My brother's wedding is interfering with our Disney magic!!! (vent) - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
My brother's wedding is interfering with our Disney magic!!! (vent)
I have to vent a little about this. If I vent at home, then I will be seen as selfish and petty. Okay, I run the risk of ya'll seeing me that way too, but I need to vent to someone.
Back in February, as I was doing my taxes, I decided that I was going to take my DD to WDW this summer. She and I began looking at the Disney travel site and planning our vacation. We went to a travel agent and got a Disney brochure. Then once my tax refund made it into my bank account, we headed for the travel agent (with a $1000 check in hand for deposit) to make our reservations. We had decided to go the first week of July so that we could enjoy the 4th of July fireworks at the park. We booked our package with 5 days/4 nights at AKL, 5 days of MYW passes with dining plan, and roundtrip airline tix. Two days later we devlivered a check for the balnace of our trip. Woohoo!! All our major expenses are paid for and we only have to worry about saving money for souvenirs and planning our fun at the parks. Oh yeah! and ADRs. Okay, we made the ADRs for dinner at CRT on the 4th and Lunch at Garden Grill on the 3rd.
March to May we are happily and excited planning our DIsney trip. WQe are reading everything we can find on WDW. Actively trolling the passporter boards, etc.
SO everything sounds great so far, right? Here's where the magic begins to fade a little bit.
Two weeks ago my brother announced that he had asked his girlfriend of almost 2 years to marry him. Of course we were all excited because he and his girlfriend had been friends since junior high, but they never actually started dating each other until about two years ago. We love his fiance and she has long been considered one of the family, so now they are just making it official. She had decided that she wanted the wedding to be in June. Okay, so far everything is hunky dory. Well, I just got a phone call from my dad. The place where they want to have the wedding is only available on July 6. The problem is that DD and I will be flying BACK to TX on the 6th. Not a big deal except that the wedding is at 7 PM and our plane lands at 4:20 PM, add in an hour to get bags and a 2 hour drive home. Yeah DD and I wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding on time since it is still another 45 minutes from where we live.
According to my dad, the dates worked out for everyone EXCEPT me and my DD. SO we are being asked to cut our vacation a day short to be here for the wedding. Well OF COURSE I want to be at the wedding. SO I get on the phone to the travel agent to change the flight back from FL. Granted, since Mom and Dad will be driving to Orlando just 2 weeks after DD and I get back, we will be going with them. SO we will get to make up any days that we miss at WDW. I just feel a bit annoyed that I have to change my plans that were already paid for in full with penalties for changing flights. If they could change the preferred date so easily, why couldn't they make it for a later date in July or August? ARGH!! The fact that I have to change our vacation dates irks me, but then again in my family, I'm usually the one that has to change something to accomodate other people. (sorry for the whine)
On the positive side, my dad said that he would pay the penalties for me to change the flight. If I have to, I can even change to resort to a slightly cheaper one to save a little bit of money. (Our second choice was Coranado SPrings anyway.)
Okay thanks for "listening" to me vent. (I'll have to remember to add this to my trip report when we come back.)
I would be upset too. It seems like MY plans are always second because my sister and mother are teachers and they CAN'T take certain days off. I "only" work in an office so I am more flexible. HELLO PEOPLE I HAVE A LIFE TOO! Sorry...again....just be glad it was only a DAY.
for you!!
__________________
Robin Twitter name: @NKsDogwalker Find me on FB: robinkay6573@yahoo.com 38th Birthday with Mom, Dad and friends 2011 Next Trip: Cruise on Jewel of the Seas for Christmas 2012
I know how you fill I had to change our plans to the first week in October because my best friend is getting married the 22nd of September and we were supposed to be at disney then. Oh well at least we get to attend MNSSHP for the first time and I am excited about that.
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.
I totally understand how you feel!! As I was reading, I was afraid you were going to say the wedding fell right in the middle of your trip, so I am a little relieved that it was "only" a day and not your whole trip. Definitely helps that your dad is going to cover the fees, and that you'll have another trip not long after ... but still!!
I'm surprised they asked you to change your plans -- I never would have planned a wedding (on pretty short notice!) for a day that I knew someone in my family already had travel plans. My sister-in-law missed our wedding because she was in China on a business trip. She asked if we wanted her to skip the trip and we immediately said NO WAY. She missed the wedding and reception but made it to the pizza party we had that night, and that was more than okay with us.
That's some fast wedding-planning! My sil convinced me to crash my other brother's Vegas wedding in less than a week's notice, that was kind of stressful. My sil's reasoning was that she had missed her brother's wedding years before and she never forgave herself for it, and we all ended up having a wonderful time. I think it's good that you're willing to change your plans, even though it stinks, but I would rather deal with that mouthful of sand than the guilt of having my wedding plans cause others to change their lives. That's wonderful that your dad is helping out with the costs and that you'll soon be able to make up for lost time. Still, sorry that this is happening to you, you're not being petty at all.
I'd also be a tad upset. Seems as if they could have gone for a slightly later date. That's pretty short notice for a wedding date. DH and I got married 6 weeks after we decided to, but I told everyone that I would understand if our dates conflicted with their plans.
If you have to pay penalties anyway, is there a way to just scootch that day lost to the front of your trip?
I'm probably going to sound selfish too, but I wouldn't change my plans. You had this trip planned well in advance of learning about the wedding and it's not your fault that they decided to get married so quickly. I'd buy them a really nice gift and tell them I'm sorry we won't be there and let that be that.
If I were getting married I would never expect someone to rearrange their life to accommodate mine. THAT would be selfish.
Thankfully it's just at the end of your trip, and not in the middle! Can you just get an earlier morning flight so you get in a few hours earlier, or do you have to come back the day before (I'd go for the latest flight you can get)!
I could change the flight to earlier in the day, but that would put my DD and I under too much stress to be able to get home and changed in time for the wedding. My travel agent is looking into getting a flight on the 5th that will result in the lowest amount of penalty fees and at least somewhat close to the same price as my current tickets.
Thank you for all your kind thoughts and words. Dad even offered to pay for the NO Expiration option on our park tickets so that we can use them when we go back with them.
I can understand how you feel. After all, you did have your trip booked before any of the plans for the wedding were made. I hope you're able to sort something out and don't have to cut your trip too short.
I'm glad you can still go on your trip. We had planned (without pre-paying) a trip to Disney one summer and my brother decided to get married that summer in Colorado. Well, we couldn't pay for two trips, so Disney was put off for a year. I was really bummed too. And since he got married the day after my anniversary, the rehearsal dinner was during my 17th wedding anniversary. It was pizza and bring your own pop. I don't even think he remembered it was our anniversary since no one ever mentioned it.
At least your dad is trying to help ease your burden. Enjoy your trip and just do your best to enjoy both events.
ps. my brother's wedding was beautiful and very meaningful and I wouldn't have missed it for anything. I'm sure you will feel that way later too.
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.
Okay, I have talked to my travel agent a few times now. We are able to change the flight to the 5th. Dad is going to pay the $100/ per ticket fee to change the flights plus whatever difference there is in flight fares. Luckily, the new flight will leave at the same time my old flight was leaving (2:55 pm), so we will be able to sneak in some extra park time that morning before we leave.
Grace and I had already decided to change resorts after reading about the construction going on at AKL. SO we are now going to stay at Coranodo SPrings. THis difference in resorts will save us about $500, but unfortunately that can't be put towards our flights. So I figure that is just extra souvenir money that I don't have to worry about saving before we get there.
Thank you all for your support and the pixies. I truly do love my brother and I would have been really miserable if I had missed his wedding, But such is life. *Shrug*
About This Page: 
Woohoo!! All our major expenses are paid for and we only have to worry about saving money for souvenirs and planning our fun at the parks. Oh yeah! and ADRs. 
Okay, we made the ADRs for dinner at CRT on the 4th and Lunch at Garden Grill on the 3rd.
The problem is that DD and I will be flying BACK to TX on the 6th. Not a big deal except that the wedding is at 7 PM and our plane lands at 4:20 PM, add in an hour to get bags and a 2 hour drive home. Yeah DD and I wouldn't be able to make it to the wedding on time since it is still another 45 minutes from where we live. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Sorry...again....just be glad it was only a DAY. 
for you!!
DS 3 meeting his favorite lion. how sweet !
PassPorter Guide Author
Linear Mode
