A DREAM is a wish your heart makes – a First-time Cruise pre-trip report complete On the cruise ! - Page 9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
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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.
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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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Stamp of approval on our dinner outfits for sure!!!
I am so happy for Lukas on his potty training, and you too. Knowing he can go into the older kids club is key, still working on that here though.......
Dumbo night was super cute. I love how creative you are getting with your dinner and a movie nights. It looks like you guys had a fun time out at the picnic.
Love the Dumbo menu, cotton candy cookies sound yummy! Great pictures from the gardens, it looks like you had a fun night.
Those cookies were good! And smelled really good too!
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Originally Posted by chezp
You guys have been having an absolute blast! Love the Dumbo menu.
We try to fit in some fun.
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Originally Posted by stardust190
Great movie night! Love how the cookies were Mickey shaped. I don't know if I'd give peanuts to Cam in the house. Not worth the mess.
Your boys always look like they're best buds. I hope my children get along like that! Congrats on the potty training! We're still struggling a bit and Cam is already 3. He's pretty good 80% of the time. But then he gets too interested in playing and leaks a bit. Someday....
I have a Mickey cookie cutter, but they were getting stuck so after a few I ended up rolling and flattening balls to make a Mickey head.
They don't always get along, but they both seem to enjoy each other and getting their picture taken. Don't worry about the potty training. Dylan wasn't trained until a few months after he was 3.
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Originally Posted by lauriep
The Dumbo meal is adorable! The kids look like they're in heaven. I love all the things you do around town. The picnic looks like fun, as does the ball game. Poor Mike and Lukas, though! Glad Lukas seems to have recovered quickly, and YAY on the potty training! Now everyone is cruise-ready!
We do enjoy going out and seeing what our city has to offer. And it helps that most things are free or little cost.
So excited that everyone is cruise ready!
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Originally Posted by Kenny
You have been busy! Great stuff, though ... and pictures!
WTG Lukas!!!
I'm sure things will slow down soon. Dylan starts school 2 weeks from tomorrow!
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Originally Posted by KMB733
The Dumbo menu is great!! Looks like you've been having a great summer. Congrats to Lukas on potty training
Thanks! We've been having a pretty good time.
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Originally Posted by goofyboysmama
Your Dumbo dinner is my favorite of all of them! Hurray Lukas you guys always have the best fun
I enjoyed this meal too - fun & easy! (Well maybe except those cookies - they were a bit tough to make!)
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Originally Posted by MayraLR
Love the Dumbo themed menu! Cotton candy cookies, YUM!
Congrats on Lukas being daytime potty trained!
Thank you!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
Stamp of approval on our dinner outfits for sure!!!
I am so happy for Lukas on his potty training, and you too. Knowing he can go into the older kids club is key, still working on that here though.......
I do come to you the most for fashion advice.
I'm so happy he'll be able to go in the kids club with Dylan & Hope. Andre will do it - kids hold on to what they can control. He'll be ready by your cruise.
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Originally Posted by num1DVCfan
Dumbo night was super cute. I love how creative you are getting with your dinner and a movie nights. It looks like you guys had a fun time out at the picnic.
I'm excited about this week too - even if I'm ordering take out again.
Tuesday I can make reservations although I’m not sure I’m going to need to. Melissa booked us Palo already and we’re not doing any excursions. Yes you read that right, we’ve decided to not book any excursions in Nassau. I think we’ll get off the ship and just walk around the area on our own. I’d like to see the Queen’s Staircase and we might visit the Pirate Museum (anyone been there before?). Then we can get back on the ship for lunch and whatever else we want to do!
Most recommend not making any excursion appointments for CC. Is that correct? Mike was thinking about taking Dylan to the snorkeling with stingrays. Is that something I should book ahead of time?
Yay for being PIF!!! We went the same route for our cruise in August, not booking any excursions. With it being so short, I just did't want to be tied down to anything.
I'm not sure about the snorkeling with sting rays, if it books up quickly or not. I'd say, if it's something that they definitely want to do then make a reservation. It would be a bummer to get to CC and they have no openings.
Hooray for PIF!!
I recall hearing less than stellar reports on the Pirate Museum.
I've been -- stay away -- it is "unkempt" to put it midly, and it's a modge-podge of museum like exhibits, pitch black areas, weird curtains...a few artifacts....and my favorite...a giant bug that crawled over my friends foot --- GROSS! Unless someone has been more recently than 2009 (maybe they revamped??) I'd HIGHLY recommend doing something else.... there are tons of shops in Nassau....a Taxi over the bridge to Padadise Island isn't to pricey from what I remember.
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~ Jenn **Disney is REAL LIFE Magic, so much more than optical illusions **
PIF!! The stingray excursion is different from when I did it, but I'd go ahead and book if there's a certain time you want. The late-day excursions book last, but you and the boys might have had enough sun and want to go back to the ship by then.
Well, I missed the beginning of this - but sounds like you are going to have a blast!!!! How exciting that Melissa & family will be joining you guys!!!!
I agree with no excursions in Nassau - just get off on your own, walk around a bit - then head back for quiet ship time!!! Take advantage of the pool being less crowded!!!
Love the movie night menus!!!
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Lisa Co-Guide to Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports
Ugh, why have I not been reading this!!??
Although I have absolutely nothing cruise-wise to contribute to this PTR
You know I love all of your dinner and a movie meals! So creative and fun. That couldn't be an option for a countdown in this house though lol
Can't wait to see some underwater pics with that camera from the cruise...Cool!
As many times as I've been to Nassau, I've never heard of the Queen's Staircase. What is that? As for the stingray excursion, I've never did it because I've been spoiled with other stingray excursions (I know...the snob in me is coming out), and I've heard pretty "blah" reviews about this one. It might be good for Dylan though, as long as Mike isn't going into this excursion thinking he's going to see a bunch of cool fish as well. You pretty much feed the stingrays first, and then get to snorkel with them for a bit. The area they have them in doesn't have much to look at underwater, so if they just want to get the opportunity to see cool things, they have a bunch of sunken "treasures" out in the lagoon that they could do instead, and it's free. They'd just have to rent their snorkeling equipment unless you bring your own. I plan on going out there myself this time, and I know Chad will as well, since we both love snorkeling.
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