A Magical voyage across the pond TRIP REPORT UPDATED 12/31 - Page 64 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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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.
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So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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Saturday 15 September – part two: exploring Cinderella’s suite…
You re-join us watching Gary Landrum’s second Imagineering presentation in the comfort of our room on our stateroom TV.
He then took the audience through Cinderella’s suite and the detail that went into this thing was again amazing. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, but honestly, Disney never ceases to amaze me with this. They based it on Cinderella’s life and even though about things like what she would have in her bathroom. They decided she wouldn’t be into gold, which I can go with. He talked through every single room and I’ll let the photos I took from the TV tell the story of it…
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Next up was Tokyo Disneyland and Gary explained that the colours were much brighter here because of the weather they have here and your first view of it is from the World Bazaar, which is covered up. They originally had an attraction here, which looked really cool. Just as I was saying “they didn’t have that when we were there”, Gary explained it went away to make way for a meet and greet for Cinderella, but my goodness, talk about an elaborate lead in to it!
When it came to Paris, they looked at both the Florida and Tokyo ones, then considered just blowing up the Disneyland one. Again, weather was a consideration here and they realised they could use brighter colours again, because of the weather here.
The Imagineers really did struggle with this one, because as Gary said, you have castles in the Loire Valley, not that far away. They came up with some very radical ideas, but thankfully an Imagineer who was working on Fantasyland, Tom Morris, did a draft drawing in his own time of what he thought it should look like. Gary explained he was working on Fantasyland, not on the castle, and they kept telling him to back off, but thank goodness he persisted, as it was his design that they used in the end.
They even paid homage to the French by having escargot on one of the castle turrets – seriously!
Next up was Hong Kong Disneyland and Gary explained how it was all very much based on Disneyland, to the point where it looked more how Disneyland was originally intended to be, if that makes sense? Having been fortunate enough to go there, I can say it worked, as I remember walking in and thinking how similar it was.
I didn’t realise that the night time shows were designed to be seen from the South China Seas – talk about advertising!
Gary also explained how they’re currently totally rebuilding it, with the work due to be completed by 2019. As Mark said, you’d be pretty sick to go there now. Yes, you would!
How great that you were able to watch the show on your own TV instead of the theater! I found the Imagineering presentation absolutely fascinating Cheryl! I remember when Disney was choosing a family each day for a year I believe to sleep in Cinderella's Castle. I had five trips to WDW that year and wanted to win so badly but, of course, never got chosen.
You are certainly taking advantage of your early mornings with some nice walks on the various decks! Some very nice photos and more enjoyable with very few people out and about! Quite a presentation with the Imagineering talk. Very interesting with the various facts and info about the castles. Quite odd with the escargot!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
Very cool that they aired the presentations on the cabin TVs! A nice way to “see” it without going to the theater. I love the interesting stories about all the castles. And the MK castle suite is just incredible!
It would be so amazing to even get to walk through the Cinderella Suite, nevermind staying in it.
I agree and would be quite an experience either way!
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October 6, 2017-Enjoying an amazing dinner at Victoria & Albert's with PP's Dot and Drew
My TR from my most recent trip is now underway. Includes: Universal Studios Florida, Disney World and Sea World Orlando Trifecta TR -Updated December 10th! TR is now COMPLETED!
How great that you were able to watch the show on your own TV instead of the theater!
That was such a nice surprise.
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I found the Imagineering presentation absolutely fascinating Cheryl! I remember when Disney was choosing a family each day for a year I believe to sleep in Cinderella's Castle. I had five trips to WDW that year and wanted to win so badly but, of course, never got chosen.
We were there during that and I kept hoping we'd be chosen too, but sadly it didn't happen.
You are certainly taking advantage of your early mornings with some nice walks on the various decks!
It is definitely a bonus to getting up early!
Quote:
Some very nice photos and more enjoyable with very few people out and about! Quite a presentation with the Imagineering talk. Very interesting with the various facts and info about the castles. Quite odd with the escargot!
Saturday 15 September – part three: is anyone going to introduce themselves?
Then it was on to the final castle in Shanghai Disneyland, which they wanted to be “distinctly Chinese”.
He took us through a concept video, which of course uses the latest technology. It is definitely the centrepiece to the park, with a Snow White tour at the top of castle, a restaurant and a meet and greet and so much more than I can’t remember now. It looked amazing! We really need to go there and see it.
Once we were done watching that, we got ourselves ready for our Palo brunch and headed out.
When we got there, I asked how it worked, given we were in the private room. I didn’t know if we had to wait for everyone to be there, but apparently not. We were there a couple of minutes before 10:00am when Palo opened and we were told there were people already in there. There were three people, Robert, a preacher who was a delight to chat to (we were next to him) and a German couple, Dirk and Katrin. We didn’t get to speak to them much, as they were at the other end of the table. We introduced ourselves, but none of them responded, so we sort of gave up.
It was probably three quarters through the meal (we were on teas and coffees), when Elaine (one half of another British couple with her husband Brian) suggested that we go round and introduce ourselves. It was a good idea, although as I said to her later when the others were all gone, we were so put off by the reaction initially that I didn’t bother. There were two other couples, Mary Jo and Joe, who sat next to us and wanted to know everything about the UK, Brad and Carleen, who we’d seen a couple of nights earlier at the premium open bar, two girls Amy and JoAnn and a single woman Marilyn, who turned up about 11:00am. She said her wake-up call didn’t work. It was a nice enough group and we all chatted away happily, but like I say, no-one really introducing themselves was just a bit odd.
This is the Palo private dining room for those who haven’t seen it before:
It’s about as far from the entrance as it’s possible to be and I liked that we were in there, as it felt a little calmer in there. When we walked out of there to go and check on the buffet, all of us stumbled a bit more. Again, it was nothing terrible, but it was noticeable. We had taken a Bonine just before brunch, not having had one since the night before last. Better safe than sorry!
We had Andrew from the Philippines, who was fine, until I happened to ask if there was apple in a cinnamon item. Oh my goodness, I got it in the neck for that. I got the “I asked if there were any allergies in the room” lecture and I told him it wasn’t an allergy, it was an issue that I was capable of managing myself. And in truth it is. If I don’t know there’s a specific fruit in a dessert that I’m eating, I’m usually fine, I just avoid it if it’s a major ingredient. It’s certainly not a cross contamination issue.
We started off with our drinks. It looked as if it was going to be a clean sweep of Bellinis at one point, but then a few Mimosa orders sneaked in and I was the only hard core drinker, going for the straight Prosecco.
What an interesting show about the castles. Sorry the brunch started off a bit rough with people not introducing themselves. Strange.
Thankfully it all turned out Ok in the end, but if I did a group brunch like this again through a Facebook group and not with people I already know, I would suggest someone takes the lead for the table, so that person can then handle things like introductions. I think if we'd had someone like that, it would've worked much better.
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They based it on Cinderella’s life and even though about things like what she would have in her bathroom. They decided she wouldn’t be into gold, which I can go with. He talked through every single room and I’ll let the photos I took from the TV tell the story of it… 
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I remember when Disney was choosing a family each day for a year I believe to sleep in Cinderella's Castle. I had five trips to WDW that year and wanted to win so badly but, of course, never got chosen.
Some very nice photos and more enjoyable with very few people out and about! Quite a presentation with the Imagineering talk. Very interesting with the various facts and info about the castles. 
It was a nice enough group and we all chatted away happily, but like I say, no-one really introducing themselves was just a bit odd. 
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