Lies and Deceit - It's What This Trip Was Built On (A CLT Report) - UPDATED 3/9 - 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 The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk.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.
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.
Lies and Deceit - It's What This Trip Was Built On (A CLT Report) - UPDATED 3/9
For many of you, I'm the third leg (or wheel depending on who you're talking to) of the patented CLT. I may make a comment here or there, but I'm simply supplementary to the trip report stylings of P-Sha and Eileeeeen. For a few of you, though, I am a trip report writer of old. A legend, actually, .... at least in my own mind. And, the clamor has been great for my return to trip report writing. OK, the clamor has been of medium intensity. OK, OK, the clamor has been small. OK, OK, OK! The clamor has been non-existent.
But, since I've missed the writing, I decided to jump back into it with a report on a trip where there was bound to be a decent quantity of wacky zaniness. I tend to attract the zany on my own. Add in Eileen, and it increases exponentially. Add in Eileen and Sharon, and we're talking off the charts zany. Plus, I tend to have a little trip-reportitus-unfinishability (maybe there's a cream for that? ) Fortunately, my friend P-Sha fashions herself as the trip report finish nazi. So, with her prodding, there's at least a 50-50 chance that I'll actually finish this report. Finally, there's a 100% chance that I will be wildly mis-represented via either Eileen or Sharon. (It's a partial reason for the trip report title.) If it makes me look good, lets be honest, I'm not correcting it. But, if it portrays me in a less than flattering light (and lets be honest again, even if it's TRUE and it paints me in a less than flattering light) I'm changing it. A scorecard on that front for future reference: true and flattering or untrue and flattering = not going to be changed, untrue and unflattering, true and unflattering = going to be changed. Got it? Good. And away we go!
My own little background on the genesis of the CLT. Eileen and I met back in 2005. Actually, she wanted to meet me because of a trip report I wrote about my December 2004 trip. It was that good people. I'm just saying... After a bunch of trips together (and my promise to always meet any Passporters who journeyed west of the Rockies,) it became obvious that we'd room together on the Girls' Disneyland trip in Feb 2007. Unfortunately, God has only blessed us with insanely good looks, fabulous personalaties, and astronomical IQ's. We have yet to be blessed with vast fortunes (or, apparently, humility. ) So, it was necessary to add a third to our wildly over priced room at the Grand Californian. Because we'd both fallen in with Sharon through HER trip reports, it was a no brainer over who to ask. She was a good writer, and seemed nice enough. What could go wrong?
Luckily, after meeting her in December 2006, Eileen and I both knew that we'd hit the roommate lottery. She was warm, sweet, funny, and simply delightful. Of course, that meant a new set of worries. How would she react to six days of me and Eileen? You see, there tend to be two distinctly different reactions that people have after meeting Eileen and me together. Either they love us. Or, they love us as much as they should. OK, there's probably at least one other reaction that people have to us, but we tend to not hear much from (maybe it's listen to?) those people. Well, our trip came, and P-Sha only impressed us more. She's the PERFECT roommate, plus she needs only about 6 square feet of space to sleep in since she doesn't move AT ALL while sleeping! I totally fell in love with her, and she must have liked us OK too because she invited us along on any of her future trips upon returning home. Score! Hopefully, she meant it, because we took her up on the invite soon enough with the promise to attend Mousefest as a trio.
General plans were made throughout the summer and fall, and I may have made slightly more specific plans. Nothing crazy, down to the minute in some cases, but mostly just what we'd be accomplishing each hour, every hour for our entire 130 hour trip. Like I said, nothing crazy. A little note on my trip planning process. I thought I was being WILDLY flexible this trip because I'd always have like 46 options over what we could do next. But, people (aka Eileen) would always be surprised that I'd know without looking at a times guide at 2:17, that we had exactly 11 minutes to travel to the Canada pavillion and two minutes to situate ourselves for the 2:30 storytelling. Or, we could take four minutes to travel to the Mexico pavillion, three minutes to get a margarita, and one minute to hot foot it to the China pavillion to see the acrobats at 2:25. So, either you plan like me (aka the right way) or you don't. And, then when you're surprised that I know this stuff, I give you a look like this...
because it doesn't compute that you don't know this stuff.
Anywho, plans were made, PM's were flying, laughing commenced, and excitement built. Until.... Eileen left for her appetizer trip. Then, PM's between Sharon and me were flying, crying commenced, and envy built. Until... we finally got to the day before our journeys together. Or, since I was taking a red-eye, the day my trip would begin.
I had purchased a ticket via American Airlines (using a voucher from a previously planned trip) on Alaska Airlines. Don't ask. Alaska's trying to break into the cross country market, and the times for their red-eye worked out well for me (i.e. get me to Orlando as early as possible on arrival day,) so it was fly Alaska to Orlando! Unfortunately, they fly from San Francisco to Portland to Orlando. Whip out your maps people. Portland's not exactly on the way. But, like I said, the times worked well. Unfortunately, Portland and Seattle have giant bullseyes painted on them for Pacific storms this winter, and they were being walloped leading up to this travel day. But, the storms had cleared on this day so things looked good. Unfortunately, Alaska was suffering from delays due to the storms, and my very tight connection was looking dicey. But, as I was on the train heading home after a short day of work, and literally as I was talking to Eileen asking for her to pray, an Alaska rep called me to see if I could make the 6:30 PM flight instead of the 8 PM flight to preserve my vacation. Can do!
The day was one big "unfortunately, but." Anytime I'd get a piece of bad news, it would immediately correct itself in some other way. I was Jerry Seinfeld! Everything was even! I had a bit of an abbreviated goodbye with Zack because of the earlier flight. But, I had plenty of time to get my things together, get to the airport, get assigned an exit row seat, grab a bite to eat with Zack and my Dad at the airport, and head through security with time to spare for my new 6:30 flight. It was all going so easily. Time for another big "unfortunately," but then another big "but" that's what I call an upgrade!
Up Next... That's What I Call an Upgrade!
__________________
Karen, aka Zack's Mom - Lover of all Things Disney and the San Francisco Giants!
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.
Yes, nothing like one of your TR's to ensure that we see ALL sides of the story. Hope Sharon does her job to keep you on track ;} Looking forward to more.
__________________
Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down, in the most delightful way!
A scorecard on that front for future reference: true and flattering or untrue and flattering = not going to be changed, untrue and unflattering, true and unflattering = going to be changed. Got it? Good. And away we go!
OMG, Karen....you are funny, but really quite entertaining! I see that your TR skillz definitely belongs in the PP Hall of Fame (along with a few of your buddies).
Keep it coming!
danielle
__________________
~Shoot for the moon, if you miss, you will land among the stars~
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 was wondering when you were going to start your trip report. There's nothing like hearing all sides of the story. I love the begining and can't wait to read more.
Liz
About This Page: 
And, the clamor has been great for my return to trip report writing. OK, the clamor has been of medium intensity. OK, OK, the clamor has been small. OK, OK, OK! The clamor has been non-existent.
) Fortunately, my friend P-Sha fashions herself as the trip report finish nazi. 
So, with her prodding, there's at least a 50-50 chance that I'll actually finish this report. Finally, there's a 100% chance that I will be wildly mis-represented via either Eileen or Sharon. (It's a partial reason for the trip report title.) If it makes me look good, lets be honest, I'm not correcting it. But, if it portrays me in a less than flattering light (and lets be honest again, even if it's TRUE and it paints me in a less than flattering light) I'm changing it. A scorecard on that front for future reference: true and flattering or untrue and flattering = not going to be changed, untrue and unflattering, true and unflattering = going to be changed. Got it? Good. And away we go!
I'm just saying... After a bunch of trips together (and my promise to always meet any Passporters who journeyed west of the Rockies,) it became obvious that we'd room together on the Girls' Disneyland trip in Feb 2007. Unfortunately, God has only blessed us with insanely good looks, fabulous personalaties, and astronomical IQ's. We have yet to be blessed with vast fortunes (or, apparently, humility. 
) So, it was necessary to add a third to our wildly over priced room at the Grand Californian. Because we'd both fallen in 
with Sharon through HER trip reports, it was a no brainer over who to ask. She was a good writer, and seemed nice enough. What could go wrong?
I totally fell in love with her, and she must have liked us OK too because she invited us along on any of her future trips upon returning home. Score! 
Hopefully, she meant it, because we took her up on the invite soon enough with the promise to attend Mousefest as a trio.
Nothing crazy, down to the minute in some cases, but mostly just what we'd be accomplishing each hour, every hour for our entire 130 hour trip. Like I said, nothing crazy. A little note on my trip planning process. I thought I was being WILDLY flexible this trip because I'd always have like 46 options over what we could do next. But, people (aka Eileen) would always be surprised that I'd know without looking at a times guide at 2:17, that we had exactly 11 minutes to travel to the Canada pavillion and two minutes to situate ourselves for the 2:30 storytelling. Or, we could take four minutes to travel to the Mexico pavillion, three minutes to get a margarita, and one minute to hot foot it to the China pavillion to see the acrobats at 2:25. So, either you plan like me (aka the right way) or you don't. And, then when you're surprised that I know this stuff, I give you a look like this... 
Until... we finally got to the day before our journeys together. Or, since I was taking a red-eye, the day my trip would begin. 
Like
Thank
Pixie Dust
Linear Mode
