Budget SE Asia trip, Summer 2016 Updated real-time - Page 7 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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
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Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
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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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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!
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Wow, mailing passports to an embassy? I'd never thought of doing anything like that - mind you, I guess we'd pop into the embassy in London if we needed to, given we live nearby.
Mailing passports is freaky! In fact, I think it's the first time I've ever done that. DH has worked in Asia a couple of times, so he needed to get extended visas. I remember thinking "You are MAILING your passport to who-knows-where, HOW many weeks before you flight?" Now I'm in the same position!
Cam, we are NOT exactly ready. Thankfully, my life has gotten really full, so I have no time or energy to even think about the trip. When I do, my heart rate picks up and my palms start to sweat.
Going "on the road" with no plan for 9 weeks is a crazy thing to think about this close to departure. It's much easier to do it than it is to think about it, I think. So, I'm sticking my head in the sand.
Someone tap my shoulder when I have 24 hrs to pack...
Very odd mailing your passport as I too would feel strange about doing that. Nice deal on the hotel at $28 a night!
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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!
Wait, where are the shocked faces? No "I wouldn't want to stay there when the earthquake hits?" Bwah ha ha!!!!
Can't you just imagine Chungking Mansion taken over by the jungle and then discovered later, like a modern day Ankor Wat?
Yes, I'm really happy and relieved to have that settled. When we went to Nicaragua, there was a lot more anguish about where to stay. This one was easy, as nothing in our budget has any amenities in the area, so we just took the cheapest thing that wasn't out in BFE.
Hope you can step up on the planning! It's not always easy with our daily lives and those things that get in the way, but hope you can find a way to do it!
I'm a great planner (being odd from a male! ) and I love planning my trips. I'm on vacation this week and accomplished so much for my October trip to WDW! Just a few small things left and that is pretty much it. Just waiting for the AK announcements for Rivers of Light (show times) and that way I can have that coincide with a Piffins ADR! (ADR window opens Friday. May 20th according to various reports recently!
Other than that, I may be done for the most part looking at the major things on my list. Other things I can't do yet, but I'm probably 75% done with the planning....five+ months out....and feel so good about it!
If you need help or tips regarding your planning of such a great trip, many of us here are more to help you out on this and give you great advice!
For your Planning!!!
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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!
Last edited by SuperDave; 05-06-2016 at 09:45 PM..
Transportation to and from San Fran for flights. We are looking at driving (8hrs) and long-term care storage right now. We have considered the train, but looks like driving will be less expensive.
Where to get Japanese Encephalitus vaccine
What to pack.
Everything else will be decided on the road, for the most part. Happy, DH is on top of the visa plans. Most will happen in Hong Kong or other capitols as we travel through.
Sounds like you're more or less set - to me, the packing is one of the last things to worry about. I have a list (from PassPorter) and normally start actively packing a couple of weeks before the trip.
Our passports are back, with crisp new Vietnam Visas inside!!! OK, I haven't actually looked at them yet, but DH says they are pretty.
We can mail them again to get our Visas for Myanmar, but even DH thinks that's pushing our luck. We'll get them in Bangkok.
Guess what? We're done getting visas!
We arrive in HK in the AM, and the first thing we have to do (besides maybe get a snack and our Octopus cards) is go to the Chinese Embassy to get our Chinese visas. (HK doesn't require a visa, but the rest of China does).
Question: Will they keep our passports overnight? If so, can we still check in to our luxury hotel? We'll have to get that figured out. \
At home, I need to do some sewing. I'm planning on making a pair of wrap capris and a looser dress to match DH and DS's cream colored shirts. Everything is more fun with matching outfits, right?
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Wow, that is a lot of organising (and stress) with the visas. We've never had to worry about visas in any country we've visited, so I can't even begin to imagine how much work goes into that.
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!
found your trip report and have caught up on it. Looks like a great adventure and its always nice to be able to see friends along the way. I'll continue to follow and send you Disney pixies to have a great trip