Cheaper by the Dozen – Lukas’ 1st Birthday Extravaganza! - Page 90 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
Excellent finish, Kelly! Believe me, I know the difficulties of traveling with a large family group (you'll notice I generally have my own room ). But it sounds like everyone had a wonderful time (poor Dylan, not wanting to leave Disney ). Thanks for allowing us to tag along virtually. It was fun reading about the trip.
__________________
Mickey's so happy to see me back, he can barely contain himself!
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.
Ok you know I gotta comment on the UT shirts! Y'all look sooooo cute in the burnt orange! Mike graduated from there. Not my alma mater but a great TX college. I know many Longhorns. I'm a Cougar (UoH) grad so no real rival here like A&M.
Poor Dylan! I can totally relate to how he felt about leaving Disney. I drive myself the 1000+ miles back to TX crying all the way.
YAY!!! Congratulations to Becki and Kevin! Maybe Kevin will become more Disneyfied when he has his own little bundle of joy to share it with.
What a great trip! And not long now before the force will be with y'all. Still deciding on booking May/June. After college tuition for this semester is paid we will know if its a go. Keeping our fingers crossed! And reading through your report, I saw Cam and Fam will be there for their annual trip home! I hope we can see them again while there. We met both of y'all's families on Steph's HS grad trip in June 2009.
Great wrap up Kelly!! Thanks for sharing the highs and the lows of the trip with us! I'll be on the look out for your PTR!!
And congrats to your brother and sister in law. How exciting
Thanks for reading Kathy!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jillybean
Those big family trips are never without some type of drama, but you guys handled it well. I think you've remembered the important part - - they would do anything for your boys - - just keep saying that to yourself over and over during the more stressful times!
And how exciting about the new addition for your brother and his wife!!!
Can't wait for the next one!
Jill
Thanks Jill! Knowing that they would do anything for them definitely helps.
I hope we may be able to run into you if you're doing your annual out of school trip.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Linnynad
YEAH Auntie Kelly, how sweet, congrats to Kevin and Becki!!
As always, loved your TR. Even the little bumps along the way, and to be quite honest, they weren't even too bad. Life isn't lollipops and roses everyday, even if you are on a vacation. Sure we want them to be, but you handled everything like a champ and put together a great trip for your WHOLE family. Be lucky they even go with you guys and give a helping hand too. Our first visit with Josie was with my whole family and not once did anyone ask if they could take her to do something while maybe Arnaud and I rode a ride or went to a dinner or whatever. They left us waiting for the check in Tony's one night while they all went to watch Wishes, and another night left us saving a spot for Wishes while they all ran off to go on different rides and such. It's nice to go with family for sure, really for the kids to be with their grandparents, but we are solo family travlers and we are getting by just fine
I think another reason why we ALWAYS take an afternoon break is for us to chill out too, not just the kids.
You and Mike will be fine with the boys, and at least you know you could always go with your family again and make a few changes.
Dying to hear about 2 strollers I am always stoller obssesed, it's crazy.
When you starting that next PTR anyway
Thanks again for a great report!!!
I can't believe the experience you had with your family! I'm sorry, but I can see why you travel alone now. If that last day was a peek at what the next trip will be - it'll be great!
I'll probably start the PTR soon - maybe even this week or like after I post this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by poohbr2015
Great wrap up! Every family trip has its bumps and you handled them well!! Can't wait for your PTR, I am another that will be interested in the strollers!! Luckily with Sam getting older I am carrying less for him and I am hoping that baby girl is not a spitter like he was so that I don't have to carry alot for her!!! I think I had to lug around a suitcase for my boy and change his outfit about 10 times a day! lol! As for the family, luckily we travel with my parents all the time and we will only be sharing our 2 bedroom villa with them like always. My sister, bil and nephew (if they go) will be booking their own room in the resort and definately don't do disney the way we do, so we plan to just let them know our plans and if they want to join or meet up later, that is fine. The other 2 are family friends that haven't been to disney in years and are counting on me to plan everything and just want to have a great time with us. So I am crossing fingers that everything goes smoothly!!! Your pixies are appreciated!
The in-laws will be joining us in September and they go often so they're easy to please - plus separate rooms this time!
You're definitely going to need some pixies! I'm sure it will all work out!
And congrats on a baby girl! I don't think I knew what you were having. And I'm a little jealous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MayraLR
Great wrap up, Kelly! I enjoyed reading about your trip!
I had my share of family frustration on my last trip. Travelling with your kids is stressful enough and then add extended family to that, you got yourself some major bumps. After many joint family vacations, I'm finally taking one this summer just the 5 of us. And I can't be more excited.
Can't wait to hear about your next trip.
Yes, this next trip will be the first time we're without 'help' and I'm looking forward to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PrincessSharon
Excellent finish, Kelly! Believe me, I know the difficulties of traveling with a large family group (you'll notice I generally have my own room ). But it sounds like everyone had a wonderful time (poor Dylan, not wanting to leave Disney ). Thanks for allowing us to tag along virtually. It was fun reading about the trip.
I should've known to not be all together - oh well! Live & learn.
Hope I get to see you later this year!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shelley the Pooh
Ok you know I gotta comment on the UT shirts! Y'all look sooooo cute in the burnt orange! Mike graduated from there. Not my alma mater but a great TX college. I know many Longhorns. I'm a Cougar (UoH) grad so no real rival here like A&M.
Poor Dylan! I can totally relate to how he felt about leaving Disney. I drive myself the 1000+ miles back to TX crying all the way.
YAY!!! Congratulations to Becki and Kevin! Maybe Kevin will become more Disneyfied when he has his own little bundle of joy to share it with.
What a great trip! And not long now before the force will be with y'all. Still deciding on booking May/June. After college tuition for this semester is paid we will know if its a go. Keeping our fingers crossed! And reading through your report, I saw Cam and Fam will be there for their annual trip home! I hope we can see them again while there. We met both of y'all's families on Steph's HS grad trip in June 2009.
I'll be crossing my fingers too! We'll be seeing Cam & fam this trip!!
awe thanks! we decided to find out this time and as much as I believed I was having a girl, it was still a shock when the tech said, its a girl!! we are all excited including Sammy!
Baby will be 4 months when we go in October and Sam 4 1/2 so I look forward to some extra hands. My parents are easy to travel with since we always go together and the 2 friends should be great too, very easy going. If I have any issues it will be with my sister and her little party of 3, they just never seem to mesh will with us. We did share a 3 bedroom villa before and it was not fun, so this time we said definately, if you want to you, you have to get your own room!!! My biggest thing right now is securing our villa at the beach club next month and our friends room and then deciding on restaurants. We have our favorites, but we want to eat at places where we know we will get seated together or at least right next to each other. So I have some planning to do!
Can't wait for you to start your PTR!
__________________
Teresa
Sammy 5 years and Peyton 15 months - September 2013
Great wrap-up, and thanks for sharing! I've only been to WDW once, and it was with family. We had fun, but the stress I put on myself to make sure everyone had a great time also meant that I was the one who probably experienced the least! I'm looking forward to my next trip...which will either be a solo trip or just me and the kids. I think groups are great, but a little "alone" time can't hurt!
__________________
Huge Disney Fan...Always Have Been...Always Will Be!
Disneyland 60th Anniversary Celebration TR here!
2013 WDW trip here!
2011 trip to Hawaii here!
awe thanks! we decided to find out this time and as much as I believed I was having a girl, it was still a shock when the tech said, its a girl!! we are all excited including Sammy!
Baby will be 4 months when we go in October and Sam 4 1/2 so I look forward to some extra hands. My parents are easy to travel with since we always go together and the 2 friends should be great too, very easy going. If I have any issues it will be with my sister and her little party of 3, they just never seem to mesh will with us. We did share a 3 bedroom villa before and it was not fun, so this time we said definately, if you want to you, you have to get your own room!!! My biggest thing right now is securing our villa at the beach club next month and our friends room and then deciding on restaurants. We have our favorites, but we want to eat at places where we know we will get seated together or at least right next to each other. So I have some planning to do!
Can't wait for you to start your PTR!
Good Luck planning on meals where you can sit together. Garden Grill will be out - obviously. Via Napoli can accomodate large parties well and Boma too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dlandmom2
Great wrap-up, and thanks for sharing! I've only been to WDW once, and it was with family. We had fun, but the stress I put on myself to make sure everyone had a great time also meant that I was the one who probably experienced the least! I'm looking forward to my next trip...which will either be a solo trip or just me and the kids. I think groups are great, but a little "alone" time can't hurt!
Yes, a little alone time can be a very good thing. I hope you make it out to WDW again! Thanks for reading!
You know, I've had one of those trips to Disney too, I think we talked about it, I've blamed Disney for my illness and blood clots and etc, etc, etc. But when my Dad died it was the only place I could think of going, for comfort. So, I'm with Dylan! He's got the right idea!
You know, I've had one of those trips to Disney too, I think we talked about it, I've blamed Disney for my illness and blood clots and etc, etc, etc. But when my Dad died it was the only place I could think of going, for comfort. So, I'm with Dylan! He's got the right idea!
And now neither one of you has long to wait until your next trip!
Great last day to yourself! I am glad it ended up being a wonderful trip. It is hard with a big group. I want a redo of our Family Dec 2010 trip, now that I know a few things to help it be better.
Congrats to the soon to be parents.
Texas! Really! Didn't know that about you guys. I don't think we can be friends!! Just kidding. We are Sooner and Razorback fans. One of my husband's besties is a die hard Texas fan, so we always have a get together for the OU/Texas game. The girls love to give him a hard time.
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.
Great last day to yourself! I am glad it ended up being a wonderful trip. It is hard with a big group. I want a redo of our Family Dec 2010 trip, now that I know a few things to help it be better.
Congrats to the soon to be parents.
Texas! Really! Didn't know that about you guys. I don't think we can be friends!! Just kidding. We are Sooner and Razorback fans. One of my husband's besties is a die hard Texas fan, so we always have a get together for the OU/Texas game. The girls love to give him a hard time.
I think a do-over would be nice.
And we're Cardinal fans - weren't you rooting for the Rangers? My boss is a razorback; you can always make him happy with an Arkansas gift.
Boma was actually one of our ideas, as well as Ohana (since we have eaten there before with a large group). 50's is our fave so we aren't worried about seating there! Right now I am trying to figure out rooms. We are obviously using our points for our 2 bedroom hopefully at beach club, but our friends who now may have their daughter and her boyfriend tagging along want to stay at Beach Club also. Problem is the price. Passholder rates are not out yet for fall so all I can do is give them an idea of what it would cost. They asked about a 2 bedroom like ours! $1040.00 per night with no discount!!
__________________
Teresa
Sammy 5 years and Peyton 15 months - September 2013
Boma was actually one of our ideas, as well as Ohana (since we have eaten there before with a large group). 50's is our fave so we aren't worried about seating there! Right now I am trying to figure out rooms. We are obviously using our points for our 2 bedroom hopefully at beach club, but our friends who now may have their daughter and her boyfriend tagging along want to stay at Beach Club also. Problem is the price. Passholder rates are not out yet for fall so all I can do is give them an idea of what it would cost. They asked about a 2 bedroom like ours! $1040.00 per night with no discount!!
Ouch! DVC sounds awesome when you see things like that, right?! Good luck with the rooms!
I just spent a snowy weekend reading through this whole TR! Only a year later, but better late than never, right? I loved it! Great report! Thanks for sharing! Now to move on to your more recent TR's!
About This Page: 
). But it sounds like everyone had a wonderful time (poor Dylan, not wanting to leave Disney 
). Thanks for allowing us to tag along virtually. It was fun reading about the trip.
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Mike graduated from there. Not my alma mater but a great TX college. I know many Longhorns. 
I'm a Cougar (UoH) grad so no real rival here like A&M.
YAY!!! Congratulations to Becki and Kevin! Maybe Kevin will become more Disneyfied when he has his own little bundle of joy to share it with. 
.
Disney Magic - Oct 2015
Teresa
Cassie
Liz 
Linear Mode
