Forums Closed
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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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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!
Best wishes for a wonderful and magical new year!
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01-25-2005, 10:47 PM
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#1
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Fantasmic! kid\'s Birthday
Hey guys,
I am going to DL thursday-friday for my birthday, so maybe I will be able to finish a report for once! We shall drive up Thursday at 3:00 (getting there at about 4:30) and just do DTD, having dinner at ESPN zone. I will be staying at PPH with a park view (AP rates ). On friday morning (Jan 28h, the big day!), I'll open the presents in our hotel room, and have breakfast in Goofy's Kitchen. Dad will have to go home then (he's a comic book artist and he's on a deadline), while the rest of us do the parks and see Electrical Parade and Fantasmic! at night. I may be able to take dad's laptop and use the internet to post while I am there, if I can find high speed internet access (is there a port in the hotel room?). If not, I may talk to you in Innoventions. See you later!
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01-26-2005, 10:49 AM
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#2
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Community Rank: Globetrotter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: California
Posts: 3,878
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Re: Birthdy trip!!!
Happy Birthday! We love the PPH its not as fancy as the CGH but it is very comfortable. And you will love the view from your room, especially at night. I think they have internet access not sure though. Have a great time.
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01-27-2005, 12:07 PM
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#3
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Re: Birthdy trip!!!
[ QUOTE ]
Happy Birthday!
[/ QUOTE ]
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Sponsored links
Check out the many e-books by PassPorter. The e-books are free to download if you have a PassPorter's Club pass.
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01-29-2005, 11:36 AM
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#4
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Re: Birthdy trip!!!
Hi, I'm back! I don't have time for the TP right now, but just wanted to say that despite heavy rainfall, I still had the best birthday I can remember. In the morning it rained SSOO hard, but it cleared up by the afternoon, long enough for Tom Sawer Island to dry off, so Fantasmic! went as scheduled (and I also cryed during the show as scheduled :girn: ). The hotel was great, we had the best park view I could ask for (ToT was directly center to us), and I actually did the Haunted Mansion and liked it (yes, up until yesterday, I was terrified of it)!
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02-01-2005, 09:27 PM
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#5
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Trip report
It was late afternoon, and the sun was beating down over southern california. But that didn't bother Fantasmic! kid, who was in his room packing for his birthday trip to the Disneyland Resort. Finally he pulled the zipper on his back pack shut and went down stairs. As he headed into the garage he stopped to do say good bye to his Golden Retriever 'Holly', who licked him in the face. He pilled into the front seat of his Dad's car, and turned on The Mighty "Ted" Ninety Radio Channel (the local sports channel). His dad joined him in the car and his Mom and Brother got into the silver mini van. Finally, they left their house for the 90 minute drive to Disneyland Resort. When they got to the Anaheim area, it was a bit more foggy then normal, so it took longer then normal to spot the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror off in the distance, but finally they could see it, bringing up cheers from Fantasmic! kid. They pulled up in front of the Paradise Pier Hotel and had there car parked. They then went inside to check in. The lobby was not exactly spectacular, but it had a cool glass elevator that ran on the outside of the hotel. When Fantasmic! kid's mom checked them in to get their hotel room, Fantasmic! kid whispered in her ear "Ask for a Birthday button", which she did. The Cast Member went to the back for a few minutes, then came back with a birthday button that said "Happy Birthday *(Fantasmic kid's real name)*, from the Disneyland Resort", and a black and white 'signed' picture of Donald and Daisy in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. They then headed up to their hotel room to drop off bags and such. When they opened the door, Fantasmic! kid gasped: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror was directly across from the window, with a perfect view of the drop shaft. If you would look to the left, you could see all the Mountains at Disneyland, and on the right was a perfect view of Paradise Pier. After staring out the window for some time, they all headed to the ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney. Fantasmic! kid had seen many pictures of the lobby, but it still took him by surprise of how big it really was! On the bottom floor they got seats and took their orders, ate, and then went upstairs to play games. Fantasmic! kid's favorite was mini bowling, because it was so much fun and easy to do, yet seemed so real. After that they explored more of Downtown Disney, such as World of Disney. While strolling around, they passed a terrible violin player (Of course, only Fantasmic! kid's mom could tell, she is a good player herself), who was selling his CD's and a huge crowd was watching him. The music didn't improve much as they made their way back to the Paradise Pier Hotel, and Fantasmic! kid began to feel sorry for the guests at the Disneyland Hotel with a Downtown Disney view. When they got back to their room Fantasmic! kid turned on the TV and watched the resort channel, and the wether channel (which forecasted rain ). Finally, as the TV announcer said "that's today's news", they all went to sleep.
Tune in next time to hear about Day 2!
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02-02-2005, 08:47 PM
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#6
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Re: Trip report
Any comments?
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02-03-2005, 10:08 AM
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#7
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,590
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Re: Fantasmic! kid\'s Birthday
My daughter would go bananas for a direct birds eye view of the TOT. Wow. I'll have to remember that when we start booking this summer. Cannot wait to get to DL. Sounds like a wonderful trip. Thanks for the report.
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02-03-2005, 05:53 PM
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#8
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: In the state of Disney Dreaming!
Concierge Level: 6
Posts: 10,572
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Re: Trip report
How ! A DL Road Trip!
<font color="blue"> Happy Birthday ! ! !
Belated wishes! </font>
ESPN Zone sounds great! My teens will definitely want to go there when we come to CA. They BW's, but they think it's small and wish it was larger.
Can't wait to read about your special day!
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02-03-2005, 11:03 PM
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#9
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Re: Trip report
[ QUOTE ]
How ! A DL Road Trip!
<font color="blue"> Happy Birthday ! ! !
Belated wishes! </font>
ESPN Zone sounds great! My teens will definitely want to go there when we come to CA. They BW's, but they think it's small and wish it was larger.
Can't wait to read about your special day!
[/ QUOTE ]
:lol: That picture is so funny! And thanks!
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02-04-2005, 11:36 PM
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#10
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Sasquatch Territory, Pacific Northwest
Concierge Level: 8
Posts: 17,166
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Re: Trip report
Thanks for the TR, Kid!
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02-13-2005, 07:24 PM
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#11
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: MinneSOta
Posts: 7,036
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Re: Fantasmic! kid\'s Birthday
More please
boBšoš
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02-14-2005, 11:00 PM
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#12
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Community Rank: Explorer
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: central Iowa
Posts: 11,837
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Re: Fantasmic! kid\'s Birthday
thanks! keep it coming and glad your trip got off to a good start! Can't wait to read more and get excited about our trip next year.
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02-17-2005, 03:20 PM
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#13
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Community Rank: Trekker
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: San Diego
Posts: 1,038
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Re: Fantasmic! kid\'s Birthday
Just got caught up. I had by Birthday at Disneyland last weekend! I told my DH he could pay for my new AP as a present. Happy Belated Birthday BTW.
"The Mighty "Ted" Ninety?" eh? I know what city you live in Same as me!
Let's have the rest of the TR please. Thanks.
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02-17-2005, 08:18 PM
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#14
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Community Rank: Traveler
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: On the Computer
Posts: 282
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Day 2: My Birthday
Day 2: My Birthday (Thanks for the comments everyone!)
Fantasmic! kid didn't get all the sleep he should have gotten, because he was wondering if they where going to be doing some firework tests for Remember... Dreams Come True, as they had been all week long. Every once in awhile he could have sworn he heard a loud "BOOM!", but when he jumped to the window, whatever pyro there was (if there had been any) was gone. He woke up at an early 5:30 and to keep him self busy he would go to the window often to peak out at the empty DCA (but it wasn't really any less crowded then what it was during the day ).
Finally at 7:00 his family woke up, and the song of Happy Birthday rang through the room. Fantasmic! kid then opened his presents in bed, getting basically only Disney things, the majority of them clothes . Then they all got dressed and headed to the Disneyland Hotel and Goofy's Kitchen. It was a cold morning, and the ground showed signs of late night rain fall. There seemed to be quite a few birthday kids there besides Kid, but he seemed to be the only kid his age there. The buffet was wonderful, and Fantasmic! kid made himself so stuffed that the little birthday muffin that they brought out had to be wrapped to go home with dad. When Dale came by, they had a long "conversation" (Dale responded by writing on the table mat), and boy was she (Dale is always played by a girl cause the costume is so short) funny!
Afterward they went back to the hotel to get there bags. It took Kid's parents awhile to pry him away from the room, but he finally said good by to the view and left. Kid, his Mom, and Brother all said there good bye's to Dad because he was on deadline for work and had to go home, and then the remaining three went to the Grand Californian and went through the side entrance to DCA.
They started on Soarin' to get their stomachs all ready for ToT. As always, they all cheered when they flew over their home town (yes DisneyDoll, the one you guessed ). After Soarin', they checked out all of the 75 InspEARations in sunshine plaza. They had seen them before at MK in WDW, but it still surprised them how cool they were! When they finally made it to ToT, they lingered for a moment to talk to a Bell Hop about the minimum requirements to be an attraction host, and how fun it was to be a bell hop. Then they entered the Tower.
This time they got to go up to the second floor of the boiler room, which they had never done before. It wasn't that much different, but Kid definitely could tell that it didn't drop as far down on the final drop. They didn't really want to do Screamin' because it was beginning to rain, so they began to head toward the front of the park to park hop. As they left the HPB, it really started to pour in buckets. They darted from shop to shop to stay dry, and finally when they were out side of the park, ran full tilt toward Disneyland.
When they got into the park and walked into the tunnel separating Disneyland from the real world, the Barbershop Quartet was playing a weird instrument that looked like a ton of huge oddly shaped mettle pipes and playing them to Disney melodies. When they saw Fantasmic! kid's birthday button, they all started loudly (and beautifully) singing Happy Birthday, and much to Kid's dismay, people stopped and stared. During one of there pauses in the verses one of them muttered to him "Embarrassing, isn't it?". When they ended, they posed for a picture with kid, and then walked off (the rain stopped).
Kid and family then headed into the Walt Disney Story with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Kid stopped and asked a Cast member whether Lincoln would return after Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years, and he said he was good friends with Marty Skyler (the head of Imaginearing), and that he said it definitely would. They then headed into the theater. The Lincoln AA was incredible! Kid had never been in before, and now wondered why he never had.
When they headed out, they walked down Main Street to get to Tomorrowland. As always, Kid cried when he saw the castle . They went on Star Tours and took some time to check out Buzz's Progress. Mom said she wanted to do some shopping on MS, so they headed back down. Mom got Kid a new sweatshirt, and Kid's bro got a new Stitch hat and gloves. When they left the shop and headed out on to the side walk, they saw the cavalcade coming down the street. A rather familiar piece of music was accompanying it... Kid had never seen Believe... There's Magic in the Stars at DL, and had always wanted to hear the music played at DL. His wish came true that day, but the only difference was it wasn't to Fireworks. Kid actually caught himself singing along: "There's Magic in the stars, Magic everywhere you go! No matter who you are, there's magic in the stars (hear at Disneyland)!".
They then headed for Adventureland and went on Indiana Jones, and as always disobeyed orders and looked into the eye of Mara . Kid had always been afraid of the Haunted Mansion (I know, I'm weird), and decided to change that on his birthday. Instead of focusing on the parts that freaked him out, he watched the new things that the Imaginears put in during the rehab. It actually turned out to be one of his favorite rides! Just like in holiday, his favorite part is the stretching room (except of course for when all of the teens scream his ear drums out ). When they got off, it once again began to pour in buckets. They took shelter in the Fantasyland dark rides. A lot of them Kid had never done before, and they were actually quite fun! His favorite one turned out to be Pinocchio, even though a lot of people say it's their least.
Mom was really starting to tell Kid that maybe they should just go home and come back another time. Kid didn't want to hear that-- They were at Disneyland, and rain or no rain, they were going to have a blast! They decided to head into Innoventions for an hour to get dry and to rest. Kid was really starting to fear the worst: the cancellation of Fantasmic!. He knew that if the island flooded, the show would be called off. They went inside Innoventions for awhile, and while they were there they called dad on the cell phone, who was home by then. He said he checked the weather report for DL and was surprised that it was raining at all. Mom was still skeptical, but they went out side just to check. When they opened the Innoventions door, they were blinded by the sun-- without a cloud in site! Fantasmic! kid felt like god was giving him a birthday present as he skipped down the Innoventions ramp back down to sunny Tomorrowland. They ate at Red Rockets Pizza port, and Kid as always got his pasta (I am the only kid on the planet who hates Pizza). Kid wanted to go do HM again, so they headed in that direction. When they got to the river, he saw them: The people wearing bright yellow uniforms, setting up Fantasmic!. He ran up to one of them and asked what were the odds of the show going on and he said pretty good, because the draining system on the island successfully drained all the water. They did HM, and some more things in Fantasyland, and then finally back to NOS for Fantasmic!.
Kid found some chairs for his mom and bro to sit on, and then went to sit on his own down at the water front. It was about an hour before show time, and it seemed no one was there! Kid actually got the second row and was perfectly center. A little bit later, a family from Washington sat down next to him. Kid then as always tried to make friends with the people around him to pass the time, and to say wow to during the show. Finally, the moment arrived. The beam coming from heaven landed on the stage to signal the start of the show. Because kid was so center, the light beams coming from the lights danced over his head! Then, there was Mickey, who made the water fountains dance. Being so center, Kid saw every effect in the show without having to turn his head. The only thing missing from the show was Pinocchio, who had fallen off his rigs and plunged into the river during the midnight showing on New Years Eve. During the dragon part, Kid noticed that now he shoots the full on fire ball again as he used to. And, of course, at the end, Kid cried his eyes out with joy and laughter. Being so center, the Laser beams coming from the hut shot over his head!
After the show, Kid met up with the other two, and together, they left Disneyland park.
THE END
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02-18-2005, 01:11 AM
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#15
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Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Sasquatch Territory, Pacific Northwest
Concierge Level: 8
Posts: 17,166
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Re: Day 2: My Birthday
Thanks for the new installment kid!
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