Disney + Birthday= An Incredible Gift! (PTR- May 18th - May 24th) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Oh no! Kris- definitely plan the horse back riding! Even with the aches I would still do it again! Talk about relaxing.... on a trail for 45 minutes in the middle of nowhere?! Well, Disney nowhere.... I am definitely going to plan for next trip, in October!
Plus it was priced so well...who can beat $46.00?
I hope you reconsider..... Here is the number to make reservations: 407-566-4985
And Yeah don't you worry about Ryan, he got teased by me and his brother, especially from his brother! LOL
My meals were Fabulous... except Chef De France... might have to try BOG now!
__________________
Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
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.
Oh maybe it was a "rough" night at Chef De France! It was definitely noisy! Everyone has different experiences and I am sure your experience will be different than mine. I hope you still try it! (and maybe some one used all the onions for the soups... I am stretching this aren't I?)
I am rethinking about BOG even though I have never been there, yet! Because of your review! But I went to some great places because of you and Drew's reviews! If I didn't read them I would have probably gone to alot of repeats.
I had the BEST vacation this time around! You are so right about having a birthday in Disney!
And I am so looking forward to your next trip report! I am so glad that I don't have to wait until next year! YEAH!
__________________
Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
1. Definitely take the cereal again- this trip I took Total! And this time I was smarter I brought a reusable bowl!
2. I did partake in the cake pops and enjoyed them immensely!
3. Make sure next trip includes the wings at ESPN and the pork nachos at the Poly.
4. Again I went to Epcot many times, but still didn’t ride Test Track!
5. Would definitely stay in the Epcot area- loved taking the boat!
6. Last day in the parks- I had planned to ride the train but got to MK too late. I didn’t even ride Liberty Belle this trip!
7. I will give Chef De France a 2nd try- this time order a full dinner!
8. Fulton’s-No more; time to find another crab place or seafood.
9. Did not do the Canada film again! (really?)
10. No more Disney trips in May- try a new month!
11. I did do the Tea Cups, the Carousel, Tom Sawyer’s Island, and Club Cool!!
12. I need to spend time in Animal Kingdom when it isn’t so hot and humid!
13. I didn’t even go into the Emporium this trip- wow amazing! (Shopped elsewhere)
14. Do more pool time!
15. Definitely plan on doing the horse-back riding for October’s trip! (10:00am perfect time!)
16. I liked the arrival day where I did not go to a Park, it forced me to check out the resort and find other things to do.
17. However I didn’t like not having a park day on the day I was leaving. The DME bus picked me up at 5:15pm.
18. I liked leaving on a Monday and coming home on a Sunday, but next trip planning to leave Sunday and come home on a Saturday, since October doesn’t have a holiday on a Monday.
19. For this trip I used the yellow tags- and I was surprised how quickly I got my luggage!
20. For the next trip coming home: Make sure I take something with me to the airport, for dinner. Otherwise I am subject to fast food, like McDonald’s!
Future Trips:
So after coming back from Disney in May I still have a $400 from my boys’ gift! I thought about just saving that for next year’s trip. But then I realized the $400 is from my 50th Birthday, not for my 51st Birthday! Then my niece gave me $100 which is going towards it too. Then I had this Fabulous idea- what about going to Disney in December?! It would be either 4 or 3 nights, stay in a value; like Pop Century. I checked out the flights already. I would either leave on December 2nd and come home on December 6th (Wednesday to Sunday) OR leave on December 3rd and come home on December 6th. (My dilemma is caused because not sure what new job I hope to have by December; whether I will have paid time off or not!) I am definitely going to do one night of the MVMCP and wasn’t sure about that until HerDotness explained it to me, Thanks Dot! I also have my meals planned too. Teppan Edo, Trail’s End (Yes, CinderAbby- Thanks to your Lenny!), ESPN, and 1900 Parke Faire for breakfast. (I know I said I couldn’t do another breakfast- BUT I am going to be more controlled this time, plus I really want to meet the characters).
Then I am also planning to go next October 2016. I haven’t done the Food & Wine since 2005. Plus since going later in the year I can save more money so I can stay in a deluxe resort. My Boys spoiled me so much so now for my vacation of 6 nights 7 days. I need to stay somewhere above and beyond! I am leaning towards the Epcot area again. However I have the Animal Kingdom as one of my choices. I am sure I will change my mind on that (and I have already vetoed this resort). Wilderness Lodge is very nice, but stayed there in 2012, plus I feel like I should stay somewhere I haven’t tried yet. But I have not stayed at the WL as a solo trip. Yacht Club is another choice I am thinking about too. There are 2 important items that I need for my October trip: Boat transportation and a balcony! So that is what is going for now!
So I did learn a lot from this Disney Birthday Vacation! I had a Great time, was able to really relax and enjoy everything that Disney has to offer. I even met some Great people and even laughed! I thoroughly enjoyed all the dinners and one breakfast I had! All the lunches and snacks too!
Of course I am so ready to go back…… Thank you for reading my Trip Report!
__________________
Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
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.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful trip, Kate!! I loved your report and am looking forward to your next one!! How fun to have two trips in the works!!
Registered Message Board Members save 30% off PassPorter guidebooks! When you register you'll have access to a discount coupon good for 30% off the list price of PassPorter books in our online store.
Loved your TR & especially your "wrap -up list." Since you are talking about a deluxe for October and you want boat transportation & a balcony technically you could try anybody the monorail resorts. Still have options to get to Epcot (monorail or buses to resort then boat to International Gateway) and you have boat transportation bw resorts & MK. Looking at your list of wants & your TR these would work for you (Poly CS & FW 1900 Park Fare). Just another idea for you to consider.
Last edited by cattailmarsh; 07-08-2015 at 01:39 PM..
Never have planned 2 trips either. Usually just planning the one for the next year! But I have a opportunity to see Disney in Christmas...even if it a short time. Hopefully my new company will be okay with me leaving 3 days (and I get paid time off too... cross your fingers!)
Anyway I am truly excited.... with both trips! But as Life continues there are much bigger things coming up in my horizon.... both my boys will be "flying" into the direction of what each one wants to do! So on August 23rd, I will wake up (a Sunday) and realize for the first time I will be living all by myself... well until one of them comes home for a break!
But I shall be perfectly fine... Bring it on!!!
Thank you for reading my Trip Report and my wrap up! I hope Everyone who has a future Disney trip in their horizon... has a Magical Time!
__________________
Kate in PA All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them- Walt Disney
I'll be back to comment but I wanted to let you know that I'm still reading your TR and thoughts. It's just been a busy couple of days and tomorrow mom has hand surgery so Ill be back and fourth to the day surgery place for her. I'm hoping to comment but can't say for sure.
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.
About This Page: 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Best place in any world to spend your birthday, I can confidently say--from experience. 
How cool to be planning two more trips, too! 
so much for sharing your trip with us.
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
