"Seeking the Sun" January 2-9, 2013 Trip Report - Page 6 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Kennedy looks like an absolute doll after her BBB visit, and it looks like she did a fantastic job as the Beast in Enchanted Tales. I didn't realize there was a photopass photog for that show. What a great morning!
Thank you! She had so much fun that day. She kept saying it was the best day of her life! LOL! They have a photopass person that takes a bunch of pictures of the entire show and you are given a card with all the photos as you exit the room. There were a lot of great pictures on the card for us!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
What a wonderful transformation! So sorry you had to deal with the rude woman though. I feel so sorry for the Cast Member, reading that.
I did too, they have to put up with so much!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Looks like Kennedy had a great time this morning! So cute!
Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
Kennedy looked beautiful after her BBB appointment! I'm glad you made it there on time, but I'm sorry you and the receptionist had to listen to that woman throw a tantrum like that. I'll never understand people like that.
Me either! I don't understand the entitlement some feel, especially on vacation!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
Kennedy transformed into a most beautiful princess and did very well as the Beast! A first haircut at Disney is so cool!
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.
This will be a quick update to finish out the day. After Teagan’s haircut, we all went to BTM to use fastpasses, while she took a quick nap in the stroller. With child swap we were able to allow the kids to ride twice with only one set of fastpasses. We also held fastpasses at the same time for Space Mt, but we were all hungry so we stopped for lunch at CHH. It was really yummy as usual, but very crowded. We noticed that the park had gotten very crowded over the past hour or so.
After lunch we used our fastpasses for Space Mt, with a child swap. Trey was very nervous to ride. I reminded him he loved this ride during our last trip, and he said he remembered loving it, but was still scared until he went on it again to make sure he loved it. Kids are so funny sometimes. He even shed some tears as we were boarding, but insisted he wanted to do it. Of course as soon as it was over, he was all smiles and couldn’t wait to go again. After meeting up with Donnie and the girls, Kennedy had decided she was not going to try it yet, so Donnie took Trey again, while I waited with the girls.
He looks much less scared in the second one! LOL!
While waiting we met up with John and his two girls again. They had stopped at Epcot for some fastpasses for Soarin before going to MK. Since we had dinner reservations at 1900 at 5:30, and their fastpasses were ripe at 5:30, it would be a short visit. After Space Mt. we headed over to HM for a haunted ride. I was afraid Teagan would be scared in the stretching room, but she didn’t bat an eye! After HM, we rode Pirates. It was a fairly long wait, but worth it! I love this ride.
After Pirates is was time to head to Grand Floridian for dinner, and John to head to Epcot for some rides. We said our goodbyes close outside MK and realized that the monorails were not running. So we got in line for the boat to GF, and John headed to the ferry. The line was very long for the boats because of the monorail being down, so we had to wait for two different boats, and barely made our reservation on time. This would not be the first time we had monorail problems this trip.
After checking in and getting our family picture, we were seated fairly quickly.
Our table was in the coroner, immediately to the right as you walk in. Pretty close to the buffet, but not the best viewing of the dancing.
Cinderella was our first visitor, right after we each picked our first plate of food. She was very sweet to Teagan, and liked that her picture was on her shirt.
Next was Prince Charming and he called Kennedy a princess and asked where her prince was. She replied he was getting her more food and right on schedule Donnie showed up with some mac and cheese. The Prince bowed to Donnie and joked that he must be a good prince to fetch food. It was a great interaction.
The step sisters came through next. I was really looking forward to their interaction, as I have heard great things about them. However, they seemed rushed and basically just signed the autograph books and stopped for a picture. I was a bit disappointed, but Prince Charming made up for it.
It was then time for the dance, but we couldn’t see anything because of our location, so we just finished eating and enjoyed the rest of the meal. The food was pretty good, and there was a great selection for everyone to enjoy. I really loved the desserts! After settling the bill, we headed to the monorail (which was working again) and took our bus back to ASMu. Back in the room we settled in for the evening and turned in early. It had been a long day!
I'm glad that Trey rode SM even though he was a little scared, it was worth it since he loved it so much! It's funny how the pictures are so different, he looks like he is enjoying it much more in the second one. Oh, and the guy in front of your DH looks like he is bored out of his mind
Sorry that the Stepsisters were a little rushed, but I'm glad you enjoyed 1900 PF otherwise. The interaction with Prince Charming was great!
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.
Great finish to your MK day! I like the difference in Trey's two SM ride photos. Priceless! Glad you all enjoyed your dinner at 1900 Park Fare!
It was a pretty perfect day! Trey's pictures are hysterical. He looks like he is in severe pain in the first and just hanging out in the second. It was just getting over that initial hump.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
What a great end to the day. It is a shame the stepsisters were in a rush, as we've had some fun with them before.
I was only mildly disappointed, as PC more than made up for it. It was still a great meal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemo125
Just found this TR and am really enjoying reading it! Can't wait for more!!!
Thanks for reading along! More to come soon!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
Great ending to your day!
I'm glad that Trey rode SM even though he was a little scared, it was worth it since he loved it so much! It's funny how the pictures are so different, he looks like he is enjoying it much more in the second one. Oh, and the guy in front of your DH looks like he is bored out of his mind
Sorry that the Stepsisters were a little rushed, but I'm glad you enjoyed 1900 PF otherwise. The interaction with Prince Charming was great!
LOL about the guy in front of Donnie, he does look bored!! Trey must have rode that ride another 7 or 8 times during the trip. He is too funny. He doesn't trust me enough to tell him if I think he will or will not like a ride for some reason. I am sure he would love Rock n roller coaster, but he has yet to try it. There is something about getting over his initial fear!
Once again we were up and at the bus stop bright and early today. We were headed to Animal Kingdom and wanted to make rope drop for a few rides before our 10:30 reservation at Tusker House. The line at the bus stop was really long, but we made it on the second bus in about 15 minutes. We arrived at Animal Kingdom around 8:55 and stopped for some photopass pictures on our way in. Being that it was the 7th of January, we were very surprised that the Christmas decorations were still up everywhere.
We headed straight to EE for some fastpasses and then to KS and waited in the 20 minute line. It was pretty cloudy that morning and there was rain all around, with predictions for rain later in the afternoon. The animals were pretty active during our trek. I have never gotten a good picture of the male lion and since I chose not to bring my zoom lens, I was not able to get a great photo, but it was decent. I loved watching the babies, they are so cute!!
After the safari, we walked around and looked at some things, taking our time exploring the area and getting some pictures, before heading to our breakfast.
We checked in a few minutes early, and were seated right at our scheduled time, after our picture with Donald of course.
We were in the small room to the right as you walk in the doors. There were several large groups in the room also, all which seemed to know each other and spoke no English. (Which usually is not a problem, but today …..) It took our server 10 minutes to bring us some juice, and she never offered anything else to drink, but Donnie wanted coffee. She told us to help ourselves and left. We all took our turned getting some food and came back to our seats to wait for the characters. As we were waiting to large groups were up and down out of their seats, running around the room and being extremely loud. We saw our server being harried by the group for different things. She never came back to our table again, other than leaving the check. Donnie and Kennedy tried to go up and get some more food, but the large groups were blocking the doorway and they had a hard time getting around. On the way back, someone stepped into Kennedy’s plate of food and knocked it out of her hands and partially down the front of her, luckily it was just tater tots! At that point Donnie was livid and Kennedy was in tears and there was nobody around to complain to.
The characters started to show up at that point. And by characters, I mean two. Kennedy quickly dried her tears for her meeting with Goofy, but it was cut short after the photo because kids from the large group interrupted our time and started taking pictures of Goofy, so he moved off. Next up was Daisy, and she quickly signed autographs and posed for a picture before being intercepted by the large group again.
You can see all the people walking around in the back of this picture.
At that point Donnie had enough and got the kids and left. He was so mad! He didn’t get anything to eat or drink, and the large group was so rude and loud that we could not enjoy anything going on around us. It was miserable. I asked our server for the bill and she gave it without question. She knew what was going on, but made no attempt to even apologize. I paid and left before even seeing Mickey or Minnie. All in all, it was miserable. Donnie wanted to complain to the manager, but we couldn’t even find anyone to ask to see the manager. We will never be back to Tusker House and it was once place we had enjoyed so much the last time it was a must do this trip.
After our less than magical breakfast, Donnie and I stopped for two margaritas at a drink cart and headed to EE for our fastpasses, trying to put the meal behind us. (With a little help from a frozen AB.) The rain had never moved in and it was absolutely beautiful out, so that lifted our spirits. Kennedy did not want to ride EE, so Trey went twice and we got more fastpasses to use later.
After a fun ride on EE, using child swap, we headed back to Africa so the kids could get their faces painted, while Teagan napped.
We wanted to head over to Rafiki’s, but since Teagan was sleeping, we didn’t want to wake her to get on the train, so we roamed around Pangini’s Trail for about 30 minutes. The lush surroundings are so beautiful!!
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.
Too bad about Tusker House. They should have not charged you for breakfast! We were there that same week and our service was also poor - but we did get coffee.
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.
Great pictures from your updates! Sorry for the mess at TH and that they didn't do anything about the appalling group! Glad the margarita got you back on the right track!
I'm sorry Tusker House was aweful. That big group sounds terribly selfish and shame in your server for not even apologizing!
Love the face painting though! Can't wait to hear more!!
Thanks! The kids love having their faces painted, it was the highlight of their day.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shazza
Too bad about Tusker House. They should have not charged you for breakfast! We were there that same week and our service was also poor - but we did get coffee.
We were on the dinning plan, so we paid with credits, but I did not leave a tip. When the server noticed no tip was written in, she didn't even ask why. She knew!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chezp
I'm so sorry about the breakfast at Tusker House. It's miserable when a place you'd enjoyed before is ruined by a bad experience.
Thanks, I don't think I would ever convince Donnie to return. It's too bad, because it was one of our favorites!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JKnott17
I'm sorry you had such a lousy time at Tusker House, that large group would have driven me crazy too.
Thanks, it is jut tough to compete with such a large group. We should never have been set in the room with them. I think there were two other small tables, and the rest were part of the group, so they should have just allowed the group the room to themselves. It was miserable for the other small tables in the room.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colexis Mom
Great pictures from your updates! Sorry for the mess at TH and that they didn't do anything about the appalling group! Glad the margarita got you back on the right track!
There is very little that an good AB can't cure!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cam22
I am so sorry that the large groups at Tusker House ruined the experience for you.
Thanks! It would soon be a distant memory compared to our other wonderful meal that day!
About This Page: 
So sorry you had to deal with the rude woman though. 
I feel so sorry for the Cast Member, reading that. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
PassPorter Guide Author
and Kennedy was in tears and there was nobody around to complain to. 
You can see all the people walking around in the back of this picture.
Glad the margarita got you back on the right track! 
Linear Mode
