have to make a note of this on my vacation spreadsheet.
Wow - y'all packed a ton in at DHS Someday, I'd like to get my padawan's to SWW there. Can't wait to read more! We had a GAC for our youngest with modifications to allow him to use his stroller as a wheelchair. We only needed it a few times during the trip, but it certainly made things easier when we did need it.
__________________
The Fun, Old-Fashioned Family Vacation, 3.0 http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...ml#post4472933
Ch-Ch-Changes July 2015
[URL="http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/sharing-adventure-disney-world-trip-reports/288847-ch-ch-changes-ptr-july-16-24-a.html"]
What a great end to the day. How exciting for Joel to be the Rebel Spy - I'm sure it's along the lines of how happy Abby was when she got High Fived by a tumble monkey at FOLK (I love how the "little" things bring such joy).
I mentioned earlier that one of the things I promised my mother was that we wouldn't do back-to-back park days. So, after our DHS Star Wars Weekends Sunday Lollapalooza, we were done at the parks. We had purchased a 5 night package, so today would be our last full day on the property. I sort of figured we would repeat most of what we did on our other "down" day...Downtown Disney, swimming, arcade, etc. It occurs to me right now, why don't we ever play miniature golf? We all enjoy it. There's a discount coupon included in your package perks. Yet, we have never done it. One more note to self...next time, play miniature golf!!
On Monday morning, June 3, I began to fish around for the arcade card I bought a couple of days before. Purse - not there. Cross-shoulder bag I take to the parks - not there. Overnight bag - not there. Large suitcase! - NOT THERE EITHER!! Annoyance sets in. Checking once, twice, three times. Maybe Joel kept it. No, he insists that he handed it back to me as we left the arcade two days earlier. "Are you absolutely certain?" "Yes." "Check again." He did. He didn't have it. Now, I'm really annoyed. I never did find it, but I wasn't going to spend money on another one, so the arcade was out. Oh, Joel's Meem offered to get him another one, but even he agreed that it wasn't necessary, so no arcade. Did I say I never found the card. That's not quite true. I found it stuck inside a folded up envelope in my overnight bag...as I unpacked after the trip.. I guess it'll be good next time we go.
So, if not the arcade, what would we do? Much to my disappointment, Joel just did not want to swim. So, we puttered around the resort, had breakfast, went back to the room, puttered some more, until I finally said, "Well, I say we head back to Downtown Disney." The weather looked iffy again, and it did rain again later in the day, so we decided to get out to DTD while we might not get soaked. I suggested a ride on the boat over to Port Orleans. Joel and I had ridden to POFQ last summer, and I wanted to see Riverside. We almost stayed there this trip, but Mom wanted to save the $200 it would've additionally cost, so we wound up at Pop. My secret plan was for her to see the resort and maybe make a mental note of what we missed.
It was a great late morning/early afternoon for the boat ride. We made it out to Riverside and got off thinking we might eat at Riverside Mill. We went in to check the menu and saw that it isn't really different from the Pop lunch options. We still weren't overly hungry, so we decided to wait until we got back to DTD, where we had more options. So, for the time at Riverside, we went for a leisurely stroll on the property. I absolutely fell in love with this place. I'm pretty sure I could live there! The grounds are lush. The feature pool is just lovely, and even though there was activity there, the feel was still so relaxing. I wanted to see the Alligator Bayou section, thinking that if we ever go there with Mom, the Murphy Bed would give us another option for sleep. I know people say those beds aren't really suited for grown-ups, but if you'd ever slept with flippity floppity Joel, you might not mind the Murphy Bed for a few days.
I loved the Alligator Bayou section and made a mental note that I want to stay at this resort for my next more extended visit to the World. It will be a while, since Joel graduates next year and his request is to travel to Disneyland in California. That should be his graduation gift, if I can save enough money! But, of course, yesterday when he and I began inevitably talking about our next bigger trip to WDW, I mentioned the Alligator Bayou rooms, and Joek said, "No, I want to stay in the fancy rooms!" "Huh?" "You know, Mom, the rooms with the magic carpet on the floor and the fireworks on the headboards." "Oh, those are called Royal Rooms, Joel." "Well, that's where I want to stay." "Hmm, we'll see." I guess we'll have to plan together for that trip!
We made our way slowly through the Alligator Bayou section, and I navigated us back around to the Riverside Mill area and the boat dock. A boat was there within about five minutes, and we were the last three people to get on. It was a comfortable ride back to DTD.
By this time, it was almost 2:00, and we were hungry. We ate for the very first time ever at Cooke's of Dublin. We all had the fish and chips. I mean, what else are you supposed to eat at an Irish pub? The food was good. The only disappointment here was that they offered us limited dessert options on the dining plan. It was either a cookie, fruit cup, or soft serve ice cream. The other dessert options looked much more appetizing, but we made do. We found a fairly shady spot on the patio and enjoyed our lunch as other vacationers wandered back and forth.
Now what? The sky looked ominous, but it was still only mid-afternoon. We decided to continue on to the West Side and would visit either Splitsville or the movie theater. Ultimately, after wandering here and there, we wound up at the AMC cinema, watching Now You See Me. We were a little bit early for the movie, but we found a quiet area to sit and wait. Mom dozed a bit, and Joel and I just rested and chatted. We saw our movie, and when we exited the theater, it was obvious that we had missed a sizable thunderstorm. We made our way back to the Marketplace buses, stopping briefly at Goofy's Candy. Unlike all other places, somehow at WDW, I need taffy!!
The bus dropped us back at Pop Century, and we made the decision to eat on our last evening at Landscapes of Flavor, across the bridge at AoA. Here, unlike most other resort quick service, the options are quite a bit different. I ate something they called butter chicken, with wild rice, acorn squash and cauliflower. Mom had another salad, but the ingredient choices were different and a bit more exotic. She said it was good, but she thought she preferred the salad at Pop. Joel tried...oh, nothing new...pizza! It was his favorite, the "round" kind. He loved it. As for the butter chicken, I don't think it had been introduced to any butter! It was cut into chunks, and the sauce was definitely a tomato base. It was tasty enough, but it could've been warmer, and overall, I'm not sure I would rush back to Landscapes of Flavor. We did all enjoy the atmosphere. Each of the four dining sections was themed like one of the sections of the resort. We sat in the Little Mermaid section, pretending to be "under the sea."
Joel had planned to watch Hercules by the pool that night, but we were 5 minutes late. Yes, 5 minutes!! And, he didn't want to watch, since he couldn't see all of it. We did walk by on our way back from dinner just as his favorite song was about to come on though...something about getting down to business and defeating the Huns. He paused to lip sync, and that seemed to make him happy.
After that, there wasn't much else to do, so we made our way back to our room, packed up everything, and got ready to head out fairly early the next morning. It became that time that is always a little sad. The trip is really over. You've done what you came to do. But, you wish you could stay longer. That's always the way I feel. I can honestly say I have never known what it feels like to be ready to leave WDW. Still, the time was upon us. We watched Joel's girl Staci tell us about the Must-Dos one more time and turned in for the night.
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.
We normally feel the same .... sad to leave our favorite place. But then as we are making our way home, we begin to become anxious for our own bed, our own surroundings, and it makes it just slightly easier to come back to reality.
Registered Message Board Members Get Our Free Newsletter! When you register you'll have the option to sign up for our weekly PassPorter Newsletter. It's chock-full of feature articles; news; tips; contests; photos; and special offers in our online store.
but I can't stand the thoughts of not going to a park everyday that would drive me nuts.
Us too but everyone does have different touring styles. Not only do I like to go to the parks everyday, I'd rather go from rope drop to park closing but Lenny and Abby can't do that so we go for what we can (but we do go everyday).
Us too but everyone does have different touring styles. Not only do I like to go to the parks everyday, I'd rather go from rope drop to park closing but Lenny and Abby can't do that so we go for what we can (but we do go everyday).
Personally, I'd rather go every day, too, but since we purchased a package and we all had to have the same number of park days, and since I promised Mom we would take it easy on her, this was the way it had to go this trip.
Oh, yeah, and about the Huns, I must've been remembering the Mulan movie song that Joel loved. He did stop at Hercules for a few minutes for some song.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Someday, I'd like to get my padawan's to SWW there. Can't wait to read more! We had a GAC for our youngest with modifications to allow him to use his stroller as a wheelchair. We only needed it a few times during the trip, but it certainly made things easier when we did need it.
, June 3
. I guess it'll be good next time we go.
. 
!!
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
