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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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Here will be the sections of my trip report that are not at Disneyland. This includes the time before DL while I was in AZ and the time after that I spent in San Diego and AZ.
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Part One: Into the Frying Pan (May 25th, 2013)
I had done most of my packing on Thursday night because I wanted Friday night to see my boyfriend Frank and other friends before I left for Arizona. Still, I made sure I was home early so I could get some sleep and be up early enough to pack the last minute things before heading to the airport.
I was up around 7 and did just that. I packed my toothbrush and toiletries along with my stuffed animal Aiden and my Merida doll. Mom made me oatmeal for breakfast which I ate gladly. I knew by the time I got to the airport I would have been hungry. I printed out my boarding pass and was happy to see I had gotten A group boarding with Southwest. We left for the Philadelphia airport around nine and traffic wasn't bad so it only took 20 minutes.
I got in line to check my two suitcases. It was a very short line. Of course after I got in it a ton of people were suddenly behind me. Good timing! I followed the touch screen to check in my bags and the lady at the counter tagged them for me. I went off to security feeling like I was forgetting something because I'm so used to taking a suitcase carry on.
I made my way through security. It wasn't that bad. I made sure to take my time and not feel rushed. I tend to get flustered at security because I feel like I'm holding up the line. After security I went to find my gate. Of course, it was at the end of the terminal. It always is. I eyed a Maki of Japan restaurant on the way over. I settled in a seat and fiddled around on my iPhone until about 20 minutes before boarding. I went to use the bathroom and then went to Maki of Japan to get lunch for the plane ride. I got lo mein, orange chicken, and tofu with vegetables. I think it's silly that they call the restaurant Maki of Japan when aside from the sushi, it's all Chinese food.
I got back to the gate 10 minutes before boarding and went in line when my boarding group was called. I was nervous because I was 35th in line and I wanted a window seat. Thankfully I was able to get one when I got on the plane. I sat next to a lovely woman traveling to Reno and a man returning home to Phoenix. We talked some on the plane. I ate my lunch once we were up to cruising altitude. I also watched Monsters Inc. It was a long flight, over five hours. I managed to get a nap in and play a game on my 3DS. When we were close to landing, a flight attendant recognized all the servicemen on the plane for Memorial Day weekend. We all clapped for them and then she sung "God Bless America".
When we landed, I said goodbye to my fellow flightmates and got off the plane. I took the time to use the bathroom again before getting my luggage. It seemed to take forever but I guess that's what happens when you ride an airline that has 2 free checked bags. Even so, I'd definitely fly with them again. They were very courteous and funny. After getting my bags I called my Aunt and she let me know where she had parked to pick me up. I met her on the curb and she helped me put my bags in the car. The temperate outside was 101 degrees. But it was dry heat so it didn't feel as bad as Jersey.
When I got in the car I took the time to call home and let Mom and Dad know that I had been picked up. Meanwhile marveling at how beautiful the desert was. I had been there four years or so ago but it never ceases to amaze me. After I got off the phone my Aunt asked what I'd like to have for dinner. She said we'd do take out somewhere. I had no idea what they had so she gave me some suggestions. Finally, we decided on Mexican because you can't go out to Arizona (or anywhere out west really) and not get Mexican food.
We went to a restaurant called Habaneros. It's authentic Mexican food. My aunt ordered blackened fish tacos for herself and a blackened fish entree for my Uncle. I got the same this as him. We also got guacamole, chips, and salsa.
It didn't take long to make. I sat at the counter and watched them cook. I love watching kitchens.
When we got to the house I brought my stuff inside and put it in my room. I decided that I'd unpack after dinner. I greeted my uncle and we sat down to eat. The fish was amazing! I wasn't that hungry but I managed to almost finish all my food. Not to mention a generous portion of chips and salsa. By the time I was finished eating, I felt almost ready for bed. But I knew that I should try to stay up until 10 to fight the jet lag (three hour time difference).
We all decided to go out and explore Downtown Scottsdale. I went to unpack my things first. I put all my clothes away in the guest dresser and my toiletries in the bathroom. My aunt and uncle have a very nice house and the guest rooms have their own bathrooms. I changed out of jeans and into shorts as it was rather hot. Then we headed out with me rubbing my eyes trying to stay awake.
Downtown Scottsdale is basically just a bunch of art galleries, restaurants, and jewelry stores. Most everything was close too since it was after 8 at this point. We walked around looking in windows. There was a toy store open and I tried to hint that I wanted to go in but I guess my aunt and uncle didn't pick up on it. We did spend at least half an hour in a particular gallery that was open. It was pretty boring for me but my aunt and uncle were having a great time.
After this we decided to head back home. They wanted to stop at Yogurtology (one of the self serve frozen yogurt places). I told them I didn't want any because my stomach thought it was around midnight. They picked up their yogurt and ate most of it in the car. They must have seen my slightly forlorn look from not being able to have any.
Once we got back I showered and changed into pajamas before settling in for the night. It didn't take long at all for me to fall asleep.
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.
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